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Ubisoft's woke virtue signalling used to be mildly annoying, now it's just blatantly offensive.
2024.05.15 22:38 malashex Ubisoft's woke virtue signalling used to be mildly annoying, now it's just blatantly offensive.
Unpopular opinion and I know I'm gonna get downvoted to hell for this and probably laughed at, but I have to get this off my chest.
It absolutely baffles me that they went with a black male protagonist for this game.
This is a game set in an ASIAN COUNTRY with an ASIAN THEME based on ASIAN HISTORY, yet we have a non-Asian male as the protagonist. It’s not just farcical at this point, it's blatantly offensive.
Imagine if Ubisoft had made an AC game that's set in Africa, but chose to cast a white dude as the main character. Imagine the huge uproar that would erupt on social media from certain groups (looking at you, Sweet Baby Inc.) if Ubisoft had done something like that. All those woke idiots would be loudly crying racism from the rooftops and demanding a public apology from Ubisoft.
Now how do you think us Asians feel about being forced to play as a black dude in medieval Japan of all places? I'm sure those same woke idiots would call it "progressive" and "inclusive". I call it outrageous and infuriating.
I take particular issue with this because Asian men have been historically underrepresented in all forms of media.
We see plenty of white male protagonists in films, TV shows and video games.
We see plenty of black male protagonists in films, TV shows and video games.
But we rarely, if ever, see any asian males in Western media, especially as the main protagonists. Go ahead and count the number of Asian men who play lead roles in Western shows. Now count the number of white and black male lead protagonists. Now compare the numbers. I guess when Westerners refer to the importance of allowing more diverse representation of "people of color" in media, they're only referring to blacks and maybe hispanics, and no one else. No other ethnicities allowed.
This is a recurring problem not just in video games, but in all forms of Western media.
The recent Shogun and Tokyo Vice TV shows both have white dudes as the main characters (yes I know they're both based on books from white dudes, I don't care, and in fact it kind of proves my point). The 3 body problem (based on a Chinese novel set in China with a nearly all-Chinese cast) recast nearly all of the characters to be non-Asians, and even gender-swapped the male protagonist to become two females. And we even recently had wonderfully smooth-brained tabloid articles cropping up on the web complaining about why there aren't any black people in Shogun. It really does seem like the West has a serious aversion to making any media set in Asia without having a non-Asian male perspective. Is Asia really that "exotic" or "alien" that audiences don't want to see an Asian man as the main character? That the only way to make sense of the "exotic" and “alien” Asian culture is to have a non-Asian window into it?
Even in the few cases where Asian men are represented (albeit in non-lead roles), we're often emasculated and desexualized, being stereotypically portrayed as either the skinny and nerdy maths whiz or the weird and funny Kung Fu master. The West loves to emasculate us even further by regularly casting Asian women as the love interests of non-Asian male protagonists. And now we’re even being replaced by non-Asian actors in roles that should rightfully have been played by Asian men.
Now before you chime in with "B...b...but Yasuke was a real person and he was a samurai!!!!111oneonone", yes I've read about Yasuke and I know it's historically accurate that he was present in Japan in this time period.
But you know what else is historically accurate in this time period? JAPANESE MEN IN JAPAN.
In fact, I would argue that is much MORE historically accurate and would have been much more common to see JAPANESE MEN IN JAPAN in this time period, instead of black men in japan during this time period (especially given that Japan remains one of the most ethnically homogeneous and xenophobic countries in the world, but I digress). Controversial opinion, I know.
For all of Ubisoft's vaunted claims that they care about promoting the fair and respectful representation of different cultures, this is anything but respectful.
This was Ubisoft's opportunity to improve the visibility and representation of Asian males by having an Asian man as the protagonist of a game set in an Asian country, but as with the rest of their games, it seems that Ubisoft is more preoccupied with virtue signalling and pushing their race-based political agenda than anything else.
And as for Yasuke, there is no conclusive evidence that he was ever a Samurai. Much of what we know about him comes from the Shincho Koki and some writings from foreign missionaries, none of which explicitly mention that he ever held Samurai status. All that we know, for certain, is that he was in the employ of Oda Nobunaga as a weapon bearer, but bearing a lord's weapon on its own is no definitive indicator of Samurai status. But unfortunately, woke idiots with an agenda have latched onto this one little factoid and made the giant logical leap that he must have been a Samurai and are now pushing that as an official narrative. And Ubisoft being Ubisoft, never one to squander an opportunity to virtue signal about how much they support woke causes, are now taking up that narrative as well.
It’s ridiculous. Ubisoft has already featured black male protagonists in a few of their past AC games, Adéwalé and Bayek, to be specific. NONE of the AC games thus far have had an East Asian male protagonist. Not a single one.
I suppose you could argue that those games weren't set in Asia, so I'm willing to give Ubisoft a free pass for those ones, but when they finally, FINALLY make a game set in Japan, the one place in the world where it would not only be perfectly reasonable but expected to cast an Asian man in the lead role, who do they choose to cast instead? A black dude. At this point, I'm not sure if Ubisoft is deliberately trying to insult Asian men, or if they're just clueless.
It's even more frustrating when you consider that historically Ubisoft has been willing to cast minorities as main characters in settings where it actually made sense for them to appear. Assassin's Creed III (set in America) had a native American as the main character, and the recent AC: Mirage had an Arab dude as the main character.
So if they are perfectly capable of casting a Middle Eastern dude as the main character for a game set in the Middle East, and they are capable of casting a native American as the main character for a game set in America, why can't they cast an Asian dude as the main character for a game set in FUCKING ASIA OF ALL PLACES?! It's straight up insulting.
And more broadly, what sort of message is Ubisoft trying to send here, exactly? That Asian men aren't "manly" enough to be leading men? That only non-Asian minorities can be leading men? That an Asian man can’t be the hero? That only a black man can save Japan? Well that, in itself, is racist. But then again, for all the woke idiots out there, it’s the right kind of racism, I suppose.
I think I’ll wrap things up here, because I'm probably just shouting into the wind. This game will go on to sell millions of copies, be praised as the next Quad-A masterpiece from Ubisoft, everyone will laud Ubisoft for being so "progressive and inclusive", and us Asian men will continue to be shafted. I guess cultural appropriation is perfectly okay when black people do it!
TLDR: The West's emasculation of Asian men continues. Rant over.
EDIT: On a side note, I really love how Ubisoft cynically exploits minorities and women for its own financial gain. We're talking about a company that was exposed as having an extremely toxic culture and had numerous sexual harassment allegations levelled at them only a few years back, and some of its employees were even arrested for sexual assault, which one lawyer referred to as "systemic sexual violence". Gee, that's somewhat ironic for a company that loves to publicly rant about how much it cares about women, and regularly casts women as main protagonists in a lot of their games... It's almost as if they're a bunch of virtue-signalling liars! Let's be honest, this company doesn't actually care about minorities or women, it just likes to use them to score easy brownie points and make everyone THINK that they care. "Hey look! We care about all these progressive issues! We respect women and minorities! We respect them so much we cast them as main characters in our games! We. Care. So buy our games! Buy games from The Company That Cares TM"
submitted by malashex to assassinscreed [link] [comments]
It absolutely baffles me that they went with a black male protagonist for this game.
This is a game set in an ASIAN COUNTRY with an ASIAN THEME based on ASIAN HISTORY, yet we have a non-Asian male as the protagonist. It’s not just farcical at this point, it's blatantly offensive.
Imagine if Ubisoft had made an AC game that's set in Africa, but chose to cast a white dude as the main character. Imagine the huge uproar that would erupt on social media from certain groups (looking at you, Sweet Baby Inc.) if Ubisoft had done something like that. All those woke idiots would be loudly crying racism from the rooftops and demanding a public apology from Ubisoft.
Now how do you think us Asians feel about being forced to play as a black dude in medieval Japan of all places? I'm sure those same woke idiots would call it "progressive" and "inclusive". I call it outrageous and infuriating.
I take particular issue with this because Asian men have been historically underrepresented in all forms of media.
We see plenty of white male protagonists in films, TV shows and video games.
We see plenty of black male protagonists in films, TV shows and video games.
But we rarely, if ever, see any asian males in Western media, especially as the main protagonists. Go ahead and count the number of Asian men who play lead roles in Western shows. Now count the number of white and black male lead protagonists. Now compare the numbers. I guess when Westerners refer to the importance of allowing more diverse representation of "people of color" in media, they're only referring to blacks and maybe hispanics, and no one else. No other ethnicities allowed.
This is a recurring problem not just in video games, but in all forms of Western media.
The recent Shogun and Tokyo Vice TV shows both have white dudes as the main characters (yes I know they're both based on books from white dudes, I don't care, and in fact it kind of proves my point). The 3 body problem (based on a Chinese novel set in China with a nearly all-Chinese cast) recast nearly all of the characters to be non-Asians, and even gender-swapped the male protagonist to become two females. And we even recently had wonderfully smooth-brained tabloid articles cropping up on the web complaining about why there aren't any black people in Shogun. It really does seem like the West has a serious aversion to making any media set in Asia without having a non-Asian male perspective. Is Asia really that "exotic" or "alien" that audiences don't want to see an Asian man as the main character? That the only way to make sense of the "exotic" and “alien” Asian culture is to have a non-Asian window into it?
Even in the few cases where Asian men are represented (albeit in non-lead roles), we're often emasculated and desexualized, being stereotypically portrayed as either the skinny and nerdy maths whiz or the weird and funny Kung Fu master. The West loves to emasculate us even further by regularly casting Asian women as the love interests of non-Asian male protagonists. And now we’re even being replaced by non-Asian actors in roles that should rightfully have been played by Asian men.
Now before you chime in with "B...b...but Yasuke was a real person and he was a samurai!!!!111oneonone", yes I've read about Yasuke and I know it's historically accurate that he was present in Japan in this time period.
But you know what else is historically accurate in this time period? JAPANESE MEN IN JAPAN.
In fact, I would argue that is much MORE historically accurate and would have been much more common to see JAPANESE MEN IN JAPAN in this time period, instead of black men in japan during this time period (especially given that Japan remains one of the most ethnically homogeneous and xenophobic countries in the world, but I digress). Controversial opinion, I know.
For all of Ubisoft's vaunted claims that they care about promoting the fair and respectful representation of different cultures, this is anything but respectful.
This was Ubisoft's opportunity to improve the visibility and representation of Asian males by having an Asian man as the protagonist of a game set in an Asian country, but as with the rest of their games, it seems that Ubisoft is more preoccupied with virtue signalling and pushing their race-based political agenda than anything else.
And as for Yasuke, there is no conclusive evidence that he was ever a Samurai. Much of what we know about him comes from the Shincho Koki and some writings from foreign missionaries, none of which explicitly mention that he ever held Samurai status. All that we know, for certain, is that he was in the employ of Oda Nobunaga as a weapon bearer, but bearing a lord's weapon on its own is no definitive indicator of Samurai status. But unfortunately, woke idiots with an agenda have latched onto this one little factoid and made the giant logical leap that he must have been a Samurai and are now pushing that as an official narrative. And Ubisoft being Ubisoft, never one to squander an opportunity to virtue signal about how much they support woke causes, are now taking up that narrative as well.
It’s ridiculous. Ubisoft has already featured black male protagonists in a few of their past AC games, Adéwalé and Bayek, to be specific. NONE of the AC games thus far have had an East Asian male protagonist. Not a single one.
I suppose you could argue that those games weren't set in Asia, so I'm willing to give Ubisoft a free pass for those ones, but when they finally, FINALLY make a game set in Japan, the one place in the world where it would not only be perfectly reasonable but expected to cast an Asian man in the lead role, who do they choose to cast instead? A black dude. At this point, I'm not sure if Ubisoft is deliberately trying to insult Asian men, or if they're just clueless.
It's even more frustrating when you consider that historically Ubisoft has been willing to cast minorities as main characters in settings where it actually made sense for them to appear. Assassin's Creed III (set in America) had a native American as the main character, and the recent AC: Mirage had an Arab dude as the main character.
So if they are perfectly capable of casting a Middle Eastern dude as the main character for a game set in the Middle East, and they are capable of casting a native American as the main character for a game set in America, why can't they cast an Asian dude as the main character for a game set in FUCKING ASIA OF ALL PLACES?! It's straight up insulting.
And more broadly, what sort of message is Ubisoft trying to send here, exactly? That Asian men aren't "manly" enough to be leading men? That only non-Asian minorities can be leading men? That an Asian man can’t be the hero? That only a black man can save Japan? Well that, in itself, is racist. But then again, for all the woke idiots out there, it’s the right kind of racism, I suppose.
I think I’ll wrap things up here, because I'm probably just shouting into the wind. This game will go on to sell millions of copies, be praised as the next Quad-A masterpiece from Ubisoft, everyone will laud Ubisoft for being so "progressive and inclusive", and us Asian men will continue to be shafted. I guess cultural appropriation is perfectly okay when black people do it!
TLDR: The West's emasculation of Asian men continues. Rant over.
EDIT: On a side note, I really love how Ubisoft cynically exploits minorities and women for its own financial gain. We're talking about a company that was exposed as having an extremely toxic culture and had numerous sexual harassment allegations levelled at them only a few years back, and some of its employees were even arrested for sexual assault, which one lawyer referred to as "systemic sexual violence". Gee, that's somewhat ironic for a company that loves to publicly rant about how much it cares about women, and regularly casts women as main protagonists in a lot of their games... It's almost as if they're a bunch of virtue-signalling liars! Let's be honest, this company doesn't actually care about minorities or women, it just likes to use them to score easy brownie points and make everyone THINK that they care. "Hey look! We care about all these progressive issues! We respect women and minorities! We respect them so much we cast them as main characters in our games! We. Care. So buy our games! Buy games from The Company That Cares TM"
2024.05.15 22:36 No-Knowledge-5828 ReplyGuy Review - The AI That Plugs Your Product on Reddit and Twitter
 | In today's digital landscape, where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, standing out from the crowd has never been more crucial. As an entrepreneur or business owner, you're constantly seeking ways to amplify your brand's reach, engage with your target audience, and drive meaningful conversions. submitted by No-Knowledge-5828 to findmysaas [link] [comments] Enter ReplyGuy - a revolutionary platform that promises to transform the way you interact with potential customers and grow your online presence. In this comprehensive review, we'll dive deep into the features, benefits, and real-world impact of ReplyGuy, helping you determine if this tool is the missing piece in your digital marketing arsenal. https://preview.redd.it/kbgcui0din0d1.jpg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=541e4a0c266d4aaa98c97ce71ec7364423bb5cc3 What is ReplyGuy?ReplyGuy is a powerful social media automation platform that enables businesses and individuals to engage with their audience on platforms like Twitter and Reddit more effectively. By leveraging a network of high-quality accounts, ReplyGuy automates the process of responding to comments, questions, and mentions, ensuring that your brand is always present and responsive.Unlike traditional social media management tools, ReplyGuy goes beyond simply scheduling posts or monitoring mentions. It utilizes advanced natural language processing algorithms to analyze the sentiment and context of conversations, allowing it to craft personalized, authentic-sounding responses that resonate with your audience. Key Features of ReplyGuy
The Benefits of Using ReplyGuy
Real-World Success StoriesTo illustrate the real-world impact of ReplyGuy, let's take a look at a few case studies:Case Study 1: Startup Founder Boosts Twitter Engagement by 150%John, the founder of a budding tech startup, was struggling to keep up with the growing number of mentions and comments on his company's Twitter account. After signing up for ReplyGuy, he was able to automate the process of responding to these interactions, resulting in a 150% increase in overall engagement and a 30% boost in website traffic from Twitter."ReplyGuy has been a game-changer for my business," John said. "It's allowed me to maintain a constant presence on social media without sacrificing my time or attention. The personalized responses have really resonated with our audience, and I've seen a noticeable uptick in brand loyalty and customer inquiries." Case Study 2: Established Ecommerce Brand Sees a 25% Increase in Reddit ConversionsSarah, the marketing manager for a well-known ecommerce brand, was looking for ways to expand her company's reach and engage with potential customers on Reddit, a platform that had previously been underutilized.After implementing ReplyGuy, Sarah was able to automate the process of responding to relevant threads and comments, tailoring the messaging to address the specific needs and concerns of her target audience. The results were impressive, with a 25% increase in website traffic and conversions from Reddit. "ReplyGuy has been a game-changer for our Reddit strategy," Sarah said. "The platform's ability to analyze sentiment and craft personalized responses has allowed us to build genuine connections with our audience, which has directly translated to tangible business results." ReplyGuy Pricing and Subscription OptionsReplyGuy offers a range of subscription plans to cater to businesses of all sizes:
Conclusion: Is ReplyGuy Right for Your Business?In today's fast-paced, hyper-competitive digital landscape, the ability to engage with your audience in a timely, personalized, and authentic manner can be the difference between success and stagnation. ReplyGuy offers a powerful, AI-driven solution that streamlines and optimizes the process of social media engagement, empowering businesses to amplify their online presence, foster deeper connections with their audience, and drive tangible results.Whether you're a solopreneur, a small business owner, or a marketing manager for a large enterprise, ReplyGuy has the potential to transform the way you approach social media and unlock new avenues for growth. By automating the process of responding to comments, questions, and mentions, you can free up valuable time and resources, while ensuring that your brand remains consistently engaged and responsive. If you're ready to take your social media strategy to the next level and unlock the full potential of your online presence, I highly recommend giving ReplyGuy a try. Sign up for a free trial today and experience the power of AI-driven social media engagement for yourself. |
2024.05.15 22:36 SoulCrusader9 Extreme constipation before period (PMS)
Hi everyone
I have IBS and currently (last months) have been experiencing a flare up after I had surgery end of February. I got a lot of pain medication and had a very bad allergic reaction to the medicine as well.
I always have struggled with constipation and IBS, but somewhat able to take care of it. Since the surgery, however, all hell broke loose (or actually, nothing's loose anymore #punintended), and I've been struggling with weight gain as a result of very bad constipation. I notice it gets extremely bad before my period.
Do you know any remedies to alleviate this discomfort?
Thanks in advance!
submitted by SoulCrusader9 to Ayurveda [link] [comments]
I have IBS and currently (last months) have been experiencing a flare up after I had surgery end of February. I got a lot of pain medication and had a very bad allergic reaction to the medicine as well.
I always have struggled with constipation and IBS, but somewhat able to take care of it. Since the surgery, however, all hell broke loose (or actually, nothing's loose anymore #punintended), and I've been struggling with weight gain as a result of very bad constipation. I notice it gets extremely bad before my period.
Do you know any remedies to alleviate this discomfort?
Thanks in advance!
2024.05.15 22:35 fireman7108 Looking for an international card
Hello all. I am required to travel for work periodically to the Caribbean, Central, and South America. While there I like to spend a few days and sort of vacation some. I have a few credit cards that I have tried to use while in these other countries and am always getting declined or having other problems.
I was in the Dominican Republic recently and tried to use 2 of my credit cards to pay for a dinner for me and some friends and both were declined. Before leaving I had notified all of my card issues where and when I would be traveling by calling them and then calling them a second time to ensure there was a travel advisory on my account. After the dinner and the declined charge, I finally got back to a place I could call the card help line and was told that "our fraud department denied the charge, because it was from another country." I then explained that there was an active travel advisory on the card stating I would be in this particular country on these dates and was simply told that "we tried to text you to confirm the charge." Please excuse ME, but I am in ANOTHER country and do not have a phone that works in THAT country so texting me is USELESS!
I am fed up with this. I need a card that works when I am outside the US without all this crap. I do not care about rewards or credits or perks or anything. I just want a card that I can actually USE when I need to. No stupid text messages to confirm a charge sent to a phone that isn't even in the country I am in.
Even when I do have a phone in these other countries I always get a local sim card with a local number that is of the pay as you go type.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a card that actually works when they are traveling outside the US without all of this stupid texting for fraud prevention crap when they were notified that I will be in those other countries?
I am at wits end with this as I just returned from Mexico where my card was declined 5 times and they had once again been notified that I was traveling.
Thanks a ton in advance.
submitted by fireman7108 to CreditCards [link] [comments]
I was in the Dominican Republic recently and tried to use 2 of my credit cards to pay for a dinner for me and some friends and both were declined. Before leaving I had notified all of my card issues where and when I would be traveling by calling them and then calling them a second time to ensure there was a travel advisory on my account. After the dinner and the declined charge, I finally got back to a place I could call the card help line and was told that "our fraud department denied the charge, because it was from another country." I then explained that there was an active travel advisory on the card stating I would be in this particular country on these dates and was simply told that "we tried to text you to confirm the charge." Please excuse ME, but I am in ANOTHER country and do not have a phone that works in THAT country so texting me is USELESS!
I am fed up with this. I need a card that works when I am outside the US without all this crap. I do not care about rewards or credits or perks or anything. I just want a card that I can actually USE when I need to. No stupid text messages to confirm a charge sent to a phone that isn't even in the country I am in.
Even when I do have a phone in these other countries I always get a local sim card with a local number that is of the pay as you go type.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a card that actually works when they are traveling outside the US without all of this stupid texting for fraud prevention crap when they were notified that I will be in those other countries?
I am at wits end with this as I just returned from Mexico where my card was declined 5 times and they had once again been notified that I was traveling.
Thanks a ton in advance.
2024.05.15 22:35 WCInvestor A Physician Disability Insurance Primer - Do You Really Need It?
 | The greatest financial risk for physicians is losing the ability to turn the knowledge and skills you spent a decade learning into a huge pile of money by working in your profession for decades. There are risks that could show up in your life that would prevent you from being able to accomplish this task. One of the most common of these risks is an extended or even permanent disability. Insurance companies estimate that as many as one in seven doctors will be disabled at some point during their career. While many imagine this will occur in a sudden traumatic accident, medical illness is actually a more common cause of disability that prevents a doctor from working. Physician disability is a complicated type of insurance. This post will give you the “must-know” information to secure the best protection and help you avoid common disability insurance mistakes. submitted by WCInvestor to whitecoatinvestor [link] [comments] TL;DR: Key Takeaways: What Doctors Need to Know About Disability Insurance
What Is Disability Insurance?Disability insurance gives you an income to live on if you become so disabled that you can no longer work.If you become disabled, a long-term disability insurance policy pays a predetermined amount each month until you either recover from your disability or reach age 65-67. (Note: Policies vary. It is possible to buy a policy that pays to age 70 or even, for a very high premium, until death). Why Do Physicians Need Disability Insurance?One out of seven doctors end up having to use their disability insurance. Losing the ability to turn the knowledge and skills you spent a decade learning into a pile of money by working in your profession for decades is one of the most expensive risks that physicians face. Your most valuable asset is your ability to work.How Does Disability Insurance Work?Disability insurance is a pretty straightforward proposition. You buy a policy and pay your premium monthly or annually. If you become disabled, you (and your doctor) fill out the paperwork to prove it to the satisfaction of the insurance company and then they pay you the promised monthly benefit until you either recover from your disability or the insurance company meets its contractual obligation to pay the benefit.Short-Term vs. Long-Term DisabilityDisability insurance is most commonly divided into short-term and long-term.Short-Term DisabilityA short-term disability policy generally begins paying just as soon as you get disabled and then pays for a maximum period of 3-24 months. These policies are often provided by an employer as an employee benefit. Short-term disability, while inconvenient financially, is not generally a financial catastrophe for a physician saving for retirement with an emergency fund. As a result, many doctors do not buy short-term disability policies at all.Long-Term DisabilityA long-term disability policy generally does not pay immediately, but only begins to pay after a waiting period ranging from 1-24 months (typically 3 months). Then, the policy will continue to pay you a benefit each month until age 65, 67, or 70, depending on the policy. Note that a 3 month waiting period typically means your first check won't come until the end of the first month after the 3 months, so it's really a 4 month waiting period. Since losing your ability to earn a living for the rest of your life is a financial catastrophe, any doctor who is not financially independent should buy a long-term disability insurance policy.What Does Disability Insurance Cover?Disability insurance covers all kinds of disabilities. The best (and unfortunately most expensive) policies cover the widest range of potential disabilities.The Definition of DisabilityThe most important feature is the definition of disability. Disability insurance differs from life insurance in numerous ways, but none is more significant than in defining exactly when you become disabled (and when you become enabled again). The broader the definition of disability you get in your policy, the more the policy will cost.Unlike life insurance, where life and death are pretty black and white, disability has 50 shades of gray. You want a policy with a strong, broad definition of disability that will cover any possible type of disability? That means “true own-occupation, specialty-specific” and no limitations on things such as psychiatric conditions or addictions. This is the main difference between the “Big 5” companies and others. Even among the “Big 5,” there are slight differences. It is OK not to purchase the policy with the very best definition of disability, but the weaker the definition, the bigger the discount you should expect. Own-Occupation, Specialty-SpecificProbably the most important aspect of the definition for doctors is that it be specific to your occupation. For instance, if I lost my left thumb, there are a number of procedures in emergency medicine that I could no longer do. I would be completely disabled from managing a busy emergency department by myself. But I could probably still go do urgent care work. A specialty-specific definition of disability in my policy would provide me with my full disability payments in addition to the money I make at the urgent care. Sometimes, the “specialty-specific” clause is inherent to the policy, and at other times it is an additional rider (a piece of paper added to the policy for which you pay an additional premium). Either way, you almost surely want to get this in your policy. Here are the various definitions, starting with own occupation and progressing to any occupation.Own-Occupation DefinitionUnder this definition, your policy will pay if you cannot work in your occupation/specialty, even if you can and do work in another field and make as much money as you want.Own-occupation policies cover people based on the occupational duties they are performing at the time of claim. If your policy includes an own-occupation definition of total disability and you are exclusively performing the customary duties of your medical specialty or sub-specialty at the time of the claim, the policy will cover you when unable to perform your specialty or sub-specialty. If you have transitioned into a different role or expanded into a new career path that requires much less direct patient contact or procedural duties, you may no longer be considered totally disabled when unable to work in your specialty or sub-specialty. This is because your “occupation(s)” involves additional material and substantial duties, no longer limited to the performance of your medical specialty or sub-specialty. In these instances, you may be considered partially disabled or not disabled at all, depending on the exact circumstances. Transitional Own-OccupationYour policy will pay if you cannot work in your occupation/specialty, even if you can and do work in another field. But if you exceed your previous income while you now work in another field, your monthly benefit from the policy would likely be lowered.Modified Own-OccupationYour policy will only pay if you can't work in your occupation/specialty AND if you are not working in another field. This definition is also sometimes called “Own-Occupation, Not Engaged” or “Own-Occupation, Not Working.”Any-OccupationYour policy will only pay if you cannot work in any occupation based on education, training or experience. Note that some policies are own-occupation for a couple of years and then transition to any-occupation.One company out there (Northwestern Mutual) sells a policy with a definition that they claim is BETTER than own-occupation. They call it Medical Own-Occupation, but in reality, it is just a form of modified own-occupation. Learn more about the NML Medical Own-Occupation Definition. Do You Really Need an Own-Occupation, Specialty-Specific Policy?Some non-procedural physicians argue that they might not need a true own-occupation policy. They reason that if they are so disabled that they cannot practice their specialty, they probably cannot do anything else. So, they accept a less broad definition of disability to save some dollars on the premium. If you choose to do this, make sure you understand the exact circumstances under which your policy will and will not pay out.Mental Disorders/Substance AbuseMany policies will only cover mental illness or substance abuse-related disabilities for a period of two years. I know an attorney who couldn't practice law after developing bipolar syndrome in his 30s. It took over a decade to get it under control. He had a policy that covered mental illness indefinitely, which prevented financial catastrophe from striking him and his family.According to the April 2011 issue of Current Psychiatry Magazine, physicians are not immune to depression and have an increased risk of suicide. Additionally, the lack of distinction between a psychiatric diagnosis and impairment stigmatizes physicians and impedes treatment. You'll need to decide whether this is a risk you're willing to run. If you want mental illness covered like every other illness, you'll be paying more. Presumptive Total DisabilityAs you well know, disability can be defined in many shades of gray. In the event of your disability, you can expect a paperwork fight between you, your physician, the disability insurance company, and maybe even your attorney. However, most policies contain a section that defines “presumptive total disability” where you can be assured there won't be much arguing from the insurance company. Even better, the waiting period will be waived and you'll start getting payments right away.Anything short of that, and you're going to have to get your doctor to certify your disability and get the insurance company to accept it. At times, this can involve visits to multiple specialists and even hiring an attorney. Note that with some companies, presumptive disability does not need to be permanent. Cosmetic Surgery/Transplant SurgerySome policies will cover you if your disability is the result of cosmetic surgery or the result of donating a kidney or other body part to someone else. Others will not. Best to read your policy carefully and know what it does and does not cover.Disability Insurance Exclusions & LimitationsDisability insurance policies generally exclude any medical conditions you have at the time of applying for insurance. For example, if you already have chronic back pain, the policy will not provide a benefit if you are disabled due to a back condition. In addition, if you admit to participating in dangerous activities such as scuba diving, rock climbing, flying, and sky-diving, the policy will likely be issued with a rider that excludes those activities from coverage. Other exclusions may also apply, such as acts of war, normal pregnancy, and foreign travel. Here is a list of common exclusions:
Residual DisabilityResidual disability refers to being only partially disabled. This may occur from the initial injury or illness or be part of the process of recovery. You generally need to buy an additional rider to cover this. Read this rider carefully, it can be a bit complicated.Imagine developing painful lumbar radiculopathy that keeps you from working more than 20 hours a week. This is the part of your policy that will cover that. This rider will also explain how much you get if you are partially disabled. My old policy says it pays the whole benefit (total disability) if I can't earn at least 20% of my “indexed prior monthly earnings,” which is basically the money I earn at my job. It doesn't count my investments, other disability income policies, rent from a rental property, or my nonvocational activities. It doesn't pay anything if my earnings aren't reduced at least 20%. If I am making between 20%-80% of what I made previously, I get the total disability benefit times the ratio of my loss of income for that month divided by my indexed prior monthly earnings. Note that with some companies, the partial disability rider will kick in at 15%. Some contracts use “or” in the contract and others use “and” in the contracxt. For instance, a stronger policy would trigger the partial disability rider if you had a loss of income or a loss of time or a loss of duty whereas a weaker contract would require loss of income and loss of time and loss of duty where all of those triggers must be met. Partial Disability vs. Residual DisabilityPartial disability and residual disability are generally considered to be the same thing, but there is a technical difference at some companies. For example, at one company, a partial disability rider requires total disability during the elimination period and the residual disability rider does not. With another company, partial refers to the disability, such as one that only affects one part of the body (such as one arm), while residual refers to a decrease in earnings. Either way, the key is to understand how the residual/partial rider works in the policy you actually purchase.Recovery BenefitsA physician should consider a contract that will continuing paying them a portion of their benefits upon recovery from a disability if their income continues to be down at least 15%-20%. Most carriers will pay a recovery benefit for the benefit period although one only pays for 12 months. This is especially important for practice owners. Think if a dentist were to be disabled for 6 months and then recovers and goes back to their practice. Many of their patients may have gone elsewhere because the dentist sees his patients twice a year. It could take several years to get back to where he/she was at before becoming disabled.Recommendations for Physicians on Disability Insurance RidersHere's an easy cheat card to help you know at a glance what we think about all of the various riders available.https://preview.redd.it/akf6t5iqfn0d1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=3f8b415d0101d729fdfa51bc9147993309147d75 Who Needs Disability Insurance?Nearly every high-income professional in their first decade or two out of school should own a policy. Your most valuable asset is your ability to work. So, if you do not own a disability insurance policy, you need to go get one, now. If you have an income, it's time to buy a policy, even if money is tight as a resident. The only exception is if you do not rely on your income to live. If you are already financially independent, it's OK not to buy disability insurance. However, even if you are frugal and married to another high earner, you may wish to still have a policy. You could both become disabled, or you could become divorced.How Much Physician Disability Insurance Do I Need?As a resident, you typically cannot afford to buy as much as you need, but you should be able to do so even as a brand-new attending. Basically, you need to buy enough disability insurance to cover both your living expenses and your retirement savings if you were to work to age 65 but not your taxes. Physician disability insurance payouts are generally tax-free since they are usually paid with post-tax dollars.Note that how much you need has little to do with your income and everything to do with what you spend. The less you spend, the less insurance you need to buy. Insurance agents would love to sell you the largest possible policy (which usually works out to be about 2/3 of your gross income, but it is possible to combine two companies to get even more), so you'll need to decide how much you need on your own. Resident physicians typically buy a $5,000 per month benefit and attending physicians typically buy a benefit in the $10,000-$15,000 per month range, but there are plenty of docs who buy both more and less. If your plan in the event of disability is to rely on the income of your spouse, you may not need disability insurance at all. Average Cost of Disability Insurance for PhysiciansUnlike cheaper insurance policies like term life and umbrella policies, physician disability insurance is expensive, although not quite as expensive as your malpractice insurance. The reason it costs so much is it actually gets used. The likelihood of you acquiring a long-term disability during your working years is approximately seven times as high as your risk of dying in those years. A typical policy bought on a healthy doc in their 20s or 30s will cost something between 2%-6% of the benefit. If your monthly benefit is $10,000, expect to spend $200-$600 per month for that. Perhaps the sticker shock you get upon being quoted prices will motivate you to reach financial independence as soon as possible so you can cancel the policy.Graded vs. Level PremiumsOne way to save money on your policy is to get graded premiums. Not all policies offer this feature, but those that do will charge you less in the first few years and more in later years. Level premium policies charge you the same amount in premium every year. A graded premium policy accounts for the fact that you become more likely to become disabled as you go through life. However, it can be very beneficial to you because your need for insurance actually falls continually throughout your career as your build your retirement nest egg.Once you become financially independent, you can drop the insurance completely. This is a good idea since the total benefits a policy could potentially pay are also dropping throughout your life (since the policy will generally only pay until you are in your mid- to late-60s). Many white coat investors who are great savers hit financial independence by mid-career. If you are one of those, you are likely to come out ahead using graded premiums instead of level premiums. What Disability Insurance Discounts Are Available for Doctors?Like other types of insurance, disability insurance is sold by agents who are paid commissions by the insurance companies to sell their products. It is a very competitive business. The insurance companies want agents, especially the independent agents you should be buying from, to preferentially sell their products. To incentivize the agents, they offer discounts that are only available through certain agents. Experienced, high-volume agents can often provide you with the same policy at a cheaper rate than a newer, lower-volume agent. Thus, it pays to use an experienced agent and shop around with two or three of them. Nearly every doctor should qualify for some type of discount on their policy—10%-30% premium discounts are not unusual. Types of discounts include:
How Do I Buy Disability Insurance?The key to physician disability insurance is the independent agent. The agent is going to be paid a great commission by the insurance company no matter which policy you choose. Assuming policies with similar benefits, the commission isn't going to be all that different. Plus, these agents get plenty of business and none of them are starving, so they have little incentive to sell you an inferior policy for a slightly higher commission. Their reputation is worth far more than a few extra dollars in commission. Since you are (indirectly) paying the agent a very nice commission, don't feel bad about using their time and expertise to fully understand this complicated product.For most doctors, this is a purchase that is only done once or twice in their life. Have the agent quote you different physician disability policies from each of the “Big 5” companies and show you the strengths and weaknesses of each. If you have a policy from work or your professional association, bring it in with you and have it included in the comparison. Then, you can know you made an educated decision and you can buy it and forget about it. Also, be sure to ask for a discount. The vast majority of doctors will qualify for a 5%-30% association or employer-related discount, and a top-notch agent will help you get that. What Type of Disability Insurance Should I Buy?There are two main types of disability policies: individual policies and group policies. As a general rule, individual policies have stronger definitions of disability. Many group policies are not own-occupation policies. Individual policies are also portable, in that you can change jobs and take them with you.Individual Disability PolicyThere are a number of benefits of an individual policy. The main one is that you are in control of all the details. You get to choose how much insurance you want to pay for. You get to choose which of the bells and whistles you are going to pay for. The policy is also “portable,” meaning you still have it if you change employers (or if your employer just decides to change the policy). As a general rule, the policy is also “stronger,” meaning it is more likely to actually pay you if you get disabled.Group Disability PolicyA group policy provided by your employer is usually not portable, although sometimes you are allowed to take over the entire premium and take it with you. Group policies also frequently have premiums that increase every year or every five years, whereas an individual policy usually has level premiums. Group policies paid for by your employer may also pay a taxable benefit, rather than the tax-free benefit provided by an individual policy. Aside from the lower cost, the main benefit of a group policy is that it may be easier to qualify for. It may not require any sort of medical exam or blood work, and it may not ask any pesky questions about your medical conditions and dangerous hobbies such as rock climbing, skydiving, scuba diving, or flying.How to Compare Disability Insurance PoliciesThe most important feature is the definition of disability. You want a policy with a strong, broad definition of disability that will cover any possible type of disability. That usually means “own-occupation, specialty-specific” and no limitations on things such as psychiatric conditions or addictions. This is the main difference between the “Big 5” companies and others.Since disability is complicated, disability insurance policies are complicated. There are dozens of differences from one policy to another, making them difficult to compare. Use your independent agent for recommendations on what matters most. Just for an example, take a look at this chart of all the differences you could see between one policy and another. When to Buy Disability Insurance?You should buy disability insurance just before you become disabled. Since you don't know when that time could be, earlier is generally better. However, disability insurance is also expensive, and when you are young and poor, you have lots of other great uses for your money. A good compromise is to buy a small policy as you enter residency and then upgrade to a more robust disability insurance plan just before leaving residency. The younger you are, the healthier you are, and the fewer dangerous hobbies you engage in, the cheaper your premiums will be for the same benefit.Best Disability Insurance for PhysiciansI keep a list of those I consider the best disability insurance agents in the country. Save yourself the work of finding a good one you can trust and use the same agents that have been used by thousands of WCI readers in the past. You do not need someone local that you can sit down across the table from. It is better to have someone who has sold policies to hundreds of docs this year working with you by phone, Skype, Zoom, and email than someone you can sit down with who has only sold four policies. In addition, if there is some issue with one of these agents, I can usually help you resolve it quickly.Information in this space rapidly changes. While we try to keep The White Coat Investor website as up-to-date as possible, our recommended agents are going to be our best source for updated information. I cannot emphasize how strongly I suggest you use them, whether buying your first policy or simply reviewing what you already have. |
2024.05.15 22:34 sashikomari Body smell question/ psychological approach
Hi! This is a really weird reflection I was having and didn't know who to talk to about. I'm having my surgery in a month and I'm going through a lot mentally, at moments I'm really happy, then I feel weird and a little afraid, also a little sad.
Anyways, lately I've been noticing something really weird, I find myself enjoying the smell of my body, I mean I do bathe 😅 but I like being able to perceive my scent and don't like the fact that bathing ends up "cleaning" my body smells.
I'm a psychologist, so I started to think about it and remember the fact that adolescents tend to not want to bathe, it's a time in the life in which your body changes from child to a more adult form. It's normal in that period to feel strange in our own bodies, so it's a normal behavior to be reluctant to bathe, in order to retain a sense of self within a changing body.
Whis this surgery, this is very much a similar case! Our identities often are entwined with the way our bodies are built. So I was thinking maybe this thing I've been noticing in myself could be an subconscious attempt to get a grip of my own sense of self in a situation where the body I know and had all my life will change a lot, to add to the fact that having big breast also is a part of our social identity and sexual traits.
I was wondering if this is something some of you may have thought or experience. Sorry if it's a little random but I know you all will understand the crazy preop feelings ❤️
submitted by sashikomari to Reduction [link] [comments]
Anyways, lately I've been noticing something really weird, I find myself enjoying the smell of my body, I mean I do bathe 😅 but I like being able to perceive my scent and don't like the fact that bathing ends up "cleaning" my body smells.
I'm a psychologist, so I started to think about it and remember the fact that adolescents tend to not want to bathe, it's a time in the life in which your body changes from child to a more adult form. It's normal in that period to feel strange in our own bodies, so it's a normal behavior to be reluctant to bathe, in order to retain a sense of self within a changing body.
Whis this surgery, this is very much a similar case! Our identities often are entwined with the way our bodies are built. So I was thinking maybe this thing I've been noticing in myself could be an subconscious attempt to get a grip of my own sense of self in a situation where the body I know and had all my life will change a lot, to add to the fact that having big breast also is a part of our social identity and sexual traits.
I was wondering if this is something some of you may have thought or experience. Sorry if it's a little random but I know you all will understand the crazy preop feelings ❤️
2024.05.15 22:33 bananabagelz My phone number on a solar panel scam call list
For about a year I would always receive texts asking if I was the owner of at house at “123 fakeroad terrace. Note: I’m not the owner of that house and I’m not the person they say I am. I have no idea who lives at the house either. I ignored them all. Yesterday I started getting phone calls from multiple solar panel companies inquiring about my “house” at “123 fakeroad terrace”. It was probably like 10 missed calls within a few hours. Some left voicemails and I noticed it was different solar panel companies. I decided to call them back. Each time, I confirmed with them that I was “fake name” living at “123 fakeroad terrace”. I was able to arrange a free consultation with 4 companies to all show up at my “house” at noon today.
Noon today: 2 companies called me back saying they were at the house. I answered and said I would come right down. The first one never called me back. Probably realized I was tricking them. The second company called saying they arrived probaly 5 mins after the other company called. No idea if they ran into each other. Was hoping they all did. The second company called and I told them I’d come downstairs. I called back 2 minutes later saying I didn’t see them. They continued to text me showing where they were. I responded saying they got the wrong address. And was actually “123 fakeroad place”. They are now coming back tomorrow. Let’s see…
submitted by bananabagelz to pettyrevenge [link] [comments]
Noon today: 2 companies called me back saying they were at the house. I answered and said I would come right down. The first one never called me back. Probably realized I was tricking them. The second company called saying they arrived probaly 5 mins after the other company called. No idea if they ran into each other. Was hoping they all did. The second company called and I told them I’d come downstairs. I called back 2 minutes later saying I didn’t see them. They continued to text me showing where they were. I responded saying they got the wrong address. And was actually “123 fakeroad place”. They are now coming back tomorrow. Let’s see…
2024.05.15 22:32 ahead-market BTBT Q1 2024 Earnings: Stellar Revenue Growth and Surpassing Expectations
BTBT reported a significant revenue increase to $30.3 million in Q1 2024, with net income soaring to $50.3 million, substantially exceeding analysts' EPS estimates.
Segment Performance
Future Business Drivers: - Reaching 6.0 EH/s in bitcoin mining hash rate. - Expanding the GPU fleet for the AI customer. - Growing the revenue stream from the AI business.
Expectations: BEAT
Analysts projected an average EPS of $0.01 for Q1 2024, while BTBT achieved $0.43, marking a substantial positive surprise. Revenue estimates averaged $27.73 million, which BTBT also surpassed with reported revenues of $30.3 million.
submitted by ahead-market to ahead_market [link] [comments]
Key Metrics
| Revenue | $30.3M | 266% |
| Net Income | $50.3M | |
| Earnings Per Share | $0.43 | |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $35.5M |
- Bitcoin Mining (revenue - $21.9M, growth - 166%) - Revenue growth was driven by a higher realized bitcoin price and an increase in active hash rate.
- Bit Digital AI (HPC) (revenue - $8.1M) - The segment began generating revenue in January 2024 and recognized $8.1 million of revenue during the quarter. The company issued a one-time service credit of $1.3 million to its HPC customer as compensation for decreased utilization during the initial deployment period.
- ETH Staking (revenue - $0.3M) - Revenue from ETH staking was approximately $0.3 million.
- Earned 410.7 bitcoins during the First Quarter of 2024, a 13% increase from the prior year.
- Paid approximately $0.05 per kilowatt hour to its hosting partners for electricity consumed during the First Quarter of 2024.
- The average fleet efficiency for the active fleet was approximately 28.3 J/TH as of March 31, 2024.
- Earned 111.1 ETH in native staking and 1.3 ETH in liquid staking, respectively, in the First Quarter of 2024.
- Treasury holdings of BTC and ETH were 956.4 and 16,031.411, respectively, with a fair market value of approximately $68.2 million and $58.5 million on March 31, 2024, respectively.
- As of March 31, 2024, we had 48,898 miners owned or operating (in Iceland) for bitcoin mining with a total maximum hash rate of 4.2 EH/S.
- The company's active hash rate of its bitcoin mining fleet was approximately 2.76 EH/s as of March 31, 2024.
- The company purchased approximately 2,350 bitcoin mining units during the First Quarter of 2024.
- Approximately 85% of our fleet's run-rate electricity consumption was generated from carbon-free energy sources as of March 31, 2024.
- The company had approximately 3,008 ETH actively staked in native staking protocols as of March 31, 2024.
- On January 22, 2024, approximately 192 servers (1,536 GPUs) began generating revenue from the company's AI customer contract. Subsequently, approximately 64 additional servers (512 GPUs) commenced revenue generation on February 2, 2024.
- On January 26, 2024, the company finalized an agreement with Coinmint for up to 6 MW of additional mining capacity at Coinmint's hosting facility in Massena, New York.
Future Business Drivers: - Reaching 6.0 EH/s in bitcoin mining hash rate. - Expanding the GPU fleet for the AI customer. - Growing the revenue stream from the AI business.
Expectations: BEAT
Analysts projected an average EPS of $0.01 for Q1 2024, while BTBT achieved $0.43, marking a substantial positive surprise. Revenue estimates averaged $27.73 million, which BTBT also surpassed with reported revenues of $30.3 million.
2024.05.15 22:32 Traditional_Jelly339 Is this worth taking out the disc drive to fix?
 | I’m cleaning my ps2 since it hasn’t been cleaned ever and I noticed a bit of corrosion under the disc drive. Is this bad enough to warrant going through the hassle of disconnecting the ribbon cables to remove the drive and clean it up? The rest of the console is corrosion free to my knowledge submitted by Traditional_Jelly339 to ps2 [link] [comments] |
2024.05.15 22:30 indybloom FYI: Cook Medical won't have E-Recycling Day this year - will have one next year.
We usually have some things for the annual electronic recycling drop off. I saw in the HT that Cook won't be having one this year but will have one next year.
Link to article: https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/environment/2024/05/13/cook-not-hosting-e-recylce-day-till-2025/73628388007/
"Marsha Lovejoy, global public relations manager for Cook, said last year’s electronic recycling drive saw a noticeable dip in attendance.....we’re gonna move it to every other year, "
The article mentions other ways to recycle electronics via the Waste Reduction District (WRD) which "offers year-round electronics recycling for Monroe County residents at all of its recycling centers, with four locations in Bloomington and one in Ellettsville. Recycling is free of charge, although electronics with a 7-inch screen or larger, such as TVs and laptops, will need to be recycled at the 3400 S. Walnut St. location, and a $20 fee will apply. The WRD accepts all other items powered by a cord or battery free of charge, including microwaves and refrigerators."
submitted by indybloom to bloomington [link] [comments]
Link to article: https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/environment/2024/05/13/cook-not-hosting-e-recylce-day-till-2025/73628388007/
"Marsha Lovejoy, global public relations manager for Cook, said last year’s electronic recycling drive saw a noticeable dip in attendance.....we’re gonna move it to every other year, "
The article mentions other ways to recycle electronics via the Waste Reduction District (WRD) which "offers year-round electronics recycling for Monroe County residents at all of its recycling centers, with four locations in Bloomington and one in Ellettsville. Recycling is free of charge, although electronics with a 7-inch screen or larger, such as TVs and laptops, will need to be recycled at the 3400 S. Walnut St. location, and a $20 fee will apply. The WRD accepts all other items powered by a cord or battery free of charge, including microwaves and refrigerators."
2024.05.15 22:30 Ben_Elohim_2020 The Nature of Family [Chapter 17]
Credit to Blue for the wonderful cover art of Trilvri
Thank you to:
u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the Nature of Predators universe.
u/EdibleGojid, author of Dark Cuts, for proofreading.
EmClear, aspiring author, for proofreading
You, the reader, for your support. I love reading your comments.
Please consider reading the works of my proofreaders as they’re all authors of excellent stories and be sure to check the links below for more of my work and beautiful art from members of the community.
[First] [Previous] [Next] [Master List of Stories, Art, and More!]
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Memory transcription subject: Sawvek, Junior Extermination Officer
Date [standardised human time]: October 5th, 2136
Hard foam presses uncomfortably up against delicate pressure points situated across the length of my entire body, building up to an unbearable ache that makes me shift and turn against the thin mattress pad. I yank at the rough old blanket I’d taken out of storage and clutch it even tighter around my body, trying to keep out the chill. The best racks, the ones near the heating vents, had already been claimed long before I’d decided to move into the Guild House’s Barracks and it doesn’t seem likely that the current occupants will be giving up their spots any time soon.
My mind is still racing from the events of last paw, replaying the scene over and over again in my dreams and in my head. The way my brother had looked at me… That look on his face when he’d seen the real me…
My paw gives a sympathetic throb in memory, still aching from where it had met the wall, but at least I had been able to wrap it up a bit and stop the bleeding. I feel like I should take it as a small miracle that it isn't broken. More medical bills are the last thing I need right now.
I turn about in the bunk once more, rolling around in vain to try and find a comfortable position that doesn’t seem to exist. Through a conscious act of will I try to empty my mind and sleep, but the very act of trying not to think about things only brings them bubbling back up to the surface of my thoughts. My heartbeat echoes in my ears, a damnable drumming sound brought about by the exertion of my own restless tossing and turning. Out in the hallway I can hear the muffled shuffling of feet and murmurs of conversation. The Guild Hall never sleeps, and it seems that neither would I this paw.
Electing to abandon the attempt as hopeless, I cut my rest claw short and get up, venturing out into the hallway. If I can’t sleep anyway then I might as well start my waking claw early, maybe get in a little exercise. It’s not so bad when it’s self-directed, almost fun in a way. If our family had the money to support it then maybe I could have been an athlete of some variety growing up. I had always possessed something of a natural physicality.
“Stop wasting time with worthless questions about what could have been, Killer.” The voice interjects, early and active today by the sound of it. “You’ll never amount to anything more than a wild predator kept on a leash.”
There’s nothing to do but sigh and carry on. It was right after all. This is it. This is my life now.
Making my way down the hallway towards the gym I find myself walking past a row of private offices assigned to some of the more veteran officers on staff. Most are empty at this claw, their occupants either asleep or off doing other work. One room in particular catches my attention though, the one belonging to our newest PRED Team Commander.
The door leading inside is open and ajar, seemingly forgotten in the midst of more pressing business and granting me a look inside. The entire room is a mess, papers and binders strewn about everywhere with official looking documents littering the floor. A map of the city decorates the otherwise unadorned and impersonal space. On its face it hosts a variety of multicoloured pins, all connecting seemingly arbitrary locations as well as photographs of people and places from the records department. The face of the former PRED Team Commander, Vrienna, looks out at me once again with the same cruel eyes that decorate the memorial wall. Beside her photo are another pair of eyes, a pair I recognise, but not one I would have expected to see here.
Trilvri, my brother’s creepy coworker, the one who’d brought him home the night he’d drunk himself into a stupor, stares out at me from the wall. He was younger in this photo, barely of age, if even that, and dressed in a regulation space corps flight suit, but I could still recognise him. Trilvri’s eyes appear somehow more lively than when I had met him in person, though it does nothing to improve his overall disposition, looking, as they are, as if behind them resides only hatred and a feral desire to kill and rend. Come to think of it, he had mentioned he used to be in the corps hadn’t he? ‘Used to’ being the operative word. When I’d asked he hadn’t seemed particularly fond of his time in the service…
Situated as he is next to Vrienna like that, their pitch-black wool and evil-looking eyes bear a striking resemblance. It was the exact same sort of predatory expression that bore into your soul, the kind that made me feel weak and exposed, the same kind that was worn by-
“What do you think you’re doing in my office?” A voice asks from behind, nonplussed, but with a casual depth of power and authority behind it that makes me freeze on the spot.
“Commander Glagrig, Sir!” I turn about on the spot, fixed at attention in the doorway as I stare up at the man himself. “I’m sorry to intrude. I noticed someone had forgotten to close the door so I was just going to secure it.”
“I see.” Glagrig doesn’t seem to believe a word of it, but neither does he seem inclined to press the issue. “At ease. Tell me, do you recognise the man in the photo there? Have you ever seen him before?”
“No, Commander.” I lie reflexively as I shift to a parade rest, not fully knowing why, but knowing that whatever is going on I want no part of it, for me or my brother. It’s only after the fact that it occurs to me that lying might be worse than telling the truth.
“How… regrettable.” The prestige officer says plainly and I can’t tell whether he believes me or not. “If you do ever catch sight of this individual, then be sure to let me know immediately.”
“Y-Yes, Commander.” I subconsciously swallow with apprehension, hoping that he doesn’t notice. I want nothing more than to run away as quickly as I can, but I haven’t been dismissed yet.
“Junior Officer Sawvek, was it?” Glagrig carries on, looking me up and down, dissecting me with his eyes. “You have quite the interesting record on file and Officer Intalran is quite adamant about your potential. Your simulator results speak for themselves, even if they are just simulations.”
“Thank you, Commander.” I can feel myself growing dizzy as I answer with uncertainty.
“Don’t thank me,” the all-consuming void in front of me replies with no hint of warmth, “just remember that your performance is under evaluation. It’s in my interests to keep note of promising young aspirants who might someday join my team, and I would hate to see you squander your talents.”
“I-I understand, Commander.” I flick my tail in agreement, straining not to look away towards the floor.
“Dismissed.” Glagrig brushes past me as he enters his office, moving to shut the door behind himself.
“Um, Commander?” I ask just before the door shuts, feeling a beckoning call of curiosity that even the predatory prestige exterminator couldn’t crush. “If you don’t mind me asking… Why do you have all that stuff up on the wall there?”
The door opens again, just a crack, and I can feel my superiors' weighty presence bearing down on me, almost suffocating in its intensity. “It’s simply a personal matter. I have reason to believe that the prior investigation regarding the kelach incident was conducted according to… insufficient standards. The predator responsible was never found and I intend to remedy that deficiency.”
“How hard could it be to find a kelach?” I tilt my ears in confusion. “They're huge!”
“Despite initial reports,” he answers with an ominous, cold tone that sends a chill up my spine, “it may be possible that we're dealing with something far more dangerous than just a kelach.”
“T-Thank you, Commander.” I flick my tail in appreciation and the door closes.
I breathe a sigh of relief as the malevolent aura recedes. That was too close.
“And you’re a complete moron going back to ask him more questions afterwards, Killer.” The voice rises with amusement. “What? Do you want him to figure you out and turn you to cinders? Only a matter of time, Killer.”
“Ugh, shut up.” I mutter under my breath, quickly turning back around to make sure Commander Glagrig didn’t hear me, but when no reprisal comes I quickly depart. If I’m gonna be stupid I should at least try not to do so right in front of his office.
As the imminent threat of our in-house prestige exterminator dwindles so too does the energy driven by the adrenaline of the encounter. It figures that the moment I roll out of bed I want to take a nap again, but I know the moment I lie back down I’ll be back to full wakefulness in an instant. That’s just how that sort of thing works. With that in mind there’s really only one solution, a big, steaming hot cup of tea.
Making my way towards the tea machine I spot Jonsco, the feisty little primitive that mans our dispatch centre, smacking the top of the dispenser with a clenched paw while holding a mug underneath it.
“Is the tea machine fixed?” I ask as I pull out a mug from the cabinet myself.
Jonsco sighs heavily and shoots me a combative glare. “For the last time it’s not my brahking job to fix this damn tea machine! You got a problem with that then you can go pester someone else about it!”
I shrink back under the harsh rebuke. Jonsco may be small, but there was as much rage and fury condensed into that little package as anyone else in this department. Maybe more.
“I… I didn’t mean to imply…I just wanted to know if it was working again or not… Sorry.” I sputter out, feeling properly admonished as I look away towards the ground.
Jonsco looks at me quizzically, his hard glare softening somewhat as he seems to truly see me for the first time before returning to his usual scowl.
“Right…Whatever you say…” With one final smack the machine coughs and chokes, sputtering to life with a struggle, and a small trickle of freshly brewed tea begins to fill Jonsco’s cup. “The machine is on the fritz again as usual, but if you hit it just right, do a little percussive maintenance, then you can get it started again.”
“Thanks, Jonsco.” I lean back against the wall and watch as the mug slowly fills, impressed by the primitives know-how. “That's actually pretty smart of you.”
“For a ‘primitive’ right?” The words are barbed and spiteful, but lack his typical enthusiasm, more of a simple statement of fact than a real question. I couldn't exactly deny it, those had been my thoughts, and so the silence drags on awkwardly, marked only by the splash of tea falling into the steadily rising pool.
“What are you doing here at this claw anyway?” I eventually ask, dodging the question entirely. “We’ve still got at least another half-claw until our crew's shift is supposed to start.”
“I could ask you the same thing, you know?” The angry little dispatch operator retorts. “I'm here early working an overtime shift so I can afford to put food on my family's table. It's expensive feeding that many mouths. What's your excuse?”
“I had a fight with my brother…” I rub the back of my neck as I turn away abashedly, “moved out of the apartment and into the barracks full time… couldn't sleep…”
“Well then you should hurry up and work on patching things up with him.” Jonsco looks at me with an uncharacteristic hint of sympathy in his eyes. “Your family are the only ones who might actually care. This Gods-damned place is a slyther’s nest and no one here gives a speh about you or your problems. If you want my advice, you should do your best to spend as little time in this cesspool as possible.”
With his cup now full, Jobsco steps back from the machine and begins walking out towards the main hall.
“Thanks, Jonsco.” My words stop him in his tracks as he walks away from me. “I appreciate it.”
“... You're welcome.” He says after a short pause, glancing back to look at me one more time before leaving. “See you around, Sawvek.”
Taking advantage of the tea machine while it’s still mostly working, I fill up my own cup and drink deeply of the warm, fragrant beverage. The taste is bitter and unpleasant, just about the quality I would expect of this Guild Hall, but even at the first taste it’s evident that it’s been loaded with an extra strength dose of caffeine. I down the drink quickly and rinse out the cup before continuing on my journey towards the training hall. Fatigue begins to fall away as I walk, bit by bit as the drug makes its way into my bloodstream, blocking off sleep receptors and energising me. I know I’ll probably pay for it later, no amount of caffeine can actually replace sleep, but for now it feels good and I can see how some people can get addicted to the stuff.
A loud, metallic clanging emanates from the gym as I approach, something unexpected for this time of paw. No one's reserved space in the gym for this claw and not many people are industrious enough to sweat on their own initiative. Peeking my head inside the door I spy Bikim, the perfect, privileged, ‘holier than thou’ brahkass occupying the otherwise empty weight room. His irritatingly handsome face is taut with strain as he performs a series of weighted squats, his back and leg muscles straining underneath his short-cropped wool, and he pants heavily under the exertion.
I’m half tempted just to leave and go back to bed despite the fact that there’s no way I’d be getting any sleep with the tea running through my system. It’s too early in the paw to deal with Bikim’s speh. Before I can slip away unnoticed though, he spots me. I give a heavy sigh and continue my way inside. There's nothing to be done for it now. Trying to back out now would only make things worse later, a sign of weakness.
“What… Do you want… Predator?” Bikim asks between gulps of air as he reracks his weights, practically hanging off the bar to support himself on shaky legs.
“Good paw to you too, Bikim.” I say, forcing civility into my tone. “I’m here to use the equipment. Same as you. I'm allowed.”
“Whatever…” He eyes me with suspicion. “Just keep your distance… I don't want to catch any of your taint.”
“Believe me,” I flick my tail out in irritation, “I intend to.”
Looking around the room for available spots, I march my way over towards a cable machine on the opposite side of the room. Not nearly as far from Bikim as I would like, but the farthest I can get without leaving the weight area entirely. Bikim watches me all the while as I seat myself down and begin adjusting the machine. Eventually he grows tired of watching me fumble around with the machine and returns to his own exercises with a displeased flick of the tail, quite obviously judging me for my lack of experience with the equipment.
A tense sort of quiet settles over the room as we each go about our business, trying our best to ignore one another. Bikim slowly winds his way around the room, cycling from station to station to exercise all the different parts of his body in sequence before repeating it all again. He seems to bypass my corner of the room, glancing over at me with each repetition of his pattern. For myself, I stay put where I am, taking advantage of the varied exercises offered by the versatile machine to experiment with different muscle groups. Occasionally I slip up, dropping the weights with a loud clang that always draws Bikim’s ire. Every time he seems just a bit more disgruntled, a bit less patient. Eventually, the constant disruption reaches a tipping point and the pompous, self-entitled jerk walks over to confront me.
“Do you always do this?” He asks rhetorically. “If you keep slamming the weights like that you're gonna break it. Your form is speh so either fix it or lower the weight so you don't have to keep compensating. Better yet, just leave. You’ve been monopolising the cable machine for almost half a claw now. I don't know why you're even here in the first place.”
“Oh, look at Mr. Know-it-all thinking he can just go around telling us what to do, eh Killer?” The voice rises to the challenge. “Where does a guy like that who's been handed everything his whole life think he can get off with telling us how we should be doing anything?”
“Brahk off Bikim!” I don't even try to reign in the predator inside, feeling justified in letting it roam free for once. “I didn't ask for your advice and you don't get to kick me out of the weight room just because you can't wait your turn! I'm here because I don't have anywhere else to go! Ever since Intalran dragged me into this stupid Guild this brahking job has taken over my entire life! I don't even have a home to go back to anymore!”
Bikim's body tenses at my tirade and his tail flicks out aggressively like a whip.
“That's your own damn fault, predator!” He shouts back, eager for the excuse to vent his own frustrations. “Maybe if you weren't just some blood-starved beast out roaming the streets then you wouldn't be here right now! I’ve read your file! You got a history of herdless behaviour and physical altercations! Someone should have institutionalised you a long time ago, but someone took pity on you and let you slip through the cracks because of your poor dying mommy! They should have known it would come back to bite them! A normal, functional member of the herd wouldn't even think to pick a flamer up off the ground and burn another person to death with it! But you? You did it instinctively! You revelled in it!”
“You think that was easy for me!” I get up and walk towards him as I yell incredulously. “You think I asked for that to happen! You think it was fun for me to get choked out and almost eaten! That thing I burned wasn't even a person anymore! It was a predator in the middle of a feeding frenzy! So yeah, I did what I did, and you know what? It's a good thing I did! If I wasn't a freak of nature then that thing would have kept on going and kept on killing! Last I checked, preventing that sorta thing was supposed to be your job, but I had to be the one to step up! Now I have to live with the consequences of my actions every paw, knowing that I’m a Protector-damned killer that doesn't belong anywhere! Maybe you, in your infinite wisdom, would've known the perfect thing to do in that situation, but I’m not you! I’ve had to work and struggle for every little thing I have! Not just had it handed to me on a silver platter!”
“Oh, so you got me all figured out do you?” Sarcasm drips from Bikim's mouth as he looks down on me. “You don't know me. You don't know my life or what I’ve been through, how hard I’ve worked to get where I am. You just see the end product from cycles of effort and assume that it's always been that way, that it's always been that easy. It hasn't.”
“Yes, I’m sure you had it so hard growing up Bikim.” Saying it aloud almost makes me laugh. “You’re such a child of privilege that it drips off of you with every move you make and every word you say. I hate people like you, thinking that you're better than everyone else just because you were lucky enough to be born into wealth and status. Try living like the other side for a change, scrounging for every credit just so you can afford to eat, and then try to tell me how hard you had it with a full belly and a warm home!”
“You’re right, predator,” Bikim says contemptuously, “I am a child of privilege. My family has a long and decorated military tradition, my father is a captain for the space corps, a brahking hero, and I’ve reaped the benefits of that. That privilege came at a cost though, and that’s called expectations. Second best is not good enough and I've had to put in ten times the effort as anyone else my whole life just to meet standards! At least you grew up with a father who was there for you and loved you without the condition that everything you do is perfect!”
“All that talk about reading my file and you didn't even get past the first page did you?” I snap at him with a snarl. “ I didn't grow up with a father at all! He's been dead since I was in elementary school! Killed in action! I barely even remember him anymore!”
That one seems to give Bikim pause, but I’m not done yet.
“If you and your whole family are such a bunch of brahking heroes then how come you're here, working as a common garrison exterminator in a run-down backwater city like this?” I taunt. “Shouldn't you be out gallantly fighting the Arxur with one of the fleets or on a colony pacification force rather than making my life here harder than it already is?”
“That's the price for failing to meet expectations,” Bikim quiets down, drawing away from the world and into himself, “the price for knocking up a beautiful, wonderful girl right after graduation and refusing to get rid of it afterwards. You get cut off. You lose that privilege, and you do whatever you have to in order to provide and try to be a good role model for your son.”
Now that one threw me for a loop. In the short time I’ve known Bikim I’ve had a lot of thoughts about him, few of them good, but never would I have expected him to be the type to take responsibility… For anything. Still, there is one thing about his story that doesn't line up…
“Oh really?” I take a step back as I watch for his reaction closely. “I seem to recall Jonsco mentioned just the other day that your wife had left you for a Human.”
“Don't you bring that brahking primitive into this!” Bikim's anger flares in an instant before returning to a subtle simmer of regret. “We’ve just been having a… a rough patch in our relationship. I’m not giving up on us. I’ll win her back. She's just… confused and being taken advantage of! It's all that damn predators fault!” Bikim sighs and sits down on a nearby bench. “You're not the only one whose had something taken from them because of this job. You're not the only one without a home to go back to.”
Looking at Bikim now, a sad, pathetic man moping on the bench with nothing better to do on his rest claw than to try to externalise his inner pain… I find it hard to stay angry at him. He's still a narcissistic brahk ass and a complete jerk, but it's hard to truly hate someone when you actually know them. I had made quite a few assumptions about him when we first met, and he certainly hadn't helped my impression of him since, but… perhaps I was wrong to judge him so harshly?
“Nah,” the voice chortles, “he’s a piece of speh that got what he brahking deserves for being an insufferable prick.”
Overhead the intercom crackles to life and I can hear Jonsco's voice reverberating over the airwaves.
“Officers Vaesh and Sawvek please report to the briefing area for assignment. Repeat. Officers Vaesh and Sawvek please report to the briefing area for assignment.”
“Sounds like it's time for your first field assignment, Kid.” Bikim says, staring up at the intercom. “At least it gets you out of my wool. Try not to brahk it up and make the rest of us look bad.”
“Hmph.” I turn to leave, muttering to myself. “Stupid brahkass.”
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A/N - Hello! Sorry this one took a while. Like I mentioned before I got delayed working on my Ficnapping chapter as well as a crossover One-shot that's still in progress (but hopefully will be done soon). In other news we have new art of Sawvek's life-changing encounter in the Builder's Lane Bloodbath as drawn by Miglove and you can still find that and everything else Nature of Family in the new Master Post linked up above.
If you like the story then please remember to upvote, comment, and use the “!Subscribeme” function to be alerted to all new posts. I post as often as I can but real life has a tendency of getting in the way and my job makes it almost impossible to keep to any kind of schedule. Your engagement and support go a long way towards helping to keep me on track and motivated, so thank you very much for reading and I hope you'll stay tuned for next chapter!
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u/SpacePaladin15 for creating the Nature of Predators universe.
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Memory transcription subject: Sawvek, Junior Extermination Officer
Date [standardised human time]: October 5th, 2136
Hard foam presses uncomfortably up against delicate pressure points situated across the length of my entire body, building up to an unbearable ache that makes me shift and turn against the thin mattress pad. I yank at the rough old blanket I’d taken out of storage and clutch it even tighter around my body, trying to keep out the chill. The best racks, the ones near the heating vents, had already been claimed long before I’d decided to move into the Guild House’s Barracks and it doesn’t seem likely that the current occupants will be giving up their spots any time soon.
My mind is still racing from the events of last paw, replaying the scene over and over again in my dreams and in my head. The way my brother had looked at me… That look on his face when he’d seen the real me…
My paw gives a sympathetic throb in memory, still aching from where it had met the wall, but at least I had been able to wrap it up a bit and stop the bleeding. I feel like I should take it as a small miracle that it isn't broken. More medical bills are the last thing I need right now.
I turn about in the bunk once more, rolling around in vain to try and find a comfortable position that doesn’t seem to exist. Through a conscious act of will I try to empty my mind and sleep, but the very act of trying not to think about things only brings them bubbling back up to the surface of my thoughts. My heartbeat echoes in my ears, a damnable drumming sound brought about by the exertion of my own restless tossing and turning. Out in the hallway I can hear the muffled shuffling of feet and murmurs of conversation. The Guild Hall never sleeps, and it seems that neither would I this paw.
Electing to abandon the attempt as hopeless, I cut my rest claw short and get up, venturing out into the hallway. If I can’t sleep anyway then I might as well start my waking claw early, maybe get in a little exercise. It’s not so bad when it’s self-directed, almost fun in a way. If our family had the money to support it then maybe I could have been an athlete of some variety growing up. I had always possessed something of a natural physicality.
“Stop wasting time with worthless questions about what could have been, Killer.” The voice interjects, early and active today by the sound of it. “You’ll never amount to anything more than a wild predator kept on a leash.”
There’s nothing to do but sigh and carry on. It was right after all. This is it. This is my life now.
Making my way down the hallway towards the gym I find myself walking past a row of private offices assigned to some of the more veteran officers on staff. Most are empty at this claw, their occupants either asleep or off doing other work. One room in particular catches my attention though, the one belonging to our newest PRED Team Commander.
The door leading inside is open and ajar, seemingly forgotten in the midst of more pressing business and granting me a look inside. The entire room is a mess, papers and binders strewn about everywhere with official looking documents littering the floor. A map of the city decorates the otherwise unadorned and impersonal space. On its face it hosts a variety of multicoloured pins, all connecting seemingly arbitrary locations as well as photographs of people and places from the records department. The face of the former PRED Team Commander, Vrienna, looks out at me once again with the same cruel eyes that decorate the memorial wall. Beside her photo are another pair of eyes, a pair I recognise, but not one I would have expected to see here.
Trilvri, my brother’s creepy coworker, the one who’d brought him home the night he’d drunk himself into a stupor, stares out at me from the wall. He was younger in this photo, barely of age, if even that, and dressed in a regulation space corps flight suit, but I could still recognise him. Trilvri’s eyes appear somehow more lively than when I had met him in person, though it does nothing to improve his overall disposition, looking, as they are, as if behind them resides only hatred and a feral desire to kill and rend. Come to think of it, he had mentioned he used to be in the corps hadn’t he? ‘Used to’ being the operative word. When I’d asked he hadn’t seemed particularly fond of his time in the service…
Situated as he is next to Vrienna like that, their pitch-black wool and evil-looking eyes bear a striking resemblance. It was the exact same sort of predatory expression that bore into your soul, the kind that made me feel weak and exposed, the same kind that was worn by-
“What do you think you’re doing in my office?” A voice asks from behind, nonplussed, but with a casual depth of power and authority behind it that makes me freeze on the spot.
“Commander Glagrig, Sir!” I turn about on the spot, fixed at attention in the doorway as I stare up at the man himself. “I’m sorry to intrude. I noticed someone had forgotten to close the door so I was just going to secure it.”
“I see.” Glagrig doesn’t seem to believe a word of it, but neither does he seem inclined to press the issue. “At ease. Tell me, do you recognise the man in the photo there? Have you ever seen him before?”
“No, Commander.” I lie reflexively as I shift to a parade rest, not fully knowing why, but knowing that whatever is going on I want no part of it, for me or my brother. It’s only after the fact that it occurs to me that lying might be worse than telling the truth.
“How… regrettable.” The prestige officer says plainly and I can’t tell whether he believes me or not. “If you do ever catch sight of this individual, then be sure to let me know immediately.”
“Y-Yes, Commander.” I subconsciously swallow with apprehension, hoping that he doesn’t notice. I want nothing more than to run away as quickly as I can, but I haven’t been dismissed yet.
“Junior Officer Sawvek, was it?” Glagrig carries on, looking me up and down, dissecting me with his eyes. “You have quite the interesting record on file and Officer Intalran is quite adamant about your potential. Your simulator results speak for themselves, even if they are just simulations.”
“Thank you, Commander.” I can feel myself growing dizzy as I answer with uncertainty.
“Don’t thank me,” the all-consuming void in front of me replies with no hint of warmth, “just remember that your performance is under evaluation. It’s in my interests to keep note of promising young aspirants who might someday join my team, and I would hate to see you squander your talents.”
“I-I understand, Commander.” I flick my tail in agreement, straining not to look away towards the floor.
“Dismissed.” Glagrig brushes past me as he enters his office, moving to shut the door behind himself.
“Um, Commander?” I ask just before the door shuts, feeling a beckoning call of curiosity that even the predatory prestige exterminator couldn’t crush. “If you don’t mind me asking… Why do you have all that stuff up on the wall there?”
The door opens again, just a crack, and I can feel my superiors' weighty presence bearing down on me, almost suffocating in its intensity. “It’s simply a personal matter. I have reason to believe that the prior investigation regarding the kelach incident was conducted according to… insufficient standards. The predator responsible was never found and I intend to remedy that deficiency.”
“How hard could it be to find a kelach?” I tilt my ears in confusion. “They're huge!”
“Despite initial reports,” he answers with an ominous, cold tone that sends a chill up my spine, “it may be possible that we're dealing with something far more dangerous than just a kelach.”
“T-Thank you, Commander.” I flick my tail in appreciation and the door closes.
I breathe a sigh of relief as the malevolent aura recedes. That was too close.
“And you’re a complete moron going back to ask him more questions afterwards, Killer.” The voice rises with amusement. “What? Do you want him to figure you out and turn you to cinders? Only a matter of time, Killer.”
“Ugh, shut up.” I mutter under my breath, quickly turning back around to make sure Commander Glagrig didn’t hear me, but when no reprisal comes I quickly depart. If I’m gonna be stupid I should at least try not to do so right in front of his office.
As the imminent threat of our in-house prestige exterminator dwindles so too does the energy driven by the adrenaline of the encounter. It figures that the moment I roll out of bed I want to take a nap again, but I know the moment I lie back down I’ll be back to full wakefulness in an instant. That’s just how that sort of thing works. With that in mind there’s really only one solution, a big, steaming hot cup of tea.
Making my way towards the tea machine I spot Jonsco, the feisty little primitive that mans our dispatch centre, smacking the top of the dispenser with a clenched paw while holding a mug underneath it.
“Is the tea machine fixed?” I ask as I pull out a mug from the cabinet myself.
Jonsco sighs heavily and shoots me a combative glare. “For the last time it’s not my brahking job to fix this damn tea machine! You got a problem with that then you can go pester someone else about it!”
I shrink back under the harsh rebuke. Jonsco may be small, but there was as much rage and fury condensed into that little package as anyone else in this department. Maybe more.
“I… I didn’t mean to imply…I just wanted to know if it was working again or not… Sorry.” I sputter out, feeling properly admonished as I look away towards the ground.
Jonsco looks at me quizzically, his hard glare softening somewhat as he seems to truly see me for the first time before returning to his usual scowl.
“Right…Whatever you say…” With one final smack the machine coughs and chokes, sputtering to life with a struggle, and a small trickle of freshly brewed tea begins to fill Jonsco’s cup. “The machine is on the fritz again as usual, but if you hit it just right, do a little percussive maintenance, then you can get it started again.”
“Thanks, Jonsco.” I lean back against the wall and watch as the mug slowly fills, impressed by the primitives know-how. “That's actually pretty smart of you.”
“For a ‘primitive’ right?” The words are barbed and spiteful, but lack his typical enthusiasm, more of a simple statement of fact than a real question. I couldn't exactly deny it, those had been my thoughts, and so the silence drags on awkwardly, marked only by the splash of tea falling into the steadily rising pool.
“What are you doing here at this claw anyway?” I eventually ask, dodging the question entirely. “We’ve still got at least another half-claw until our crew's shift is supposed to start.”
“I could ask you the same thing, you know?” The angry little dispatch operator retorts. “I'm here early working an overtime shift so I can afford to put food on my family's table. It's expensive feeding that many mouths. What's your excuse?”
“I had a fight with my brother…” I rub the back of my neck as I turn away abashedly, “moved out of the apartment and into the barracks full time… couldn't sleep…”
“Well then you should hurry up and work on patching things up with him.” Jonsco looks at me with an uncharacteristic hint of sympathy in his eyes. “Your family are the only ones who might actually care. This Gods-damned place is a slyther’s nest and no one here gives a speh about you or your problems. If you want my advice, you should do your best to spend as little time in this cesspool as possible.”
With his cup now full, Jobsco steps back from the machine and begins walking out towards the main hall.
“Thanks, Jonsco.” My words stop him in his tracks as he walks away from me. “I appreciate it.”
“... You're welcome.” He says after a short pause, glancing back to look at me one more time before leaving. “See you around, Sawvek.”
Taking advantage of the tea machine while it’s still mostly working, I fill up my own cup and drink deeply of the warm, fragrant beverage. The taste is bitter and unpleasant, just about the quality I would expect of this Guild Hall, but even at the first taste it’s evident that it’s been loaded with an extra strength dose of caffeine. I down the drink quickly and rinse out the cup before continuing on my journey towards the training hall. Fatigue begins to fall away as I walk, bit by bit as the drug makes its way into my bloodstream, blocking off sleep receptors and energising me. I know I’ll probably pay for it later, no amount of caffeine can actually replace sleep, but for now it feels good and I can see how some people can get addicted to the stuff.
A loud, metallic clanging emanates from the gym as I approach, something unexpected for this time of paw. No one's reserved space in the gym for this claw and not many people are industrious enough to sweat on their own initiative. Peeking my head inside the door I spy Bikim, the perfect, privileged, ‘holier than thou’ brahkass occupying the otherwise empty weight room. His irritatingly handsome face is taut with strain as he performs a series of weighted squats, his back and leg muscles straining underneath his short-cropped wool, and he pants heavily under the exertion.
I’m half tempted just to leave and go back to bed despite the fact that there’s no way I’d be getting any sleep with the tea running through my system. It’s too early in the paw to deal with Bikim’s speh. Before I can slip away unnoticed though, he spots me. I give a heavy sigh and continue my way inside. There's nothing to be done for it now. Trying to back out now would only make things worse later, a sign of weakness.
“What… Do you want… Predator?” Bikim asks between gulps of air as he reracks his weights, practically hanging off the bar to support himself on shaky legs.
“Good paw to you too, Bikim.” I say, forcing civility into my tone. “I’m here to use the equipment. Same as you. I'm allowed.”
“Whatever…” He eyes me with suspicion. “Just keep your distance… I don't want to catch any of your taint.”
“Believe me,” I flick my tail out in irritation, “I intend to.”
Looking around the room for available spots, I march my way over towards a cable machine on the opposite side of the room. Not nearly as far from Bikim as I would like, but the farthest I can get without leaving the weight area entirely. Bikim watches me all the while as I seat myself down and begin adjusting the machine. Eventually he grows tired of watching me fumble around with the machine and returns to his own exercises with a displeased flick of the tail, quite obviously judging me for my lack of experience with the equipment.
A tense sort of quiet settles over the room as we each go about our business, trying our best to ignore one another. Bikim slowly winds his way around the room, cycling from station to station to exercise all the different parts of his body in sequence before repeating it all again. He seems to bypass my corner of the room, glancing over at me with each repetition of his pattern. For myself, I stay put where I am, taking advantage of the varied exercises offered by the versatile machine to experiment with different muscle groups. Occasionally I slip up, dropping the weights with a loud clang that always draws Bikim’s ire. Every time he seems just a bit more disgruntled, a bit less patient. Eventually, the constant disruption reaches a tipping point and the pompous, self-entitled jerk walks over to confront me.
“Do you always do this?” He asks rhetorically. “If you keep slamming the weights like that you're gonna break it. Your form is speh so either fix it or lower the weight so you don't have to keep compensating. Better yet, just leave. You’ve been monopolising the cable machine for almost half a claw now. I don't know why you're even here in the first place.”
“Oh, look at Mr. Know-it-all thinking he can just go around telling us what to do, eh Killer?” The voice rises to the challenge. “Where does a guy like that who's been handed everything his whole life think he can get off with telling us how we should be doing anything?”
“Brahk off Bikim!” I don't even try to reign in the predator inside, feeling justified in letting it roam free for once. “I didn't ask for your advice and you don't get to kick me out of the weight room just because you can't wait your turn! I'm here because I don't have anywhere else to go! Ever since Intalran dragged me into this stupid Guild this brahking job has taken over my entire life! I don't even have a home to go back to anymore!”
Bikim's body tenses at my tirade and his tail flicks out aggressively like a whip.
“That's your own damn fault, predator!” He shouts back, eager for the excuse to vent his own frustrations. “Maybe if you weren't just some blood-starved beast out roaming the streets then you wouldn't be here right now! I’ve read your file! You got a history of herdless behaviour and physical altercations! Someone should have institutionalised you a long time ago, but someone took pity on you and let you slip through the cracks because of your poor dying mommy! They should have known it would come back to bite them! A normal, functional member of the herd wouldn't even think to pick a flamer up off the ground and burn another person to death with it! But you? You did it instinctively! You revelled in it!”
“You think that was easy for me!” I get up and walk towards him as I yell incredulously. “You think I asked for that to happen! You think it was fun for me to get choked out and almost eaten! That thing I burned wasn't even a person anymore! It was a predator in the middle of a feeding frenzy! So yeah, I did what I did, and you know what? It's a good thing I did! If I wasn't a freak of nature then that thing would have kept on going and kept on killing! Last I checked, preventing that sorta thing was supposed to be your job, but I had to be the one to step up! Now I have to live with the consequences of my actions every paw, knowing that I’m a Protector-damned killer that doesn't belong anywhere! Maybe you, in your infinite wisdom, would've known the perfect thing to do in that situation, but I’m not you! I’ve had to work and struggle for every little thing I have! Not just had it handed to me on a silver platter!”
“Oh, so you got me all figured out do you?” Sarcasm drips from Bikim's mouth as he looks down on me. “You don't know me. You don't know my life or what I’ve been through, how hard I’ve worked to get where I am. You just see the end product from cycles of effort and assume that it's always been that way, that it's always been that easy. It hasn't.”
“Yes, I’m sure you had it so hard growing up Bikim.” Saying it aloud almost makes me laugh. “You’re such a child of privilege that it drips off of you with every move you make and every word you say. I hate people like you, thinking that you're better than everyone else just because you were lucky enough to be born into wealth and status. Try living like the other side for a change, scrounging for every credit just so you can afford to eat, and then try to tell me how hard you had it with a full belly and a warm home!”
“You’re right, predator,” Bikim says contemptuously, “I am a child of privilege. My family has a long and decorated military tradition, my father is a captain for the space corps, a brahking hero, and I’ve reaped the benefits of that. That privilege came at a cost though, and that’s called expectations. Second best is not good enough and I've had to put in ten times the effort as anyone else my whole life just to meet standards! At least you grew up with a father who was there for you and loved you without the condition that everything you do is perfect!”
“All that talk about reading my file and you didn't even get past the first page did you?” I snap at him with a snarl. “ I didn't grow up with a father at all! He's been dead since I was in elementary school! Killed in action! I barely even remember him anymore!”
That one seems to give Bikim pause, but I’m not done yet.
“If you and your whole family are such a bunch of brahking heroes then how come you're here, working as a common garrison exterminator in a run-down backwater city like this?” I taunt. “Shouldn't you be out gallantly fighting the Arxur with one of the fleets or on a colony pacification force rather than making my life here harder than it already is?”
“That's the price for failing to meet expectations,” Bikim quiets down, drawing away from the world and into himself, “the price for knocking up a beautiful, wonderful girl right after graduation and refusing to get rid of it afterwards. You get cut off. You lose that privilege, and you do whatever you have to in order to provide and try to be a good role model for your son.”
Now that one threw me for a loop. In the short time I’ve known Bikim I’ve had a lot of thoughts about him, few of them good, but never would I have expected him to be the type to take responsibility… For anything. Still, there is one thing about his story that doesn't line up…
“Oh really?” I take a step back as I watch for his reaction closely. “I seem to recall Jonsco mentioned just the other day that your wife had left you for a Human.”
“Don't you bring that brahking primitive into this!” Bikim's anger flares in an instant before returning to a subtle simmer of regret. “We’ve just been having a… a rough patch in our relationship. I’m not giving up on us. I’ll win her back. She's just… confused and being taken advantage of! It's all that damn predators fault!” Bikim sighs and sits down on a nearby bench. “You're not the only one whose had something taken from them because of this job. You're not the only one without a home to go back to.”
Looking at Bikim now, a sad, pathetic man moping on the bench with nothing better to do on his rest claw than to try to externalise his inner pain… I find it hard to stay angry at him. He's still a narcissistic brahk ass and a complete jerk, but it's hard to truly hate someone when you actually know them. I had made quite a few assumptions about him when we first met, and he certainly hadn't helped my impression of him since, but… perhaps I was wrong to judge him so harshly?
“Nah,” the voice chortles, “he’s a piece of speh that got what he brahking deserves for being an insufferable prick.”
Overhead the intercom crackles to life and I can hear Jonsco's voice reverberating over the airwaves.
“Officers Vaesh and Sawvek please report to the briefing area for assignment. Repeat. Officers Vaesh and Sawvek please report to the briefing area for assignment.”
“Sounds like it's time for your first field assignment, Kid.” Bikim says, staring up at the intercom. “At least it gets you out of my wool. Try not to brahk it up and make the rest of us look bad.”
“Hmph.” I turn to leave, muttering to myself. “Stupid brahkass.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N - Hello! Sorry this one took a while. Like I mentioned before I got delayed working on my Ficnapping chapter as well as a crossover One-shot that's still in progress (but hopefully will be done soon). In other news we have new art of Sawvek's life-changing encounter in the Builder's Lane Bloodbath as drawn by Miglove and you can still find that and everything else Nature of Family in the new Master Post linked up above.
If you like the story then please remember to upvote, comment, and use the “!Subscribeme” function to be alerted to all new posts. I post as often as I can but real life has a tendency of getting in the way and my job makes it almost impossible to keep to any kind of schedule. Your engagement and support go a long way towards helping to keep me on track and motivated, so thank you very much for reading and I hope you'll stay tuned for next chapter!
2024.05.15 22:29 HealthyYard6559 Revelation 1:4-6
,, From John to the seven churches that are in Asia: grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and of the seven spirits which are before His throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of earthly kings, who loves us, and washes us from our sins with his own blood; And makes us kings and priests to God and his Father; to that glory and country for ever and ever. Amen."
Rev. 1:4-6
John is a witness of Jesus Christ who testifies to the word of God. the testimony of Jesus Christ, and everything that Jesus showed him and he is now sending the testimony, i.e. the Revelation to seven churches in Asia Minor. We can read who John is sending to in verse 11, where we have written the names of the churches to whom John needed the Revelation to be sent.
"And write what you see in a book, and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea"
Rev. 1:11
Apart from these churches that are mentioned here, there were other local churches, but the Lord Jesus chose seven representative churches that had different problems that symbolize and represent the period of the church until the coming of the Lord Jesus for it.
In addition to these churches, the Revelation was given to all people, especially the church throughout history, and of course also to us in order to learn the details of the events that will soon begin to unfold, because the signs of the times indicate that... the end times" are near.
"Whoever has an ear should hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
Rev. 3:22
Jovan continues with the greeting, "Grace to you and peace" and this greeting is not from him because he cannot give grace and peace, true grace and peace can only be given by God and here practically as if he said, "Grace to you and peace from Lord Jesus Christ" the savior, because salvation and everything we receive from God is at the expense of the Lord Jesus Christ and it is a gift, because none of what we receive is a free gift. How important this word is in the New Testament is also evidenced by the fact that the great many books of the New Testament begin with the words "blessing you and peace" in the greeting sentences.
If there was no grace, practically no one would be alive today because all we deserved was death, but we are alive because of the grace and grace of God and not based on any of our merits or actions.
Everything we have in our physical, physical life is God's grace, and also all spiritual life and salvation is by grace from God whom Peter calls the God of grace.
"And the God of all grace, who calls you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus"
1 Peter 5:10
"Because you are saved by grace through faith, and it is not from you, it is a gift from God. Not from works, so that no one can boast."
Eph. 2:8-9
We see that we are saved by grace, but that is not the end, we need to continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"But progress in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and the salvation of Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 3:18
"Because the grace of God that saves all people has been shown, teaching us to renounce the impiety and desires of this world, and to live honestly and righteously and devoutly in this world."
Titus 2:11-12
Here we have advice for an honest worldly life, and we also have a promise that we will receive grace if we find ourselves in some kind of trouble or perhaps illness.
"My grace is enough for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
2 Cor. 12:9
"Let us therefore approach freely to the throne of grace, to receive grace and find grace for the time when we need help"
Hebrews 4:16
In the context of those advices for an honest life, there is also a Record about to whom God gives grace.
"...for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
1 Peter 5:5
and in Jacob, God adds and says that he gives greater grace than problems
"And He gives a greater grace. Because he says: The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6
"Grace to you and peace" here is first grace and then peace, and that is because peace is the result of grace. We get peace when we are in a good relationship with God, which means that we are born again and live according to God's will.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom. 5:1
When we have this peace with God, we are safe in God's hands and God will never throw us into hell because of our sins because the Lord Jesus died on the cross to redeem us and make us righteous, it is up to us to trust God, confess our sins and live according to the will of God.
"And I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."
John 10:28
Now that we are this safe and reconciled with God, God gives us another blessing Peace from God and this is something that someone who is not at peace with God will never get, and we need this peace every day in our lives, and we don't think and worry about the daily problems, we already enjoy communion with God who is close to us and who cares for us, we see from the whole verse that we just need to ask in prayer and finally give thanks.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, to guard your hearts and your thoughts in the Lord Jesus."
Phil. 4:7
"The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving that your requests may be answered by God."
Phil. 4:6
,,...Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and of the seven spirits which are before His throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of earthly kings, who loves us, and washes us from our sins with his own blood; And makes us kings and priests to God and his Father; to that glory and country for ever and ever. Amen."
Rev. 1:4-6
Below we see where grace and peace come from. Grace and peace is not a human creation as many try to portray or try to bring peace in some way through various activities or actions. We saw that grace and then peace come from God, and here we see that three times it is written that they come "from" the Father, from the Son and from the Holy Spirit.
Also in these verses we see that God is eternal because it is written, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come" and similarly it is written in 4:8
"Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, Who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Rev. 4:8
And now we could say this differently, God who has always been God until now, God who is God now and God who will always be, therefore, eternal God.
Here is another confirmed confirmation of what we said with a slight difference, it does not say "which will come" because here in the 11th chapter events from the future are described which are already here, therefore "future" is at this moment "present" and here we see the confirmation that in the Revelation the future events are still described for us, but John saw them as the present or even the past when they were shown to him, that's why it says "you will be" and not "which will come."
"We praise you, Lord God Almighty, who are, and were, and will be"
Rev. 11:17
Here is something else from the 16th chapter where we see something similar but it is written even in the past tense, that you judged this "so these are events from the time;; when the Lord Jesus came" for us it is still a perspective of the future but for John it was a perspective of the present, this is what today's modern reporters would say, "a report from the scene"
"You are righteous, Lord, who are, and who were, and holy, that you judged this"
Rev. 16:5
It goes on to say,,, and of the seven spirits that are before His throne"
This refers to the Holy Spirit, but it says "seven spirits" because seven is the number of perfection, fullness and completeness. Here, in fact, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is described because in Isaiah it is written about Jesus:
"And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord."
Isa 11:2
In several other places, the number seven is mentioned in relation to the Holy Spirit.
"And he said to me: What do you see? And I said: I see, behold, a candlestick all of gold, and a cup above it, and its seven jars on it, and seven funnels for the seven jars that are above it, and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the cup and one from the left. And I spoke to the angel who spoke with me, and I said: What is it, my lord? And the angel who spoke with me answered and said to me: Don't you know what it is? And I said: No, my lord. And he answered and said to me, saying: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: not by force or by virtue, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, great woe, before Zerubbabel? Ravnica; and he will bring out the highest stone, with exclamations: Mercy, mercy to him. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Zerubbabel's hands founded this house, his hands will finish it, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? Because he will rejoice when he sees the measuring stone in the hand of Zerubbabel, those seven eyes of the Lord that cross the whole earth"
Zechariah 4:2-10
Here, from the sixth verse, we conclude that it is about the Holy Spirit, "not by power or virtue, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."
"And I saw, and behold, in the middle of the throne and four animals, and in the middle of the elders the Lamb stood as if it had been slain, and it had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent throughout the world."
Rev. 5:6
Here we have seven spirits and seven eyes that refer to seven aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit that brings us God's graces, that is why Paul could write in the first Corinthians:
"The gifts are different, but the Spirit is one. And there are different ministries, but the Lord is one. And there are different forces, but there is one God who does everything in everything. And in everyone the Spirit appears for the benefit; For once the word of wisdom is given by the Spirit; and to another the word of understanding by the same Spirit; And to another faith, by that same Spirit; and to another the gift of healing, by that same Spirit; And to another to work miracles, and to another to prophesy, and to another to discern spirits, and to another different languages, and to another to speak in tongues. and he has many members, and all the members of one body, although they are many, they are one body: so is Christ"
1 Cor.12:4-12
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth"
We have seen the entire Revelation that it is from the Lord Jesus to the church for encouragement, and here it says, "Faithful witness," and that is what the prophet Isaiah prophesied many years before
"Behold, I have given him as a witness to the nations, as a leader and commander to the nations."
Isaiah 55:4
and faithful because God is faithful and he can be unfaithful
,,,, God is not a man to lie, nor a son of man to repent. What does he say he won't do, and what he says he won't do?"
Numb. 23:19
"And so know that the Lord God is your God, a faithful God, who keeps his covenant and his mercy to a thousand knees to those who love him and keep his commandments."
Deut. 7:9
"And he raises the horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant, as he says through the mouth of his holy prophets from the ages that he will deliver us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us; To show mercy to our fathers, and to remind ourselves of our holy covenant, the Curse with which he swore to Abraham our father that he would give us"
Luke 1:69-73
"God is faithful who has called you into the community of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord."
1 Cor. 1:9
"No other temptation shall come upon you but that of man; but God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make an end with the temptation, so that you can bear it"
1 Cor. 10:13
"He who called you is faithful, and he will do it."
1 Sol. 5:24
And in Revelation it says more
"Thus says Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God's creation"
Rev. 3:14
The Lord himself practically confirmed that he is faithful and that he came to testify to the truth
"I was born for that, and that's why I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. And everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice"
John 18:37
"and the Firstborn from the dead" here this does not mean that Jesus was the first to be resurrected because we read that there were people who were resurrected before Him but they later died again. Jesus was the first to be resurrected in a glorified body and He more he never did nor will he die, this part of the verse refers to these facts.
,, And this one, since he remains forever, has an eternal priesthood. That is why he can forever save those who come to God through him, when he always lives to be able to pray for them."
Hebrews 7:24-25
"and Prince over earthly kings" prince means ruler. Lord Jesus is ruler and prince from the beginning to the end, from creation to eternity, He is the faithful and true one from eternity, He is the firstborn in the glorified body and He is the eternal ruler and prince , He is King of kings and Lord of lords because he writes.
"And he has his name written on his robe and on his bosom: King of kings and Lord of lords."
Rev. 19:16
"He will rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."
Psalm 72:8
"All kings will bow down to him, all nations will be submissive to him."
Psalm 72:11
"Who loves us" Jovan continues and says that God loves us permanently and does not say that he loved us, because then that would mean that he once loved us but that he may not love us now for some reason. we would not have permanent security of salvation because it might happen that Jesus returns and God returns at that very moment and we are left behind as they say, "we were unlucky". "so all the time, not sometimes or sometimes. He loves us all the time and that's because of the grace we talked about, we didn't deserve anything, neither salvation, nor the forgiveness of sins, nor life by grace, the only thing we deserved was to throw us into hell and that would be deserved because we do mostly what we shouldn't do. And not only does he not punish us, but makes us emperors and priests.
,, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of earthly kings, who loves us, and washes us from our sins with his blood; And makes us kings and priests to God and his Father; to that glory and country for ever and ever. Amen."
Rev. 1:5-6
Jesus loved his own even in the most difficult moments before going to the cross, we read in John:
"And before the Passover, Jesus knowing that the hour had come for Him to pass from this world to the Father, as He loved His own who were in the world, He loves them to the end."
John 13:1
and this greatly impressed Paul, so he wrote:
"That you may understand with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, And know the love of Christ that surpasses reason, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Eph. 3:18-19
and this love of Jesus cannot be understood by human thinking, this is God's love that surpasses every mind.
"Because I know for sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor present, nor future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other substance can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus , to our Lord."
Rom. 8:28-39
"And wash us from our sins in your blood" unlike a while ago where it is written in permanent time, now we have a part that has been completed in the past and that is finally there are no more new washings, once all the work Jesus finished and that happened on the cross of Golgotha where we are redeemed once and for all by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we need daily cleansing in the form of confession of sin, but not complete washing.
,, Jesus said to him: He who has been washed should not wash only his feet, because he is all clean; and you are clean, ..."
John 13:10
"And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:7
So the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin and God will never mention what he cleansed again.
"And their sins and their iniquities I will no longer mention."
Hebrews 10:17
"And make us kings and priests to God and our Father" of course this is also by grace because this is unimaginable for us humans. We know what we are like and what we like to do, but still God does not deal with us according to our mistakes but makes us kings and priests.
"And you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people of gain, to announce the benefactors of the One who called you out of darkness to his strange light"
1 Peter 2:9
We therefore became the emperor's priests and now we all have direct access to God based on the merits of the Lord Jesus, unlike the people in the Old Testament where only the high priest had access to God once a year in the Holy of Holies and he did not have that access without a sacrifice that he had to make sacrifices.
For us, that sacrifice is the Lord Jesus Christ, and based on that sacrifice, we have constant access to God.
"To him glory and the country forever and ever." Amen." And now at the end, John wants to say that eternal glory, praise and power belong to Him who has given us so much grace and grace.
submitted by HealthyYard6559 to u/HealthyYard6559 [link] [comments]
Rev. 1:4-6
John is a witness of Jesus Christ who testifies to the word of God. the testimony of Jesus Christ, and everything that Jesus showed him and he is now sending the testimony, i.e. the Revelation to seven churches in Asia Minor. We can read who John is sending to in verse 11, where we have written the names of the churches to whom John needed the Revelation to be sent.
"And write what you see in a book, and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea"
Rev. 1:11
Apart from these churches that are mentioned here, there were other local churches, but the Lord Jesus chose seven representative churches that had different problems that symbolize and represent the period of the church until the coming of the Lord Jesus for it.
In addition to these churches, the Revelation was given to all people, especially the church throughout history, and of course also to us in order to learn the details of the events that will soon begin to unfold, because the signs of the times indicate that... the end times" are near.
"Whoever has an ear should hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
Rev. 3:22
Jovan continues with the greeting, "Grace to you and peace" and this greeting is not from him because he cannot give grace and peace, true grace and peace can only be given by God and here practically as if he said, "Grace to you and peace from Lord Jesus Christ" the savior, because salvation and everything we receive from God is at the expense of the Lord Jesus Christ and it is a gift, because none of what we receive is a free gift. How important this word is in the New Testament is also evidenced by the fact that the great many books of the New Testament begin with the words "blessing you and peace" in the greeting sentences.
If there was no grace, practically no one would be alive today because all we deserved was death, but we are alive because of the grace and grace of God and not based on any of our merits or actions.
Everything we have in our physical, physical life is God's grace, and also all spiritual life and salvation is by grace from God whom Peter calls the God of grace.
"And the God of all grace, who calls you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus"
1 Peter 5:10
"Because you are saved by grace through faith, and it is not from you, it is a gift from God. Not from works, so that no one can boast."
Eph. 2:8-9
We see that we are saved by grace, but that is not the end, we need to continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"But progress in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and the salvation of Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 3:18
"Because the grace of God that saves all people has been shown, teaching us to renounce the impiety and desires of this world, and to live honestly and righteously and devoutly in this world."
Titus 2:11-12
Here we have advice for an honest worldly life, and we also have a promise that we will receive grace if we find ourselves in some kind of trouble or perhaps illness.
"My grace is enough for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
2 Cor. 12:9
"Let us therefore approach freely to the throne of grace, to receive grace and find grace for the time when we need help"
Hebrews 4:16
In the context of those advices for an honest life, there is also a Record about to whom God gives grace.
"...for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
1 Peter 5:5
and in Jacob, God adds and says that he gives greater grace than problems
"And He gives a greater grace. Because he says: The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6
"Grace to you and peace" here is first grace and then peace, and that is because peace is the result of grace. We get peace when we are in a good relationship with God, which means that we are born again and live according to God's will.
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom. 5:1
When we have this peace with God, we are safe in God's hands and God will never throw us into hell because of our sins because the Lord Jesus died on the cross to redeem us and make us righteous, it is up to us to trust God, confess our sins and live according to the will of God.
"And I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."
John 10:28
Now that we are this safe and reconciled with God, God gives us another blessing Peace from God and this is something that someone who is not at peace with God will never get, and we need this peace every day in our lives, and we don't think and worry about the daily problems, we already enjoy communion with God who is close to us and who cares for us, we see from the whole verse that we just need to ask in prayer and finally give thanks.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, to guard your hearts and your thoughts in the Lord Jesus."
Phil. 4:7
"The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving that your requests may be answered by God."
Phil. 4:6
,,...Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and of the seven spirits which are before His throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of earthly kings, who loves us, and washes us from our sins with his own blood; And makes us kings and priests to God and his Father; to that glory and country for ever and ever. Amen."
Rev. 1:4-6
Below we see where grace and peace come from. Grace and peace is not a human creation as many try to portray or try to bring peace in some way through various activities or actions. We saw that grace and then peace come from God, and here we see that three times it is written that they come "from" the Father, from the Son and from the Holy Spirit.
Also in these verses we see that God is eternal because it is written, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come" and similarly it is written in 4:8
"Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, Who was, and who is, and who is to come."
Rev. 4:8
And now we could say this differently, God who has always been God until now, God who is God now and God who will always be, therefore, eternal God.
Here is another confirmed confirmation of what we said with a slight difference, it does not say "which will come" because here in the 11th chapter events from the future are described which are already here, therefore "future" is at this moment "present" and here we see the confirmation that in the Revelation the future events are still described for us, but John saw them as the present or even the past when they were shown to him, that's why it says "you will be" and not "which will come."
"We praise you, Lord God Almighty, who are, and were, and will be"
Rev. 11:17
Here is something else from the 16th chapter where we see something similar but it is written even in the past tense, that you judged this "so these are events from the time;; when the Lord Jesus came" for us it is still a perspective of the future but for John it was a perspective of the present, this is what today's modern reporters would say, "a report from the scene"
"You are righteous, Lord, who are, and who were, and holy, that you judged this"
Rev. 16:5
It goes on to say,,, and of the seven spirits that are before His throne"
This refers to the Holy Spirit, but it says "seven spirits" because seven is the number of perfection, fullness and completeness. Here, in fact, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is described because in Isaiah it is written about Jesus:
"And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord."
Isa 11:2
In several other places, the number seven is mentioned in relation to the Holy Spirit.
"And he said to me: What do you see? And I said: I see, behold, a candlestick all of gold, and a cup above it, and its seven jars on it, and seven funnels for the seven jars that are above it, and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the cup and one from the left. And I spoke to the angel who spoke with me, and I said: What is it, my lord? And the angel who spoke with me answered and said to me: Don't you know what it is? And I said: No, my lord. And he answered and said to me, saying: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: not by force or by virtue, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, great woe, before Zerubbabel? Ravnica; and he will bring out the highest stone, with exclamations: Mercy, mercy to him. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Zerubbabel's hands founded this house, his hands will finish it, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? Because he will rejoice when he sees the measuring stone in the hand of Zerubbabel, those seven eyes of the Lord that cross the whole earth"
Zechariah 4:2-10
Here, from the sixth verse, we conclude that it is about the Holy Spirit, "not by power or virtue, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts."
"And I saw, and behold, in the middle of the throne and four animals, and in the middle of the elders the Lamb stood as if it had been slain, and it had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent throughout the world."
Rev. 5:6
Here we have seven spirits and seven eyes that refer to seven aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit that brings us God's graces, that is why Paul could write in the first Corinthians:
"The gifts are different, but the Spirit is one. And there are different ministries, but the Lord is one. And there are different forces, but there is one God who does everything in everything. And in everyone the Spirit appears for the benefit; For once the word of wisdom is given by the Spirit; and to another the word of understanding by the same Spirit; And to another faith, by that same Spirit; and to another the gift of healing, by that same Spirit; And to another to work miracles, and to another to prophesy, and to another to discern spirits, and to another different languages, and to another to speak in tongues. and he has many members, and all the members of one body, although they are many, they are one body: so is Christ"
1 Cor.12:4-12
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth"
We have seen the entire Revelation that it is from the Lord Jesus to the church for encouragement, and here it says, "Faithful witness," and that is what the prophet Isaiah prophesied many years before
"Behold, I have given him as a witness to the nations, as a leader and commander to the nations."
Isaiah 55:4
and faithful because God is faithful and he can be unfaithful
,,,, God is not a man to lie, nor a son of man to repent. What does he say he won't do, and what he says he won't do?"
Numb. 23:19
"And so know that the Lord God is your God, a faithful God, who keeps his covenant and his mercy to a thousand knees to those who love him and keep his commandments."
Deut. 7:9
"And he raises the horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant, as he says through the mouth of his holy prophets from the ages that he will deliver us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us; To show mercy to our fathers, and to remind ourselves of our holy covenant, the Curse with which he swore to Abraham our father that he would give us"
Luke 1:69-73
"God is faithful who has called you into the community of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord."
1 Cor. 1:9
"No other temptation shall come upon you but that of man; but God is faithful, who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make an end with the temptation, so that you can bear it"
1 Cor. 10:13
"He who called you is faithful, and he will do it."
1 Sol. 5:24
And in Revelation it says more
"Thus says Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God's creation"
Rev. 3:14
The Lord himself practically confirmed that he is faithful and that he came to testify to the truth
"I was born for that, and that's why I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. And everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice"
John 18:37
"and the Firstborn from the dead" here this does not mean that Jesus was the first to be resurrected because we read that there were people who were resurrected before Him but they later died again. Jesus was the first to be resurrected in a glorified body and He more he never did nor will he die, this part of the verse refers to these facts.
,, And this one, since he remains forever, has an eternal priesthood. That is why he can forever save those who come to God through him, when he always lives to be able to pray for them."
Hebrews 7:24-25
"and Prince over earthly kings" prince means ruler. Lord Jesus is ruler and prince from the beginning to the end, from creation to eternity, He is the faithful and true one from eternity, He is the firstborn in the glorified body and He is the eternal ruler and prince , He is King of kings and Lord of lords because he writes.
"And he has his name written on his robe and on his bosom: King of kings and Lord of lords."
Rev. 19:16
"He will rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."
Psalm 72:8
"All kings will bow down to him, all nations will be submissive to him."
Psalm 72:11
"Who loves us" Jovan continues and says that God loves us permanently and does not say that he loved us, because then that would mean that he once loved us but that he may not love us now for some reason. we would not have permanent security of salvation because it might happen that Jesus returns and God returns at that very moment and we are left behind as they say, "we were unlucky". "so all the time, not sometimes or sometimes. He loves us all the time and that's because of the grace we talked about, we didn't deserve anything, neither salvation, nor the forgiveness of sins, nor life by grace, the only thing we deserved was to throw us into hell and that would be deserved because we do mostly what we shouldn't do. And not only does he not punish us, but makes us emperors and priests.
,, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of earthly kings, who loves us, and washes us from our sins with his blood; And makes us kings and priests to God and his Father; to that glory and country for ever and ever. Amen."
Rev. 1:5-6
Jesus loved his own even in the most difficult moments before going to the cross, we read in John:
"And before the Passover, Jesus knowing that the hour had come for Him to pass from this world to the Father, as He loved His own who were in the world, He loves them to the end."
John 13:1
and this greatly impressed Paul, so he wrote:
"That you may understand with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, And know the love of Christ that surpasses reason, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Eph. 3:18-19
and this love of Jesus cannot be understood by human thinking, this is God's love that surpasses every mind.
"Because I know for sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor present, nor future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other substance can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus , to our Lord."
Rom. 8:28-39
"And wash us from our sins in your blood" unlike a while ago where it is written in permanent time, now we have a part that has been completed in the past and that is finally there are no more new washings, once all the work Jesus finished and that happened on the cross of Golgotha where we are redeemed once and for all by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we need daily cleansing in the form of confession of sin, but not complete washing.
,, Jesus said to him: He who has been washed should not wash only his feet, because he is all clean; and you are clean, ..."
John 13:10
"And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:7
So the blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin and God will never mention what he cleansed again.
"And their sins and their iniquities I will no longer mention."
Hebrews 10:17
"And make us kings and priests to God and our Father" of course this is also by grace because this is unimaginable for us humans. We know what we are like and what we like to do, but still God does not deal with us according to our mistakes but makes us kings and priests.
"And you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people of gain, to announce the benefactors of the One who called you out of darkness to his strange light"
1 Peter 2:9
We therefore became the emperor's priests and now we all have direct access to God based on the merits of the Lord Jesus, unlike the people in the Old Testament where only the high priest had access to God once a year in the Holy of Holies and he did not have that access without a sacrifice that he had to make sacrifices.
For us, that sacrifice is the Lord Jesus Christ, and based on that sacrifice, we have constant access to God.
"To him glory and the country forever and ever." Amen." And now at the end, John wants to say that eternal glory, praise and power belong to Him who has given us so much grace and grace.
2024.05.15 22:27 franman409er dot1x being overloaded in virtual memory? (EX3300 VC)
Currently been experiencing issues with dot1x virtual memory filling up and no longer able to auth users. The dot1x log is filled with the below error denoting various MAC address and the access ports they're connecting to:
May 15 15:40:16.890917 CreateSession: MAX mem usage limit for sessions exceeded.
Show log messages is also filled with
/kernel: Process (1302,dot1xd) has exceeded 85% of RLIMIT_DATA: used 59060 KB Max 65536 KB
Memory usages
1302 74960(02.38) 68144(06.50) /ussbin/dot1xd -N
Radius Config:
Anyone run into this issue and how to compensate?
submitted by franman409er to Juniper [link] [comments]
May 15 15:40:16.890917 CreateSession: MAX mem usage limit for sessions exceeded.
Show log messages is also filled with
/kernel: Process (1302,dot1xd) has exceeded 85% of RLIMIT_DATA: used 59060 KB Max 65536 KB
Memory usages
System memory usage distribution: Total memory: 1048576 Kbytes (100%) Reserved memory: 41684 Kbytes ( 3%) Wired memory: 114948 Kbytes ( 10%) Active memory: 416180 Kbytes ( 39%) Inactive memory: 150380 Kbytes ( 14%) Cache memory: 218132 Kbytes ( 20%) Free memory: 106664 Kbytes ( 10%)Show system memory match dot1x
1302 74960(02.38) 68144(06.50) /ussbin/dot1xd -N
Radius Config:
protocols { dot1x { traceoptions { file dot1x-log size 5m; flag all; } authenticator { authentication-profile-name our_radius_server; interface { isofyRegistration { supplicant multiple; transmit-period 10; mac-radius { restrict; } supplicant-timeout 3; server-timeout 5; server-fail deny; } } } } igmp-snooping { vlan all; } lldp { interface all; } lldp-med { interface all; } } access { radius-server { 10.1.1.2 { port 1812; secret "secret"; ## SECRET-DATA } } profile our_radius_server{ authentication-order radius; radius { authentication-server 10.1.1.2; accounting-server 10.1.1.2; options { nas-port-type { ethernet ethernet; } accounting-session-id-format decimal; } } accounting { order radius; accounting-stop-on-failure; accounting-stop-on-access-deny; update-interval 60; } } } We are running a VC with 6 Members with EX3300 on firmware version 15.1R7.9. Anyone run into this issue and how to compensate?
2024.05.15 22:27 nessadiosa Ovulation day after Period to cause Early Period
Hi all! So I have my period 8 days early, and I am super concerned because I’m incredibly regular. I noticed that I ovulated the day after my last period, looking retrospectively. I had my normal ovulation symptoms: cervical mucus and body temp the two days after my last period. I also did have PMS symptoms like breast tenderness and cramping, which turned into a period 8 days early! Is this somewhat normal or should I be concerned? Google gives me such mixed messages as I’m not on birth control. Negative pregnancy tests and one partner , so idk if I should just relax and say this was a fluke or go to GYN.
submitted by nessadiosa to Periods [link] [comments]
2024.05.15 22:25 Snoo_16409 Why can’t I (23M) bring myself to break up with my gf (21F) when I feel she is emotionally manipulating me?
I’ve been dating my gf (my first major relationship) for almost 7 months now. I truly love her and care for her greatly. For background, she has some anxious/depressive tendencies and some deep-rooted problems with her family. It’s important to mention I have an incredibly strong relationship with my parents and my brother. I’ve tried to be there for her as much as I can, and I understand some of what she’s going through as I also suffer from anxiety, however sometimes it feels like she uses her struggles to take advantage of me and make me feel worse about myself.
Sometimes it feels like she becomes upset when I become engaged in activities or people who other than her. I don’t want to get in the weeds (I think there’s a character limit) as this has happened for several little small incidents I easily wrote off.
Despite these potential problems I did not mind at the time, I fully loved her and cared for here deeply without any question. But then the last couple weeks happened. I had a vacation planned where I was invited to go to Europe to visit with family, where I would be gone for a little over a week. This trip has been being planned for just about as long as I’ve known my gf. While I wish I could’ve taken her, it was not my place to invite her as I was the one invited to this trip, and this trip started to be planned when we only just begun to date.
She started to become more distant from me before my trip, which I interpreted as her bummed and sad that I was going to be gone for so long. I sympathized with this, I was going to miss her too. However I started to feel guilty about the trip I’ve been looking forward to for several months. Shortly after I left, i tried to keep in touch with her and text her frequently, but about a day in after I said I wanted to call her she said she would rather not as she was just feeling better from recently and calling her would make her too sad. I told her ok and I’ll give her some space. About a day later she said she was kind of upset she wasn’t with me, and that all of her friends said I should’ve brought her, but she said she “understood why I couldn’t bring her”. This made me feel considerably more guilty she wasn’t with me, and I began to enjoy my trip less. She later apologized and said she wanted me to have a good time. Despite this the following night she said that felt like I didn’t care about what’s she’s going through and I don’t want to talk to her, and I replied that she asked for more space and I thought I was giving it to her, but I can talk to her more if she wants me to.
While I was very guilty about traveling without her, things were mostly going ok. The next day was when things exploded. She texted me saying that she wants to cry because one of her coworkers was boasting about where she’s traveled and my gf hasn’t left the country herself. I reassured her that I’m sure one day she will get to. She then launched into an attack on me that not everyone gets a free ride and that I am free loading off of my parents by going with them in this vacation, that I could never understand how she feels as I’ve had an easy life because of my good relationship with my parents that she doesn’t have, and that she couldn’t even imagine where she would be in life if she had as good of parents as mine.
I replied to her and said that I didn’t know why she’s insulting me and that I’m not her enemy, and she said I should just break up with her and that she wish she could down a whole bottle of painkillers and finish herself because she has no one. She called me from work completely sobbing and I calmed her down. This really shook me as not only did I found her insults incredibly demeaning and guilt-ridding, but her holding hurting herself over my head while I’m out of the country had left me feeling totally powerless and full of despair. As a sidebar, I take threats of hurting one’s self very seriously and I contacted her sister to check in on her and make sure she’s ok. The past day my gf has been showering me with apologies and love.
After she demeaned me, insulted me, and threatened herself, I was pretty set on the fact I need to break up with her. But lately I’ve been unsure. The morning after our argument she texted me how sorry she was, how much she loves me, and how I’m the nicest person she knows, and it made my heart melt. I still love her and have strong feelings for her and I don’t know how I can end things. But even tho deep down I know she’s a good person, I also feel she is not currently the most emotionally stable and this relationship is becoming toxic. Should I break up for her or is this relationship salvageable? And if I do break up with her how do I even go about that? She doesn’t have a good relationship with her family, she doesn’t have many friends, I feel like I’m all she has and with her threatening hurting herself I’m so worried and concerned for her. What do I do?
TL;DR: my gf ruined my vacation by guilting me and demeaning me, but I can’t bring myself to break up with her
submitted by Snoo_16409 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
Sometimes it feels like she becomes upset when I become engaged in activities or people who other than her. I don’t want to get in the weeds (I think there’s a character limit) as this has happened for several little small incidents I easily wrote off.
Despite these potential problems I did not mind at the time, I fully loved her and cared for here deeply without any question. But then the last couple weeks happened. I had a vacation planned where I was invited to go to Europe to visit with family, where I would be gone for a little over a week. This trip has been being planned for just about as long as I’ve known my gf. While I wish I could’ve taken her, it was not my place to invite her as I was the one invited to this trip, and this trip started to be planned when we only just begun to date.
She started to become more distant from me before my trip, which I interpreted as her bummed and sad that I was going to be gone for so long. I sympathized with this, I was going to miss her too. However I started to feel guilty about the trip I’ve been looking forward to for several months. Shortly after I left, i tried to keep in touch with her and text her frequently, but about a day in after I said I wanted to call her she said she would rather not as she was just feeling better from recently and calling her would make her too sad. I told her ok and I’ll give her some space. About a day later she said she was kind of upset she wasn’t with me, and that all of her friends said I should’ve brought her, but she said she “understood why I couldn’t bring her”. This made me feel considerably more guilty she wasn’t with me, and I began to enjoy my trip less. She later apologized and said she wanted me to have a good time. Despite this the following night she said that felt like I didn’t care about what’s she’s going through and I don’t want to talk to her, and I replied that she asked for more space and I thought I was giving it to her, but I can talk to her more if she wants me to.
While I was very guilty about traveling without her, things were mostly going ok. The next day was when things exploded. She texted me saying that she wants to cry because one of her coworkers was boasting about where she’s traveled and my gf hasn’t left the country herself. I reassured her that I’m sure one day she will get to. She then launched into an attack on me that not everyone gets a free ride and that I am free loading off of my parents by going with them in this vacation, that I could never understand how she feels as I’ve had an easy life because of my good relationship with my parents that she doesn’t have, and that she couldn’t even imagine where she would be in life if she had as good of parents as mine.
I replied to her and said that I didn’t know why she’s insulting me and that I’m not her enemy, and she said I should just break up with her and that she wish she could down a whole bottle of painkillers and finish herself because she has no one. She called me from work completely sobbing and I calmed her down. This really shook me as not only did I found her insults incredibly demeaning and guilt-ridding, but her holding hurting herself over my head while I’m out of the country had left me feeling totally powerless and full of despair. As a sidebar, I take threats of hurting one’s self very seriously and I contacted her sister to check in on her and make sure she’s ok. The past day my gf has been showering me with apologies and love.
After she demeaned me, insulted me, and threatened herself, I was pretty set on the fact I need to break up with her. But lately I’ve been unsure. The morning after our argument she texted me how sorry she was, how much she loves me, and how I’m the nicest person she knows, and it made my heart melt. I still love her and have strong feelings for her and I don’t know how I can end things. But even tho deep down I know she’s a good person, I also feel she is not currently the most emotionally stable and this relationship is becoming toxic. Should I break up for her or is this relationship salvageable? And if I do break up with her how do I even go about that? She doesn’t have a good relationship with her family, she doesn’t have many friends, I feel like I’m all she has and with her threatening hurting herself I’m so worried and concerned for her. What do I do?
TL;DR: my gf ruined my vacation by guilting me and demeaning me, but I can’t bring myself to break up with her
2024.05.15 22:25 HaykakanTxa Daily News Report: 05/15/2024
Date: 05/15/2024
Reading time: 11 minutes, 2384 words🪖 Military
The ceremony of withdrawal of peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh took place
Russian peacekeepers were in Nagorno Karabakh based on a statement of November 9, 2020. The military group was supposed to stay in the region until 2025, which could be extended for another five years. The population of Artsakh was subjected to forced displacement, more than 100 thousand people moved from Artsakh to Armenia.CivilNet
Armenia and Slovakia discuss issues of military-technical cooperation
Armenia participated in the IDEB-2024 defense exhibition in Bratislava, Slovakia, at the invitation of the Slovak Ministry of Defense. A number of agreements have been reached between Armenia and Slovakia.Armenpress, Armenia, Slovakia discuss expanding defence cooperation
Armenia and India plan to create a working group on defense issues
The first defense consultations between the Ministries of Defense of Armenia and India took place under the chairmanship of Levon Ayvazyan. The progress and development prospects of Armenia-India cooperation in the field of defense were discussed, including military-technical, personnel military education and tactical training, exchange of experience and other fields.CivilNet, Armenian and Indian Defense Ministries hold first defense consultations in Yerevan, Armenia, India hold first defense consultations
🏛️ Politics & Government
Over 52% of respondents in Armenia support Tavush for Homeland movement to certain extent, Gallup phone poll shows
A total of 35.1% of respondents in Armenia said they “fully support” the Tavush for Homeland movement, Aram Navasardyan, head of the Armenian office of GALLUP International Association, said at a press conference on Wednesday. 17.8% said they feel “more than positively” about the movement, 10% - ‘more than negatively’, 10.5% “absolutely negatively”; 13.6% found it difficult to answer the question.ArkaAm
Civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan
People demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation again blocked streets in Yerevan on May 15.PanArmenian
The Baku court has extended the terms of detention of Artsakh officials for five months
Former presidents Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Babayan and Davit Ishkhanyan are speaking. The detention period of the former President of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasyan was also extended by five months. 23 Armenian servicemen and civilians were arrested in September 2023, after a one-day war against Artsakh.CivilNet
Political consultations held between foreign ministries of Armenia, Georgia
The Republic of Armenia and Georgia held a round of political consultations in Tbilisi on May 13-14. It is noted that the participants of the meeting reviewed the existing relations between the two countries.Armenpress, Political consultations held between Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Georgia
Education reforms, institutional development, peace agenda implementation: PM delivers speech at EBRD annual meeting
Nikol Pashinyan attended the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the Republic of Armenia. Armenia's economy has grown by almost 30 percent since the People's Nonviolent Velvet Revolution of 2018.Armenpress, Prime Minister highly values the partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Armenian PM and EBRD President discuss joint projects and perspectives, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million Euros in Armenia in 2024, EBRD and InecoBank bolster science innovation hub in Yerevan
Border delimitation between Armenia, Azerbaijan should become a key tool for learning peaceful coexistence - PM
Armenia and Azerbaijan lack experience and knowledge of peaceful co-existence, says Prime Minister. Pashinyan: "What you don't know brings uncertainties, concerns, tensions, which you understandably formulate and perceive based on your experience"Armenpress, Moscow welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan foreign ministers' negotiations in Almaty, Demarcation should become one of the tools that will teach Armenia and Azerbaijan to live peacefully – PM Pashinyan
PM Pashinyan sends congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Serbia
Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Miloš Vučević on occasion of his election to the post of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia. The message reads as follows: "Armenia values friendly relations with Serbia based on mutual respect and trust"Armenpress
Armenia and EBRD sign €236 million agreement for Sisian-Kajaran road construction
The EBRD signed a loan agreement worth €236 million for the construction of the 24.2 km southern section of the Sisian-Kajaran North-South Road. The project is a strategic priority for Armenia, ensuring its connectivity and access to Europe and beyond.Armenpress, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million Euros in Armenia in 2024, EBRD grants Armenia 12 million euros for the construction of a logistics center in Syunik, EBRD funds largest road project in Armenia
Armenia and France expand cooperation in civil aviation sector
Meeting was held between the Director General, Mihran Khachatryan, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to the Republic of Armenia, Olivier Decottignies. Issues of strengthening and expanding cooperation between Armenia and France in the field of civil aviation were discussed.Armenpress, French Development Agency to extend cooperation with Armenia’s government, Armenia, France extend partnership in civil aviation, Armenia and France are expanding cooperation in the field of civil aviation, Armenia, French Development Agency to expand cooperation
The delegation led by Tigran Avinyan leaves for Paris
The Yerevan delegation will visit Paris from May 15 to 19. They will meet with the president of the regional council of Île-de-France.Armenpress, Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19
Moscow sees the need to resume the work of the tripartite group on the issue of de-blockade
Moscow considers it necessary to resume work of tripartite working group co-chaired by deputy prime ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on blockade issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said about it in an interview with the News.ru website: "We do not use the term Zangezur Corridor, but in favor of the complete unblocking of economic and transport communications in the South Caucasus. He also spoke about the role of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.CivilNet
Armenia is waiting for the decision to join the European Peace Foundation. Pashinyan
Pashinyan: We are waiting for the decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. The fund was established in 2021 to promote world peace, prevent conflicts and supply non-lethal weapons to countries in need. In mid-April, the media wrote that a preliminary agreement was reached in Brussels to provide 10 million euros to Armenia from this fund, but Hungary blocked the decision.CivilNet
Mirzoyan to take part in Council of Europe ministers’ Committee session in Strasbourg
Ararat Mirzoyan will travel to French city of Strasbourg for a working visit on 16-17 May. He will take part in the 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers, devoted to the celebration of 75 years since the foundation of the Council of Europe.ArkaAm, Armenian FM to participate in the session of CoE Committee of Ministers
High-Tech Minister: Armenia considers creating investment fund
Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan discussed a potential creation of an investment fund in the country with Noubar Afeyan, the founder of venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering. Fund is expected to improve cooperation between Armenian authorities and the private sector.ArkaAm
Armenia's policy is to diversify its foreign relations - Pashinyan
Armenia's policy is to diversify its foreign relations in all areas, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at Copenhagen Democracy Summit. "We are happy about the deployment of the EU Civilian Monitoring Mission on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said. The prime minister said that the EU decision on Armenia's inclusion in the European Peace Facility is now awaited.ArkaAm
Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity”
The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said.PanArmenian
Uruguay Chamber of Representatives votes to submit draft law on the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day to executive branch
Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay on May 14 unanimously passed the draft law declaring April 24 as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day in Uruguay, 74 votes in favor by the 74 MPs present. After the executive's approval within 10 days, the law will come into force immediately, the Armenian Embassy in Uruguay said in a post on Facebook.Armenpress, Uruguay House of Representatives approves billdeclaring April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Slovak PM in ‘life-threatening condition’ after being shot
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after he was shot multiple times following a government meeting. Fico's condition is life-threatening and he’s being flown by helicopter to hospital for emergency treatment.Armenpress, Slovak PM Fico in hospital after being shot, Violence has no place in politics: Armenian PM wishes speedy recovery to Slovakia’s Robert Fico, Slovak PM in life-threatening condition after assassination attempt, Slovak PM Fico in hospital after being shot
Zelenskiy cancels visit to Spain and Portugal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a visit to Spain and Portugal, authorities said on Wednesday. CNN Portugal and other media reported it was because of renewed fighting in his country. Spain's King Felipe of Spain had been due to hold a reception and host a meal in his honour. He had also been expected to sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement.Armenpress
The Power of One Dram Sums up the Two-Year Program with Teach for Armenia
During November and December 2021, AMD 9,328,753 was transferred to the “Teach for Armenia” educational foundation. The amount gathered within the framework of “The Power of One Dram” initiative of IDBank and Idram. As a result, two schools of Aragatsotn Region have been conducting an education program based on change for two years.Armenpress, Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia
Blinken, guitar in hand, sings ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ in Kyiv bar
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plays guitar and sings Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" with a local band. Blinken assured Ukrainians they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way will make a "real difference" on the battlefield.Armenpress
Armenia’s ruling party frames anti-government protesters as ‘Russia-backed’ on social media: DEMOCRACY WATCH #4
A CivilNet investigation has found that the campaigns, mostly on Facebook, are generated by the country’s ruling party. Among the main targets is the leader of the protest movement Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Tavush Diocese. They circulate videos and photos suggesting his involvement in a “Russian plan to destabilize Armenia”CivilNet, Echoes of Déjà Vu: Reviving Resistance in Armenia, Archbishop Bagrat: This is our first victory
India and Iran have announced the launch of the Chabahar port development project
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U.S. warns Georgia not to side with Moscow against the west
Georgia has been warned by the U.S. not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow.PanArmenian
💵 Economy
EBRD predicts Armenia’s economy to grow by 6.2% in 2024
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects Armenia’s economy to grow by 6.2% in 2024 and 4,8% in 2025. The EBRD forecasted a 4.5% economic growth in 2024 for Armenia in its previous report, published in September 2023. The World Bank expects the Armenian economy to. grow by 5.5%, the IMF predicts 5% growth for the country's economy in 2024.ArkaAm
VTB (Armenia) expands opportunities for cross-border money transfers by phone number
Retail customers of VTB Bank (Armenia) can receive money transfers from Russia by phone number. Funds are credited instantly to the recipient's account or card in national currency. In 2023, the bank's retail customers received more than 94 thousand money transfers.ArkaAm, VTB-Armenia Bank has expanded the possibilities of international transfers by telephone
EBRD has significantly improved the forecast of the growth of the Armenian economy in 2024 to 6.2%
The EBRD predicts 6.2 percent economic growth in Armenia in 2024, and 4.8 percent in 2025. The World Bank expects that Armenia's economy will grow by 5.5 percent in 2024. The IMF predicts a 5 percent growth for the country's economy in 2024 and 2025.ArkaAm
Donations to Armenia:
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2024.05.15 22:24 DragonKnov Kunlun Sect's Weakest Disciple: Chapter 18
[📖First ⏮️Previous Next⏭️]
"Thank you, Sister Song, for your mercy. I apologize for my impulsiveness and arrogance," Qin Bai said humbly. He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed his head towards Song Jia.
Upon hearing Qin Bai's unexpected words of apology, one of his burlier underlings gasped loudly in shock, his eyes widening. "Brother Qin..." he muttered under his breath.
"No need to apologize. It was our fault for causing trouble," another wiry underling exclaimed tearfully, his voice cracking with emotion as he drew the attention of the rest of the surrounding disciples.
A young man with a mop of unruly brown hair pushed his way through the tightly packed crowd, concern furrowing his brow as he observed the doubt and skepticism on the faces of Qin Bai's underlings.
"It wasn't Brother Qin's fault," he spoke up firmly, his words cutting through the murmurs like a blade.
All eyes turned towards him as the courtyard fell into an uneasy silence broken only by the faint rustling of the willows in the warm breeze. "We were the ones who harassed Sister Song. Brother Qin tried to stop us, but we didn't listen. Please, don't blame our Brother for our mistakes."
Some of the disciples who had witnessed the earlier confrontation were about to protest vehemently, their mouths opening to object, but their voices were drowned out by a rising swell of murmuring whispers and incredulous mutters.
"So it wasn't Qin Bai who harassed Sister Song?"
"What a kind-hearted person! Qin Bai truly possesses the noble spirit of a warrior, even willing to shield his misguided brothers from the consequences of their errors!"
The majority of the late-arriving male disciples, unaware of the deception and lies surrounding the incident, were moved by this apparent show of brotherhood and loyalty, causing the female disciples to clench their jaws in frustration, exchanging exasperated looks and rolling their eyes.
"What's wrong with them...disgusting!" A petite girl with fiery brown hair tied back in a long braid spat out through gritted teeth.
"You think it's acceptable to bully and harass women just because you perceive them as weak?!" Another young woman wearing a sleeveless white robe called out harshly, her voice dripping with scorn as the sunlight glinted off her toned arms.
"Sister Song, please tell them the truth! Don't let them twist the facts!" Cries imploring Song Jia to speak up rang out as disapproving comments and displeased looks were directed at the males vehemently defending Qin Bai's underlings one after another.
Song Jia's lips pressed into a tense line as her focus shifted towards Qin Bai, who still had his head respectfully bowed, his expression unreadable.
If he had spoken out in agreement, it would have surely validated the false accusations against him. However, his loyal underlings spoke as if they themselves were guilty, deliberately complicating the situation.
Qin Bai's words and sincere tone seemed to suggest that nothing untoward had happened from his perspective, causing both Song Jia and the stern-faced Lian Rougang to narrow their eyes suspiciously at him, wondering about his true intentions.
Meanwhile, Lian Rougang shook her head slowly and massaged her temples with her fingers, exhaling a weary sigh. "Sigh...whatever, if you insist, then take responsibility," she muttered under her breath.
Her piercing gaze bored into the eyes of Qin Bai's uneasy underlings, who flinched visibly. She snorted derisively before shifting her penetrating stare towards Qin Bai, who remained utterly still with his head bowed in a posture of contrition.
The salty tang of sweat and tension hung thick in the warm air as Lian Rougang broke the heavy silence. "As members of our esteemed sect, we should not hold deep grudges against one another. We are essentially a family, united by our bond, so..." Her words trailed off as she glanced sidelong at Song Jia from the corner of her eye.
Their eyes met briefly, and although mistrust still flickered behind Song Jia's guarded expression, she gave a reluctant nod, grudgingly accepting Qin Bai's apologies for the sake of harmony within the sect.
Once she accepted, Qin Bai cupped his hands and bowed his head again, this time not towards Song Jia, but towards the stern-faced Lian Rougang.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Lian, for overseeing this meaningless battle," he expressed his gratitude, his deep voice sincere.
In response, Lian Rougang waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, implying that it was not a significant matter. As the gathered disciples surrounded them, observing Qin Bai's second apology with a mix of emotions, the central figure of Wu Gao finally arrived onto the scene.
"Huh? What's going on here?" Wu Gao, dressed in the same austere martial robes as Lian Rougang, strode into the outer disciple courtyard. He found all the Outer Disciples ringed around the center in a loose circle, as if giving a wide berth to something distasteful.
"Greetings, Martial Brother Wu," Lian Rougang called out immediately upon noticing the arrival of Wu Gao, her clear voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Ah, Martial Sister Lian, greetings," Wu Gao responded with a slightly startled blink, recovering quickly to return the courtesy with a polite nod as his observant gaze swept over the gathered disciples ringed around the courtyard.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Wu," the remaining Outer Disciples chorused in respectful unison, following Lian Rougang's prompt. Her posture straightened as she proceeded to recount a brief explanation of the confrontation that had just transpired.
Wu Gao listened with an increasingly widening smile, nodding repeatedly in understanding. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he caught sight of Song Jia standing tall with chin raised confidently.
He then shifted his evaluating gaze towards Qin Bai, noting the absence of any lingering resentment or hostility in the young man's clear, guileless eyes.
"Ah, that's good, good. Both of you have done well in resolving the matter," Wu Gao declared heartily, his rich baritone voice carrying easily across the courtyard.
"But unfortunately, I missed this exciting battle. No matter, let us now prepare for the morning exercise!"
"Please wait, Senior Brother Wu!" However, just as the disciples began to disperse and take their positions, Qin Bai's sudden shout caused Wu Gao's bushy brows to furrow in surprise.
Even Lian Rougang, who had already started to fade back into the background, eager to observe the coming exercises, paused and turned her sharp gaze back towards Qin Bai with renewed interest.
A heavy, expectant silence fell over the courtyard once more as all eyes focused intently on the young disciple. The warm morning breeze carried the faint fragrance of willow blossoms, teasing strands of hair across flushed cheeks.
"Speak, Junior Brother," Wu Gao urged after a prolonged moment, his deep voice resonant.
...
As the gathered disciples leaned in with rapt attention, Ji Wuye, who had been watching the proceedings with a carefully impassive expression from within the crowd, allowed the barest flicker of a sneer to crease his thin lips in secret.
‘So this is what you're truly aiming for? You think you can regain your tarnished reputation and take it out on me in the process?’
The disdainful thoughts flickered through his mind like a fleeting shadow as he noticed Qin Bai's brief sidelong glance in his direction. Their eyes met for the briefest of instants, but Ji Wuye did not flinch or waver, holding the other's gaze with a practiced insouciance.
"I would like to request another official sparring session with Brother Ji," Qin Bai proclaimed boldly, his resonant words instantly capturing the rapt attention of every disciple present.
A surprised murmur rippled through the ranks as heads swiveled towards the object of this unexpected challenge.
Qin Bai's lips curved into a thin, enigmatic smile as he continued, "Isn't that right, Brother Ji? We did make an agreement, after all."
Instead of immediately responding, Ji Wuye's cold eyes scanned the surrounding sea of faces with a calculating weighing gaze.
It was only then that he noticed the unmistakable figure of an Elder observing the unfolding scene from a vantage point on the higher ground near the stairs leading into the central courtyard.
Ji Wuye's sneer deepened minutely as his gaze flickered towards the watching Elder. ‘He's also watching this unfold...’ he muttered under his breath, so low as to be inaudible to those around him.
Unlike many other sects, the prestigious Kunlun Sect was renowned throughout the entire jianghu. Their name and reputation preceded them far and wide.
As such, during the periodic registration periods when they opened their doors to potential new disciples, numerous talented youths would flock from all corners in hopes of being accepted into the hallowed ranks.
However, with the sect's facilities and resources being ultimately limited, they simply could not accept every applicant who showed promise.
To maintain standards and cull the weaker chaff, there was a stringent system in place to expel any Outer Disciples who proved untalented or lacking the required aptitude over time.
In addition to pruning their own rosters, Kunlun, much like the Wudang Sect, also had a certain prestigious reputation to uphold in the Jianghu.
What if word spread that their Outer Disciples were being routinely defeated and humiliated by lowly wandering thugs or ruffians?
Such demoralizing incidents would not only greatly tarnish Kunlun's prestigious name, but could also result in a marked decrease in the number of employment opportunities and mission requests extended to the sect from secular authorities and nobility across the lands.
This, in turn, would translate into a steep decline in their primary source of income and operating funds.
At its core, while internally a bastion of martial artists, a sect like Kunlun was also essentially a professional body of highly-skilled martial artist who earned their keep by rendering specialized protective services to those requiring their martial prowess.
As long as there existed Unorthodox Sects pursuing nefarious ends or Evil Cults wreaking havoc on the populace, there would always be a constant stream of defensive and security missions for Righteous Sects like Kunlun to be contracted.
It was an age-old dynamic, expressed in the simple Jianghu saying: The righteous protect, while the evil robs.
Unlike the Outer Disciple ranks, however, which were culled ruthlessly, every new officially accepted Inner Disciple was essentially guaranteed a permanent place within the sect's ranks by virtue of having demonstrated sufficient skill and talent to potentially handle the various matters and missions the sect was routinely contracted for externally.
It was the Outer Disciples who ultimately bore the brunt of winnowing - those unable to prove their worth were inevitably expelled to open up space and resources for the next crop of hopefuls.
And the sole reason why the openly underwhelming Ji Wuye had been allowed to remain and avoid expulsion thus far despite being widely acknowledged as the weakest disciple in his year...
Ji Wuye heaved an inward sigh as his thoughts turned towards the upcoming evaluation and testing period all Outer Disciples would undergo.
‘This time, it's either submit to being a political pawn in some arranged marriage alliance... or I need to seriously explore other options outside the sect.’
There were undoubtedly both pros and cons to possessing a naturally handsome visage, he knew from bitter experience. The fleetingly wry thought passed through his mind as his sharp eyes caught the subtle, meaningful looks the observing Elder was sending his way.
Indeed, in order to avoid the expelling, that particular Elder had been surreptitiously shielding and protecting Ji Wuye's continued presence within Kunlun's ranks all this time behind the scenes...
So at least, he should have shown some worth, even though he still intends to let the outcome remain the same as in the previous timeline.
[📖First ⏮️Previous Next⏭️]
submitted by DragonKnov to HFY [link] [comments]
"Thank you, Sister Song, for your mercy. I apologize for my impulsiveness and arrogance," Qin Bai said humbly. He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed his head towards Song Jia.
Upon hearing Qin Bai's unexpected words of apology, one of his burlier underlings gasped loudly in shock, his eyes widening. "Brother Qin..." he muttered under his breath.
"No need to apologize. It was our fault for causing trouble," another wiry underling exclaimed tearfully, his voice cracking with emotion as he drew the attention of the rest of the surrounding disciples.
A young man with a mop of unruly brown hair pushed his way through the tightly packed crowd, concern furrowing his brow as he observed the doubt and skepticism on the faces of Qin Bai's underlings.
"It wasn't Brother Qin's fault," he spoke up firmly, his words cutting through the murmurs like a blade.
All eyes turned towards him as the courtyard fell into an uneasy silence broken only by the faint rustling of the willows in the warm breeze. "We were the ones who harassed Sister Song. Brother Qin tried to stop us, but we didn't listen. Please, don't blame our Brother for our mistakes."
Some of the disciples who had witnessed the earlier confrontation were about to protest vehemently, their mouths opening to object, but their voices were drowned out by a rising swell of murmuring whispers and incredulous mutters.
"So it wasn't Qin Bai who harassed Sister Song?"
"What a kind-hearted person! Qin Bai truly possesses the noble spirit of a warrior, even willing to shield his misguided brothers from the consequences of their errors!"
The majority of the late-arriving male disciples, unaware of the deception and lies surrounding the incident, were moved by this apparent show of brotherhood and loyalty, causing the female disciples to clench their jaws in frustration, exchanging exasperated looks and rolling their eyes.
"What's wrong with them...disgusting!" A petite girl with fiery brown hair tied back in a long braid spat out through gritted teeth.
"You think it's acceptable to bully and harass women just because you perceive them as weak?!" Another young woman wearing a sleeveless white robe called out harshly, her voice dripping with scorn as the sunlight glinted off her toned arms.
"Sister Song, please tell them the truth! Don't let them twist the facts!" Cries imploring Song Jia to speak up rang out as disapproving comments and displeased looks were directed at the males vehemently defending Qin Bai's underlings one after another.
Song Jia's lips pressed into a tense line as her focus shifted towards Qin Bai, who still had his head respectfully bowed, his expression unreadable.
If he had spoken out in agreement, it would have surely validated the false accusations against him. However, his loyal underlings spoke as if they themselves were guilty, deliberately complicating the situation.
Qin Bai's words and sincere tone seemed to suggest that nothing untoward had happened from his perspective, causing both Song Jia and the stern-faced Lian Rougang to narrow their eyes suspiciously at him, wondering about his true intentions.
Meanwhile, Lian Rougang shook her head slowly and massaged her temples with her fingers, exhaling a weary sigh. "Sigh...whatever, if you insist, then take responsibility," she muttered under her breath.
Her piercing gaze bored into the eyes of Qin Bai's uneasy underlings, who flinched visibly. She snorted derisively before shifting her penetrating stare towards Qin Bai, who remained utterly still with his head bowed in a posture of contrition.
The salty tang of sweat and tension hung thick in the warm air as Lian Rougang broke the heavy silence. "As members of our esteemed sect, we should not hold deep grudges against one another. We are essentially a family, united by our bond, so..." Her words trailed off as she glanced sidelong at Song Jia from the corner of her eye.
Their eyes met briefly, and although mistrust still flickered behind Song Jia's guarded expression, she gave a reluctant nod, grudgingly accepting Qin Bai's apologies for the sake of harmony within the sect.
Once she accepted, Qin Bai cupped his hands and bowed his head again, this time not towards Song Jia, but towards the stern-faced Lian Rougang.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Lian, for overseeing this meaningless battle," he expressed his gratitude, his deep voice sincere.
In response, Lian Rougang waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, implying that it was not a significant matter. As the gathered disciples surrounded them, observing Qin Bai's second apology with a mix of emotions, the central figure of Wu Gao finally arrived onto the scene.
"Huh? What's going on here?" Wu Gao, dressed in the same austere martial robes as Lian Rougang, strode into the outer disciple courtyard. He found all the Outer Disciples ringed around the center in a loose circle, as if giving a wide berth to something distasteful.
"Greetings, Martial Brother Wu," Lian Rougang called out immediately upon noticing the arrival of Wu Gao, her clear voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Ah, Martial Sister Lian, greetings," Wu Gao responded with a slightly startled blink, recovering quickly to return the courtesy with a polite nod as his observant gaze swept over the gathered disciples ringed around the courtyard.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Wu," the remaining Outer Disciples chorused in respectful unison, following Lian Rougang's prompt. Her posture straightened as she proceeded to recount a brief explanation of the confrontation that had just transpired.
Wu Gao listened with an increasingly widening smile, nodding repeatedly in understanding. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he caught sight of Song Jia standing tall with chin raised confidently.
He then shifted his evaluating gaze towards Qin Bai, noting the absence of any lingering resentment or hostility in the young man's clear, guileless eyes.
"Ah, that's good, good. Both of you have done well in resolving the matter," Wu Gao declared heartily, his rich baritone voice carrying easily across the courtyard.
"But unfortunately, I missed this exciting battle. No matter, let us now prepare for the morning exercise!"
"Please wait, Senior Brother Wu!" However, just as the disciples began to disperse and take their positions, Qin Bai's sudden shout caused Wu Gao's bushy brows to furrow in surprise.
Even Lian Rougang, who had already started to fade back into the background, eager to observe the coming exercises, paused and turned her sharp gaze back towards Qin Bai with renewed interest.
A heavy, expectant silence fell over the courtyard once more as all eyes focused intently on the young disciple. The warm morning breeze carried the faint fragrance of willow blossoms, teasing strands of hair across flushed cheeks.
"Speak, Junior Brother," Wu Gao urged after a prolonged moment, his deep voice resonant.
...
As the gathered disciples leaned in with rapt attention, Ji Wuye, who had been watching the proceedings with a carefully impassive expression from within the crowd, allowed the barest flicker of a sneer to crease his thin lips in secret.
‘So this is what you're truly aiming for? You think you can regain your tarnished reputation and take it out on me in the process?’
The disdainful thoughts flickered through his mind like a fleeting shadow as he noticed Qin Bai's brief sidelong glance in his direction. Their eyes met for the briefest of instants, but Ji Wuye did not flinch or waver, holding the other's gaze with a practiced insouciance.
"I would like to request another official sparring session with Brother Ji," Qin Bai proclaimed boldly, his resonant words instantly capturing the rapt attention of every disciple present.
A surprised murmur rippled through the ranks as heads swiveled towards the object of this unexpected challenge.
Qin Bai's lips curved into a thin, enigmatic smile as he continued, "Isn't that right, Brother Ji? We did make an agreement, after all."
Instead of immediately responding, Ji Wuye's cold eyes scanned the surrounding sea of faces with a calculating weighing gaze.
It was only then that he noticed the unmistakable figure of an Elder observing the unfolding scene from a vantage point on the higher ground near the stairs leading into the central courtyard.
Ji Wuye's sneer deepened minutely as his gaze flickered towards the watching Elder. ‘He's also watching this unfold...’ he muttered under his breath, so low as to be inaudible to those around him.
Unlike many other sects, the prestigious Kunlun Sect was renowned throughout the entire jianghu. Their name and reputation preceded them far and wide.
As such, during the periodic registration periods when they opened their doors to potential new disciples, numerous talented youths would flock from all corners in hopes of being accepted into the hallowed ranks.
However, with the sect's facilities and resources being ultimately limited, they simply could not accept every applicant who showed promise.
To maintain standards and cull the weaker chaff, there was a stringent system in place to expel any Outer Disciples who proved untalented or lacking the required aptitude over time.
In addition to pruning their own rosters, Kunlun, much like the Wudang Sect, also had a certain prestigious reputation to uphold in the Jianghu.
What if word spread that their Outer Disciples were being routinely defeated and humiliated by lowly wandering thugs or ruffians?
Such demoralizing incidents would not only greatly tarnish Kunlun's prestigious name, but could also result in a marked decrease in the number of employment opportunities and mission requests extended to the sect from secular authorities and nobility across the lands.
This, in turn, would translate into a steep decline in their primary source of income and operating funds.
At its core, while internally a bastion of martial artists, a sect like Kunlun was also essentially a professional body of highly-skilled martial artist who earned their keep by rendering specialized protective services to those requiring their martial prowess.
As long as there existed Unorthodox Sects pursuing nefarious ends or Evil Cults wreaking havoc on the populace, there would always be a constant stream of defensive and security missions for Righteous Sects like Kunlun to be contracted.
It was an age-old dynamic, expressed in the simple Jianghu saying: The righteous protect, while the evil robs.
Unlike the Outer Disciple ranks, however, which were culled ruthlessly, every new officially accepted Inner Disciple was essentially guaranteed a permanent place within the sect's ranks by virtue of having demonstrated sufficient skill and talent to potentially handle the various matters and missions the sect was routinely contracted for externally.
It was the Outer Disciples who ultimately bore the brunt of winnowing - those unable to prove their worth were inevitably expelled to open up space and resources for the next crop of hopefuls.
And the sole reason why the openly underwhelming Ji Wuye had been allowed to remain and avoid expulsion thus far despite being widely acknowledged as the weakest disciple in his year...
Ji Wuye heaved an inward sigh as his thoughts turned towards the upcoming evaluation and testing period all Outer Disciples would undergo.
‘This time, it's either submit to being a political pawn in some arranged marriage alliance... or I need to seriously explore other options outside the sect.’
There were undoubtedly both pros and cons to possessing a naturally handsome visage, he knew from bitter experience. The fleetingly wry thought passed through his mind as his sharp eyes caught the subtle, meaningful looks the observing Elder was sending his way.
Indeed, in order to avoid the expelling, that particular Elder had been surreptitiously shielding and protecting Ji Wuye's continued presence within Kunlun's ranks all this time behind the scenes...
So at least, he should have shown some worth, even though he still intends to let the outcome remain the same as in the previous timeline.
[📖First ⏮️Previous Next⏭️]
2024.05.15 22:23 OBPR The Time I Quite Working for Others...Mentally
I see a lot of posts here from people who hate the profession, want to get out of it, and they use language that I don't completely buy into like "toxic workplace" and "anxiety." My attitude about my work life ever since I was a busboy at 16 was three things: 1) Suck it up. 2) If you don't like it, leave. 3) Don't be a whiner and complainer.
I know there are many, many people on here who will reject my way of thinking already, but hang in there.
I did experience the worst of the worst work environments and bosses. Screamers, liars, cheats (both financially and maritally), alcoholics. I got my share of calls on vacation, and more often than not in my agency days, I was conditioned to going into the office after a vacation and getting looks like, "How dare you!" And then of course routinely being called into my one boss's office and being lectured on all that went wrong when I was out, and somehow it was my fault. Same boss liked to spring new urgent projects on a few of us at 4:45 p.m. weekly, which meant another late night. And did I say he took credit for a lot of my work and my thinking and got promotions?
I've gone through those Sunday nights dreading the coming week, and those periods where any time a boss or a client wanted a meeting, I thought I was going to be fired. I have been totally burned out and fried. And yes, there were a few times things did go wrong and I had no one else to blame. It was my fault and I paid for it to a certain extent.
I was passed over for promotions and raises from coworkers who were sleeping with the boss or the client. And I've been blamed by some coworkers for things I did not do.
Work wise, I've done a lot of things professionally, and there was a first time for each. That means I had to get used to not knowing what to do or having experience before I gained experience and learned what to do. No one held my hand (Or anyone else's hand where I worked with one exception. See preceding paragraph.)
Now here's a slight twist. All the things I just mentioned happened at places where I steadily got promoted, commendations and industry visibility. In other words, at the end of the day, even though all these things did happen to me, I refused to let them become excuses. I'm not telling you that you need to do that. I'm just telling you that if you think you have it tough, welcome to the party. And this is what worked for me.
It all begins and ends with an attitude adjustment. I can only control what I control. I'm OK with that. I accept those terms. The field can be brutal, unfair and merciless. Agencies will eat you up and spit you out. I accepted those terms...for a while. I sucked it up, I wasn't a whiner and complainer, and when I felt the need, I left, usually for something better...for a while.
The U.S. Army used to have an ad campaign using the theme, "An Army of One." The meaning behind that is that in the Army, you will be trained, skilled, equipped and supported as though you as an individual are an entire army.
I adopted that mindset. I decided that while my paycheck came from someone else, I wasn't working for *them.* I was working for myself. I was my own one-person agency, even when I worked corporate. And sooner or later I would work for myself. I'd start my own business and make my own destiny.
After I came to that epiphany, so much of the stress went away and it was replaced by focus and determination. I had a goal and all of the things I mentioned above were merely obstacles I would have to overcome along the way. White noise in my day. I didn't care what other people thought about me or expected from me after that. I knew how to get results and all that came with it, and I did. Nothing else in my life had changed, but my mindset, and it was liberating.
So, my advice to anyone who's made it this far in this post is this. Quit focusing on your own anxiety. That’s a useless emotion and you have more control over it than you think. Look outward. Focus less on analyzing why you feel miserable. Don't waste energy whining and complaining. That's how people distract themselves from actually solving their own problems. Learn how to deal with what you have to do without having to turn to others for support. Find the strength within you. It is there, but chances are you're not looking there for strength. You're outsourcing it to others, and that's a mistake. You can only control what you can control. But you can take control. That is up to you.
submitted by OBPR to PublicRelations [link] [comments]
I know there are many, many people on here who will reject my way of thinking already, but hang in there.
I did experience the worst of the worst work environments and bosses. Screamers, liars, cheats (both financially and maritally), alcoholics. I got my share of calls on vacation, and more often than not in my agency days, I was conditioned to going into the office after a vacation and getting looks like, "How dare you!" And then of course routinely being called into my one boss's office and being lectured on all that went wrong when I was out, and somehow it was my fault. Same boss liked to spring new urgent projects on a few of us at 4:45 p.m. weekly, which meant another late night. And did I say he took credit for a lot of my work and my thinking and got promotions?
I've gone through those Sunday nights dreading the coming week, and those periods where any time a boss or a client wanted a meeting, I thought I was going to be fired. I have been totally burned out and fried. And yes, there were a few times things did go wrong and I had no one else to blame. It was my fault and I paid for it to a certain extent.
I was passed over for promotions and raises from coworkers who were sleeping with the boss or the client. And I've been blamed by some coworkers for things I did not do.
Work wise, I've done a lot of things professionally, and there was a first time for each. That means I had to get used to not knowing what to do or having experience before I gained experience and learned what to do. No one held my hand (Or anyone else's hand where I worked with one exception. See preceding paragraph.)
Now here's a slight twist. All the things I just mentioned happened at places where I steadily got promoted, commendations and industry visibility. In other words, at the end of the day, even though all these things did happen to me, I refused to let them become excuses. I'm not telling you that you need to do that. I'm just telling you that if you think you have it tough, welcome to the party. And this is what worked for me.
It all begins and ends with an attitude adjustment. I can only control what I control. I'm OK with that. I accept those terms. The field can be brutal, unfair and merciless. Agencies will eat you up and spit you out. I accepted those terms...for a while. I sucked it up, I wasn't a whiner and complainer, and when I felt the need, I left, usually for something better...for a while.
The U.S. Army used to have an ad campaign using the theme, "An Army of One." The meaning behind that is that in the Army, you will be trained, skilled, equipped and supported as though you as an individual are an entire army.
I adopted that mindset. I decided that while my paycheck came from someone else, I wasn't working for *them.* I was working for myself. I was my own one-person agency, even when I worked corporate. And sooner or later I would work for myself. I'd start my own business and make my own destiny.
After I came to that epiphany, so much of the stress went away and it was replaced by focus and determination. I had a goal and all of the things I mentioned above were merely obstacles I would have to overcome along the way. White noise in my day. I didn't care what other people thought about me or expected from me after that. I knew how to get results and all that came with it, and I did. Nothing else in my life had changed, but my mindset, and it was liberating.
So, my advice to anyone who's made it this far in this post is this. Quit focusing on your own anxiety. That’s a useless emotion and you have more control over it than you think. Look outward. Focus less on analyzing why you feel miserable. Don't waste energy whining and complaining. That's how people distract themselves from actually solving their own problems. Learn how to deal with what you have to do without having to turn to others for support. Find the strength within you. It is there, but chances are you're not looking there for strength. You're outsourcing it to others, and that's a mistake. You can only control what you can control. But you can take control. That is up to you.
2024.05.15 22:21 1111joey1111 Motorola: Stop with the unnecessarily large line of phones with needlessly complex and meaningless names.
In my mind this is the way Motorola names their unnecessarily large line of phones;
Motorola Edge 2024 UW Pro Neo 52 platinum edition 4 mark one
It has an upgraded camera from the...
Motorola Edge 2023 UW Gold Neo 51 platinum edition 3.2 zero flex
How can consumers even begin to notice or care about a Motorola phone when there are so many variations, mostly with pathetically meaningless names?
Whoever is in charge of product development should narrow the field to a few specific models and give them SIMPLE names and designations.
Also, maybe if they didn't have so many different models flooding the market they could put in an effort to support phones for a longer period with proper security updates?
submitted by 1111joey1111 to motorola [link] [comments]
Motorola Edge 2024 UW Pro Neo 52 platinum edition 4 mark one
It has an upgraded camera from the...
Motorola Edge 2023 UW Gold Neo 51 platinum edition 3.2 zero flex
How can consumers even begin to notice or care about a Motorola phone when there are so many variations, mostly with pathetically meaningless names?
Whoever is in charge of product development should narrow the field to a few specific models and give them SIMPLE names and designations.
Also, maybe if they didn't have so many different models flooding the market they could put in an effort to support phones for a longer period with proper security updates?
2024.05.15 22:20 Spaceman1965 1950s Science Fiction Podcast Newsletter on The Man Who Japed by PKD.
Subject: Step into the Future with a Classic: "The Man Who Japed" Review 🚀
Hey there, fellow sci-fi enthusiasts!
It's your guide through the galaxies of imagination, the host of your favorite 1950s science fiction podcast. I've just wrapped up one of our most exciting journeys yet—a deep dive into the mind-bending world of Philip K. Dick with my latest book review of "The Man Who Japed."
In this nearly 30-minute episode, one of our longest to date, I peel back the layers of this classic tale, exploring its themes, characters, and the curious ideas that Dick masterfully weaves into his narrative. It's a session packed with insights and musings that I'm eager for you to hear.
As we ventured through this episode, I also marked a personal milestone—recording with the crisp clarity of my new Blue Ball microphone. I'm hoping your ears are as thrilled as I am with the enhanced sound quality. Your thoughts are invaluable to me, so please, let me know if you've noticed the difference!
I'm already gearing up for our next episode, but until then, I'd love to hear from you. Drop a comment, send an email, or reach out on social media. Your feedback is the fuel that keeps our podcast rocket soaring.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest updates and use the comment section on your podcast platform to join the conversation.
Thank you for tuning in and for being a part of this interstellar community. Your support means the cosmos to me.
Stay curious and keep looking to the stars!
Edward German, Host of the 1950s Science Fiction Podcast
P.S. If you haven't listened to the latest episode yet, beam yourself over to our podcast and indulge in a session that's sure to jape your mind. 🌌
I hope this newsletter captures the essence of your podcast episode and entices your readers to tune in. If you need any further assistance or tweaks, feel free to let me know! https://vocal.media/futurism/the-1950s-science-fiction-podcast-s2-e3
submitted by Spaceman1965 to sci_fi_podcast_fans [link] [comments]
Hey there, fellow sci-fi enthusiasts!
It's your guide through the galaxies of imagination, the host of your favorite 1950s science fiction podcast. I've just wrapped up one of our most exciting journeys yet—a deep dive into the mind-bending world of Philip K. Dick with my latest book review of "The Man Who Japed."
In this nearly 30-minute episode, one of our longest to date, I peel back the layers of this classic tale, exploring its themes, characters, and the curious ideas that Dick masterfully weaves into his narrative. It's a session packed with insights and musings that I'm eager for you to hear.
As we ventured through this episode, I also marked a personal milestone—recording with the crisp clarity of my new Blue Ball microphone. I'm hoping your ears are as thrilled as I am with the enhanced sound quality. Your thoughts are invaluable to me, so please, let me know if you've noticed the difference!
I'm already gearing up for our next episode, but until then, I'd love to hear from you. Drop a comment, send an email, or reach out on social media. Your feedback is the fuel that keeps our podcast rocket soaring.
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest updates and use the comment section on your podcast platform to join the conversation.
Thank you for tuning in and for being a part of this interstellar community. Your support means the cosmos to me.
Stay curious and keep looking to the stars!
Edward German, Host of the 1950s Science Fiction Podcast
P.S. If you haven't listened to the latest episode yet, beam yourself over to our podcast and indulge in a session that's sure to jape your mind. 🌌
I hope this newsletter captures the essence of your podcast episode and entices your readers to tune in. If you need any further assistance or tweaks, feel free to let me know! https://vocal.media/futurism/the-1950s-science-fiction-podcast-s2-e3
2024.05.15 22:19 math_sci_geek ICSD Superintendent's contract
https://www.seethroughny.net/contracts/Ithaca_S_2024.pdf
I would like to point out 2 key things for people still thinking about board candidates (if anyone watched last nights board meeting and public comment period, it is clear that we don't have to worry anymore about the budget passing - it will not, the only question is whether it will be 60% voting against or 70%) from this contract. As a normal matter, he is entering the year by year portion of the contract. They have to tell him by June 30th if they are keeping him on for another year, with a certain notice period.
However, at the end of the contract, it also says that either side may terminate the agreement with 60 days notice. At any time when they determine that the arrangement is no longer working, either party can give 60 days notice. I can't think of a better reason than the NYSED downgrading of our schools (though technically no reason formally needs to be given).
So when you attend a meeting with candidates for the board, please ask them what they think of (a)the rate at which the budget should increase in future years, given that enrollment is slowly declining (there are just fewer kids than in the last decade) and (b)their position on keeping the superintendent, or hiring someone who can successfully downscale the size of administration and various frills and get back to a focus on the basics. We need to raise entering teacher salaries, ensure that teachers with 10+ years get COLAs with a good ramp of raises from year 1 to 10, while keeping under the tax cap every year for the next 5-10 years in my opinion. If enrollment declines enough, we may actually be able to reduce budgets.
As a side gripe, I think this contract was a sweetheart deal. I know of people in the private sector who get deals/terms like this, but they are usually in finance (eg banks, insurance companies, wall street) or corporate management (EVP or C-suite). It's way too rich for a local government non-profit position. With this precedent no wonder every other high level admin is also overpaid - it all scales from the top guy. And no wonder someone who gets a deal like this wants an empire of lackeys to run - they have to justify that salary.
submitted by math_sci_geek to ithaca [link] [comments]
I would like to point out 2 key things for people still thinking about board candidates (if anyone watched last nights board meeting and public comment period, it is clear that we don't have to worry anymore about the budget passing - it will not, the only question is whether it will be 60% voting against or 70%) from this contract. As a normal matter, he is entering the year by year portion of the contract. They have to tell him by June 30th if they are keeping him on for another year, with a certain notice period.
However, at the end of the contract, it also says that either side may terminate the agreement with 60 days notice. At any time when they determine that the arrangement is no longer working, either party can give 60 days notice. I can't think of a better reason than the NYSED downgrading of our schools (though technically no reason formally needs to be given).
So when you attend a meeting with candidates for the board, please ask them what they think of (a)the rate at which the budget should increase in future years, given that enrollment is slowly declining (there are just fewer kids than in the last decade) and (b)their position on keeping the superintendent, or hiring someone who can successfully downscale the size of administration and various frills and get back to a focus on the basics. We need to raise entering teacher salaries, ensure that teachers with 10+ years get COLAs with a good ramp of raises from year 1 to 10, while keeping under the tax cap every year for the next 5-10 years in my opinion. If enrollment declines enough, we may actually be able to reduce budgets.
As a side gripe, I think this contract was a sweetheart deal. I know of people in the private sector who get deals/terms like this, but they are usually in finance (eg banks, insurance companies, wall street) or corporate management (EVP or C-suite). It's way too rich for a local government non-profit position. With this precedent no wonder every other high level admin is also overpaid - it all scales from the top guy. And no wonder someone who gets a deal like this wants an empire of lackeys to run - they have to justify that salary.
2024.05.15 22:19 yurilnw123 Debuff stacking, Tavern Thrower, Spirit Guardian, CC Abomination (6 Eldritch Knight / 6 War Cleric) guide
Intro
This build revolves around Spirit Guardian and Nyrulna. A touch of SG or one thrown from Nyrulna inflicts 2-4 stacks of Reverberation and 2-4 stacks of Radiating Orb and 1-2 stacks of Dazed in an AOE. And you can do 3 throwns per turn!Furthermore, with Hat of Storm Scion's Power you gain tons of Spell Save DC for free! Spirit Guardian is now guaranteed to deal full damage. But that's not all, with 6 EK + 6 War Cleric you can get some nasty CC spells with absurdly high success chances.
I started this build just wanting to play a spirit guardian + radiating orb combo, which was already damn strong by itself. But I felt like I had nothing to do in the following turns after I cast Spirit Guardian other than running around tagging people with SG or casting Sacred Flame/Guiding Bolt. Then I found out about the Boots of Stormy Clamour works with SG. The build evolved to incorporate some Reverberation gears while taking out some Radiating Orb gear. In the end, I was only left with Luminous Armour as it builds stacks decently by itself alone. Sadly, I noticed that Gloves of Belligerent Skies does not work with spirit guardian, so I was left to find other ways to inflict Thunder, Lightning, or Radiant damage. That led me to Nyrulna which proc AOE Thunder damage every time it is thrown.
Stat distribution & Feats
Start with Fighter for CON save proficiency and Shield proficiency.Fighting style : Defence
17 STR, 14 DEX, 14 CON, 10 INT, 12 WIS, 8 CHA
At Fighter level 4 feat, take Tavern Brawler and go +1 STR.
At Fighter level 6 feat, take ASI and go +2 STR for 20 total STR.
At Cleric level 4 feat, take Alert. (We have rather low DEX and going first means inflicting tons of debuffs on enemies before they can act)
GeaItemization & Consumables
Weapon : Nyrulna; or Dwarven Thrower/Lightning Jabber in case of tight spaces.Shield : Ketheric's_Shield for Spell Save DC. But you can use whatever really.
Helmet : Hat of Storm Scion's Power; or Helmet_of_Arcane_Acuity if you find yourself using Dwarven ThroweLightning Jabber a lot, this also works with range weapon.
Chest : Luminous Armour; Alternatively, you can dump DEX to use Heavy Armor and use Luminous Gloves to stack Radiating Orb instead.
Gloves : Gloves of Belligerent Skies to apply Reverberating even with a melee attack; As mentioned above, you can opt this out and use Luminous Gloves to stack more Radiating Orb.
Boots : Boots of Stormy Clamour; No alternative.
Amulet : Amulet of Misty Step for mobility; BIS is actually Amulet of Greater Health which let you dump CON for DEX/WIS. But you won't get this until much later into Act 3 so it's kinda redundant.
Ring 1 : Callous Glow Ring; No alternative. This thing lets us inflict Radiant Damage with anything. Nyrulna also double dip from it when thrown (Throw hit + Explosion). It even works with thunder damage from Reverberation 5 stacks trigger, even in Honour Mode. Radiant Damage means Radiating Orb everywhere!
Note : This thing only works if the target is in the light. Be sure to toggle Nyrulna light on, or cast Light on your weapon of choice.
Ring 2 : Ring of Spiteful Thunder to inflict Dazed; Alternatively, you can use Ring of Absolute Force for +1 damage (This also works with Reverberation 5 stacks trigger)
Note : Ring of Spiteful Thunder proc Dazed with just 1 hit of thrown Nyrulna. This is because the thrown damage applies 2 Radiant damage = 2 Reverberation, then the Nyrulna explosion deals Thunder damage proccing Dazed. And again, the Thunder damage from Reverberation 5 stacks trigger can also inflict Dazed.
Consumables : You can choose to use or not use this. Personally I think the game becomes too easy if you use them.
Elixir of Bloodlust is forever OP.
Elixir of Peerless Focus for CON saving throw advantage.
Elixir of Vigilance if you want other feats rather than Alert.
Spells & Cantrips
Eldritch KnightCantrips : Minor Illusion, the other 2 can be whatever.
Note : You have low INT so the attack cantrips have low hit chance.
Spells : Shield, Longstrider, Disguise Self, Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Note : When leveling up you won't be able to choose these spells on the get go. Just choose whatever and then use 'Replace Spell' on the following level up.
Domain of War Cleric
Cantrips : Guidance, Resistance, Thaumatogy, Light
Prepared Spells : Command, Create or Destroy Water, Healing Word, Sanctuary, Hold Person, Glyph of Warding. (Spirit Guardian is always prepared for Domain of War)
Note : Tasha's hideous Laughter and Glyph of Warding Sleep can bypass most Legendary Resistance in Honour Mode as sleep and prone are not incapacitated statuses. This makes short work of many bosses.
Gameplay
If you know there are enemies ahead, you can use Minor Illusion to lure them together before combat.First round is usually throwing Nyrulna 3 times into Action Surge + Spirit Guardian then run at them, or cast a CC spell.
The following rounds just run around tagging everyone with Spirit Guardian. Create distance then throw Nyrulna. If there is someone you want to CC, use Command as it's not a concentration spell contradicting SG.