Part 14.3

Heracles VS Lernaean Hydra

Author Note: I was thinking about it and I really wish that GT9 used more draconic symbolism throughout the story when (or if) I revisit Team Crowley VS Rosencreutz I'll have symbolism of Aleister (TheBeast666), Aiwass (Codename: DRAGON) and Coronzon (The Dragon of the Abyss) all have symbology of them being Dragons preying on a God/Hero like CRC and the reversed conflict of Chaos VS Order you see in mythology, I also wanted to achieve something similar with Kakine Teitoku as he can represent the Fallen Angel and the Seraphim but for now I'll try adding draconian symbolism into Gunha VS CRC.
True Expert Christian Rosencreutz, with his golden rosy cross sword, clashed relentlessly against the indomitable force of the Strongest Gemstone, Sogiita Gunha. With each clash of their powers, the air crackled and compressed, and the pavement trembled beneath.
CRC, observed Sogiita with a mixture of intrigue and disdain. "You fight like the legendary Heracles," he remarked, his voice carrying over the din of battle. "But know this, I am the Lernaean Hydra, and no matter how many heads you sever, I shall always rise again!" Rosencreutz roared to slice the #7’s midsection.
Sogiita, his entire body wreathed in unknowable energy, met CRC's blade unyielding. "Bring it on, old man!" he retorted, his voice brimming with confidence. "I'll knock you down as many times as it takes! I won't stop till you come to your senses and remember your roots, like the roses you love so much, Rosencreutz!!"
Their clash intensified, that old man’s higher dimensional sword colliding with the raw power of that boy’s fists and kicks as they pushed each other to their limits with each sword swing, punch, kick and flash.
Sogiita unleashed a barrage of punches, each strike carrying the force of a meteor, while that silver young man countered: he wielded his sword in his right hand and released impacts followed by white light that was enough to previously take down all of The Bridge Builders Cabal.
As the battle raged on, the very fabric of reality seemed to warp and shift around them, bearing witness to the titanic struggle between two unparalleled forces.
The founder of Rosicrucianism who intimidated reality itself to obey his will and that Gemstone with an unstable personal reality that could change on a whim.
The atmosphere crackled with electrifying distortion.
Sogiita's fists tore through the air with the ferocity of meteors, their velocity enhanced by his ability to adapt and accelerate, surpassing even CRC's speed. As each blow was released, the friction with the surrounding air molecules ignited a scorching heat, intensifying the impact.
The rapid movement of molecules generated an escalating thermal energy, causing the air to seethe with increasing temperature. It was akin to a tempest of incandescent projectiles hurtling towards CRC, their speed surpassing the limits of human perception.
It was like a storm of brilliant fiery arrows was fired at Rosencreutz.
These blazing arrows of force were reminiscent of the elusive strikes employed by the Rose & Cross Leader, ignoring distance with deceptive agility.
With each thunderous punch, that bandana boy sought to overpower his adversary through sheer kinetic force, his unwavering resolve palpable in every motion.
But that wasn't enough for this superhuman.
CRC, wielding his cross sword with precision and skill, deflected each and every one Sogiita's flaming arrows with calculated strikes of his own. Each impact unleashed a burst of blinding white light, sending shockwaves rippling through the chaotic city.
"You think brute strength alone will defeat me?" the silver man taunted, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. "You may be strong, but strength without strategy is nothing but raw power wasted."
Sogiita grinned, his confidence unshaken. "Strategies for cowards who can't handle a real fight," he retorted, his voice ringing with defiance. "I'll K.O. you with my fists and guts alone!!!!"
Rosencreutz's eyes narrowed as he parried another of Sogiita's punches. "Your arrogance will be your downfall," he warned, his tone tinged with certainty. "I may not match your overall speed, but I have something you lack: intellect and precision.”
Christian Rosencreutz then plunged his cross sword into the ground.
"This is what harmed Kamijou Touma," he declared, grinning and unleashing a torrent of lethal invisible attacks from his outstretched palms.
However, the #7 countered with a relentless barrage of flaming arrows from the thermal aftershock of his punches.
Each strike akin to a particle accelerator in its intensity and speed. That Gemstone was the particles being fired on the right and that True Expert was the particles fired on the left.
As the attacks clashed, the battlefield became a spectacle of raw power and precision.
“Roar!” CRC held his open palm to his mouth and blew gently on the tip of the middle finger.
That was all it took for a blaze easily outdoing a flamethrower to rush out. And this was not just any fire. It fed on the power of a ley line and stole vitality from space itself. This overwhelming mass of light and heat was wielded for no other purpose than to take lives. Anyone who tried to survive it using simple composite armor or special fibers would dry up and burn away in less than a second.
But that wouldn't kill another superhuman would it?
Of course not.
“Aaaaarghhhh!!!!” screamed the #7.
Some assaults bypassed the fray entirely, slipping through the chaos like elusive particles in a collider.
A smokescreen.
Those brilliant fireworks from hell weren't meant to take Sogiita’s life. They were meant to disrupt the Gemstone's senses and sight so he couldn't counter all of that old man’s deadly attacks.
Invisible strikes found their mark on that Gemstone, and the searing arrows of the arrows scorched Rosencreutz.
CRC was wounded but he rejected to make any whimpers. Instead with a sudden burst of velocity, the young silver man picked up his cross sword from the ground and launched a flurry of strikes, cutting at the #7’s body with pinpoint accuracy.
His arms, his head, his face, his stomach, his legs, his midsection, his back.
Each blow landed with devastating force, causing Sogiita to stagger back under the onslaught.
If that bandana boy hadn't had his defenses and general stats raised by the #5 he’d be cut to pieces.
The #7 fell on his back.
"There's a fire," Sogiita declared, his voice ringing out amidst the chaos of battle.
With each attempt to break his spirit, Sogiita's resolve only grew stronger, fueling the flames of his determination. "Every time someone tries to make me give up, it's like wind feeding my flames, making them burn even brighter just like my punches," he explained, his words carrying the weight of his unwavering determination.
He refused to stay down.
With a roar of defiance, Sogiita surged forward once more, his movements blurring with speed as he disappeared from view. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Christian Rosencreutz, catching the magician off guard.
"Hey, old man," Sogiita taunted, his voice filled with confidence as he seized Rosencreutz from behind.
Christian Rosencreutz's eyes widened in surprise as he realized he had been outmaneuvered.
As Sogiita Gunha faced off against Christian Rosencreutz in their airborne duel, he felt the flames of determination burning within him, driving him forward with unstoppable force.
Before he could react, the boy lifted him effortlessly and slammed him onto the pavement below with a resounding thud.
"I'm not just a kick-boxer!!" Sogiita sang.
As the impact reverberated through the air, the young silver man let out a pained cry. The force of the collision compressed the surrounding air, heating it up until it crackled with energy. Christian Rosencreutz's head struck the ground with a velocity equivalent to mach 20, igniting his body in flames upon impact.
This move is called a suplex.
Struggling to regain his bearings, Rosencreutz muttered in a daze, "The House of the Holy Spirit...the seven walls..."
"You said it yourself, didn't you?" the gutsy boy retorted, cocky. "My power and my guts can break through your impenetrable walls. And I can spread those same guts to the world around me."
With a grimace, Christian Rosencreutz acknowledged the truth of the boy's words. "Your uncontrolled AIM field grants you the ability to imbue non-organic objects with the properties of your virus," he observed, his voice tinged with begrudging admiration. "Allowing them to bypass even the defenses of the seven-walled tomb.”
"A virus? Don't be so gutless, CRC," the #7 retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "This battleground ruled by wills is a two-way road between you and me."
Christian Rosencreutz raised an eyebrow at the boy's words. "Hey Gemstone, you could've killed me if I weren't a superhuman with an idealized body that accomplished The Great Work and crossed the Ungrund, what then short-stack?" he questioned while fitting an insult against his height.
Even without the seven-walled tomb or sheets of diamonds Rosencreutz was cartoonishly durable.
"Sorry, old man," Sogiita replied, his tone tinged with annoyance. "I might've gotten carried away, but I know it'll take more than that to kill you. No matter how many heads you regrow, like Hydra, I will not give up until I've completed all my labors."
"Mhm, so you do know your mythology," CRC remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "The Lernaean Hydra, or simply Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, known as an entrance to the Underworld. In the canonical myth, the monster is slain by Heracles as part of his Twelve Labors."
"Yeah, I know," Sogiita replied confidently. "I studied the tales of great gutsy heroes in school.”
"So, short-stack," Christian Rosencreutz began, his voice carrying a hint of scholarly interest. “Have you ever considered the parallels between our battle and ancient Near Eastern religions?”
Sogiita listened intently. "Are you saying you see yourself as a god of war or a hunter?" he inquired.
CRC chuckled softly. "In a sense, indeed. We are both assuming roles in this grand theater, are we not? I, the Hydra, and you, Heracles."
He continued, "Consider the Second Labor of Heracles. Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns, sent Heracles to slay the Hydra, which Hera had raised specifically to defeat him. Heracles approached the swamp near Lake Lerna, where the Hydra dwelled. To protect himself from the poisonous fumes, he covered his mouth and nose with a cloth and shot flaming arrows into the Hydra's lair, causing it to emerge and terrorize the surrounding villages."
CRC paused, drawing a comparison. “In our own clash, the flaming arrows that Heracles hurled at the Hydra find their echo in your lightning-fast fists, generating shockwaves that ignite the air with their speed and force. It's as though each strike of yours is akin to shooting a flaming arrow, much like Heracles did.”
“Huh? Are you suggesting we're caught in a time loop? That some enigmatic group, like the Bridge Builders Cabal, manipulated events to resurrect you, pitting us against each other in a timeless struggle? I've never met them, and I'm certainly no child of Zeus. Are you implying that our battle will be distorted into a Greek legend by a meddling time traveler?!” frantically asked the boy.
“No, no, you simpleton. This world contains synchronicities. In Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian mythology, the war and hunting god Ninurta was celebrated for his deeds. The Angim credited him with slaying eleven monsters during an expedition to the mountains, including a seven-headed serpent, possibly identical to the Mushmahhu, and Bashmu, whose constellation was later associated with the Hydra by the Greeks. In Babylonian contexts, the Hydra's constellation is also linked to Marduk's dragon, the Mushhushshu.”
“Uhhh….” That shounen boy was dumbfounded.
"Hhm, I suppose calling it a time loop isn't technically wrong," Christian Rosencreutz began, his tone measured. "I'll break it down from history class and reconstruct it through the lens of the occult. Historic recurrence, young Gemstone, is the phenomenon of events echoing throughout time. Whether it's the rise and fall of empires or the repetitive cycles within a single society, it's all part of this grand plan that was decided when Adam ate the forbidden fruit."
The #7 with his guard up but curious listened: "So, history just keeps repeating itself? Just a series of coincidences?"
Christian Rosencreutz shook his head sagely. "There is no such thing as coincidences. Take, for instance, the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, pondered upon by thinkers like Heinrich Heine and Friedrich Nietzsche. While it's said that 'history repeats itself,' it's not quite that simple. Rather, these recurrences stem from identifiable circumstances and chains of causality."
He continued, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of philosophical debate. "Consider the phenomenon of multiple independent discoveries in science or the reproducible findings in natural and social sciences. These recurrences, whether in the form of rigorous experimentation or comparative research, are vital to our understanding of the world."
Christian Rosencreutz paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "G.W. Trompf, in his seminal work, The Idea of Historical Recurrence in Western Thought, illustrates the recurring patterns of political thought and behavior since ancient times. Through these patterns, history offers us invaluable lessons, often leading to a sense of resonance or déjà vu."
Their words reverberated like a challenge to destiny itself, a testament to their unyielding determination in the face of adversity.
That Gemstone didn't surrender his characteristic fervor. "History echoing through time, huh? It's like the universe itself is stuck on repeat, and we're just caught in the cycle. But you know what? If history's gonna keep looping, then let's break the pattern! Let's smash through those chains of causality and forge our own path. Who cares about déjà vu? We'll create something entirely new, something that'll shake the very foundations of this world and we’ll do it with guts!!!" He defied that silver monster.
But Rosencreutz wasn't finished. He pulled out his Crystal World Map.
The supposedly old man listened intently to that boy's impassioned response, his expression inscrutable behind his clairvoyant card. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“Gemstone, you speak of breaking free from the chains of repetition, of forging a new destiny against the backdrop of eternal return. It is a noble aspiration, indeed. However, consider this: eternal return is not merely a philosophical concept or a whimsical notion of fate. It is the very fabric of existence, woven into the nature of time itself.” He pressed his finger on the Miniature Garden and a 3D holographic projection flew out—
“In ancient times, the Stoics grappled with the idea, seeing in it both a sense of cosmic order and a challenge to individual agency. Augustine and others recoiled from its implications, fearing it as a negation of free will and salvation. And yet, Nietzsche, in his brilliance, dared to confront the concept anew, exploring its depths in the crucible of human consciousness.”
Didn't Aleister Crowley say that he had to shatter every single phase in order to eliminate the concept of fate?
“I will shatter every last phase and put an end to all mysticism. It can be helped and we need not restrain our tears and bite our lip when faced with tragedy. I will bring back the pure world in which everyone can feel anger like normal and question it all like normal!!”
And didn't Coronzon appear to break down all the phases including the Pure World?
Partial destruction would be meaningless. If anything remains and an eternal distortion is born from that, then it will all happen again. I will eliminate the ten spheres, the twenty-two pathways, and the hidden eleventh symbol. Collisions between phases? Sparks and spray? You cannot save anyone if you only treat those symptoms. All of the fundamental clogs must be removed. All so we can pass the baton to whoever comes next.”
“Sparks and Sprays…” Rosencreutz muttered.
“Eh?” The #7 didn't quite hear him.
"Beside time stands fate, cruelty's steadfast herald. In the silent chambers of the soul, whispers the most profound wisdom. Humanity, in its folly, neglected to exalt life's splendor, its radiance, its grandeur. Truly, it is a rare gift to comprehend the forces that shape our existence.” That magician spoke in despair.
“From the moment man ate the fruit of knowledge, he guaranteed your species’ failure... Entrusting his future to the whims of fate, man clutches to a flickering hope. Yet, within the Miniature Garden lies the key to all revelation. Beyond the well-trodden path lies the ultimate terminus. It matters not who you are; Death is the sole certainty awaiting all.” he finished with scorn.
Shokuhou Misaki was currently linked to Sogiita Gunha so was overhearing the entire conversation.
“Are you okay, Leader?” asked Kamijou back at the hospital.
“Yeah…” she responded.
“Really?” Mikoto breathed a white sigh. “It wasn’t the shock of seeing their school destroyed. Nor was it the fear of having those rioters attack. …They’re afraid of their own power. And after learning how exactly to use that power to survive, they’re not sure they can just switch it off and return to their normal lives. So their gears have ground to a halt.” Tokiwadai Middle School was a prestigious esper development school.
The young ladies registered there were Level 3 at the lowest and Level 5 at the highest.
Almost all of the students had a power that surpassed that of a blade or handgun if used properly, but something had become twisted.
Yes.
“A lot of them weren’t really sure why they were training their powers.”
Shokuhou breathed a white breath, wrapped her own arms around herself, and rubbed her thighs together.
Why are you studying?
How many people could give a proper answer to that question? Because my parents told me to, because my teachers taught me to, because that’s how the world works. Those would be most people’s answers. Even the students with a clear vision of their future would only have something vague like “for the entrance exams” or “for my future”.
Only a small handful would have specific puzzle pieces in mind, such as “I need to learn how to use this equation so I can build a rocket”.
The young ladies of Tokiwadai Middle School were the same.
What if the very gears that humans have…their actions, reactions, inactions were all the result of some transcendental entity hovering above.
Like God or The Devil watching over humanity’s reality sphere and ordering around his system like everyone was a pre-programmed NPC that had specific events occur to them to get them to develop in the way that they did and determined their genetic bloodline that composed their psyche?
Is there truly a free will?
It was said that in order for you to break out of the system of society that the working class was stuck in you had to climb to the top where the corrupt elites resided.
Imagine Breaker negated sparks, Aleister Crowley could see through the veil thanks to Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass, Great Demon Coronzon could always see the cogs.
Christian Rosencreutz could view the entire world through his Miniature Garden.
The rest of humanity was at the mercy of their own destinies.
A Guardian Angel wouldn't arrive to save a parent’s child from fate every single time.
"Okay, nice poetry, can we get back to fighting already?" asked the #7 impatiently.
"Seems I got carried away," the old man conceded with a nod. "The synchronicities of this world, akin to the astral configurations in astrology, serve as an example of synchronicity, according to Jung. It describes circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection, much like the parallel relationship between celestial and terrestrial phenomena. Synchronicity experiences entail subjective encounters where coincidences between events in one's mind and the external world may lack a clear causal link but still harbor an unknown connection.”
"Ah," Sogiita chimed in, recalling his philosophy class discussions. "We talked about synchronicity back then. Jung thought it was a good thing for the mind, but said it could get dicey in psychosis. He cooked up this theory as a kind of mental link between those meaningful coincidences, calling it a noncausal principle. This term came about in the late 1920s, and then he teamed up with physicist Wolfgang Pauli to dive deeper. Their work, The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche, dropped in 1952. They were big on this idea that these connections, even the ones that don't seem to have a cause, could still teach us a lot about how our minds and the world work."
“Mhm, you know more than you lead on, Gemstone.” pondered CRC.
“Oh this? My teachers say I'm not good at remembering speeches hahaha…” The #7 looked slightly nervous. “You know, analytical psychologists really push for folks to get what these experiences mean to boost their awareness instead of just feeding into superstitions. But funny thing is, when clients spill about their synchronicity experiences, they often feel like no one's really hearing them out, or getting where they're coming from. And hey, having a bunch of these meaningful coincidences flying around can sometimes ring the schizo bell. Delusions aren't healthy.”
Where was this conversation going?
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a damn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out.”
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a darn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out. Unconscious material to be expressed."
Rosencreutz interjected, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and concern. "Aleister Crowley's actions have left a lasting scar on this world and this city," he began, his voice weighted with solemnity. “The vacuum-like dichotomy between magic and science created by the use of that colossal psychotronic weapon, has damaged this world's memory irreparably.”
Psychotronic weapon?
The Archetype Controller?
He paused, his gaze piercing as he continued, "Jung's exploration of synchronicity as evidence of the paranormal paved the way for further inquiry, notably by Koestler and the subsequent embrace of these ideas by the New Age movement.”
Sogiita shrugged, "Some folks say synchronicity is impossible to test or prove, so it gets labeled as pseudoscience. Jung even acknowledged that these synchronicity events are basically just coincidences, statistically speaking. But hey, who's to say what's really going on without some solid scientific studies, right?"
"Dubious as his experiments may have been," CRC interrupted, "Jung believed in a connection between synchronicity and the paranormal, drawing parallels to the uncertainty principle and works by parapsychologist Joseph B. Rhine.” CRC posed a thought-provoking question, "How are we to recognize acausal combinations of events, since it is obviously impossible to examine all chance happenings for their causality? The answer lies in the fact that acausal events are most readily expected where a causal connection appears inconceivable upon closer reflection. It's impossible, with our current resources, to explain ESP or meaningful coincidences as mere phenomena of energy. This challenges the very notion of cause and effect, as these events occur simultaneously rather than in a linear cause-and-effect manner. Hence, I have coined the term 'synchronicity' to describe this phenomenon, placing it on equal footing with causality as a principle of explanation."
Getting closer to that Gemstone, CRC emphasized, "Esper abilities cannot be fully understood with science alone. They defy traditional cause-and-effect explanations, instead representing a convergence of factors that create a quantum phenomenon affecting both the micro and macro. Why were there the naturally gifted and the naturally ungifted?”
Why did some students get praised for their abilities while others needed to work harder?
Others among them would have worked every hour of their free time and not progressed anywhere in this city’s leveling curriculum.
Why did this city present such an unfair and unpredictable status quo of potential?
Why did hard work barely matter in a city of empirical evidence to record any possible progress?
Sogiita Gunha wasn't a normal Level 5 but he wasn't always this powerful. He went through the curriculum same as everyone but if the outside conditions for his Gemstone ability to manifest didn't form in the exact way that it did, in such an acausal form then would he even be here to challenge Christian Rosencreutz right now?
Everything just happened to fall right into place.
All those puzzle pieces that would lead to this moment here and now.
Was it all just talent? God picking a fool as his champion?
The #7 leaned back, absorbing CRC's words with a thoughtful expression. "So, what you're saying is, there's this whole other layer to reality that we can't quite wrap our heads around," he summarized, nodding slowly. "I mean, it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands—slippery and elusive."
He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Historic recurrence, synchronicities, all these things—they're like pieces of a puzzle scattered across this substantial reality. And sometimes, they just... click into place, right? It's like the universe has its own plan, and we're just along for the ride."
That bandana wearing boy's gaze drifted, lost in thought. "You know, CRC, it's funny," he remarked, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Here we are, with all our powers and potential, but at the end of the day, we're still grappling with the same questions as everyone else. Talent, destiny, divine intervention—maybe they're all just different sides of the same coin."
He shrugged, the weight of the philosophical musings settling over the broken city. "Who knows? Maybe God does have a sense of humor, after all.” that boy chuckled.
There was a deep silence between them.
Rosencreutz’ response was swift and resolute, his tone filled with certainty. "All this ‘universe has a plan’ banter is just a distraction from the inevitable," he declared, his eyes narrowing. "We can debate the nature of us being all-powerful yet struggling with mortal issues until the sun burns out, but it won't change the fact that our fate was sealed upon the knowledge Adam learned."
“To think so many trivialities have developed while this old man wasn’t watching. Heh heh. Then I should assume the thread of fate has again begun to weave its strange connections between myself and some unknown human.”
He rose forward, his movements purposeful. "It's time to put an end to this dance of platitudes," CRC continued, his voice cold and unwavering. "We'll settle this the only way that somewhat matters—through objective action in this grand play."
“Silence, preserved doll. Illusionists are meant to remain silent. That is all we magicians are: wielders of substanceless illusions. Opening your mouth serves only to break the illusion.”
With a flicker of resolve in his eyes, he locked gazes with the #7. "I am Hydra, Gemstone," he said, his voice carrying a hint of challenge. "Our battle ends now.” CRC opened both his palms and began shooting at their surroundings, the buildings, the pavement, the apartments, the rubble.
It probably wasn't random as it seemed to create a pattern.
“Huh are you getting senile old man?” asked the young Gemstone.
“What fun. I never imagined someone would bother diligently polishing their skills this far while knowing it is all essentially an illusion. Didn’t you ever feel silly going to the effort?”
Rosencreutz dropped to all fours, his rosy cross sword gripped tightly in his right hand.
He moved—
“Arrgh!” Sogiita yelled amidst the relentless and precise and precise strikes from that golden cross. “Old man?” he asked.
That magician didn't say anything.
That silver man’s movements became more beastly.
Faster.
Stronger.
Fiercer.
Something new was beginning to manifest.
With each strike of his higher dimensional blade that old man’s blows seemed infused with an otherworldly energy.
The wounds inflicted by his weapon burned with a venomous intensity, sending searing pain coursing through Sogiita's body.
That boy grimaced as the poison from that silver man’s strikes surged through his being, each wound feeling like it was ablaze with venomous fire.
"Damn... That burns…like a killer hornet’s sting," he muttered through clenched teeth, his voice strained with effort. Gritting, he fought to maintain his focus, despite the agony threatening to overwhelm him.
Was this another application of The Four Stages? Citrinitas? No, there was nothing yellow here, it was more like a dirty purple.
But it wasn't just the physical damage that posed a threat.
As the Rosy Cross leader leaped on all fours his movements took on an almost erratic quality, he was bouncing from one building to another with an animalistic agility.
With each jump, a shockwave rippled through the air, carrying with it a palpable sense of dread.
Something was spreading.
The air around them seemed to thicken with a toxic miasma. The #7 struggled to breathe, the noxious fumes clouding his senses.
Like a chaotic monster’s venomous poison breath.
The once-clear air now felt thick and suffocating.
Gasping for breath, the bandana boy struggled to maintain his focus amidst the swirling chaos.
His vision blurred, his movements sluggish as he fought against the oppressive atmosphere.
Blinded that heroic boy could only fire a flame arrow without his sight.
His fists striking out with all the strength he could muster. Igniting in that poisonous compressed air.
It seemed to be flammable like a dragon’s breath.
???
At the hospital, Shokuhou's voice carried a mix of surprise and relief. “He caused real damage.” she exclaimed.
Kamijou turned his attention to her, intrigued. “What happened?”
“It's hard to see clearly, but it looks like the #7 managed to rip off CRC's left arm,” she explained. “Though, I'd say it was more of a lucky shot. I can read he acted on pure instinct.”
Kamijou nodded, a hint of melancholy in his tone. “Yeah... the psychic link and all.”
Had the #7 Level 5 given up on the old man?
Back on the battlefield, Sogiita cursed under his breath. “Dammit... Sorry, old man,” he muttered. “I was aiming to hit your whole body to maximize the surface area, maybe break a few bones as a casualty. We can probably get your arm reattached at the hospital. Heaven Canceller has enough guts to even fix me.”
It was clear—he hadn't given up.
It was an accidental strike of his arm.
“As each ghastly head was severed from its serpentine form, dreadfully, two more writhed forth from the abyss.” a cryptic voice amidst the chaos spoke.
Wasn't it said that the Hydra’s lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid.
Lerna was reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld.
The abyss.
The Ungrund.
There is no limit to the depth of the Alcyonian Lake, and I know of nobody who by any contrivance has been able to reach the bottom of it since not even Nero, who had ropes made several stades long and fastened them together, tying lead to them, and omitting nothing that might help his experiment, was able to discover any limit to its depth. This, too, I heard. The water of the lake is, to all appearance, calm and quiet but, although it is such to look at, every swimmer who ventures to cross it is dragged down, sucked into the depths, and swept away.
The keeper of the gate to the Underworld that lay in the waters of Lerna was the Hydra.
The serpentine Lake Monster.
“Rosencreutz……?” The #7 muttered.
That magician chuckled ominously. "Indeed, young Heracles," he intoned, his voice echoing with a bizarre resonance. “The Lernaean Hydra's curse is upon you now.” as he said that he ripped off a bit of his arm that was cuterarised and it began bleeding.
Anna Sprengel’s blood was said to create unknown miracles when spilled.
Christian Rosencreutz’ blood was so virulent that even its scent was deadly.
As Sogiita Gunha glanced at his severed arm lying on the ground, a creeping sense of horror enveloped him. "All fate is a curse and that curse," he murmured, his words barely audible over the din of battle, "extends even to my severed limb.”
Christian Rosencreutz’ left arm grew back.
No.
Two new arms grew in its place.
The arm was fully functioning with no defects.
Although one of the arms appeared somewhat scaly and lanky like a serpent.
It had human anatomy but something was abnormal here.
He almost looked like a spider as he emerged from the poisonous fog as he remained on all fours.
“So short-stack. Are you ready to complete your final labor: Crossing the abyss!!!” He challenged that boy with his cross sword facing him.
"Boss, what's up? You look kinda stuck," Kamijou asked, his tone concerned.
Two students were sitting together in the waiting room at a hospital.
"—abyss, Hydra, curse, synchronicities, Historic recurrence." she replied, her words carrying a weight of unease.
"Huh? What? Can you give me the lowdown?" Kamijou prodded, his urgency evident.
"Can't quite wrap my head around it. But what I can tell you is that after CRC started talking about these esoteric concepts, he leveled up his power ability, managed to seriously hurt the #7 despite me cranking up all his stats for the win condition," the honey-blonde girl explained, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Can you beam all that stuff into my head, like a memory download? You're a psychological esper, right? My right hand won't mess with it, and we've done the telepathy thing before," Kamijou suggested.
"Memory download's not quite it, but I can send you a recording," she clarified.
"Got it," Kamijou muttered as he absorbed the info.
"You got any ideas to help the #7’s situation ability, Kamijou-san? We're kinda desperate here," she asked.
"I wish Index was still here, dammit.” he lamented, “But you know about magic, right?" he queried.
"Yeah, people converting their delusions into reality right?," she admitted.
"Well, magic's not just about delusions; it can be tied up to the whole world. Not sure if it's relevant, but based on Idol Theory, Rosencreutz might be pulling in 'energy’ from the Greek 'phase’ of Heracles for an edge," Kamijou theorized.
"Like a chessboard flip?" Shokuhou Misaki inquired, her brow furrowed with concern.
"No, more like... imagine you're playing checkers with a buddy, and you're totally crushing it because you're a checkers pro. Then suddenly, your buddy switches it up and challenges you to an arm wrestling match, and you lose because, well, arm wrestling isn't your forte," Kamijou Touma explained, trying to paint a vivid picture.
"So, by taking on the role of the Hydra from Greek myth, he's essentially forcing the #7 into the role of Heracles? But didn't Heracles defeat the Hydra?" Shokuhou sought clarification.
"Yeah, but..." Kamijou recalled the tale from the movies he'd seen. "Lichas gave Heracles a shirt soaked in the Hydra's poisonous blood from his arrows, which ends up killing him by tearing his flesh down to the bone," he elaborated.
"It was actually Nessus seeking vengeance and tricking Deianira into giving it to Heracles as a gift, delivered by Lichas without disclosing the tunic's lethal bloodstained secret from the Lernaean Hydra, but you're right," Shokuhou corrected gently. "So, Rosencreutz is harnessing the power of that legend to slowly poison the #7 to death?"
"Not literal. I mean the poison is real but his slashes do significant harm now so it's more like shifting the paradigm in his favor shifting his position.” The spiky-haired boy wasn't in the mood to explain Phases, “Earlier, he mentioned Sogiita spreading his 'virus' throughout the world. A virus isn't a poison in the traditional sense, but the Rosicrucians originally sought to create a universal cure for all illnesses. Now, CRC is spreading a literal poison, positioning himself as the ultimate predator and his opponents as prey rather than his savior role, the paradigm has been shifted." Kamijou concluded, his voice tinged with gravity.
“So he’s changed the environment to get the win condition? The #7’s durability doesn't matter in the face of the world being forced to go about a certain way because of Rosencreutz stage play?” The girl asked.
“Yeah…if things keep going this way…Sogiita will….goddamnit….” The spiky haired boy swore. “I can't let someone else die after all that's happened but I feel like if I go out there I really will kill him…” he muttered that last bit while clenching his right fist that began shaking uncontrollably.
The girl’s eyes seemed confused. “What did you say?” The honey blonde middle schooler asked.
“Nothing, just mumbling to myself.” he spat out.
That boy and girl could never come to the right conclusion on their own without the aid of former Magic God Othinus by their side.
“Did you think I had challenged you with no hope of succeeding, you cesspool? The magic born on earth is bound by the directions based on the earth’s magnetic field and by the density and composition of the air which is determined by air pressure which is in turn influenced by gravity. That is inevitable when you are focused on the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west or on the basic elements of fire, water, wind, and earth. But what you will find upon leaving the atmosphere is an unknown. Coronzon, are you sure there will be no malfunction in the magic giving you control of Avatar Lola? And before, my power was bound by the puny speck named earth which failed to become a black hole or even a sun, but once we enter outer space, just how far do you think that power will be released? I do not mind at all that I will lose the support of Academy City.”
Well the boy was half right.
“Let us test it out, you cuspidor. On one side, we have you using the planet and bound to an avatar. On the other, we have me exposed and freed from the planet. Now, who will be the star of this show?”
Christian Rosencreutz did not shoot at his surroundings for no reason.
The battlefield transformed into Rosencreutz's canvas, resembling the legendary battleground of Lerna where Heracles once clashed with the Hydra.
Yes.
He didn't unleash his powers randomly; every action was deliberate.
In the magical side of Idol Theory, mimicking an object, event, or person allowed one to tap into a fraction of its power.
And that even applied to locations that essentially worked as stage plays.
Idol Theory was so absolute that even the basic cross held a portion of the son of God’s power.
As Above, So Below.
As Below, So Above.
Macro to micro.
Micro to macro.
And the macrocosm and the microcosm are always linked.

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results ar inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41S

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results ar inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41S

Hi,
So i'll (31F) try to quickly describe my situation - also because i'm getting desperate at this point and i need to share what a bad year and a half i've had, and I really need some outside opinion if my expectations of my family and friends' support are normal.
What happened in last year and a half: a close family member died, I moved to a different city and back to my parents house which is for me also a lose of some independence, but the rents are too high and salaries too low to afford living on my own, i started a new job which i don't really like, but i need the money, a painful breakup with boyfriend, sister moved abroad, and the latest thing - i was diagnosed with cervical cancer (luckily the surgery was successful, but there are quite high chances for this kind of cancer to repeat and i feel like my time for having kids is suddenly supper limited and even the doctor told me i'd better hurry, because the best option for it to not reoccur of course is to remove your whole cervic and uterus. But i dont even have a partner yet). During this time i also cut contacts with some of my friends because i felt i always had to pretend everything is fine, i didn't feel they support me and some thing they did were straight up betrayal for me (like keeping close contact with my highfunctioning alcoholic ex, because "he is so much fun to go party with" - everyone is over 30yo - while distancing from me, because i was simply further away).
During this time i've been going to therapy, which is what probably kept me going, but otherwise i've felt super lonely and lacking support. Some people i consider close to me, made me question my ability to deal with difficulties and what kind of support i actually need, and wether i have too high expectations from people around me. Generaly when i try to open up and share what im going through to people, who i think i know for long enough to be somehow vulnerable with them, i get back the uncomfortable looks and they very rarely check up on me after. I usually have to be the one to again initiate the contact, or if they do contact me first it's to go out and have fun. Also my sister who is mostly supportive, would sometimes when she doesn't feel like it, tell me straight that she doesn't want to talk (but not in a nice way, maybe saying to talk some other time, but in a "f***off" tone, and also won't call me back later). I've been putting a lot of effort in trying to meet new people (new hobbies, even joined bumble bff) but it's super difficult where i live - people generally don't feel the need for new friends, so i've only had some luck with expacts who at least want to do some fun activities together.
I realize everyone has their own struggles in life and that they have enough things to deal with, so they can't always have the capacity to be supportive. But isn't the point of having people close to you - that you share happy moments but that you're also there for each other when it's difficult?
I'm careful to never talk only about myself, but i always ask about whats going on in peoples lives and if they need me, im there for them. Also if i share something difficult, I usually try to end on a positive note, so they wouldn't feel overwhelmed and as if i need them to do anything. Because they don't have to. I know i will solve my issues by myself, id just like to feel i can tell it to someone to not feel so alone. But sometimes i get desperate and then i just need someone to listen. But maybe that's too much like i'm trauma dumping? Where is the line really?
So how much support would be resonable to expect from people in my life in my situation? How does genuine support even look like? And where is the line between expressing your unpleasant emotions caused by difficult situations and trauma dumping on someone?
TL;DR: i had a bad year and a half, i dont feel people in my life are supportive - am i expecting too much from them?
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and reply!

Another AGAD rant/review, sorry.
I absolutely loved the first book, hooked me right in. The sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood, was also quite good with a mystery that didn't feel redundant and characters growths.
But As Good As Dead was such a frustrating read.
The DT killer's identity was quite obvious, but I don't mind that part. The kidnapping part was hands down the best part of the book. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat.
Sidenote: I've seen people on TT say they only understood the cover after part II, which is funny, because to me it was clear she would get kidnapped as soon as I picked up the book and saw the duct tape. My Criminal Minds rotten brain is showing I guess.
Everything up until she decides to cover the murder was good. I was screaming at her to just run when she turned back to kill Jason, but even that could be excused and explained away and justified to an extent. It would've been considered self defense. She would've been fine.
Everything Pip does after was so stupid and frustrating I had to put the book down and I almost DNF it until I came here and people said the end was worth it. I'm kinda blaming y'all /s.
The ending felt so rushed and illogical.
The way she escaped is described to the millimeter. Covering the murder and framing Max is explained in great details.
And then...nothing? What?
Billy Karras was released so quickly with no more explanation for us.
One sentence on the verdict of the trial that changed her whole life.
What exactly did she say in the 3rd season of the podcast besides the first episode?
It's funny the way she talked about cutting her family and friends off because from what I understood Fairview is commuting distance from NYC. Doesn't her dad work in the city? Trying to go no contact when everyone is only a 45 min train ride away just seems silly. As if her mom wouldn't just have shown up at her dorm? (And also, why pay for dorms when you're commuting distance?)
Furthermore, cutting everyone from your life after implicated them in different crimes is certainly a choice.
I would've love a scene with Becca. And another with detective Hawkins, who knows it's her but will never be able to prove it or even willingly deciding to turn a blind eye, even more after discovering that his murdered friend was actually a serial killer.
The ending also somehow lacked closure on Pip's internal issues. No mention of Charlie or Stanley or the pills. I know she technically "saves herself to save herself" but it's kinda glossed over, glaringly so since it was such an important point in the first half of the story.
And then, after all of this and rooting for Pip & Ravi, we only get a text? Don't even get me started on that.
I honestly wouldn't have mind her getting caught, it would've been more interesting.
I don't necessarily regret finishing the book, but I hate that it's the last taste I'll have of this otherwise great series.

OK, I've been reading--and am still reading through some posts--relating to the impact of Mirage Arcane, but I haven't seen this particular scenario discussed yet...
The Setting: The players enter a multi-level volcano/fire giant city with tunnels that include pockets/pits of lava, and as the first player comes within 30ft I roll 1d4 fire damage. As they come within 10ft, I roll 1d6 fire damage, so the message is clear: don't just stand around, volcanos are dangerous terrain, and the tunnels of this volcano are HOT!
This is when Mirage Arcane is cast by the illusion wizard, who did some research of their own and describes the effect of this spell as covering the lava pockets/pits so "no one should take fire damage." Visually, the tunnels become like a soft, loamy soil and what was once lava is now shallow pools of standing water. In fact, using Malleable Illusions, the wizard even adds a bit of light snow...
So...if I'm understanding the opening line, "You make terrain in an area up to 1 mile square look, sound, smell, and even feel like some other sort of terrain," then this volcano should no longer feel hot...? And every Fire Giant in this volcano, every cultist engaging in the ritual at the base of the caldera that is within the 1 mile, everyone without Truesight, now exist within a seemingly dormant volcano of soft, loamy soil?
Secondary question: Clearly this is still a volcano, at least 'underneath' the illusion, so as I read, "Any piece of the illusory terrain (such as a rock or stick) that is removed from the spell's area disappears immediately," I wonder if removing water reveals lava, or if digging beneath soil could reveal the radiating heat of the volcano? What about the lava damaging the illusion...?
Thanks in advance for your considerations, and feel free to also comment on general volcano mechanics

On Friday the 12th of June 2009, a man was spotted boarding a bus bound for Sligo from Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland. He was carrying a black shoulder bag and a generic luggage bag and just seemed like a normal tourist. He arrived in Sligo at approximately 6:30pm and took a taxi to the city hotel where he paid per night in cash for 3 nights. Upon checking in, he provided staff with the name 'Peter Bergmann' and an address that was something to the effect of "Ainstettersn 15, 4472, Vienna, Austria". Hotel staff stated he seemed of Germanic descent and spoke English with a thick German accent. He was a heavy smoker and was seen on CCTV leaving the hotel repeatedly to stand outside with a cigarette.
Throughout the course of his 3 night stay, he was captured leaving the hotel approximately 13 times, each time leaving with a purple plastic bag filled with unknown items and returning with no visible bag or items. Garda believe he was disposing of his personal belongings around Sligo but have never been able to locate any of the items he discarded. They stated that he had used the blind spots of cameras around the town to hide his movements and described his actions as "meticulous and methodical, as though he knew exactly how to dispose of anything that could identify him". A hotel worker stated that they had attempted to clean his room on one of the days but couldn't get a response after knocking. Upon entering, he appeared spooked and was described as "behaving like I'd caught him in the middle of doing something he shouldn't"
On Saturday the 13th, he was seen walking to Sligo post office where he purchased 8 stamps and airmail stickers at approximately 10:49am. The following day, Sunday 14th, he left the hotel at around 11-11:30am and asked a taxi driver for recommendations on a good beach that he could go swimming at. The driver suggested Rosses point and drove him there. It was reported that when the taxi arrived at the beach, Bergmann got out of the car, stood and stared for a short time before returning to the taxi, appearing content or satisfied.
He checked out of the hotel on Monday 15th at around 1pm and headed towards quayside shopping centre where he was seen standing awkwardly in the doorway for several minutes. Strangely, he was seen leaving the hotel with his black shoulder bag and purple plastic bag but an entirely different luggage bag. It is unclear where his original one went or where the new one came from. He was seen leaving quayside and walking towards the bus station at around 1:16pm. By the time he reached the bus station, he only had 2 of the 3 bags he was seen leaving the hotel with. At approximately 1:38pm, he ordered a ham and cheese toastie and a cappuccino from the bus station café. While he ate, he was recorded opening and closing a scrap of paper repeatedly before eventually ripping it up and disposing of it in a nearby bin. It was never recovered. At around 2:20pm he boarded a bus heading to Rosses point. It is believed that he was seen by 16-18 people on the beach that day over an 8 hour period. He was described as 'restless or anxious', pacing up and down the length of the beach repeatedly. It isn't known where his luggage or bags were at this point. He was last seen walking along the beach, alone, at 11:50pm.
His body was discovered the next morning at around 6:45am by a father and son who were out practicing for a triathlon. He was wearing purple Speedo trunks with his underwear over the top and a navy t-shirt tucked into them. Some of his clothes and belongings were found on the shore but it does not appear that his luggage or shoulder bag were ever recovered. The autopsy report concluded that he had died from cardiac arrest but that he had not drowned, despite being washed up. There were no signs of foul play either. Surprisingly, the autopsy also revealed that he had advanced stage prostate cancer, multiple bone tumours and ischaemic heart disease. There were absolutely no drugs in his system either, which would be expected of someone who was this sick. The medical examiner stated that due to these conditions, he would have been in significant and constant pain and would have required, at the very least, over the counter painkillers.
A five month investigation was launched but it was quickly revealed that both the name 'Peter Bergmann' and the address in Austria were fake. Nobody matching his appearance and name was missing anywhere in Europe, America or anywhere else and despite extensive investigation, the trail quickly went cold. He was eventually buried in an unmarked grave in Sligo. As of today, he has never been identified and nobody has ever come forward to state that they knew him. Even now, almost 15 years later, his case has left more questions than answers such as:
How did he enter Ireland?
There are absolutely no flight or ferry records with anyone using his alias and there was never any passports used with his image. It's as though he just appeared in the country.
Was cardiac arrest his intended death?
It's widely accepted that he was an old man who was terminally ill and wanted to go out on his own terms. However, did he intend to be found on the beach or was he hoping to drown and his body swept out to sea? His heart was damaged and showed signs of previous heart attacks. In addition, his health was very poor and the water in Sligo, at that time, was very cold. It's not at all impossible to believe that cold water shock induced cardiac arrest before he could wade out.
Why did he go to such extreme lengths to completely hide his identity?
Wanting to end things on your own terms isn't an uncommon notion but choosing to destroy every trace of your existence before doing so is and hasn't been explained. Why was he so adamant that nobody ever knew who he was or where he came from?
Sources:
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/08/14/peter-bergmann-renewed-appeal-over-man-found-dead-on-sligo-beach-14-years-ago/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bergmann_case
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/a-lonely-sligo-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery-1.4589709
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/new-appeal-for-mystery-man-whose-body-was-found-on-sligo-beach-in-2009/41001932.html
https://youtu.be/bVOZ7YPOakI?si=wUBhrFkgw4_9JLNC

Hi all,
First, this is a long post, and for that I apologize. I have a lot on my mind I’m trying to process right now. I’m also a creative writing minor, so I realize this will come across as a story.
I attend a fairly conservative college where most of the students being Christian. I myself am not religious, and due to the environment I try to keep that fact to myself so as not to be rude or disruptive. Some people do know about my lack of belief, and I’ve had mixed responses from them when they learn. Some want to convert me, others are rather nonchalant about it.
The reason I am writing is because I recently had a conversation with one of my literature professors that has left me wondering how I should respond. The conversation started after I asked him a follow up question to something he mentioned about the Bible: “That it’s the greatest story about the human condition humanity ever told.” For context, he’s been a Catholic his entire life.
My follow up question to him after class was this: “But if it’s just a story, why should we believe it, especially when there seem to be so many contradictions within it?” This tends to be my first question when someone makes a claim about the Bible, and it is born partly out of curiosity (I genuinely want to know why, as no Christian I’ve talked with has given me a good answer to it) and partly as a challenge, as I don’t want to see him wasting his life worshipping something that isn’t true. Perhaps this is not the best motivation, but it is what sparked my question.
He didn’t answer right away, but when he did this is (roughly) what he said: “My favorite story is William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. I think it, while being fictitious, presents a deep understanding of human nature. I read it to understand the characters, and, by understanding them, hopefully learn a little bit more about myself and others in the process. Does it matter if it is true? Depends on what you mean by true. If you mean it in the sense of “this actually happened,” then you will be disappointed by a lot of literature. But if you mean it as “this reveals an important quality of human condition,” then I think it is very true.” He then chuckled and added, “Your question reminds me of a quote one of my professors told me when I was a student: ‘Everything in the Bible is true; some of it actually happened.”
This surprised me, as this is the first time I had really talked with someone who didn’t take the Bible (specifically the creation story) literally. I clarified with him to make sure I understood him correctly, and he affirmed what I said.
I probed him a bit more about that, asking if the fact that it was written by humans makes it less trustworthy. Why should we place so much faith in something that was written by mere men? I figured he would say something like “God wrote the Bible,” as that is what people I know have said.
He paused again and thought. His eventual response was this (if I recall correctly): “I have two reasons for why I believe in the Bible, one reason for believing in God, and one additional reason for why I am Catholic. The first reason for why I believe in the word of the Bible is because I think it is written by God. Unfortunately, that isn’t the most convincing reason even for myself, as why should I believe it is written by God? This leads to my second reason, which is that I simply find the story of the Bible presents to be the most beautiful and brilliant work to ever exist. I have spent years studying the intricacies of the Bible simply because I find its underlying themes and its story of human failure and promise for redemption to be gripping and compelling. Shakespeare doesn’t even come close, in my opinion. If it’s not written by God with human hands, then I don’t know what is. But this still is built upon believing that God exists, so let’s go to why I think that.
"The way I see it, faith is a natural part of human life. It is impossible to find a functional person who doesn’t trust something, and trust is one of the pillars of faith, so similar in fact that I view it as faith. If everything in the world is man-made and artificial, without divine influence, I think at the very least I would still choose to believe in the word of the Bible because I find it the most beautiful thing in the world. A large part of the reason I believe in God is because I think it is natural to have faith in something. If I am going to have faith in something no matter what, I want my faith to be in something beautiful, intellectually rigorous, and good for humanity.
“This leads into my reason for being Catholic, which is in large part it is because I think it presents the most holistic, beautiful, and practical theory for human success. Everything it teaches is geared toward human success, both individually and socially. People might disagree with what the Catholic Church defines as “human success,” but I think the Catholic Church is onto something.”
I asked him to elaborate, and he explained how the Catholic Church (if I understand correctly) places great emphasis on God’s first two commands to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply.” “Multiply,” he explains, “sounds like what it says: make more humans.” This is not to say every male and female should hook up, but rather that we as a society should be concerned about the “continuation of our species.”
This command is to be taken hand in hand with the next one: “Be fruitful.” Making lots of babies isn’t the point--the point is to make lots of “good” humans. What does he mean by ‘good?’ “That,” he shrugs, “is where a lot of people disagree. I myself am not entirely sure how to describe ‘good’ humans, but I’ll try. I could say ‘love’ is the measure of a 'good' human, but even there people disagree with what ‘love’ is. I think love, however, is fundamentally about willing the best for the other, to the point of being willing to lay down your life for that person. An enduring society that produces those types of people is one that I would say is a good society, and I think people who take the ideals of Catholicism seriously and live them out as intended are the most likely to do that.”
I asked him about the abuse that the LGBTQ community has had to endure at the hands of Christians, and how the Catholic Church does not recognize same-sex marriage and calls those people sinners. I also asked about how denying abortion access to women is loving to them. He winces at this, and says this in reply: “A lot of people say and do terrible things in the name of Jesus and 'love.' The Catholic Church’s official teachings do not say we should be cruel to LGBTQ members or to women who have had or want an abortion. Unfortunately, people are people and people are often hypocrites, many without realizing it. When it comes to the LGBTQ community, the Catholic Church does not say ‘being homosexual is a sin,’ it says that homosexuality is a disordered desire. The ‘sin’ comes from acting on that desire, as the Catholic Church holds that all sexual acts should be reserved for the opposite sex as a unitive and potentially procreative act within the security of monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. This goes back to “be fruitful and multiply:” Sex is so very pleasurable because it is extremely important for reproduction, which is what all life, in general, tries to do. Since the sexual act has been shown scientifically to significantly rewire the human brain, shouldn’t we try to be as careful as we possibly can be with it and make sure it is used for its intended purpose: to make babies? That is part of the Church’s practical reasoning for why homosexual acts (and extramarital and non-unitive sex) are not to be encouraged or endorsed by the Catholic Church.
"Many Christians, unfortunately, forget the lessons of the Gospel stories of the woman about to stoned and the woman at the well: those two woman were isolated and outcast from their homes for their sexual acts; one of them was about to be killed it. What happens to these women is intended to be viewed as unloving. Jesus, however, befriends them despite them ‘objectively’ sinning. He never endorsed their behavior, but he still treated them with respect and love. Even if people today might argue those women did nothing wrong, the point of those stories is that Jesus considered them ‘sinners’ and yet he loved and befriended them anyway. That is literally what Jesus was doing in every city he went to: Spending time with the people who were considered terrible sinners, not because he agreed with their actions but because they are human and thus deserve to be loved. I think Christians today too often forget that is the core message of the Jesus' teachings: to love one another.
“As for abortion, the Catholic Church’s position on that rests upon our emphasis on the inherent dignity of human life. The Catholic Church believes human life begins at conception. Operating under that view, abortion is murder and should thus be strongly discouraged and/or condemned. Personally, I think it should still remain a decision between a woman and her doctor, as the doctor is the only one with the medical expertise necessary to accurately say when an abortion is actually necessary to save the woman’s life. That, however, is a tragedy, and it is one the Catholic Church acknowledges is an unfortunate situation of ‘abortion is necessary to save a life that would be otherwise lost.’ Doctors need the confidence and ability to make difficult decisions without fear of being punished for it. That means there is a risk of abuse and malpractice, but that is the nature of trust.”
We were running out of time before he had to get to his next class, so I asked him one last question that was on my mind: “Can the existence of God be proved?”
He chuckled at this. “Some of my colleagues will likely disagree with me on this, but I personally don’t put a lot of stock in ‘proofs for God.’ I haven’t found one that convinces me, and I believe in God. I think they do a good job of suggesting God exists, but proving He exists? I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s possible to prove God’s existence to someone who doesn’t already believe in God. I think the most we can do is show is why belief in God is not illogical—that’s the role of apologetics. But I can’t say, with absolute certainty, that I am right. That’s part of why it is faith: We might be wrong. If we are wrong, then ‘we are of all people the most pitiable.’” (I had to look this up afterward, as he made it sound like a quote. He was quoting Paul’s letter (1 Cor:15-19) talking about what it means if Christians are wrong about their faith. It seems he was applying this quote to all people of faith who are wrong.)
He gave me an example of what he means by ‘impossible to prove:’ “Think of your paper for this class. You, hopefully, are writing about something that you think is true. You are speculating at what the author meant, at how the author thought, why the author wrote the book or scene the way he or she did, or any works or events that likely influenced the work you are studying. Can you know for certain that you are correct?”
My answer: “No. But I can find evidence for it that shows I probably am.”
His reply: “Exactly. It is the same way with God. I don’t think we can prove God definitely exists the same way you can’t prove, with 100% confidence, that your paper’s thesis is correct. I think there is a lot of evidence that suggests God does exist, but I can’t prove it. Belief in God is inductive, and therefore inherently uncertain. This is how the Catholic Church also understands “Natural Law” and “Moral Law.” We can’t really prove either of them exist, we just have a lot of evidence gathered from observing the world and humanity that we think strongly suggests a natural and moral law. Apologists are the ones in charge of showing how our teachings and beliefs on these subjects are not inconsistent and intellectually bankrupt to hold.
“One last thing, to explain what I mean by ‘lots of evidence for God’s existence.’ Imagine we were to find Van Gogh’s The Starry Night out in the woods. I can’t prove that someone painted it, but I think a strong case can be made that someone did paint it. I might go so far as to argue it is obvious. That’s how I tend to view the world and the universe: one giant painting made by God by means of scientific laws and evolution.”
At this point he had to leave for his next class. He thanked me for the conversation and asked if I was still able to make it to cigars this Friday to celebrate the end of the term. I told him yes, and that I will probably have more questions and that I hope he didn’t mind if I asked him. He said he did not mind.
So that leads me to here: I have never had a conversation with a person of faith like this before. Almost every response he had appealed to an intuition that he seemed fine with not everyone sharing. He's also the first Christian I've met who says he doesn't think God can be proved and doesn't seem bothered by that. I suppose my question for you is: What should I ask him? What should he clarify?

What started as a panicked attempt to get her over-intoxicated friend to a hospital ended up in a disastrous car crash that claimed the lives of her friends... and a careless God crossing the street. But Sammi's adventure wasn't about to end there. In her dying breath, the God curses Sammi to take up her mantel. Now with her three friends resurrected as ghosts, Sammi has to navigate the tricky world of godhood.
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I love houses. House flipping, house hunting, crazy properties in town, gorgeous exotic vacation destinations. I think in a past life I was a real estate agent. Or a carpenter. Interior designer, actually, probably. Maybe just rich?
Doesn’t matter. I love houses, and I was gonna get myself the best digs in town.
“Best digs in town might be a liiiiittle suspicious?” Joni said as I began adjusting the filters of my favorite search: Lottery houses.
“So do you… we’re looking for a house?” Cara was leaning over my shoulder, watching as I pushed the Rooms, Cost, Square Footage, and Bathrooms options as high as I could. “Cause if you don’t even own a place, I feel like saying you’d answer my questions when we got to New Olympia is kinda a blow off.”
“Not a blow off,” I said. “This probably won’t take too too long. I just don’t want to kick anyone out of their house that, like, is a regular person living their life.”
“Kick them out?”
I paused and looked up at Cara, eyes serious. “Please. The parroting. It’s making me nervous.” Then I looked back down and began sifting through various mansions, penthouses, lake houses, villas. “For sale or for rent?”
“For rent,” Blair said immediately. She propped her head up on her chin as she watched me scroll. “Then you don’t gotta kick anyone out.”
“She’s got a point,” Christopher said. “Both from a, like, humanitarian point of view but also from a logistical point of view. Whoever’s moving needs the money pronto to buy a new house and they’re gonna constantly be dealing with banks and shit. You’d need a new lie a day just to keep them off you. But with rentals and all, first off, landlords renting out ten grand a month properties are already making bank off other units. Yeah you’re screwing them over, but not as bad. They got a buncha others. Second, you pay monthly, so you really only gotta fend them off once a month.”
My thumb jammed the “For Rent/For Sale” switch, and I cranked up the rental price. “What else are we thinking for criteria?”
“Middle of town’s a bad idea,” Joni said. “Too easy to find us.”
“We don’t have to, like, hide though,” Christopher said. “Just say you’re both out on bail. I mean, the point is to find Miller and bring him to justice, right? That’s gonna take time. There’s no place far enough out of town that we could hide in for long.”
I squinted at him, tearing my eyes away from a sexy seven bedroom manor with two pools. “What?”
He sighed, as if convinced that I was in the wrong for not understanding what fuck he just said. “Like, think about it Sammi. We’re not actually gonna be able to hide. Or if we are, it’s gonna be in an alley or some shit.” He wrinkled his nose at the same time I did. “They’re cops with detectives and shit, and they think we shot someone and broke someone else out of jail. They’re gonna find us. We’ll have to lie, not hide, to avoid being put back. So may as well be local to all the action.” With this, he pointed directly at a lofty unit in the center of town.
Hmm. He brought up a valid point, so I checked it out.
A five bedroom penthouse with three terraces giving outdoor views of the entire city. Bathrooms that put the hotel to shame. Closets the size of my old bedroom. A pool deck. Appliances with fancy brand names I only ever heard on episodes of “Dream House” and hadn’t actually realized existed in the real world. Enough bedrooms for me, Cara, and the ghosts to each sleep separately.
For a moment, the enormity of it washed over me. Not just the enormity of the house, though it was enormous, but the reality of what I could accomplish. This apartment was twenty five thousand dollars a month. I’m not entirely sure I’ve made that much money in my life. Or, okay, probably around that, but that’s my point. This was the kind of unit rich people showed off in out-of-touch blogs or escapist shows about the lifestyles of famous people. And it could literally be mine if I could play my cards right. Or not even right. Just not catastrophically wrong.
Cause I was a God. And for the first time since becoming a God, I was using my abilities, my status, my familiars and shit to do something cool. Not rob a TechShack of some earpods or break in or out of a hospital.
This was a big yield.
As I had my little epiphany, Cara had taken over scrolling my phone, much to the relief of my ghosts, who’d started grumbling about the static screen while I zoned out.
“Okay.” Cara looked at me. “I’m not gonna ask any of the questions you know I want to ask, cause that’ll just piss you off.” Thank God she was learning. “So we’ll skip that for now and ask the really important question. How are you gonna get your hands on this place?”
–
Step 1 was to get to the place, which kinda sucked, given we were still at Pizza Dogs. It just wasn’t a very cool start to the coolest scheme I’d ever pulled off. Luckily Pizza Dogs closed at 9, so a solid number of people were leaving the restaurant. I was able to wave down a waitress who’d just checked off of her shift and convince her she was a taxi driver.
“You’re really loving this whole taxiing thing, huh?” Christopher said.
“At least she’s not talking like a robot trying to use slang.” I grit my teeth at the memory of Cops Cop and Taxi Service.
“No, you just told her she was mute.” Blair stuck her lip out. “That’s mean, Sammi.”
“I told her she couldn’t talk. That’s different.” I gave Cara a weak smile, but she hadn’t even commented on my ghost talking. She just buried her face in her hands. See? Learning.
Step 2 was gonna be actually getting in the unit. The listing on HouzeHunting didn’t exactly have the name of the landlord on it, so I was gonna have to get creative getting in touch with them. What it did have was ‘24 hour doorman service,’ which meant getting in would be easy peasy.
Finally we pulled up to the address I’d given our driver. 1732 East Windham Street. She leaned out the window, looking up the seventy story building.
“It’s totally appropriate for you to talk now,” I said as I scrambled out, towing Cara with me. No sense in actually making her mute for life.
The woman nodded. “You, uh, live here or visiting? If you don’t mind me asking.”
I flipped my wad of black hair over my shoulder, wincing at how singularly it moved. I shoulda combed it after my bath yesterday.
“Live here, obviously.” I gave a rich person kinda snort, nose in the air and all.
“Huh.” She looked back at me, rubbing the back of her neck as if it was sore from craning up so high. “But you needed a taxi to get here?”
“Uh.” Rich people used taxis, right? On the ladder from Sammi to Bill Gates, someone had to use them, and if I couldn’t afford a taxi normally, then the typical passenger must exist somewhere above me. “My fancy personal car got towed cause I was parking it in a fire lane.”
The woman didn’t look convinced. Not that she thought I was lying, but she still looked at me like I was dumb as dirt. “You don’t have, like, a personal driver?”
I cocked my head at her, trying to mirror Joni’s sassy tilt but probably just looking confused. “Are you offering?”
Her lips parted, and I could see her brain chewing on this question. “What do you… wait, are you being serious?”
Was I? Suddenly I wasn’t sure. Having a personal chauffeur could be kinda great. Someone always available to text or call when I needed a ride so I wouldn’t have to keep remembering where I left my car. Besides, driving made me nervous. I’d never been a particularly bad driver, no prior accidents, never really hit anything in the past, unless we’re counting bumper cars. Which we’re not, cause I’m a menace in bumper cars. But that’s like the point.
Or, no, the point was, I wanted to minimize driving, and this woman could be key. Of course, I knew nothing about her. What if she had a family at home and I told a too strong lie and she never saw them again?
But then, she wouldn’t be offering if she wasn’t serious, right? Sure I’d lied and told her she was a taxi driver, but the average every day taxi driver didn’t just ditch their families to be rich people’s chauffeur’s.
“Uh. Yeah.” I looked at the ghosts. Two thumbs up from Christopher, one from Blair, and two thumbs down from Joni. That was a total of one thumbs up, if my math was right. “Yeah, I pay ten thousand a month.” We could figure that out later.
The woman’s eyes shot open. “Okay, you’re actually fucking with me. You’re actually offering to hire me for ten thousand a month.”
I nodded. “Yeah. And you can… I mean, if you got your own place, you can stay there obviously but you could also stay in one of my bedrooms. I got some extra ones I was gonna give to the gho–uh, dogs. But I don’t have dogs, so you were next on the list. Well, a chauffeur was next on the list. But also if you’ve got–do you have a family?”
Each of my statements plunked out of my mouth like gumballs out of a broken candy machine. But she just kept nodding like this was a normal proposal.
“I mean, I had a boyfriend.” Her face flushed crimson. “Kinda embarrassing to say at my age. Thought we were–” She took a deep breath. “Thought he was the one. I’m not gonna say I was looking to have kids or anything, so I suppose age doesn’t matter, but that doesn’t mean I really want to start over. Five years wasted is all, and at my age, the well starts to dry up a bit. People look at you a bit…” She blinked. “I’m sorry, that’s not really what you asked, was it.”
It wasn’t entirely, but I was kinda hooked on the story now. “Yeah it was,” I said. “It was the first question in the interview, and you’re nailing it. Uh, you actually already passed the first round. Let’s take the rest inside.”
The woman let out a shaky breath and smoothed her frizzled hair. “Right, of course. Thank you so much!”
Cara had, thank God, kept her mouth shut this whole interview process, so I just towed my newly formed posse towards the doorman.
“My key got lost,” I said confidently and too quickly, noticing way late that there weren’t any visible keyholes anywhere on the door. “Uh…” I looked nervously at the ghosts.
“Just tell him someone said he should let you in,” Joni said.
“Yeah.” Blair smiled. “Carl from management.”
“No–”
“Carl from management said you should let me in,” I said, bowling over Joni’s protests. “I own that top penthouse suite. Suite 72. The one for rent. Or, not for rent cause I’m renting it now. And I called earlier because my key is broken and Carl your manager said–”
I stopped finally because the doorman had long since stopped frowning perplexedly at me and had just tapped his card against the door.
“Haha,” I said, verbalizing the laugh a little too hard. “Look at me, talking too much as always.”
He frowned again, but nodded nonetheless, before holding the door open for me. “Here you are.”
“Thank you so much,” I said, stepping in like a real fancy lady. “I’ve got it from here.”
And, because I was stupid and always spoke without thinking, he nodded and shut the door behind me.
So technically Step 2 ‘get in’ was done, but it was like, barely done. Like when your mom says ‘go to your room’ so you sit in the doorway. Cause I wasn’t really close to my new apartment yet, which meant a new step on the list. Step 3? Get into New Olympia.
Somehow a little sneaky ‘Step 3b, interview your new chauffeur’ had snuck on the list too, but that would be easy to finish once I got to the actual unit.
It was literally impossible to keep my jaw in its socket as we walked through the lobby. I was actually straight up speechless at how fancy it all was. There was a bar in the lobby, like this was some hotel! Given my experience with rich people things, it was either totally free or thirty bucks a glass. Still, it was pricey enough that I should probably have been charged just for looking at it. Even Cara and the driver had their mouths gaping open as they looked around, taking in the mirror shiny marbely floors and columns.
I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath, and really tried to capture this moment of peace and quiet inside the lobby of my new home.
“Blair stop humming, they’ll be able to hear you.”
“I’m using my regular humming, not my banshee humming.”
“My bad, shoulda clarified. I’m able to hear you, and you’re annoying me.”
“Joni, why are you always so mean.”
“She’s, like, kinda got a point. You need to get that stick out of your ass.”
“I’ll get the stick out of my ass when Blair stops humming.”
“Bro, it’s totally more than the humming, and you know it.”
“Is singing okay?”
“No.”
“What about–”
“Why don’t you just whistle, Blair?”
“That’s not nice. You know I can’t whistle.”
“Kinda my point.”
“Hey, be nice to Blair, Joni.”
Peace and quiet were overrated anyway. We were here for schemes.
My eyelids snapped open. In front of me was a big old reddish wood desk. The sign on it said “Main desk, open 7AM to 9 PM.” Next to it was another, more temporary sign, “Partial Service After Hours. Ring Bell For Assisance.”
My eyes drifted hungrily to the shiny golden bell. It was the kind you see in movies and shows, you press down a few times to summon the waiter or whoever sits behind the desk.
“Just once, Sammi,” Joni said, already reading my mind. “You ring it once.”
“But Joni,” I whispered, hand hovering over it, “I’m a God.”
DING DING DING DING DING DING DING
Seven was overkill. The man was there after the first two rings. But I couldn’t stop. It was too satisfying.
He regarded me with pained eyes. “Ma’am, you didn’t have to ring it that many times.”
“I didn’t,” I said confidently. And just like that, the pained look vanished. He didn’t look comfortable though, probably because I didn’t look like I should be there. Time to fix that.
I jutted my chin out. “Is there, like, a master key to all the elevators and units you can give me.”
The guy blinked rapidly. “I’m… sorry, you want what?”
“Lies, Sammi. That was a request!”
This is why we needed Joni and the stick up her ass.
“Uh.”
“Tell him that… I don’t know, someone from management said you could borrow a skeleton key.”
I smiled. “Carl from management told me I could have a skeleton key. A, you know, a key that opens all the doors.” I gave Joni a panicked glance.
She motioned her finger in a repeating loop and mouthed ‘go on.’
“And.” I swallowed. “You said you would give us one.”
The concierge sighed. “I know. I know. I just.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Carl doesn’t manage my department, so if this isn’t the right call, Sandy’s gonna have my head.”
I eyed the ghosts nervously. The lie had worked but it didn’t seem to fully convince him. “Sandy said…”
“Keep it simple,” Joni hissed.
“...that you would give me a key to let me in?”
“Right, please hold a moment, it’s almost done transferring.” The concierge paused and looked at a key card on his desk. He squinted before picking it up and beeping it against a little card pad. It flashed red. “I’m sorry,” he said. “The transfer didn’t go through right. One moment please.” Then he typed on his computer for a few very long minutes while Cara, the driver, and I all stood frozen by the elevator. After several breath-holding moments of silence (yeah, now the ghosts decide to shut up) he tapped the card again and it flashed green. “There we go.”
I let out a long breath before scuttling over to pick up my card. “Thank you!” I said, a cheery forced grin on my face. “Thank you so much! Remember, this came from, uh, Sandy’s boss, and she told you not to tell Sandy, so keep it zipped!”
He mimed zipping his lips as I waved again before rushing to the elevator.
Soon we were zooming up dozens and dozens of levels as my breathing came more and more naturally. Even the elevator was fancy. All golden mirrors, which Blair was staring at, disappointed that she couldn’t see her reflection in them.
There was no one on the seventy second story and ther was only one door, at the end of a gleaming hardwood hallway. My black boots clomped awkwardly as I escorted the driver–still in a bright orange shirt with a barking dog and a slice of pizza on it–and Cara–still in an orange jumpsuit–towards the door at the end.
Once I got there, I tapped my card, and we were in.
I don’t really have good words to describe the place. Huge, for one. Empty for another. Those were the two big ones. I could have gawked at it all, but I was a little tired of gawking, so I filed away ‘tour my house and get it fitted out’ for later. Besides, I had all my gear and shit still in my car… somewhere. I’d get it up here eventually and then the real decorating could start.
But there was a first step. Well two first steps. Okay, technically only one could be the first step, so we’ll do that first.
I waved Cara to join me in one of the bedrooms.
“I’ll finish your interview in like, fifteen minutes,” I said to the driver. She nodded.
“Okay,” I said, closing the door behind me and plopping down on the ground.
Cara stood awkwardly, eyeing the big ass empty room with a big ass empty bathroom off to the side. “Okay,” she said, still standing. “Do I need to–”
“No no, I said I would…” I trailed off, lips pursed and confused. “You wanted… Or… I was gonna tell you–”
“Oh shit yeah.” Now suddenly Cara was on the floor across from me, leaning in. “You’re telling me what the fuck is going on.”
My breath rushed out in a long woosh as I contemplated how to start this. Joni had made a snarky comment at one point like ‘pushing this off won’t make it easier’ and I’d responded with a ‘I’ll come up with a plan while I delay’ which of course I hadn’t, and now I was angry cause Joni was right.
“So the problem is,” I said, starting slowly. “Everything I tell you, you’ll believe.”
“Obviously,” Cara said, believing me instantly.
“But no one else but me knows what’s going on. So I can’t help but…” I trailed off again, noticing Cara nodding animatedly. This wasn’t working. I wanted her to believe me cause she fully understood and accepted my story, not cause of magic. But to get that, I couldn’t be the one to tell her, and the only other people who knew about my godliness were the ghosts and–
I smacked myself on the face. Sammi, you’re a genius. An actual, mensa accredited whiz kid.
“Blair,” I said, smiling. “I think I’ll offload this to you.”
Blair frowned, scrunching her nose up for a moment, before pointing at herself. “Me?”
I nodded confidently. Blair knew everything but lacked the Verity Tongue. This would be a sinch.
“Cara, how do you feel about a little ghost story?” I shivered a bit, getting goosebumps at my own words. Now that lead-in was brilliant. ‘A little ghost story’, who came up with that? I was getting smarter by the minute.
“Oooooooooooooh.” Blair zoomed around the room, and Cara leapt to her feet.
“What the fuck?”
“Bewaaaaare moooooortal,” Blair droned, pitching her voice low. “For the story you’re about to hear is both dreadful and awwwwwful. Fear for your soul for those who hear this story are cursed and will find themselves in an early–”
“Blair!” I shouted. “Stop that. What the fuck? Literally not like that. Like literally anything but that. You need to start with–”
“Yo, Sammi, dawg, chill.” Christopher patted my back. “We’ll help her out.”
“Yeah, you don’t want to taint the story with your god powers,” Joni said. “We’ll sort Blair. You interview the pizza waitress.”
Suddenly my genius felt like the opposite of genius. Yeah, delegation was important, but I did want to hear what the ghosts were telling Cara. Didn’t I need to know? What if they told her something totally wrong and stupid? Or what if they said something mean? Like what if they really played up the part about my reckless speeding? What if they lied about something? Made me look incompetent.
I opened my mouth to protest, but Christopher just gave me an icy pat again.
“Look, you’re gonna jump in to correct something we say, and it’s just gonna fuck up Cara.” He gave me a serious look, one of the most serious looks he’d given me since this whole ordeal. Which was honestly kinda stupid cause of all the times to pull out there ‘seriously, Sammi’ face, he was picking now? Was this really the right time for this? “Seriously, Sammi. We got this.”
I didn’t believe him at all, but they were absolutely right about me likely fucking this up with my motor mouth. No way was I sitting still while Joni made snarky comments about me, like, eating gross bagels or telling cops to steal poop.
“All right,” I said. “Come out when you’re done. Or if you need hands at all. Like if she passes out and you need to check for a pulse.”
“Are you talking to me?” Cara said.
“No. I’m talking to the ghosts.” And with that I closed the door.
Looks like Sammi's got a house! And maybe a minion or two on top of her familiars. Let's see how Cara takes all of this...

Not the best writter nor the most knowledgeable 40k fan, but there is my humble contribution for this AU
I tried my best for this, and probably have some contradictions with the lore, I probably missed some important parts or decisions of the community. I apologise if that's the case.
Not a native english speaker, sorry for the mistakes
Eager to read your opinions about this.
Disclaimer: I've tried to make the relationship wierd and to emphasise the following elements: « Is she... messing with your mind ? » and the possibility she might read OS thoughts (cf u/Sweet_older-Sister 's Magnus post).
Not everyone is promised for a great destiny.
For a scholar in the City of Light, being born and continuing to live on the splendid Prospero, learning day by day, exchanging with peers and studying hundreds of books and grimoires is a more than ordinary destiny, but one that is oh so satisfying. Add to that the occasional opportunity to speak with the brilliant minds of the XVth Legion, and it's hard to imagine a better life. Here, among all the scholars, there is one who stands out from the rest for his unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Friendly nicknamed ‘Bookworm’ by his peers, it's almost impossible to see him without his nose buried in a book. With his face hidden beneath the hood of his bure, he cuts himself off from the world and devours every sentence, every word, every letter that passes before his eyes. It is said that the only time he took his eyes off his reading was when warriors from the 15th were addressing him. Like many other inhabitants of the planet, Bookworm had an affinity with the Warp. However, his presence was no weaker or brighter than anyone else's, and he only stood out from the crowd because of his habit of reading all the time. He lived a peaceful and happy life, enviable in a way.
As the Lord of Prospero, Magnolia rules and lives on this world, surrounded by her precious children. Returning to her planet after another victorious conquest, and receiving a triumphant welcome, the Cyclopean Sorceress marched through the capital at the head of her legion before the astonished eyes of the people. The distinctive scents of Prospero invaded her nostrils, awakening a slight nostalgia for the days of her childhood, right up to the arrival of the Emperor. With her noble gait, she moved mechanically towards the Great Library, eager to find new things to record and archive. The fact that she was in such a quiet place, where all known knowledge converged, appealed to her spirit, even though she was obviously the source of distraction for all scholastic eyes. Her presence, so imposing and remarkable, was an object of admiration for all the scholars eager to imbibe her knowledge. Trying to ignore the stares, she browsed the shelves of the library, observing the bindings of the books that passed before her eyes, when, at the turn of a corner, she stopped abruptly, almost knocking over a hooded figure who didn't even reach her waist.
Not a word. Not a glance. Not even a whisper. The silhouette continued on its way, unperturbed, even ignoring the accident that had almost occurred. Initially disturbed by what had just happened, Magnolia held back a cry of protest and, intrigued, tried to probe the Warp to observe the small light that had just passed. This moment was as absurd as imagining a firefly shining brighter than a lighthouse, and yet... Carefully approaching the little firefly, Magnolia infiltrated its mind to see what might be hiding there. She was amazed to see an exact replica of Tizca's library, with the same shelves, the same walls, the same stone slabs... The only real difference was that there were far fewer books than in the original. Wandering around the place, stunned by the perfection this mortal had instilled in her mind, she skirted both empty and full shelves, until finally she found the mortal's consciousness, seated in front of an old desk, filling in the blank pages of a book. This singular discovery aroused her curiosity even more. She approached at a snail's pace and glanced over the shoulder of this strange individual before opening her only eye. There, on the paper, were words she knew, for she herself had already read them. The mortal copied and engraved in his mind the works he read, and did so with particular care, annotating certain passages to add his own thoughts. In this way, each book in her mental library constituted not only what she had read, but also the ideas that had grown from it.
Magnolia observed this mortal's consciousness attentively, amazed by what he had achieved, even allowing herself to leaf through some of the works already completed. Some might think that this person was a dullard who existed only through his reading, but there was a brilliant, if shy, mind behind it, preferring to keep his ideas and innovations to himself, whether they were good or bad. As the lines went by, a guilty pleasure sprang up in the Primarch's heart, as she read every thought of this curious little mortal. In a way, he could be just like her, and she saw this as a pleasant reflection in a distorting mirror. However, this same pleasure caused a slight disturbance in Magnolia's psyche which spilled over into the mortal's consciousness. For the first time, his silhouette quivered, attracting the Cyclops' gaze, then he pulled a small diary from a bag at his feet and scribbled the date followed by the simple phrase “feeling watched” before putting it away and resuming his work. Having witnessed all this, Magnolia did her best to regain composure, her curiosity having reached its peak. She bent down to search the bag, found the newspaper and, imitating the silhouette's handwriting, added ‘Thoughts about Primarch Magnolia’ and put the newspaper back in its place before leaving the mortal mind.
Her cheeks slightly redder than usual, the Primarch headed for her palace, ruminating on what had just happened. Why had she done this? How had this scholar managed to arouse her curiosity to such an extent? How was it possible that a mortal could worm his way into her thoughts without them having spoken for even a moment? She had no answer, but one thing was certain: she had to see him again and study him. She wanted to understand how a demigoddess like her could be so distracted by a mortal. The further away she got, the more the image of this hooded scholar haunted her thoughts, and the more a feeling of discomfort slowly gripped her heart, weighing down on her chest. The day passed, and not for a moment were her thoughts neglected by this mysterious scholar, and when night came, devoured by her own thoughts, exhausted by this new sensation compressing her chest, she decided to act. Sailing on the currents of the Immaterium, Magnolia rediscovered the glow of the firefly and once again entered her slumbering mind.
The mortal's dream was one of absolute calm. It was an infinite expanse of calm water, on which he stood amidst creations representing his desires, his plans, his hopes, his family... Everything here was soothing, and Magnolia took the time to observe every detail of each representation, discovering a little more about the personality of this stranger who was no longer completely himself. From time to time, as he fashioned a new representation, the scholar would glance in the direction of the Primarch who was hiding as best he could. A smile would appear on his lips and, in a whisper, he would resume his work, that night erecting an immense block of roughly carved marble. The block was twice the scholar's height, and seemed destined to represent a person whose features and details were as yet undefined. All night long, the mortal shaped his dream, under the curious gaze of the demigoddess. The next day, and the days that followed, she was unable to go to the Great Library, too busy as she was, but every night she would enter the man's mind to spy on his dreams, watching the slow but careful progress of the mysterious statue standing proud. She was spotted a few times, but each time, the mortal smiled and resumed his work in earnest. Was it a coincidence that the greatest advances were made after she had been spotted? This little merry-go-round lasted a few days. And the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months. Every night, the sculpture advanced, representing a woman whose facial features were still indefinable.
When Magnolia received the order to leave from Prospero, she demanded that a certain scholar be taken aboard the Photep, but, unsure of her own actions and refusing to admit her obsession with a civilian, she disguised the whole thing as a mobilisation order for new members of her ship's staff, making sure nonetheless that the object of her obsession was one of the new arrivals. When she saw him set foot on the metal frame, her face lit up, and she couldn't help but enter, once again, into the mind of the man whose absence was causing her such unusual sensations. Rushing over to the desk, she found, as usual, the little man's consciousness writing, yet her eye was focused on the bag at the foot of the desk. She slipped her hand into it, grabbed the newspaper and read all the pages she had missed since her first intrusion, and as the pages and days went by, ‘Thoughts about Primarch Magnolia’ became ‘Sweet thoughts about Primarch Magnolia’. Each day began with ‘Dreamed about Primarch Magnolia. Thoughts about her the day, and dream about her at night. Somehow, it feels nice’. The Cyclops' cheeks took on a slightly darker hue, moved and embarrassed that he was thinking of her too. As she put the newspaper back in the bag, the mortal dipped his hand in and brushed against her skin. He stopped, turned his head and met the Primarch's gaze. Under the shadow of her hood shone two supernaturally blue eyes, but in front of the crimson-pink red face, a huge, shy smile took shape. ‘I hope I won't wake up if it's a dream’ he said. Caught off guard, the Primarch held out her hand and showed him sparkles ‘Hu... Look little Bookworm! A cool spell!’ and then vanished in panic. The next entry in the diary was ‘Daydreamed about the Lady. She was cute.’.
Later that night, Magnolia hesitated to dive into Bookworm's dreams, but she eventually built up enough courage to do it. There, she saw the finished statue. It was a magnificent representation of the demigoddess. Her noble face was imbued with gentleness and affection. It was an expression she had never seen before, and yet seeing it brought a deep warmth to her heart. On the statue, from around her good eye and heart, sigils were engraved, describing in detail and passion the fantasies and thoughts that the scholar harboured about this divinity. There was an overwhelming purity and sincerity, and the more the Primarch read what was there, the more the fire in her chest intensified. She had finally found the answers to her questions, and understood Aurelia much better now: ‘Is this what she called love then?’
Deep within the Warp, a certain Weaver saw a string burning and disappear, then it chuckled ‘Not everyone is promised for a great destiny, but the Destiny watch over everyone.'
Hope you enjoyed it

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say, "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results are inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.

That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results ar inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41

And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions

(Thanks to SpacePaladin for creating NOP)
[Previous] [First] [Next]
Memory Transcription Subject: Elder Researcher Slira of the Vyr Exploration Initiative
Date [standardised Vyr time]: Day 102/321, Year 110
I remembered when they drilled to the top of Rime.I had been studying to be a computer engineer at the time, only a single course away from graduating. My home city of Frozen Perch had been chosen for the project, something that no local really paid any mind to. Almost no one believed there was anything to find within Rime’s depths, for she didn’t have any of the gifts her Sisters did. There was no ore or soil like Stone had, no warmth or light like Glow’s magma. Even Abyss held corrupted treasures of Tide’s life which members of her Second and Third Church used with enthusiasm to survive and thrive in places were the very water would crush you to nothing.
We all knew they’d give up after drilling up for a few kilometres and Vyrkind would be content that nothing lay above our heads up Rime’s endless ice, that reality was only so big and that we had explored almost everything that exists besides for some patches within the dark deeps.
I admit, I didn’t have much passion for my career of choice. I’d likely end up as a system admin somewhere, managing networks and improving what we already had, never creating anything new because we already built everything we needed.Born too late to explore the world…
When the engineers working on the drill reported that the ice was thinning, that they were getting faint signals from beyond… curiosity and passion ignited in my soul, in the soul of nearly every vyr that lived and breathed.The drilling project went from a boring little science project only a choice few geologists and industrialists held any hope for to a global event which caught the eye of all vyrkind.
I remember lying in my nest, surrounded by pillows and swaddled in blankets while my eyes were glued to a livestream of drill’s progress. My tail was playing with a tassel of a stuffed toy, which if I remembered rightly was modelled after my first pet, a grumpy but sweet crab named Admiral Cookpot.I remember the smell of burnt squid, because my father had been cooking a meal at the time and got distracted by world events, same as me. The only sound in my room was the tideheater’s propeller whirring softly.
I was too scared to breathe, worried that if I was too loud I’d scare away the most interesting thing that had ever happened in my entire life.And when the drill finally pierced the top layer of Rime I and every Vyr caught our first sight of a world beyond our little planet. The sky a black void so unlike that of Abyss, my eyes filled with the light of thousands, millions of…
Stars.
A luminous field as beautiful as any glittering reef or magma vent, uncountable jewels and embers. I stared at them for over an hour, until the blazing personification of Glow herself arose from beneath the horizon, which I’d later learn… no, discover was our own personal star.
I knew what I’d dedicate my life to then and there. My life’s mission would be to uncover the secrets of this strange new realm beyond Rime, which scientists named and priests baptised as Space.
-][-
It has been many rotations around our star (now named Beacon) since I was a young college student. I got a degree in physics and with my computer simulations I managed to not only chart the movement of celestial bodies, but predict their movements as surely as the currents. I hadn’t intended to become one of the founding mothers of the field of Astrophysics but I was more than happy to lead the charge, to explore this new frontier as thoroughly as possible.
Now I was being invited to a meeting of some of the most important people in my country, perhaps of vyrkind. Sure, I had spoken to some of them before, but only over text or video chat. Only ever about theories and possibilities.
Now it would be in a physical location, all in one big room, still about theories but now much more tangible, life altering things. And I wasn’t going to be an advisor or a consultant. Just as some people were seen as leaders of armies, planners of cities or managing agricultural regions, I was being invited as our foremost expert on… Space.
It was funny and terrifying how one can wake up one morning and suddenly realise you are a world leader, responsible for guiding the fates of every creature you or anyone else had ever met.
As scared and nervous as I was, this was no time for imposter syndrome. I was one of the oldest, most experienced astrophysicists on the planet. Of course I was, I helped invent it dammit! I was still as passionate about Space as the day I started, because it was the first time we realised what a day was. I had worked with members of fields related to mine for so long I was practically an expert at those too, including engineering.There is no one more qualified to do this than I, Elder Researcher Slira! Vyrkind needed me!
…
Great, now I also feel nervous about being too arrogant. Still, I managed to clear some of my self-doubt and packed my bags. I had an elevator to catch.
-][-
Castle Yarshu was absolutely filled with people, busier than I’ve ever seen it before. Normally it’s just a museum, filled with old relics from the time of the last Forge Lords. Technically it’s owned by the Ka’lai Militia though and their leader has made sure to keep it well renovated. It is that very leader, General Taraksus, that has invited us all to the Castle’s massive Roundhall, filled with trophies and spoils of conquests that exist only in memory.The hall’s centre stage was covered in posts, perches and seats for the over one hundred representatives the General had invited, with boxy camera drones jetting here and there to capture the discussion for all to see.Around the hall Vyr crowded and swarmed to get a look at us, even clinging to the pillars and ceiling to see the “action”. The castle and our meeting was open to the public after all, and anyone could enter as long as occupancy allowed and they brought nothing dangerous with them besides their claws and fangs.
From my perch I spy Taraksus sitting atop the old Forge Lord’s throne, on its headrest to be precise, discussing something with a fellow general curled up on the armrest and an aide lying at the foot. The seat itself was filled with a sponge-stuffed dummy dressed to fit any monarch, albeit with a sign around its neck with a slur word written on it in a language few speak anymore.
Taraksus themself wasn’t too impressive a sight, well below the size average for females and decently above it for males. Their only ornamentation was a black stripe painted over his head to create a striking contrast as it went over their eyes, and a chain which held a few dozen metal strips, each with the name of a fallen comrade written on it. Or so I hear.
Taraksus ends his conversation and takes up a spear from a guard, the rear of which he uses to stamp the ground.
“Pipe down you lot! I’m calling this meeting to order!” Their voice pierced through the cacophony with a clarity that surprised me.
“As ridiculous as it feels to say, we’ve been contacted by aliens. You all saw the translation broadcasted live from our friends over at the VEI. Suffice to say the contents of their message to us is… concerning. I’ve already forwarded recommendations to our R&D sectors to start working on designs for military spacecraft. Certainly not something I or most anyone else here thought or hoped would ever be needed. I’m hoping that the consensus we reach here will keep that true. Before any of that however I call upon one of the most prominent members of the aforementioned VEI, Elder Slira, to clue us in on the nature of what we face and go over her team’s conclusions.”
I quickly check the notes on my portable computer which my assistant Neeran had so kindly organised for me before erecting myself on my perch.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, coupled with the near oppressive silence. I took a steady breath, trying to gather my courage. “You can do it Slira!” echoed a voice from the back of the hall. The chuckles that followed was evidence enough that I hadn’t imagined it, and I felt some of my fears dissipate.
“Greetings, vyr from across the world. I’ll jump right to the meat of the issue and start with an analysis of the ‘Sivkit’ that spoke to us. One of the most startling discoveries we uncovered in our investigation was the incredibly high possibility of them breathing… gas.”
I spotted the ears of more than a few vyr shoot up in shock, including those of the stout administrator of the Vrental Commune’s heartlands, Ireni.
“Gasbreathers? Surely such a thing is not possible?”
“The footage clearly indicates a lack of liquid, and the sivkit’s chest is clearly contracting and expanding in a manner that indicates breathing. We could be wrong, but likely we are looking at an organism that defies our current understanding of how complex life can develop.”
I typed away at my computer, bringing up my second point.
“Next we have their next statement, something about us being Arxur…”
A delegate I do not recognise raises a claw.
“Do we know who these Arxur are? The Sivkit seemed ready to bolt at the idea of them.”
“We currently have no information on the Arxur. All we can extrapolate is that they are another sapient alien species, that we resemble them somewhat except for our eyes and that they represent a clear threat to the Sivkit. Also, for whatever reason, the sivkit mistook us for a prey species because our eyes are on the side of our heads…”
…
“That’s… no, I don't have a way to soften that, that’s stupid as shit.”
“It’s… not scientifically correct, no. But it made them mistake us for fellow kindred among the stars, their captain even going so far to gift us translator technology.”
“Was it a mistake?” Taraksus asks, seemingly in thought. “I mean clearly they mistook us for something we are not, but is it impossible for us to be kindred?”
I understood his question, and sadly had no real answer.
“I don’t know General. The kind of friendship you describe is a two-way street, and if they are not willing then there is nothing we can do. But that does not mean we can’t do anything about it. Diplomat Zhara, your turn.”
A vyr across the stage from me straightens herself. Her body is wrapped in colourful fabrics and her various bits of jewellery show a clear love of ornamentation and precious stones.
“Thank you Elder. The Sivkit Captain promised to return at a time less than [3 weeks] away. Irrelevant of any bigger picture, he seems to care mostly about establishing relations with us and getting access to the deposits on our planetary neighbour Turqo. Whether for personal wealth or aiding his kin, who’s to say. He seems to assume we are part of a larger civilisation, likely unable to sense us underneath all the ice and mistaking our surface city for some kind of local outpost. Whatever the case may be, our diplomatic strategy is simple: lie through our fangs and trade metal.”
An uneasy murmur fills the hall.
“I know, lying may come back to bite us. But we need to be cautious, we know nothing about these aliens and if pretending to be a larger civilisation of peaceful herbivores will put them at ease then so be it. In addition my friends in the industrial sector tell me we don’t have any need for such a vast amount of heavy metals, so mining the deposit and trading the resources to the Sivkit for what they have in abundance seems good business. It will also help further the ‘small mining outpost’ facade and aid us in getting more information about who these ‘meat-eating humans’ are.”
“Excellent! We’re right on time!”
A gasp passes through the crowd. My eyes dart around and my ears swivel every which way, trying to identify the source of the shout. The crowd of onlookers to my left were making way, clearly shocked at… some new arrivals? What under Rime…?
Two vyr had entered the hall.
The first was a small male, their body wiry and covered in scars. Even the tip of their flat tale had a V-shaped chunk cut out of it. A sash of black cloth covered in white pictograms was wrapped around his chest, and attached to the sash was a broad, bladed weapon almost comically large for him. The second was a rather average female, still almost twice the size of the male. Black robes and a hood hid her form, though I noticed a pair of silver reading glasses sitting on her snout and a… by Glow, was that a fucking tome? An actual book, with thick kelp-fibre pages and bound in Nesis bark.
My brain almost refused to recognise the two, but finally sense overruled logic. The male was Krattron, and the female was Kahltrak. The highest authorities of the Second and Third Churches of the Abyss respectively.
Krattron swam up to the stage, eyes brimming with what I could only describe as maniacal glee.
“Greetings, children of Vyrkind! When do we set out to hunt the demons of Void?”
Kahltrak follows shortly behind. I would have been able to hear her sigh from the surface.
“Hello delegates. We’ve come to pledge our aid, and to discuss how we shall be dealing with our enemies.”
[Previous] [First] [Next]

It is all as simple as this. Giuliani, Trump, and a bevy of traitors to our country, tried to nullify the votes of 87 million people and overthrow the legitimate government of the United States.
That's it in a nutshell.
Almost every one of these treasonous criminals has been indicted and the government has overwhelming proof of their guilt. In boxing they say "You can run, but you can't hide".
The wheels of justice may be slow, but the results ar inevitable.
Trump and his accomplices (many in the House of Representatives) will be tried, convicted, and hit with the most severe prison sentences allowed by law.
See this -- Italics mine.
Giuliani has now been charged under an Arizona fake electors plot, with one legal expert suggesting investigators have "gold" evidence against him.
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Rudy Giuliani's legal problems could be about to get worse, a former U.S. attorney has said.
Giuliani was one of 18 people indicted last month in Arizona over an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. He was served the indictment alongside six Trump allies, including Trump's former and his close adviser Boris Epshteyn, as well as 11 individuals who acted as fake GOP electors for Arizona in the last presidential election.
However, Giuliani is the only defendant prosecutors have been unable to serve with a summons, according to Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general's office.
Taylor said prosecutors and investigators working for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have made multiple attempts to serve Giuliani a summons, which serves as a formal notice that he has been criminally charged and must appear before a judge at Maricopa County Superior Court on May 21. However, they have been unable to find him. He added that the day after the state-level grand jury handed up its indictment to Giuliani, two agents for the attorney general's office traveled to New York City with plans to hand-deliver the notice to him.
The agents determined that Giuliani was in his New York apartment because he had recently video streamed from his residence, Taylor continued, adding that upon their arrival, they were told by a person at the front desk that they were not allowed to accept service of the documents. Taylor said the person did not dispute Giuliani lived there. "We were not granted access," Taylor said.
The attorney general's office has also made multiple attempts to try to contact Giuliani by calling various phone numbers for him, "and none of them were successful," according to Taylor.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative for Giuliani via email for comment.
A person close to Giuliani told The Washington Post that the former New York City mayor and one-time attorney for Trump "keeps a busy schedule." Amid his apparent absence, Paul Charlton, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President George W. Bush, has argued that Giuliani's legal problems could potentially get worse if he does not appear for his initial court appearance, warning that it would lead to his arrest. "You can think of a summons to appear as a courtesy by the prosecutors—it is an invitation to appear," Charlton told The Washington Post. "You can be held in contempt if you are served and fail to appear. But the alternative for prosecutors is to issue an arrest warrant, and that is, of course, a much more compelling vehicle." He added that generally speaking, defendants who seek to avoid a summons should consider "the reality that the next step the prosecutors take won't be quite as gentle."
Giuliani has not responded to the case against him in Arizona, where Trump lost by 10,457 votes.
Trump was not among those charged in Arizona. He is described in the indictment only as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1."
"In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020," the indictment reads. "Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona's voters."
Giuliani is also involved in a Georgia election racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, in which he was charged alongside Trump with allegedly conspiring to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He is also facing a $148 million judgment for defaming a pair of election workers in Georgia, which has led to him declaring bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rudy-giuliani-s-legal-problems-could-get-worse/ar-BB1mqtrK?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=d6a1978455c442e1a30f1bf76541e86a&ei=41