Hermit

It is a tenant of Pariah's faith de Jour that there is no L in the hereafter, let alone an everlasting L 

For what it is worth, I consider him more "anti-theist".  To me an atheist* would usually "you want to waste time worshipping the magic sky fairy go ahead and just leave me out of it".  Which is how worshippers and atheist should behave amongst them.
 
*at least most atheist I encounter.  Sure, we may have discussions, and defend are point of view, even perhaps passionately.  But,  there is a difference between considering one naïve vs evil.     

Not sure who did this, but it's brilliant
 

(resuming)

The rest of the meeting had been talks of scheduling, what base they'd be using in Port Cascade, and talk about budget management that threatened to make more than one set of eyes glaze over.

To my minor annoyance, the focus was definitely on the new city, and not nearly enough detail (for my liking) on what things would be like here once Ariana and I were left riding herd on this crew.  Ariana nodded a lot, but sometimes we exchanged worried looks as the others were talking away. She had said this could be exciting, but now she was thinking of the downside.

The phrase "two days" came up, and I felt a clock in my head switch on. Forty Eight hours of team and then suddenly half of the New Samaritans would be out of reach- just like that. It was a bit overwhelming to think of. When I first came here, I wasn't exactly a rookie, but I was definitely the newbie.  I'd gotten a crash course in teamwork, tactics, and crime fighting that started when I got off that bus and hadn't really stopped. 

I'd been lectured to, chewed out, and supported in ways I couldn't possibly grasp. If I was honest with myself, I probably deserved the chewing out and lectures, and I was very grateful for the support. But through all of this, I did not recall learning how to teach.
Even when I got teamed up with Pogo, my advice was more in the vein of the tactical and practical. Choose your target carefully, don't taunt the mind controller unless you wanted to be singing 'I'm a little tea pot' for the next ten minutes, that sort of thing. I hadn't really said 'this is how you can use those powers more efficiently'. At least, I didn't think I had. 
And my own power-set was not complex. I breathed water, swam fast,  I was able to withstand a lot of pressure of all sorts, and I hit things really, really, hard. Honestly the water breathing was the rarest thing about my powers. Without that, I wouldn't be the fish guy, I'd be the guy guy. Okay, maybe mighty guy, but every team out there with more than four people has one of those.
 
What if someone had some super weird power I could totally not relate to? I mean, Valerosa was right there by my side, but if someone walked up and said "Hi, I'm Captain Quantum" we both would be sunk. I'm getting a degree in engineering, I don't do that advanced physics on a cosmic level stuff.
As the meeting went on about what they'd be doing in Port Cascade, I guess my concern must have shown on my face increasingly because even as I tuned out some stuff that I probably should at least have listened to despite not going myself. I only really refocused when I heard my name.
"And increasingly in the online polls we've sent out, most believe Eel should take on the new superhero name Floaty McFloatpants," Lady Obsidian said to the others who were nodding in apparent agreement.
 
"I'm sorry what?" I choked! They didn't really ask for advice on the internet did they? In my experience, that was often like putting a l sign that says 'here's at least 15 minutes entertainment you can have at a fellow human being's expense' on your forehead and hoping for likes.
There were chuckles. Not from me, of course.
 
"Now you refocus," Lady Obsidian looked at the others, "I think that's enough for now, folks. Go rest up or get your luggage ready or whatever."
 
The others nodded and got to it, but she wasn't done as she looked at me and said "You two," A nod to my density shifting girlfriend and myself, "Walk with me."
 
We moved away from the meeting area, Ariana on Lady Obsidian's left side, I took the right. 
"Ask your questions, voice your concerns, because you both kept acting like when I said 'co-captains' you had stepped into something very warm, soft, and with a distinctive scent."
I could have made a joke about Slime there, but that would be species-ist so, I let my better angels win. Besides, he's not that warm.
 
It was  Valorasa who spoke up first actually, and in a bit of a rush that made me realize she was right there with me in concerns, "Look, I've been learning how to fight, and how to do the legwork of a superhero since I was a kid-"
"Last Wednesday right?" Lady Obsidian said dryly. My, but she was in a quippy mood.
 
My favorite snuggler in spandex ignore that and went on, "But teaching isn't something I'm used to?"

"Nonsense, you've given plenty of advice to team mates, and even shown a few ropes to Pogo," Lady Obsidian reminded, "Your uncle maybe a bit older than you, but there are times I'm pretty sure you're the more mature one" she pondered "Barring a few areas anyway."
"Thanks, I-," Ariana let that process, "Wait, in what way is he more mature than-"

This was clearly not the hour for completed sentences if the boss didn't think they were germane to the subject, "Not the point. The point is that I'm sure you both have the stuff needed to teach the trainees together."
 
"Maybe she is, but barring a few tactics, I don't know if I've got the knack, let alone the patience, for teaching folks how to be a superhero, how to use powers, some of which are totally different from mine," I voiced my concern, "I mean, if I run into some 'Captain Quantum'-"
"Ooo, good name," Lady O said, "Kind of old school, new science."
 
"Glad you like," I said and resumed, "With reality alteration powers or something, I am not going to be able to relate."
 
"You mean like an older Africian- American woman with more PHDs than a can of Alphabet soup and a young white guy from from the Carolina country side can't relate?"
 
"North Carolina," I clarified.
 
"What's it matter?" Dr. Vivian asked.
 
"Oh, it matters," I said, "It matters," then a I realized, "You're baiting me. I don't know if you're taking our concerns seriously."
 
"I agree with Caleb," Ariana said, then she qualified, "About the teaching concerns, not as much about the differences between one Carolina and the other."
 
I shot my girlfriend a hurt look. Where was the support?
 
"If you two had no concerns, THAT I would take seriously," Lady Obsidian said, "But you do, so I don't."
 
"uh," I said intelligently, then rallying went "But what about patience?"
 
"You know how you build up patience?" Our mentor and team leader asked.
 
"How?" Ariana questioned.
 
"The same way you lose it," Lady Obsidian answered, "By having it tested."
 
Valerosa and I exchanged frustrated looks behind Lady Obsidian's back for a moment.
 
"Are two sulking where you think I can't see?" Lady Obsidian said.
 
"No," I said.
"Definitely not," Ariana said, then added, "We're honored by the trust you're placing in us."
 
"That's the ticket," She said, "Come on, I'll show you their files and give you my two cents on each trainee, but you're going to be fine as Co-Captains."
"You've taught college courses and superhero teams alike," I said, "Sure you have some sort of code or system or words to live by?"
"Fine," She said, "Words to live by if you want to teach supers:  Be Patient, Be Understanding but firm, and moderate your wine intake near the tub."
"I don't drink wine," I said, perhaps missing a point.
"You will," Lady Obsidian said, "Being a teacher means you're finally going to have a reason to."
"This is so very not reassuring," Ariana muttered.
Yet again, my girlfriend and I were in agreement, but at least we were about to get a look at at the trainee files.
I hoped none of them were mystics. I had a friend who was a mystic, but over all? They gave me the creeps.
 

(resuming)

The rest of the meeting had been talks of scheduling, what base they'd be using in Port Cascade, and talk about budget management that threatened to make more than one set of eyes glaze over.

To my minor annoyance, the focus was definitely on the new city, and not nearly enough detail (for my liking) on what things would be like here once Ariana and I were left riding herd on this crew.  Ariana nodded a lot, but sometimes we exchanged worried looks as the others were talking away. She had said this could be exciting, but now she was thinking of the downside.

The phrase "two days" came up, and I felt a clock in my head switch on. Forty Eight hours of team and then suddenly half of the New Samaritans would be out of reach- just like that. It was a bit overwhelming to think of. When I first came here, I wasn't exactly a rookie, but I was definitely the newbie.  I'd gotten a crash course in teamwork, tactics, and crime fighting that started when I got off that bus and hadn't really stopped. 

I'd been lectured to, chewed out, and supported in ways I couldn't possibly grasp. If I was honest with myself, I probably deserved the chewing out and lectures, and I was very grateful for the support. But through all of this, I did not recall learning how to teach.
Even when I got teamed up with Pogo, my advice was more in the vein of the tactical and practical. Choose your target carefully, don't taunt the mind controller unless you wanted to be singing 'I'm a little tea pot' for the next ten minutes, that sort of thing. I hadn't really said 'this is how you can use those powers more efficiently'. At least, I didn't think I had. 
And my own power-set was not complex. I breathed water, swam fast,  I was able to withstand a lot of pressure of all sorts, and I hit things really, really, hard. Honestly the water breathing was the rarest thing about my powers. Without that, I wouldn't be the fish guy, I'd be the guy guy. Okay, maybe mighty guy, but every team out there with more than four people has one of those.
 
What if someone had some super weird power I could totally not relate to? I mean, Valerosa was right there by my side, but if someone walked up and said "Hi, I'm Captain Quantum" we both would be sunk. I'm getting a degree in engineering, I don't do that advanced physics on a cosmic level stuff.
As the meeting went on about what they'd be doing in Port Cascade, I guess my concern must have shown on my face increasingly because even as I tuned out some stuff that I probably should at least have listened to despite not going myself. I only really refocused when I heard my name.
"And increasingly in the online polls we've sent out, most believe Eel should take on the new superhero name Floaty McFloatpants," Lady Obsidian said to the others who were nodding in apparent agreement.
 
"I'm sorry what?" I choked! They didn't really ask for advice on the internet did they? In my experience, that was often like putting a l sign that says 'here's at least 15 minutes entertainment you can have at a fellow human being's expense' on your forehead and hoping for likes.
There were chuckles. Not from me, of course.
 
"Now you refocus," Lady Obsidian looked at the others, "I think that's enough for now, folks. Go rest up or get your luggage ready or whatever."
 
The others nodded and got to it, but she wasn't done as she looked at me and said "You two," A nod to my density shifting girlfriend and myself, "Walk with me."
 
We moved away from the meeting area, Ariana on Lady Obsidian's left side, I took the right. 
"Ask your questions, voice your concerns, because you both kept acting like when I said 'co-captains' you had stepped into something very warm, soft, and with a distinctive scent."
I could have made a joke about Slime there, but that would be species-ist so, I let my better angels win. Besides, he's not that warm.
 
It was  Valorasa who spoke up first actually, and in a bit of a rush that made me realize she was right there with me in concerns, "Look, I've been learning how to fight, and how to do the legwork of a superhero since I was a kid-"
"Last Wednesday right?" Lady Obsidian said dryly. My, but she was in a quippy mood.
 
My favorite snuggler in spandex ignore that and went on, "But teaching isn't something I'm used to?"

"Nonsense, you've given plenty of advice to team mates, and even shown a few ropes to Pogo," Lady Obsidian reminded, "Your uncle maybe a bit older than you, but there are times I'm pretty sure you're the more mature one" she pondered "Barring a few areas anyway."
"Thanks, I-," Ariana let that process, "Wait, in what way is he more mature than-"

This was clearly not the hour for completed sentences if the boss didn't think they were germane to the subject, "Not the point. The point is that I'm sure you both have the stuff needed to teach the trainees together."
 
"Maybe she is, but barring a few tactics, I don't know if I've got the knack, let alone the patience, for teaching folks how to be a superhero, how to use powers, some of which are totally different from mine," I voiced my concern, "I mean, if I run into some 'Captain Quantum'-"
"Ooo, good name," Lady O said, "Kind of old school, new science."
 
"Glad you like," I said and resumed, "With reality alteration powers or something, I am not going to be able to relate."
 
"You mean like an older Africian- American woman with more PHDs than a can of Alphabet soup and a young white guy from from the Carolina country side can't relate?"
 
"North Carolina," I clarified.
 
"What's it matter?" Dr. Vivian asked.
 
"Oh, it matters," I said, "It matters," then a I realized, "You're baiting me. I don't know if you're taking our concerns seriously."
 
"I agree with Caleb," Ariana said, then she qualified, "About the teaching concerns, not as much about the differences between one Carolina and the other."
 
I shot my girlfriend a hurt look. Where was the support?
 
"If you two had no concerns, THAT I would take seriously," Lady Obsidian said, "But you do, so I don't."
 
"uh," I said intelligently, then rallying went "But what about patience?"
 
"You know how you build up patience?" Our mentor and team leader asked.
 
"How?" Ariana questioned.
 
"The same way you lose it," Lady Obsidian answered, "By having it tested."
 
Valerosa and I exchanged frustrated looks behind Lady Obsidian's back for a moment.
 
"Are two sulking where you think I can't see?" Lady Obsidian said.
 
"No," I said.
"Definitely not," Ariana said, then added, "We're honored by the trust you're placing in us."
 
"That's the ticket," She said, "Come on, I'll show you their files and give you my two cents on each trainee, but you're going to be fine as Co-Captains."
"You've taught college courses and superhero teams alike," I said, "Sure you have some sort of code or system or words to live by?"
"Fine," She said, "Words to live by if you want to teach supers:  Be Patient, Be Understanding but firm, and moderate your wine intake near the tub."
"I don't drink wine," I said, perhaps missing a point.
"You will," Lady Obsidian said, "Being a teacher means you're finally going to have a reason to."
"This is so very not reassuring," Ariana muttered.
Yet again, my girlfriend and I were in agreement, but at least we were about to get a look at at the trainee files.
I hoped none of them were mystics. I had a friend who was a mystic, but over all? They gave me the creeps.
 

In the critically acclaimed DS 9 Episode "Far Beyond the Stars", Nana Visitor (who normally plays Nerys) has the role of K.C. Hunter, a woman in 1950s America who must use her initials to hide her sex from the average reader who might never accept a "Woman Writing Science Fiction" it was a homage to the now late, always great D.C. Fontana
 

I just liked everyone he or she downvoted. 
Balance restored!

In the critically acclaimed DS 9 Episode "Far Beyond the Stars", Nana Visitor (who normally plays Nerys) has the role of K.C. Hunter, a woman in 1950s America who must use her initials to hide her sex from the average reader who might never accept a "Woman Writing Science Fiction" it was a homage to the now late, always great D.C. Fontana
 

In the critically acclaimed DS 9 Episode "Far Beyond the Stars", Nana Visitor (who normally plays Nerys) has the role of K.C. Hunter, a woman in 1950s America who must use her initials to hide her sex from the average reader who might never accept a "Woman Writing Science Fiction" it was a homage to the now late, always great D.C. Fontana
 

I don't blame anyone a bit for being angry at Americans who vote him in a second time. I know I would. IF (ANd i sure as heck pray it doesn't) it happens, I'm going to see it as a moral and ethical collapse on a grand scale.
 
That said, our Electoral College and Winner takes all system means that he could without the majority of voters wanting him. It happened before.
Hopefully turn out will be greater next time, and the apathetic stirred to action
 

I note that this attitude took Lord Liaden to 17 likes yesterday and well-deservedly winning the day...  🏆

The thing that I find really fascinating is that Usagi's death-grip on his belief that any followers of faith are inherently incapable of rational thought, even when presented with explanation and evidence to the contrary, is precisely the behavior he claims to find so abhorrent in religious fanatics.
 
The irony of that position is, apparently, completely lost on him.

I just liked everyone he or she downvoted. 
Balance restored!

I think we should all pray for him.

I just liked everyone he or she downvoted. 
Balance restored!

I KNOW, rite? 
 
 
Well, you called  that.
 
Respect, LL... as usual, you were your calm, polite, nice, and dare I say 'reasonable' self when I think others might have growled a bit. I know I would have been tempted to. 
 
 

"Faith and reason are the shoes on your feet! You can travel further with both than you can with just one!"

I KNOW, rite? 
 
 
Well, you called  that.
 
Respect, LL... as usual, you were your calm, polite, nice, and dare I say 'reasonable' self when I think others might have growled a bit. I know I would have been tempted to. 
 
 

I just liked everyone he or she downvoted. 
Balance restored!

Usagi will no longer be joining us on these forums.

Fellas, I appreciate your support, but I suggest you let it go. It's not worth getting worked up over, and I'm sure you realize it will be settled when Dan Simon gets up this morning.

Usage, I began to respond to you in a detailed way but there is too much.  If you cannot see that calling Lord Liaden evil is an ad hominem attack, that introducing downvotes to a highly policed topic then I can see you very quickly getting yourself a ban.
 
I do not know what is motivating your ire but you need to contain it, your belief (because that is what it is) that human discourse would be immeasurably improved by abandoning belief in higher beings and religion may be correct, it may not.  It is only slightly easier to prove than most of the religious beliefs out there.
 
Your 'fact' that Christianity is the root of all corporate evil demonstrated a very privileged, Western perspective. 
 
My advice is to back off, find other places to chat.  I don't think you have the restraint necessary to converse here.  Illustrated most pointedly by attacking one of the nicest board members we have as evil. 😞
 
Doc

Speaking of reason, (or "reason" if one prefers)  it is another big one in those human endeavors that seem to get hijacked.

Or it could just mean that they see a total incompatibility with the Democrat party, rightly or wrongly.  Contrary to the way current politics has been trending, disagreement doesn't equal evil.   Just saying the Bill of Rights for one seems to suggest that.  
 
Religion does get hijacked by hypocrites and other undesirables. But, then so has politics, science, history-telling, and nearly every other human endeavor.

Wow. I've been called many things over my lifetime, but "evil" is a new one.
 
I had composed a response to Usagi, but I get the impression nothing I could write would be well received at this point.