Ah, Valentine's Day. I do have a soft spot for it-- young couples toasting with their glasses of champagne at romantic dinners, the singles seeking Lethe in their own bottles... maybe I'm really an old softie, but it fills me with joy.
Plus it starts the countdown to my birthday, so, you know, there's that too.

Anyway, here's to the day, here's to me, and here's to us all. Stin iyiamas!

Aaron Swartz has been found dead.

It's hard to believe a guy who was so brave would resort to suicide.

OK, well, first off, a belated welcome to the new guys. Hope you're starting to feel settled in. I'm Denise Stephens... Just Denise is fine. I'm sure my old name has even less meaning for you than it does for me.

Otherwise, bigger issue: I've got a basic platform interface worked out for the simulation module, but I'm going to need the latest on the specs for the strategy and weapons we're going to be using if we're going to actually use this for training purposes.

Wishing everybody a happy International Beer Day!

Heading on my way back to Washington; it's been slow going, but I took the time out to celebrate with an impromptu party in a field somewhere in Idaho. Ran into a couple of guys with a six-pack, and it turned into something like two hundred people showing up, with more than enough beer for everybody.

(By the way: That news story about the missing liquor distributor truck that was last seen in the area? Yeah, that was totally not my doing. Seriously.)

(he just happened to show up, I can't help it if I can't turn away anyone who brings drinks)

(and it's not like anyone FORCED him to wear the go-go boots, anyhow)

(and he said he had a great time anyway, so there)

Hello, Godlings. Have you all been playing nicely together? I do hope so. You'll need to.

You've done well otherwise so far. Finding your lost treasures. But those won't be enough. There is more to find.

[Filter: Celts]
A secret has been lost in Eire, and it sings where the living voices went silent.

[Filter: Egyptians]
Once your blood ran through the veins of kings, and their power remains there buried. Find it, and it is yours again.

[Filter: Greeks]
Westward where the son of Troy, and the children of Venus and Mars brought forth their power, a piece remains.

[Filter: Hindu]
Far in the East, near where warriors come forth from the earth, a touch of power remains. Its music can make you dance again.

[Filter: Judeo-Christians]
You must seek the song in the wilderness again to find the lost power, far to the Devil's own continent.

[Filter: Norse]
The mountains hold secrets again, high in the clouds, but you must go south to seek the power that was lost. It sings in the shadow of the lost city.

[/filters]

Remember. You must strike while the time is hot. Let it grow cool, and it may slip through your fingers.

Okay, so, everyone who got a strange visitor lately... Show of hands? Tell me it wasn't just me?

I don't know how much longer the battery on this thing is going to hold out, and I don't know if the cops are still prowling around here, so I'll try to keep it short. I should have kept going west, not cut south-- did you know there's places around here where you can't get anything stronger than pop? I call that criminal.
I found this out the hard way when I walked into this restaurant and tried to order a beer. The staff pulled all kinds of attitude on me and told me that this was a family establishment and they didn't hold with spirituous liquors and all that-- and that's when things started to go really wrong, because one guy off in the corner started shouting "It's him! I saw him on the news-- the fornication and the drunkenness-- he's one of Them!"
I never heard anyone that was able to capitalize spoken words, especially when yelling them. Cross that one off my bucket list, I guess.
I shit you not, every single person in that restaurant was lined up facing me, shoulder to shoulder like some kind of football line-- or battle line. I tried to calm them down with a joke or something, but I couldn't get a word out before they pushed, literally pushed me back out the front doors and shoved me down in the parking lot. The owner told me I was going to get what was coming to me, "you and all your ungodly friends!" And that's when the police cars showed up, and I ran like hell.
I'm in a ditch and I have no idea where in the name of Uranus' ballsack I am, but I noticed something strange-- every single car in that parking lot had this little sticker on the back bumper or the back window. It looked kind of like a cross with hands and it said "Foundation for

[Your battery is now at 0%. This device is currently saving your post and shutting down. Please plug in your charger to use this device.]

You know, once you get past the age of 21, birthdays become a lot less fun.

I won't lie. I wish Nina and Jonah could be here.

Okay here's the deal. I'm going to give this group thing a chance. But I have a few conditions:

1. Do not call me "Athena". If you have to have a name, you can call me Pete.
2. Stop trying to sell me on this whole past life/being a god nonsense. I won't rain on your parades, if you don't rain on mine.

I see I'm not the only one getting anonymous flowers.

It seems they're messages of some kind? But, are they just individual to us, or pieces to a greater whole?

In Washington

"...yes, I absolutely believe that these... things are a menace to America. Their very existence is an attack on the American Bill of Rights, forcing millions of Americans to be told that their beliefs are wrong. And that just cannot be allowed. We need to set up watchgroups. At the very least, we need to identify, tag and monitor them. They could come from anywhere at any time, and God only knows what havoc they can cause."

--Roger Warren, Head of the Joint Chiefs of staff, at a press conference.




In Alabama

"...Well, it is simply un-Christian for these people to be saying and doing what they are! Trying to put themselves before God and Jesus! Affecting our weather patterns and causing miracles? We here at the Foundation promise that we will fight to put an end to all this, so help us God!"

--Mimi Osmond, leader of the Foundation for Christian Families

[After her birthday celebration, Esther is getting ready for another day of work, not really thinking about things until the sun comes up...]

What?! What is this? What has happened to my clothes?! I can't go to work like this today! No one is going to take me seriously dressed as a Persian courtesan!

[Text to Lilith]
Ebony! Need another girl with me on this. Get back to me when you can.

Hello, godlings. Have you missed us?

I am pleased at how well your progress is coming along. Some of you know where you must go. Some of you have even acquired your first artifacts. There is more to be done, of course, but I am pleased thus far. Soon, you will not need to hide behind your current shells.

That does, however, beg a question. Can you be trusted to be yourselves again? Can the world be trusted to handle you? There is only one way to find out.

Your test begins at sunrise tomorrow, on the Equinox. It ends at sunrise the next day. We will be watching you.

I despise this so called holiday. The next fool who tries to pinch me is going to get frost bite.

So, has anyone heard of the new phenomenon that is the "brogrammer?" Yeah. We just hired on two at my work. Things are crazy enough there without adding perpetual frat boys to it.

[Email to King Arthur]

Hey... Adam? Have you heard from Jonah recently? I can't seem to get in touch with him. I'm worried. It's like he's disappeared from the face of the earth.

[Filtered to Greek Pantheon]
It's been a while since we last had a collective status report. So, how are we coming along with all our clues? What steps are we taking forward?

How frightening. Virginia's state legislature is trying to pass a law that will allow the State to basically force doctors to medically rape their female patients that are seeking abortive services. Among other atrocities.

What is this world coming to?

Miladies,

As Knight of the Goddess, I feel it is only fitting I send you all a Valentine's Day greeting. Regardless of whether you have a significant other, may you experience much love and happiness this day! It is truly an honor for this knight to know you all.

Yours,

Sir Gawain

Very well then. You wish my attention so badly, you may have it.

Though those who demand my attention ought to know who they've summoned, I shall still introduce myself. I am Maeve Windthrope. Yes, that one. Now someone explain the reason why I have been virtually hounded by this website. And it had better be a good reason.