#“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”

[evviejo]

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION // S2E21 Peak Performance It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life.

[kedreeva]

I can't help with much else, but I can perhaps help provide some scale, because looking at the far-away pics, it IS very difficult to get a good idea of how big she is and why stopping her would be a feat outside the capabilities of pretty much any current bridge support. Maybe there is one out there that could withstand impact, but I have my doubts.

Here's the boat, DALI, before all of this:

Those blocks on the deck are shipping containers. Shipping containers on an understandable scale look like this, and typically range from 10 feet long to 40 feet long, though from what I can tell, the ones on freighters like this are mostly 20ft (at least, their carrying capacity is determined by how many 20 foot containers they can carry).

These things are huge, and DALI was carrying around 4700 of them.

DALI is ~300 meters (984ft) long and 47 meters wide (157ft). An American football field is 110x49m. So if you placed 3 football fields end to end, this ship would be a smidge skinnier and 10% shorter than that. To TRY to give you a sense of scale, here's a football field with some 6ft picnic tables at the side closest to the camera, some cars and people, and a building in the back with 2 stories to it (click to see bigger)

So you have an object nearly 1,000ft/300m long, 150ft/47m wide, carrying 4700 shipping containers and weighing 95,000 tons, going 9 knots (a little over 10mph/16kph) and heading for a major bridge support, which looks like this:

Now, I can't speak as to why they're shaped the way they're shaped, but considering all the ones I've seen are shaped relatively similarly, I suspect there's a good reason that likely includes wind and water and the way bridges like this wiggle and sway normally when there's wind/weather.

I think it's also worth looking at the two objects (ship vs bridge) up close. I'd only seen the video of the impact once, and it was filmed in the dark from relatively far away. Similarly, a lot of the photos are bird's eye view, which makes both things look small, but the bridge was over a mile and a half long. I think it's worth seeing the ship in comparison to the bridge post impact to compare sizes when you're up closer:

So, I may not be able to explain the structure of the bridge support, but I CAN fully agree with the above, that there really wasn't any way a bridge support wasn't succumbing to that ship upon impact. It's just too big, and too heavy. Figuring out the logistics of actually stopping something THAT large very quickly (and doing so SAFELY, as you can see some of the containers have shifted/fallen over) is beyond the vast majority of people.

That being said, like the second OP suggested, you can find your senators here and your house reps here, if you want to contact them regarding this issue. As of a day ago, Biden called for the federal government to cover the cost of rebuilding the bridge, but it requires approval from congress- the people you would be contacting to say you want them to support Biden's call for the federal government to pay to replace the bridge as quickly as possible.

There is some pretty shocking footage out there of the Baltimore bridge collapse early this morning. I've already seen some incredibly wrong, incredibly insensitive Hot Takes about how shitty the bridge was to have fallen after being bonked by a boat, etc

Please don't be that person.

The facts will come out. Speculation is silly. In addition to loss of life, the Francis Scott Key bridge was a major arterial in that region's highway system. Its loss will be felt for years, and not just to daily commuters.

Baltimore harbor is closed. No shipping at all. This will impact supply chains in ways we cannot even assess yet.

It's pretty fucked up.

[blissfulvixen]

My quotes/mantras for 2025

• “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” -Mae West

• “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” -Marilyn Monroe

• “Your self respect has to be stronger than your feelings” -Thewizardliz

• "Discipline is remembering what you want." -David Campbell

• “What are you? To define is to limit.” -Oscar Wilde

• “The universe will never give you peace in something you were never meant to settle in.”

• “Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from.” -Kyle Freedman

• “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life.” -Jean-Luc Picard

[isak-dot-gov]

Hi could you do a Emily Engstler x reader one where Emily freaks out because she can’t find her wedding ring after a game?

Lost and Found

Pairing: Emily Engstler x Reader

Word count: 1139

My Masterlist :)

...................................................................

The locker room buzzes with post-game excitement, the echo of laughter and congratulations bouncing off the walls as Emily sits in front of her locker, her fingers trembling. She should be on top of the world—her team just won a nail-biter, and she played one of the best games of her career. But none of that matters right now. 

Her hands frantically search through her duffel bag, pushing aside her jersey and gear. Sweat still clings to her skin, but her mind isn't on the game anymore. It's on the small, irreplaceable object that's nowhere to be found.

Her wedding ring.

“Come on… no, no, no,” she mutters to herself, pulling out the contents of her bag for what feels like the hundredth time. Emily looks under the bench, around the locker, checking every possible place it could have fallen. Her heart races, panic rising with each passing second. She feels sick.

"Everything okay, Em?" one of her teammates calls over as they head for the showers.

Emily forces a nod, plastering on a weak smile. "Yeah, yeah. All good," she lies, her voice tight. 

But it’s not. It’s the opposite of good. She can’t find her wedding ring, the ring you had placed on her finger in one of the happiest moments of her life. And now it’s gone. How could she lose it? She knows she was wearing it before the game—she always does, tucking it safely into her pocket before warm-ups. She had checked like always. So where did it go?

The locker room empties, leaving Emily alone with her thoughts. She slumps onto the bench, her elbows resting on her knees, head in her hands. You’re waiting for her outside, excited to see her after the game. And she’s going to have to face you without the ring.

How can she explain it to you? What if you’re hurt? What if you think she doesn’t care enough? A pit forms in her stomach as the fear tightens around her chest. The ring isn’t just jewellery—it’s a promise. A tangible symbol of your love and commitment. Losing it feels like more than just a careless mistake; it feels like a betrayal of everything it stands for.

Emily tries to swallow the lump in her throat as she gets up and slings her duffel over her shoulder. She needs to leave. Maybe if she retraces her steps tomorrow morning, she’ll find it somewhere on the court or in the gym. But right now, she can’t delay any longer. You’re waiting for her, and no matter how much she dreads the conversation, she has to face you.

As she pushes open the door to the hallway, she sees you standing there, beaming. You’re holding her favourite post-game drink in one hand and your smile, full of pride and love, makes her heart clench with guilt. 

“Hey, babe! You were incredible out there!” you greet her, throwing your arms around her in a warm hug. “Seriously, you killed it!”

Emily hugs you back, but you can feel how tense her body is, like she’s distracted by something else. Her usual post-game glow, the one she always gets from the adrenaline and excitement, is missing. When she pulls away, her expression is off—she’s not herself.

You tilt your head, watching her carefully. “Everything okay?”

Emily opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. She’s struggling, her gaze dropping down to her hands. And that’s when you see it—her bare finger. 

“Emily… where’s your ring?” you ask, your voice soft and concerned.

She winces, as if the question stings her more than you could know. She looks away, unable to meet your eyes. “I—I don’t know. I can’t find it,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I must’ve lost it during the game or something, and I’ve been looking everywhere… I’m so sorry.”

Your heart clenches when you see how broken up she is. She’s never been good at hiding her emotions, especially not from you. Her shoulders are slumped, and she’s gripping the strap of her bag like it’s a lifeline, her knuckles white.

“Baby, it’s okay,” you say gently, reaching out to take her hand. “It’s just a ring.”

“But it’s not just a ring,” Emily says quickly, her voice thick with emotion. “It’s our ring. The one you gave me. It’s supposed to mean something, and I—fuck, how could I lose it? I shouldn't have taken it off. I was so scared to tell you, and now—” She cuts herself off, frustration mingling with fear in her eyes. 

“Hey, look at me,” you say softly, cupping her face in your hands. Emily hesitates but finally meets your gaze, her eyes wide and anxious. “I love you. That’s what the ring means, right? That love is still here, with or without it. Losing the ring doesn’t change anything between us.”

Emily blinks at you, her lips parting slightly, like she’s trying to take in your words. “But I was so afraid you’d be mad. It’s like… it’s like losing part of you, and I—” 

“I’m not mad,” you say, rubbing your thumbs along her cheeks in soothing circles. “I’d never be mad about something like this. Rings can be replaced. What matters is us. We’re still here. You’re still my wife, with or without a ring.”

Tears prick at the corners of Emily’s eyes, her body slowly relaxing under your touch. “You don’t deserve this,” she says quietly, shaking her head. “You deserve someone who isn’t so careless.”

You shake your head and pull her into a tight hug, her face buried in your shoulder. “Don’t say that, Em. You’re not careless. You’re one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever known. And we’ll find the ring. Or we’ll get a new one. None of that matters as much as you do.”

Emily’s grip around you tightens, and you can feel the tension leaving her as she exhales deeply, her breath warm against your skin. “You really are too good to me,” she murmurs, her voice muffled.

You laugh softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m just as lucky to have you. Now come on, let’s go home. We can come back tomorrow and look for the ring. I’m sure it’s somewhere.”

Emily pulls back, a small, grateful smile on her face. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Good thing you’ll never have to find out,” you tease lightly, taking her hand in yours as you lead her toward the exit.

As the two of you walk out of the arena, hand in hand, Emily feels lighter than she has since the moment she noticed the ring was gone. She still hopes she’ll find it, but for now, she knows she hasn’t lost the most important thing—your love.

...........................................................

[blogandmablog]

"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."

📺 "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

[agenericplaceholdername]

This is actually really interesting to consider -- I'm not sure if you meant this as a prompt for discussion or not, but I suppose based on the length of this response I had some thoughts to say. I'm not sure I believe all the arguments made here, but just an alternate perspective.

To be fair to Lloyd, despite the years since S5, only in S7 does he actually try to be a master (which he succeeds at by the end of the season) and at no point does he take on students (until DR).

As for learning Spinjitzu, the Ninja learn Spinjitzu in the pilots by doing the training course a couple of times and suddenly "the key is ready to be found" when they fight the skeletons. Lloyd learns Spinjitzu after 0 training (he complains to Kai, "When will I learn Spinjitzu?" in the same episode* that he does Spinjitzu for the first time, with zero Spinjitzu training in between** -- must be a Green Ninja thing). Nya learns Spinjitzu off screen - and it's unclear how long this took (although she had been training on the same course as the Pilots Ninja and had been able to do Spinjitzu when possessed by the Overlord). We know it took weeks for Wu to teach Aspheera Spinjitzu.

Much like Sora, Lloyd and Nya also take a whole season to reach their true potentials through Wu's training. Meanwhile, the other four unlock the true potentials only after Wu leaves them. And despite Wu's demands to train, it's only the competition to become the Green Ninja and the later threat of the Serpentine that forces Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane back into shape to begin with. Meanwhile, Lloyd learns from his mistake of directly copying Wu in "Crossroads Carnival" (S1, E3) and lightens up, causing Sora to be slightly more open to training in the first place.

I'm not entirely sure what's up with Arin's Spinjitzu, given that after learning it from Ras's teachings, there are red shatterspin-esque particles in it. We also never see Frak do Spinjitzu, so it seems like what prevented Arin from doing Spinjitzu was not an inability to do the technique (if it was, then Frak would know the technique as well) but some sort of mental block which Arin conquered or suppressed by accepting Ras's teachings of "taking from life what you need" and "forcing the world to work the way you want it to."

Lloyd's students also do learn quite a bit from him, with the Ras fight in "The Battle of the Second Monastery" (the S1P1 finale) designed to show how far they've come by beating the adversary who took them out easily in the season premiere. Season 2 walks back on this with Arin upset about how little he's progressed. That being said, while Lloyd doesn't teach him Spinjitzu, Arin still has learned from Lloyd. Ras tells him he hasn't gotten any better from their first fight, but he's lying. When Ras first fights Arin, he stops Arin's kick with one hand and throws him to the ground, ending the fight in under five seconds. When Ras fights Arin in "The Forest of Spirits" (S2, E9), he still beats Arin with ease, but Arin is far more resilient and Ras uses his hammer against an unarmed opponent. Lloyd also helps motivate Sora in the Tournament of Sources and (sorta) provides her with the wisdom that helps her win the whole thing.

Kai might be a better teacher - I'm not sure. He doesn't teach Lloyd Spinjitzu (he learns that on his own) and I don't know how much credit he gets for training Lloyd generally (since the rest of the Ninja were involved with that). I don't think he trains anyone after that (minus him telling young Wu to be confident in S9) up until S15, where he's teaching a class of children to "obliterate your enemy before they see you coming" (excessive force)***. He dislikes this so much that when Cole and Zane show up, he leaves with them despite having a kindergarten class later that day. I hope their parents got their money back. He then trains Wyldfyre (on Lloyd's advice) and does successfully teach her self-control. However, much like Lloyd with Arin and Sora, he doesn't teach her Spinjitzu.

Incidentally, both Kai and Lloyd are able to train villages to defend themselves (Kai and Lloyd in S11, Lloyd -- with Arin -- in DRS1).

The show has been building to a contrast between Lloyd and Ras's teaching styles since S2P1, with some focus in S2P2 (thanks to Frak), but now that Arin is with Ras, I'd hope that the writers are planning to address what specifically Lloyd did wrong and how he can learn from it. Right now it seems like Lloyd is a bad master for unspecified reasons -- did he not push his students hard enough? Did he put too much pressure on Arin to be "the greatest of all the Ninja"?**** Was he too overprotective (see him going with Arin and Sora to Imperium vs Wu who intentionally sent the Ninja on missions alone)? Was he not receptive enough to their concerns (like Arin wanting to find his parents)? Is he unwilling to be critical when needed (unlike Egalt)? All of these are potential options but the narrative doesn't pick one, so I get the frustration.

FWIW, my view on it is that Lloyd's biggest asset (and what caused him to lose Arin) is that he views the Ninja (including his students) as his family. He is protective of his family, he inspires them but also puts them on a pedestal, he avoids being critical, etc. This is what ensures Sora feels accepted and ultimately willing to tell her parents that she "has a new family now ... that loves me for who I truly am," unlocking her true potential. Meanwhile, Arin saw the Ninja as a symbol, a symbol of hope -- if they could come back, so could his parents. As he spends more time with them, his greatest fear isn't just that he'll disappoint his parents when he finds them, but that he'll view the Ninja as his family instead of them (S2, E3). Arin leaves for a bunch of reasons, only some of them related to Lloyd, but fundamentally, he becomes fixated on his "real" family, while Lloyd and the rest of them are an imperfect substitute. Ras would never pretend to be family to Arin; their relationship is purely transactional. The story isn't about Lloyd's way of demonstrating how to punch vs Ras's, it's about the difference between them as people -- caring vs efficiency, patience vs force, etc. I hope (assume?) that S3 develops this.

In addition, the closest we get in S2 as to the difference in philosophy between Lloyd and Ras is that Ras thinks people (ie Lloyd) are too busy passively waiting for the world to harmonize. I doubt Lloyd is supposed to learn that Ras is right about this - but a synthesis of those teachings -- one must accept the motion of the universe with a more proactive approach (helping shape the flow of that motion) -- might be the move.

----------------------------------

*Pirates vs Ninja (S2, E2)

**the closest thing we see is him randomly unlocking super strength while training with Jay

***Farewell the Sea (S15, E1)

****(DRS2, E6)

Maybe Lloyd just shouldn't be a master.

He's clearly not very good at it. He's been trying it since season 5, and his first real students both take FOREVER to make any progress. Sora takes a whole season to unlock her powers, but apparently isn't taught spinjitzu in any of that time- the literal first thing we see taught to any of our characters in the original show. Arin somehow makes backwards progress with Lloyd, and then after doing like three poses with his friend seems to get it instantly.

Like... seems like he's just not very good at teaching. Maybe he should hand the position over to Kai, he's got a natural knack for it, a lot more experience, and a much higher success rate as far as I'm concerned. Master Kai for the win.

[alverrann]

All right, I couldn't stop thinking about how cute s2e21 “Peak Performance” is, so here's my quick post gushing abt it.

How Picard is like "No my Number One is the best shut up and watch" the whole episode - he's so protective and then so smug when Riker does well

How Data has his little self-confidence crisis - bad enough that Deanna and Pulaski are like "no but fr he's depressed and yr basically his dad pls talk to him"

The talk itself, which is amazing advice regardless of whether ur an android or not

How the war games are almost like a little field trip where Riker goes to all of his friends to be like "but u are coming, right?"

Esp the bit where he goes to Geordi and is like "It's a really old ship and I'm gonna need someone I can trust-" And Geordi just goes,

"I'm already packed."

The whole bit with him asking for an extra crewmember and then choosing Wes, and the way Wesley's face lights up 😭

Him convincing Worf, and then making him the first officer!

And Wesley basically cheating, to which both Riker and Geordi are like ... okay, cool

The whole episode is definitely one of my favorites and the ending is just *chef's kiss*

Pulaski: "Then you have beaten him!"

Data; "It is a matter of perspective, Doctor. In the strictest sense, I did not win."

Pulaski and Troi: "Data ..."

Data: "I busted him up."

And the way Picard is like "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose, Data. That is not a weakness, that is life." Goes so hard unironically

Just fr one of my fav episodes

Featuring Quark as a Ferengi pirate

[traegorn]

this to me looks like a condemnation of america and its misogyny + racism. major news outlets blaming the democratic party or harris' campaign doesn't make sense. i'm a leftist who convinced fellow leftists to vote for harris instead of sitting out. but even then i'm pretty damn sure our numbers aren't enough to account for this. prominent leftist creators saying this is on the dems and not the fault of the voters, saying they "tried to warn everybody". of what? that young, left-leaning voters can't be relied on?

anyone who sees the results across the board and thinking it means jthat kamala harris wasn't radical enough? is absolutely insane to me.

Based on the turnout and voting numbers, I think it's very clear that part of it is misogyny and racism paired with people who no longer felt in active peril staying home.

It's frustrating as fuck.

Honestly Harris ran a good campaign. I don't think she screwed up at all. Not to quote Star Trek in a time of seriousness, but "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."

[nevesmose]

I don't know anywhere near enough about Sanguinius to metaphorically crochet him into a little finger puppet for my primarch fics but how about a little baseless speculation about him and Fulgrim? Please note that this is all based on how I view them in the universe of my silly little stories and is in no way a claim about knowing how they are in canon / lore.

I would probably a) portray Sanguinius as a genuinely sweet adorable cinnamon roll too precious for this world and b) have Fulgrim utterly loathe him because of this.

I tend to write Fulgrim as being a pleasant and charming person who, deep down, is about 50% a deeply broken overthinking ultra-perfectionist and 50% really jealous and vindictive. Please understand that this isn't me saying he's just evil and always was because it really really isn't. It's entirely possible for someone with these traits to function perfectly well in society and not be a bad person in any meaningful sense.

However.

One of his formative experiences as a primarch was almost losing his entire legion due to the Blight corrupted geneseed that almost wiped them out right at the start.

He had to build them up himself from nothing with the constant threat of annihilation both in the sense that "if I fuck up a war and lose however-many thousand Astartes in a terrible accident on the double-ended dildo planet I have no reserves or replacements" and also "every use of our geneseed is a gamble against the horrific mutation coming back and destroying us all over again". In that context the solution he turns to, and the only one that probably makes sense based on his prior experience on Chemos, is perfection.

Make no mistakes, ever, anywhere, because the cost of failure is incalculable, even if it means committing science-treason so you can purge all weakness from your own space dudes. It's not a desire for perfection based on arrogance, although he is of course immensely arrogant in a lot of ways, but one motivated deep down by fear.

People like to clown on Fulgrim based on Jaghatai's infamous "I hear you do strange things to your warriors 😂👌" sick burn, but to be honest, viewed from his context, what Fulgrim's doing is somewhat understandable.

That is if we assume that the Khan isn't just making a cheap insult but rather is implying he knows a lot more than would be preferable about Fabius dicking around with Astartes genetics in order to detect and eliminate carriers of the corrupted gene-seed so that the III Legion, one of the smallest of all numerically, can still survive. And then a lot of other things too because, like Fabius could believably say in one of the weirder McNeill stories, forbidden science is akin to the ancient Terran delicacy known as Pringles. Once you pop you can't stop.

With that in mind it feels like a lot of Fulgrim's post-heresy actions, not just the snake orgies but the general distance and lack of care for his sons, comes from revelling in just finally being free of that level of stress and pressure weighing down on him at all times. Even Perturabo doesn't withdraw from the Iron Warriors that much and he's a dick.

Anyway, back to pre-heresy days. He has all this going on and then in comes Sanguinius with his giant fucking angel wings who everyone loves and who turned his legion into One Direction (not really but you know... perceptions vs reality and no one in this setting actually communicates with one another since they'd probably have a lot in common regarding fears of being mutants etc)

It's the kind of thing that I think would feel like a dagger in the heart to someone like Fulgrim. Directly highlighting and literally embodying all of his fears about mutation and imperfection and yet somehow appearing to get away with it while he has to exercise constant control and do horrible things simply in order for his legion to exist.

So for that reason I think he would absolutely hate Sangy and do everything he could to undermine him.

"Oh no, brother! I've accidentally spilled this entire Big Gulp cup of bright red Tizcan wine all over your beautiful white wings, and only moments before you were due to make a speech to ten million people about how wonderful the Imperium is! Let me help you clean it up."

And then he pulls out a Looney Tunes sized bottle labelled Fabius's Finest Molt-O-Matic Guaranteed Feather Remover and starts spraying it on him.

[hetafice]

Hi! Could I request the allies with an overworked s/o? Thanks!

hi! as usual reply is beneath the cut.

America:

It could go one of two ways with Alfred.

Alfred’s solution to the problem may just be to have you quit your job and find a new one.

As someone who gets paid to occasionally loaf off, he might not understand whatever incentivized you to stay at a job you weren’t completely in love with. In his eyes, if your job is too boring or too hard, just leave!

And should you try to explain that you do enjoy your job, just not the overbearing workload, he would be at even more of a loss. 

Another possibility is that you both end up being overworked together and forming a sort of late-night ritual where you work side by side. Sometimes talking, sometimes complaining, sometimes eating, sometimes sitting in comfortable silence as you both hustle to meet a deadline.

Although he is free by nature, Alfred is also keenly aware of just how constraining responsibility can be. To complete his duties to the fullest, he can also lose himself in pursuit of perfection. As someone who’s constantly moving the goalpost for himself, it’s sometimes difficult for him to slow down, to pace himself. As such instead of encouraging you to leave a situation that does not suit you, he might instead choose to remind you of your commitments and why you chose them in the first place.

He isn’t a complete robot, however. He understands the toll that hard work and sacrifice bring, so he’ll try and do something nice to take your mind off of things. It would likely involve one of his favourite coping mechanisms - food. Expect him to either drop food in front of you while you work at random increments or to be pushed into the car and accompany him to the closest fast food drive-in window.

Russia:

To Ivan, there is no such thing as success without a little bit of blood, sweat, and tears. While he may sympathize with you on some level, he believes that struggle is a necessary part of working hard and actualizing one’s dreams; and that to aid someone along the way is just to coddle them. 

On one level, you are someone he deeply cares for, and so he does not wish for you to suffer. However, he also knows from personal experience that without learning the lessons that come out of hard work, you are likely to take things for granted and make simple mistakes in the process of completing your goals. To help you at all would teach you that weakness can still beget success, which would not only then inspire weakness in your future endeavours and prime you for failure, but also place a massive target on your back.

In his eyes, weakness of any kind is ripe for exploitation and is to be avoided at all costs.

Besides, given his history, he knows that people can get pushed and pulled far beyond their limits before they break, so consider this a sort of litmus test. How far can you be pushed before you can’t take anymore? Where do your limits actually lie?

Canada:

Matthew has likely experienced the same things before and is naturally empathetic, so he is a great person to confide in in this scenario.

He would try his utmost best to ease your burdens in whatever capacity he could. If you were busy with work or school, he would compensate for that by doing most, if not all the work around the house. He would check up on you throughout the day to see if you need help with any tasks or even just a general morale boost.

He is more than happy to lend a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. His advice is usually pretty sound, and he could help you think of ways to better organize your time and/or minimize your workload. If that isn’t an option he could offer various mindfulness and wellness tips to help you keep sane until your workload naturally tapers off.

China:

With his work ethic and general philosophy on life, Yao would push you to be stronger, go harder, and do more. 

In his eyes, hard work is a unanimously good thing. If you are feeling overworked it means you're just coming closer to another limitation that can be surpassed. You may be dealing with uncomfortable feelings, but this discomfort will teach you a lesson and lead to character growth. What bad has ever come of that?

To be completely honest, he may very well be the one overworking you. 

If you are enduring mistreatment in the workplace, or it looks like things may be too much for you, he may try to offer a few words of advice. He would propose that the knowledge this experience would give you was well worth all the struggle, that it would likely aid in cultivating your character, and that you shouldn’t let an opportunity like this slip through your fingers; or worse yet, quit right before the finish line.

Should your body start to take a toll from the overwork, he would offer reminders to take care of your health, but his general stance would not change. Yao is not the type to intervene when things like duty and honor are concerned.

France:

Francis would not understand why you would willingly put yourself through this.

If it’s getting to be too much, why not just leave your responsibilities behind? If your superiors are giving you too many assignments, why not raise hell about it? Meekly sitting in silence is doing nothing to help the problem, and only teaches others that they can walk all over you. Why not just take a few weeks of leave and lounge around with him?

If for some reason, the prospect of potentially missing out on opportunities in favour of spending uninterrupted time with this man is not your style (shocking, I know), he would support you in your endeavours and try his best to help you unwind at the end of every day. He would make sure you ate regularly and continued to sleep well, while also providing you with as much wine as you needed to get you through it.

England:

As he has matured, Arthur has gotten better at consoling people. With that being said, he’s still not the best at it.

Expect an awkward, albeit endearing pep talk coupled with a bit of well-intentioned advice.

He may not be the best with words, but he’s the most concerned when he sees signs of physical exhaustion in you. Despite finding it a bit awkward to voice his concern for you, he’s seemingly always nearby with a cup of tea for you and refuses to head to bed unless he knows you are right behind him.

He’s more than willing to accompany you on those restless nights. Sitting beside you, either reading a book or getting ahead on a few of his assignments. He still remembers his younger days when he frequently worked late into the night. At the time, he secretly wished for a companion, and so now he happily fulfills that same role for you. 

A part of him also feels less worried knowing that should things go on for too long, he can step in and stop you before you work yourself too hard.

[blogauroragloryme]

Yesterday I was scrolling through Pinterest and stumbled into many fan art depicting Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling. JC taking care of JL as a month old baby ,then as a toddler,etc etc...

It reminded me that we never really give much credit to JC for raising JL. I mean sure JGY also played a part , but JC's affection and concern for JL is unbeatable. There was this fanart where JC is actually holding a very tiny JL , trying to figure out how to feed him , then how to change his clothes and all the things that involves taking care of a newborn. The expressions depicted in JC's face just made me ache. I mean just imagine the pain of losing his sister, brother in law and WY(cmon I know despite of JC's love and hate relationship with WY, there definitely must be a part in his heart that must be aching) fresh in his mind , having to take care of a new born , which you have zero idea about. You have to build your sect ,you don't have anyone else to rely on. You can't show your weakness to anyone else. Even if you are damn tired , almost near a mental breakdown,you cannot falter ,you have a nephew and he doesn't have anyone else but you as a family. I would like to believe many a times when JC would be extremely tired and feeling hopeless,JL must be a source of his motivation to keep on.

(I can see a bit of parallelism here with LQR where both of them were young(baby of the house 🤭)and thrusted the responsibility of taking care of their respective nephews. They're not married,but with hit and trial,they are able to raise their nephews to be fine young men.)

Just imagining what would JC have taught JL for his first word. Would he insist that JL learn Mother first before anything. Imagining JC telling a toddler JL about how his parents were ,his mother ,his father,his grandmother and grandfather and about his Da-jiu(only till the time JL doesn't understand as soon as he would grow up ,he would stop telling JL about how the three of them used to enjoy Lotus pier).

And JL eventually learning to call Jiujiu.When JC and JL had their first fight how JC must have felt? Like he's been a strict person like his mother and how certain traits of his mother can be reflected in his upbringing of JL? And when JL got his first scrape after falling down,how worried JC must be? Ok there are so many what if's and possibilities to think about...

But I just wanted to mention that JC tried his very best to raise his nephew. Parenting can always have good and bad , that's what we can see ,but both of them share a loving bond.

I really wanted to write this appreciation post for JC. I know JC has committed horrible mistakes, which are inexcusable ,but still some fans are really very harsh in criticizing him. As much as I love WY ,I won't deny that in some instances I even fault WY ,for not understanding the bigger picture. For me the simple conclusion is that both of them had pride and anger and the result was disastrous. Some are more to blame for their actions,some are less,but the mistake was on both of their part's.

So yes he's a Sour purple grape lol ,but I really hope post canon,him and WY are able to find some semblance and common footing.

[seraphtrevs]

lalogus lalogus lalogus!

So this takes place in an AU where Gus never figured out that Nacho swapped Hector's pills, and Lalo still hasn't found Gus's secret lab. ***

The Invitation A girl was dancing on the spot where Max died.

Gustavo was normally able to avoid Don Eladio’s parties, but at least once a year, he received a summons he could not refuse. Don Eladio is especially looking forward to speaking with you, Juan Bolsa had said.

Which of course, had turned out to be a lie. Don Eladio had graced him with his attention for all of ten minutes, praising his numbers and encouraging him to keep up the good work, and then returned to his lust and gluttony. Don Eladio very much liked to enjoy himself. Right now, he had a blonde on one knee and a brunette on the other. He was laughing and calling for more tequila.

His decadence was a weakness. Gustavo would exploit it one day, when the time was right.

He glanced at his watch—the timing of his departure was of utmost importance. Too early would be an insult. Another twenty minutes or so. Then it would be safe.

Eladio’s girls encouraged him to his feet, enticing him to dance with them. They joined the girl who was dancing on the spot where Max died. Eladio groped the blonde’s breast and shoved his tongue in her mouth.

Gustavo wondered if Eladio enjoyed the idea of making him pay homage to him here—salt in the wound, a reminder of his power. Or perhaps Eladio had simply forgotten Max altogether. A man who committed so many cruelties could not be expected to keep track of them. Gustavo wasn’t sure which option hurt worse.

A slap to his back startled him. He turned and was confronted with the grinning face of Lalo Salamanca.

“Gus! So glad you made it—really good to see you here, man.”

Most of the time, Gustavo found it easy to maintain his bland, unassuming facade. Lalo’s presence always posed a challenge. “Good evening, Don Eduardo.”

“How many times do I have to tell you—call me Lalo!” He patted his back again. “You need a drink—I’ll be right back.”

There was no point in protesting. One last indignity to endure. Hopefully Lalo would lose interest in him quickly, but he somehow doubted it.

Lalo returned with two beers. He handed one to Gustavo, then clinked the bottles together. Gustavo took as small a sip as possible. Lalo took a much larger drink and then smacked his lips obnoxiously.

“So, what, you not having a good time?”

“I always enjoy Don Eladio’s hospitality,” he said carefully.

Lalo made a face. “Yeah, me neither,” he said. He gestured to the dancing girls. “Not really my scene. Not yours either, is it.” He winked.

Gustavo sucked in a tiny breath and held it for a count of five before he responded. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said in a miraculously mild tone.

“Uh-huh.” He took another long drink of his beer. They watched the girls dance for a few moments. Just when Gustavo thought that Lalo was losing interest, he spoke again. “Do you know what your mistake was?”

Gustavo tensed. “I don’t know what—”

“—you mean,” Lalo finished for him, then waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, you’ve used that line already. Your mistake was being in love. Guys like us, we can get away with a lot. But not that. Never that.” He dropped his voice and leaned in very close, his lips near Gustavo’s ear. “And I think there is very little chance of you ever loving me, yeah?” His voice rumbled like a cat’s purr.

Lalo slipped a piece of paper into the front pocket of Gustavo’s yellow shirt. “My tio has a house close to here. I’m leaving in twenty minutes.” And then he was gone, off to mingle with the crowd.

Gustavo made himself finish his beer before taking the paper from his pocket. On it was an address. Some sort of trap, was his first thought, but he dismissed it. He wasn’t entirely sure why—he should be suspicious. The Salamancas had plenty of reasons to want him dead. And what better way than to lure him away to some secluded spot?

But that was too obvious. Which was why Lalo had made the invitation—he knew that Gustavo would know that Lalo would never do something so inelegant.

So not a trap, then. That didn’t mean he had to accept the invitation. To have sex with a Salamanca—the thought repulsed him.

He met Lalo’s gaze from across the crowd. He was talking to one of the girls, but he was looking straight at Gustavo, his eyes filled with dark promise.

Well. Perhaps “repulsed” was not quite the right term. Still, it was madness. He would never agree.

On the other hand…was there not a certain appeal to fucking Hector Salamanca’s nephew in his own bed? He imagined describing it to Hector the next time he visited the nursing home. If it became a regular occurrence, perhaps he could arrange for some pictures to be taken.

Gustavo held Lalo’s gaze and inclined his head. Lalo’s face broke out in a truly devilish grin.

This was either a terrible mistake, or an excellent opportunity. It could be so difficult to tell the difference between the two.

[galene-gothic]

𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖨 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 ?

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊ I hope this reading found you in good health, every reblog is appreciated and thank you for everything :) ˖♡ ˎˊ˗ ꒰ 🐇 ꒱

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗             PAID SERVICES

Today we'll take a look at:

- how has the patriarchy affected you?

- what makes you such a worthy and respectable person?

- what were you made for?

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 1 ꒱

꒰ How has the patriarchy affected you ? ꒱

I think we're all aware of this but women and men function differently due to their hormonal cycles that are different. Yes, women are really capable of being hard workers and go getters, however, women burn out much easier at some point in the month. The patriarchal system has completely ignored that fact and even if women are dying from period pain, we're still supposed to work because otherwise we're deemed as 'weak' or 'lazy'. However, this has caused many women, including you to become very restless. You're constantly on the go and tend to burn yourself out. The patriarchy controls your mind a bit more than that of an average person's. You find yourself changing your mind and words regarding things very often, when engaging in conversations with men because you really value their validation (whether you're aware of it or not). Some of you have only guy friends because 'girls are too much drama'. While, it's not possible to be a 100% self aware.

You lack self awareness in general. You haven't improved yourself enough in terms of morals and character. Spiritually and emotionally, you're lacking. Due to how hard you seem to work, you might have accomplished a lot or have a lot of money but you're still very poor in terms of personal character. You've also become quite a thrill chaser, some of you do not understand how hook-up culture, friends with benefits, uncommitted relationships, situationships, etc. only benefit men. You also have a sense of hyper independence. You might end up providing for or spoiling men who you are not in committed relationship with you just because they make you feel excited but do not take any money from them because of that sense of hyper independence, just for them to disappoint you later and you feeling completely drained out. Some of you have fallen victim to trying to be a certain way (wife material) just to attract men, just to lose yourself in the end. Could be a temporary energy but is definitely driven by patriarchy.

꒰ What makes you a worthy and respectable person ? ꒱

You're at the end of a cycle. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have any friends because you seem to have gone through major and multiple disappointments, betrayals, heartbreaks and endings in the past one and a half year. Even though, you've lost your dignity and reputation, people tried to throw dirt on your name (probably because you made a few mistakes), you're building yourself back up. One thing about you is that even though you tend to completely burn yourself out, you know how to give yourself time to heal and recover. It's your time to start again, a fresh slate, a whole different book but you're making the most out of it. You know that you've hit the absolute low and now the only way is up. You have had really traumatising experiences at school, college or university. I'm getting that you have a lot of potential to grow. This reading is supposed to remind you that the end was not just the end, it was also a new beginning. Some of you might've considered throwing everything away, if you know what I'm suggesting but you chose to continue living, I'm really proud of you.

You're able to keep going even though there are times when you feel really alone, probably because you actually are. You lack the presence of supportive people in your life or did at some point of time and have gone through really hard times. Even though, you have the tendency to drown in your sadness, one thing you do know how to do is to look within yourself for answers, you tend to have epiphanies, you look into the past in order to move forward with a proper slate, you try to make sure you have learnt all the lessons in order to move forward. You've had a lot of selfish people around you who you gave a lot to. Those people seem to have pushed you under busses and trains though (metaphorically). However, you're able to take good care of yourself and know how to do well by yourself. You're learning how to put yourself first. You cannot be put into a box, you have different aspects of yourself that you tap into when necessary. You're also able to accept people for who they truly are, literally all aspects and sides of them. You have a thirst for knowledge but because of how you're constantly on the go, you might not have time to educate yourself which is causing you to feel untrue to yourself.

꒰ What were you made for ? ꒱

You were made for being original. One of the reasons why you are not in the best place is because of how you try to deny your true spirit and fit in instead or atleast tried. No one has ever understood you and you might have been considered to be an outcast for being different, so, it might be difficult but that's where you'll find true happiness. You're meant to change your views to be a bit taboo but still human and preach it to others, not through words but through actions. You're here to be understanding towards those who are similar to you. You're different from the majority and that's who you're supposed to be. The energy that I'm getting is that you have people around you who are misogynistic, racist, religious to the point of hatred towards others, etc. so unintentionally, you end up denying your own morals in order to fit in with them.

You were meant to be open minded and listen to different opinions. You were meant to be rebellious, and break the toxic cycle of oppression masked as 'traditions'. You were made to question things and try to cause necessary changes instead of being like "it is what it is" or "atleast, women don't have it as bad as in the '80s." There's a chance that you're an activist, freedom fighter or have a similar energy. You're supposed to challenge power and authority in order to help the weaker ones. You were here to create a better earth. If you're one of the people who forces your religious beliefs onto others and hates on people with a different religion, this pile is not for you or atleast you're supposed to outgrow that energy. I'd be surprised if you guys even had a religion, to be honest. You were here to fight for freedom and break past restrictions, it likely started with your childhood home or family, maybe you had to fight in order to be a person of your own.

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 2 ꒱

꒰ How has the patriarchy affected you ? ꒱

You tend to have ingenuine platonic relationships with girls. It's like, both of you dislike each other and you both know you dislike each other but act like you do not dislike each other to each other's faces, even though you both know that the other knows that you kind of dislike them. People who hate you tend to comment "so gorgeous" to your posts and you've been guilty of doing the same thing in the past too. If you still do it, please grow out of it. You have a hard time trusting girls, tend to keep secrets and are really private which causes girls to be cautious of you. You take responsibility for men's shit and believe you need to earn worthiness in other people's lives. You might have a belief that you'll only be worthy if you earn a certain amount of money or look a certain way. You care about other people's emotions, including the men surrounding you but even when they do not give a shit about your feelings, you still feel guilty.

I'm getting you being like "but I don't want to hurt him" even though he made you sleep on the couch in your own house, you paid for every date, he did/said things to break you down and continued entertaining other people. You tend to neglect one aspect of your life for another and even though I'm not being able to pinpoint how, it is a product of patriarchy. Either, you already have or need to decenter men because it seems to be ruining your life. You've learnt how to stay quiet and hold back especially when it comes to men because they could do potentially dangerous things to you or because you center them and are too scared to speak out. You might come from an area where the difference in treatment between men and women is really evident, due to which you might've not gotten the same opportunities as men or have seen older women not getting the same opportunities as men. You tend to question yourself a lot, hesitate, doubt your skills and worthiness, etc. My advice is to decenter men and build yourself instead.

꒰ What makes you a worthy and respectable person ? ꒱

You're going through an internal transformation and are kind of having an existential crisis. You question your beliefs and values. You might have a tendency to cling onto the past though. However, you're releasing and starting fresh. I think you're starting to understand the importance of a stable foundation at this point of time. Mentally, you tend to be scared of changes but are starting to learn how to let go. You're also able to put your ego aside in order to be true with and to yourself. You might've recently gotten out of a toxic and abusive relationship or friendship, it doesn't have to be physically abusive but they did use you for their own personal reasons while neglecting you as a person. You're finally able to realise what doesn't serve you and release those things and people. You are also learning how to accept yourself and not believe that you're a bad person just because of a few mistakes that you made. You're learning how to be independent and gain control over your life.

You have a really selfless side that was misused, however, you're learning how to not shame yourself over it. You're also able to avoid distractions, differentiate between what's good and what's not, and move forward with your life. You're self controlled and in touch with the darker aspects of yourself, so many of you are doing shadow work or should start doing it, very beneficial for you. You respect other people's differences. You're realising that love is supposed to be mutual and you deserve to receive the love that you give out to others. You're also very loyal once you trust or love people enough. You value deep connections and understand that being deeply loved is always better than being widely liked. You don't treat uglier or foreign people in a bad way, you respect everyone as long as they respect you and you're able to show respect. You're good at bonding with people and expressing love to others, this might've caused you to be victimised and used in the past but you're learning how to turn it into a strength.

꒰ What were you made for ? ꒱

You likely need a lot of alone time. You were made for a peaceful life and also to provide that space for others. You were made to teach others that they are allowed to take care of themself in order to heal. Some of you could like or study psychology. You were made to contemplate life and grow as a person. Meditating could make you feel closer to yourself. You'll likely have periods in your life where you'll be popular and well liked until you fall and are looked down on, you're supposed to make the most out of those moments. You might be power and fame hungry actually, your true sense of happiness will come only when you understand that developing your character is better than chasing fame. You'll have to learn how to feel successful on the inside.

You might achieve success later in life or atleast when you've learnt how to not function on ego, when you let go of arrogance. You're supposed to build confidence, character and self esteem first, otherwise, no matter how successful you'll get, it'll fall apart. You'll have a lot of realisations and private victories. Also, you'll have to learn how to not go broke while trying to look rich. You'll have a lot of unrequited love experiences, I wouldn't be shocked if you've already undergone a few of them. You're supposed to learn how to not pass blame and be a little less reasonable with toxic people. You'll learn so much through love, heartbreaks and experiences. Most of your heartbreaks will be through situationships. You'll have to go through extremes of personality and situations in order to learn and help people younger than you.

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 3 ꒱

꒰ How has the patriarchy affected you ? ꒱

This pile at some point has been guilty of being proud about dating someone popular or something along those lines, if not, you pretend to be happy and content in order to make other women jealous, you might not be aware of it but if you deeply reflect, you'll find this to be true. You understand how being in touch with the correct or well reputed men will increase your value in other women's eyes. If not, other women try to do that to you. Regardless of whether you know it or not, you tend to see other women as competition and vice versa. You know how to make the most out of patriarchy. You're a hardworker and run after success. I feel like patriarchy has caused you to hate men because you have learnt a lot and understood how it works and how most men are incapable of empathising with stuff.

You might show an attitude to men or not give them the time of the day, atleast most men. The way you seem to be living life is with a "when men do it, it's alright but when I do it, it's not? fuck it!" mindset. You love seeing women putting men to their place, it gives you an odd satisfaction. There have been times when misogyny and men have made you feel really powerless and incapable. You were also mentally and emotionally all over the place. You might come from a place where men are babied but really young girl children are expected to be all responsible. I feel like men around you act like they know more, they're smarter when in reality, you've always had to dumb yourself in order to make them feel better about themself. I'm sorry but that's all that I'm getting here. I hope this energy is temporary because while patriarchy sucks, there are good men around !!

꒰ What makes you a worthy and respectable person ? ꒱

You're able to accept that people have different beliefs (as long as they have good morals) and will have different life journeys. You naturally seem to attract a lot of envy if I'm honest. You know how to work in a team despite fights and arguments. At this point, you also tend to avoid unnecessary fights and competitions. You don't enjoy conflict. You're able to make decisions for yourself and know how to come to a middle ground with people. You tend to go through an internal conflict whenever you do something wrong. You're sensitive to small details but that's because of your detail oriented eyes. You try your best to organise your thoughts, and know how and when to use intellect against people. You're quite demanding. You should be careful with words and more expressive, there are people who tend to be worried about you because they care about you. You guys have pretty straight forward yet refined speech.

You could be seen as someone unkind but that doesn't stop you from trying to make wise decisions. You've gotten rid of a victim mindset and have developed a winner mindset instead. You have realisations and breakthroughs that you use in order to become a better person. You're really resilient and try to develop yourself as a person. You're honest and very clear when communicating. You should learn how to plan things and write them down though. You're very intelligent and witty. You have a vision for the future and have great imagination. Emotionally, you try to express your positive feelings truthfully. Success finds you everywhere because of your mindset, you know how to take lessons and move forward. I think you have the tendency to come off cold though, almost as if you're speaking without emotions but only because you're really honest instead of feeding into delusions. You're able to overcome any obstacle thrown your way, especially if it affects you emotionally. Truly, proud of you guys, continue going !!

꒰ What were you made for ? ꒱

You were made for happiness. You are supposed to learn how to build things for yourself and appreciate what you have. You're supposed to be wise and self disciplined, and teach the same things to younger girls. You're supposed to help others navigate life through your actions and also your words when they come to you asking for advice. You were born to live a comfortable life so naturally I don't think you tolerate bullshit as much as the last two piles. You are meant to have more than enough of everything and help others with it. You're supposed to be successful while doing exactly what it is that you wish to do. At some point, you're supposed to lack confidence and build it gradually. You were too naive in the past which caused you a lot of trouble. You're supposed to build a comfort zone for yourself after stepping out of your previous one.

You're supposed to learn how to not be reckless but also how to not lose opportunities while playing safe. You're supposed to teach how to have fun to young girls who had to grow up too fast. You're supposed to learn how to not cry over spilt milk. One emotion that you seem to have felt throughout your life is guilt, you are here to learn how to help people through tough experiences. You're supposed to experience negative feelings and learn how to deal with them and find happiness. You're also supposed to give hope to others is what I'm getting. You're supposed to teach others how to think about the worst in order to stay realistic while still not expect it or let it worry you too much. You'll see a lot of betrayals in this lifetime, even if it's not you experiencing them first hand. You're supposed to learn how to trust in love again.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

A lesson we can all learn about Kaiju No. 8 is that it is stupid to frame needing help with shame and it'd get us all killed.

Kafka is proud of his ability to help others even if only a little. If you think about it, he taught it to Mina in the way he was acting so proud and cool of him supporting her. Mina is still struggling to understand it, tho. So it's Kafka, to be fair.

The thing is that the prodigies and no-prodigies of the Third Division learned from him in the blink of an eye. Reno himself learned from him on a day and proceeded to continue to follow his example through the story. Kikoru —who was taught to be overwhelming, perfect and self-reliant— was able to overcome her insecurities and traumas when she admitted she wanted the praise of others and their help too.

When the new generation of the Third Division showed up all proud to open a path for Kafka to reach Mina, it was Kafka who made it possible. When they first met, Kafka's focus was on helping them, guide them, and open a path for them. He make it look heroic, not weak. How can they be ashamed of supporting the guy who revealed his identity to save the entire Third Division, even when he knew they could kill him for it? How can they not think of Kafka as a cool hero? A role model? Someone to aspire to be like?

They taught that lesson back to him when they all showed up and showed him that they were strong and capable of having his back.

Jugo was in freaking tears when he realized the rookies wouldn't commit the same mistakes his generation committed, like with Hikari. They were not blind to their comrades' needs or struggles. In fact, they were more than ready to cover any flaw or mistake with their presence, at any moment.

Kafka is not the only example and not the only member of the Defense Corps who aspires to not lose a single soul in battle. BUT he is kinda the one responsible for erasing the shame of being on the sidelines or being the one helping, for once.

[mephistopheles]

literally picard was right it IS possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. that IS not a weakness that IS life

[warpfactorseven]

multiples of 6 for star trek asks!!

Thanks so much!!! :D

6. Favorite TNG quote?

"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness, that is life." (Jean-Luc Picard)

12. Best captain?

I don't think there's really a wrong answer to this question since every on-screen captain has unique strengths. Picard is my personal favorite because of his determination and belief in the best parts of humanity.

18. Which character would you want to vacation with on Risa?

JADZIA DAX FOR SURE

24. Favorite TOS scene?

Honestly I think the scene that sticks with me the most is Edith Keeler's death in City on the Edge of Forever. Something about the emotional culmination of Kirk and Spock reuniting with Bones immediately followed by tragedy is so *chefs kiss*.

30. Would you give up the captain’s chair for a shot at admiralty?

I don't think I would! I've never been particularly interested in upper management.

36. What is the worst fate you can imagine for your ship?

Probably some kind of pointless death or limbo. Like being stuck in the void(s) from Voyager would absolutely suck. Or maybe the weird sexy illness from The Naked Time Now that makes everyone stupid themselves to death.

42. Favorite TNG episode?

It's an extremely close tie between Data's Day and the Time's Arrow two-part episode (I know that's technically three episodes but it's so hard to choose lol).