#(i know this is minimal information so if anyone wants to know more i'd be more than happy to talk about it!)

[bookwyrminspiration]

hey btw ayyám-i-há is coming up in a little over a month and it's the time of the year to give gifts, for generosity and hospitality and such. I don't really have a point but like...if anyone wanted an excuse to gift things/support each other while also learning about another culture...mayhaps we could celebrate together...haha unless

[longhardtransitionreturns]

Author's note: This is birth and medical fiction. It's all fake, just a fantasy. Of course I don't want this to happen to me or anyone in real life.

I'd like to have a high risk twin pregnancy. The type where I have to fight my obstetrician to let me try to give birth vaginally and then they try to insist I have an epidural so they can cut into me without delay if something goes wrong. I'll finally get them to agree to let me try it natural if I am invasively monitored throughout and I understand I'm going under general anesthesia the second things go south.

When the day comes for me to be induced, I change into a hospital gown & follow nurses instructions as they put IV ports in both of my wrists. I'm catheterized -- a situation that isn't made any more pleasant by the twinges already squeezing my middle -- and by the time I'm being strapped into the stirrups for the doctor to swipe my membranes, I'm so trussed up I can barely move.

It's my first pregnancy & I didn't expect it to hurt so much just to be pregnant. My hips have been sore practically the whole nine months, in part because of how heavy and low I am carrying the twins. Baby A practically lodged himself between my hips last week and the pressure has been slowly increasing. My breasts are cumbersome and it's painful to even feel the hospital gown brush against my areolas. By the time the doctor is settling between my legs to start my labor, I'm eager to face whatever delivery holds for me to make this pregnancy end.

I'm singing a whole different tune 16 hours later. Or rather, screaming one at the top of my lungs. I am in the throes of transition and suffering the pinnacle of a truly agonizing labor. Baby A is posterior and the pain in my back has me at the edge of my sanity, especially now that the contractions are lasting for 90 seconds, with barely a minute in between.

I'm incoherent at this point. I'm in so much pain I'm only able to think about surviving the second I am living. I'm minimally aware when the nurses move my aching body back into the stirrups so I can push my son into the world. I bear down at their direction and it feels like my ass is gonna bust when his head plunges down.

What actually happens is his precious posterior facial features lodge against my clit as a desperate push shoves him just past crowning and my poor little nub starts to sting. It feels like it's being ripped off and I'm humiliated to find I'm begging my doctor to save my clitoris while I'm straining a massive baby out of me.

I don't know how long I howl a about the pain in my clitoris but the next thing I know the doctor is roughly pulling the shoulders and then the body out of my hole, tearing me more in the process.

I'm aware that my aching canal is empty for the moment. I don't realize I am gaped so badly my asshole is almost inverted. It stings something fierce as birth fluids continue to pour out of my loose, sopping cunt. I start to cry when I realize I am still going to have to push Baby B through my ruined pussy.

I drift in and out of consciousness, occasionally aware of the sharp stab of a contraction. I wake fully to a nurse tapping my cheek to see if I've passed out. When I force my eyes open, she informs me Baby B isn't face down anymore and the doctor is about to perform an internal version. She tells me to brace myself because it will be uncomfortable.

I didn't fully realize the medical actuality of an internal version was for a grown man to stick his entire grown man hand through my cervix and into my uterus. I'm in such utter agony I barely register that the nurses are holding me down by my arms and where my thighs are not strapped to the stirrups. I am experiencing the most pain I have experienced up to this point in my life and it seems to last forever.

I never stop screaming, even when they put a mask pumping gas over my face to try to give me some relief, but the tenor of my yell changes when something shifts and then I feel something rip deep inside of me.

Suddenly all the pain that has come before pales in comparison to what I am suddenly feeling in my abdomen. It is indescribable burning combined with a sudden sense of dread that takes over my body. I am 100% certain that my reproductive organs just gave way with my daughter trapped inside me and I am going to die if something isn't done very, very soon.

It must only be minutes, maybe not even that long, that I lay there while the medical team catches up to the realization that me and my baby are in mortal danger. Time slows down and I feel the rip in my uterus expanding as the contractions, one on top of another now, injure me more by the second. Despite no medical knowledge, I know instinctively that the renewed flood out of my pussy is blood and I am hemorrhaging, possibly to death.

I am utterly helpless now. Strapped down in stirrups, paralyzed by pain, my strength seeping from me as fast as the blood flowing between my legs. I faintly register the monitors start to alarm as I lose the battle with consciousness and my world goes dark.

*******

I wake up groggy and disoriented on a stretcher being wheeled somewhere. I immediately start to panic because there is a tube down my throat and I am really, brutally aware of a long, deep vertical incision that extends from above my belly button down to my public bone. I swear I can feel the layers upon layers they sliced through to deliver my baby. I won't know until later about the battle the surgeons waged, first to save my life and then to save my fertility.

Right now I am only aware of how much it hurts to be jostled on a stretcher with a massive cut down my middle. When the two male nurses move me into the bed, I plead for unconsciousness as my body is roughly transferred to a bed. My tailbone hits the mattress and reverberates in the form of a sharp pain through my pussy. I've still got a catheter and I feel like every inch down there has been stitched up.

I hope one of these nurses will realize I am aware and therefore in indescribable pain but it seems like the paralytic they gave me before intubating me is the only drug of the cocktail still in effect. I suffer as they lift my hips and put a pillow under my butt. Then they start taking off my hospital gown completely.

My confusion quickly turns to fear as one gloved hand on each side grabs one of my fat titties and starts tugging. Breast pumps are whipped out and the men make quick work of shoving as much of my massive milkers in to each before turning them on simultaneously.

My uterus, even after the brutal surgical repair, still tries to respond to my milk suddenly dropping. The pain of contracting after uterine repair and a cesarean combined with the sudden gush of warm pressure on my aching tits brings tears to my eyes. I must be a strange sight: intubated and naked, massive breasts attached to pumps, with my deflated belly sporting a huge incision hanging above a pussy so bruised and stitched it looks entirely purple.

The elder nurse pats my naked thigh just before he makes to leave. It jostles everything and our eyes meet as I wince at the pain it causes me. A chill runs through my body as I realize he knows I am awake and feeling way more than I should be.

He looks at me the entire time he lubes his gloved fist, a sinister smile on his face. He settles between my legs and pauses to look up at me again.

"I bet you wish you'd had that epidural, huh, dear?"

My vision goes white as I feel his whole fist plunge into my pussy with a force absolutely intended to cause me a fatal amount of pain. My vision goes white and I feel pressure building in my chest as the stitches holding my cervix together start ripping. The last thought I have before I go into cardiac arrest is how I don't want to my last memory to be of being brutally fisted in my obliterated, post-birth pussy while my heart explodes in my chest.

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

D&D saying that one of their favorite plots from the books is the Boltons in Winterfell is a massive sign of their sexism. Now, for anyone one else, I'd probably not care, in fact, I'd agree it's a very interesting part. However, when it comes to the showrunners who needlessly wrote in excessive rape and violence against women, I see it as a red flag. That's compounded by the way they wrote it.

From the beginning of the show, D&D sabotaged the storyline by removing Jeyne Poole. Keep in mind, ADWD was released in 2008, while GOT premiered in 2011, meaning there was no possible way for D&D to not know everything necessary to bring about that specific plot. Add to that the fact that GRRM was heavily involved in season one, them blatantly ignoring Jeyne makes even less sense if they truly cared about adapting it properly.

Knowing this, that D&D themselves sabotaged their own story, the way it was handled makes a bit more sense, though not nearly enough. Without Jeyne there to play the part of fake Arya, a new bride for Ramsay was needed. Sansa was D&D's favorite character, they were unsatisfied with the story GRRM had written for her, they wanted more screen time and plot relevance for her. It seemed like making Sansa take Jeyne's place was a good solution to both these issues.

Except it wasn't. Littlefinger sending Sansa out of the Vale to marry Ramsay makes no sense. Not only is Sansa the object of Littlefinger's obsession, a replacement for Catelyn in his mind, she also was important to Littlefinger getting the Vale on his side (in the show). She was charming the lords and knights, balancing their intense dislike for him with their desire to help/protect her. Not to mention she was his only alibi to save him from accusations of Lysa's murder. Sending her away from the Vale harms Littlefinger's plans. She also would definitely not be "protected" from Cersei; after all the Boltons were loyal to the Lannisters and hated the Starks, what's to stop them from killing Sansa or handing her over once the Northern lords are more settled?

Speaking of the Northern lords, D&D removed the Northern Conspiracy. Throughout the book plot, the Northern lords are plotting to save Arya and depose the Boltons (in a nutshell, it's actually much more complex, but I'm not going into that rn). It's an excellent expression of how the Northerners loved the Starks and hate the Boltons. In the show, the lords are a bit disgruntled, sure, but they have no interest in deposing the Boltons and saving Sansa.

Another major part of the storyline minimized by the show is Theon/Reek. Theon's struggle with identity is a major part of his character throughout the series, and ADWD is no different. He's been stripped entirely of his identity by Ramsay's torture and Theon's own choices. Part of his arc in this book is discovering himself apart from the Starks and the Greyjoys.

That's definitely not what the show did. As I said earlier, Sansa is D&D's favorite character, so naturally she became the center focus of this arc, while Theon was pushed aside. He's essentially reduced to the method of Sansa's escape and goes on track to return to his pre-season one perception of himself: a Stark. This is a massive disservice to his character, Theon isn't a Stark; his life with them is important to his storyline and will definitely inform what he becomes, but it's not the true culmination of his arc. Basically, Theon was turned into a side character in his own story. It's through his pov we see this story, he's the character most tied to Ramsay. Obviously Jeyne is important and a main character in her own right for this arc, but she is not the central character we see the story through. So why is Sansa? She has no stake in this story, Jeyne is forced there after being sex trafficked and Theon is a captive.

So what does this leave for the show version of the plot? There's no conspiracy, Theon's pushed to the side, and politics and overall story are sacrificed. Well that leaves torture and violence against Ramsay's bride. Without the many moving parts of that storyline, it's just a story of a woman being abused horribly by her husband and eventually escaping. However, the escape isn't even the main aspect of the story focused on, that's always the abuse. It's also purely Sansa's abuse, not Theon's or the many people tortured and murdered by Ramsay, Sansa is the sole focus.

So basically, D&D took a plotline that's filled with the inner workings of Northern politics and the complexities of battling identity loss and reduced it to another excuse to show a woman be raped and abused on screen. The desire to turn this stroy into another way to make Sansa suffer is disturbing, and to make matters worse she fucking thanks Ramsay later on?? This whole storyline in the show is disgusting and yet another sign of how sexist D&D are.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for outing my sisters (SECOND) pregnancy and causing drama

I (20f) am aware that accidents happen, but she doesn't even know the man to her (22f) first (thusly no child support is involved in this equation). Discovery of this information is due to me being the one that does the bathroom trash. It was... not well hidden, to say the least.

Pure flavor and context, our relationship would be less rocky if she had any sense of responsibility at all. From 15 onwards constantly out of money yet up the ass of every hangout/party in town, constantly trying to make it anyone else's job to keep her entertained. Has very much dropped out of college for #1.

But, actual event wise... I get to the trash can, and I'm thinking... oh god, not again. And so soon? Because baby #1 is about 10 months (male if it matters) at sending. Mom has already bent over backwards to handle this without destroying *my* attempts at college, and there's not a doubt in my mind my sister would have gladly gone "Surprise! Not my problem now🎊! " if I'd given her the space to do so.

Phrasing it like that feels mean, but it's been 98% mom doing it all. Diapers, feedings, you name it. If it's not cute enough for social media my sister has not put her hands on it. In my moms fantasy world this was to give my sister the chance to go back to the local college.

Now at first I didn't actually plan to say much of anything. It just... seemed risky in a way I didn't want the backlash for. But a friend of mine and her girlfriend were moving, and their planned roommate bailed, and I do very much have a job an can pay rent. The nitty gritty is way more complicated than that but I'm trying to not bog this down.

I waffle for a couple of days as I process the whole thing but I commit to thinking later and acting now about moving and by what's month 1.75 I'm planning what posters of mine to take/leave. There's been a second confirming test popping up in the trash.

I have to tell my mom, finally, that in three weeks to a month I'm gone. Slightly unsurprisingly, I get asked "Well, why? Why now?"

I did kind of think through it in advance, but honestly every other small reason just... left me? I choked HARD and y'all know the blank "ohshit" moment where you've got Nothing.

It was a messy conversation and I'm skipping a lot, but thankfully dad and sis were out to not hear it. She didn't fully believe me until I walked out the door to the new appartment, and it didn't end there technically, but I just sorta grey rocked it with the sole give that I think mom is going to collapse over this because she's not twenty some anymore chasing *us*, and I think mom wasn't processing it either until I was out the door.

Final stage, I've packed and am seconds from leaving. Mom asks one final question of "What exactly would you suggest here, if it's real, then" in that tone where it's not about getting real answers, it's about shaming me. She is scathingly told to make my sister homeless about it if she doesn't abort, so that it'll maybe motivate her to at least get child support if not put a stop to the slope of shitting them out like litters.

Roommates are fine thus far, but I'm introverted and don't really leave my room unless I need something so the space for conflicts are minimal. So I'm a week into the new apartment (thusly she's 3 to 3.25 months pregnant) when I get a heated, ranting phone call. I sure hope you can figure out who's calling that's *mad*.

First of all apparently I'm a cunt for taking the joy of announcement away from my, as she tried and got "We know." Because that is so fucking important for a college drop out on kid #2 to have, apparently.

More interestingly I'm apparently a double cunt because mom had been toying with asking me for rent, as my sister doesn't work either and babies are expensive. This was not aired to me by mom herself, but even if I hadn't asked her myself afterwards I wouldn't have doubted that part.

And I'm apparently a mega triple cunt, because (as I turned around to interrogate mom about because. What?) mom had a crystalizing moment where it did very much click to her that my sister had no intentions of stepping up in anyway shape or form. Why she's jumped straight to "you abort or gtfo" like I suggested to be an asshole didn't get cleared up to me beyond "No, no. You're right. Responsibility must be taken."

A different friend has asked where the fucks my dad in this; spinless with no opinion because if he dares to dissent he'll implode. Moving on.

I think that while I might have jumped sharks everyone else is now on a plane of drama that I don't need to follow, and should in fact be kept the fuck out of. I also think I've also hit an anger stage of this whole situation so trust in my own narrative should be cautious.

I'm gonna, like, pause the emotional train here? And mention that I'm not asking about moving out. I'll be guilty about moving out specifically when my sister sucks my dick for forgiveness (note my 20f label). But this has dropped an emotional bomb in the family and my friend groups interconnected enough that they'd've heard about it even if I said nothing, and this is now hotly debated (and most of my friends are on mute on my phone lol), and by now it's no secret the ''make her homeless'' idea first came out of MY mouth, no matter how mortifying it is that it was taken seriously on impulse arguing about it is about seven steps behind where the debate needs to be.

Again, I'm at the point of anger feeling good. She gets irresponsibly knocked up once already, drops out of college and refuses to get a job, and then runs off and does it again after dumping all real work onto other people. I think she's lost the right to have happy fun time pregnancy, and I'm here to get a (late) opinion from people decidedly more objective than anyone I can speak to rn. It's not like the pregnancy won't be here in the time this takes to move through queue.

What are these acronyms?

[six-costume-refs]

Six Makeup: Masterpost and Links

Hey y'all! Finally finished up a long promised post: all of my makeup suggestions for SIX cosplayers (and/or fans who just want to do some cool makeup looks)!!! I've been actively working on this post for about a year now and compiling makeup for even longer, so I'm happy to finally finish it. I'll get into more details in a moment, but first things first:

I'll include all the links below, but for easy access I made a handy-dandy Pinterest board. It is sorted by costume (sections for each queen + alt costume) and you can clink on any pin to be taken directly to buy it. I would recommend that people look there for a more visual/easy look at the recommendations; I realize pure text can get a bit old!

Some notes: - All of these links are to US sites, with a variety of US and UK sources. Most of these brands ship internationally and/or are available on Amazon as well. - I tried to factor in a large variety of material colors/shades, skin tones, and financial budget. You'll find a mix of US and UK-based brands, mainstream and smaller brands, drugstore versus more upscale, and some brands owned by women of color. - There's a broad range in the companies listed in terms of their ethics, animal testing, politics, etc. I'm including as many companies as possible to give people as many options as possible, but some of these I wouldn't personally financially support. I would strongly suggest that anyone do their own research into the brands listed. - Many of these products may be harsher on skin than your typical products. I'd suggest considering any potential allergens and skin testing any product before use, and using your regular base (foundation, blush, etc) to minimize the number of new products. (If you have sensitive skin or are worried about toxicity, I'd suggest Skin Deep for toxicity information and the FDA site for information on common irritants) - The vast majority of the makeup on this list is products that I know Six actors use. However, just because someone in Six uses it does not mean it's necessary to achieve a great look - there are many great alternatives for just about any product, and what works for a specific actor may not be what works best for you. (I'd also note that the vast majority of queens use some fairly cheap makeup, so you never need to feel like you have to pay more to get "stage accuracy") - Factor in where you're intending to use your products. Six uses some extreme stage makeup and truly crazy lighting; if you use these products with the exact same intensity in just about any other context, it will be way overkill. Convention lighting tends to be harsh so you can usually go a bit heavier there, particularly if you're intending to do any on-stage performances. But for everyday use or a closet cosplay to go see Six or an outdoor meet-up with natural light you will usually want to go much softer. (Photoshoots are a whole other can of worms and really depend on specifics) - Some of this information is taken from a series of Instagram stories Erin Ramirez did. I'm still writing up a post of everything she suggested, but I'll link it here when finished. - And, finally, have fun experimenting and finding what works for you!

Links to recommendation posts and inspiration: Glitters/shimmers Palettes, eyeshadows, and other accents Lipsticks (coming soon) Erin Ramirez's recommendations MAC partnership link Eye look inspiration (my Pinterest board)

[ceescedasticity]

Silmarillion war crimes

(Finally motivated to make this because someone said the Silmarillion elves committed 'all the war crimes', and while I know, I know they were just exaggerating for comic effect it still drives me up the wall.)

First piece of housekeeping: Technically speaking war crimes are war crimes because they were defined as such in various treaties. You aren't technically violating the Geneva Conventions if you aren't signatory to them. But, they do often get talked about more like universally applicable rules.

Second piece of housekeeping: I think no one is actually accusing the Fëanorians of, like, cutting undersea communications cables or impersonating the Red Cross. There are some war crimes which are obviously not applicable and I'm not going to discuss them.

Third piece of housekeeping: There are a lot of provisions in the Geneva Conventions. Someone else can go through all of them if they like. So, I'm going to go with this list gleaned from the section of the Wikipedia page on war crimes about the international criminal court:

Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

Torture or inhumane treatment

Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Taking hostages

Directing attacks against civilians

Killing a surrendered combatant

Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Settlement of occupied territory

Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Using poison weapons

Using civilians as shields

Using child soldiers

Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia.

Summary execution

Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Fourth piece of housekeeping: I'm not just going to look at the Fëanorians. That's not fair. There's elves vs. other elves, elves vs. dwarves, dwarves vs. elves, Angband vs. everyone, everyone vs. Angband, etc. I should probably define some of these groups starting out but I'm not going to.

So. This will be long.

1. Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health

I'm a little puzzled about this one, actually. I thought that was just… assumed to be part of war???

Killing as more than a means to some non-killing-related end???

At any rate I'm inclined to say everyone conducting war in the Silmarillion did this. I don't think anyone was trying to minimize military casualties.

Edit: Have been informed it's meant to be killing of people protected under the conventions. In which case it's a lot more questionable. For some people.

2. Torture or inhumane treatment

Angband did this, obviously.

A lot.

Really a lot.

We don't have any record of any elves doing it, or dwarves, or Edain.

…Except Túrin's outlaws but they're kind of a weird circumstance.

3. Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property

(Seems like there might be a lot of wiggle room in 'unlawful'…)

Well, anyway, Angband also did this, obviously, a lot.

The dwarven sack of Menegroth counts as this.

Seizure of the swan-ships arguably counts as this one, though I'd actually hesitate on that one. I think that wasn't a war crime, that was a crime crime, because they weren't at war.

If the Fëanorians scavenged from Menegroth before leaving that probably counts, but that's speculation.

The Host of the West did destroy Angband, if you want to count that.

Edit: And the Fëanorians destroyed the Havens of Sirion.

4. Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power

Angband, yet again. It's a little less obvious here since it's not like they put prisoners in the regular army unless you count orcs, but brainwashing prisoners and sending them out as agents probably counts.

Also their treatment of prisoners of war generally violates a lot of stuff in the Third Geneva Convention.

I do not think we have grounds to say anyone else did this, partially because I'm not sure we have grounds to say anyone else ever took any prisoners.

Elrond and Elros are a gray area, but if they ended up fighting with the Fëanorians there's no reason to believe it was against anyone but Angband.

Oh, and I suppose the Host of the West took prisoners, but I'm sure they didn't do this.

5. Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial

I mean, you could say that prisoners of war in Angband got the same kind of trial that anyone else in Angband got?

But otherwise Angband again, yeah.

The Host of the West… I'm not sure. Do you count the judgments of Ëonwë as a fair trial?

Everyone else: No prisoners, not an issue.

…Look I don't know what to say about Túrin and Mîm. I'm inclined to say a lot of the outlaws' bad behavior was crime crime not war crime. I don't know.

6. Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer

Angband back in the definitely column here.

I don't think anyone else is. Sure, Menegroth and Sirion were abandoned, but it wasn't because the Fëanorians stuck around chasing people away.

7. Taking hostages

Angband, explicitly with Maedhros and I think implicitly elsewhere.

The Easterlings serving Angband also explicitly took hostages.

The Fëanorians took Elrond and Elros. It doesn't seem to have been terribly effective, but it was hostage-taking.

Celegorm and Curufin holding Lúthien could be this if you consider the Fëanorians to have been at war with Doriath at that point, but that's sort of dubious? Maybe a war crime, maybe a crime crime.

8. Directing attacks against civilians

Angband.

The Fëanorians attacked the entire communities of Menegroth and the Havens of Sirion. They may or may not have made any attempt to avoid deliberately killing noncombatants in one or both cases, but they were unavoidably attacks on civilians.

The dwarven attack on Menegroth is similarly an attack on civilians.

If you consider any orcs, trolls, balrogs, vampires, werewolves, etc. to be civilians, then the Host of the West almost certainly did this. You can argue that none of them counted as civilians; you can also argue that the Host of the West managed not to attack e.g. orc children, but I don't think that's very likely.

The Easterlings serving Angband did have civilians, but I think it's more likely the Host of the West avoided attacking those.

9. Killing a surrendered combatant

I don't think anyone is directly attested as doing this?

The overall impression one gets of the First Age is a general deficit of surrender.

But: if anyone surrendered to Angband's forces rather than trying to fight or escape until they physically couldn't, I'm sure some of them were killed (and some weren't, because Angband wanted slaves).

If any orcs/werewolves/vampires/trolls/dragons/balrogs dared to surrender rather than fight to the death or escape, I'm sure some to most of them were killed.

If any dwarves of Nogrod tried to surrender to Beren and the Ents, they were killed.

We don't know about the dwarven sack of Menegroth or any of the Kinslayings (on either side).

The Host of the West accepted at least some surrenders, but we don't know if it was all of them.

10. Misusing a flag of truce, a flag or uniform of the enemy

Angband doesn't get much of an opportunity for this because no one trusts their truces and it's not like switching flags or uniforms would help, insofar as there are uniforms.

But they did propose a negotiation under false pretenses.

Of course the Fëanorians also agreed to it under false pretenses.

The Silmaril Quest is absolutely full of people disguising themselves as Angband's forces. If you want to get pedantic about it uniforms and flags were not the key part of those disguises, but I think it's the same idea?

Edit: Unless you want to count them as spies, not soldiers. There are different rules for spies, which is to say I don't think there are any rules about spies, either what they can do or what can be done to them. I think that may be a better frame for this.

I feel like the Easterlings who announced their allegiance change mid-battle may also count as this?

11. Settlement of occupied territory

Angband generally prefers the scorched-earth approach, but they do settle their Easterlings in occupied territory.

No one else does this.

Like the Fëanorians had enough people left to 'occupy' anything.

(Or I guess arguably the Host of the West occupies Angband but not for very long and they definitely don't settle there.)

12. Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory

Angband does some of this in the form of enslaving them back in, uh, Angband, but it's true that mostly it depopulates by slaughter and most of the survives flee with no deportation as such. It doesn't deport the Edain.

Again, most others have no occupied territory.

Though everyone does have to leave Beleriand. :( Should that be attributed to the Host of the West?

13. Using poison weapons

Angband: yes.

Everyone else: No evidence of this. I wouldn't necessarily rule out them trying it against Angband if they thought it would work.

Although I suppose you could argue that weapons inimical to Angband by nature could count as poison…? Naahhh.

(Edit: Eöl used poisoned weapons, but that was murder not combat.)

14. Using civilians as shields

I don't think Angband did this one, actually?

Edain civilians as hostages, yeah, but Angband didn't have much in the way of its own civilians and didn't expect anyone to try to avoid hitting them.

Angband's Easterlings most likely tried to keep their civilians out of the way like sensible people.

15. Using child soldiers

Whether it was possible for Angband to do this with orcs depends on your interpretation.

Everyone else…

Not child soldiers in the 'take them from their families, indoctrinate them, send them out for shock value' sense.

But child soldiers in the sense of 'people we would consider children are considered adults and treated as such', yeah.

And I expect also in the sense of 'people who are not considered adults and who no one really wants fighting, but there is no true place of safety and no one wants them helpless, either, so'.

16. Firing upon a Combat Medic with clear insignia

Existence of combat medics with clear insignia is uncertain.

If they existed I'm sure Angband fired on them and tbh I wouldn't bet against anyone else doing so.

17. Summary execution

Okay, this can mean killing combatants who surrendered again, but to avoid double-counting let's say we mean non-combatants.

Well, Angband, regardless.

It would not surprise me if the Fëanorians did this in Menegroth, considering that Celegorm's servants expected to get away with murdering children, but that's not definite.

18. Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy

Angband's Easterlings did this in Dor-lómin.

The rest of Angband…

It seems likely? In one context or another. But I don't think there are direct statements on it.

—Or actually I guess they made promises to Maeglin about Idril! Not sure if that should count when they didn't actually do anything and I'm not sure they ever meant to.

Eöl and Aredhel in the worst interpretation was not part of a war. It was a crime crime and a diplomatic disaster.

Celegorm and Curufin's behavior towards Lúthien was only questionably part of a war and I'm not sure whether it qualifies here, so I'm going to say no.

Eighteen in the somewhat arbitrary list…

Fëanorians: Definitely five four (1, 3, 7, 8, 10), possibly/arguably as many as nine (1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17).

Non-Fëanorian Exiles: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Iathrim+Lúthien&Beren: Definitely two (1, 10), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 9, 10, 15, 16).

Dwarves of Nogrod: Definitely three two (1, 3, 8), possibly/arguably as many as five (1, 3, 8, 9, 16).

Host of the West: Definitely one (1), possibly/arguably as many as seven (1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12, 16) (that's what you get for winning).

Angband and associates: Definitely thirteen (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18), possibly/arguably seventeen (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18).

Admittedly it's silly to look at Angband at all when it was in a constant state of total war against basically everybody…

[monsteraddict1]

Chapter 4

I got into the shower before we had to leave.

The four of us grabbed the minimal things we brought and got on the plane. My aunt talking to someone with the last name Vargas. I smiled softly to myself because that was Jackie's last name. Though I was well aware there was probably no relation.

"You wanna get trained quickly?" Aunt Kate looked at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously. I was not in the mood to be thrown into a war zone.

  "Lieutenant Ghost and Sargent Soap are currently on their way to Mexico."

  "Ghost and... Soap?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

   My aunt let out a sigh. "It's their call sign." She clearly didn't understand either.

  "So I'm being flown off the Mexico?"

  "Yeah, but this part isn't all beaches and resorts." John walked in.

  "I gathered that." I mumbled. Honestly it just came out. "When do I go?"

  "Now. I just informed Ghost and Soap, as well as Alejandro." Aunt Kate spoke. "We will be on the plane behind you." She then grabbed my bag and handed it to me. I just looked at her and gave a small nod.

  "Alright. Umm. So I just get on the plane?" I asked. Now I wasn't so sure of joining this mess. if you were to ask me a month ago if I'd join the military I would've said it went against everything I stood for.

  "Na, you can swim, private." Kyle joked sarcastically. I shot him a side eye and he laughed.

  "Wouldn't mind swimming in Mexico." I mumbled my thoughts out loud.

  "Now, (Y/n)!" My aunt scolded. I perked up.

  "K boss." I nodded and ran off. I heard Gaz and Price laugh.

  I found the plane I was meant to get on. A few other soldiers getting on. I followed behind them. I didn't look at any of them, they all wore a uniform and had guns on them. I did as well but my hand was no where near the trigger.

  I ended up sitting next to a guy who looked genuinely pissed off that I was next to him. I looked at his uniform for a second to make sure I wasn't next to a lieutenant or captain. Or anyone else of high rank. He looked like another Sargent. Which was higher than me so I guess he had every right to look annoyed. I get it. I'm a teenage girl.

I just pulled out my phone and opened up the group chat with Damian, Darragh and Jackie.

Guess who's going to Mexico!!- me

Finally we are hearing from you!- Damian

If you run into my cousins slap em for me!- Jackie

I'll slap Pablo for you- me

Ugh please do. He's the worst of them. Or Martin that way he knows you're mine, poo bear<3- Jackie

Unless your uncle wants me- me

Girl- he is twice your age- Jackie

Even better ;p- me

When I went to Mexico with Jackie and her family I had the absolute pleasure of meeting most of her cousins. Pablo was a year younger than us and is an absolute fiend. He would pull random pranks on us the entire time we were there. And Martin. He was a year and a half older than me. He would not stop hitting on me in the worst way possible. He was a player but swore he would treat me right. No one believed him. Even his father said to slap him if he tried anything. And his father was more fine than he was.

Na poo bear is actually crazy- Darragh

I let out a small huff of laughter. I mean what friends don't flirt with each other.

You're just jealous that I can bag a baddie- me

Na Damian is kinda fine- Darragh

EXCUSE ME?!?!- Damian

You heard me, oil up- Darragh

Okay, now that's crazy- Jackie

I'm a child of god!- Damian

I heard the plane start to rumble and start rolling.

The plane is leaving now, I'll talk to y'all later- me

I shut my phone off and took a deep breath. In a few hours I will be in Mexico. And hopefully not running into any of Jackie's relatives.

————————

The plane landed and I immediately texted the group chat before standing up.

Landed. Keep y'all updated;p- me

Remember what I said!- Jackie

Don't worry. I remember -me

I quickly stood up and grabbed the gun that I had placed by my feet. I got off the plane and looked around. Gaz said I was looking for a man in a skull mask and a guy with a Mohawk.

There were a few other planes on the base. One that landed at the same time as us.

"Alejandro!" I heard a Scottish accent yell.

"Sargent MacTavish." A Mexican accent.

"Call me Soap."

There they are. I saw the man in a Mohawk and a skull mask. I slowly approached them.

"Lieutenant, Laswell says they call you Ghost." The voice sounded familiar but I couldn't see the face of the man. And there was no way that I knew him. I didn't even know what part of Mexico I was in.

"Actually, I believe he prefers to be-"

"That'll do!" Ghost interrupted and I couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Welcome to the city of souls." Alejandro spoke. They then turned around and I froze.

No fucking way this was Martin's fucking father. Jackie is gonna freak when I tell her this.

"Ah. Um. Hello." I gave a polite smile. "I'm sure my aunt told you guys I was joining you."

"Private (Y/n). Yes. Lasswell mentioned it." Soap smiled.

Jesus Christ these men are fucking jacked.

"(Y/n)?" Alejandro looked down at me. "You're Jackie's friend."

"Uh yeah."

"The girl my son was obsessed with."

The girl who was obsessed with you.

"Yeah, yeah I remember." I cringed. There was no way I was going on a mission with this man. Especially after everything I said about him to his niece.

We continued walking. The Soap spoke up.

"Never been to Mexico."

"This isn't Mexico. This is Las Almas." Alejandro responded. He moved his arms as he spoke.

"Shepherds contractors are inbound to reinforce. They're bringing hardware, they'll need room." Ghost spoke in a gruff english accent.

Ew.

"My base is your base."

"Good. Now, where's Hassan?"

Does he just not have manners? I thought British people had too tier etiquette.

"Cartel safe-house, ten clicks from here."Alejandro responded. I don't know how he just tolerated that. I hate when people talk to me like that. And if I was I higher rank than that there would be no way I'd tolerate that.

We walked to the armored car. And I stood next to Soap because Alejandro got in the passenger seat.

"She gets the middle." Ghost's rough voice was heard from over the car. I was gonna get in the middle anyway. I'm the smallest one here. Also. Why is he acting like he was going to get forced in the middle?

I opened the door and slid into the middle seat. This was probably a nicer car than the one me and my friends rented for prom our senior year. Not even two seconds later I was squished between the two Brit's.

Damian would be so disappointed.

"This is my second in command, Sargent major Rodolfo Parra" Alejandro introduced the driver. I met him as well. We called him Rudy. He's funny. A little more reserved than Alejandro.

"Le tengo miedo a los fantasmas." Rudy said dryly. I smiled but looked down. It was obvious the men next to me didn't know that meant 'I'm afraid of ghosts'

"You know Spanish? (Y/n) don't answer that." The colonel looked back at us. And I couldn't help but let my face go red.

I spoke a little Spanish from school. But I can't quite get the accent down. So when I introduced myself to Alejandro when I first met him I spoke in Spanish. He laughed and introduced himself in perfect English.

"No." Soap responded.

"You will." And with that Rudy started driving.

[ourghoststories]

Recovery [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

I wasn't a fan of Bucky, I never liked the idea of super soldiers, even with Steve Rogers

We never got on and now wasn't any different, even if I liked him, doesn't mean I had to literally like him.

He had recently gotten hurt on one of his high priority missions, and it made me feel a sadness in the pit of my stomach that only meant one thing, I had to care for the super soldier.

As much as I'd tried or I'd like to deny it, those jittery feelings I felt betrayed me to the reality of that and I couldn't fight it, especially not now that he had been shot in the stomach, it was pretty serious, even the doctors were putting him under strict conditions, he couldn't do much and I was the one who had to look after him.

"Hey Bucky" I smiled caringly, despite having preconceived ideas about him.

"Oh, you're the help... Nice to meet you, you already know the name" he chuckled.

My walls were up and I couldn't help but feel like he was a good person, but I wasn't made for looking after anyone, not even myself.

"Yeah hi, uh I'm y/n" I mumbled anxiously.

For the first time I actually felt scared, what if I screwed up or what if he did? It was a 50/50 effort, it needed to be.

"I don't need looking after, gunshots take a few days, minimal bruising and they go away, no help necessary" he argued, putting up his defences.

"Bucky, I was sent to help you for a reason, you may not need any help but I'm not a quitter and you got sent me for a reason, it wasn't just one gunshot injury, you were fired on multiple times and it's worse than usual" I said sternly.

"I'm fine, I don't need someone looking after me who- no offense - knows nothing about me or what I've been through, especially now" he said abruptly before he pulled his bedsheets up higher.

"Seriously Barnes, that's not gonna cut it- I know what you're doing and why you're doing it and also that you don't trust me one little bit which is infuriating because I also feel the same way, trust is a hard thing for me too, so don't act like a insolent child and just choose the easy way out- not out, but through- damn it" I stammered, trying to do the right thing.

"I don't need help, seriously, you could get yourself killed don't you know I'm the Winter Soldier, a train assassin who takes lives mercilessly" he spat sarcastically.

"I know that's not you, it never was. I've been made privy to your case file, I know what your situation is, I know you on paper... I just don't know you in person" I said softly, making my way to the bed.

"You mind if I" I gestured towards the bed so he could move his feet and I could sit there.

"Look, I know we barely know each other but you work so hard in the field, it doesn't mean you can't work hard while we're spending time together, we can do more research into the people who are the targets right now... I know Sam's pretty keen on you resting and letting him steer the ship for a while and by the way, just because you're hurt and you need a break that you don't mean anything to anyone, that couldn't be further from the truth" I argued passionately, not caring if he liked it or not.

I just needed to take my role seriously, even if he was some big, scary, super soldier that I needed to be wary of.

The case file and notes contained a lot, but they were no way descriptive of who he was, it was just informative data that didn't have anything about who he was as a person.

"Please just... I don't like trusting new people, I barely contact anyone and I stick to myself, I know you've been around me and proved yourself more than a little bit about being a good agent, but if you want to know me you're gonna have to persevere, I'm not easy to get along with" he said shyly, looking down at the ground and avoiding eye-contact.

"I know how this goes, Barnes, just let me complete my mission, as you do all of yours. You're an inspiration to so many people" I mumbled.

"Yeah and another group of people are equally convinced I'm a killer, I was only pardoned because of Steve, he did all the work, he rescued me, heck, if it wasn't for him I'd never be myself. 90 years I fought and fought and took countless lives, people with families and loved ones, how's a guy like me ever gonna make up for that", he spat, getting angry at himself before he tensed and winced in pain.

"Argh" he groaned, obviously overdoing it.

"If you'd just listen Sargent, this wouldn't be so difficult, for either of us" I lectured as he grunted, this time out of stubbornness.

"I'm taking that as a yes" I smiled, before I squeezed his hand and saw a flicker of hope in his eyes, even though he was trying to hide it.

"Don't call me that, it's not right, I haven't been that fo-"

"For 90 years. I get it, stop being sorry for yourself, I know this sucks but we can work past this. Your therapist has instructed me to be stern with you, you know that you're doing a great job right? I'm impressed with how you've been going. You're allowed to struggle with what's going on, I'm not taking that away from you Bucky" I comforted.

I could tell Bucky secretly - or maybe not so secretly - liked being called Sargent, even if in his mind he didn't fully associate with it, it was the opposite of a trigger, a positive association word.

He took a breath in "okay, I'll give it a go, I will- but you gotta help me and work with me, especially with the new arm, it takes a while to get adjusted to. It's been playing up since a bullet got lodged in the vibranium, but I assume you know how to help with that?".

"Yes I do, I can help with the arm in multiple ways, but it's gonna be good for you to do some physio and manual manipulation for the rest of your aches, after all, you keep throwing yourself in the deep end with these missions. The government are only letting you off the hook because you're providing them with a service. The rest of the world aren't necessarily happy about that, you should be careful" I said calmly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of the consequences... The government want me as long as I have some ideas about their assets and when they're being targeted I'm considered one of them. If I work with you, what do I get in terms that we'd both understand?" He smirked.

"Careful what you push for soldier- what happens if I was up for grabs, what would you say if I said 'just say the words'" I winked.

"Oh shit, you're not even joking. Doll I think I'm too old for you and miserable but I'd take you up on the offer for a bit of fun" he chuckled, the first time id seen him genuinely smiling the whole time id been around.

"Oh wow not that kind of fun- I'm not saying no, I just-", he paused "shut it Barnes, yeah I get it, sorry y/n" he said, mentally facepalming.

I giggled "you're not too old, you're just right... But let's see how things go first, and how much of a crack you're willing to give it".

"Got it, you won't hear two words from me" he fake saluted.

"James, you just said more than two words" I chuckled again, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"You're gonna make me blush" he fake swooned.

So the journey continued with the Sargent and I.

---A/N

hello I hope everyone is doing well, Darcy is the one writing these Bucky stories because I can't get enough lol, are they gonna release more tftws? because I loved it so much

[lord-rosenth0rne]

Replaying the Stormcloak Civil War side again and I have to sit back and realize... The Empire won't be able to go against the Thalmor if they won the Civil War. In fact, the Empire winning would have worse consequences in the long run, like playing Plague Inc. and getting a foothold in every country through the backdoor before it's too late. I see a lot of Imperial supporters talk about "the bigger picture", but what good does that do if you ignore the elephant in the room?

Thalmor will quash any and all attempts to gather power to oppose them. They have eyes and ears everywhere so what makes Tulius or any Empire supporter who hates the Thalmor think that they have any chance to gather a power separate from what the Empire has without the Thalmor noticing? Several spies in the game aren't high elves so it would only take one of them to destroy any attempt. You would just need someone greedy or desperate enough to take a deal with the Thalmor to backstab everyone. Tulius, if he survived the Civil War, could be taken out at any point if the Thalmor believed that he was too dangerous to keep alive or he served his purpose and wasn't needed for their plans anymore. We're dealing with a dangerous group who will stab people in the back the moment they know they can.

The only way someone would amass an army that would be a somewhat threat would be to go to the territories that do not allow Thalmor intervention. Allowing the Stormcloaks to win, which the Thalmor DO NOT WANT according to Ulfric's Dossier, would be the first place to start to drive them from the providence. Skyrim has a strategic position with its harsh terrain as well as people who can use it to their advantage. Think of real-life conflicts where the smaller side won against a larger army because of their terrain and fighting tactics. There is an issue on the Stormcloak Civil War side where the aid the Imperial side desperately needed was stuck behind an avalanche, a situation that could be manmade if needed.

Skyrim does have resources, such as Silver that the Empire kept taking. It's not like they're hurting on resources.

With enough convincing and emphasis on its necessity, Ulfric could accept allegiances with others if they were willing to fight against the Thalmor. It's part of the reason the Dark Elves aren't getting as much attention from him because they refuse to help the cause and believe they're owed things that they did not earn. He accepts a Dunmer (myself on my Ze'erith run 8D) who will fight against the Empire, so I doubt he'd turn down anyone who has beef with the Thalmor. He can be weaponized further against the elves who turned him into a sleeper agent, as well as teach others to use the Thu'um.

Alliances and truces MUST be made, including with the Reachmen and Orcs, which I know is like corraling cats, but it shouldn't be impossible. Any traitors found should be swiftly dealt with to minimize the chance of Thalmor spies.

Pardon me while I plot the downfall of the Thalmor if my Dragonborn took charge of Skyrim... I'd utilize the College of Winterhold, the Thieves Guild as informants, and the Dark Brotherhood to target potential spies. The Blades will be revived as well to focus on any dragon conflicts as the rest of us are focusing on the Thalmor and will not be allowed to down any dragon willing to help our cause, Partysnacks and Odahviig as major players.

The Thalmor better hope I don't get into a dark mood and go to either Sheogorath or Hermaeus Mora for help. I know Mora would love to get more information the Thalmor may be hiding...

I'd also stop Ulfric from killing Tulius and Rikke and fake their deaths to get them out of the situation they were in if they were willing to listen or if you were able to show them the dossiers from the Thalmor Embassy.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ep.20 thoughts

[Almost as Long as One Piece]

(Contents: art direction/pacing - angry praise)

This is probably the best episode of the UU anime so far...

The brief vision of the future Anno Un saw for Fuuko, the addition of Andy and Fuuko approaching the park and seeing the stark transition into Autumn's territory, the slowed and subtle pacing of Anno Un's introduction, the horror of watching a man's face literally explode into the shape of a book, watching Andy's transformation into his own book stretch up into the heavens and bursting through the clouds...this episode had so much weight to it! They did such a good job on it!!!

BUT THEY CUT OUT FUUKO FLOPPING ONTO ANDY'S LAP ON THE PLANE!!!

AND FOR WHAT? TO SEE THE NOTORIOUSLY DRAWN-OUT SUNFLOWER SCENE FROM EPISODE SEVEN AGAIN???

ARE WE A JOKE TO YOU, YUKI???

EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO CUT TO COMMERCIAL RIGHT WHEN THE DUDE TRANSFORMED, YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT!!! YOU HAD SCENES YOU COULD HAVE DRAWN OUT! MORE YOU COULD HAVE ADDED! MORE YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO! YOU DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT!!!

I'm getting pretty tired of needing to say "this episode was great, BUT" every week, and this episode is easily the most jarring example of that. I guess I'm glad we only had to deal with two recaps this week, and one was fairly short, but the second was so egregious! To be fair, it was a recap that was technically in the manga, but the manga only had the teacher hugging Fuuko, not the entire god damn scene with the kids and her sacrifice and everything! You could have at least done the part where Andy asked "can [the zombies] turn back?" to illustrate the threat of people being transformed, then shown the hug and left out all of the completely irrelevant sections with the kids and such

If you put the plane scene back properly, cut down the flashback and then puff it back up with helpful information, then you could easily end up in the same spot. If you repair the plane scene and cut the flashback to just the hug, then you could probably get to the Junior being created or a little further by the break, and then the second half of the episode could end with Fuuko entering the book and catching us up with chapter 40

With all of that said, we did get through the remainder of chapter 38, all of 39, and almost all of 40 with minimal interruptions and multiple newly added scenes. It's clear that we're capable of clearing the rest of the arc in a timely manner and that it can be done in a way that's satisfying. Despite the annoyances, this episode perfectly illustrates everything that the UU anime could be, and I have to give it credit for that. I have to believe that there's something going on behind the scenes that I'm not privy to, that the weird choices are an attempt to compensate for something beyond anyone's control or a way to guarantee that the most important bits live up to their potential even if only in a vacuum. I greatly look forward to the day that I start seeing video essayists who know how to do the proper research elucidate me on the subject, because I'd love to be able to look back on the quirks of this series as a product of their circumstances rather than a baffling artistic choice

I do mean it when I say this is possibly the best episode so far. It's everything I wanted this adaptation to be while also being everything that I've had to accept that it is, warts and all. Expectation and reality all rolled together in one lovely and pitiable mess. I hope that the ensuing episodes will be able to sort out the kinks and provide the experience we dreamed of, but as long as we get episodes of this quality for the remainder, I think I can live with that

Assuming that it doesn't dip right back down next week

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[box-in-a-cage]

What broke you to go from communist to liberal?

Hey thanks for the ask. I apologize my answer ran a little long. Here's a kinda summary with the bulk of my info under a readmore:

I had been getting deradicalized for a while by engaging with the news-- real news, both written text articles and video broadcasts, from many different sources. I had stopped relying on Tumblr, Twitter, and Reddit for my primary news and places of political discussion. I'd been getting more into learning about history, particularly 20th century history. Just generally getting more engaged with the real world and less absorbed with online leftist theoretical discourse.

So it'd been a long time coming.

As for the straw that broke the camel's back, it was summer or autumn of 2023. The thing that pushed me over the edge was all the lying. The uneven application of morals. The disinformation. The massive amount of believing whatever the fuck we want to believe despite evidence and calling everything else propaganda.

We (leftists) celebrated the Soviet Union, celebrated Stalin, celebrated Che Guevara and Karl Marx and whitewashed the bad aspects of all those individuals. We denied the existence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, denied the Holodomor, denied Guevara's antiBlackness, denied Marx's antisemitism. We love the hammer-and-sickle, red-and-gold flags but at the same time we decry the Soviet Union as "not real communism" when we get pressured.

We said Trump and Hillary Clinton were the same. Biden and Trump were the same. We said gun control measures need to be frustrated by any means necessary. We said Slava Ukraini! from 2022-2023 up until another cause that we deemed more important came along and we either forgot about Ukraine or some of us started supporting Russia to ideologically cohere with the new cause.

The way we revere The Revolution as if it's not the same exact thing as Evangelicals revering The Rapture. We see the events of October 7, 2023 and go "wahoo hell yeah fuck 'em up!!! lets fucking go dude this should happen 100,000 times!" as if that's not one of the most plainly fucking evil things anyone could say and flying in the face of all leftist thought. We lie about Jews and Palestinians living in peace before the creation of the modern state of Israel. In any conflict, anywhere, in any time period, we lie about death tolls and number of civilian casualties and we distort and amplify atrocities when The Bad Guys do it while we minimize or handwave atrocities when Our Guys do it.

There's so much more. I could write you a novel about this. We are NOT consistent in any way, with anything, ever. We lie to suit our needs just like far-rightists do. We just think our causes are sufficiently good to warrant all the lying, whereas we (rightfully) know that right-wingers are unjustified in doing the same thing.

The way my personal politics have changed is shifting from observance of a political title, of a coordinate pair on the political spectrum, to observing what's evidently, demonstrably true. It is of critical importance to me that I take political action based on reality. My experience-based assessment of modern Communism and general internet-centric leftism is that it's just based on Vibes; it's like, political action doesn't have to correspond with what's really happening, it just has to sound good or feel gratifying to represent. That shit is oil-and-water with me and so I'm no longer a Communist myself. I ended my last relationship because in order to stay in good terms with the other person, I had to literally believe things that are not true about the world so I could be enough of a leftist for them. and that's not in any way an isolated incident.

I don't really call myself any particular political label now, I just vote for the most beneficial candidate, work to treat people with kindness interpersonally, work to improve myself and my communities, and keep myself informed of empirically true facts about the world and events both current and past and apply that knowledge how I can to benefit others.

Forgive me I am incapable of being concise😝. I hope this answers your question and isn't too rambly. I appreciate the ask and I hope you have a great day/night.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hi Ive been reading your blog (is it called a blog I'm not sure anyway) for a while now and I have to just say well Thank You. I've learned so much about Greek Culture and Greek Mythology from you then from a lot of other (so called) Western experts.

I relate quite a bit to how you feel about the misrepresentation and disrespect that Greek culture and specifically mythology and folklore have faced. I myself have experienced it although no where nearly as much as you have.

I'm a Malaysian specifically a Malaysian Chinese diaspora so I didn't know much about my culture and traditions. But when learning about Greek Mythology it ignited an interest in me to learn about cultures, traditions and folklore from around the world including my own. Which lead to me stumbling upon some of the more unflattering takes on Chinese Mythology and it's figures. The Netflix Journey to The West basically whitewashed and changed the ideas, storylines, and culturally significant aspects of a variety of different characters and the book and folklore as a whole which infuriates me especially since Journey To The West is one of the most important literary works in Chinese culture and folklore. Which I also grew up learning about.

I'm a Christian although I feel no connection or care for the religion at all I only follow it or at least pretend I do because of my parents. I respect any who choose to follow it and the religion itself. But it isn't what I choose to follow.

I feel more of a connection and understanding with the old Greek religion and more and Ive been praying to the Olympians and other ancient Greek deities for a while now. I've been trying to approach it the same way I'd like a foreigner to approach my own culture and traditions and religion. I've no qualms with them following traditional Chinese deities as long as they're respectful and willing to learn.

I've been approaching Hellenistic Polytheism with that view and mindset in mind. And Im grateful to learn from your blog especially since you're Greek and I want to be respectful to your culture and traditions and since you grew up with and are from the culture itself have a much better understanding of it than most of the self dubbed experts who aren't from the culture itself and have no interest in respecting it or learning about it.

Your blog has helped me clear up my existing misconceptions and misunderstandings about Greek mythology and helped me learn how to be respectful of your culture while I practice the religion and learn more about it. And to avoid upsetting anyone.

In conclusion thank you and I hope you don't mind me learning about your culture and practice the religion.

Hello! Thank you for your patience as I took a while to get to this message. For asks, please know that I'm not ignoring you. I'm just drowning in errands and have minimal energy all the time (chronic illnesses are a bitch)

I appreciate this message so much and each time I see it in my inbox it brings me joy. You can see in my FAQ section that I, like the overwhelming majority of Greeks, take no issue with foreigners engaging in our culture and following our ancient religion.

My tag #ancient Greek religion and #greek tradition may provide you with more information on how the gods were and are viewed, and the continuation of ancient customs and religious views to this day.

It makes me so happy that someone from the other side of the world took an interest in my culture and they're trying their best to be respectful. Bonus points if the person is familiar with this type of disrespect and they are with us in this fight 😄 I didn't know about all the changes in the Journey to the West and I'm grateful to see the Chinese perspective (which I didn't have the chance to be exposed to, so far).

"I'm a Christian although I feel no connection or care for the religion at all I only follow it or at least pretend I do because of my parents." That's at least 50% of the Greeks and we would also add "we go to the afterparties of religious festivals because of the FOOD" 😂 (and the music, and the dance. We know how to partyyy)

Oh, one small thing! It might just be a random typo, but I see this all the time from different people, so it's worth clarifying that it's "Hellenic polytheism" and not "Hellenistic Polytheism". "Hellenistic" describes one of the eras of Greek history, while "Hellenic" is the Greek word for "Greek" and it's a fit term to describe the polytheism.

May you be well, and I'm here if you have any questions!

[merlwybs-wife]

LFRP: Mjara Phovent

Basic Stuff —

Name: Mjara Phovent

Alias: Marsnek Miret

Age: 58

Race: Viera -> Veena

Gender: Genderqueer (he/they)

Sexuality: Homosexual

Relationship Status: Widowed

Title: Viscount

Carrd Link

Personal —

Hobbies: Fashion, Lace Making, Embroidery, Dancing, Reading

Languages: Common/Eorzean (minimal Hingan)

Residence: Ishgard

Birthplace: ?? 

Religion: Why do you ask? He worships Halone, of course. Like any proper Ishgardian. Halone be praised.

Seeking —

Inquisitors. My ideal is to find an Inquisitor who knows Mjara is suspicious. His first husband was rumored to be a heretical black mage, but died before any proper investigation could be conducted. I'd love to have some sort of cat-and-mouse relationship. Bickering/Bantering would be an immense plus.

Criminals. Mjara has ties to an organization called The Crown, a criminal syndicate that is centralized in Ishgard. Mjara is generally used as a "face" between members of the syndicate & civilians, so can be seen working in all facets of the underbelly of society. He specializes in information brokering & buying illegal/dangerous items. If anyone wants to be an active part of The Crown, I am definitely open to such relationships. Mjara has notable relationships to NPCs, including: cleaners and those who are assigned to him as "guards." He's also very familiar with the organization head. If you'd like to have your character know one of these NPCs, or be the NPC themselves-- I'm open to discussion!

Criminally-oriented Noble Ishgardian Houses If your character is part of a House in Ishgard that may be affiliated with The Crown, or have used Mjara's more illegal, discreet services, I'd love to discuss this as well!

Open To —

Casual Acquaintances Since he's recently been "revamped/retconned," Mjara has virtually no social relationships. I'd like to change this! Though this could mean befriending him, this is quite hard to do. Frenemies/Enemies/Rivals are much more likely with him! But, I'm definitely not opposed to trying for a friendship.

Past/Present Patrons & Flings Mjara performs burlesque, and is rather good at it! Though he usually performs in Ul'dah, he does indeed do private performances for people in Ishgard. If you have a character that may have seen him perform (be it in Ishgard or Ul'dah), or would like to, hmu! Additionally, Mjara sleeps around pretty casually. If you'd like to have this be an established/future relationship (and maybe get some scandalous plotlines going), this is also something I'm open to!

Contact

Please only inquire about RP if you are 21+

I’m in PST, generally available from 9am/10am - 6pm, after which I get too tired to start RP in-game.

Due to my health, I prefer discord RP atm. We can attempt to schedule something in-game, but there is a chance I will have to cancel last minute. I can try my hand at tumblr RP, but I've never done it!

My DMs are open! No need to ask. It's better to contact me on discord, though (@ mon_mothra )

Boosts/Reblogs are appreciated!

@mooglemeet

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi sex witch. I'm an anon from November who sent you an ask about how long I can put off seeing a gynecologist, with the ideal answer being "forever". You probably don't actually need that information but at some point my brain decided you might want to know that I am finally going to attempt to do that? Idk. While every part of the process still sounds unbelievably horrific to me and just reading about it makes me cry, I am 26 and so I should probably stop delaying, but I…also have no idea how to find a gynecologist? I don't have a primary care doctor to ask about this (why is not really relevant except in that my general experience of doctors is that they have zero interest in helping me, which does not make me more enthusiastic about an invasive pelvic exam) and everything I've turned up in googling was super vague and useless. So I was hoping you might have some pointers on how to get started. Also how do I have a gynecological exam when just thinking about it makes me want to throw up, but like, I doubt anyone has advice on that since most people are, like, normal.

hey anon,

it seems like you're being a little harsh on yourself there at the end of that ask, and I don't care for that at all! if you've been around this blog for any length of time, you ought to know that many people have a hard time visiting the gyno for all kinds of reason. it's one of the most common types of questions I get here, and I've always tried to emphasize that I myself am one of those people! pap smears hurt like fucking hell for me, and I don't want to make any secret about that! as tempting as it can be to view yourself as some kind of anomaly when you're experiencing difficulty, it's very rarely the case.

put it this way: there are almost 8 billion people in the world, dude. even if only 1% of humanity wanted to throw up at the thought of a gyno exam, you'd still be in a club with about 79 million other people.

in terms of actually getting the damn thing done, I recently answered another ask with a very similar problem and raised the possibility of ultrasounds, a noninvasive way of conducting the same examination, which may be a great deal of help to you. in your search for a gynecologist I'd strongly recommend opening with questions about the possibility of conducting an ultrasound instead of a more conventional exam, stressing that it would be much better for your overall comfort and wellbeing.

in a scenario where that's not feasible, it's still a good idea to initiate the conversation to talk about what accommodations can be offered to make the experience as minimally awful as possible - for instance, will they let you bring a buddy for emotional support? can you stay in your own clothes if you'd feel more comfortable that way? fully just. don't get on a table or take your pants off until you've spoken with the person who will be doing your exam and make sure they understand your whole situation and how best to be accommodating for you.

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Abandoned Fic Idea

So, a year or 2 ago, I was working on a (now abandoned) Gravity Falls/DC crossover fic where the DC heroes (and some villains probably) needed to use the Cipher Wheel in order to trap/get rid of Bill Cipher. In the fic(which will never be worked on again probably), Dipper and Mabel were accidentally sent to the DC universe so their place in the wheel didn't need to be filled. (also, they were there to warn the heroes about Bill)

The Symbols seem to have dual meanings (I'm extrapolating this off of very minimal research I did when I was planning the fic) seeing as Soos's symbol is the question mark because of the shirt he was wearing and Wendy's was the ice symbol because of her demeanor and being "cool in the face of danger".

My first thought was that Question would take Soos's place as the question mark symbol (easy and obvious). But given that the only information given in the show is Bill calling Soos "Question Mark" and Soos wearing the question mark t-shirt pretty consistently, I don't know what personality trait it would be other than "inquisitive" (which, in my opinion, doesn't fit Soos very well)

My second thought was Constantine taking over Wendy's place as the ice symbol, but the reason she's the ice symbol is because she's cool under pressure, so I also thought maybe Batman, Wonder Woman, or Raven. Or go a more literal route and have an ice powered individual take Wendy's place.

Then there's the fish/crescent/oyster (because it slowly went from a crescent to a fish "oyster" shape) symbol that wasn't ever explained because it was on Stan's fez hat. Maybe Aquaman would fit because it's a sea creature at the end of the show? Or maybe Constantine because fish and oysters are commonly symbolic of luck?

Next one would be the pine tree. I know I said Dipper and Mabel are there to fill their spots in the Wheel, but if they weren't, who would take their place? I'll get back to Mabel later, so focusing on the pine tree: Plant Thing is honestly the best choice for this in my opinion (even going the symbolism route). The symbolism of pine trees is typically longevity, wisdom, and stability. Wonder Woman would also be a good fit.

The pentagram (star) with an eye in the center is Gideon's symbol as well as the symbol he uses for his Tent of Telepathy. Going off of that: J'onn and M'gann comes to mind. Honestly the only thing that I think of when the symbol is "mind reading" and "magic" so I'm not sure who else could fit this one.

A six fingered hand is next on the wheel and boy do I want to cry when I attempt to think of anyone other than Ford filling this spot. Not because I'm especially fond of Ford or anything, but because the only thing I can think of is "extra limb" and I don't know any heroes or villains who have extra limbs that isn't a feature of their species (which means it isn't "extra"). There does seem to be a spiritual meaning to having 6 fingered hands (luck, spiritual connection, unique ability, disharmony in your soul, wisdom, compassion, and a bunch of other things which kinda makes sense if you think too hard about the show and Fords relationship with Bill) but I do get a headache whenever I think about this one, so I'm gonna stop.

Llama is the next symbol and it's another one I don't understand because it was only filled by Pacifica because Mabel gave her a llama sweater. Some symbolism is communication (especially when trouble arrives), tenacity, ruggedness, action, courage, duty, etc, etc. I don't think this fits Pacifica especially well, but whatever. Beast Boy might suit this for the sole reason of being able to turn into a llama (which seems to be enough of a reason for it to work). NEXT!

Mabel's shooting star symbol is next! I told you I'd get back to her. The shooting star seems to fit her personality better than anyone else's symbol. It's the symbol of hopes, dreams, creativity, and change. Now - unlike Ford's symbol - I don't want to pick one of the DC characters to represent the shooting star symbol because Mabel is my favorite character in the show, but alas that is the challenge I have given myself so I must try. I feel strongly that Jason or Steph when either were Robin would fit the bill (lol) pretty well, or Nightwing, but I kinda want to pick Stargirl, Jessica Cruz, or Starfire. All of them are good, but there's one that suits the position much better(in my opinion): Hope Corgi.

On to Robbie's stitched up heart. I'm not sure what the meaning was because - like everyone's symbols except for Wendy's and Fiddleford's - the meaning was never explained in the show outside of "oh look they're literally wearing their symbol." My best guess is that the symbol symbolizes past heartache, working past emotional turmoil, and healing heartbreak. This meaning would make most of the heroes suitable for representing this symbol. I think Cyborg might be the most literal in this case though. Or Razor(1, 2).

Last up is Fiddleford with the glasses symbol which is representative of a scholar. I really want to point at Batman for this one, but I'm not sure how well the word "scholar" fits rather than "eclectic know-it-all". Hal was in the air force which means he's pretty smart too... And then there's Diana whose job is museum curator or a diplomat and the princess of Themyscira. Ok, this one sucks because it's basically "pick the smart one" and at that point you've just gotta hope that everyone else available was better suited for one of the other symbols on the wheel and there isn't more than 3 people left over to watch on the sidelines.

Anyway, that's all of them! Let me know your thoughts, ideas, and questions. If anyone wants to snatch this idea and do something with it, just tag me so I can see it!

Cipher Wheel under the cut

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hi. I'd like your advice on my 19 year old infp younger sister (I'm an infp girl too) . She's very toxic and self absorbed, she has no empathy towards her family and she never sees anyone else's point of view. You have to walk on eggshells with her and if you say anything that goes against her point of view, she takes it personally and attacks you, she's completely closed off to others.

The problem that my mom has and me, is that we worry for her. She's reckless and doesn't even acknowledge any risks. It's like they don't exist or are even possibe to her. She goes out with her friends but never accepts any advice my intp mom gives her about her safety. She's taking an acne medication and can't drink alcohol with it, but she minimizes this. She thinks that by drinking less it won't affect her, but my mom informs her of the risks of it and why it's harmful to her, but she just doesn't care. It's like she doesn't have the capacity to acknowledge it, or perhaps her Fi is too toxic and self absorbed that real objective information and dangers are meaningless? That only what she thinks and feels is true?

I just wish to know how we can make her see that we care for her and we aren't doing this to control her. I'd like to know a way to make her acknowledge real dangers, but it's like hitting a titanium wall. If you say anything to her she either ignores you, or gets really angry. How can we deal with her? What can I do?

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

It is distressing to watch someone be a danger to themselves and even a menace to others. Unfortunately, when they don't want help and even believe they don't need it, there isn't much you can do. Not to mention that she's already an adult. Behavioral problems are best addressed early in life. By adulthood, habits have mostly solidified, and people are too eager to be independent and free from the influences of home. The more you try to push them to change, the more they might double down on their problematic behavior.

The information you've provided is quite sparse and there's no way for me to know how accurate and objective your description is, so all I can say is that she could potentially suffer from an intellectual deficit, a mood disorder, a personality disorder, or a behavioral disorder. Or... she could just be an asshole with very few redeeming qualities.

To the extent that being INFP matters, there would be predictable patterns of function misuse, such as: Fi self-absorption, Ne overindulgence, Si stubbornness, and Te lack of objectivity and logic. You say she has no empathy, shows no care and concern, and doesn't bother about consequences. These are not INFP specific problems. The typical INFP (i.e. assuming normal ego development) is very empathetic, loves very deeply, and though they might have difficulty calculating consequences, they will certainly care about doing harm. The symptoms you describe usually indicate there is a deeper mental health issue involved that is either somewhat separate from personality or serves to bring out the worst aspects of one's personality.

Hearing your description of her only raised questions for me, such as:

- Has she always had no empathy or did her environment never encourage her to develop it? For example, there's a difference between someone who is neurologically incapable of empathy versus someone who has gotten away with antisocial behavior for too long and thus refuses to change. Your mom being INTP sounds like it could be significant because they are often not the best for teaching children emotional intelligence, especially troubled kids.

- Has she always been antagonistic toward the family or were there significant events that turned her against the family at some point? For example, there's a difference between someone who is simply callous (to everyone) versus someone who was (unconsciously) made to feel like the black sheep in the family and is acting out as a result. You bring up the specter of her feeling "controlled", which seems like an important detail that was glossed over. There are probably unhealthy familial relationship dynamics that need to be analyzed and healed.

- Has she always been unresponsive to consequences or is it more accurate to say that she has never had to fully suffer the consequences of her behavior? For example, there is a difference between someone who doesn't have the logical mind to work out cause-and-effect versus someone who has been spoiled because their messes were always cleaned up for them. You mention she is a younger sister, is she also the youngest of the family? This might be significant because children are often (unconsciously) treated differently by parents according to birth order.

These questions pop up because there are many blanks to fill in, and I don't like to rely on speculation. To have any chance of changing her behavior, the first thing you have to do is gain some understanding of why it's happening. There might be any number of biological factors, psychological factors, social factors, and environmental factors that need to be addressed. But it sounds like neither you nor your mom have any insight into any of the factors, so it might be time to seek expert help. Perhaps your mom should consult a family therapist or someone who can build a proper case history of her behavior in order to understand how things turned out this way, which might then help reveal new paths forward.