#9/150

[kakaanggi]

09. Your favorite childhood memory

22 Mei 2024 Your favorite childhood memory 9/150

Sebagai seorang anak lulusan Pendidikan rumah nenek, dan telah menetap sejak usia satu tahun hingga menjelang akhir sekolah menengah pertama, bisa dibilang masa kecilku dipenuhi dengan cerita manis, pahit, asam, garam, dan menyenangkan. Berada dilingkungan rukun tetangga yang hangat, keluarga yang suaranya diatas oktaf sebab kakekku yang saat itu memiliki sedikit kekurangan pendengaran, serta nenek yang senang sekali menyetel lagu Ida Laila sehabis ashar sampai sebelum magrib tiba, membuat cerita masa kecil ini penuh dengan memori bahagia yang kupunya.

Aku ingat betul sewaktu usiaku mungkin kisaran lima atau enam tahun, setiap ingin pergi ke sekolah taman kanak-kanak, ada satu tetangga yang sudah mengganggap aku anaknya sendiri, seorang ibu dan bapak dengan dua anak laki-lakinya yang sudah remaja kala itu, mereka selalu sudah siap dengan motor vespa abu-abu milik sang bapak, dan istrinya di belakang menjemputku dirumah nenek yang kala itu aku selalu naik berdiri di depan. Dengan wajah penuh bedak, kerudung yang hampir menutupi mataku, aku kegirangan diantar sekolah oleh mereka yang kuanggap orang tuaku kala itu.

Atau saat sekolah dasar, mungkin ini bukan pengalaman yang baik tapi kurasa menyenangkan sekali berjalan kaki pulang dan pergi ke sekolah yang jaraknya kisaran dua kilo meter lebih ditempuh melewati jalan penyebrangan yang teramat luas. Bagi anak seusiaku kala itu, menyebrang lewat jalan raya adalah hal menyeramkan yang harus kita lalui, alih-alih meminta tolong disebrangi setiap hari, aku beserta teman-teman yang searah dengan rumahku, melewati jalur penyebrangan alternatif dibawah jalan raya yang terbentang luas, kolong jembatan. Dulu, kami begitu aman melewati jalan-jalan seperti itu, meski banyak orang-orang yang bekerja sebagai pencari barang bekas atau gelandang yang tidak memiliki tempat tinggal terpaksa tidur dan berlapak disana, jaman itu lingkungan bisa dikatakan aman untuk tempat berjalan dan bermain anak-anak.

Sesekali aku juga turut diminta bareng saja dengan kakak kelas yang bersekolah menggunakan sepeda. Kadang aku enggan menerima tawarannya, sebab untuk seusiaku saat itu, canggung sekali di “ciye-ciyekan” oleh teman-teman yang melihat. Makanya aku lebih suka berjalan kaki, sambil sesekali berkhayal sedang berada didalam “petualangan Sherina” sebab teman sejalanku saat itu juga sama serunya denganku. Haha

Waktu pulang sekolah adalah waktu yang paling dinanti-nanti olehku. Pasalnya, aku beserta kedua temanku yang memang kami terbiasa berkumpul dan bermain bertiga kala itu, kami biasa menghabiskan waktu sampai sore hanya untuk bermain sepeda, memutari daerah rumah kami. Tidak hanya bersepeda, kami juga kadang menepi dipinggir Sungai yang kala itu aliran airnya masih cukup bersih untuk kami bermain-main disana, dan cukup teduh untuk bercanda dan berimajinasi apapun sesuai tema harian yang kami sepakati bersama. Kadang aku bisa menjadi penjual sayur, kadang bisa menjadi pencari berudu, atau kadang kami juga bisa menjadi detektif yang menyamar dan menemukan penjahat dengan sepeda yang kami kayuh dibawah terik matahari.

Ahh, rasanya menyenangkan sekali jika bisa kembali ke masa kanak-kanak. Banyak lingkar pertemanan yang berbeda-beda, merasakan pahitnya dimarahi tante saat aku susah sekali diminta menghabiskan makananku, merasakan manisnya memiliki baju lebaran yang kuidam-idamkan hadiah dari para tante dan kiriman ibuku, merasakan kue oleh-oleh kondangan dari nenek yang selalu membungkusnya dengan tisu didalam tas miliknya, atau dibonceng sepeda oleh kakek demi berfoto bersama presiden yang dulu ramai sekali diarak menuju istana.

Kenangan-kenangan manis dan pahit itulah yang menemaniku tumbuh. Tinggal dilingkungan yang beragam dan hangat, saling membantu dan mengisi saat membutuhkan, saling mengerti apabila ditimpa kesusahan.

Ohya, aku memang bukan dari kalangan berada, barang mewah seperti video game atau handphone memang tak pernah tersentuh olehku, tapi berkat tante dan nenekku, aku merasakan indahnya semua permainan tahun 90an yang hampir semua bisa kurasakan. Berkat mereka, aku juga dapat hidup mandiri sedari kecil. Ada satu memori yang sangat indah, kenangan saat bulan Ramadhan datang, dan teman-teman memanggil namaku guna mengajakku solat subuh di masjid Bersama. Kami berlari dan tertawa bersama. Bercerita apa saja, atau menghabiskan waktu dengan bertukar orji, atau menunggu ayamku bertelur didalam Tamagotchi milikku. Mengaji sore, merasakan asiknya bangun pagi di hari minggu demi tontonan yang kami tunggu-tunggu, merasakan cinta monyet yang kurasa, aku juga pernah menyukai seorang anak dari kampung sebelah yang jago sepak bola kala itu. Atau momen main hujan bersama teman-teman dengan busa sampo dikepala yang tak kunjung bosan kami lakukan setiap hujan besar mengguyur ibu kota kala itu. Ahh, menyenangkan dapat mengingat kepingan memori masa kecil itu.

Kurasa, ada bagian dimana kita semua punya memori yang sama. Yaitu momen tidur siang yang menjadi hal wajib namun sungguh berat untuk anak-anak seusia kita kala itu. Kita baru sadar, disaat dewasa ini, ternyata tidur siang memang sebuah hal Istimewa yang tak semua orang dapatkan. Ah, diriku, kenapa kamu semalas itu untuk tidur dan mendengarkan kata-kata nenekmu dulu. Hehehe

Baiklah, selamat menjadi dewasa ya.

Teruslah mengingat hal-hal masa kecilmu, saat hari-hari berat dan kau tak sanggup untuk berjalan lebih cepat.

Terima kasih untuk kenangan yang masih tersimpan, pada kotak memori yang terjaga dengan baik, sebab dirimu berarti 😊

[germesthegenie]

So I was thinking earlier today like “damn imagine if we didn’t have the timeskip and got the full 2 years with the Chicago Wards that’d be so cool”. But then I remembered the first 25-ish arcs took place over like 4 months in universe. That’s like 6.25 arcs per month. So imagine if Worm just had like another 150 arcs. The One Piece of niche web serials.

[jtl-fics]

Some tbd pretty please🙏

9/25/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | TBD AU

So they leave Austin behind and Andrew is looking forward to seeing what Aaron and Katelyn will think of the tie-dyed shirts he had gotten him and his future nieces. “Keep the Family Weird” had been something that Neil had pushed him towards and he’d eventually caved when Neil had found the onesies.

The car ride is…enjoyable. Neil’s good company on the road, he focuses on navigating and managing the music. They don’t force themselves to talk so there are long periods of quiet between the two of them, but it never felt uncomfortable or like Neil was waiting for him to initiate conversation.

They stop halfway home in Mississippi and spend the night at the first motel they can find. There are some looks when they pull into the parking lot with a Ferrari but the clerk takes his money all the same.

[whywishesarehorses]

She's such a trooper!! 9 miles, including about 3 miles of tricky trails and intense switchbacks. She still had the oomph to gallop at the end

[merrysithmas]

welp today's the day whether or not we find out if the country and all its strived towards for 300 years is going to collapse under the weight of 50% of its population who are either 1. pure evil or 2. severely uneducated and manipulated into evil by billionaires, foreign spy campaigns, evangelicism, and the vampiric GOP, as all fascists movements

[httpiastri]

what do you think clem‘s love language is? 🫶🏻

ooo clem feels like a mix of gift giving and words of affirmation for me? he just loves spoiling you i think, and it doesn't have to be expensive things; he's attentive and knows you well enough to buy you super sweet things that mean a lot even no matter the cost. a pretty bracelet to match your newest necklace, a bouquet of flowers in your favorite colors, those candies you were talking about craving the other day... and even just small things that he sees during his travels that remind him of you, like little trinkets or books, or bringing home your favorite takeout after he knows you've had a long day. and it means so much for him when you show your appreciation for the stuff he gives you!! he loves to see your eyes light up and the big smile you can't hold back, and he just dies for that feeling of your hugs as you thank him over and over again. :((

i think words of affirmation is definitely something he likes to give, but it's mainly his receiving language (is that how you say it?...) !! he doesn't really like to admit it, but it's easy to figure out because he practically glows when you compliment him. he definitely loves it when you praise his looks etc, but he especially loves more personal stuff like "i can tell you worked really hard on this" or "you did your best" or "i'm proud of you" 🥺

[randomnameless]

Hi, I was talking with some friends, and wanted some help double checking some 3H shenanigans and figured you'd be the best to ask. Do you know when in the game Ionius's whole wives situation got mentioned and what he did that got all the nobles to depose him? I remember something about concubines, but don't know where exactly in the game it was talked about to check and cite. Thank you very much if you're able to help!

I hope I can help then!

In Hubert and Hanneman's C support, it's more or less explained, by Hanneman that Ionius wanted to concentrate power on himself :

In your father's defense, the emperor was attempting to take power from the Seven Houses. The emperor's reform was an attempt to concentrate power in the hands of the throne.

While Hubert presents it the other way :

He conspired with the ministers to usurp power from the emperor. And Lady Edelgard...

But both he and Hanneman later agree, in their B support, that Hubert is aware he is not very objective.

The Jp version gives a bit more insight on Hanneman's explanations, that were removed from the localised version for... well, I suppose, some reasons I still can't understand?

当時の陛下は、“七貴族”と呼ばれる 大貴族や外戚の特権を徐々に廃止し…

There's a mention of the consort kin, that is absent in the localised version.

This translation translated it as :

At that time, His Majesty was gradually abolishing the privileges of the consort kin and the ones referred to as “The Seven Aristocrats” – the great noble [families]

Ionius was thus trying to centralise power on himself, remove privileges and powers of the 7 and the consort kin.

Now, unlike some other settings, Ionius having consorts isn't that developped in Fodlan, so we don't have any clues, in canon, about what those privileges are. We can only surmise things here'n'there based on rl, I guess, as long as it doesn't contradict canon.

So, what could have been those consort kin privileges?

Let's take the Arundel example.

Anselma is wooed by Ionius, bears him a daughter, but doesn't become his official/legal/legitimate wife. She becomes his consort wife.

What is she going to do? She cannot marry someone else, Papa Arundel "lost" his daughter and cannot secure a good wedding for her (as is apparently the fate of Adrestian noblewomen?) because she's already one of Ionius's consort. Hell, given how their daughter isn't the next in line for the Imperial succession, Anselma's role is very shaky -

In Fates, we have the background concubine wars, where the goal was to have their kid become the heir (iirc?) so they would have a place by the King's side, or at least not be demoted as "extras" when the kid from another mother will become, well, king.

In Fodlan, from this line, we know the "kin" of the Imperial consorts had some "privileges" - a sort of crass way to say the Emperor gives them "stuff" so they will shut up if he "wooes" a daughter, relegates her as a baby maker and doesn't marry her, thus her "market value" drops and the resulting child is only an extra?

From the Libary, it's confirmed that :

House Arundel Formerly a minor noble house of the Empire. As head of the house, when Volkhard's younger sister became betrothed to Emperor Ionius IX, Volkhard was granted the title of Lord Arundel. Having worked closely with House Aegir, House Arundel is seen as one of the chief instigators of the Insurrection of the Seven.

House Arundel became "important" when Anselma was wooed by Ionius and became his wife (consort wife though!).

So when Ionius wants to remove the consort kin privileges, aka giving some importance to the families of the women he "wooes", Arundel isn't super happy and spearheads the insurrection.

Now, why was that system created? Was it a way to prevent the Emperor from, say, having their cake and eating it, aka, seducing women, giving them kids and then throwing them (both?) away without strings attached? Or to make sure consort wife #7 will have a role somewhere, and her family will get a "compensation" for her loss?

Or worse, the "consort kin" privileges maybe also applied to the children of the consorts - they would have a lower rank compared to the children of the legitimate wife - but still be worth something?

The Adrestian Imperial family is sadly under utilised, so we don't a thing about what was the status of the consorts or their children (they just poof away in the game events, we never hear anything about Ionius's surviving consorts or his legitimate wife!) - but we know there used to be some sort of compensation (super dowry?) Ionius/the Emperor had to give to families of the women he screwed -

And from what the JP version of Hubert and Hanneman's support says, Ionius wanted to get rid of that.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

8 for Maisel? 🥰

Gordon's Emmy's party is just as insane as Midge thought it would be, and while she does love a great party, this group is hard for even her to keep up with.

She didn't bring a date, and it makes her popular, unfortunately. Canon fodder for the single men present. And even some of the not-so-single men.

And so she finds herself in the garden outside of the very fancy venue Gordon's team rented. It's strange but there's far less light pollution out here, and Midge can see some stars peeking through in the night sky, and it's...

Well, honestly, it's beautiful.

She finds a bench and settles down, smoothing out her black designer gown, breathing in the cool air and enjoying the calm.

"No, you see," a familiar voice tells her. "This is my bench."

Midge can't help a slowly smile as she looks up at Lenny. "I was wondering if you were going to show up to this thing."

"Ah, my manager told me I had to make an appearance," he shrugs, sitting next to her. "But it turns out it's an awful fucking party."

She nods in agreement. "Yes, it is."

They sit in silence for a long time, both of them looking up at the night sky in companionable silence.

"I always liked stars," he admits quietly. "It's harder to see them in the city, but...I always..."

Midge turns to look at him, tilting her head. "What?"

He shrugs and gestures up to the sky. "It always struck me as very strange, and very beautiful, that we exist alongside all of that."

She smiles and rests her head on his shoulder. "I never thought about it before. But it is nice."

"Yes, it is."

More silence settles over them as Lenny slides an arm around her shoulders.

"Wow. I never would have guessed."

Midge rolls her eyes as she looks up at her boss. "Hi, Gordon."

"Midge. Lenny."

"Hello," Lenny greets.

"What are you two up to?" Gordon smirks. "A little alone time?"

"Literally just looking at the sky," Midge tells him unimpressed.

"Sure."

"Did you know Saturn has nine moons?" Lenny asks.

Gordon blinks.

"Nine," he nods. "It's a lot of fuckin' moons. We've only got the one. Hell, there might be more."

Midge grins a little, watching the exchange.

"...Okay," Gordon says awkwardly. "I think I forgot that you're a dweeb."

"I did an entire television segment on flea circuses once," Lenny points out. "I blew my nose on the air on Playboy Penthouse. I probably got snot on Hue Hefner. How could you possible forget that?"

Midge laughs into his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut. She knows it's going to get her in trouble with Gordon to laugh this hard, but she's note sure she cares very much.

"Right," Gordon nods slowly. "I'm uh...I'll leave you two to it, I guess."

Midge lifts her head and smiles. 'Bye, Gordon."

He walks off and Midge buries her face in Lenny's shoulder again.

"Of course I'm a dweeb, it's how I get arrested all the fucking time," Lenny grumbles. "I know too much about the American legal system, and religion and the state of our economy and I get busted for spouting facts mixed in with swear words and dicks jokes. Forgot I was a dweeb. Fuck's sake."

She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his cheek. "Just enjoy the view, Lenny."

He pulls back a little, lifting his eyebrows as he gazes at her. "Yes, it is a very lovely view."

Midge feels herself flush a little, biting her lip.

[gaylornation]

what's actually bonkers to me is that I found out they had broken up for the final time literally the day before Lover dropped and I couldn't say shit... now here we are almost 4 years later and Karlie showed up to her show. like my mind has not fully comprehended it yet lol

[s1ithers]

re: baldur's gate's setting limitations: I've read a Lot of shit set in the Forgotten Realms and yeah, I agree. I mean I think it's interesting with the Legend of Drizzt (which are objectively bad although I love them dearly) to see an author clumsily *trying* grapple with sociological cycles of violence, and even that's being really deprecated out of more modern D&D to make it brighter, shinier, more Marvel, and more approachable. Like that's certainly the more marketable approach and in a [1/2

setting increasingly dictated by TTRPGs as played by people who expect videogame logic, /or/ parasocial slice of life, it's not surprising - it also avoids a lot of the pitfalls of "what the fuck were you thinking" that LoD itself is a great example of when it comes to clumsy allegory and sexual assault played for titillation - but honestly I prefer the clumsy trash that contemplates gore and consequence happening on a human level than something that wants to be approachable and friendly but [2/ [3/3] has no problem with the concept of ontological evil which is always more fundamentally regressive than clumsy allegory tbh. But I mean we both prefer DA and DA started /as a reaction to/ the fundamental limitations of the Baldur's Gate series, so it's not surprisingly that a game that sort of ignores the entire DA-digression, and the risks it took with form, doesn't have that spark.

haven't read LoD but agreed, my clumsy allegory tolerance is probably /too/ high but do ontological good and evil at face value & i'm right out

i think what hits weird for me about bg3 is almost some version of the uncanny, like on the one hand it's trying to do psychological realism in a pretty earnest way, but it's also set up this world where like. a character's hair changes from black to white when she chooses Good. yknow. there's some lovely sensitive character writing, but it rests on this substrate of world-logic that's just fundamentally not how people work. ahistorical, like you've said before. so you can only drill down so far before it rings hollow or just comes off kind of pat

[bunnihearted]

.

[existencebringsonlypain]

You ever start writing a tag and come across a phrase that's. Just ALL the scams

[arundolyn]

every time a customer is completely oblivious about how bad liquid damage is for a computer an angel loses its wings I fall to the ground screaming in agony and then i lunge across the counter and start tearing at their face like the witch from left 4 dead

[vibinwiththefrogs]

The people who learned English through fanfiction were onto something... It's kind of great intermediate reading practice to bridge the gap to reading longer native materials. Usually fanfics aren't too long so it's not as intimidating as a book. There's more description than you would get with a manga/comic, video game, or children's book. The language used isn't as challenging as a lot of short stories (at least short stories that I pick up, maybe I have a tendency to pick the thinkers 💀). This may be the way to go

[whywishesarehorses]

After her whole meltdown, she was totally back to normal and perfectly behaved on Tuesday

[inkedhorror]

oh when did that happen...