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ultimategenshintournament · 7 months ago

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Ultimate Genshin Tournament: Round 5

Propaganda below cut

Venti:

calls the Traveler "his warrior" plus he's like our long-time friend??? He basically asked us out during the alchemy event???? You can choose to bring him up during the fight with Signora????? He's the best idc

He. Is. Amazing. So many layers, so interesting...So much trauma and potential...Not to mention look how AWESOME he is generally!!! He's kind and caring towards everybody, and also carefree and mischievous!!! How can you not love him??

he’s TOO GOOD for this world- he’s just a little guy!! Like he cares for his nation and the people of Mondstadt SO MUCH it hurts when people say he doesn’t. Like, my poor trauma-driven little mega-powerful war god who’s actually just a tiny little wind spirit honoring his dead friend!!!! I love him so much

his lore means he gets brought up almost every patch. he convinced a bunch of the most lethal women in Teyvat to have tea instead of screwing him up. he would always rather take the path of least resistance. he’s the three time best bard in Mond. he never seeks glory, only wishes to offer it to others. he was a better father to Diona than her real one five minutes into meeting her. he gives Glory whispers of what the world looks like so she can navigate. when a nun of his own church denied his identity he decided to run a heist to steal back an item that is only holy because it is his. he keeps his misery and loneliness trapped within, and does his best to bring joy to every person he meets. how can you not love him?

He's Venti. How do you beat that? Answer: you don't. You can't.

they say that an nation is most like their archon but is the anemo archon a god that took after the people's traits or did the people take their archons traits (the only correct answer is that venti took after old mond's people traits and it's so disgustingly sweet, he's a lil baby who cared so much that he kept old mond's wishes heard and their dream a reality — of freedom (without a god, as much as he could) where humanity leads trust. he left mondstadt because he trusted that humanity would do that right thing always but then he got betrayed by the Lawrence clan but he forgave them???! the anemo archon gave them no punishment , but mondstadt did . venti has me ugly crying

Kaeya:

He's cool, he's mysterious, he wears an eyepatch, he has a super tragic backstory, he's good with kids, he takes care of his friends, what's not to love!!!

despite all the hardships he’s suffered, he’s still such a kind person

This is the character of the everyman. Everyone should love Kaeya because he's with you no matter what. He has the great mystery of his origins and his damage with his family and his brother, but he is with you til the end. That's what makes him so special to me

Furina:

girl deserves therapy and hugs and the best life in the WORLD because oh boy she went through a lot!!!! wouldn't pretending to be a god for 500 years with no support mess you up? and yet she still kept on going for her people!! she wanted to save her nation from a doomsday prophecy and she DID

After act 5 she deserves the world :(

“If all the people of Fontaine are on one side, and I am on the other…is it not obvious where the scales of suffering should tilt?” NO IT ISNT YOU’RE JUST ABNORMALLY SELFLESS AND INCREDIBLE AND PERSISTENT. Even the Archons praise Furina’s name and say she is a human with strength and capability worthy of an Archon. That’s not even to speak of Focalors. She snapped at Arlecchino only when the Harbinger implied that Furina had done nothing to preserve her people from the flood. Meanwhile every minute she was working to prevent the prophecy. A month after we took her to court and almost got her killed she agreed to help us direct a play, a favor for a favor

#ugt poll #ugt round 5 #ultimate genshin tournament #genshin impact #genshin #tournament #character tournament #tumblr tournament #bracket tournament #tournament poll #genshin polls #genshin venti #kaeya alberich #genshin kaeya #genshin impact kaeya #furina #reblog for sample size etc etc #has propaganda #long post

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saturniandevil · 9 months ago

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May 2024 Important Dates

AKA my notes from The Astrology Podcast's May Forecast.

April recap: on the 8th we had the solar eclipse in Aries that covered much of the United States, during a Mercury retrograde and right before a Mars-Saturn conjunction--all also in Aries! In international news this connects to Iran's retaliation for Israel's strike on its Syrian embassy. A tragic eclipse story is of astrologer Danielle Ayoka, whose death after a mental breakdown was sensationalized by the LA times as part of modern-day Satanic Panic. Our hosts urge the wider astrological community to learn more about how to support others who may be going through a mental health crisis and extend sympathy to the affected families. The inflammatory reporting also connects to a larger story of backlash against astrology as Saturn approaches a conjunction with Neptune in Pisces and the latter leaves the sign.

On April 10th we had an exact Mars-Saturn conjunction in Pisces, which a previous forecast predicted would correspond with issues of contaminated water, maritime warfare, and flooding. On the day of the conjunction, the EPA issued the first national limit for forever chemicals in the water. Saturn signifies both the restrictions and the longevity of the chemicals. There was also torrential flooding in Dubai, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

Jupiter conjoined Uranus in Taurus on April 20th; these planets only align every 14 years. Jupiter-Uranus indicates uprisings and revolutions: the last one corresponded with the Arab Spring, and there was also one in 1968-70 during Vietnam War protests, as well as the French and American revolutions. The student protests at Columbia (and later other universities) calling for divestment and ceasefire in Gaza are a direct connection here (the current encampment was directly inspired by student protestors doing the same thing in 1968 to protest the Vietnam War). These protests began on April 17th and saw a boom in media coverage when the conjunction went exact. The 1969 conjunction was in Libra; in Venus-ruled signs this alignment signals uprisings of "we don't want to be at war!" If these protests did start right at dawn on the 17th, this would have the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction (already exact by degree, but not minute) rising, fitting for an action that has sparked events across the nation.

Another Jupiter-Uranus story includes Congress passing a bill wrapping together military funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan with a probable TikTok ban. A historical connection here is the passing of the Lend-Lease bill in 1941, a precursor to the US entering WW2. With the US Uranus return coming up (which corresponds to the Civil War and WW2), Chris is nervous. Other conjunction stories include the restoration of net neutrality on April 25th (Taurus ruling basic necessities and resources), the Department of Transportation mandating airlines to give refunds (the Wright Brothers flew under a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction), the FTC put a ban on employer non-compete agreements, and a VW factory in Tennessee successfully unionized as part of UAW--one of the first unionized auto factories in the South! These regulation stories also fit with Saturn bringing rules and regulations.

We're entering the month of May right as Mars enters his domicile Aries, freeing us of the Saturn conjunction, Mercury stationing direct, and Venus in her home sign of Taurus.

May 2nd - Pluto stations Retrograde This occurs at 2 degrees of Aquarius and will see Pluto backtrack into Capricorn for the final time this summer. Retrograde stations intensify the significations of a particular planet in that sign, and this particular one occurs with a square from Venus in Taurus and copresence with the Moon. Pluto in Aquarius developments include developments in AI & technology, and with Venus signifying the arts we can expect AI image/video developments. On a personal level Venus-Pluto can indicate deep, transformative relationships as well as control, manipulation, and power dynamics. Venus in Taurus also activates the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, especially in the realm of our relationship to the natural world & differentiating what is real from what is fake. On a more positive note, this is a good time to indulge in creative projects, and with a retrograde especially, returning your idea to its original state. Venus-Pluto also relates to issues of women's rights and bodily autonomy (ex. Roe v. Wade).

May 7th - New Moon in Taurus

At 18 degrees of Taurus, the New Moon forms a sextile to Saturn (17♓), and soon approaches the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction (orb 3) just a few degrees away. Jupiter-Uranus themes will become more pronounced collectively and in our personal lives, likely bringing new chapters in the stories discussed in the recap. Also in Taurus is Venus, who's slowing down after her zip through Aries and emphasizes relationships as she brings us back down to earth. Meanwhile, Mars in Aries doesn't make many aspects to other planets this month (even copresent Mercury is moving away from him), making him a bit of a renegade, but also not interfering with other planets. On the 25th Mars will reach the degree of the eclipse (18♈), so those affected by the eclipse, especially night charts, will definitely see extra focus in this part of their lives, while day charts can expect some challenges.

May 12th/13th - Sun conjoins Uranus (not pictured) This Taurus season sees the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction continually activated. Rather than the usual relaxation, we'll hear the bells of rebellion tolling over and over. (Another date to watch is May 18th, when the Sun hits Jupiter.)

May 13th - Mercury enters Taurus He exits his retrograde shadow before this ingress and at the same time Venus sextiles Saturn, clarifying conversations. We'll feel like we're finally done with some hassles. Mercury's ingress into Taurus also focuses the solid majority of our energy in this area, rather than splitting it with Aries. However, he squares Pluto immediately upon entering, so before smooth sailing we'll have to deal with intense focus, digging up the past, and uncovering secrets. This might deepen conversations as Mercury treats the same issues Venus brought up with her square to Pluto earlier this month, but now with more distance and calculation than the tender emotions, or it can amplify those issues with a microphone.

May 14th - Electional chart for the month (not pictured)

May is actually one of the best months for electional astrology all year, free of Mars retrograde and most outer planet tensions that will overshadow the later part of the year. This selection is for about 12:30PM local time. This should give Leo rising, and the Ascendant ruler the Sun is in Taurus within 3 degrees of a conjunction to Jupiter in the 10th house. Venus is also in Taurus, squaring a Leo Moon in the first house. This is a great chart for 10th house matters like career, reputation, and public image, with the Ascendant ruler fully bonified by Jupiter and supported by both benefics. With the first house connection Diana suggests this is also a good time to update your work wardrobe or possibly website in ways that may seem unexpected. It's a good time to do something unique or innovative with Uranus placed so prominently. It's not as good for ninth house matters like foreign travel, as Mars is there in a day chart.

May 18th - Venus conjunct Uranus, Sun conjunct Jupiter Venus conjoins Uranus (23♉) at the same time that the Sun conjoins Jupiter (28♉), bringing us optimism and excitement. It's extremely buoyant and can be disruptive simply by virtue of so much happening at once. It's a Saturday, so a great time to have fun, but be prepared to sleep in late the next day. We can find new relationships that begin quickly but burn out fast too, and run into unexpected good luck.

May 19th/20th - Mars conjoins North Node (not pictured) The next day the Moon enters Libra and opposes this configuration, activating it. Mars takes the place of the Sun in an eclipse, reactivating the stories that these Aries-Libra eclipses have been pinging in our lives. Mars's anger may be in response to people crossing our social boundaries represented by the Moon in Libra. With the Moon bringing in the South Node and Mars's severing associations, we may become aware of things we need to relinquish or cut off. Picking fights can lead to consequences you really don't want.

May 20th - Sun enters Gemini This ingress foreshadows the stellium of planets in Taurus shifting to Gemini.

May 23rd - Full Moon in Sagittarius, Venus conjunct Jupiter, Jupiter sextile Neptune, Venus enters Gemini

This Full Moon is opposite the Venus-Jupiter conjunction (29♉), both of whom sextile Neptune (29♓), and when the Moon exactly opposes the Sun it sextiles Pluto. This is a more positive and optimistic lunation than what we've been seeing so far: the best of the night sect with the best of the day sect. Agreements made during this time will have staying power, and it's a good sign for peace in world events. Neptune connotes idealism in these accords--sometimes you need ungrounded hopes and dreams to go on. Venus-Jupiter conjunctions can also bring too much of a good thing, so be careful not to overindulge. This is also a good time to enjoy material and sensual comforts. It's the perfect day for a picnic!

Venus joins the Sun in Gemini soon after.

May 25th - Jupiter enters Gemini Jupiter spends about a year in a sign, and we'll be shifting from slow, grounded Taurus to mutable, airy Gemini. He'll be trining Pluto in Aquarius while here, accelerating technological advancements like AI and innovations in transportation. Diana uses the image of lots of busy bumblebees trying to collect lots of different information very rapidly. It might be overwhelming, and we could see heightened allergens. This also sets up the next month, where we'll have lots of activity in Gemini...all of which will square Saturn in Pisces! It'll be a lively air and water show with changes in short-term travel. In our personal lives, the combination of Venus & Jupiter will alleviate some of the issues we've been feeling in mutable signs, where places we've felt weighed down and restricted will receive some levity and buoyancy. Whichever house Gemini occupies in your chart will see some smooth sailing for awhile. Use this positive support in Taurus and Gemini to make hay while the sun shines!

May 31st - Mercury conjunct Uranus Mercury is the last planet to ping Jupiter-Uranus conjunction; in general there is a lot of planetary activity in Taurus this month, really activating whichever house that falls in for individuals. Mercury brings a megaphone to the final blast of energy from Taurus. Surprising news, unexpected communications, and conversations with unlikely sources are in order. Uranus-Mercury can open up possibilities that you never could have predicted, and are good for thinking on your feet. Both planets are associated with the nervous system--it's a good day to be cautious with your caffeine consumption.

Whether you need to be active or just rest, take advantage of the stability and help this month!

#astrology #transits #forecast #may 2024 #pluto retrograde #mars in aries #jupiter conjunct uranus #jupiter in taurus #jupiter in gemini #venus in taurus #venus conjunct jupiter #venus conjunct uranus #sun conjunct jupiter #mercury conjunct uranus #venus square pluto #mercury square pluto

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cicada-and-pomegranate · 2 years ago

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I feel like if 9/11 happened again, no one would really react.

I think a lot of people were horrified on 9/11 because they didn’t know things like that happened. The boomer generation is all like “never forget”, acting like it’s the greatest tragedy since the Holocaust, and acts like joking about 9/11 is paramount to joking about genocides, but they went to school every day to learn about how to hide from a nuclear bomb.

At the end of the day though, the most that 9/11 effected the lives of most people acting like 9/11 is the world’s greatest modern tragedy is that they have to take their shoes off at the airport. 9/11 had disastrous effects, of course, but not on the people most intimately obsessed with its tragedy.

There’s a 2002 episode of Arthur where a school fire is used as an analogue for 9/11. (I really wish they just used real 9/11 that would have been so fucking funny) One of the plots is about Buster feeling bad about not really caring about the fire. At the time that was a super important message for kids, because why the fuck would they care? They probably don’t even know how much 3,000 is or necessarily what death is or maybe even where New York is. It’s unrelated to them.

9/11 happened 21 years ago. It can legally drink in the US. If you actually remember the significance of what 9/11 was when it happened, you’re kind of old now. Young people either were Buster or they learned about 9/11 in history class. It’s a meme now.

I’m going to New York in about a month and I’ve already planned to take a photo of the 9/11 memorial and caption it “I forgor”. I don’t fucking care; I wasn’t alive in 2001. I think older people need to accept that 9/11 is now a historical event rather than a modern tragedy, and a historical event with a comparatively low body count.

The fact that 9/11 gripped the nation for decades after isn’t just a consequence of the place and time it happened; it was intentional. It was a terrorist attack; it was meant to be flashy, it was meant to be destructive, and it was meant to be scary. Making 9/11 out to be the worst thing ever projects Al-Qaeda’s strength.

We’ve now lived through entire months in which every day has killed more people than 9/11. Of course that’s always been true, but not from one collective, abnormal cause. When you become desensitized to death, it’s no longer tragic. One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic.

The constant propaganda about 9/11 being the worst thing ever, counterintuitively, makes it seem less bad. It normalizes it to the point that it’s not the tragedy it once was. Especially when you didn’t live it because you were not yet alive.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, I mean no one cares about the myriad obscure genocides which killed hundreds of thousands to millions, but 3,000 people who happened to have a statistically higher income (the Twin Towers housed financial offices and the flights that were hijacked tend to have a lot of business travelers, especially on a morning flight early in the week)? Greatest American tragedy literally ever.

I think people not caring about the faceless people who died on 9/11 and ended up getting turned in to patriotic martyrs and caring more about the faceless people who die every day because governments around the world think it’s in their best interests for them to is a good thing. It’s an inevitable part of moving forward in time; the sands of time erode all but the number of bones.

So joke about 9/11. It ends the era of “never forget”, and brings about that of the perpetual apathy that faces all historical events with the inevitable bored child in an elementary school classroom asking the teacher why he should care about dead people.

#9/11 joke #short essay #american history #r/196 #cicadessays

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scoopflash · 6 months ago

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Chad Daybell: The Enigmatic Figure at the Center of a Dark Saga

In the annals of true crime, there are those cases that capture the public imagination and refuse to let go. One such case is the story of Chad Daybell the enigmatic figure at the center of a dark and twisted saga that has gripped the nation.

Born in 1968 in Utah, Daybell has always been a deeply religious man, with a strong belief in the supernatural and the power of prophecy. Over the years, he has become embroiled in a series of bizarre and tragic events, culminating in the deaths of his wife and two of his stepchildren.

The Early Days: From Utah to Idaho

Daybell's journey into the dark side began in Utah, where he was raised in a strict Mormon household. He was deeply involved in the church and was known for his charismatic personality and his ability to inspire others with his religious fervor.

After marrying his first wife, Tammy, Daybell moved to Idaho, where he became involved in the local Mormon community. It was there that he met Lori Vallow, a woman who would become his second wife and the catalyst for a series of tragic events.

The Lori Vallow Connection

Lori Vallow was a woman with a troubled past, including a history of mental illness and a string of failed relationships. When she met Chad Daybell, she was immediately drawn to his charismatic personality and his belief in the supernatural.

Over the next few years, the two became deeply involved in each other's lives, sharing a passion for religion and a belief in the power of prophecy. However, their relationship was not without its problems, as Vallow struggled with her mental health and her increasingly erratic behavior.

The Tragic Deaths of JJ and Tylee

In September 2019, Lori Vallow's two children, JJ and Tylee, went missing. Their disappearance sparked a nationwide search, with investigators quickly focusing their attention on Vallow and her new husband, Chad Daybell.

As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that something was very wrong. Vallow and Daybell had become increasingly involved in a radical religious movement, with Daybell preaching about the imminent end of the world and the need for his followers to prepare for the afterlife.

In June 2020, the bodies of JJ and Tylee were found buried on Daybell's property, along with the remains of his first wife, Tammy. The discovery sent shockwaves through the community and raised questions about the true nature of Daybell's beliefs and motivations.

The Enigmatic Chad Daybell

Chad Daybell has always been a deeply enigmatic figure, with a complex personality and a complex belief system. He is known for his charismatic personality and his ability to inspire others with his religious fervor, but he has also been accused of manipulating those around him for his own gain.

In the wake of the tragic deaths of JJ, Tylee, and Tammy, many have questioned Daybell's sanity and his motivations. Was he a true believer in the supernatural, or was he simply using religion as a means to control and manipulate those around him?

The Legal Battle

Chad Daybell is currently facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and destruction of evidence. His trial is set to begin in the coming months, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for his alleged crimes.

As the legal battle unfolds, many are watching closely to see how the case will play out. Will Daybell be found guilty and sentenced to death, or will he be acquitted and walk free? Only time will tell.

The Impact of Chad Daybell on the Lives of Others

The tragic story of Chad Daybell has had a profound impact on the lives of those around him, including his family, friends, and followers. Many have been left questioning their own beliefs and their own actions in the wake of the tragedy.

For those who knew Daybell personally, the experience has been especially traumatic. They have been forced to confront the dark side of a man they once admired and respected, and they have had to come to terms with the fact that they were deceived and manipulated by someone they trusted.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Chad Daybell is a deeply enigmatic figure whose dark and twisted saga has captured the attention of the nation. His charismatic personality and his belief in the supernatural have inspired those around him, but they have also led to tragedy and heartache.

As the legal battle unfolds, many are left wondering how this dark chapter in American history will end. Will justice be served, or will the truth remain forever shrouded in mystery? Only time will tell.

#chad daybell #The Legal Battle

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gaykarstaagforever · 6 months ago

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Don't be sad! Think about how much better things are in that other timeline where Sergey Lazarev won Eurovision 2016:

Hillary is finishing up her second term, Tim Kaine is preparing to run

The Supreme Court now has a liberal majority

The GOP will probably never win again because it's split down the middle between traditional Conservatives who are enraged by Trump costing them credibility, and MAGA Confederates who keep calling for violence and succession. They absolutely hate each-other, and at their 2020 convention, there was an armed riot involving bikers and Neo Nazi "security personnel," in which 6 people died and 230 were arrested. No city wants to host their next convention because of this

Oh, in 2020 they ran DeSantis and he lost badly after the infamous "I Can Be Your Big Poppa, Ese," incident

After all this shit, Congress flipped to a Democrat majority and has held firm there. Democrats somehow flipped both Arizona and South Carolina

America did a solid 6 month lockdown for Covid that was brutal and led to a tragic uptick in ODs and suicides. But then we got the vaccine and Covid deaths going forward were really low

Everyone also got mailed $8,000 checks, so inflation is skyrocketing. But people loved those checks and the Socialists took advantage of that and the lockdown to win hearts and minds. There is now a growing Socialist wing in the DNC, and its House caucus is having hearings on corporate malfeasance and the abuses of the private healthcare system. Tim Kaine is going to run on "fixing" Obamacare by turning it into a nationalized system, and he is also flirting with nationalizing natural resources to pay for it without raising taxes

Everyone still dragged their feet over Ukraine, until Putin bombed a pediatric hospital. The US led NATO in upping weapons shipments. Russia responded by "accidentally" firing a dozen missiles into Poland. NATO now has a massive joint French-German-US force doing "drills" along the Polish border

Like every month there is a new attempted military coup against Putin, and he's responded by going full Stalin. Upwards of 2 million Russians are in the process of trying to flee Russia

After Netanyahu invaded Gaza following October 7th and reports of human rights abuses came out, Hillary immediately stopped all weapons shipments and the US spoke out against it at the UN, much to the chagrin of a lot of centrist Democrats. Netanyahu responded by attending MAGA events and privately going on a vicious misogynistic tirade against her that got leaked to the media. She was not amused. The open rumor is that she won't normalize relations with Israel again as long as Netanyahu is running things

EPA has declared climate change a priority crisis and is drawing up rules that are rumored to outlaw all fossil fuels in the US by 2040

Congress is about to pass the "California Plan," which will allocate $60 billion over the next decade for ambitious public transportation projects. Hillary likes to repeat how she is "trying to make America greater than it ever was."

YES, taxes have been raised. But mostly on top earners, and the IRS has been given a huge budget increase to chase down billionaire tax cheats

China and NASA are working on a joint mission to build a permanent moon base by 2035 (China has been real keen since 2020 to be friendlier to the West, FOR SOME REASON)

Elon Musk still bought and ruined Twitter. But it went so badly, with millions of users abandoning the platform, that he decided to flip it. A shady group headed by the Saudi Royal Investment Fund bought it for a pitiful $15 billion, and has since gone through 5 CEOs, failing to turn it into anything. It is now mostly just pro-Putin bot accounts talking to QAnon weirdos

Biden is quietly retired and his family is looking after him and his blood-thirsty dog

...I mean I guess this world is still pretty dark. That whole impending WWIII thing and all.

But hey, could be worse!

#positive fantasy #alternate history

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xtruss · 10 months ago

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‘They Stopped Seeing Us As Human Beings’: How War Criminal Europe Provoked A Savage Modern Genocide In The Heart of Africa

Thirty Years Later, The Rwandan Genocide Reminds Africa That It Needs African Solutions To African Problems

— March 7, 2024 | RT

“Our neighbors moved away from us, and we found ourselves isolated. They called us snakes. They stopped seeing us as human beings. Only a handful of neighbors came to drink at the bar I ran, the biggest bar in the area,” Dafrosa, a survivor of the 1994 genocide, recalls. “Markets and shops appeared where we were forbidden to shop. There they refused to sell us food; the cashiers said, ‘take your money somewhere else.’ From 1990 to 1994, politics began to divide people more and more. Segregation became commonplace. At first, there was no hostility in our church, but in other churches, the parishioners were divided and even refused to give communion to the Tutsis.”

The horrific events of April 1994 put an end to the illusion that the end of the Cold War and the ‘democratization’ of Africa would lead to years of peace and prosperity.

RT recalls how the bloody genocide began in Rwanda and whether it was possible to avoid.

How It Started

On April 6, 1994, two surface-to-air missiles shot down a plane as it approached Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Then-President of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana and President of Burundi Cyprien Ntaryamira, on their way from peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania, died in the plane crash, along with seven other passengers.

The military, headed by retired Chief of Staff Theoneste Bagosora convened an interim government and declared that the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) headed by Paul Kagame had been responsible for the attack. By that time, the RPF had been engaged in an armed conflict with the government for many years, and advanced towards the capital from the side of Uganda.

On that tragic night, Bagosora at a meeting of the General Staff of the Army tried to negotiate a transfer of power to the military but faced opposition from Romeo Dallaire who led the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) at that time.

First of all, the conspirators got rid of moderate politicians. Among the victims were Prime Minister Agathe Uvilinhiyimana, Chairman of the Constitutional Court Joseph Kavaruganda, as well as a number of ministers and leaders of opposition parties. Their assassination greatly undermined any resistance efforts. Bagosora’s call for ‘revenge’ was supported by commanders, local authorities, and political experts, and was broadcast on Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) and other media.

100 Days of Genocide

Mass killings began in Rwanda’s Gisenyi Province (considered a stronghold of the authorities) just a few hours after the plane crash. By the next day, they spread to six more provinces, including the capital. The Presidential Guard, gendarmerie, Interahamwe youth detachments (‘interahamwe’ translates from Kinyarwanda as ‘those who work/fight together’), and ordinary people grabbed machete blades and agricultural tools, and wiped out the ‘Tutsis’, identified through documents or pointed out by their neighbors.

The wave of deadly violence began to decline as the RPF seized new territories in the north and east of Rwanda. In May and June 1994, the genocide continued on the territory which was not controlled by the RPF, while most of the intended victims had already been killed, the officials tried to direct the violence into the fight against Kagame’s detachments.

The mass murder of unarmed people went on throughout the country for about three months, leading to the death of several hundred thousand people. Though estimates vary depending on the time frame and other criteria, according to the Government of Rwanda, the official death toll is 1,074,107. The international community and the UN contingent stationed in Rwanda could not agree on any effective measures and merely watched the tragedy unfold.

During the about 100-day genocide, the RPF’s struggle with Habyarimana’s regime continued, and so did the conflict within the ruling regime – between supporters of the “moderate” course and the “radicals” led by Bagosora, who rejected any negotiations with the RPF. The genocide was eventually stopped, RPF troops led by Kagame entered the capital. From then and for many years, the RPF established itself as the undisputed ruling party in Rwanda, and the key partner for any external player in the region.

In the aftermath of the tragic events of 1994, Rwanda was devastated, its GDP plunged dramatically, and the political landscape in the African Great Lakes region changed completely.

The genocide was not initially planned as a full-scale elimination of all Tutsis, but as a political cleansing of the actual or potential opponents of the regime. However, this got out of control promptly and dramatically.

The Role of War Criminal France

It is a widely reported that France maintained close relations with the Rwandan officials, responsible for the genocide, right up to its culmination. Many Rwandans even believe that, in the summer of 1994, a limited contingent of French troops was sent to the country in order to help France’s close allies among the government officials to escape (Opération Turquoise).

Having come to power, Paul Kagame reduced the influence of France in his country to a minimum. On the official level, Rwanda abandoned the use of the French language and switched to English. It also joined the Commonwealth of Nations headed by Britain. In its first years, Kagame’s government received major support from the US, but later, driven by both historical and economic reasons, Rwanda formed a multi-vector partnership system that was increasingly oriented towards the East – for example, China and the UAE.

Rwanda's new elected Hutu President Pasteur Bizimungu (L) and his vice President Paul Kagame, the Tutsi-led RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) commander (R), share a joke in Kigali on July 19, 1994. © Alexander Joe/AFP

Where The ‘Tutsis’ and ‘Hutus’ Came From

It is often claimed that the ‘Tutsis’ and ‘Hutus’ are ethnic groups. This is not at all the case, since the differences between these imposed and outdated categories are rather social. The Tutsis and Hutus, — at the time these categories were in use, — spoke the same language and inhabited the same territory. They were historically part of one society and closely interacted with each other.

In modern-day Rwanda, division into ‘Tutsis’ and ‘Hutus’ is wisely abandoned and forbidden – all residents are Rwandans, and the descendants of the former Hutus and Tutsis get along very well. But this does not mean that these categories could not be reinstated in the future, should someone want to start another conflict.

Binary oppositions were always an important factor in the development of European culture. But in traditional African societies, hybrid identity was much more widespread – a person is often identified with several social and cultural groups, and the social structure allowed people to ‘switch’ their social identity multiple times in the course of life.

The ‘Tutsis’ and ‘Hutus’ became known as a result of complex overlapping processes, including migration, assimilation, and the division of labor in society. The ‘Tutsis’ owned cattle, and generally had bigger incomes and more weapons. The ‘Hutus’ people worked the land. In pre-colonial Rwandan society, the ‘Tutsis’ represented the traditional hereditary aristocracy. Both groups spoke the same language, their traditions and customs were part of a single culture. The cultural boundaries were often blurred, and this served as an antidote to conflicts.

For example, a member of the ‘Tutsi’ community could become a ‘Hutu’, and vice versa. Some people weren’t part of either group, or considered themselves members of both groups. In European terms, they were one nation, but represented different social groups.

However, German and later Belgian colonialists needed a way to effectively manage and control the population of Ruanda-Urundi (the colonial territory that preceded modern Rwanda and Burundi), particularly since the Europeans were few in number. Searching for a model of colonial governance, they resorted to racial theoriespopular in Europe at the time (and not just in Germany). Based on these groundless theories, the taller ‘Tutsis’, who allegedly came from the north, were innately superior to the thickset ‘Hutus’.

The genocide was not an accident nor a sudden, unforeseen event. It was a deliberate terror campaign directed against the assumed supporters of the RPF. By April 1994, this campaign had reached its apogee and resulted in deliberately organized mass killings of unarmed people.

Bodies dug out from mass graves laid on a table in the Murambi memorial center in the south of Rwanda, April 19, 2008 in Murambi, Rwanda. © Shaul Schwarz/Getty Images

Rwanda Today: No Division

Over the past 30 years, Rwanda has been focused on building a united nation and avoiding any division into ‘Hutus’ and ‘Tutsis’. Progress in this respect is evident – the country has risen from the ashes, ensured sustainable economic growth, and turned into a regional stronghold of stability and security.

However, the opposition between the ‘Hutus’ and ‘Tutsis’ persists around. In Burundi, the percentage of Hutus and Tutsis in leadership positions is fixed at legislative level. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), various groups resort to ethnic rhetoric (e.g. the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), and the risk of instability is greater than ever before.

Genocide And Population Growth: The Greatest Manipulation

In 1992, a report titled ‘Beyond the Limits’ was released, which warned about the threat of overpopulation on our planet. The report was published by the Club of Rome – one of the most influential behind-the-scenes non-profit organizations, notorious for its struggle with overpopulation. From an informational and ideological point of view, the report has strongly influenced how conflicts in Africa (including those in Rwanda) are viewed by the world.

The massive, months-long massacre, in the course of which ordinary people killed their unarmed neighbors practically with their bare hands, seemed to illustrate the horror into which the planet could plunge as a result of overpopulation and a lack of land, resources, and food. Several authoritative articles and monographs published in Europe and the US convinced the world that the tragedy in Rwanda had happened precisely because of overpopulation.

From this, an obvious conclusion was drawn that birth rates in the Global South – from Latin America to China – must be limited in order to avoid the repetition of the Rwanda scenario in countries like Nigeria or China. In reality, the Club of Rome and certain Western elites came to this conclusion in the interests of preserving their global supremacy and preventing the transfer of power to the world majority in the East and South. After all, the rise of the West to power and colonial expansion would have been impossible without the ‘demographic explosion’ that had once happened in Europe.

The myth about the overpopulation of Earth, including the ‘population trap’ and the food-shortage trap that humanity can fall into, is among the biggest information manipulations of the late 20th century. It has been based on a considerable number of ‘expert’ reports and scientific papers, publications, and discussions. However, by the second decade of the 21st century, it became clear that reality was a lot more complicated, and demographic growth in countries such as China, India, Ethiopia, and Nigeria actually ensured the development of infrastructure, agriculture, and allowed these countries to eliminate hunger. Today, all this is obvious, but in 1994, the genocide in Rwanda seemingly proved the opposite: that global overpopulation leads to catastrophes.

Pacifique Rutaganda, the guide of the Ntarama Genocide memorial where 5000 people were killed in the 94 Genocide, talks to an AFP reporter 26 May 2003. © Marco Longari/AFP

Thirty years have passed since the Rwanda genocide. Following a significant population decrease – from seven million people in the late 1980s to five million by the end of 1994 – by now, the population of Rwanda has surged to 14 million. Rwanda remains the most populous country in continental Africa, and is also one of the leaders in terms of economic growth. In terms of population density in Africa, Rwanda is surpassed only by Mauritius – which could well be the most prosperous country on the African continent.

Economic Growth Today

The supposed connection between population density, falling living standards, and food crises in Africa was merely an unsuccessful hypothesis. The expected growth of Africa’s population to three billion people in the coming decades is likely to solve the problem of hunger through market growth, infrastructure development, and agricultural production.

In Rwanda itself, economic growth is evident. In the past 30 years, crop production has increased more than sixfold, both due to increased agricultural productivity and because of new land included in agricultural turnover.

The length of paved roads has doubled to 1,200 km, exports increased from $100 million to $3 billion, and the capacity of power plants has increased sevenfold to 230 MWh. The growth of the Rwandan economy isn’t just a result of the balanced development of infrastructure, but is also due to the consistent development of the tertiary sector of the economy. In 2022, Rwanda’s tourism revenues amounted to $445 million. An important contribution in this regard is made by RwandAir, which offers 24 direct routes to 21 countries.

Rwandan youths watch a football game on March 16, 2014 at Gikondo suburb in the capital, Kigali. © Phil Moore/AFP

Why Did It Happen?

As for the causes of the genocide, we can now affirm that it was caused by external and situational factors. The electoral ‘democracy’imposed by France did not take into account the country’s traditions of governance and the class structure of Rwandan society.

The criminals who came to power united their supporters under the guise of protecting the interests of the ‘Hutus’, and incited people to violence, which was driven by induced class hatred. Meanwhile, external forces, including arms suppliers and smugglers, made money from the conflict. It was also convenient for the West as a means to justify its agenda and maintain its leadership position. Nevertheless, France was badly affected by the Rwanda genocide. In fact, the demise of Francafrique and the crisis in relations between Paris and Africa that has reached its apogee today, dates back to 1994.

What’s Next: Regional Hubs, Polarless Policy, External Impact

It is common practice for countries (and not just in Africa) to move their capital cities inland, away from coastal areas. In Africa, the most successful example of this is Abuja in Nigeria, and Dodoma in Tanzania may be next. This step signifies a change in the country’s system of development, as it moves away from a semi-colonial structure – when the country’s life depends on trade with the outside world through one or two large ports – to self-sufficiency ensured by internal growth resources and intraregional cooperation.

The next step is the formation of regional integration hubs in the inland parts of Africa, which would serve the needs of the entire continent. Such hubs are very important for the continent’s future. Rwanda is already turning into a remote communications and logistics center for Africa, and a distribution hub for the entire African Great Lakes region.

The construction of a new airport in southern Rwanda in partnership with Qatar Airways, and the construction of the Kigali dry port with DP World – a Dubai-based infrastructure and logistics company – can turn Kigali into an important transport hub and business center. However, the volume of foreign-exchange earnings is still insufficient to ensure the country’s continuous and rapid growth, and this remains a problem.

However, the part of the economy related to the processing and re-export of minerals from the DRC, as well as the supply of necessary goods (e.g. energy, food, medicines, and equipment) to the Eastern Congo market may ensure long-term growth, considering the growing global demand for Congolese metals. In order for this to happen, Rwanda needs to preserve a porous border with the DRC and expand its economic and political influence in North and South Kivu provinces. Peace – or at least keeping the conflicts in this part of Africa under control – is also an important prerequisite.

Among other things, Rwanda remains a positive example of a multi-vector and polarless policy characteristic of Africa. Qatar and the UAE are now forced to compete for Kigali’s attention. Even France, despite the painful history of relations between the two countries, remains among Kigali’s partners. Rwanda also maintains smooth, friendly political relations with the US, China, and Russia.

If it were not for external pressure on the DRC and Western attempts to limit China’s influence in Africa, the neighboring countries would certainly come to an agreement. Objectively, the DRC is interested in economic growth and development in its eastern regions, which would be impossible without Rwanda’s involvement. However, in recent years the conflict between Kinshasa and Kigali has escalated, acquiring sinister features which bring to mind the situation 30 years ago.

Statements by Western governments, which take an increasingly pro-Congolese stance, make the authorities in Rwanda nervous and contribute to the escalation. Nevertheless, for both Kinshasa and Kigali, it is more profitable to keep Goma (a city in the eastern region of the Congo) as a trading hub and logistics center, rather than turn it into a site of bloody battles. The tragic story of the Rwandan genocide demonstrates that the less external forces meddle in the region’s affairs, the greater its chance of living in peace and focus on development.

In July 2024, Rwanda will hold presidential elections. If the current president, Paul Kagame, is to be re-elected for another seven-year term, he will have to once again prove the effectiveness of the country’s post-1994 management model.

— By Andrey Maslov and Angelina Pshenichnikova, Center for African Studies at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. The authors thank Daniil Makukhin and Vsevolod Sviridov from HSE for their help in preparing the article

#Africa #Feature #War Criminal 🇪🇺#Moder Genocide #The Rwandan Genocide #African Solutions | African Problems #War Criminal France 🇫🇷#Tutsis’ and ‘Hutus’#Genocide | Population | Manipulation #Economic Growth

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aclslibrarian · 1 year ago

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Through the Wilderness: My Journey of Redemption and Healing in the American Wild

UnCovered review by Marraina Wagner, ACLS Ventnor Branch

Paradise Valley, Montana…a little over two hours from West Yellowstone is where we end up with our author, Brad Orsted. In his memoir, THROUGH THE WILDERNESS: MY JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION AND HEALING IN THE AMERICAN WILD, he takes us through the battle for his sanity and healing right before he left Michigan for his wife’s new job. From my own personal experience, I know the healing power that the area he takes us to holds for those of us with broken souls.

I was previously familiar with Brad through his work with National Geographic and The Smithsonian Channel as a photographer and videographer. I have also seen his film “The Beast of Our Time.” He won an award for “Best Environmental Film” at the L.A. Documentary Film Festival. I had no idea of his story though.

Brad’s story, in my opinion, is a necessary read for anyone that has suffered child loss, substantial trauma, or addiction.

We meet Brad, two years after the death of his 15-month-old daughter, Marley. Consumed with grief, regret, and guilt, we time travel with Brad through his constant alcohol-fueled, lucid flashbacks, and both suicidal and homicidal wars inside of himself. He longed for answers from his mother and the Michigan police department. We start to understand that his mother was caring for Marley the night of her death. She also waited hours to call the police and immediately stopped speaking to Brad and his sister when this tragic event occurred.

Brad spares us no detail through his chaos and journey of healing in the wilderness of Montana. The path the reader will walk with him is cloaked in darkness, rage, and more profound grief. It’s riveting, relatable, and even offers the reader a sense of healing.

His face to face encounter with a massive grizzly bear opens the flood gates to Brad’s exact moment of revelation. It sets off a chain of events and encounters with more wildlife that have only one explanation: his destiny, which was already etched in the stars for him. Abandoned twin bear cubs teach him about survival, and a wolf pack teaches him about family.

Brad tells us about his friendship with Loren Black Elk in the 90s and how he sought out sanctuary with the Ojibwa in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Pine Ridge Reservation right after Marley’s death. He tells us that he still ended up being consumed by his darkness. The grizzly bear encounter reminded him of that time, and he went directly to The Crow tribe to seek advice and healing, again. After his time with the tribe in Montana, we begin to see light peeking thru every page turned.

In closing, I returned my copy with a few accidental tear drops on the pages. I too fled to Montana in early 2021 for healing. I had no idea he took a similar path in the exact places I did. His story touched my heart and soul. I privately emailed him thanking him for being so incredibly open about his pain and his journey. He sends his thanks to the library for the purchase and shelving of his story. He hopes to reach others that have suffered and are in need of redemption. We shared our stories of seeking ourselves in the Wilderness of Montana and the wildlife encounters that changed us forever. Also, the ones we look forward to knowing that our healing is for a lifetime. In my opinion, this book could be a best seller and is an incredible read. I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us in his 2nd book.

#read #atlantic county #aclsuncovered #aclsreads

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treatnow · 2 years ago

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Women and Concussion: CNN

These young female athletes died by suicide. They all had head injuries in common

By��Amy Woodyatt, CNN Published 8:20 PM EST, Sun February 5, 2023 CNN — Kelly Catlin and Ellie Soutter never met, but they had a lot in common. Both were commanding athletes: Catlin, a US track cyclist, was a three-times world champion and Olympic silver medalist, and Soutter, a snowboarder, was tipped to be one of Team Great Britain’s strongest contenders for the 2022 Winter Olympics, having already won a bronze medal at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival. Both were incredibly smart – Catlin was studying for a master’s degree in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford University, while Soutter learned to speak French in about six months, according to her father. At times they almost seemed superhuman. In 2013, after only three weeks of formal training and having broken her wrist, Soutter became British Champion with her arm in a cast. Meanwhile, Catlin, who had a tenderness for children, once rode 80 miles through sleet and snow to speak to a grade school about her Olympic experience. Yet these two women’s lives were tragically cut short after they sustained serious head injuries in their pursuit of sporting greatness and then took their own lives. Catlin was 23, while Soutter died by suicide on her 18th birthday. Females may be more susceptible to concussion, and they also have worse and prolonged symptoms after their injury than men, according to a review of 25 studies of sport-related concussion published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. However, women remain significantly underrepresented within sport and exercise science research. This, leading experts warn, means they often do not get the treatment or aftercare they need following a head injury. Women’s sports have historically not received the same attention or funding as men’s sports, Dr. Ann McKee, Director of the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center told CNN. “It’s been shown that women athletes are more likely to get a concussion, they tend to have longer recovery periods,” McKee added. “We do not have enough information about what happens in the female brain. We don’t know if women are biologically more susceptible to these injuries,” she said, adding that some research suggests the size and musculature of women’s necks could play a part.

Kelly

Before becoming a track cyclist, Catlin, a triplet, was a national champion road cyclist and time trial national champion, her father Mark, told CNN. After winning a Canadian international race at 17 she was invited to an Olympic training camp for a try out, where, impressed by her performance numbers, coaches immediately offered her a position on the track pursuit team. Catlin’s father, Mark, told CNN, that his daughter was “intense” and “ambitious,” attributes she channeled into her sporting life. Her life changed irrevocably in January 2019. Practicing fast downhill descents in the hills near Los Angeles, she crashed and went skidding down the road. Despite suffering road rash, Catlin got back on her bike, and finished the ride. It wasn’t her first crash – she had experienced 4 or 5 hard crashes before this, her father said, and after the latest, she didn’t have any symptoms at the time. But soon after, at a World Cup track event in Berlin, Catlin was gripped by a sudden and severe headache. “She couldn’t compete,” her father said. “Kelly is kind of this stoical individual. And if she’s rolling around on the ground, clutching her head, it has to be a severe thing.” On closer inspection, Catlin’s helmet from LA had dents in it. Her father told CNN that this, coupled with her symptoms, caused her family to become aware she had suffered a concussion, which was later confirmed with a diagnosis from Stanford’s Health Centre. A concussion is a brain injury which happens after a hit to the head or body causes the brain to move back and forth inside the skull, according to the CDC. When Catlin returned to the US, her father says she was examined by the track training center in Colorado, whose work-up didn’t find anything. “There wasn’t any follow-up from Colorado after this. I believe they assumed she would seek care at Stanford,” he told CNN. Catlin’s symptoms didn’t improve, and in weekly phone calls with her parents, she admitted she was struggling with schoolwork and was unable to concentrate. Stanford Health Center, having diagnosed Catlin with concussion with ongoing symptoms, recommended that she decrease her training for 2 weeks and then gradually build back up and start sessions with an athletic trainer, medical documents sent to CNN by her father show. She was referred to a concussion specialist, the document adds. She tried to train, but “she would have to stop because she got a severe headache just from walking,” according to her father. Her heart rate would also accelerate rapidly from even the smallest exertion, leaving her with “no exercise tolerance whatsoever,” he added. Her injury had other consequences. “As far as we knew she was never a person that suffered from depression. She had an interesting sense of humor. She was always upbeat and bubbly about things,” her father told CNN. Kelly continually received requests for autographed pictures from fans, particularly from Europe, and a surprising number from Germany, her father said, adding that she always responded. Mark Catlin “She basically thought her life was over. She was no longer able to be the athlete that she was, she was failing her teammates. And she wasn’t able to succeed in school now. And I think ultimately, that’s why she took her life, because she thought her life was over,” he added. At the end of January, Catlin made a serious but unsuccessful suicide attempt, and was involuntarily admitted to the locked psychiatric ward at Stanford, her father told CNN. A month after that attempt, she took her own life.

Ellie

Soutter’s father Tony said there were many dimensions to his young daughter – not only was she an “adrenaline junkie,” but she was “very conscientious” and excelled in school, even after moving from England to France. Aged 12, Soutter took up snowboarding at school – and just months later, she was spotted in her hometown resort of Les Gets and trialed by Team Great Britain in February 2013. “It was quite obvious why she kept winning competitions because she just made it easy,” her father said. “She just made it look graceful and beautiful.” But training took its toll – Soutter told CNN that his daughter suffered seven major concussions in five years, between 2013 and 2018. “I was being advised by doctors “Oh, don’t worry, she’s young enough she’ll bounce back. As she progressed, becoming an elite athlete starting on the World Cup circuit, every time she had another concussion, they got worse, and they took longer to recover from,” he told CNN. “With every concussion, with the exception of a few minor knocks, Ellie saw a doctor in person,” he added. “I was always told that she was young enough to bounce back to full health after each case and therefore never consulted with the doctors that I met, about any previous concussions.” But Soutter’s final concussion was so “huge” that she spent two nights in the hospital “When I got there, she didn’t even know who I was or where she was,” her father said. Soutter was then selected for the Junior Snowboard World Championships in New Zealand August 2018. But a month before the competition, she died by suicide. Her father said a neurologist conducted a CT scan of her brain and reaction tests three months after her final concussion, but said she was “absolutely fine” and could continue competing. Like Catlin, Soutter had issues with studying and concentrating, becoming more insular as she suffered from crippling headaches. She also started suffering from insomnia. “She would literally sit with the tutor a good month after a concussion, and suddenly, she’d go blind. She’d not be able to see – everything would go black and dark,” her father said. After missing a flight to snowboard training, Soutter died by suicide on her 18th birthday. Team GB referred CNN to GB Snowsport when approached for comment, adding that Ellie only competed for Team GB at one event. In order to represent Britain in international competitions, GB Snowsport says athletes or their coaches are required to demonstrate that the athlete has reached established performance criteria, is of the relevant technical ability to compete, and has appropriate medical clearance to compete. A large number of athletes can represent Britain at different levels of international competition but are not part of a programme delivered and overseen by GB Snowsport. “As Ellie was not part of the GB Snowsport programme, we were unable to implement a personalised recovery and management programme for Ellie,” a spokesperson for GB Snowsport told CNN in an email. “She was, however, covered by national policies and protocols around fitness to compete, and would not have been cleared for any activity – training or competition – overseen by GB Snowsport without being able to demonstrate appropriate medical sign-off,” they added. The spokesperson for GB Snowsport told CNN: “We take concussions and head injuries incredibly seriously, and in reviewing contemporaneous records from the time that Ellie was involved in snowsport we are confident that GB Snowsport staff applied and followed every appropriate process.” Catlin and Soutter aren’t the only young sporting women whose lives have been cut short in this way. After 29-year-old Australian rules football player Jacinda Barclay took her life in 2020, post-mortem research by scientists found that she had degradation to her cerebral white matter unusual for someone her age. “For someone her age, you would expect to see lovely pristine white matter, and hers looked like she was an old woman in that it was basically degraded,” Michael Buckland, founder and Executive Director of the Australian Sports Brain Bank, who studied Barclay’s brain, told CNN. “We haven’t gone back and done specific white matter studies on our donors,” he told CNN, adding that the bank hasn’t done peer reviewed research on this. “But what struck me, just as someone that sees a lot of brains – this is not normal for someone of that age.” Damage to white matter has been associated with dementia, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Opportunities missed

Suicide after concussion is rare. However patients diagnosed with concussion or mild traumatic brain injury had double the risk of suicide and a higher risk of suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts than people without brain injuries, a 2018 study from researchers at the University of Harvard published in JAMA Neurology found. Dr. Robert Cantu, clinical professor of neurology at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine told CNN that there are several theories as to why incidence of suicide is higher in people who have suffered concussion. One theory, he explained, is that those suffering from persistent post-concussion symptoms may have structural or functional brain damage and could be experiencing “behavioral dysregulation: short fuse, irritability, can’t suppress impulses the way you normally could.” With these emotional problems, “they would be more prone to perhaps do something impulsive, like commit suicide,” Cantu told CNN. A second theory, Cantu noted, is that post-concussive symptoms prevent people from getting back into their sport and stop them “from being the person that they were before their injury.” Neither theory is proven to the exclusion of the other, Cantu said, adding he thinks increased suicidality was “a combined factor involving both in many, if not most cases.” There are also differences in the way brain injuries affect women. A study of female soccer players across US high schools found they are nearly twice as likely to suffer concussion as their male counterparts, according to research that looked at over 80,000 adolescent athletes, published in the journal JAMA Network Open. Women remain significantly underrepresented within sport and exercise science research: a 2021 study examining papers from some of the most influential sports medical journals found that only 6% of the studies were solely focused on women, compared with 31% of studies that included just men. Other researchers have pointed to female sex hormones, with risk of concussion changing with hormone levels during a menstrual cycle. McKee said all athletes can also experience “non-concussive” injuries: “hits to the head that can be of the same magnitude as concussion, but they don’t rise to the level of symptoms for whatever reason, so a player tends to play right through it.” Cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts – including concussion and non- concussive injuries – increases the risk for the neurodegenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE, McKee said. The disease, which can only be formally diagnosed with an autopsy, has mostly been seen in either veterans or people who played contact sports, particularly American football, say researchers. The disease occurs when the brain starts to degenerate likely due to repeated head traumas, according to the Mayo Clinic, which notes CTE is “associated with recurrent concussions.” But scientists aren’t only concerned about concussions. Previous studies have shown subconcussive head impacts – repetitive hits to the head and body that do not cause symptoms – can still result in long-term neurological disease. According to The Concussion Legacy Foundation, “the best available evidence suggests that subconcussive impacts, not concussions, are the driving force behind CTE.” There have been cases of CTE discovered in athletes who have never been diagnosed with a concussion, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. And other changes in the brain after repetitive head impacts aside from CTE are likely “equally important,” McKee said. “We also see damage to the white matter. And that appears to be mostly in the frontal lobe, but also in the temporal lobes,” she said. “We’re trying to understand the relationship of those white matter changes to behavioral and mood symptoms, perhaps even suicidality,” she said. McKee stressed that concussion management is important, but physicians and athletes should also be aware of other injuries. “The problem is the subclinical hits – the non-concussive injuries that aren’t detected, you don’t pull the player off the field – and they can be in the hundreds or even the 1000s in a single season,” she explained.

Lack of research

Though a growing body of data suggests women in sport are more likely to sustain a concussion, have more severe symptoms, and to take longer to recover, most sports-related concussions protocols are based on data from men. In a review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers looked at 171 concussion studies written since 1967 which are used to inform the most influential consensus and position statements in treating sports-related concussions. Clinicians rely on these documents to guide their medical practice when treating athletes – but most of the studies are focused on men. Read the full article

#brainhealth #braininjury #brainwound #concussion #concussionprotocol #ConcussionSymptoms #CTE #HBOT #HBOTTreatment #headinjury #healing #HyperbaricOxygentherapy #mentalhealth #mTBI #suicide #SuicidePrevention #TBI #traumaticbraininjury

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reilliane · 2 years ago

Note

How I think some of the boys met v!mc

Diluc has been to Inazuma at least ONCE when he was a kid. Because his father's business does have some travelling around Teyvat. Since the Kamisato's takes care of events and such, they were probably invited by Mr. And Mrs. Kamisato to sell some of the dandelion wine in Inazuma. His father might bring him to join traveling for business affairs when he was a child to gain some experience. While he was staying there, he was bound to meet Ayato sooner or later. And once he meets Ayato he'll definitely meet v!mc. Since I'm assuming they're usually hanging around alot when they were still kids. When he was about to sail back, he told v!mc that he'll write letters to her every week. (When he heard that v!mc is dead he was surely heart broken, how could he not? He'll surely attend the funeral and visit her grave when he has time to sail to Inazuma)

Heizou is a detective, that lives in Inazuma, how could he not know the existence of v!mc? That's basically almost impossible except if your living under a rock. Heizou bumped (literally) v!mc when he was trying to solve a chase. It was an accidental encounter, even so he's still glad it happened. He wasn't paying attention where he was walking, and bumped into [name]. He thought the rumours were exaggerating about how pretty she is, but this proves him wrong. Now he can see why men all around would try and court her. After the encounter, he would purposely pop up here and there. Either suddenly popping up and helping her being some groceries, to popping up when she's on a walk around town. Either way he soon became quite close with her (he still isn't as close with her as ayato is) (when he heard v!mc was killed, he promised to bring the ones who killed v!mc to jail. They weren't even commended to kill any of the Kaedhara's. He visits her grave once a month, and puts a sweet pea flower on her grave (sweet pea flowers represent farewells and goodbyes and the remembrance of loved ones and close friends))

-🌿 (I went overboard with Heizou's part. I hope tumblr won't eat up this ask again 💀)

Hm, Diluc meeting Vigil!MC is interesting. If it's through trade and business the possibilities are there, yes. It won't be too high but it's a possibility, regardless.

I mean, there's this tea man in Liyue who lowkey wants dandelions-

Feiyun Commerce Guild distributes the products from Liyue into Inazuma too- wait lol for some reason I'm realizing that Mondstadt is a much more closed-off nation, isn't it-

I don't think it's high on trade at all, unlike Inazuma/Liyue-

BUT DIGRESSING, becoming penpals with Diluc sounds shucking adorable. It's nice... and tragic, because Diluc experiences something awful down the way :(

I suppose the angst part comes into play when his ideals change after the death of Crepus and he stops writing letters to MC. Since, you know, Fatui priorities.

The letters stop, but even when he's 'mellowed' out of his past, he thinks about his penpal. I'd like to tragically imagine that he learns of Vigil!MC's death through Venti, who drunkenly tells him of everything he's learned one night in the tavern.

Just the pause, then the slow encroaching blue devils. Sigh :(

NOW HEIZOU SQUEA-

He would've definitely heard of the renowned Kaedehime. A first-born daughter, heiress of the Kaedehara who was rumored to want to restore the family's honor? Hm~

And yes, it's really also known how- gosh shucks Vigil!MC is pretty. Like, madly pretty? She's definitely a tie with TS!MC. Her beauty also has to do with her lovely personality, who wouldn't like her 😭

I'd say that Heizou thinking the others were being so hyperbolic over their compliments about MC is soooo accurate lol. He's prolly the "give the benefit of the doubt yes but i won't believe it 100% until i see it for myself" kind o guy.

He'd say something like, "So they aren't groundless words after all.." after seeing her lol

MC, dense and confused tilts her head like, "What?"

Heizou just- "Aha! I meant, encounters such as these truly work wonders to enliven someone's day."

"Oh, serendipitous meetings, yes? Truly a wonder! :D"

Heizou: ... yes :D (i meant coming across someone like you, i guess she's as oblivious as they say, too-)

HDSAKDHAJD-

When Kazuha became a criminal and the grave penalty to execute defiers of the decree was extended, Heizou was at a loss. No one defies the Shogun but his friend had done so, courageously well, albeit to a consequence.

It isn't uncommon for criminals to face death but what's rare is for the punishment of one to extend to immediate families, so innocent MC is caught in the crossfire :(

I imagine him attempting to reason with Sara, who dispatches the soldiers upon orders of the Shogun, and stalling said soldiers to maybe buy MC some time to escape with Kazuha- but it still ended up being futile.

I'd say he worked with the Kamisato and put in a really rational debate with Sara so that MC and Tomo would be buried on Inazuman soil and not cast away in the sea.

And yes- ah, he'd visit her grave, definitely.

Sometimes he'd wonder what would've happened if he chose to openly defy the order to end the Kaedehara and helped her escape himself. But alas, those thoughts are too late to consider.

#moonlitchat #m-vigil #🌿 anon #queued #WELL THIS GOT LONG ADHASJDA

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donald4spiderman · 4 years ago

Note

Ok hear me out. Spencer is dating Reader and she’s always hated that she’s been more chubby/curvy. And one night in the middle of a case she calls him crying and Spencer just gets really soft and calms her down after a bad nightmare. And his heart breaks cause his loving girlfriend hates her body. So Spencer plans this elaborate date and proposes maybe? You can decide if the team have met her or not. I’d like it to be the original team but if you wanna combine the original and new teams together that’s cool too!

no bc my body image issues have been rampant lately so this is personal as hell to me. I work out a lot and i’m fit but i’ve never been SKINNY like i have thick legs and muscular arms andnnfnfjndjnffn so this is personal.

I modified this a bit but it’s still the same premises hope you like it! ***BTW IN THIS UNIVERSE THE S3-7 CAST EXISTS FOR THE ENTIRE SHOW— SO THE LATER SEASONS HAVE MORGAN AND HOTCH.

also sorry this is a long

TW: body image issues, discussions of food & weight, insecurity, crying, kissing

WC: 1.5k

You know, pragmatically, that you have nothing to worry about. Spencer chose you. And for the past four years, Spencer has worshipped you every day— again and again. He is the most loving, considerate, and tender partner you could ever wish for. He is near perfection.

You’ve met Spencer's friends many times. You’re not close with either of your parents, so the team of profilers welcomed you into their arms with grace and care. Each and every one of them is beautifully amazing and exceptionally brilliant.

Spencer‘s friends are not only badass, but they’re also gorgeous. JJ, Emily, and Garcia are national treasures— so visually stunning it’s almost sickening.

You knew he used to have a crush on JJ way before he met you. You’ve also heard the tale of Lila Archer, the celebrity actress who made out with your boyfriend in a pool. Spencer’s had an eventful life, full of beautiful, sweet, magnificent women— so why does he choose you?

You view yourself as bland in comparison. What do you have to offer Spencer that he can’t find elsewhere? You don’t have toned abs, slim hips, and slender arms. You’re not striking in any way.

Spencer calls you every night when he’s away on a case. He’s never missed a call, even when he got shot in the neck and kidnapped by a murderous cult. He’s reliable and consistent, and that eases your worries a little bit.

It’s eleven pm in D.C. and your phone rings right as your getting in bed.

“Hi, my love,” Spencer says breathily, his voice slightly muffled by the phone. He’s away in Ohio for a case.

“Hey.” You reply, the sweetness in his voice soured by your mood. “How’s the case going?”

“Good. JJ and I are about to pass out in our beds— we’re so tired.”

You can’t help the way your face drops. “Oh. Well, get rest.”

Your about to hang up before he interjects. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why?” You know better than to lie to your boyfriend, who happens to be an expert on human behavior.

“Okay, I know a lie when I hear one. (Y/N), baby, what’s wrong?” He pleads.

You can’t help the tear that rolls down your cheek. “God, I’m sorry. I just miss you so much. You always know what to do when I’m feeling like shit.”

Spencer knows how much you struggle with self and bodily acceptance. He hates the world for making you feel anything less than incredible, both inside and out.

“I miss you too, so much, (Y/N).” His voice is thick as if he’s going to start crying too. “I love you so much, so fucking much. You have no idea how beautiful and amazing you are.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” He laughs through a sob that wrecks his body. “You deserve everything in this world. I promise to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. You are the love of my life.”

You wipe the tears from underneath your eyes. “Sorry for keeping you up. You must be tired.”

“Never, if it means I get to talk to you.”

“I love you, Spencer.”

“I love you too, (Y/N). More than you’ll ever know.”

Spencer wakes up the next day with a newfound determination. The team solves the case as fast as possible, and by the end of the night, they’ve boarded the jet back home.

Spencer has more than enough hours to think about you and how much you mean to him. Hotch is seated directly across from him, rereading the case files.

“Hotch?” The wiser man looks up from his files, raising an eyebrow.

Spencer pauses for a moment. Maybe he’d be better asking Morgan or JJ for advice, considering Hotch’s tragic circumstances regarding Haley.

But no one loves like Hotch does-- sincerely, passionately-- stronger than anything else in the world. Spencer decides there’s no one better to ask.

“How uh did you know that Haley was the one?”

Hotch’s eyes soften for a bit. He clears his throat. “I knew since the day I met her that I would love her for the rest of my life unconditionally. She makes me complete. Do you feel that (Y/N) makes you complete?”

He already knows why Spencer is asking for his advice, steering the conversation in that direction.

“Yes. She’s my world.” Spencer whispers.

“Then it’s simple, really. Love doesn’t need to be complicated and precise. It’s what you do with it that matters.”

“I want to marry her, Hotch. I want to be with her for the rest of my life.”

Hotch smiles, “Then do it.”

Spencer feels the rush of excitement as he gathers everyone on the jet, including the prior sleeping passengers, filling them in on his big plans.

“I need all of your guys’ help.”

There’s a firm knock on your door at four in the morning. You know it isn’t Spencer because he has a key, but who could it be?

You take a cautious look out of your peephole to find Penelope, Emily, and JJ outside.

“What are you guys doing here?” You yawn. “For god's sake, it’s four am.”

“We know, and we’re sorry.” Penelope smiles.

“Is Spencer alright?” You ask, wondering if things suddenly went wrong during the case.

But by the joyous look on their face, you know nothing somber occurred.

“Spencer’s completely fine. But, we need to you to get changed and come with us. FBI’s orders.” JJ chuckles.

You change into warmer clothes in minutes, and the BAU ladies usher you into Emily’s car as fast as possible.

“So, no ones gonna tell me what’s going on?”

They shake their heads, “We’re just... running a quick errand.”

After a few more minutes of driving, Emily parks on the side of a dimly lit street.

“I need you to put this on.” She says, holding up a blindfold.

“Are you guys gonna murder me?” You joke, slipping the fabric over your eyes with little resistance.

“Quite the opposite, actually.” You don’t have time to think about what Penelope means before you’re being yanked out of the car.

You walk, guided by JJ, for four minutes. The grass beneath you crushes below your boots, and the hushed whispers of Emily and Penelope behind you do nothing to calm your nerves.

“Okay,” JJ says, halting to a stop. “You can take off your blindfold now.”

You hesitantly slip the blindfold off, revealing a brightly lit table in the middle of a secluded field. Morgan, Hotch, and Rossi are standing off to the sides.

Suddenly, Spencer emerges from behind a tree, dusting the leaves and dirt off his adorable sweater.

“Hi?” You laugh, utterly confused by this situation. “What’s going on?”

His hands are shaking, and he has to swallow a few times before he can speak. “I-I uh got y-you apple pie— uh your favorite.”

Spencer walks you towards the table, where a small slice of warm pie sits lonely on the table.

“Y-you should um... eat it.” He urges, pointing at the knife and fork next to it.

You glance around, trying to gauge the emotions of everyone around you, but fail. Stupid profilers and their poker faces.

Your fork cuts into the heavenly smelling pie, and you scoop up a bite into your mouth.

“It’s... good? I’ll pretty much eat any pie you give me, Spencer.”

He smiles, “I know that. But t-this is a special pie.”

“Okay...”

“You should t-take a closer look— at the pie.”

You inspect the dessert, completely puzzled until a glinting piece of silver catches your eye. Spencer notices the shock in your face and catches the plate that almost falls out of your hand.

Morgan hands him a napkin, and when Spencer pulls an apple-covered ring from the slice of pie, you almost faint.

“No way.” You gasp; tears spring to your eyes as Spencer wipes the ring clean.

He holds it tightly between two fingers, bending to kneel on one knee.

“(Y/N) (Y/M/N) (Y/L/N), I knew from the moment I met you that you were the most special woman I’d have the pleasure of meeting. A month later, you asked me out for our first date, and I couldn’t believe that someone as gorgeous and amazing as you would settle for someone like me.” You scoff at his humility.

“I spend every moment loving every part of you, (Y/N). None of my love will ever stop— ever. I promise to share my heart with you until the very end. There is absolutely no one I would rather be bonded to for the rest of my life. You are better than my dream girl because you’re real. You’re here, and you chose to love me every day— the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Y/N), will you do me the honor and great privilege of allowing me to become your husband?” You silently sob.

“Please say yes.” Spencer smiles.

“Yes!” You exclaim, pulling him up to hug him. “How could I say anything but!”

The dam breaks, and the entire team begins to cry as you and Spencer share a passionate kiss, almost collapsing down onto the grass from the sheer force of your love. He slips the ring onto your finger; it belongs there.

“I choose you, (Y/N).” He repeats.

“I choose you, Spencer, always.” You whisper into the crook of his neck.

Nothing’s ever felt so right.

#spencer reid #criminal minds #spencer reid smut #spencer reid fanfiction #sub!spencer #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #dr reid #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds smut #spence #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fanfic

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allfrogsmatter · 4 years ago

Text

Margaret Ruth Kendall, or Peggy as she likes to be called, was born March 19, 1941 to Art and Marge Kendall of Willow Creek, Washington. Peggy’s early years were marked by the war and the departure of her father and uncles to fight overseas. Her father came back, but two of her uncles did not.

She was young during the war however and it didn’t impact her childhood as much as it did others. After all, her father was alive. She spent the rest of the 40’s and the early 50’s playing with her friends and cousins and helping out at her fathers store, and by the time she started high school in September 1955 she and her best friend Karren were inseparable, so much so that her parents often took the two to Brindleton Bay in the summers.

In high school Peggy thrived, she was clever and dedicated to her studies and she was a social butterfly among her peers. Not only was she a 4.0 student, but she was active in the drama department, the school paper, Torch Tri-Hi-Y and the Hi-Y council, dance committees, honor society, latineers, and she was elected vice president of the senior class. She had a few boyfriends in high school and she went to the junior prom with Jerry Campbell, a friend from the school paper, and they began going steady.

Peggy graduated top of her class from Willow Creek High School, class of 1959, and continued her education at Britechester University on a scholarship. She was still going steady with Jerry, who also attended Britechester, and the two planned to marry after they graduated. College was another successful endeavor for Peggy, she was able to excel in challenging classes and in June 1963 she and Jerry graduated.

Three weeks after the commencement ceremony Peggy and Jerry were married at Willow Creek Church after being together for five years, much to the delight of their friends and family. Jerry began a job as an editor at the Willow Creek Tribune and Peggy soon came on as a secretary. They settled into a small house near the river, close to their work and to Peggy’s family.

In January of 1965 their son was born, a little boy named Danny for Peggy’s late uncle. Two years later they were expecting again and in June 1967 their daughter was born, Marjorie, named after Jerry’s late mother.

From fall of 1969 to spring of 1971 Jerry entered a program through Foxbury Institute to earn his masters degree, navigating a long distance relationship with Peggy and the kids while he lived on the East Coast. His efforts payed off and once he returned home he was offered a high paying executive position within the local government.

The 70’s were a relatively stagnant yet changing time as the children grew into teenagers. Peggy and Jerry had their challenges, but they still loved each other every bit as much as they did twenty years earlier.

The 80’s brought with them a drastic transition when Jerry was offered a job at the nations capital, a job too good to pass up. Peggy resisted the move, what with Danny being a sophomore in high school and Marjie soon to be a freshman, but when the school year came to an end the family relocated to Newcrest, a suburb near Jerry’s new work.

In June 1983 Danny graduated from Newcrest High School and moved into his college dorm a few months later, followed by Marjorie in 1985. Now empty nesters Jerry and Peggy had more time for each other, though they missed their children when they were out of the house. Jerry’s work presented a handful of opportunities for him and Peggy often accompanied him to galas and events.

Fall of 1987 brought with it tragic news at the passing of Jerry’s brother, followed by the death of a close family friend in 1990 and Jerry’s father later that same year. In 1995 the remaining Campbells reunited back in Willow Creek from their homes all across the country.

The late 90’s and early 2000’s saw Jerry finish out his career, finally retiring in 2006 at the age of 65. If he wanted he could have gone on to run for office, but Peggy’s father was ill and he knew how much she wanted to move back to Willow Creek. So in 2006 they moved back to Washington where Peggy’s parents resided and late 2006 Peggy’s father passed away, followed by her mother a few years later.

While the loss of her parents was hard on Peggy, she enjoyed her and Jerry’s retirement. Danny and his family lived nearby, and in 2011 their great-granddaughter was born, the first great-grandchild. Peggy spends her time reading and gardening, and she loves to bake with Jerry (a hobby she could never be trusted with on her own due to a certain incompetence in the kitchen).

The pandemic hit in 2020 and the state went into lockdown just three days before Peggy’s 79’th birthday. As challenging as it was Peggy and Jerry did their best to quarantine, having their groceries delivered and meeting with their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the yard and over zoom.

On March 16, 2021 they celebrated Peggy’s 80’th birthday with a small, socially distanced gathering in the backyard. Both celebrated being fully vaccinated and by Easter will be fully immune. They look forward to things opening up and being able to se their family and friends face to face again.

(Photo index under the cut)

***

(Top to bottom, left to right)

(Photo 1) Art Kendall, Peggy Kendall, Marge Kendall; May 1944

(Photo 2) Peggy Kendall; August 1949

(Photo 3) Peggy Kendall, Karren Lia; August 1955

(Photo 4) Peggy Kendall, Jerry Campbell; April 1958

(Photo 5) Peggy Kendall; June 1959

(Photo 6) Art Kendall, Peggy Kendall, Marge Kendall; June 1963

(Photo 7) Peggy Campbell, Jerry Campbell; June 1963

(Photo 8) Peggy Campbell, Jerry Campbell, Danny Campbell; May 1967

(Photo 9) Danny Campbell, Peggy Campbell, Marjorie Campbell; December 1974

(Photo 10) Jerry Campbell, Peggy Campbell, Marjorie Campbell, Danny Campbell; June 1983

(Photo 11) Peggy Campbell, Jerry Campbell; January 1987

(Photo 12) Donna (Little) Campbell, Carla (Wright) and Ray Campbell, Peggy (Kendall) and Jerry Campbell, Carol (Campbell) and Thomas Warner; October 1995

(Photo 13) Peggy Campbell, Bella Campbell; April 2014

(Photo 14) Peggy Campbell, Jerry Campbell; March 2021

Thats all! I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the life of my oc, as I've said she is very near and dear to my heart and I've put in a ton of effort and late nights into making this look the way I wanted.

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lord-explosion-baku · 5 years ago

Text

The Return

Yandere!Midoriya x reader

warnings: yandere, mentions of violence, smoking, creepy, dark themes

A/N: This is just a short little snoot based on a scary story I used to tell around the fire while camping. Mind the warnings.

It had been several years since Izuku Midoriya disappeared without a trace. The police and the heroes alike searched for months and months with nobody finding a damn thing. It was a national tragedy; Deku had the potential to change the world for the better and his loss would never be forgotten. There was even a day reserved for him where people would light green candles and place them on their porches and balconies where they would pray for his return. His mother wailed, his friends mourned, and you were free.

You were free. Free from those yearning stares, those two-long hand touches, those unsolicited gifts, and those unwarranted nighttime visits. You always knew you were never safe with Midoriya around—or possibly you were too safe—and when he stopped existing, your life had gotten better. Easier. You no longer had to live on edge, afraid of catching a tuft of green hair around every corner, spying on you through any window he could find, finding you even when you were out of town. He was gone.

You were free. Until you weren’t.

It was all over the news: the surprising resurgence of the tragically-lost, rising hero Deku. You’d heard it and seen it. The man who claimed to be Izuku Midoriya had the same unruly, curly hair that bounced when he walked, the same eager, green eyes that complimented his innocent facade, and the same brutal scars from all those times he’d broken his bones that fed his emblem. He looked exactly like Midoriya, only more refined. He was more muscular, a tad taller, and there was a gleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. You’d heard from friends all about how he retained all of his memories from before his disappearance—even the ones that nobody would know about except for him—but had no memory of where he’d been or what had happened while he was lost.

There wasn’t a single soul on the planet that didn’t believe that Midoriya had returned. You knew better. You knew that he, whoever he was, was an imposter. But it wasn’t like you could prove it.

For weeks, you avoided places where you knew this faux-Midoriya was going to be. Friends invited you to ‘welcome back’ parties where Midoriya’s life would be celebrated, but you never showed. You didn’t take the main streets where you knew this new hero would be patrolling, always making sure to check the news to see every instance the camera caught him performing one of his many good deeds. You might’ve been getting a little obsessive yourself, but it was worth it to never have contact with the imposter.

It didn’t take much time for the long-forgotten creeping feeling to sneak its way into your home and on your skin. You didn’t think that faux-Midoriya would know to stalk you like the real Midoriya, especially since the real Midoriya had always kept that part of his life secret and safe, just as you kept the event that let you know Midoriya wasn’t really back locked away inside your mind. You hadn’t ever told anybody about it. Still, you knew he was watching you. You never saw him, but you felt him.

As the days progressed, this feeling only got worse. You would find bouquets of flowers left on your doorstep and little notes left on your car. You’d told you friends how you were feeling unsafe, dancing around the topic of how insane you thought the world was for buying that Midoroya had returned, but whenever you brought it up, you were met with rolling eyes and tea sips. Even Bakugou believed it was really Midoriya who had returned, and you’d only found out that little fact when you attended a rather large get-together at a nearby bar to celebrate a huge win for the Ground Zero hero agency.

The only reason you went out was because you thought Midoriya wasn’t going to be there. You missed seeing people, and you’d thought you were going to be safe since Bakugou never seemed to like Midoriya, but it seemed that years away from one’s annoying ex-rival softens one up a little.

Panic struck you as soon as you saw him. The imposter was chatting it up with another hero, asking them questions about their quirk and support items, much like the real Midoriya would be doing, when those soft green eyes slid over to you. His face lit up and he smiled that smile—the one that was only reserved exclusively for you, the one that made chills run down your spine.

You were out the door immediately, shaking uncontrollably, crumbling against the bar’s side wall. It took a couple attempts for you to finally light the cigarette between your trembling fingers, but before you could take your first drag, you heard him speak.

“You really shouldn’t smoke.” His voice was like sweet cream, rich and soft. Your gaze went up to meet familiar kind, dishonest eyes. “You’ve always had such pretty skin. I’d hate to see you ruin it.”

“M-Midoriya,” you whispered, tone flat, voice hoarse. He crouched down beside you and brushed some of the hair in your face back and behind your hair. It was such a small gesture, but you felt completely violated.

“Hi, bunny,” not-Midoriya said, “It’s good to see you.”

You shook your head, because his appearance was absolutely uncanny. This man was Izuku Midoriya, only there was no possible way that could be true.

Midoriya seemed content by your befuddlement. You were sure he was enjoying this new life, eating up all the attention he’d gotten since his return, but he didn’t have you to torture. The real Midoriya could never live without filling you up with unease.

He eyed the cigarette burning between your fingers and clicked his tongue. “You’re shivering,” he mused, taking the cigarette out of your hand. He smiled faintly at its cherry, took a long drag, and put it out against the brick wall. Then, he clasped his hands over yours. “Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”

“Don’t-!”

His touch lingered like it always used to. He hummed and brushed his thumb down the palm of your hand, gazing up at you through too-long lashes. “I’ve missed that face you’re making too.”

You had to remind yourself that it wasn’t him. It couldn’t possibly be him. You knew better. You knew what happened. It wasn’t him.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Midoriya flashed a wide, pearly-white smile and brought your hand up to his cheek. He was warm from his blushing. He’d always been so warm. He closed his eyes and pushed your hands down to his neck—the last place you’d touched him when he was alive. “But you should know,” he whispered darkly, “nothing will ever keep me from my bunny for too long.”

“No,” you croaked, pulling your hand back. This wasn’t real. He was supposed to be gone. You were supposed to be free.

“Yes,” he crooned, eyes opened and gleaming with delight..

It couldn’t be him. It could never be him. Izuku Midoriya was gone, and this man was a fraud. You were sure of it. He could look, sound, and feel like him, but there was a zero percent possibility that he had returned.

You would know. You burned his body after you killed him.

TAGS FOR EVERYTHING(CLOSED): @ayeputita @yandere-inamorata @dee-madwriter @unboundbnha @rizamendoza1987 , @rubycubix @smbody-stole-mycar-radio @zellllyyyy @sarcastictextstuck @kpanime @lemonlordleah-shinzawa-kitten @captain-sin-allmight-queen @psionicsnow @wickedlewicked @ghost-of-todoroki @kattariapenn @im-an-adult-sometimes @bnhya @local-senpai @eggpienutbuttercroissant @usernamekate94 @reyvenclaww @hi-ho-and-hello

#bnha x reader #midoriya x reader #yandere!midoriya #yandere bnha #bnha yandere #yandere x reader #yandere male #tw creepy #izuku x reader #bnha reader insert #reader insert #x reader #deku x reader

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comrade-meow · 3 years ago

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Why do so many young women hate feminist trailblazers like me?

For anyone uninitiated into the various waves of 21st-century feminism, this will no doubt come as a shock. But in my opinion, what passes right now for modern feminism is doing women more harm than good.

Many young women today are not only pandering to men in their so-called feminism, but seem utterly unconcerned that the hard-won rights achieved by older women in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are at risk of being catastrophically eroded.

They are helping everyone but themselves. In many ways they are betraying everything I and my brave colleagues fought for. This is the worst clash across the generations I have witnessed since coming to feminism in 1979, aged 17.

In universities around the UK and beyond, women are being fed a type of faux feminism, often by men reluctant to lose any of their privilege.

Julie Bindel, who came to feminism in 1979, says the rights achieved in the 19060s, 1970s and 1980s are at risk of being catastrophically eroded. Pictured: Julie (left) with Emma Humphreys in 1995 after a campaign to free her from jail for killing her violent partner

These women are being bullied and cajoled into accepting nonsensical concepts that are, at best, naive and, at worst, downright dangerous.

Prostitution, say these young women, is a job just like any other. They also argue that pornography is liberating. And finally, that trans-women should share female-only spaces such as hospital wards and domestic violence refuges.

This last makes me want to weep. It was women of my generation — often called second-wave feminists — who, 50 years ago, built rape crisis centres and refuges with no funding or salaries. To see them being dismantled by the very women who may one day need them is heartbreaking and infuriating.

I don’t think these women — almost all of whom would call themselves feminists — realise they are complicit in eroding our rights, for the simple reason they are no longer taught feminist history in universities. Instead, they are fed a sop of incomprehensible post-modern claptrap by ivory tower academics.

Feminists of my generation are not just ignored, but actively disparaged — or worse.

Since January 2004, when I offered an early opinion on the trans issue for a national newspaper, whenever it becomes public that I am about to speak at an event, always about an aspect of male violence and always as part of my campaigning work, a mob forms with the aim of bullying the organisers into un-inviting me. This is always played out in public and it is always humiliating. Sometimes the organisers capitulate.

I have been invited then uninvited from numerous events at universities following protests from trans activists and supporters of ‘sex work is work’ politics. I have also been invited to, then de-platformed from a number of events exploring free speech.

By contrast, genuine achievements of the past go unrecognised. From the very beginning of my involvement in the women’s liberation movement, we were out on the streets, waving placards, carrying banners and shouting through loudhailers, protesting the laws we wanted to change.

Julie said feminism has been rebranded and repackaged as ‘just be kind and nice to everyone’. Pictured: A 1970 women’s liberation protest

It was our campaigning that led to the introduction of the offence of coercive control; that barred the use of a woman’s previous sexual history in rape trials and ensured anonymity for the victims of sexual assault; and outlawed rape in marriage, which — young feminists are often astonished to discover — was perfectly legal in England and Wales until 1992.

Absurdly, there is no longer any expectation that being a feminist requires you to do anything feminist at all. Instead, and ironically given my experience, feminism has been rebranded and repackaged as ‘just be kind and nice to everyone’. Young women are told it is simply about the ‘choice’ to be who you ‘want to be’.

But if feminism is about choice, what does this mean for the women and girls who don’t have any? The girls forced into marriage, the women pimped out by violent boyfriends, the women on benefits living in temporary accommodation with young children they can’t afford to feed?

For feminism to mean anything, it has to be for all women and not just the privileged few.

Do young women even know about ‘the battles we’ve fought for them

You might ask, as many young women do, what is there still left to fight for? Although my generation of feminists and those that came before chalked up numerous victories, women are far from liberated. Levels of male violence towards women and girls are off the scale, as we have seen with the tragic events of recent weeks.

Conviction rates are so low that rape has been more or less decriminalised. Sexual harassment is endemic in our secondary schools and still a problem for many women in the workplace.

Many young women claim to be feminists, but seem to spend their time dismissing those of us who do the work — as opposed to simply talk the talk — as ‘irrelevant’, ‘bigoted’, and ‘past it’. Do these women even know about the battles we’ve fought and won to afford them some freedom?

Julie said in the current climate of misogyny, many young women are turning on feminists like her rather than pointing the finger at abusive men. Pictured: A rally to celebrate International Women's Day in 2020

In 2018, for example, Ash Sarkar, a media commentator, tweeted about the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act, claiming the introduction of ‘self-identification’ would not have any effect on the rights of others. I replied: ‘Unless you are a female in prison, one of the most disenfranchised groups on the planet of course.’ It was a reference to the case of Karen White, the transgender sex offender placed in a female prison who went on to sexually assault two female inmates.

When, in reply, Sarkar claimed ‘bigots’ like me didn’t ‘care about women in prison’, it was too much. Had she known her feminist history, she would have been aware that I am the founder of Justice for Women — a campaign I began in 1990 — and have helped countless abused women get out of prison.

When I came to feminism, there were no laws protecting lesbians from discrimination and abuse; violent men often won custody of children when women left a marriage; and domestic violence was treated by police as a ‘private matter’. All of this changed because of active feminists, as opposed to those who sit on social media virtue-signalling.

In fact, a woman reporting rape five years ago had a much better chance of seeing justice done than she does today. There were 1,917 fewer rapists convicted in the year to December 2020 than in 2016-17, a decline of 64 per cent.

In the current climate of misogyny, many young women are turning on feminists like me rather than pointing the finger at abusive men. Yet there are young feminists doing invaluable work to challenge male violence and bring about women’s liberation.

Julie said social media activism isn't the answer, as the #MeToo movement is no substitute for action. Pictured: A women's liberation protest in 1971

The campaigning group We Can’t Consent to This, which successfully abolished the ‘rough sex’ defence so often used by men who kill women, continues the work I was involved in as a young feminist when we, too, abolished the insidious defence of ‘provocation’, used by a number of men who’d killed their wives because of ‘nagging’ or alleged infidelity.

Of the 1,000-plus women attending the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Liberation Movement conference in London, in February 2020, a minority, but significant number, were in their 20s.

And when I launched my new book last month in London, well over 100 of the 250 books I signed were for women under the age of 30, with some in their teens.

Right now, we need feminism more than ever, but not the kind that puts men first. In the real world prostitution is not a liberating career ‘choice’, and increasingly violent pornography is not ‘sex-positive’.

Neither is social media activism the answer. The #MeToo movement is no substitute for action. Let’s point the finger at men who rape rather than expecting yet more women to lay bare their horrific experiences.

We live in a world in which rape, femicide and everyday abuse and harassment are ever present.

To change it, we need to be united and not divided by generational conflict. Somehow, and urgently, we must find a way to bridge the gap. Fighting among ourselves wastes time — and there is no time to lose.

Feminism for Women: The Real Route to Liberation, by Julie Bindel, (£16.99, Little Brown) is out now.

#Anglo.txt

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southeastasianists · 4 years ago

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Mark Twain is said to have remarked that if history does not repeat itself, it often rhymes. Societies have a tendency to continue patterns of policy or actions, sometimes in spite of their previous and obvious deleterious or ineffective effects.

Evident in Myanmar today is the tragedy that is unfolding. Discernable patterns emerge where the leadership and the people have been through much of the same trauma before, but seem to be unaware of, or indifferent to, prior consequences. The times, generations, technology, and the international sphere may have changed, but the institutional patterns reemerge with dire consequences, even if memories have faded.

The Feb. 1 coup was the fourth since Burmese independence in 1948. The first, in 1958, was “consensual” because the legislature agreed to a time-limited Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) takeover, although it did so under duress. The second in 1962, designed to perpetuate military dominance, resulted in the loss of one life, and was an attempt at complete domination of society through an autocratic, single-party socialist state. The third in 1988, followed the “chaos” that was in effect a response to a failed people’s revolution and the massive losses of life that the military had unintentionally instigated through brutality and mismanagement. It was designed to prop up an unsuccessful military government and continue its hegemony in society. Myanmar cannot match the frequency of Thailand‘s coups, but it far outstrips Thailand in loss of innocent lives and the Tatmadaw in Myanmar far exceeds Thai military control over its society.

At first, the 2021 coup seemed different from that of 1988. Ostensibly, it was prompted by Tatmadaw allegations that the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) overwhelming victory over the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party in the November 2020 election was marred by massive fraud, and the NLD’s subsequent refusal to negotiate with the military.

Yet the Tatmadaw had command of those state administrative elements that ensured that their interests, and those that that they regarded as essential to a unified state, would remain under their control through the military-written constitution of 2008. Thus the election did not seem to threaten military interests, no matter how much it may have humiliated the Tatmadaw. The charges of NLD manipulation of the November 2020 elections seemed an exaggerated and very weak excuse on which to place their actions.

The Tatmadaw appeared initially to be avoiding violence, contrary to 1988, and used police rather than soldiers to control anti-coup demonstrations. But as the protests continued and spread nationwide, indiscriminate military killings and beatings became evident. It seemed the Tatmadaw had learned nothing from the hostility it had created through its brutality a generation earlier.

According to the State Administration Council, as the military called its supposed temporary government (it refused to be known as a “regime” or “junta”), elections will be held after one year, providing some stipulated conditions have been met, such as dealing with Covid-19 and election reform, as well as ethnic minority peace, which seems unrealistic, and the winning party will take over government.

This is a theoretical repeat of 1958, when the Tatmadaw-administered government, with the consent of the civilian legislature, ruled for a supposed six month period that turned into eighteen months. At that time, the military did a credible, if autocratic, job and supervised a relatively fair election in which the military’s preferred party lost, and the Tatmadaw went back (temporarily) to its barracks.

The situation is different today. A young generation has access to technology that keeps them in touch with the world, each other and which unites them. This generation cannot be isolated, is far better educated and is aware of the limitations of military authority. If they are forcibly cowed, that will be short lived and some apolitical event or incident could easily set off a new series of protests at any time. The real purpose of the coup seems to be the emasculation of the NLD and the removal of its leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the political sphere.

After the 1962 and 1988 coups, the judicial system was completely under military control. The charges made against those opposed to the military in 2021 are risible instances of the “rule of law,” which the military constantly invokes as it cuts off rights and subjects the population to authoritarian demands.

The opposition NLD today has invoked some of the past actions of the same party. When the military ignored the results of the 1990 elections, which were swept by the NLD, a group of elected members went into hiding and proclaimed an alternative government to the military. Eventually, it fled the country to Thailand, and ended up in Washington, D.C. where it lobbied Congress and successive administrations to recognize its legitimacy. So too after the 2021 coup, some elected NLD members, who could not take their seats in parliament, proclaimed the Committee Representing the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) as representing the legitimate government, and sought support and foreign recognition. The military considers that those in or associated with the CRPH are involved in treasonous acts and has threatened them with prosecution.

The United States has also resumed an earlier pattern. In the 1990s, it imposed rigorous sanctions against the then junta in Myanmar, which simply let the Chinese assume a position of engorged importance—resented by the Burmese and of concern to the U.S. The new series of sanctions in 2021 are far more targeted and sophisticated than previous ones, but U.S. and Western leverage is extremely limited. Yet Congress feels it must respond to the outrageous crimes against humanity; the most ardent supporter of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Congress has been Senator Mitch McConnell.

The imposition of sanctions is unlikely to bring regime change, which was the policy of both the Clinton and Bush administrations in the 1990s and 2000s. The West, including the European Union, Canada, and Australia will probably follow with sanctions. China, India, and the ASEAN states will demur. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be under pressure from the U.S., but Japanese business interests are extensive and are, in effect, the modest counter to Chinese influence. China will support any stable government in Myanmar because of its strategic interests and its extensive Belt and Road infrastructure projects.

However this present crisis ends, we are witnessing the beginnings of a long-term tragedy. The Tatmadaw appear to have learned little from its earlier actions and the enmity that the bulk of the populace feels toward their brutal actions will only increase. Future violence prompted by some apolitical event is predictable. The younger population, frustrated by repression yet aware of the opportunities of their contemporaries in neighboring states, will be denied the ability to contribute to society. The people at large will suffer as the economy contracts, foreign investment dwindles, employment stumbles, and the international market for many of Myanmar’s products are boycotted in sympathy for the Myanmar people.

Mark Twain was right. History does indeed rhyme. Even the modest progress of the past has been erased. Perhaps the NLD administration of the past five years has been wanting, but the current debacle means only the disintegration of the limited good that has developed. Our sympathy goes out to the suffering people of Myanmar.

David I. Steinberg is Distinguished Professor of Asian Studies Emeritus at Georgetown University

#Southeast Asia #Burma #Myanmar #Tatmadaw #Military Coup #Military Junta #Politics #Democracy #Protests

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lazyliars · 4 years ago

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/rp

I think a lot of division over c!Dream is by design.

By that I don’t mean that he’s manipulating both Tommy and the viewer’s emotions (- although I personally believe that he is doing that as well -) but that whether or not Dream is a fundamentally evil character is currently up for debate.

This being portrayed through the fact that Dream never streams - something pointed out by others numerous times.

No character on the SMP can be rightfully called 100% evil. They can do awful things, with awful consequences that hurt many people, but we also see why. The way they justify themself outwardly, and the actual reasons for their actions are often in stark contrast to one-another. That doesn’t justify or excuse their actions, but it helps us empathize.

We can see this in many characters treading the waters of grey morality. Niki and Jack’s single-minded quest for vengeance against Tommy. Fundy’s self-destructive aim to unite people against him. Even more clear-cut ‘heroic’ characters - Tommy’s tendency towards causing pain when he tortured Fundy and Conner. Tubbo inventing horrifically destructive nuclear weapons to protect what he cares about. Hell-- Eret, someone who right now is doing their best to spread hope and positivity on the SMP, coined the phrase that might have just caused the most pain of all.

And likewise, even the villains have their reasons;

Wilbur - he hurt many, many people when he blew up L’manberg, and by the end of his life he was undeniably a villain. But we could see his slow descent, his fall from a leader who cared about his friends to a shadow of himself, twisted by betrayal and self-loathing.

Schlatt - we see next to none of his reasoning, his ethos, his actual intentions, and yet - the end of his life permeated with a morbid pity; a tragic loneliness as he screams at everyone he drove away. We don’t forgive Schlatt for a second, and most of the characters and viewers reveled in his death, but we can still see that he was person with feelings. It was human being behind those cruelties.

They may still be villains, but to say that villains are the only thing they could’ve ever been is untrue.

But Dream.

Like Schlatt, we see little of Dream’s inner thoughts - arguably none. We only see his actions, and the way he justifies those actions to the other characters, which is then further muddled by layers of lies and manipulation.

But unlike Schlatt, Dream never has that moment of humanity, where you can see the pain that his worldview has caused his heart. We only see the way it hurts him physically - as he is defeated by the very bonds he scorned.

But we get no indication that he felt regret. Or even that he felt sadness. Maybe fear, and fear is pitiable, but it doesn’t breed empathy, not the same way Wilbur and Schatt’s deaths do.

And so we have to ask ourselves; “Is that all there is to it?”

Taking Dream’s intentions at face value, he is irredeemable. He is a horrific, abusive monster that deserves every punishment laid at his feet. And that isn’t even taking into account his actions, which are by far more telling.

I want preface this next part by saying that nothing justifies what c!Dream did to c!Tommy in exile. It could’ve been the only way to save the whole server and it would still never, ever be okay. It was about as close to true evil as you can get.

There is no question that Dream has done awful, awful things. That he has damaged some, if not all of his relationships beyond any hope of repair. In no world should anyone on the smp ever be expected to forgive him, trust him or even want to see him again.

He is a villain, by all accounts, no matter what his intentions were

But what were those intentions?

That is the question I believe we will be asking ourselves over the next several weeks. In the title of one of the books Tommy left Dream to write: “Why”

Why did Dream do this? Why did he decide to cut out his friends? Why did he want control over everyone? Why was any of this necessary?

Why did he go from a friendly enemy, to an amalgamation of suffering?

Because that’s what he was, once. He was an enemy and antagonist to L’manberg. He was a leader to the Dream SMP. He was a friend to Sapnap and George.

So what changed?

What about the enigmatic, somewhat violent leader of the Dream SMP, who made a memorial to his dead horse, who laughed until he cried at his friend’s stupid jokes, who accepted two worthless vanity items in exchange for an entire nation’s independence?

Was that person just a lie?

And, if the answer is yes, well. That makes sense. All of the above happened when Dream had the entire SMP firmly under his thumb. He was never threatened with a loss of control during those early days, until L’manberg. And he crushed their pathetic rebellion and killed Tommy when the kid made a last ditch effort to secure freedom.

But what about the discs?

Tommy went face to face with Dream, and despite everything, despite losing and losing and losing again, he offered to lose even more - a trade. His discs, for L’manberg.

And Dream said yes.

And you can spin it easily, as Dream seeing the power of the discs even then, and I do think that’s true. But I don’t know if that’s all of it.

What is Dream? He’s not human. A lot of the fandom, myself included, refer to him as a God. He fits the bill, after all - Power Unmatched, fickle, and most of all, mysterious.

We have to wonder if caring about things is natural for him at all. If selflessness, if kindness, if love is something he is even able to feel.

Because from his own words, the answer would be “No.” A case of Evil cannot Comprehend Good. He can only understand the practical aspects of attachments - that they are useful tools to control people, and harmful weaknesses to have. He collects them up in a disgusting museum, where he can leverage them against everyone on his server.

But why? Why does he want control?

Is it control for control’s sake? Is it in his nature to seek absolute domination over others? Is it fascination - a desire to have what others like Tommy have; that connection, that love, that belief instilled into worthless objects.

Is Dream aware that what he’s doing is evil? Because he seems invested in telling Tommy that it’s not, or at the very least that it’s only his point of view. That Dream sees Tommy as evil just like Tommy sees Dream.

And it’s not just a one-time thing. There are multiple instances where Dream asserts that he is not evil, both during Tommy’s exile and during the Finale. We have to wonder if he actually believes that, or if it’s just another manipulation tactic.

Because it could be. This is not a case for Dream’s humanity. This is the facts as I, a viewer, understand them, and an attempt at piecing together the puzzle.

Dream is nearly impossible to understand - everything he does and says is layered in manipulation and ulterior motives, and I don’t think we’ve seen him truly stripped down to his most vulnerable, yet.

There is every chance that what we’re seeing now --Tommy and Tubbo, the server coming together, the prison-- That that is all part of Dream’s master plan. That everything has been calculated, all the pain and fear and hope and triumph, have been calculated moves made to further an end that we don’t yet understand. Dream could’ve known full well that he would be the one to end up in the prison when he had Sam build it. Or, it could’ve been a blunder made by a being that cannot comprehend why people would care about each other. We just don’t know.

I’ll bring up the discs for consideration one last time - They are a catalyst to Tommy’s development, but also to Dream’s. We see Dream tempted with them, enough to give up control over L’manberg. This seems to be the event that set the server’s collective fascination with attachments and leverage and meaning. The idea that the things you love have tangible value. Sentimentality as a Currency was started with the Discs.

But it was Dream who gave them that value. Dream who accepted the trade - L’manberg for the Discs. Was it attachment? Was it curiosity? Was it a Chessmaster’s scheme, a move made months ago to set into motion ends we’ve yet to see?

Does Dream know why he wanted them in the first place?

#Dreamwastaken #Dream SMP #Tommyinnit #Tubbo #L'manberg #Lazytext #long post #dream smp analysis #this is NOT c!dream apologism btw #i tried to make it VERY VERY VERY clear but i wanna state it outright just in case #i just want to explore what makes this guy tick #ya feel me?

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