#But also all the impact of the reveal at the end of Week 5

[crossover-enthusiast]

You ever think about how older remixes mods had their lore in the mod and not in random posts on twitter

[cosmerelists]

Top 10 Cosmere Fake-Outs: Ranked by How Well they Fooled Me

By "fake-outs," I mean times when the narrative tried to convince me that something had happened or was true (for example: this character is DEAD!) when in fact it was all a lie.

By necessity, THIS POST WILL CONTAIN LOTS OF MAJOR SPOILERS!

Specifically: Major spoilers for Warbreaker, Stormlight Archives, Mistborn Eras 1 and 2, and Yumi & the Nightmare Painter. I won't put character names in the titles of the entries, but if you haven't read all of those listed works, please move on!

#10: A Words of Radiance Death

In Words of Radiance, Jasnah is attacked by assassins while on board a ship with Shallan. Shallan sees Jasnah's lifeless body being stabbed, and then the ship literally goes down in flames. Jasnah has certainly died!

Yeah...I didn't buy it for even one second, to be honest. I was twiddling my thumbs waiting for the reveal that Jasnah had actually survived, because of course she did. (This is not a complaint!)

#9: A Secret Project Death

At the end of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, Yumi dies, and it's a real fake-out. Sanderson goes so far as to have a secret, extra epilogue that isn't in the table of contents where her death is reversed. I wasn't quite as sure while reading that Yumi would survive--at least, not as sure as I was when Jasnah "died." But I was pretty sure. 

#8: A Mistborn Era 1 Death

Specifically: Kelsier. When Kelsier dies at the end of Book 1 (!), I was shocked...and suspicious. Would Sanderson really kill off a character like Kelsier in Book 1??? Well, as it turns out...yes. But also no. Because Kelsier clings to "life" as a Cognitive Shadow and is still off doing things in future books. So I still count this one as a fake-out!

#7: Another Mistborn Era 1 Death

Another character who "dies" in Mistborn Era 1 is Marsh, Kelsier's brother. They find what they think is his completely obliterated body and are like "oh no." Of course, any time there is a completely obliterated body, we as readers will be suspicious: if it's really Marsh, why no face? But I actually wasn't too very suspicious of this one because Marsh felt like a character who could die, narratively speaking. I didn't, like, drop my book out of shock when he turned back up, but I was more surprised than I had been with the others.

#6: Just An Innocent Old Man in Way of Kings

This is referring to Taravangian, who in Way of Kings is presented as a dottering old man who's well-meaning but not too bright. I'm not going to lie, I bought this one hook, line, and sinker. The villain reveal for Taravangian did take me almost completely by surprise! The impact was only lessened insofar as I wasn't that interested in Taravangian pre-reveal, so I didn't feel, like, betrayed or anything.

#5: Nice Guys in Warbreaker

I 100% believed that Denth and Tonk Fah worked for Lemex, were relatively sad about his totally natural death, and were sincerely working for Vivenna afterwards. This is in spite of the fact that the narrative was not at all shy about dropping hints that this was not true. There's the fact that we're told people with tons of breaths are strong & healthy...yet I was like, "Yeah, makes sense that Lemex died of natural causes." We see Vasher position himself against Vivenna and company, and yet I was like, "Vasher probably has his reasons but it's not like Vivenna and company are doing bad things." This one was a shock especially because I liked Denth & Tonk Fah! 

#4: Dalinar and Amaram are BFFs forever

This one runs the risk of being more of a plot twist than a fake-out...but hear me out. We're led to believe that Dalinar has finished investigating Amaram and has decided not to believe Kaladin; he and Amaram are BFFs forever and ever. Then there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment when Dalinar is "out sick" for a week, but I for one thought nothing of that. Then it turns out that Dalinar was in fact laying a trap for Amaram, which Amaram waltzed right into, and Dalinar finally learned the truth. So I think it counts as a fake-out: I was certainly very surprised when Dalinar called Kaladin up "for an apology" and it turned out to be Amaram who needed to apologize. 

#3: Jasnah's Soulcaster

Shallan's whole plot line in Way of Kings is centered around her trying to steal Jasnah's very real and functional Soulcaster by swapping it for Shallan's broken one. Personally, it did not occur to me for even a second that Jasnah's Soulcaster also didn't work and was also a fake, so Shallan simply swapped one fake for another. In part, this was because I did not understand how any of the magic worked on Roshar at this point. But still. It definitely fooled me good.

#2: A Mistborn Era 2 Death

I will admit, it never even entered into the realm of possibility for me that Wax's old wife, Lessie, wasn't dead. We watched her die in the flashback. She was buried. She felt like just one of those fridged women and I had not even a shred of doubt that her death actually happened. I was so sure that when Bleeder literally reverted into Lessie's form and voice, I just assumed she had eaten Lessie's bones. This one really, REALLY shocked me.

#1: Mistborn Era 1: Follow the Ancient Text

But even so, I think the fake-out that most shocked me was the one at the end of Well of Ascension. Vin knew, per the very accurate ancient writings left behind by Kwaan, that she had to resist the power offered by the Well and give it up--even if that meant letting someone she loved die. This felt like such a classic climax and source of tension, that I was just waiting with baited breath hoping that Vin would give up the power. And she did. And it was a mistake. Because it turns out that if you copy down Kwaan's words--which were inscribed in metal so that they could not be altered--on to paper, then Ruin's gonna alter them and you can't trust the ancient prophecy after all. In following the "prophecy" at great personal cost, Vin was just doing what Ruin wanted anyway.

I'm still not over this one. 

[yourlocaltrashcan657]

Ball in Sina

WARNING: mild spice scene at the end.

“A gathering in Mitras?” Levi asked as he grabbed his tea cup. “No chance.”

“When you’re from a place like the Underground, you don’t really get opportunities like this.” Y/N said. “It’s still a no though, Erwin.”

“There’ll be a great impact if both of you arrive. Humanity’s Strongest Soldiers arriving at a fancy party of higher ups will be good for the Survey Corps.” Erwin explained.

“It’s a fancy gathering, we have no interest in these things.” Levi muttered as he looked at his twin sister.

”Most of its going to be those Unicorn Pricks and that one Drunk Garrison guy.” Y/N said. “Unless we’ve been invited we’re not going.”

Just as Y/N said that, Erwin pulled out a letter from his right pocket and opened it up. Clearing his throat he began to read out a section of the fancy handwriting on the paper.

“You are allowed to bring one guest with you, whether it be a friend, partner or an acquaintance.” Erwin quoted before looking at the duo.

”That means only one of us is going.” Y/N said before leaning against the wall behind her.

”Hange also received an invitation, not so sure why..” Erwin explained, mumbling the last bit. “Hange already decided to take one of you so that all four of us can come.”

”Can’t Mike go with you?” Levi asked as he sipped on his tea.

”He’s busy with paperwork and so is Nanaba, and Gelgar, along with all of the other Captains…” Erwin mumbled. Suddenly Hange bursted into the room with the same letter in her hands.

”GOOD AFTERNOON! Hello Erwin, Y/N and Levi!” Hange happily said as she waved the letter in her hands.

”Good afternoon Hange.” Erwin formally greeted whereas the two Ackerman siblings stayed sat down, silently.

”Has Erwin told you about the invitation?” Hange asked happily.

”Yes, he has Hange.” Y/N answered causing Hange to grin mischievously. “Now we’ll just have to choose partners, but honestly I don’t care who I’ll end up with.”

”I’ll go with Levi!” Hange happily said as she turned towards him. “Hey Levi did you know-“

”No. Shut up.” Levi quickly said, shutting Hange from blabbering.

”That means you and me Y/N.” Erwin said. “It’ll be a party in Mitras so we’ll have to be formal. The party will take place next week on Sunday, a carriage will arrive at roughly 5 o’clock so we should arrive in half an hour. Any questions?”

”Just one. How did Hange get an invitation but Humanity’s Strongest Soldiers didn’t?” Y/N asked.

”I.. do not know that.” Erwin said as the trio looked at Hange, awaiting for an answer.

”Why’re you looking at me for?! I didn’t think I’d get invited to Mitras either, okay?!” Hange exclaimed.

As the week went by, eventually the time came for when the four higher ups would travel together for the party. Erwin wore a dark royal blue suit with a red tie. Levi wore his iconic black suit and stood beside Erwin in his office.

”Do you know when Y/N or Hange will be coming.?” Erwin asked as he checked the time awkwardly.

”No.” Levi bluntly said.

Suddenly the door opened and revealed the two scouts, dressed in their formal attire. Hange had worn a suit as well, claiming the suit looked to fabulous and had to be shown off. Y/N wore a black dress which flowed nicely as she walked towards them. (You can decide what it looks like)

”I-is everyone ready?” Erwin said as he quickly looked away from Y/N.

”Let’s get going already.” Levi said as he got up and saw the fancy carriage outside of the building. “The carriage is here too.”

Quickly rushing out of the building and into the carriage, they sat down and set off to Mitras. The journey was long so Erwin began to talk with Levi about upcoming expeditions whilst Hange mentioned her Titan experiments and theories to Y/N. Soon, the carriage arrived in Wall Sina, right in front of the very building in which the grand hall was located.

Stepping out the carriages, Erwin helped Y/N out like the gentleman he was before offering his arm for her to hold onto, in which she accepted.

”You look quite stunning today.” Erwin whispered in her ear as they walked slowly.

”Thanks you, you look rather… nice.” Y/N mumbled as she walked beside him. Walking into the hall, to the side was a large table in which expensive food was laid out along with sweet dishes and other grand things. There were multiple round tables which could fit up to 8 people and in the middle of the hall was nothing for it was space for guests to dance with one another, whilst a band played music in the corner of the hall.

”When you said it was fancy.. I didn’t expect this Erwin.” Y/N confessed as her hands fell to her sides.

”This is Wall Sina I guess. Even I didn’t expect it to be this luxurious.” Erwin said as he looked around before meeting eyes with Nile.

”Oh great, the thin moustache bastard..” Levi muttered under his breath.

”You’ve met him before?” Hange asked quietly for once. “You must know how much of a pain he is then.”

“I have but Y/N hasn’t, he’s a real dick alright.” Levi mumbled before turning away. “Shit, he’s coming towards us.”

”Erwin, good to see you.” Nile said as he reached out to shake Erwin’s hands. “Glad you could make it.”

”Happy to be here, Nile.” Erwin replied as he shook his hand. “Who’d you bring with you?”

”Oh just a cadet from the Military.. I see Captain Levi is with you.” Nile said as he frowned at Levi glaring at him.

”Actually he’s Hanges partner for tonight. Tonight I brought along Y/N, she’s Levi’s sister.” Erwin said as he placed an arm on he back.

”Good Afternoon.” Y/N said as she looked towards Nile and reached out to shake his hand. Blush evidently spread across Nile’s face once he saw Y/N but quickly took her hand and kissed the knuckles of her soft hands. Disgusted, Y/N slowly pulled her hand back and wiped it against the back of her dress. Erwin’s calmer look was much more annoyed as he stared at Nile, wondering what he was doing.

”We haven’t met before as it seems.” Nile said as he smiled at Y/N. “It’s nice to meet you Y/N. If you hadn’t heard already, I’m the Commander of the Military Police.”

”Nice to meet you too, we’ll see you later I suppose.” Y/N said as she looked at Erwin who simply smiled at her and looked towards Nile.

”We better take our seat now, shall we?” Erwin asked before Nile interrupted.

”Why don’t you sit with us? It’s best if there’s no empty seats at a table instead of there being multiple.” Nile said as he pointed to his table.

”Fine.” Erwin replied, still keeping his composure. The four walked towards the table and sat in the seats. Somehow, Nile ended up next to Y/N whilst Erwin stayed on her other side.

”Y/N, let’s swap places.” Levi said as he tried helping her out of the situation.

”It’s fine like this.” Erwin and Nile both said at the same time, causing them to look at each other. After a long speech, made by Darius Zachary, everyone began to chatter amongst themselves. Nile’s partner soon arrived, a disgusting smell lingering on him.

”Where'd you go?” Nile asked

”I went for a smoke. Besides, I only missed out on some boring old speech.” He said before sitting down beside Nile. “Who are these folks?”

”These are members of the Survey Corps. You remember Captain Levi and Commander Erwin, don’t you?” Nile asked. “This is Felix, he’s my partner for tonight.”

”Y-yeah yeah. Nice to see you all again..” Felix muttered as he looked away from Levi’s death stare and towards Y/N. “I haven’t seen you before. Who might a dazzling lady like you be?”

”Y/N Ackerman.” Y/N bluntly said, not reaching out to shake his hand. Watching Felix, he leaned back on his chair and smirked towards her before sipping on his wine. Much to his dismay, Erwin stared at the Military Police member before sipping on his water.

“Oi Felix, don’t you think it’s early to be drinking?” Nile asked quietly. “You already had a cigarette.”

”Relax, just trying to impress the lady.” Felix whispered into Miles ear before getting up along with everyone else and heading towards the large tables of food. Grabbing a plate, Y/N placed small portions of recognisable food and sat back down at the table. Looking up, Nile had sat in his seat whilst Felix had rushed to Erwin’s seat, moving it closer to Y/N.

”Say, Y/N-“ Felix began to say.

”That’s Erwin’s seat, so could you please move off it. Also you reek of cigarettes and onions.” Y/N said as Erwin arrived to the table.

”H-huh..?” Felix mumbled before getting up and moving back to his seat and slumping in his chair. Erwin quickly sat down beside Y/N, not caring to adjust his chair back to its regular position whilst Levi and Hange sat down together.

”So Y/N, why’d you choose the Survey Corps?” Nile asked as he cut his steak and chewed it down.

”I’m not so sure, but if I had to guess it was probably because it was my only option and also because Levi chose it too.” Y/N answered as she picked up her glass of water.

”Y’know, the Military Police has a few spaces for talented soldiers like you.” Nile replied as he smiled towards Y/N.

”Thank you for the offer but I kindly decline.” Y/N quickly said.

”Both of Humanity’s Strongest Soldiers are apart of Survey Corps which means a lot to us, Nile.” Erwin said as he smiled at him.

”I suppose so, still, the offer still stands. If you do end up moving branches, you could work beside me and some of the fellow Captains-“ Nile began to say.

”Hey Nile, how’s Marie?” Erwin interrupted.

”Marie.? She’s alright I suppose.” Nile answered. “Why’d you ask now?”

“She was one of my old acquaintances, besides am I not meant to ask about one’s wife’s condition?” Erwin asked.

”You’re married?” Y/N asked as she looked at Nile’s hand to see a silver ring. “Good for you.”

“For how long if you don’t mind me asking? Five, six years now if I had to guess.” Erwin said.

”R-right.” Nile mumbled embarrassed.

”And how’s your daughter? Heard she’s turning four soon.” Erwin admitted. “If we can, Y/N and I will drop by and see you all. You know how Hange and Levi can be so it’ll be us two.”

”N-no no it’s alright.” Nile said as he sipped on his wine. “You don’t have to visit, you must be uhm busy..”

”Erwin, what’re you doing?” Y/N whispered into his ear as she glanced back at Nile, who was looking away from them.

”Excuse us, just for one moment.” Erwin requested before grabbing ahold of Y/N’s hand and dragging her out of the hall.

”Erwin. Erwin. Erwin! What are you doing?” Y/N asked as Erwin ignored her and dragged her back to the carriage, making sure no one was around.

“Get in, we’re leaving. I’ll tell Hange to come with Levi whilst I pardon Darius for our sudden leave.” Erwin explained.

”Why are we leaving so early though? This was your idea and your suddenly switching up.” Y/N said as she stared at him and crossed her arms.

“You feel uncomfortable don’t you?” Erwin mumbled as he grabbed her chin and tilted it up. “I can tell.”

”Let’s just get going then..” Y/N muttered as she quickly rushed into the carriage. Soon, the trio arrived and sat in the carriage, riding off to the Survey Corps Headquarters. Upon arriving there, Y/N and Levi walked down the hallway together, trying not to wake up any soldiers.

”Y’know, if it wasn’t a special event that Erwin wanted to attend, I would’ve left right after making sure Nile got a taste of those filthy hands of his.” Levi whispered.

”He was revolting.” Y/N simply said before getting stopped by Erwin.

“I need to discuss something with you Y/N.” Erwin said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Letting Levi walk off, Y/N walked beside Erwin towards his office, Erwin’s hand sliding down to her lower back.

.

.

.

“Do you know how jealous I was huh?” Erwin panted as he rested his nose in Y/N’s neck.

”E-Erwin. I didn’t-“ Y/N began to say.

”Say it again. Say my name again Y/N.” Erwin demanded as his nose moved away from her neck, and his lips were attached instead. “That’s an order.”

”Erwin.” Y/N gasped. Erwin’s hand kept Y/N’s thighs tightly wrapped around his waist as he kept her against the wall in his office.

”Who would’ve thought that Humanity’s Strongest Soldier would be so submissive, hm? Acting all tough but when daddy kisses you a dozen times, you get all weak.” Erwin mumbled before sucking on Y/N’s neck.

”I’m sorry Erwin. I really am.!” Y/N mumbled as she looked at him.

”Let’s get to bed, shall we?” Erwin asked.

[lurkingshan]

Love in the Big City Drama: Episodes 5-6 Book Club Discussion

How we feeling, book clubbers? Devastated? Frustrated? Depressed? Managing warring urges to shake and hug Yeong with all your might? Yeah, me too. On to this week's discussion of PAIN.

As a reminder, these are the questions we originally discussed for Part 3 of the novel, and this is the meta round up, where you can see all the brilliant things you initially wrote about it. Here are your official discussion questions for episodes 5 and 6 of Love in the Big City, courtesy of @bengiyo:

The consistent presence of the T-aras has reshaped their entire role in this story. How does their ongoing relationship with Yeong change their role in this section?

In Part 3, Young reveals that he's been carrying his illness since he was discharged from the military. How does that information impact your understanding of prior events?

His relationship with Gyu-ho is the most successful we've seen Yeong have thus far—before he ended it. What does Yeong's "dull" relationship with Gyu-ho reveal about him?

How do you feel about the way Yeong’s illness presents a genuine stigma and barrier in his personal and professional life?

As always, you are welcome to use any or all of these as a jumping off point for your own posts, ignore them and post your own thing, or just participate by sharing and commenting on other people's posts. Please create new posts with the questions if you want to use them rather than adding on responses to this post--it will be easier to capture everyone's content if it's all in separate posts in the tag. I will be tracking everything posted in the [#litbc book club] tag and posting the weekly round up--look for that to go up next Monday ahead of the next set of discussion questions. Feel free to also directly tag me to make sure I don't miss your posts!

@becomingabeing @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas @blalltheway @elimstillnotgarak

@colourme-feral @doyou000me @dramacraycray @fiction-is-queer @avorbl

@hyeoni-comb @littleragondin @literally-a-five-headed-dragon @loveable-sea-lemon @my-rose-tinted-glasses

@neuroticbookworm @poetry-protest-pornography @profiterole-reads @serfergs @starryalpacasstuff

@stuffnonsenseandotherthings @thewayofsubtext @troubled-mind @twig-tea @wen-kexing-apologist

@impala124 @shinjiikar1 @h4ppyfr066y @moutheyes @waitmyturtles

[911lsbts]

"I've always believed that Charles was the love of Tommy's life," Raisani says. "And I love [Pastor Trevor, played by D.B. Woodside,] but there was something so deep about the love that she had for Charles, and we lost him too quick. She never got a chance to have her goodbye with him, so we always were craving to give her that chance."

Raisani says Charles' return was a "North Star" for them as they planned the season, "and then it obviously merged with the cancer story in, I think, a fairly organic way."

"I was happy, happy, happy to see him again," Torres adds of working with Webster again. "I was not, however, happy under the circumstances of which I get to see him again. So that wasn't the best. But yeah, I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else."

After Tommy was diagnosed with cancer earlier this season, the entire 126 firehouse and some Austin police officers threatened to quit their jobs if the city didn't find a way to fund her promising treatment — and the medic looked like she was headed toward remission until her new scans were revealed on Monday's episode.

"The theme of these last episodes is all about how our world feels cut short too soon and how unfair that feels," Raisani explains. "Tommy started to experience what you might call a false sense of security about her cancer, because how effective the treatments were. But as when we talked to Stand Up to Cancer, who consulted on this story the whole way, it was clear there are never any guarantees. What we wanted to show is that, 'Well, it sucks, but this thing happened and you were in the minority of possibility, but here it is, death is now staring you right in the face. I think we wanted her to have to pay the ultimate cost for the struggle."

Does that seal Tommy's fate? Well, there's also that asteroid that hit Austin in the final moments of Monday's episode and — as put by Rob Lowe, who stars as 126 captain Owen Strand — "This could be the event where maybe somebody on the team doesn't make it. Everything is on the table."

"You're going to see the Tommy that you know, the Tommy that you love, the Tommy that is the fighter, right to the end," Torres teases of what's to come for her character in the final chapter next week. "She doesn't give up on herself or what she believes in — so we have that.... And you also have me probably looking worse than I ever have on camera," she adds with a laugh.

[self-spaghettification]

Looks like we’re getting a lot of crazy things in 6x05

which,

1. Considering the potential title “Moonless Night”, 6x05 will possibly be including Rayla being hurt or moon being otherwise metaphorically swallowed, (paralleling s3 swallowing/corruption of the sun’s power),

2. Considering episode 5 follows an episode titled “The Starscraper,” in 6x05 Aaravos is potentially freed at the end of 4 or during 5 and potentially possesses Callum which will lead to all sorts of trouble

3. Considering the connection of a scene between soren and viren with “until 6x05” and all the hints that the most impactful scenes between soren and viren were yet to come…. it seems likely that in 6x05 Soren and Viren will have a very emotionally charged moment together, also possibly with Claudia. Maybe with a confrontation of some kind, also involving the moon?

Let’s delve into this more though—As this potential title has ignited a spark to finally set ablaze and reveal the idea that has been percolating in my mind for months.

Moonless Night (and Why I Believe the Moon is Metaphorically Going to Be Swallowed) A S6 Speculative Meta

with arc1-arc2 parallels, norse mythology examination, reflections analysis and more

As far as I can see, the clue most directly points to Moonless Night. (Edit: which ended up being right!) And there are other reasons I’m on board.

I already went insane over this so let’s get started

A. S3-S6 Parallels

So, I’m a big fan of across arc season parallels as they’ve existed very overtly S1-S4 from the first moment, as well as some other things which in many ways are setup and reestablishment of dynamics (Rayla hesitating and breaking from her duty twice to help/see Callum instead, Harrow and Ezran respectively attempt to break free from the past but they have to acknowledge it, etc) as well as persistently in S2-S5:

and, it seems, *possibly* S3 to S6–

1. If we get another plot against Ezran that’s not a joke (as it is in s4 and many throwaway lines and jokes in tdp come back to bite us)—+“This coming season will test Ezran's pacifist instincts”

2. If Viren returns, something like this—

in contrast to the “I’m sorry it had to happen this way”/“No you’re not.”/“No, I’m not.” because Viren cannot doubt Ezran would be genuinely sorry

Viren would say I know because he gets it now, the new hesitant, less certain version who also feels bad for all he has done, but he wouldn’t have before.

SO… 3. If the Moon were to get metaphorically/literally swallowed on some level in S6, it would parallel 3x07, Hearts of Cinder.

Corruption via Aaravos’s…child.

which, coincidently, brings me to my next point!

B. Norse Mythology

I’ve briefly discussed this before here, but let’s review:

Aaravos’s similarities to Loki

Source: Twitter

But while we’re on Loki’s similarities to Aaravos, let’s consider what his other children are up to during Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse Mythology, which seems fitting considering all the foreshadowing of what chaos Aaravos has wreaked in the past (Xadia) and present (Lux Aurea) and even future (ominous wording in the reflections) when given the chance.

Loki’s children during Ragnarok:

World Serpent — rises up from the depths, encircles the world and causes great waves and destruction (“The seas churned” 👀)

Hel — From the underworld, “leading an army of the dead, she marches against the gods, uniting with her brothers and other forces of chaos. This culminating battle signifies the cyclical nature of Norse myths; an end that's also a beginning.” [1] Speaking of which, sounds familiar, right? In Ripples:

“While one may say it ends with a sunrise, [beginning] another will insist it ends at nightfall. [end]”

“With its impact came a long and terrible night: The earth bled! The seas churned! The sun and moon hid for weeks behind the sky’s screaming storm!”

“And when the long, dark night had finally passed—for the sun must always rise, mustn’t it?—they gazed out upon an unfamiliar landscape.”

Fenrir— He was gagged with a sword and was destined to lie bound to a rock until the Ragnarök (Doomsday), when he will break his bonds and fall upon the gods. According to one version of the myth, Fenrir will devour the sun, and in the Ragnarök he will fight against the chief god Odin and swallow him. [2]

It’s interesting how Fenrir has even more parallels than Loki to Aaravos here. Trapped by a blade, chained against rocks like Prometheus (one of Aaravos’s primary inspirations) was when his liver (modern heart) was eaten every day, and when he’s freed all hell breaks loose, including swallowing people (see Zym and Aditi) and the sun. But was it him with the sun? Or…..

There’s something there about killing a god and being killed in return and making the stars fall and all the damage Claudia has suffered thus far, but anyway.

That’s right, Fenrir has two children, one who swallows the sun, and one who swallows the moon. During Ragnarok, while, also, the sea shakes. Ahem, back to this:

“With its impact came a long and terrible night: The earth bled! The seas churned! The sun and moon hid for weeks behind the sky’s screaming storm!”

So… earth blood?

Check… churning seas?

World Serpent — rises up from the depths, encircles the world and causes great waves and destruction

Check… sun and moon gone?

Check.

So, what do we do with this information?

C. Interpretation

So Aaravos with two children, one who swallows the sun, one the moon.

Swallowing the Moon

-Involving a Child

1. Most literally: Aaravos has that… homonculus child, which takes and poisons the power of the sun. Maybe we’re getting another of those? I’m honestly scared for what that actually means like is he having another kid for that because 😭

2. What I favor- a metaphor— If you can consider Claudia Aaravos’s child, well, child in law isn’t that far off for the sake of this theory I think it’s possible they team up and somehow metaphorically swallow the moon like Viren and Aaravos did in S3. ….Just taking the moon, corrupting it and using its power— like they did with the Sunfire power— to make troops invisible in their effort to conquer xadia part two (2!) (although this is probably like the nth time that Aaravos has attempted his plan.)

-not involving a child

3. it could also just be disrupting the moon nexus in some way. Aaravos tends to break reflections in one way or another, from mirrors to ripples.

in Ripples he talks about how he dislikes how the stars look down on their perfect reflection (the sea of cast out)

@parroset has written an excellent meta elaborating further on it here, but essentially, he breaks reflections. A reflection is key to the moon nexus, that lake is the moon nexus because it so perfectly reflects the moon. So… there’s something to that. And it would have to come in handy manipulating the veil between life and death.

4. Taking Luna Tenebris’s power in a flashback.

I’ve talked about why I think we’re finally getting Luna Tenebris content before here, but essentially we already got all the dragons in the 4 corners of the map via flashback or interaction, and now only she is left. A flashback on what really went down that day would be perfectly in line with us learning more about Aaravos’s past, perhaps interaction with Kim'dael as well as, hopefully, blood magic—and dark, star, and deep magic. It also fits in with swallowing the moon’s power, as she was a Moon Archdragon. Moonless night. This also ties back to the blood moon cult because they harvest the power of the moon to begin with.

Last but not least and most obvious and exciting to many,

5. Rayla= “Moon girlfriend.” Callum is already being targeted, and likely some terrible thing is going to happen to him up with the rating being up, creators crying over this episode and calling it “heartbreaking” and all of that, so swallowing the moon could be symbolism for her dying or something equally terrible (so he’s forced to exploit dark magic/Aaravos to save her.)

This also ties back to this being the episode following the star scraper and the theory that Callum is a Trojan horse and, once he’s there, all the shit is going down. Maybe Rayla gets in the way and tries to sacrifice herself. I wouldn’t be surprised. or maybe it’s an intentional harm so that Callum has to bring her back… who knows?

It is for you to think about as you see fit.

@beautifulterriblequeen also wrote about other possibilities for the Moonless night here!

D. Symbolism & Misc.

Now let’s talk about the other symbolic evidence pointing to the swallowing of the moon.

The first thing that got me hooked on this theory was actually this page, which we see Viren flipping through, and then in Callum’s sketchbook.

I already analyzed the markings surrounding Aaravos’s signature symbol, but I also found the eclipse and crescent moon especially interesting considering how important the eclipse motif has been in the series and uniquely tied to Aaravos.

Thus far I figured the moon also had to be significant right it also almost seemed to me as if both the sun and moon had a bite taken out of them.

Then, we have the Reflections.

After Darkness

“The writhing, tainted darkness of Lux Aurea’s night sky spread infinitely above him, the stars all swallowed up inside it.”

Ripples

“While one may say it ends with a sunrise, another will insist it ends at nightfall. ” (swallowed sun) (falling stars)

“With its impact came a long and terrible night/And in that endless dark the humans despaired. The humans huddled together, scarcely daring to breathe, awaiting the rise of the sun.”

which, side note- sol regem saying the sun will never rise again for me, karim saying the sun is setting on their kingdom, and aaravos telling viren that the sun will rise and he will not like augh.

Then there’s the more literal interpretations of swallowing the moon and or sun along with the stars - Consider

1, Aaravos is giant

2, Star eating sword

3, Star devourer dragons

And, let’s go back to the crescent.

Waxing Crescents are associated with growing power, which would also be fitting for Aaravos gaining power, possibly a literal powerup.

Let’s also consider what new moons mean- considering the possible name, moonless night, and all the swallowing of the moon, and starting a new cycle, new moons are certainly significant, right? Moonless night- A fresh start. Could be something!

In summary, I believe the moon will be metaphorically swallowed in S6 in one way or another.

I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading my thoughts! Please feel free to share any insights or reactions of your own!

[sailingfireshipz]

Ok, so i could be putting too much thought into this & completely reading into things that Andrea has no intentions of fulfilling, but this is where I'm at with the Stellaride baby slow burn. @chicagofires & @stella-kidd, this is for you 😆

It started clicking for me back in 13x08 when Stella was talking to Ritter when he was spinning out about moving in with Dwayne. She said, "You guys are good. You're just asking for more time. " I started wondering why they'd have Stella be the one to deliver that line versus a Violet or Novak, especially with the baby talk conversation not being addressed since 13x01.

It felt like they were acknowledging the elephant in the room with the audience even though Stellaride themselves haven't. To be fair between the mess with Damon, Stella almost losing her job, the Bishop two parter, Stella & Kelly missing their respective episodes there hasn't really been too many moments where it would have made sense for stellaride to address the elephant in the room. They just need more time.

Prior to last weeks episode getting pulled, we would have had the episodes in this order 13x10- "You got this" a saying very specific to Stella & Stellaride hanging randomly in a children's classroom. Let's face it the call itself was very minor in scale. They could have had that same call at a different location. Hell, it would have made sense for the police cadets that were training to be the ones impacted by the gases, yet they weren't they chose to have it at a community center for young kids. That sign placement being in a childrens classroom, imo was very intentional.

Also, Stella asking Hermann how Mouch did as acting LT. This is a valid question to ask for sure, but it also goes to the topic of her knowing that her rig would be in great hands pending she has to step away. It's finally stabilized after Gallo, Gibson & Damon. Carver seems to be back on track. Ritter is meshing well & clearly stepping up. Mouch jumped right on in as acting LT & didn't miss a beat. Her first baby (T81) is good. ✅️

Next would have been 13x11- Stella's cousin comes to town to reveal family history. At this point I don't think this cousin is coming with ill intent. Again, this is just my feelings. I have nothing to base it off of. Whatever this family history is would have sparked a conversation again with Stellaride. Do I think this conversation would have ended with Stella saying she's ready, no, not exactly. I think it would have ended still up in the air, but the topic at least brought back to the surface & acknowledged. I also think it would give Stella some resolution to some unsolved family trauma. Stella getting closure from her traumatic past ✅️

We say this all the time. STELLARIDE needs big life altering pushes to make decisions most times. Kelly & Stella had been in this weird holding pattern for the majority of early S6, even when Zach was in the picture. They both were dancing around the matter until 6x15, when Stella's trapped with bullets flying (big push). "Kelly for once can you just tell me what you're feeling" (BIG PUSH)

Other notable pushes: Stella breaks up with Kelly in S7, forcing him to choose to be a better man for her. Kelly is unsure if he should propose, 9x15 "I'm never going to leave you happens" he drops to one knee & asks her. Both scared of getting married until 10x21 happens then it's let's get married next week. Kelly kidnapped held at gunpoint. Don't you have a wife & kids? 12x11 prompted 12x13 confession of maybe we start our own... BIG PUSHES

So what's the BIG PUSH for S13? Oh idk maybe the first crossover in 5 years. In the last crossover, Kelly verbalized for the first time he saw himself & Stella growing old together with a family of their own. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying she's going to come out of this crossover like omg I want a baby right now but it would be hard for me not to assume that she doesn't come out of it ready to have a genuine CANDID conversation that leads to action.

Ultimately if after 13x12 they still aren't acknowledging the elephant in the room then I'll start to become annoyed again but currently I'm enjoying watching these subtle pieces fall into place & am interested on how they play out. The ONLY thing I'm curious about is how or if them switching the episode, order around will have any impact from a continuity standpoint.

I do not believe these crossover episodes will be standalone & that topics brought up in them won't spill over or show up in other episodes.

Again, I could be way off base here, but these are my thoughts. What are yours?

[amazingmsme]

Restless ‘Til We Reach Home

Despite Everything, It’s Still You (ch. 3)

AN: I had so much fun with this chapter, I hope you guys really like it! It’s got some much needed levity curtesy of Hermes, but also a pinch of angst & a very bittersweet moment between Polites & Odysseus. Oh, & we finally get a ghost!Polites face reveal! I’m also pretty certain this is the first fic I’ve ever posted from a hospital. I mean, unless any of you were around back in the day when I was dying & you remember if I posted something during that time, but I don’t think I did. So this is really something special!

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3.5 Ch. 4 Ch. 5

If barely anyone had seen Polites in the days prior, then he must have made himself truly scarce after his last confrontation with the captain. The playful, if unexplained, shenanigans were no more, and the crew fell back into their monotonous routine.

But remaining invisible for so long takes its toll, and he needs his moments of peace and quiet. And so, the crew took notice of the man sitting alone in the crows nest, his presence never faltering. At least this way, he can still be of some use to the crew while completely isolating himself.

By now, Polites hadn't moved from the crows nest in over a week. Even his practice with the coin was getting weaker. He sat with his knees pressed to his chest, desperately trying to shove the drachma across the planks. His finger phased through, making no impact on the piece of gold.

"How have you possibly gotten more pathetic than the last time we met?"

Great.

The voice startled him enough to clutch the coin in his fist. Polites heaved a sigh upon recognizing the unwelcome company.

"Please go away," he mumbled softly. Hermes scoffed.

"Yeah, no, I don't think so. You obviously need me, I mean, just look at yourself!" he gestured at him wildly.

"Hey!"

"No, you need to hear this!" Hermes snapped his fingers in his face to get his point across. Polites flinched back before shooting him with an annoyed look.

"I thought I left you in a good place! What happened?" he asked, dropping his voice an octave, purposefully playing up his disappointment.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, so can you just-"

"No- I will not just anything. So be honest, how long have you been sulking up here?"

"I'm not-"

"Oh come on, I didn't say anything that wasn't true. So, how long's it been? Or do you even know?"

"... I'm on watch-"

"For how long?" Hermes asked with a shit eating grin, propping his chin in his hands.

"... Until we're home," he said pointedly. Hermes barked out a laugh.

"Oh, so you're just gonna sit up here, all alone, until you reach Ithica? Woooow, you must be so dedicated. Definitely no underlying reason there," he drawled, smirking when he noticed the way Polites clenched his jaw. "Nope."

Polites sighed in defeat, "They hate me."

Hermes rolled his eyes. "Oh please, they don't hate you, they hate what they think you are. And I know you're gonna think I'm crazy, and stupid, and blind, but... their reaction is proof of how much you really meant to them."

"You're right, I do think that! Do you even hear yourself? They! Hate! Me!" he clapped between words to get his point across.

"They love you!"

Polites scoffed and turned away, "Who died and made you Aphrodite?"

Hermes scoffed at such a high pitch, it was more of a shriek. "You are so lucky that was funny, but how dare you speak to me like that!" he asked, hands on his hips.

"Look, Hermes, don't you have something better to do?" he asked, rubbing his temple.

"Uh, you say that like this isn't important. I'm thoroughly invested, and I plan on seeing this through to the end," Hermes explained, voice tinged with condescension.

"Sorry, but I don't care about being your entertainment," he grumbled, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Oh Polites, it's so much more than that. I mean, fine, maybe it is mostly for entertainment purposes, but how can you not see I'm actually trying to help?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"Oh please, you're a God. You never want to make things better," he said honestly.

"Stereotype much?" he asked, leaning over Polites where he sat, staring at him from upside down, his mop of hair hanging towards the floor. He jumped at the sudden invasion of personal space, making Hermes laugh.

"I'm not a bad guy, honest! In fact, I spread joy wherever I go," he bragged, standing upright and propped an arm atop his head. Polites rolled his eyes, smirking up at the messenger God.

"I'm sure you think that."

Hermes glared down at him, cocking his head. "Excuse me? Are you mocking me?" he asked, amusement clear in his tone as he squatted down to his level.

"No?" Polites answered, quirking an eyebrow up in confusion. Hermes stared at him for a few long seconds before sighing when it seemed he really was telling the truth.

"I must say Polites, I'm very disappointed in you..."

"What? What did I even do?"

"Shhh, it's not about what you did, it's what you didn't do."

"Huh?"

"You're fucking Polites for goodness sake! The walking ray of sunshine, who, for some reason, is acting like nothing but a big dark rain cloud! And, hate to break it to ya, but Odysseus has that position filled, thank you very much," he huffed, sitting on the edge of the crows nest and crossing his legs, leaning on one arm.

Polites looked away to hide a faint yet growing blush. "You think I'm a ray of sunshine?" he asked hesitantly.

Hermes giggled behind his hand, rolling his eyes. "Of course that's your takeaway."

"Then what was your point?" he asked defensively.

"My point is that you used to be so damn happy, it was infectious. And now, here you are," he finished, lamely gesturing his way.

Polites stared at him, mouth agape. "I'm allowed to be sad Hermes!"

The God merely giggled and shook his head. Polites threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "There's being sad, then there's whatever... this is..."

"I'm dead Hermes! D-E-A-D dead!"

"Yes, I can spell," Hermes all but purred, and Polites snapped.

"SHUT UP! Just- shut up please! Are all the Gods this insufferable?" he yelled, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. "I don't even know if I really exist anymore! Everyone's a-always talking about me like I'm not even there, wondering if I'm evil, if I'm actually me, and they can't even look at me, Hermes! They look away like just one glance will burn their eyes!" Polites barely hovered above the floor on his knees, practically clinging onto Hermes.

The God looked almost mortified, staring at the sobbing, sniveling, dead mortal before him with growing discomfort and concern.

"I've never heard such hateful things. Please, I don't want to stay here. I-is... is there anyway you could-"

"What, take you back to Hades? Uh yeah, that's a hard no! Not only do I not know how to do that, but I will not let you just back out of the best decision of your afterlife. This is honestly the most fun I've had in ages."

"Congratulations!"

Hermes pouted, picking at his nails. "... I feel like you don't mean that."

"OF COURSE I don't mean that! I've never been more miserable! And you just come here to laugh about how bad our lives are going! Well my life is over, okay? You don't get to bother me anymore!"

"I wouldn't say I'm bothering yo-"

"I would," he crossed his arms, cutting him off. Hermes scoffed to hide an amused smirk.

"Cut me off again and see what happens," he warned playfully. Polites glared up at him, unmoving. "But I'm so used to seeing you with that precious smile on your face, that it just doesn't feel right seeing you without it. It's like you're naked," he teased with a shrill giggle. Polites blushed, wrapping his arms around his body for cover. That only made Hermes laugh more. "So you see, it just doesn't feel quite right seeing you this way."

"Well- it's not the same thing, thank you very much," he mocked, cheeks still flushed as he looked away.

"Ohoho you are just the cutest when you're embarrassed!" he cooed, pinching his unswollen cheek to tease him further. Polites swatted him away, floundering for words.

"I am not!"

"Not what? Cute, or embarrassed? Because I think it's safe to say you're both," he said casually, making him pout. "Even with that sour attitude you adopted."

"It's justified!"

"Don't fucking dwell on it though!" That sure seemed to shut him up. "And that is what you've been doing, isn't it? And the Polites I know would be heartbroken if he could see you right now."

"I think you mean the Polites you spied on," he deadpanned, unable to hide his smirk when he saw the look on the God's face.

"Wow, okay, if that's how you wanna put it," Hermes scoffed indignantly, hand on his chest. "But you're clearly not listening to me! All I've done since showing up is try to make you happy, and you've done nothing but fight it every step of the fucking way," he scolded halfheartedly.

"Oh please, you don't really care if I'm happy or not."

"You're right, I don't. That's why I took the time to check up on you, despite being a rather busy man. And you wanna know why I even bothered to do that? Because some little mortal named Polites taught me that it can be worth it to treat others with kindness."

His words caught Polites off guard as he blinked in shock. He was speechless, but a shy grin was quickly breaking out across his face.

"But now he has me second guessing myself," Hermes pouted, tilting his head down to look at him.

Polites pursed his lips to keep from smiling and looked away. The God cupped his cheek and turned him back around to meet his gaze.

"Don't tell me you've run out of kindness, Polites. It's your best quality."

"I- uh- thank you," he stuttered, the compliment rendering him speechless. Hermes arched a brow.

"That didn't answer my question," he teased with a sly grin.

Polites rolled his eyes, "You can't just run out of kindness. It's a choice!"

"Mhmm. And you know what else is a choice? Staying up here to wallow in self pity."

"Hey!"

"It's called a rude awakening, sweetheart."

"But- you don't know how mean he was!" he pleaded.

"Who, Odysseus? Trust me, I know," he agreed that the captain could be cruel at times, but that's why he liked him so much. "He just has to come around, and I have no doubt he will."

"Yeah? Well I do," he mumbled, fiddling with the coin. Hermes offered a strained smile.

"Oh lighten up before I do something drastic," he teased, kicking him gently to shove him onto the ground. Polites caught himself with a startled yelp, standing up to face him.

"Oh please, I'm already dead. You can't do anything," Polites shot back, brushing off dust that wasn't there . Hermes cackled at his response.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," he teased, bumping their shoulders together a little bit harder than he meant to.  "But I know Odysseus, and I know how loyal he is to you. Once he realizes the truth, I'm sure he'll be more than sorry for the way he's treated you..."

Polites thought it over before asking, "You think so?"

"I know so." Hermes noticed the way the sadness lingered and rolled his eyes. He really had to do everything himself, didn't he? He heaved a deep sigh, as if what he was about to do was some great ordeal.

"So before I go, you look like you could use one of these," he said, holding his arms out by his side. An open invitation. For once, Polites didn't immediately accept.

"Are you sure?" he asked, brows furrowed. Why would any God want to hug a mortal? Polites looked down at the blood on his own toga. "I-I don't wanna stain your clothes..."

"Please, I'm a God, you think I care about that?" he bragged, waving away his worries. "Besides, if anyone needs a hug right now, I think it's you."

The simple gesture broke him. His bottom lip trembled and he nodded, a sob catching in his throat. "I really do."

"Aww, you poor thing. C'mere."

Polites did what he was told, allowing the God to wrap him up in a warm embrace. He buried his head in his chest as he struggled to fight off the wave of emotions.

"Oh, again with the crying? I only did this because I thought it might make you feel better," Hermes whined, but he still rubbed a comforting hand up and down his back.

"No, i-it did. I just- I didn't know how bad I needed this," he said, voice barely above a whisper. He hugged Hermes tighter, as if afraid to let go. The trickster God stood there awkwardly the longer the hug went on.

"Okay, that's it. You may hate me now, but you'll thank me later."

Before Polites could apologize or ask what he meant, the arms around him constricted like a python around their prey. "Um, Hermes? You can lehehet gohoho!" he broke down into surprised, bubbly giggles as long slender fingers dug into his sides.

"No, see, laughter's the best medicine, yeah? So I guess you could say I'm curing you!" he chirped, not bothering to hide the evil grin overtaking his face.

"Ihihi'm dead I'm nohot sihihick!"

"See, that's another thing. You're just a little too sassy with me today, you're honestly lucky I didn't decide to put you in your place ages ago," he added matter of factly. "So maybe next time, watch your tongue."

Polites was thrashing in his hold; you'd think being a ghost would make for an easy escape, but somehow, Hermes was able to hold him there as if he were still flesh and bone.  He tried to float free from his grasp, but a hand squeezing his belly stopped him in his tracks.

This shouldn't even be possible! His hands should be phasing through him, and they certainly shouldn't feel as real as they do right now. He had to be playing some cruel, Godly trick on him because Polites could swear he wasn't this ticklish.

Fucking Hermes.

He doubled over, barely staying afloat as he tried in vain to fend off the wicked, wondering hands. Polites felt himself blush as the absurdity of the situation really set in.

Still, how was he the mature one in this situation?

"Hehehermes, y-you're a Gohohod, ahact like one!" he squealed through his laughter. Everything came to an immediate halt as even the wind stood still. That was clearly the wrong thing to say.

"EXCUSE me? You actually think you can boss around a God? Oh you so deserve this. In fact I'm gonna enjoy every second," Hermes taunted, breaking off into hysterical laughter that mingled with Polites's own frantic giggles.

"Lihike you weren't ahahalready!" he snapped, shrieking as Hermes scribbled at the base of his neck in response.

"Did you even hear a single word I said?" he asked incredulously.

"Ihihi'm sorry, I'm soRRYYYY!" Polites begged for mercy. Miraculously, he seemed to get to get through to him, because suddenly he was let go, staring face to face with Hermes.

Polites grew more and more skeptical the longer he stared at that smirk. No way would he just let him go-

He jerked away with a squeal as he felt a soft, swirling sensation at his side. His eyes flew wide open as he came to the realization, pointing an accusing finger at the man in front of him, "Y-You tricked mehehe!"

"Well gee, I'm only the God of Trickery! Think about it, Polites," he taunted, tapping his forehead to make his point.

Hermes wasn't even touching him and he felt like he wanted to crawl out of his- well, he couldn't exactly say "skin" anymore...

"Whahat are you eheheven doing?" he managed to ask through a fit of giggles.

"Oh nothing, just putting you in your place. Y'know, like a God," Hermes made his point, flashing the smuggest smirk he could muster. He sat on the edge of the crows nest, crossing one leg over the other as he enjoyed the show. He subtly checked over his shoulder, trying to spot Odysseus anywhere on the deck.

When he looked back at the spirit before him, he was curled in a tight ball, only floating mere inches above the wooden planks. Hermes couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, the sound drawing Polites's attention.

He glared at him before he broke off into bubbly giggles and looked away.

"Ihihi'm sohorry, plehehease! Just stohohop!"

"Well since you said please," he taunted, reaching down to ruffle his hair, and the phantom sensations ceased.

"What was that even for?" Polites asked as soon as he regained his breath.

Hermes raised his brows, cocking his head to the side as he crossed his arms. "Who died and made you Aphrodite? Really?"

Polites tried and failed to mask his proud smirk, "Hey, you said that was funny!"

"Mmmhmm, you had it coming and you know it," the God countered.

"What? No I didn't!" Polites exclaimed, jaw hanging to the floor.

"You really wanna argue with me right now?" he asked, quirking a brow up in amusement.

He bit his lip and looked away, and Hermes could see a warm blush spread beneath the mottled cool tones of his bruised skin.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're honestly a real pain in the ass now that you're dead. Nothing but sarcasm and self pity," Hermes ignored the indignant cry of protest in the middle of his little speech. He tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Polites stared at the deck below through a small hole in one of the planks, plugging it with his finger as he listened.

"I tried cheering you up with some of my classic Hermes charm, but you were having none of it! I had to do something, you understand," he shrugged, casually explaining himself. "Drastic times call for drastic measures," he said with a wink.

Polites snapped his head up to look at him. "You... weren't just being annoying?" he asked, nose crinkling in confusion.

Hermes rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Yeah yeah, don't read too much into it," he waved him off dismissively, but Polites noticed the affectionate look on his face.

"Whatever you say," Polites grinned, feeling bold enough to return his wink. Hermes scoffed, mostly to hide his growing smile.

"Careful, that smart mouth of yours is what got you in trouble to begin with," Hermes warned playfully, cackling to himself when Polites shied away without another word. His laughter trailed off as he looked him up and down, and he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Rest easy, Polites. Things will turn around, I promise." He gave his shoulder one final reassuring squeeze before he let go. He hopped up on the ledge, saluting the fallen soldier, "Until next time, friend."

Polites felt himself smile, and this time, it wasn't forced. He bowed his head in a slow nod, "'Til next time."

Hermes was about to leave, when Polites cried out, "Wait!"

Hermes froze in mid air, giving Polites his undivided attention.

"Are you going to the underworld anytime soon?"

Hermes gave a skeptical look, "Depends."

"While you're there, could you look for my friend and tell her I'm okay? And that I miss her?"

The God heaved a sigh. "Could I get a name?"

"Eurydice! Her name's Eurydice, and she's about this tall and- are you okay?"

Hermes sputtered and gawked at Polites, cutting him off, "You two know each other? This just keeps more and more interesting," he mused.

"Wait, how do YOU know her?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

"Relax, I didn't do anything. I just... hung back to observe," he explained with a shrug. Polites floated in place, waiting to hear more. "I never would've thought you two would hit it off, what with the underworld being so big. Good for you."

"So... you know what happened?" he asked, careful to keep his voice level.

"I'll go out on a limb and say I know more than you," he teased.

"Please?"

Hermes offered a tight lipped, sympathetic smile. "Oh alright. But just for you!"

With that, he was gone.

Polites heaved a sigh of relief once he was alone, leaning back against the mast for support. "At least he's helpful," he told himself.

~~~

Odysseus sat hunched over his desk inspecting a map spread out before him. He muttered to himself under his breath, calloused fingertips roaming possible routes. Another hand walked onto the map, pointing at one of the ornamental sea monsters.

"They're not just for decoration, y'know."

Odysseus shouted, stumbling back in shock, hand reflexively reaching for his sword. He stopped when he saw Hermes standing in the middle of his cabin, hands held in the air in a show of surrender. The captain huffed, sliding the sword back in its sheath.

"Oh, it's just you."

"What do you mean just me? Doesn't anyone on this ship treat Gods with respect anymore?" he asked indignantly. Odysseus's lips twitched in a scowl before schooling his features.

"Depends. Do any Gods know how to treat us with respect?" he shot back. Hermes hummed in amusement.

"That's fair. But we're not all like that. After all, I helped you," he pointed out with a breathy giggle. "And Circe. And don't forget Ath-"

"Okay I get it. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Odysseus asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's so funny that you think I'm here for you," Hermes cooed, drifting around him in a loose circle.

Odysseus furrowed his brows in confusion. "You're in my room, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I made a little detour first. Someone had to cheer up that miserable little friend of yours," Hermes mused with an exaggerated pout.

Odysseus thought for a moment, nose scrunching slightly in slight confusion. "You mean Polites?"

"Oh so you did notice he was upset, you just didn't care," the God taunted, idly picking at his nails.

Odysseus surged forward as he grabbed Hermes by the collar. "NEVER say those words to me again!"

Hermes froze at the outburst, eyes wide in shock. "... Bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" Odysseus didn't let him go.

"Not at all."

Hermes glared down at the cocky man before him, smacking his hand away like it was nothing. He then shoved him back with a wave of his hand, sending Odysseus stumbling backwards and falling into his chair, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Enough! I'm trying to help, but you seem so insistent on cutting your nose off to spite your face," Hermes growled, crossing his arms. Odysseus snapped his mouth shut.

"I understand you've been through a lot, and trusting others is hard right now, but you're either too stupid, afraid, or outright stubborn to see the truth for what it is."

Odysseus stood up from his chair, giving him a skeptical look. "You don't mean he's actually-"

"The real deal? I don't know, you tell me. He's only been saying that from the beginning."

Odysseus blinked in shock as the information settled and took root in his brain. He felt weak in the knees, lightheaded, so he gripped the edge of the desk for support, leaning his weight against it.

"I think I feel sick..."

"Good," Hermes chirped, crossing one lanky leg atop the other as he perched atop the captain's desk, sitting next to him. "Because you should."

Odysseus shot him an incredulous look. Clearly not the answer he was looking for.

"What? You made him cry! You should feel bad," Hermes pointed out with an air of casual smugness. "At least a little." Odysseus heaved a deep, heavy sigh.

"I do. I feel awful. And, not just about that, but-"

"I'm gonna go ahead and stop you right there. I'm limiting myself to only one mortal therapy session per visit."

"But-"

"Nope!"

"Bu-"

"Ah!"

"Hermes-"

"Zzzp!"

Odysseus groaned in frustration, clearly getting nowhere. He sank to the floor, sitting on his heels as he buried his face in his hands. A tidal wave of guilt far greater than anything Poseidon could conjure crashed down on him. It was dragging him under fast and all he could do was sink deeper and deeper.

A rolled up map to the back of his head was all it took to pull him out of his daze.

"Well don't just sit there stewing in self pity! Accept the fact you fucked up, feel bad for a little bit, but then use it to do better," he insisted, stern yet caring. His voice softened just a touch, "He needs you to do better..."

The corner of Odysseus's lip twitched in the faintest resemblance of a smile. "Thought you said no therapy."

"I'm inconsistent."

"I'll say," he said, crossing his arms. When he didn't continue, Hermes sighed and carried on.

"He misses you. And I know you miss him, too."

Odysseus directed his gaze towards the ground. "But... I was horrible to him. There's no way he wants to see me," he said, hanging his head in shame.

"I wouldn't be so sure. I hear that Polites of yours is quite forgiving," he teased gently, smacking his shoulder playfully, but with a little extra force. "At least I hope so, for my sake at least," he threw his head back with a shrill giggle.

"What? Why, what did you do?" Odysseus snapped. Hermes rolled his eyes.

"Nothiiiiing," he said cryptically. Odysseus arched a brow in question. "I just... raised his spirits a little," the God answered with a shrill giggle and a wink. Odysseus merely thought he was making a ghost pun, oblivious to the hidden layers of his joke.

"So do you know where he is?"

"Maybe give him some space right now. I really annoyed him, and I don't know how he'd feel about visitors after all that."

"I have to see him now Hermes. I need to set things right," he pleaded earnestly.

"Alright. Just... be patient, if he doesn't forgive you right away," Hermes warned. Odysseus looked at him, brows furrowed and eyes full of sorrow, shoulders sagging ever so slightly.

"I don't expect him to."

Hermes inhaled sharply through his nose, "In any case, I wish you both the best of luck."

"Thanks."

The boat rocked against a large wave and Odysseus stumbled to keep his footing. When he looked up, Hermes was gone.

Odysseus made his way to the bed and sat down, feeling overwhelmed by the bombshell he was left to cope with.

That really is Polites...

The Gods had no hand in bringing back this twisted version of his best friend. No higher power puppeteering his corpse as a mockery of all his past failures. Which meant...

Polites actually looked like that.

The thought alone was hard for Odysseus to stomach. He couldn't help but spiral and wonder if Polites is in as much pain as he seemed to be in his final moments. A sob caught in his throat.

His once soft, kind voice now has an ever present hoarseness to it. Every time he speaks, Odysseus can hear nothing but those dying words, can see nothing but those final, horrid moments.

"Captain-" his voice is strained as he reached out for the one man who was supposed to protect him. Blood began to pool beneath his body as Polites struggled to prop himself up. His arm looks crumbled and twisted and immediately gave way under the slightest pressure.

"Enough."

That single word shook Odysseus to his very core.

The massive club came crashing down once more, landing the final blow. Odysseus can almost feel the blood splatter across his face, just as hot and paralyzing as it was the first time.

He stood up so abruptly, he made himself slightly dizzy, but he didn't care. He needed to see Polites.

~~~~

Odysseus had a lot to apologize for, but where to even begin?

He didn't even know what he'd say to Polites when he say him, he just knew that he had to see him right here and now.

Odysseus walked up to the base of the mast, starting his slow ascent. When he reached the crows nest, he knocked out a familiar pattern, earning his friend's attention.

Polites poked his head over the side of the bucket, eyes widening when he sees Odysseus casually hanging by a rope.

"Care for some company?" he asked sheepishly, offering a timid, nervous smile.

Polites wanted to be mad. He had a whole list of things he wanted to say to his face, and they all died on the tip of his tongue. Despite himself, a wide grin broke out across his face.

He came. He does still care.

"If it's you? Always."

Odysseus breathed a sigh of relief and clamored the rest of the way up. He sat across from Polites, leaning his back against the walls of the crows nest.

"So," he said awkwardly, unsure how to start.

"So..." Polites repeated, looking at him expectantly.

"I should probably start by saying how sorry I am for everything I've said to you since you came back."

Polites was quiet for a long moment. "You really hurt me."

His eyes filled with tears as he nodded, "I know, and I know I can't take back the words I said , or the pain I caused. But I am so sorry for everything. I-I should've believed you, the moment I saw you. I should've fucking known; you're my best friend, my brother by choice and I tossed you aside when you needed me most."

Polites was crying by now, and he reached up to wipe away his tears. "It's oka-"

"No it's not! Please don't pretend, Polites. I... I'm not the same man you knew. I'll never be him again, and nothing about this is okay! You died and I did nothing. Poseidon wiped out our entire fleet, and I could do nothing but watch. And when you finally came back..." Odysseus chokes on a sob caught in his throat. "You came back, and I was nothing but awful. So I don't blame you if you aren't ready to forgive me."

"I do though," Polites said quietly. "Forgive you, I mean."

Odysseus barked out a humorless laugh, "You shouldn't."

"We all lash out when we're afraid, or we don't understand something. I honestly don't know if I'd believe you if the roles were reversed," he admitted, not only to his best friend, but to himself.

"Please, you don't have to be so nice to me Polites. I said downright horrible things to you! I was an asshole! And- everything that's happened since you died has been my fault. Your death was my fault- and I'm so, so sorry that I couldn't save you, I-"

"Hey- shh, shh," Polites soothed, reaching a hand toward him. "Just calm down. Odysseus, none of this is your fault. You did your best to save us-"

"And it still wasn't enough!" he snapped before reigning himself in. He grabbed an angry fistful of hair. Polites thought about placing a hand on his shoulder.

If he were alive, he wouldn't have to think twice.

"We didn't stand a chance," Polites said flatly. Odysseus whipped his head up to look at him. "Oh don't look at me like that, you knew it too. There was no way we'd all make it back. I was just... one of the unlucky few," his voice cracked as he spoke and he looked away.

"Still, I should've done something," Odysseus reasoned. Polites let out a sarcastic snort.

"Like what? Push me out of the way? Take the blow so I could die another day? Save me instead of making it home safe?"

"It would've been better than doing nothing! I just... s-stood and watched..." Odysseus trailed off, his look a mix of terror and grief.

A tense silence fell between the pair, broken when Polites spoke up, "You were in shock."

"No, I was weak! And now you're gone!" It was hard not to take offense to that.

"Odysseus, I'm right here."

His shoulders sagged with guilt. "You know what I mean."

"I do. But I need you to know that nobody blames you for what happened," he said, sounding so sure of himself.

Odysseus shook his head. "I do."

Polites reached out, grabbing his shoulders on instinct. Odysseus looked bewildered at the touch, but he didn't brush him off.

"Well I don't! Hey, hey! Look at me!" 

Odysseus didn't want to. He really didn't. He'd been avoiding it ever since he came back, only sparing fleeting glances from the corner of his eye. The only time he'd looked directly at him was when he was staring him down the length of his sword. He closed his eyes, preparing himself as best he could. He lets out a shaky breath, and opens his eyes.

He had to fight against the urge to recoil when he really looked at him for the first time.

It was a good thing Polites could float, because Odysseus seriously doubted that his legs could support him anymore. They hung limp and awkward beneath him, each knee ever so slightly off. His arms were mangled in a similar fashion, except the breaks and odd angles were much more jarring. His elbows bent too far back, and his left forearm seemed to be broken, swollen far too much not to be. Blood stained his clothes and smeared across his armor, running down his arms and legs in thin trails.

His face was swollen and bruised, with a dark black eye on the right side. His brow was split, causing a slow trickle of blood to ooze down his face, although his bandana seemed to soak most of it up. He had a small cut on his left cheek and his bottom lip was busted. But all of that paled in comparison to his eyes.

His once soft gaze, so full of light and love was now glazed and glossy. The warm brown hue was no more than a lifeless gray behind milky eyes. They'd always been so vibrant, so expressive, so... so lively. Odysseus had to remind himself that it is still his friend. Despite everything, it's still Polites.

Odysseus didn't even realize he'd been crying until a gentle hand wiped away his tears.

"My death is not your fault. Okay?" he spoke softly. Odysseus nodded weakly, although it was clear he didn't believe it.

"Say it."

Odysseus shook his head. "I can't-"

"Sure you can," Polites encouraged gently. "Because it's the truth."

He took a shaky breath, "Your death is not my fault."

"Good. I hope someday, you'll believe it."

Odysseus sighed heavily, "How can you still be so nice to me? After everything?"

Polites shifted as he thought about his answer. "Well... because you're my best friend. That didn't change just because I died. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty upset about all the things you said," he admitted with a chuckle, "But, I also know you were just lashing out. You would've never said such things had you known."

"But I did, and I hurt you."

"You didn't know."

"I should've! You tried to tell me, over and over, and I refused to listen." He dropped his head low, staring at the wooden planks. "What kind of a friend am I?"

"An honest one," Polites said after a long pause. "Loyal. Funny. Maybe a bit of a pain in my ass," he chuckled when Odysseus smirked at his words. "But most of all, you're a good friend, Odysseus. I'm glad I spent my life fighting beside you, and I'm proud to have lost it in battle, surrounded by my brothers."

Odysseus looked at him, brows furrowed and lips pressed together in a thin line. "You're too forgiving, Polites."

"Or maybe you need to be a little more forgiving."

"... Not everything deserves to be forgiven."

"No, not everything," Polites agreed. "But most things."

Neither spoke for a long time. Odysseus took a deep breath through his nose. "I really am sorry."

"I know."

"I don't think you do."

"Ody, I know. You don't have to keep apologizing," he reassured. Odysseus smiled sadly at the nickname.

"If you say so."

"I mean it," he insisted. "You already said you're sorry, what more is there to say?"

Odysseus looked at him from the corner of his eye, trying to mask his amused grin. Even when he felt awful, Polites knew how to make him smile. "I don't know. But it just feels like I can't ever say it enough..."

Polites couldn't help but smirk. "Trust me, you can," he teased, smiling wider when Odysseus playfully glared at him. He chuckled and shook his head, "Hermes was right, you are acting like a big dark rain cloud," he taunted further. Odysseus rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, he didn't say that."

Polites snorted in amusement, pursing his lips and adverting his gaze.

"He really fucking said that?" he asked incredulously, sitting up a little straighter. Polites giggled at the reaction, laughing harder when Odysseus noticed and played up his anger. "That bastard! What did I ever do to him?" he asked, laughing along with Polites. By the Gods, he'd missed this.

"Well, in your defense, he called me one too. But he said that was your job," Polites clarified, even jabbing his shoulder for emphasis. Odysseus stared at him with a mix of excitement and shock. 

"Oh really?" he asked, trying to push him back, only for his hand to phase through. Polites smiled sadly and leaned in, lowering his voice as if he were sharing a secret.

"You're thinking about it too hard. Just try to act normal," he suggested.

Odysseus forced himself to relax, unclenching his jaw and slouching ever so slightly. This was his best friend, they were joking around like they'd done thousands of times. It felt as natural as breathing to reach over and give him a shove. He lost balance and tipped over where he was "sitting." Odysseus had noticed the space between his friend and the floor below a while ago, but had decided to ignore it.

"See? You got it," Polites encouraged, beaming up at him.

"So did he really say all that, or are you just making shit up?" he goaded.

"Oh he said a lot more than that," he said, sounding exasperated. "Mostly about me though."

"Mostly."

"Mhm. I think I might've made him mad though, I'm not sure." Odysseus arched a brow, scooting a little closer.

"What?"

"He said I was "too sassy" and I needed to "watch my tongue,"" he quoted, a sly smirk tugging at his lips.

"Look at you, mouthing off to a God!" he encouraged, smacking his leg with the back of his hand. He'd missed this closeness, and was subtly trying to practice and test the waters to see if he could really feel him. Odysseus felt nothing beneath his touch save for a cold mist. "Guess I really rubbed off on you."

Polites shrugged sheepishly, "What can I say? I've got nothing left to lose now. I'd say it was worth it."

"Worth what?" he asked, cocking his head curiously.

"Nothing," Polites answered quickly, not meeting his friend's gaze. Odysseus grinned wider.

"Really? Nothing at all?"

"No," he insisted.

"Yeah, I don't believe you."

"Oh shut up!"

"Nah, you don't really want me to," he said smugly.

Polites rolled his eyes. "Damn it, I hate when you're right." They both chuckled and sighed unison. It almost felt like nothing had changed. If they closed their eyes, they could pretend it hadn't.

"I've missed this," Odysseus turned to look at him, eyes glistening. "I've missed you."

Polites felt a sob catch in his throat. "I've missed you too."

"... I'm sorry things ended up like this," Odysseus spoke quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"So am I. But... I'm still here," he tried to reassure him. He reached out, lacing their fingers together. Polites could see his hand beneath his own, could feel his palm ever so slightly phase through his skin. Odysseus didn't flinch away. "Sort of."

Odysseus snorted and shook his head fondly. "Same old Polites. How could I have been so blind?"

"I think you were just scared."

"What, of you?" Odysseus asked with a smirk.

"Of the possibility it wasn't me..."

"... I think you might be right."

Polites looked at him and scooted a little closer, turning on his side to face him. "Hey, things are gonna be okay."

Odysseus spared a glance his way, brows furrowed with worry. "How do you know?"

"Because, I just do. I have a feeling it'll all work out in the end."

Odysseus smiled sadly, "I think that's called wishful thinking."

"Hope can bring you a long way. You'd be surprised."

"I'll take your word for it." Odysseus trailed off for a moment before adding on, "I won't let you down. I promise."

"You could never," Polites said softly, offering a warm, gentle smile.

"You give me too much credit."

"Maybe, maybe not."

They spent the rest of the night lying in the crows nest amongst the stars, pointing out their favorite constellations and catching up, just as they'd done countless times before. Everything has changed, and yet, nothing has.

[doyouknowthischaravoice]

Welcome to "Do You Know This Character by Voice?"

This is a simple polling blog where you listen to an audio clip of a character, and then answer how well you know the character by their voice.

Every Monday-Friday at 3PM PST, 5 new polls will open, with answers for the previous week's polls revealed.

Submissions are: [CLOSED]

Please only use the submission form here to submit characters.

Here is a link to all previous character submissions.

Tags: #current - Currently running polls #answer - Answers to previous polls #poll - every poll, including current and previous ones #not poll - anything not related to the polls #asks - inbox stuff

ran by @ensoua estimated post if you submit right now: unknown

q&a under the cut!

What can be submitted?

Voice lines submitted to this blog should be official voicel ines aka quotes canonically said by the character by their canonical voice actor. They also should not be the character introducing themselves. Some exceptions may be made, especially if I find them funny lol.

Voice lines should either be in the character's original language, or in their official English voice over. This is so it's easier for people to recognize your character. If you believe a character may be more widely recognized in a language other than these (e.g. Herta's "kuru kuru~" voice line) feel free to submit it.

Characters who 'speak' in an Animal Crossing/Undertale format may not be submitted, as I don't know really know how to transcribe their quotes.

If you're unsure if your voice line fits these criteria, feel free to submit anyways.

What if two people submit the same character at the same time?

If two people submit the same character with different voice lines, I'll combine both voice lines into a single audio file before it gets published, even if it's a different voice actor or in a different language.

My voice line wasn't published by the date you set!

Your submission may have been rejected for a variety of reasons, or delayed to diversify poll batches. If it's been rejected, please be assured there's no hard feelings. You can always submit again

The transcript/info for this submission isn't correct.

I use the transcript/info provided to me by the submitter, with minimal double checking. Please feel free to message me if it's incorrect, and I'll fix it.

Can you add more poll options/nuance?

No. Learn how to commit. Vote however you like. Or add your nuance in the replies/tags.

What media do you like?

I am so glad you asked. (No one's asked this)

Video games: Touhou Project, FFXIV, Genshin Impact/ZZZ, Undertale/Deltarune, End Roll, Fortnite, Supervive, ULTRAKILL, Disillusion

Animanga: Witch Hat Atelier, Kagurabachi, Tower of God, Hunter x Hunter, LOVE BULLET, Ichi the Witch

Other stuff: ENA, Vocaloid/Vocal Synths (check out my UTAUs here), Art/Animation (art account @hollytr33s)

Feel free to talk to me about any of this stuff ^^

[arendaes]

February reading wrap-up! I didn't read as much as I wanted to; Avowed really absorbed my attention during the week I had off and I didn't touch a single book that week 😅 That said, it was a really good reading month! Thoughts below the cut.

The Bride Test was the book I read for the IRL book club I attended. It's a contemporary romance, and I really liked it! The premise made me a bit wary at first, as "arranged marriage" is not a trope I thought I'd like. Thankfully the author assuaged my reservations early on, and there was a lot I really enjoyed about this book. I found the main characters easy to like and root for, one of the supporting characters was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times, and overall I think Helen Hoang did a good job writing a sweet rom-com that tackles some sensitive subject matter in a nuanced way. I gave it a 3.75 out of 5 as there was one subplot that didn't work for me and I did find some of the adult content to be a bit much.

Now, The Two Towers I have thoughts on. Obviously I'm familiar with Lord of the Rings because of the films, but this is my first reading of the trilogy and. I'm gonna be honest with you all. I find Tolkien's a bit long-winded for my tastes. I still enjoy the story for the most part, I just find how much time we spend on certain things to be a bit...unnecessary, I guess? The pacing is also very slow, which isn't something I typically enjoy. THAT SAID, I do still love the story and the characters. Standouts for me were the scene in Fangorn Forest where Gandalf kinda trolls Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas before revealing he's alive; everything about Merry, Pippin, and the Ents; and Frodo and Sam's trials and tribulations with getting into Mordor with Gollum as their guide. I gave it 4 out 5 stars.

Last, I literally just finished Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales earlier tonight. This was such a wonderful send-off to this trilogy. I continued to love and adore Emily and Wendell, both together and apart. Heather Fawcett really wove the plot of this last book so well; the foreshadowing really helped create the impact she wanted, and the prose and pacing was fantastic. I want to keep this spoiler-free since this book just came out, but I will say...Wendell is definitely what I want from more love interests in romances. He knows Emily so well, and his gesture at the end of the book actually made me a bit emotional. Anyways, 5 out of 5 stars, this trilogy definitely has a future as a comfort read series for me.

Next month I'll be reading Educated by Tara Westover (for book club), Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (won a copy of the audiobook through StoryGraph) and potentially Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao (pending library hold). Also Monstress by Marjorie Liu - I expect I'll be posting a lot of books in next month's wrap up lol

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi or $Kaybarr1735! Also, if you tip me on Ko-fi or CashApp (and give me some way to contact you if it doesn’t automatically), at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Hundreds of Mayors, City Leaders Commit to Protecting Monarch Butterflies in Annual Pledge

“The 300 participating communities are taking a record number of actions to advance monarch conservation by planting or maintaining pollinator gardens at prominent locations, supporting native plant sales and giveaways, and partnering with local gardening organizations and experts to advance monarch conservation and community engagement.”

2. Basic income can double global GDP while reducing carbon emissions, analysis suggests

“Researchers suggest that charging carbon emitters with an emission tax could help fund such basic income programs while reducing environmental degradation. [… G]iving basic income to the entire world population could boost the global GDP by $163 trillion, which is about 130% of the current GDP. Every dollar spent on implementing basic income can generate as much as $7 in economic impacts, the analysis shows.”

3. Los Angeles-area wildlife crossing over freeway expected to be ready in 2026

“The crossing will be a vegetated overpass that will help isolated animals safely cross U.S. 101. […] Officials said the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will "reconnect habitats and improve the health of the environment for many species in Southern California." They added that currently, U.S. 101 is a huge barrier that disconnects Southern California wildlife. […] “We need to move beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation," [Annenberg] said in a statement. "Wildlife crossings are powerfully effective at doing just that — restoring ecosystems that have been fractured and disrupted.””

4. ‘Many waterfowl are very gay’: Elliot Page set to narrate LGBTQ+ animal documentary Second Nature

“According to Deadline, Second Nature will be executive produced by Page, who will also narrate the documentary set to explore instances of same-sex attraction in species other than humans. And, spoiler alert, they’re everywhere. [… Page said,] “Second Nature reveals the full spectrum of life and how when it comes to gender and sexuality in nature, the diversity is endless. I learned so much and am thrilled others will too.””

5. McKenzie River Restoration Benefiting Threatened Upper Willamette River Chinook

“Salmon have successfully reproduced at the Finn Rock restoration site in Oregon’s McKenzie River watershed. Another project aims to bring salmon back to lower Quartz Creek. […] Historical accounts document the presence of Chinook salmon and bull trout in Quartz Creek, but neither species has been seen there for decades. Project partners have replaced an aging bridge that constricted Quartz Creek. Previously, the stream constriction forced the water to gush like a fire hose, blasting salmon and sediment downriver. […] The restoration work will increase groundwater and expand the amount of wetlands, which can reduce the impact of forest fires.”

6. Leading Scholars Call for Global Treaty on Free Education

“According to the experts, well-established scientific evidence shows “unequivocally” that education is foundational to children’s healthy development and lifelong prospects[…. Seventy scholars from thirty countries] call on all governments to support a new optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to ensure recognition of the right to free early childhood education and free secondary education, alongside the existing explicit right to free and compulsory primary education.”

7. Water is key as study shows restoration of drained tropical peat is possible

“Rewetting of tropical peatland that was drained for agriculture can lead to the recovery of the native ecosystem, a long-term study of a former pulpwood plantation in Indonesia shows. Researchers studying the 4,800-hectare (11,900-acre) plot that was retired in 2015 by Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) found the water table had risen, soil carbon emissions had gone down, and native trees were springing up and replacing the planted acacia pulpwoods.”

8. Antioxidant gel preserves islet function after pancreas removal: New approach could reduce diabetes complications

“Before surgeons remove the pancreas from patients with severe, painful chronic pancreatitis, they first harvest insulin-producing tissue clusters, called islets, and transplant them into the vasculature of the liver. […] Unfortunately, the process inadvertently destroys 50–80% of islets, and one-third of patients become diabetic after surgery. [… To] create a healthier microenvironment for the islets, the researchers adhered the islets to the omentum with an inherently antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biomaterial[…,] significantly improving survival and preserving function of transplanted islets.”

9. Restoring Indigenous aquaculture heals both ecosystems and communities in Hawai‘i

“The loko i’a system of native fishponds in Hawai‘i has for generations provided sustenance to Indigenous communities[….] Unlike commercial fish farms, loko i‘a thrive without feed input and need little management once established[….] “We are using science to translate ‘ike kupuna, or Indigenous knowledge, into policy,” said study co-author Kawika Winter […] “Loko i’a are really built to work with the ecosystem, whereas not all forms of aquaculture are made to do that.””

10. Meet Neo Px: the super plant that attacks air pollution

“Neo Px is a bioengineered plant capable of purifying indoor air at an unprecedented scale[….] "It's the equivalent of up to 30 regular houseplants in terms of air purification," said Lionel Mora, co-founder of startup Neoplants. "It will not only capture, but also remove and recycle, some of the most harmful pollutants you can find indoors." [… The plant comes] with packets of powder that contain a microbiome, essentially a bacterial strain. "This bacteria colonizes the plant's roots, soil and leaves [… and] absorbs the VOCs to grow and reproduce. The plant is there to create this ecosystem for the bacteria. So we have a symbiotic system between plants and bacteria.””

May 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[claudia1829things]

"ANDOR" Season One (2022) Commentary

"ANDOR" SEASON ONE (2022) COMMENTARY

Ever since Season One of the Lucasfilm series, "ANDOR" was released on the DisneyPlus streaming channel, it has received a great deal of accolades and high praise. In fact, the series is now regarded as one of the best productions from the STAR WARS franchise, if not the best.

I find this high regard ironic, considering how many STAR WARS fans had reacted to Disney Studios' announcement about a series focused around the character of Cassian Andor, from the 2016 hit film, "ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY". Many were not happy. I, on the other hand, had looked forward to the series. Not only had I been a major fan of "ROGUE ONE", I had regarded both the Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso characters as one of the film's highlights. So, when I finally sat in front of my television series and watched an episode of "ANDOR" unfold each week during the fall of 2022, my reaction resulted in . . . hmmm, mixed feelings?

Season One of "ANDOR" certainly had its highlights. I admired the excellent performances from a cast led by the very talented Diego Luna. I thought showrunner Tony Gilroy's portrayal of a corrupt and violent Galactic Empire seemed pretty spot on. In fact, Gilroy's portrayal of the galaxy at this point in the timeline pretty much matched his, Chris Weitz and director Gareth Edwards' portrayal of the galaxy in "ROGUE ONE". Although the 1980 movie, "STAR WARS: EPISODE FIVE - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" was the first STAR WARS film to portray its protagonists ambiguously, the ambiguous portrayal of the Rebel Alliance first appeared in "ROGUE ONE". Gilroy continued this ambiguity of the Rebel Alliance in the "ANDOR" series. Season One featured scenes that impressed me very much. They included Cassian Andor’s escape from Ferrix in the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning"; the Rebels Alliance of heist of the payroll of the Imperial garrison on Aldhani in (1.06) "The Eye"; and Cassian’s rescue of Bix and the anti-Imperial riot on Ferrix. Featured in (1.12) "Rix Road", the season finale. But the sequence featuring his stint at the Narkina 5 prison and especially his escape in (1.10) "One Way Out" nearly struck me as brilliant.

Despite these virtues, Season One of "ANDOR" also featured issues that I either found questionable or simply did not work for me. The season's narrative structure of a group of three (or four) episodes per arc barely worked for me. I say barely, because the arcs still managed to form one season-long arc. But it did so in a way that some of the episodes felt like mere padding. And this proved to be one of my main problems with "ANDOR". As I have stated before, the first two episodes could have merged into one. And the fourth and fifth episodes could have merged into one. I also believe that the seventh episode could have merged into the eighth one. For me, twelve episodes seemed like too much for the narrative featured in the series. And I found some of the episodes' endings rather abrupt and problematic. This especially seemed to be the case with the earlier episodes.

I still find myself wondering about the purpose behind those flashbacks featuring Cassian Andor’s childhood in the first two episodes were about, other than revealing his origins. But why feature flashbacks of his past, when they had no real impact on the season’s main narrative? Also, the last two episodes seemed anti-climactic to me. This especially seemed to be the case for "Rix Road", the season's finale. One might questioned this opinion, considering "Rix Road" featured the funeral of Maarva Andor, the protagonist's adoptive mother, her pre-recorded speech bashing the Galactic Empire, the riot that followed and the Rebel Alliance's attempt to kill Cassian before the Empire could capture him. The reason I found all of this anti-climatic is that the series' protagonist had played little or no role in these incidents. During all of these events, Cassian was busy trying to rescue his captured close friend, Bix Caleen, from the Empire's Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). Cassian's rescue of his friend proved to be a lot less difficult than I had assumed it would be. And the Rebel Alliance had decided not to kill him at the last moment.

Speaking of "Rix Road", it had provided one aspect of "ANDOR" that really annoyed me. The episode had paused its narrative to convey Maarva Andor's pre-recorded speech against the Empire. But this was not the first time something like this happened. Two or three times, the series paused the story in order for a character to give this great speech or monologue on the evils of fascism and tyranny. It almost felt as if Tony Gilroy was trying to shove politics down our throats. I am not one of those yahoos who constantly complain about "woke" politics in pop culture movies and TV. But the numerous pauses that resulted in a monologue or speech really got on my nerves. George Lucas managed to do the same with two lines in two separate movies. One line came from the mouth of Princess Leia Organa in "STAR WARS: EPISODE FOUR - A NEW HOPE". Her mother, Senator Padmé Amidala, had uttered an even more famous line in "STAR WARS: EPISODE THREE - REVENGE OF THE SITH". Two separate lines. It seemed a pity that Gilroy was unable to do the same.

My last major issues regarding "ANDOR" revolved around the characters of Syril Karn, a security inspector for a corporate conglomerate and Senator Mon Mothma of the Imperial Senate. Karn spent the first two episodes investigating the deaths of two fellow security officers killed by Cassian on Morlana One. The security officer's investigation led to his violent encounter with Cassian on Ferrix during the third episode, (1.03) "Reckoning". Following Cassian's escape, Karn spent the next nine episodes developing two obsessions - finding and capturing Cassian and developing a romantic (if you want to call it that) fixation for ISB Agent Dedra Meero, while he continuously engaged in verbal combat with his domineering mother. After wasting away for eight episode, Karn learned about Maarva Andor's death and decided to travel to Ferrix to snatch Cassian. Only . . . he never encountered his prey. Not once. Karn only ended up saving Agent Meero from angry rioters. One could say this was a lead up to Karn joining the ISB. But this all felt like such a waste. Perhaps Gilroy could have allowed Karn to be an ISB agent from the beginning. This could have allowed him to take a more active role in the season's narrative.

Finally we come to Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila. I had assumed her presence in the series would be a repeat of her presence in "ROGUE ONE" - simply there to fill in the role as one of the Rebel Alliance's leaders. Instead, Gilroy provided an in-depth look into her private life and her efforts to keep her role as one of the Rebels' leaders a secret. To my surprise, Senator Mothma's arc came dangerously close to dominating this series . . . in which Cassian served as the main protagonist. The worst part - at least for me - is that her arc had no real impact on Cassian’s arc. Or served as any kind of catalyst to Cassian’s arc during this first season.

I find this ironic, considering the numerous complaints lobbied at 2022's "OBI-WAN KENOBI" limited series over the strong presence of the Reva Sevander character. What many have forgotten was that Reva's experiences during the Order 66 purge had led her to seek revenge against former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader. Reva's quest for revenge led her to use both the 10 year-old Princess Leia and former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to achieve it. Her actions ended up serving as a catalyst for Obi-Wan's character arc in the series. Senator Mothma had no such impact on Cassian Andor's arc. Hell, she never met him in person in any of the season's twelve episodes. The only connection they had was Mothma's cousin Vel Sartha, who had led Cassian and others in the Aldhani heist. If Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm had wanted a heavy emphasis on Senator Mothma that badly, they could have made her serve as the catalyst for Cassian's recruitment into the Rebel Alliance, not Luthen Rael. Or they could have created a separate limited series for her. Tony Gilroy, Lucasfilm and many critics and fans had forgotten the name of this series, which is "ANDOR"; not "THE REBEL ALLIANCE", "REBELS II" or "MOTHMA".

Ever since I had expressed my complaints about Season One of "ANDOR", many have accused me of not liking the series. As if my opinions of it was a damn crime or something. One, I am entitled to my opinion of any movie, television series or any other form of entertainment. Due to my positive opinion of the Cassian Andor character, I had hoped to really enjoy "ANDOR". Unfortunately, that never happened. The first season possessed enough virtues for me to like it. But I believe it also possessed enough flaws for me not to regard it as highly as many others have. Frankly, I believe Season One of "ANDOR" proved to be one of the most overrated productions created by Lucasfilm.

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE. You can friend me on Goodreads here.

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

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337. Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I finished GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS and immediately came onto Goodreads to see how the rest of the series was and if they would be nearly impossible to buy because it was an older one...only to find that Mead never had book 3 published. So...I'm never going to read book two, sadly, because I don't want to be left hoping.

And it truly is too bad because this was an entertaining read! It was definitely a product of its time--meaning it came out when this genre was very popular in fantasy. I can think of a few series that this reminded me of, but this one had more of a dystopic feel.

For all intents and purposes, this is a detective novel set in a dystopia, featuring a badass FMC and a down-on-his-luck-but-very-smart-and-persuasive man. This type of duo was not uncommon in the 2010s, so I'm surprised this one didn't take off like Mead's prior big series. Maybe it was the wrong time to jump from YA to Adult Fantasy.

I liked the mystery and the character dynamics. Everyone worked off each other so well and there were some reveals that were pretty impactful. The banter between the characters was entertaining, and their sexual chemistry was pretty great too--this was a lot spicier than I expected (and though we don't get a lot of spicy scenes, the ones we got were only spicy to me because I wasn't expecting it in this book).

The world-building was great and I really liked the realistic touches here and there that morphed this from a fantasy to dystopic novel for me. I wasn't expecting it and actually really enjoyed it. The pacing was also great.

Essentially, there was a lot of "great" things about this book and I'm sad that it will never be finished and if going by what the author wrote on the synopsis of book 3, we will never get a conclusion to this series because of low sales. Alas.

I'd recommend this one to those who love confident women who kick ass in a dystopic mystery novel. But be aware that this series will never be completed.

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338. All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I finally picked this book up and honestly, I'm really glad I did. Even though it had moments that were really hard to read, it was eye-opening and powerful. Cosby truly didn't miss with this one.

ALL THE SINNERS BLEED explores racism and how it can take many different forms. These scenes were jarring, but so important. It goes to show that no matter where you are in the power hierarchy, you can still be the target for racist rhetoric. But this was also a heartbreaking look into how society, specifically North American society, treats missing Black children. The fact that no media coverage had spoken on the missing children in this book before that fatal shooting that starts the book is very telling and very reflective of today's society.

Some of the best parts of this book, beyond the obvious, were the moments where the MC was a total badass against the racists in the town. I think the irony of the Black main character being the sherif in this town isn't lost on the reader, but beyond the obvious of having this MC be a strict law-abiding citizen, he does not let the badge overshadow who he is at his core (no matter what others accuse him of).

The pacing of ALL THE SINNERS BLEED was great and kept the story flowing pretty well. And the side characters gave this book a lot of personality beyond being just a murder mystery--which, by the way, was incredibly compelling. Much like the MC, I really wanted them to catch the remaining killer. It kept me hooked until the end.

There was a love interest in this, but much like the MC, I think the reader will lose focus on her and just want answers regarding the murders. It's sad to say and it could be because of how Cosby wrote her with such disregard, or like a side note, but it was to the point where the book could have survived without her. I think the MC would have benefitted from having this character be more developed. But it definitely helped to show that he was very much a flawed character. But it's kind of sad that this female character with so much potential was so easily disregarded because of the male main character's fickle affection.

Shock-full of commentary on social justice issues that make this a very timely read, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED should be on most people's TBRs--I say most because there are some very triggering moments in this.

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339. Phantom of the Auditorium by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM for what it was.

I think this is one of those GOOSEBUMPS books where it can be a very entertaining October read because it had that spooky atmosphere of the school and the being that haunts the underground of the school. The whole concept of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is creepy to me, so it only makes sense that this one was kind of the same for me.

We had, yet again, more adults being jerks to kids and not listening to them. Sigh. I think narratives like this feed into the mistrust that kids have in adults and in the idea that if you talk to an adult, they won't believe you.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the ending and it finally pulled my attention fully to the story. This wasn't a favourite, but I was entertained.

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340. Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First off, I know reading is subjective but I need to say that this book is better than the rating it currently has (it used to be worse than what it has now).

ADAM & EVIE'S MATCHMAKING TOUR had so much going for it--culture, adventure, romance, wit and banter, and characters who worked so well off each other. I really enjoyed the push and pull between them because they're also fighting familial expectations.

I also liked that author had the complexities that come those above-mentioned familial expectations, mainly reputation, how difficult it can be to navigate familial relationships, and how to follow your heart despite having that family be so heavily against what you want.

One of the best things about this book is that not only is the FMC is on her own journey of rediscovering herself while grieving, but the MMC is also on his own journey. These two characters were perfectly suited (despite others saying otherwise), because he was so set in his course and she was trying to find a way to break that life track she thought was meant for her. They are both helping each other in bettering themselves.

There was some spice, but it wasn't the made point of the story. I think it won't be spicy enough for most romance readers, but this book is so much more than the potential spice. For example, it has some pretty great side characters that give this book so much personality.

If it isn't obvious, I really enjoyed this one. I was hooked from the first chapter. And while this might not be a life-changing read, it was great for what it was. Plus, you get the chance to go on this gorgeous tour with the characters!

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341. Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio--⭐️⭐️

This is a novella, but it felt like a full novel. The pacing was not great. Man, it was an exhaustingly long read.

I think this was another case of me going into a book with high hopes. I loved Rio's IF WE WERE VILLAINS, so I was really hoping to get some of that writing in this one. And while the writing itself is actually very good, it was the pacing that killed me and where the story went.

The draw of this book was the promise of a creepy atmosphere (or at least, that's what the cover felt like for me), but the creepy set lasted for about a chapter. What followed after was a mystery that...kind of lacked reasoning. I get that need to solve the mystery of the sudden hole in the cemetery, but it felt like it went off the rails a bit. I would have loved more exploration of the night life surrounding this cemetery or the old abandoned church. THAT would have been cool.

I did like that we got to see from different perspectives--some a bit more relevant than others. Hannah was a particular favourite because of how unhinged she was. I could probably read a whole book from her POV. And seeing as how the author also comments on how she has a complicated relationship with sleep, it makes sense that this would be the most intriguing character because it is the one with the most personality in the whole novella.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT was one of those books that both felt like it belonged as part of a longer book, but also definitely shouldn't have felt as long as it did. Rio makes a comment in the introduction of the book about how she was approached by the publisher to write a novella, and while she mentions that this story has lived in her head for years, it kind of shows that this was an...approached story.

Anyway, that cover is stunning and creepy, but the story is not. Some will love this, because again, the writing itself is beautiful, but phew, that pacing and SO MUCH potential. It all tied up at the end, so at least we got that, but man, it had so many ways it could have gone.

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342. The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE MESSAGE by Ta-Nehisi Coates was a great collection of essays that explored various topics that are all incredibly timely. One being about identity and how important it is to acknowledge and learn more about who you are. I liked this essay because of how it felt like Coates was truly learning more about himself and his heritage and we were lucky enough to hear about it.

Admittedly, I first picked this up because of that awful interview Coates had about Palestine and I wanted to see what he had written. I wanted to see why this Z was so hot and bothered about the section on Palestine. I wasn't disappointed. That section was incredible and I liked how he experienced Palestine with multiple guides. And his genuine fear during some moments were palpable. This section unfolded much like when a person first finally understands the truth.

THE MESSAGE was POWERFUL and had some great and insightful commentary on various issues plaguing society regarding racism, apartheid, and the internalized racism built on trauma.

This may have been a short read, but it packed quite the punch. I think this should be a must-read for a lot of people. Especially when Coates dives into his own difficult past with a learning disorder and how fraught the American education system is and how learning disorders are looked at by society. And also, how book banning not only has affected so many authors throughout the The States, including Coates himself.

While THE MESSAGE was sad in its truths, it still held a note of hopefulness.

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343. The Rule Book by Sarah Adams--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

THE RULE BOOK was such a fun little surprise. Adams wrote one of my favourite second chance romance tropes, which is that of young lovers who come back together and don't immediately fall back into love. That added bit of "enemies" to lovers made this even more enjoyable for me.

The banter between these two was so much fun and heated. I loved seeing the MMC slowly thaw out as the book progressed, but I also liked seeing the FMC gain confidence through their banter and his unfair treatment born out of long-held anger and heartache.

The MMC had to deal with his anxiety and confidence and it was refreshing to see an athlete acknowledge his insecurities (even if it IS a fictional character). But it was still nice to have that incite into his character, especially because we had that perspective. Truly, one of the reasons why I love dual perspective so much. But I also liked that despite his fears, he was genuinely good at his sport.

The FMC was a badass. Not only did she have to deal with the raging sexism in her work space and career, but she didn't let it ruin her goals. Her confidence was incredible and she would definitely be someone I'd like in my corner.

Finally, I loved the communication between the characters AND the surprising spice. It wasn't overly spicy, but it was spicier than book one.

If you like sports romances, second chances, and a sassy FMC that the MMC stands no chance against, then this might be one to add to your list! Also, to add, there are SOME allusions to the couple in book one, but I'd almost say that you can read this without having read book one.

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344. A Shocker on Shock Street by R.L. Stine--⭐️⭐️⭐️

A SHOCKER ON SHOCK STREET had a pretty great ending and I enjoyed that.

This would have absolutely kept me up at night as a kid--both to keep reading it, and because of all the creepy crawlies that the characters faced. This was a fun and creepy adventure perfect for an October night of reading for a kid.

I will admit that some parts were a bit confusing, but i think that can be expected for a story that is so fast-paced and focused on getting to that ending. I think this is definitely one of those Goosebump books that would have benefitted from being just a bit longer.

I think that ending was on par with another one of Stine's books that I really liked and it saved the book for me. BUT the creepiness wise was definitely one of the better ones. It was a lot of jump scares and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if people would actually love to go on the ride in this book.

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Happy reading!

[darkmaga-returns]

China Halts Rare Earth Exports to US. Carney Sold Canada’s Gold to the UK. Russia, Ukraine to hold direct talks. Trump: decision on Iran to be made soon. Scotland is implementing a digital ID system

Lioness of Judah Ministry

Apr 14, 2025

China Halts Rare Earth Exports to U.S., Threatening Supply Chains for Cars, Semiconductors, and Aerospace Industries

China has halted exports of seven critical rare earth elements to the United States, a move that threatens to disrupt supply chains across key American industries, including automotive, semiconductor, and aerospace sectors.

China’s Ministry of Commerce recently added seven rare earth elements—including dysprosium, terbium, and lutetium—to its restricted export list. These elements are essential for manufacturing high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, advanced weaponry, and consumer electronics.

Secret way China has been strangling Americans before Trump tariffs... and the crippling impact it has on you

China has been secretly halting exports of major U.S. commodities in a stealthy attempt to undermine Donald Trump's trade war and punish Americans.

While Beijing has matched Trump's 125 percent tariff with one of its own against US-imported goods, they have also been using nontariff barriers to hit the president's supporters the hardest, Politico reported. Over the past four months, China has halted or significantly curtailed direct key U.S. agriculture and energy exports. Many of these exports include U.S. farm goods, such beef, poultry and liquified natural gas.

Smartphones, Computers, Electronic Devices Exempt from Trump Admin’s Tariffs on China

The Trump administration announced that various electronic devices, such as smartphones and computers, will be exempt from the tariffs that have been imposed on China.

In a bulletin posted Friday night by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, it was revealed that certain products would be exempted from tariffs. The tariff exemptions on certain products “apply retroactively to April 5,” according to Axios. The products would be exempt from recently applied tariffs, while other pre-April 2 tariffs would still apply. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained in a statement that President Donald Trump “has made it clear” that the United States “cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops.”

Not So Fast: Lutnick Says Semiconductor Tariffs Coming "In Month Or Two", Exemption Is Only "Temporary"

"We can't be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need."

Update (1059 ET): U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC's This Week host Jonathan Karl that smartphones, computers, chips, and other consumer electronics may soon be subject to separate tariffs in a month or so, suggesting that the exemptions announced Friday evening are only temporary. "All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they're going to have a special focus type of tariff to make sure that those products get re-shored. We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels -- we need to have these things made in America. We can't be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us," Lutnick told Karl.

Trump says will announce semiconductor tariffs over next week

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors over the next week, adding that there would be flexibility on some companies in the sector.

Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled back to Washington from his estate in West Palm Beach.

Japanese PM, bank chief, warn of heightened uncertainty from US tariff policy

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday that US tariffs have the potential to disrupt the global economic order.

Speaking in parliament, Ishiba said the government is not thinking of issuing a supplementary budget now, but stood ready to act in a timely fashion to cushion the economic blow from US tariffs. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday global and domestic economic uncertainty has increased sharply due to US tariff policy. "US tariffs will likely put downward pressure on global and Japanese economies through various channels," Ueda told parliament. "The BOJ will guide monetary policy appropriately from the standpoint of sustainably achieving its 2% inflation target, while scrutinizing economic, price and financial developments without any pre-conception," Ueda said.

[coochiequeens]

Good news for women and girls!

By Josephine Kamara Friday 5 July 2024

Marrying young girls may now be illegal, but lawmakers seem reluctant to put a stop to genital cutting, and the two go hand in hand

This week, Sierra Leone made history when the president signed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024. For a country with one of the highest rates of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality in the world, it is a crucial step forward, and a hard-won achievement for campaigners in west Africa.

Sierra Leone has 800,000 child brides – and of those more than half were married before the age of 15, so there is no question that this is groundbreaking legislation. It repeals previous ambiguous laws to explicitly name child marriage as illegal and underscores a clear commitment to girls’ rights. The legislation also establishes mechanisms for enforcement, ensuring that perpetrators – including the husband and those who enable the marriage such as parents and the person officiating – are held accountable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment, with survivors now able to seek justice and compensation.

Yet, despite these advances, the law falls short by missing the vital component in enacting the urgent reform needed to eradicate FGM, viewed by many as a precursor to marriage, regardless of age. Child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) are deeply interwoven, yet an amended Child Rights Act of 2024, laid out to protect girls from all forms of violence, including FGM, is still awaiting parliamentary approval. Girls’ rights campaigners and feminist activists are concerned about the move to separate these fundamental human rights issues from each other.

Like child marriage, FGM is bound up with, and is inseparable from, patriarchal oppression

The more the child rights bill is stalled, the more it reveals itself as a dilution tactic of pushing against ending FGM – and the more sinister the interplay becomes between girls’ and young women’s rights and the anti-rights agenda. The rhetoric of those who refuse to criminalise FGM simply continues to harden conservative patriarchal norms and underpin far-right ideologies, wrapped in the cloak of tradition. With FGM seen as the precursor to marriage, the threat of child marriage will continue, despite the new law.

The devastating impact of FGM on girls’ and women’s psychological and physical health has been long identified internationally as a human rights violation. In April, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls named it as “one of the most pernicious forms of violence committed”, and yet current estimates show at least 230 million women and girls alive today have been subjected to FGM, and in Sierra Leone, it affects 83% of girls and women. Despite decades of campaigning by anti-FGM activists, it remains prevalent – shielded in the belief that to become a woman and be fit for marriage, girls must be cut, must be subordinate, their bodies violated and conditioned that this is the norm.

A UN special rapporteur named FGM as ‘one of the most pernicious forms of violence’, and it affects 83% of females in Sierra Leone. Photograph: Ton Koene/Alamy

The handful of high-profile cases in Sierra Leone, including the most recent concerning the death of three girls, investigated by police in January, would have been ignored were it not for campaigners agitating and pushing it into international focus and advocating, “yes to culture, no to the harmful practice of cutting”. A Bloodless Rite, a film made by Purposeful and activists, powerfully illustrates feminist solidarity and possibility of sacred female spaces.

Like child marriage, FGM is bound up with, and inseparable from, patriarchal oppression. It is merely one manifestation of sexual violence against girls, and it exists within a broader context of cultural, structural, social, political and economic violence against women and girls. At its heart, the violence of FGM is born out of the same profound patriarchy that justifies the marriage of children.

A unified legal stance should be an imperative. Yet within this new law, that sits alongside celebrated policy milestones such as the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2023, and progressive education policies, the violence of FGM remains entrenched, normalised, and seemingly protected in the highest corridors of power.

It is clear, FGM is ingrained in vote canvassing and streaked through our politics. Further stalling will surely point to the global trend of rolling back progress on gender equality, such as the attempts to reverse hard-won gains in the repeal of the FGM law in the Gambia, and the ripple effect of the rightwing “family values” agenda across the continent.

Feminist movement partners, such as Purposeful, Not In My Name, and the Forum Against Harmful Practices, will continue to advocate and agitate in close dialogue with parliamentarians, to bring strategic litigation into the international spotlight, to pressure the government to support the strategy on the reduction of FGM, and to pass the all-encompassing Child Rights Act, pending since 2016. Only then, will we see transformative reform where girls’ bodies can fully be their own.

Josephine Kamara is advocacy director of Purposeful, which funds girls’ rights activists in Sierra Leone and around the world

In the UK, advice and support for those who fear they are at risk of FGM and for survivors can be found by emailing Forward, or calling 0208 960 4000, or contacting the NSPCC on 0800 028 3550, the Dahlia Project on 0207 281 9478 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Sahiyo and the Asian Women’s Shelter have a support line for those who fear they are at risk of FGM and survivors. Call 1 877 751 0880, operating Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

[lgcmanager]

SIDE EVENT 023

a reminder on side-events; they are non-mandatory occasional events that your muse can choose to participate in or not.

while missing an event might mean missing out on points, be aware that choosing to take part in it could have positive or negative consequences for your muse. there is also no telling which part of the event will have consequences either since they will be tailored to make it difficult to guess what could impact your muse. while the final consequences are decided at the same time as the event is created, we will only reveal them the sunday after the deadline if there are any. so choose wisely: are you willing to make a gamble with your muse?

( important note: EVERYBODY in the company will take part in the event canon wise, whether or not a mun writes for it. )

every year, the period between FEBUARY 14 and MARCH 14 is called LOVE MONTH at LEGACY ENTERTAINMENT. during this period, legacy’s staff and roster are encouraged to demonstrate their appreciation to their coworkers.

WHITE DAY CHOCOSET (IDOLS, AGENCY, US GEN)

to celebrate WHITE DAY, between MARCH 10 and MARCH 14 the LGC CAFE will be selling exclusive chocolate box sets:

ACTORS (BOYS) CHOCOSET

AGENCY GIRLS CHOCOSET

AGITO CHOCOSET

BLAZING CHOCOSET

CRYSTALLIS CHOCOSET

DBSD CHOCOSET

FABULA CHOCOSET

HARU CHOCOSET

MODELS (BOYS) CHOCOSET

MZSD CHOCOSET

NOVA CHOCOSET

TYPE ZERO CHOCOSET

VERSUS CHOCOSET

during the weeks preceding white day, each artist will get to spend one hour individually with a chocolatier to create a their own chocolate (type of chocolate, ingredients, flavor, color, design, ect..). furthermore, they will write a note for their fans that will be included inside the box. finally, each groups will have an all-white (and cute!) theme photoshoot for the package.

in the end, each set will contain chocolates made by their respective artists + an exclusive photocard and note from a single artist. concretely, for instance, blazing's chocoset will have FIVE chocolates in it (one for each member) and will have 5 versions (one per member). in each version will be an exclusive photocard and a note of one member. so sarang's version of blazing's set will also include a photocard of her and a note written by her inside it. note that while each set won't have the same number of chocolate, they will all have the same amount in terms of weight

REQUIREMENTS

for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE AND 5 NOTORIETY, write on one of the following options available:

a solo that includes a description of the CHOCOLATE created with the chocolatier (minimum 100 words) and the NOTE written by your muse for their fans (minimum 100 words)

 a thread with 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) about anything happening at the location of the PHOTOSHOOT with another MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP/SET

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:lovemonth2k25 for your threads and solos. you have until APRIL 26, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ LOVE MONTH 2K25 (ARTIST) CHOCOSET: +5 skill points distribution +5 notoriety [ LINK ]

PLOT TWIST (TRAINEES)

this year, the SENIOR TRAINEES (NPC) in charge of the event have decided to organize a GET TOGETHER with all the trainees on SATURDAY, MARCH 15 evening. the company has kindly provided a room (one of the large conference rooms) and will pay for the food, beverages and entertainment (of course, no alcohol is allowed). once everybody has arrived, the organizers will reveal a twist; everybody will need to sing ONE song at the KARAOKE machine either alone or in pairs! as a reward for the impromptu performances, each trainee will get to pick the chocoset version of their bias (read the artists section for more details) !  

REQUIREMENTS

write a thread with 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) about anything happening during the evening (must be inside the conference room) with another trainee for +8 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE AND 2 NOTORIETY

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:lovemonth2k25 for your threads. you have until APRIL 26, 2025 at 11:59PM EST to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ LOVE MONTH 2K25 (TRAINEE) PLOT TWIST: +8 skill points distribution +2 notoriety [ LINK ] CHOCOSET: please the chocoset and the version picked by your muse (example: blazing's sarang's version)