#Defensive driving culture
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techdriveplay · 11 months ago
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A Comprehensive Guide to Defensive Driving Techniques
Defensive driving is more than just a set of skills; it’s a mindset and a commitment to safety on the road. This guide aims to provide drivers with an in-depth understanding of defensive driving techniques, empowering them to anticipate and respond to potential hazards and reduce the risk of accidents. The Defensive Driving Mindset Situational Awareness Develop a heightened sense of…
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TERRAN RELATED LIFE SUPPORT AND DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS IMMEDIATELY DEPORT OR KILL OR CAPTURE INTRUDERS OR INVADERS AS A GENERAL RULE AND ARE ENTIRELY AUTOMATED OR AUTOMATIC AND REQUIRE NO ORDERS TO FUNCTION OR EVEN KNOWLEDGE AMONG PERSONS AS TO THE PARTICULAR DETAILS OF THOSE TYPES OF FUNCTIONS. IT WOULD NEVER MAKE SENSE THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE GIVEN ACCESS TO TERRAN RELATED SYSTEMS BASED UPON AN INDIVIDUAL'S ASSENT AND INDIVIDUAL ORDERS MIGHT ADD TO TERRAN RELATED SYSTEMS FUNCTIONS BUT THEY ARE ALL ESSENTIALLY ROOTED IN MASSIVE BRAIN EMULATING COMPUTERS AND SO TYPICALLY ACT AS THOUGH ALL MEMBERS OF A SOCIETY HAD VOTED IN RELATION TO EVERYTHING DONE. PLEASE RESEARCH WIRELESS BRAIN MEMORY BACKUP TECHNOLOGY FOR FURTHER INSIGHT.
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CLOUDS OF UNRELATED CRIMINALS ATTACKING PLANET EARTH
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AUTOMATIC AUTOMATION DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS USED AGAINST DEFINITE AND KNOWN TIME TRAVELERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATES
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soft-crimson · 7 months ago
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One time I saw a reddit thread about cultural appropriation and there was a lot of white people saying that dyeing your hair yellow is cultural appropriation and I don't think I'll ever forget that
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secret-driver · 5 months ago
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writers-potion · 8 months ago
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Writing Weapons (2): Knives and Daggers
Dagger vs. Sword
In many situations, daggers might be more plausible than a sword fight.
Dagger are eaiser to carry and conceal, lighter, faster, good for spontaneous action, suicide bids, self-defense and assassination.
Dagger vs. Knife
No clear distinction; terms used interchangeably
Dagger is more for thrusting with 2 sharp edges
Knife is more for cutting (slashing) with 1 sharp edge
Concealment
Carried in a leather sheath on the belt
Can be concealed under a cloak, in a bodice (sheath sewn into the bodice), in a boot, behind hari ornaments
Bodice daggers (popular in the Renaissance) had no cross guards.
Connotations
Beside its combat value, the dagger has lots of emotional and sexual symbolisms.
The closeness need to attack with a dagger creates intense personal connection. They are often used in fights where emotions are running high: gang warfare, hate crime, vengeance.
Due to its shape and the fact that it's usually worn on a belt made it a symbol of virility in many cultures and periods.
Sometimes it was the hilt rather than the blade: like in the case of bollocks daggers with two...balls on either side of the hilt.
Fighting Techniques
Stabbing:-
The dagger with long, thin blades are made to stab a vital organ like the kidneys, liver, bowel, stomach or heart.
Stabbing directly at the chest seldom works, since the blde may glance off the ribs. Position the dagger below the ribcage and drive it upwards, through the diaphragm and into the lungs. If the sword is long enough and your fighter is a professional, you can get to the heart.
If no professional, just keep going for the stomach and you'll get one of the vital organs eventually.
Slashing:-
When describing a slash wound, show a lot of blood streaming, or even spurting.
Slashing dagger fights are bloody - show your MC's hands getting slick with blood, grip on the weapon slipping.
The aim is to cut the opponent's throat or cut tendoms, muscles, or ligaments to disable. Slashing the muscles in the weapon-wielding arm is the most effective; insides of the writst or back of the knee is also critical.
Assassinations:-
Show good knowledge of the humna antatomy
Use a stabbing dagger
A single, determined, calculated and efficient stroke, probably below the ribs.
Self-Defense:-
Disable the attacker by slashing their weapon-wielding hand (elbow or wrist)
Quick, multiple stabs wherever the MC can get the blade to land; the attacker won't give time for careful positioning
If the blade is too short to do any significant damage, maek up for this by stabbing so ast that the pain and blood loss distracts the opponent.
Vegeance and Hatred:-
Someone who is motivated by raging emotions will stab the victim repeatedly, even after he is already dead.
The attacker may stab or salsh the victim's face, disfiguring it.
Contemporary street fights and gang warfare usually involves these.
Duels:-
If both fighters are armed with daggers, include wrestling-type moves as they try to restrict each other's weapon hand.
Show them trying to disable each other by slashing insides of writes, elbows, the back of the knees, etc.
Dagger + Sword
If the character is expecting a fight, they can hold a sword in their right hand, and a dagger in their left to fight with both
Sword + mace combination also common.
Blunders to Avoid:
Direct stabbing at the chest wouldn't work.
Hero cannot cut his bread with a stabbing sword
adapted from <Writer's Craft> by Rayne Hall
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astrojulia · 1 month ago
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Astro Observations from a Hidden Garden
~Gemini houses Edition
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Navigation:   Masterlist✦Ask Rules✦Feedback Tips
       Askbox✦Sources✦Paid Readings
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♊︎⟶Monotony is not for Gemini Midheaven. They thrive in dynamic environments, often excelling in multiple professions or creative ventures simultaneously. Travel, sales, and teaching are particularly appealing as they align with they love for action, communication, and intellectual engagement.
♊︎⟶Independence sparked 9th house Gemini drive to explore the world and seek out new experiences. During their educational years, they were highly active, participating in various activities that expanded their perspectives and enriched their life.
♊︎⟶With such a dynamic social life, honing 11th house Gemini communication skills will help them maintain more stable and fulfilling friendships. Being clear in their intentions and maintaining open lines of dialogue with others can prevent conflicts and deepen their connections.
♊︎⟶4th house Gemini might inherit communication skills or physical traits from a family member.
♊︎⟶A love for travel, particularly by air, reflects 9th house Gemini desire to experience new places and cultures. While them enjoy efficiency, they also appreciate the charm of scenic journeys, like those by train.
♊︎⟶Artistically inclined, Gemini Midheaven bring creativity and charm to their work, which makes them highly appealing to colleagues and clients alike.
♊︎⟶While 11th house Gemini enjoy having a lot of casual friends, it's important to them to maintain regular communication with those who have been part of their life for longer. This ongoing connection is beneficial and keeps their social circle grounded.
♊︎⟶As they address and heal from past pain, 8th house Gemini discover greater inner peace. Their outgoing and communicative nature supports this process, allowing them to share their journey and deepen their understanding of themself.
♊︎⟶When faced with unfair criticism or insinuations, it's best to 12th house Gemini not to engage in conflict but instead focus on their own ideas and creativity. While their active mind generates brilliant ideas when they're alone, it's important to strike a balance between emotion and rational thought to ensure that your judgment remains clear.
♊︎⟶While a small family or even no children may be part of the 5th house Gemini future, their interactions with children or younger people often involve understanding and bridging differences in personality. They bring thoughtfulness to these relationships, valuing personal connection over material gestures.
♊︎⟶Gemini Ascendant approach life with flexibility and adaptability, embracing change and thriving in dynamic environments. While they may struggle to balance their emotional world, their compassionate nature and quick understanding of others make them engaging and relatable.
♊︎⟶8th house Gemini may have faced deep emotional wounds in the past related to deception, manipulation, or harmful comments that impacted their mental well-being. These experiences may have influenced certain defensive behaviors, such as playing mental games or using words as weapons.
♊︎⟶While 4th house Gemini enjoy socializing, they equally value alone time and may not feel compelled to establish strong roots in one location. This balance allows them to focus on personal growth and exploration.
♊︎⟶As 4th house Gemini age, their thoughts and ideas become more refined, and they may feel an increasing desire to express them through writing, public speaking, or other creative outlets. These talents often keep you mentally stimulated and engaged.
♊︎⟶In close relationships, 8th house Gemini ability to openly discuss issues and work toward solutions is a strength. They bring a practical and thoughtful approach to resolving conflicts, which fosters deeper connections with others.
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♊︎⟶6th house Gemini adventurous and dynamic nature thrives in environments that challenge and stimulate them. They excel at managing a busy schedule and juggling multiple tasks, thanks to their adaptability and creative approach to problem-solving. While strict routines may not be their preference, they bring energy and innovation to their daily responsibilities.
♊︎⟶Gemini Midheaven wit, humor, and ability to connect with others make them a natural leader in group settings.
♊︎⟶4th house Gemini have a flexible attitude toward home life, valuing freedom and exploration over deep attachment to a specific place. They're open to relocating if it better suits theirs evolving needs and aspirations.
♊︎⟶To a 5th house Gemini, communication is essential in matters of the heart. They value forming intimate bonds through discovery and conversation, and their easygoing nature makes them naturally appealing in social and romantic settings.
♊︎⟶7th house Gemini craving for new experiences often extends to their love life, but honesty and open communication are key to avoiding complications. Being upfront about their desires and boundaries strengthens trust and connection with their partners.
♊︎⟶At times, 10th house Gemini may grapple with self-doubt, but their dedication and persistence ensure that they remain productive and focused on their goals. Success for them comes from embracing diversity and staying true to their dynamic, creative spirit.
♊︎⟶Naturally gifted in exchanging ideas, Gemini Rising individuals are intellectually curious and socially active. Their sharp wit and ability to learn quickly make them effective communicators, though they may occasionally come across as brusque.
♊︎⟶A thirst for knowledge and new experiences drives 4th house Gemini, whether through travel, intellectual pursuits, or hobbies that allow them to communicate and share their insights. This constant curiosity fuels their personal growth and enriches their life journey.
♊︎⟶11th house Gemini tend to juggle multiple dreams or goals at once, and it’s not uncommon for these ambitions to change frequently. While this adaptability serves them well, it can sometimes create instability in relationships if your shifting focus leads to misunderstandings.
♊︎⟶While 7th house Gemini are drawn to articulate and intelligent individuals, it’s equally important to embrace their own knowledge and creativity. Confidence in their intellectual and free-spirited nature helps them connect more authentically.
♊︎⟶6th house Gemini contagious enthusiasm and positive attitude inspire those around them. People are drawn to their zest for life and the lively spirit them bring to any situation.
♊︎⟶A love for learning drives 3rd house Gemini, especially in academic or structured settings. However, balancing multiple interests is key to avoiding overwhelm and ensuring tasks are completed efficiently.
♊︎⟶2nd house Gemini natives ability to adjust to any financial situation is one of their greatest strengths, allowing them to navigate challenges with ease and resilience.
♊︎⟶Adaptable, curious, and perceptive, Gemini Rising are quick thinkers with a love for variety and new experiences. Their restless energy drives them to seek excitement and avoid boredom, though it may lead to indecision and anxiety.
♊︎⟶8th house Gemini rational mind and resilience are powerful tools for overcoming these challenges. While the process of healing and emotional transformation may be difficult, their intelligence and self-awareness guide them toward healthier ways of relating to themself and others.
♊︎⟶In love, 7th house Gemini may lean toward rationality when faced with challenges, analyzing rather than fully feeling their emotions. Allowing yourself to experience the full spectrum of emotions enriches their relationships and personal growth.
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♊︎⟶Gemini Ascendants often process their identity and experiences through a mental lens, thriving on logic and analysis. However, if emotions and desires are not acknowledged, they may struggle to achieve true self-understanding.
♊︎⟶With a sharp eye for detail, 6th house Gemini enjoy delving into complex projects and finding unique solutions. This ability makes them effective in both personal and professional endeavors.
♊︎⟶5th house Gemini analytical mind thrives on challenges, games, and mental stimulation. They enjoy hobbies that engage their intellect and creativity, bringing fun and excitement into your life.
♊︎⟶2nd house Gemini quick thinking and adaptability are assets, but focusing on one venture at a time rather than spreading yourself thin will prevent financial turbulence. Consolidating interests and streamlining efforts can enhance your financial success.
♊︎⟶11th house Gemini social life thrives on new encounters, especially when they travel, offering them ample opportunities to expand their circle.
♊︎⟶11th house Gemini aspirations and goals are likely to shift over time, and they are comfortable with this evolution. Embracing change in their personal and professional life allows them to adapt and pursue new opportunities. This flexibility is beneficial, as it keeps their mind engaged and their ambitions fresh.
♊︎⟶7th house Gemini deeply value intellectually stimulating conversations with their partner. Sharing ideas and learning from each other is essential to building fulfilling relationships. Their talent for engaging others keeps relationships lively and exciting.
♊︎⟶9th house Gemini thrive on keeping life interesting and constantly shifting directions in search of the next adventure. For them, exploration isn’t just a pastime—it’s a core motivation that keeps them energized and inspired.
♊︎⟶9th house Gemini ability to embrace change and new ideas is contagious, often inspiring those around them. However, their quick shifts in focus mean that companions must keep up with their fast-paced approach to exploring opportunities.
♊︎⟶Strong connections with family and neighbors are significant to 3rd house Gemini natives, and they prioritize staying in touch and maintaining harmony in these relationships.
♊︎⟶12th house Gemini should be prepared for the possibility of theft or intellectual property being taken without their permission. Though this might not always lead to major issues, it’s wise to be aware of the potential for such situations.
♊︎⟶11th house Gemini naturally attract a wide variety of friends, though their connections may not always be long-lasting.
♊︎⟶Objectivity and a conceptual view of success enable 10th house Gemini to define their professional aspirations on their own terms. They excel in roles that involve communication, whether through writing, speaking, or publishing, and they're likely drawn to careers that keep them mentally stimulated and engaged.
♊︎⟶3rd house Gemini excel in expressing their ideas clearly and persuasively, with a natural curiosity and a flexible mind that thrives on exploring diverse topics. Their sharp wit and engaging conversational style makes them a captivating communicator.
♊︎⟶6th house Gemini ability to think outside the box and adapt to changing circumstances is one of their greatest strengths, enabling them to navigate challenges with ease and creativity.
♊︎⟶It's important 12th house Gemini to be mindful of their emotions, particularly feelings of resentment or negativity that may arise unexpectedly, often linked to something said by a family member or neighbor. These feelings may not manifest immediately but could resurface in future interactions, so being aware of them can help them address any underlying issues before they escalate.
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♊︎⟶Caring deeply about their health, 6th house Gemini may occasionally find themself overly concerned with maintaining it. Striking a balance between physical and mental well-being is key, and taking time to rest and recharge helps them sustain their vitality.
♊︎⟶5th house Gemini have an appreciation for beauty and sensory experiences, often indulging in activities that allow them to relax and express themself. Their love for creative pursuits and intellectual engagement keeps they free time fulfilling.
♊︎⟶7th house Gemini are attracted to funny, curious, and intellectually driven partners who share their sense of adventure. Someone who balances their free spirit with stability and commitment can create a harmonious and enduring bond.
♊︎⟶Maintaining intellectual connections with family is important to 4th house Gemini, often facilitated through conversations or technology. However, forming deep emotional bonds within the family may be more challenging.
♊︎⟶12th house Gemini need to be careful with written communication, as remarks made in documents or notes could potentially be used against them. This includes paying close attention to contracts and fine print to avoid misunderstandings that might put them at a disadvantage.
♊︎⟶A strong intellectual foundation, potentially influenced by Gemini Midheaven upbringing or opposite-sex parent, supports their sharp communication skills and sociable nature. This background contributes to their ability to form meaningful friendships and professional connections.
♊︎⟶Short trips and exploring new places bring 3rd house Gemini joy, fueling their curiosity and sense of adventure. These experiences often inspire fresh perspectives and ideas.
♊︎⟶2nd house Gemini should avoid mixing finances with family or neighbors, as it could lead to complications. While your logical approach to money is helpful, try not to overthink or create overly complex financial plans—simplicity can be just as effective.
♊︎⟶Others admire 9th house Gemini unique outlook on life, shaped by a diverse range of experiences. While some may see their constant movement as a lack of focus, their view it as a way to stay alert, active, and fully engaged in the world.
♊︎⟶With a wealth of ideas for generating income, 2nd house Gemini approach finances with intelligence and creativity. However, there’s a tendency to let money slip away, so practicing mindfulness with spending and saving can help create stability.
♊︎⟶11th house Gemini value intellectually stimulating individuals, particularly those in fields like journalism, publishing, or other areas of communication.
♊︎⟶In relationships, 5th house Gemini seek affection and depth, appreciating partners who care for them genuinely. While them enjoy treating loved ones to material comforts, their focus remains on building meaningful connections.
♊︎⟶Fields such as teaching, writing, transportation, and tourism are particularly promising for 2nd house Gemini natives. Exploring new investments or switching careers may also bring financial growth and satisfaction.
♊︎⟶12th house Gemini secret opponents are those who may be intelligent and strategic in their actions could be present, and it’s important to approach interactions with caution to avoid triggering conflicts. Maintaining awareness and discretion can help prevent misunderstandings and keep you focused on your own path.
♊︎⟶While 3rd house Gemini excel at noticing details, larger projects or seeing the "big picture" may be more challenging. Their open-mindedness and eagerness to explore new perspectives help them balance these tendencies.
♊︎⟶Socializing is important to 11th house Gemini for mental stimulation, and their thrive in environments where they're surrounded by diverse individuals.
♊︎⟶5th house Gemini success may come through fields such as technology, finance (stocks and bonds), media, or software. Their logical and clear-thinking nature serves them well in these areas, enabling them to navigate them effectively.
♊︎⟶Gemini Midheaven possess a natural adaptability and a wide range of interests that open many doors to success. Their curiosity and multifaceted talents make it hard to commit to a single goal, but this versatility allows them to thrive in diverse fields, particularly those that require mental agility and creative problem-solving.
(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved
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wttcsms · 4 months ago
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if you feel like falling (catch me on the way down) | ONE
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ᝰ.ᐟ after getting your heart broken by professional soccer player, rin itoshi, all because he loved the game more than you, you officially swear off all men — especially athletes. your publicist doesn't get that memo, though, and you find yourself roped into a fake relationship with yoichi isagi, who isn't just a pro soccer player, but also your ex's rival. things could get messy. ( fem!reader )
pairing yoichi isagi x reader (endgame), past! rin itoshi x reader word count 2.9k chapter synopsis there are certain perks to having a relationship that operates on a "private not secret" basis. for example, you're allowed at least two weeks before the batshit crazy people online figure out that little miss it girl just got her ass dumped. chapter contains partying to cope, social drinking, diet culture, this fic is so chronically online LOL author's notes so normally, i would organize the fic's different arcs or acts by explicitly saying "act 1" or whatever. like i said, we're gonna be chronically online, so the arcs are described as different "eras" and when it's a new arc, we'll get a new era 🤭 each era has special graphics for it: what the media sees vs what's actually going on. think of the era intro as a moodboard for the chapters that'll follow <3
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⋆˚࿔ CURRENT ERA: PARTY GIRL 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ from the outside, it's giving irl serena van der woodsen but even better, no one can possibly have the same 24 hours as you, someone needs to convince you to drop the skincare routine STAT, matter of fact - we just need your whole game card
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— guest starred on the hottest pop culture podcast where it was basically just a glaze session for you (besides the last 10 minutes where the host started asking about rin), articles that want to help readers live your (unattainable if you're not rich!) lifestyle, and a devoted fanpage that updates your every move... every move.
on the inside, it's actually giving listening and actually relating to sad music, asking an 8 ball if you're the problem, being desperate enough to believe those tiktoks that say if you claim this sound and interact 3x he'll text you back, wondering when you should mail him back his stuff, keeping busy in the public eye so no one suspects how miserable you are right now
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— even spotify clocked you and it's auto-generated, customized playlist perfectly depicts what you're going through (talk about the saddest soundtrack to your life), got desperate and consulted quora (this is how you know you're at rockbottom). not shown: your credit card statement (retail therapy works, right? right?!)
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“Promise you’ll be on your best behavior?” Yukimiya peers over his sunglasses so he can give you a very pointed look. You tilt your head innocently.
“When am I ever not?” 
Yukimiya lets out a very loud, very drawn out, very exasperated sigh. When have you not been on your best behavior? Well, just last month, you got drunk, stumbled out to your garage, hopped in your custom-wrapped pink Porsche, and somehow ended up falling asleep on top of the hood. (In your defense, at least even in a drunken stupor, you weren’t stupid enough to drive.) Last week, you collected the numbers of about eight different athletes and models, sufficiently led every single one of them on, and are now actively ghosting all of them because they committed the cardinal sin of not sounding like, feeling like, or being anything like Rin. And speaking of the devil, Rin’s the reason why just last night, you ended up blocking not just him from your social media, but his whole entire team, too. You felt vindicated when you did this at 2 AM. Yeah, because that’ll sure show him! He hasn’t looked at your story once since the breakup (not that you’ve been keeping track or anything), but in case he tries to play it cool and gets one of his teammates to view it on his behalf, you’ll have put a stop to that plan. 
(Even when you’re spiraling, you’re still painfully aware of the fact that Rin’s most likely doing okay, if not still performing at his best. He is most certainly not doing something as childish as getting his teammates to relay info on you to him. Meanwhile, you are apparently a social liability for your closest friends. Spectacular.) 
“Don’t answer that.” You tell him. “I don’t want to know what my life looks like through your eyes.” It’s bad enough that every little thing you do gets documented, photographed, and then sensationalized on the Internet, but it’s one thing for strangers to commentate on your behavior when they don’t even have the full story. It’s another thing entirely when it’s your best friend criticizing your current lifestyle. 
“I’m just saying, it’s going to be a very casual lunch with my favorite people. Not a party.” Yukimiya clarifies. 
“Kenyu, you do realize that inviting me to a birthday party, and then saying ‘it’s not a party’ is kind of giving mixed signals right now.” Now it’s your turn to give him a pointed look, but just like his, there’s no true venom behind it. It’s Kenyu’s birthday celebration, anyway. You’re not about to corrupt Mr. Catholic Private School and tell him to throw a fucking rager. 
“If my team gets their way, there probably will be an actual party. If there is, you’ll be the first one I give the details to.” There’s a distant shout in the back; the photographer is done with his lunch, and he’s ready to wrap this shoot up. Kenyu examines his hair in the vanity mirror before getting out of his chair and giving you a quick hug. Your photos have already been taken, and there’s really no point for you to be on set still. 
However, Kenyu’s on set. Your only other viable option is to just go home and hide under your covers, rewatching Someone Great on Netflix and Doordashing Ben & Jerry’s. Juliette is home in France and won’t be coming back until the end of the month, and you’re not really in the mood to see any of your other friends. It’s tiring being around people who can’t separate front-cover-of-Vogue you from the real you. If you’re going to have to fake a smile, it might as well be on set rather than grabbing brunch with people who would kill to be able to leak something as headline-inducing as your breakup. 
“Pinky promise?” You look up at Yukimiya. “You promise to tell me about the party even if I’ll make a fool of myself because apparently I don’t act on my best behavior?” 
He rolls his eyes at your comment. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, and you know that. Besides, you could never make a fool of yourself. Anything you do is declared iconic, anyway.”
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Having a famous movie director as a father and a certified Hollywood starlet as a mother, life wasn’t just set at easy mode for you. You practically were given an unlimited money hack and started off with like, five times the XP compared to any other beginner. At thirteen, you told your parents that for your birthday, you wanted to become a model. Two phone calls and a private jet flight later, and you had signed with the best modeling agency in the country and had your first ever photoshoot booked. 
Fate gave you parents with connections, and you’d be a fool to not use it to your advantage. Fate also gave you the same photoshoot as another young model, and you’d be a fool to not befriend Kenyu Yukimiya immediately. Out of all the friends you’ve ever made, fate only gives you good luck twice: first with Yuki, then with Juliette. You used to think you got lucky three times — meeting Rin for the first time was like experiencing something cosmic. Now you know better. Even rich people can have shit luck, too. 
Today’s unlucky situation is the way Yukimiya’s “favorite people” all happen to be athletes. There’s not a single person here who isn’t his teammate or somehow related to Bastard Munchen, except for you. If you didn’t love Yukimiya so much, you would have hauled ass. It’s normally easy enough for you to avoid soccer players at parties because they don’t normally get invited to the same social events you do, but now you’re the odd one out. 
At least the food is good. You don’t have a photoshoot scheduled until next week, and that’s exactly why you’re comfortable with choking down half a bagel sandwich rather than socialize with the guys seated by you. Yukimiya’s real big on intimacy and the power of friendship or whatever, which is probably easier to achieve when you play a team sport versus the modeling industry, where good jobs are few and far between, and the reason why some models are so skinny is because they can’t afford to eat — literally and figuratively. If they’re not booking jobs, there’s no way they can buy groceries in this economy. 
He has everyone assembled at one long table in the massive backyard of his mansion. It’s honestly kind of Last Supper-core, but it fits him. Little Yuki’s finally old enough to have a seat at the big kid’s table. He’s sitting across from you, and you’re sandwiched between Kunigami and Hiori. Next to Yukimiya is Isagi. Out of everyone at this party, soccer player or not, Isagi is the person you want to avoid the most. So far, you think you’ve managed to skirt under his radar. If everything goes as planned, you’ll be able to leave this lunch with your belly full and not having to interact with anybody. It’s looking like you won’t even have to drink in order to get through this. 
“Hey, out of all of us at this table, who d’ya think would have the best shot at being a model?” Hiori is clearly speaking to you. The blue-haired player is looking directly at you, for God’s sake. You wonder if it’ll be mean to blatantly ignore him, but considering how this little question seems to have captured the attention of the surrounding players, it looks like pretending you’re hard of hearing is out of the question. 
Inside, you’re dying. The last thing you wanted to do was socialize, but it’d be selfish and bratty to request that Yukimiya find more time in his busy schedule to have a one-on-one celebration with you. You’re here to support your friend. You can stomach being friendly with boys who have probably seen Rin more recently than you’ve last seen him. Fuck — why are you thinking about Rin? Do not think about Rin!
You grab one of the premade mimosas from the tray in the center of the table. You down the glass in one swift gulp. On the outside, you flash Hiori a bright smile and give an airy giggle. “Why? You trying to get a foot into the industry?” 
Hiori’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink. “W-well, no. Just wanted to make conversation.” 
“No worries! I’ve been trying to keep up with whatever you guys are talking about, but even after all this time being friends with Kenyu, I still don’t really get soccer.” Your smile is still intact. You reach for another mimosa. 
“Rin didn’t teach you anything?” 
Ever since you entered the industry, you knew that you had to get comfortable with standing out. No — you needed to thrive on standing out. You needed to crave, to rely on, people’s undying attention in order to survive. In the eyes of the media, you’re the center of attention. You got what every girl your age wants. At this table, everyone’s eyes are focused on you. What you want is to be back in your room, away from their prying gazes and curious stares.
But you’re a trained professional. Your smile never slides off, never turns into a grimace. You give a casual shrug, directing your answer to the person who mentioned Rin in the first place. 
“I make it a rule to not discuss work when we’re together.” You look at Isagi, asking him with your eyes if that’s a good enough explanation for him. He holds your gaze, looking at you like he sees right through you.
You drink another mimosa. 
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After loosening up because of the drinks, you find casual conversation with the Munchen players to be easy. The boys honestly never shut up, and you don’t know what they’re talking about half the time, but you’re cracking genuine smiles every so often, and by the time Yukimiya is going around and saying his thanks for everyone showing up, you are…
Not drunk, per se. You’ve built up quite the tolerance these past few weeks, and it’s hard to get wasted off of drinks that are basically three-fourths orange juice. (Seriously, was Yukimiya getting stingy with the champagne? Sober You might be able to acknowledge the fact that Yukimiya might have just been preparing for the Worst Case Scenario, which would be you hogging all the drinks to yourself. Which sort of happened. Fuck. Sometimes it sucks to be known so well.) You’re definitely tipsy, though. Maybe half a tier above tipsy? Whatever the case, you are definitely in no shape to drive. 
“Kenny,” you whine out his nickname, trying your best to pull out your puppy-dog eyes. “Please take me home.” 
“Ah, damnnit, [Name].” He runs his fingers through his dark curls. “Did you seriously get drunk off of orange juice?” 
“Champagne drunk is the best drunk. I’m pretty sure People Magazine quoted me on that like, last year, so it’s basically fact.” Yukimiya doesn’t seem overly impressed. “And I’m not drunk, but my alcohol levels right now are definitely above the legal limit. Sorry, but I don’t plan on making headlines for a DUI. Hard to spin that into something iconic.” 
This gets Yukimiya to crack a smile. “I thought you were leaning into the party girl look?” 
“Yeah, but after Justin Timberlake got caught for intoxicated driving, he made it look totally lame. He ruined it for us!” 
“I wish I could drive you back, but I have to retake some photos for this sneaker ad I’m doing, and with traffic, I’m really cutting it close already. Do you want to just come with, or hang out at my place until I get back? You should’ve said something sooner; I could’ve asked one of the guys to drop you off.”
You crinkle your nose. “No, thanks. I’m not a fan of strangers knowing where I live.” Becoming a model at such a young age thrust you into the spotlight. With media attention comes total pervs who lurk in Reddit threads and 4Chan, and stumbling upon some of the things said about you, reading the things they would do to you if they found you, all laid out in disgusting, graphic detail, left you kind of paranoid. Getting doxxed might be one of your worst fears. No Ubers. No car ride homes with strangers. “I’ll wait here. It’s been a while since I went through your things, so I’m sure there’ll be enough of your dirty secrets to uncover to keep me occupied.” 
“Did you need a ride?” 
Shitty luck, indeed. 
The teammate who decided to stay behind to help clean up (because he’s just that outstanding of a guy) is the sole reason for why you went buckwild on the mimosas. You can see why Rin was always frustrated with him.
“Nope—” You say, at the same exact time as Yukimiya nods enthusiastically. 
“Would you mind? [Name] actually lives pretty close by, so it might not be out of the way.” 
You shoot Yukimiya a scathing glare. He ignores it completely, smiling at Isagi. 
“I don’t mind. That is, if you don’t mind.” Isagi is looking at you expectantly. Yukimiya trusts him. And you trust Yukimiya. By some sort of logic, you should reasonably be able to trust Isagi. It’s clear that Kenyu wants you to carpool with him, anyway, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so happy to dump you onto him. 
“Sure. I’m ready to go whenever you are.” 
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What would happen if you jumped out of a moving vehicle? 
At best, you’d get your pretty skin all scraped up, meaning your photoshoots would either have to be delayed, or you would have to endure all the clear distaste for your “unprofessionalism” in the workplace from the people who actually had to work to get to where they’re at. At worst, you end up hospitalized. Somehow, it seems easier to photoshop out a few cuts and scrapes than working with someone in a full-body cast.
As you weigh the pros and cons of jumping out of Yoichi Isagi’s vehicle — a sleek, black sedan that’s top of the line, sure, but understated luxury; it’s not flashy like the sports cars you see most athletes sporting — he smoothly reverses out of Yukimiya’s driveway. Isagi does that boyish thing where he ignores his backup camera completely and opts to rest one hand on the back of the passenger headrest, the other hand on the steering wheel. Fuck. Maybe it’s not a boyish thing. Maybe it’s manly. Isagi leans a bit into your space; not enough to bother you, but enough to where you can smell the scent of his cologne. He smells clean and fresh. Maybe it’s not cologne, but laundry detergent and fabric softener. Somehow, you find this very fitting of him. 
He glances out the window to check for traffic and eases you two onto the open road. 
He’s not playing any music, and you’re sure as hell not about to ask for the aux. You look out the window instead, watching the world pass you by through tinted glass. It makes everything around you appear darker. Somehow, you find this to be very fitting for you.
“You live around this area, yeah?” Isagi asks you, and you’re reminded that if you want to go home, you actually have to let the driver know where home is. 
“Yeah, sorry. Keep heading straight, and I’ll let you know when there’s a turn coming up.” Talking to Isagi shouldn’t feel so awkward. After all, you managed to talk (and actually enjoy talking) to all of Yukimiya’s teammates. You even got along well with Kaiser. But it just feels weird — you’ve never met him directly, but you’ve heard so much about him, that it’s hard to not see Rin’s rants every time you look at Isagi. 
So you don’t — look at Isagi, that is. You look at everything else. His car is clean. There are air fresheners in the AC vents. The floor of the passenger seat is oddly clean, like no one ever sits here. If that’s the case, you hope your heels didn’t track in any grass blades or dirt. 
“Um,” Isagi awkwardly clears his throat at a red light. “When I mentioned Rin earlier at the party…” 
“What about it?” Fuck, this is so embarrassing. Since the car is stationary, you’re in the clear, right? If you just unlock the door, you can escape on foot. Your house is now close enough that it’ll just count as today’s exercise. 
“Sorry for bringing him up. I didn’t know—”
“—didn’t know what?” You turn to face him. His jaw is surprisingly sharp, and you watch the way he swallows before he answers you. 
“I didn’t know that you two broke up.” 
No one knows that you two broke up. You’re still in the process of making sense of it all, and because you’re so messed up over it, naturally you had to confide in Yukimiya and Juliette. Neither of them would ever share that secret, though. 
So why the hell does Yoichi Isagi know?
“The light’s green.” You tell him, shifting your body in the seat, avoiding him by positioning yourself even closer to the door. 
Neither of you say anything else during the drive.
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a-very-tired-jew · 4 months ago
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A lot of the anti-Zionist crowd reminds me of the Che shirt kids from high school and undergrad.
You know the ones I'm talking about.
In high school they'd talk about how the "system was evil" while purposefully being disruptive in class, would barely pay attention or pass a class cause the material was all "propaganda", and would wax philosophic about their teenage comprehension of Communism and its associated leaders. Any history class would eventually end up with them arguing with your teacher. Yes, they would have some good points, but at the same time their understanding of the material would be juvenile at best.
In college they'd get worse. Some of them might continue wearing the shirts and paraphernalia, but others would go all out and start wearing the black beret and/or associated dress of Che and other leaders. They now have a college vocabulary and use it to drive every discussion towards their political ideology. Almost nothing exists outside of their political framework and talking to them is exhausting.
They're also not seen as a disruption anymore, but more as that annoying Tankie who has to go "um, actually" and then go on a monologue about the CIA in class. Professors will either let them do this or tell them that it's not the time or place and that they have to teach. The former gives a small sense of triumph as they "subvert the system" (and we do this because if we don't you become more annoying), the latter causes them to grumble and complain about being "silenced".
Yes, we're aware of the CIA's actions. Yes, Che had some very good points about the role of neo-imperialism in the Global South. Yes, the USA has done some absolutely horrid shit. But what makes everyone keep these people at arms length and/or ignore them is the refusal to acknowledge the atrocities that the man on the shirt did. It's the black and white juvenile reasoning that colors everything they talk about and putting him and other leaders on a pedestal.
If you talk to anyone in the Cuban diaspora they, their family, or someone they know within the community will refer to Che as a butcher. They will tell you about the absolutely horrific things he did as a leader. They will tell you about how this man that young adults are idolizing would imprison and execute them for any number of things that they enjoy simply because he objected to them. The same thing goes for anyone who has family members that survived the USSR or any other 20th century authoritarian country that called itself Communist.
It's the refusal to acknowledge that the world exists in shades of nuance. It's the refusal to acknowledge that these authoritarian Communist governments would imprison, exile, and/or execute all of them and their friends for being queer, speaking out, their writing, their taste in music, their manner of dress, etc, etc... That countries, governments, leaders, ideologies, and people are multifaceted and not this idealized fantasy that can be argued for with whataboutisms.
We see this same behavior in the current batch of anti-Zionists. Some of them are the newest cohort of Tankies who are just repeating the same behaviors we've seen time and time again. However, in this current situation we all have access to information and are able to address things for what they are. The disruptive misinformation isn't as tolerated any more because Che shirt kids are no longer just marching around on the college green in their Communist LARP gear, but are instead coopting a war and its suffering for their Glorious Revolution accelerationist rhetoric.
The adherence and defense of Cold War era tactics, the almost rabid want to implement them, the use of whataboutism to defend your blorbo and the refusal to acknowledge their atrocities, plus the additional antisemitic laden screeds, all the while the world is attempting to move forward from this is downright regressive and juvenile.
And keep in mind, I'm an old alt kid. I've been part of counter culture for decades now. I have patches older than most of these college Tankies. I remember the Che shirt kids and how we stayed away from them because they often spouted rhetoric that was both fantastical and extremely violent. If you're unaware, Che himself believed that to achieve the socialist utopia that extreme violent revolution was necessary (sound familiar?). Not mentioning the fact that often this process gets stuck at the authoritarian step after the violent revolution.
Meanwhile, we just wanted to be accepted for wearing all black, chains, and just being "creepy". We weren't actually violent as most suburban moms believed. So we often stayed away from people who actually believed in violent rhetoric. Not only would it not look good for the alt community, but it was simply antithetical to what we believed. We wanted to be accepted in society and help improve it, not burn it down (and look where we are now, everyone wants a goth mommy. Mission achieved).
The two groups are counter culture in essence, but extremely different. So when I say the current batch of anti-Zionist protesters are just Tankie Che shirt kids, believe me. I've known their type for years.
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lunarlianna · 5 months ago
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Asteroid Lucifer in signs
Lucifer, originally a Latin term meaning "light-bringer" or "morning star," was first used to refer to the planet Venus. In Christian tradition, it became associated with a rebellious angel cast out of Heaven, conflated with Satan as the adversary of God. In Judaism, Satan is seen more as an accuser rather than a fallen angel, while in Islam, Iblis is a jinn who defies God. Across various cultures, Lucifer symbolizes both enlightenment and rebellion, embodying themes of defiance, pride, and the quest for knowledge. In astrology, Lucifer (1930) highlights where you defy rules, struggle with pride, and face personal challenges. It signifies independence, intellectual curiosity, and creativity while warning against arrogance and manipulation. This placement encourages bravery and risk-taking, often leading to nonconformity and challenging authority. By confronting these darker aspects, Lucifer helps you reconnect with your true self and inner light. When the asteroid Lucifer is conjunct the angles or personal planets, especially the Sun and Moon, it signifies a strong urge to defy norms and resist the mainstream. This can lead to feelings of anxiety or fears of being perceived negatively due to this nonconformity. When the asteroid Lucifer is conjunct key points in your chart, it brings specific challenges and insights. With the Sun, you need to trust your creativity and focus on the bigger picture rather than just yourself. The Moon conjunction urges you to rely on your intuition and express emotions freely, while striving for emotional stability. If Ascendant-conjunct, you may question your own identity and how others perceive you; avoid superficial judgments and trust yourself. A Descendant-conjunction suggests doubts about your relationships and the intentions of others; remember that not everyone seeks to harm you. To find Lucifer in your chart, go to Astro.com and enter 1930 into the asteroids which are found under the ‘extended charts’ option.
With Lucifer in Aries, you are inspired to innovate and lead with courage, breaking new ground and showcasing your individuality. You enjoy compliments, which can boost your ego but might also make you vain; be cautious not to let others' opinions overly affect your self-esteem. This placement can also lead to impulsive decisions and a tendency to challenge authority recklessly, potentially causing conflicts and making you seem self-centered or confrontational.
With Lucifer in Taurus, you’re driven to creatively enhance your security and comfort, bringing a unique approach to material and financial matters. This placement can make you proud of your possessions and achievements, but be careful not to become overly attached or resistant to change. While celebrating your successes, remember that your self-worth isn’t tied to your job or belongings, as losing them could affect your self-esteem.
With Lucifer in Gemini, you have a sharp, original mind and a knack for unconventional thinking and communication. This placement boosts your intellectual curiosity and creativity, driving you to explore new ideas and express yourself uniquely. However, it can also lead to inconsistency or duplicity, where scattered thoughts or manipulative tendencies might cause misunderstandings or trust issues. You excel academically and take pride in your achievements but may feel insecure in public speaking. Avoid relying too much on grades or others’ success; maintain your self-confidence even if you face setbacks.
With Lucifer in Cancer, you approach emotional expression and family dynamics with a unique, bold perspective. You may seek to redefine family roles and bring fresh insights to nurturing relationships. However, this placement can also lead to emotional defensiveness or manipulation, causing you to become overly sensitive or withdrawn. You take pride in your family, especially your mother and your home, as well as your sensitivity. Be mindful not to let these prideful feelings create insecurity about your true emotions or sense of belonging; strive for humility and balance.
With Lucifer in Leo, your creativity and self-expression are amplified, encouraging you to stand out and lead with boldness. This placement supports your personal projects and a unique leadership style that inspires others. However, it can also lead to excessive pride and a craving for admiration, potentially causing arrogance and impacting your relationships. You may receive a lot of praise for your creative efforts and take great pride in your children. Maintain a balanced view to prevent disappointment from unmet expectations or negative feedback.
With Lucifer in Virgo, you’re driven to approach problem-solving and daily routines with innovation and creativity. This placement enhances your ability to find unique solutions and improve efficiency and self-discipline. However, it can also lead to obsessive perfectionism and excessive self-criticism, causing stress and difficulty accepting imperfections. You may become fixated on your health and how much you help others, adhering to a strict routine and taking pride in your efforts. Remember not to base your self-worth solely on helping others or your routine; balance is key.
With Lucifer in Libra, you approach relationships and partnerships with a unique and unconventional perspective. This placement drives you to redefine harmony and balance, fostering innovative and equal connections that challenge traditional norms. However, it can also lead to indecisiveness or manipulation, with struggles to maintain appearances and potential imbalances in relationships. You may place too much of your self-worth on the success of your partnerships, feeling great when things are positive but worthless when they are not. Remember to love yourself first and not let your value be determined solely by your relationships.
With Lucifer in Scorpio, you are driven to explore deep transformation and understand life's mysteries with intensity and insight. This placement encourages you to challenge deeper truths and navigate power dynamics, but it can also lead to control issues and a tendency to delve into taboo topics manipulatively. Be cautious about who you open up to and who you form intimate connections with, as choosing the right person can bring a sense of pride, while the wrong choice may lead to guilt and shame.
With Lucifer in Sagittarius, you are driven to explore new philosophies and challenge conventional wisdom, seeking enlightenment and personal growth through adventure. This placement fuels your quest for knowledge and unconventional paths. However, it can also lead to recklessness or a dismissive attitude towards established norms, causing overconfidence and conflicts with others' beliefs. You might question your upbringing or wonder about different religious backgrounds. Embrace and delve deeply into your quest for knowledge and experiences, but avoid being superficial or overly critical.
With Lucifer in Capricorn, you’re inspired to pursue ambitious and unconventional career goals, challenging traditional paths and setting new standards for success. This placement fosters innovative approaches to authority and structure but can also lead to excessive rigidity or manipulation in your quest for power. You might become overly focused on success, which could cause isolation or ethical dilemmas. You may have doubts about authority figures or your career choice, and take great pride in your reputation and achievements. However, difficulties can affect your ego significantly.
With Lucifer in Aquarius, you’re driven to innovate and challenge societal norms, bringing a unique and progressive perspective to humanitarian and social issues. This placement encourages embracing unconventional ideas and advocating for change. However, it can also lead to detachment or rebelliousness, making it hard to form deep connections and potentially causing alienation due to your strong, unconventional beliefs. You take pride in your friendships and network, but relying too much on others for your self-worth can lead to disappointment.
With Lucifer in Pisces, you’re drawn to creative and spiritual exploration, using your intuitive insights for artistic or mystical pursuits. This placement enhances your empathy and compassion, and you take pride in your intuitive abilities or spiritual practices, such as astrology. However, be cautious not to let self-doubt undermine your intuition, especially if your spiritual insights aren’t immediately validated. On the flip side, this placement can lead to escapism or self-deception, making it challenging to face reality or maintain clear boundaries. Stay grounded and trust in your abilities while navigating life’s challenges.
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pimsri · 9 days ago
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Cygnus' most fond memory is their mother's lullaby. Apparently it also worked on Lucanis 🥹
They never forget her voice. Her songs are quiet and gentle, as their aravel made its peaceful way along the river. She died when their clan camped in an owned land, and the land owner poisoned the river to drive them away.
I like saying Cygnus is a sleepy little guy who can fall asleep in any situations. But this is why they sleeps so much. It's a defense mechanism for them, to go to sleep to avoid everything and imagine themself at their "happy moments"
Also they have a song book. They likes to collect lullabies. Starting with Dalish ones, but now it's lullabies from every cultures. They sings, but not very well (although Lucanis would disagree. The lullabies send him to sleep very quickly, after all)
I think the song fits very well with what they have.
Sun sets, little one
Time to dream.
Your mind journeys,
But I will hold you here.
Never fear, little one,
Wherever you shall go.
Follow my voice-
I will call you home.
I will call you home
Because I talked before of how Rook's voice is a comfort to Lucanis, because he followed that voice to freedom TWICE, both in the physical world and in the Fade.
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bonefall · 7 months ago
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how much of Stormpaw’s demon are Maple’s curse vs just things that happen (cause in canon it’s really vague about whether Maple causes all those tragedies or has the ability to see his future for some reason)
EVERYTHING that happens in Stormpaw's Demon involves her. It's not being so dramatically renamed for nothing, she's a major driver and cause of the plot! Crookedstar's young name is in the title; but really, his demon is driving the misfortune.
That said... It's been a while and I'm heavily considering retooling the narrative.
Since I last REALLY worked on it, BB has changed in the sense that I'm a lot more willing to alter canon than I used to be. While my driving mindset used to be "telling a better version of the original story," and that IS a value I still hold... I've lost patience with the misogyny within the original work.
I've spoken at length about the way Crookedstar's Promise grinds my gears (PLEASE follow this link for a full breakdown of why), but in summary; it desperately tries to keep every male character likeable when they shouldn't be, saying nothing about the fact they are complicit in or even enabling abuse, while giving Crookedstar TWO flatly evil maternal figures. Even Brambleberry, who's heavily praised for being "like a mom instead," has a weird moment where she starts giving Crookedjaw the cold shoulder because she finds out he's chatting with a demon.
So like... I'm not sure if I want to make the "better version" of that story. That was the one that I already had, which had Mapleshade be acting entirely out of just the malice of wanting to hurt a child, while Hailstar and Shellheart are the excellent people canon wanted to see them as.
(not that it's even a BAD super edition, it's actually a really good one, but if it's my kitchen that's not what we cook here. Man I really do always massively overhaul my favorite SEs LMAO)
I think, specifically, I want to make Mapleshade slightly more morally gray and Hailstar more of an enabler. Shellheart is getting significantly retooled to make him more of the heartwarming parental figure I think he should be; someone loving to help balance out a very heavy rework.
And of course Brambleberry, I'm going to tweak her some. Try to make her flaws more consistent, get rid of that odd cold shoulder moment.
Old regulars will remember an old AU which is also still a massive favorite of mine; it was called Better Call Mapleshade, and it was kind of a commentary on how an environment can shape a person. Mapleshade, as a demon in heaven, was essentially their best prosecutor and defense attorney.
You can actually see how a lot of ideas from that AU ended up in Better Bones with the expanded trial system! I'm thinking of taking another page out of it, by making Mapleshade more aware of "the game" of Clan culture's structural unfairness, while also using it like a weapon against people she wants to hurt. A powerful demon of revenge.
Under the cut, what won't be changing, the way it was, and Draft 2 of Stormpaw's Demon.
(MASSIVE CONTENT WARNING FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CHILD ABUSE including ableism. BB!Rainflower is WORSE than canon.)
WHAT WON'T BE CHANGING;
These are major details of Stormpaw's Demon that are different from canon. I'm working with these as givens and won't be changing between drafts.
Mapleshade does have a bone to pick with Appledusk's lineage specifically. One option might make her more discerning when it comes to her targets, but no matter what, she is going to have her eyes on this bloodline. She Haunts Applekin.
Rainflower is Hailstar's deputy. And I will make her downfall spectacular. If you were worried I was going to make her more sympathetic then you have no idea who I am LMAO
Shellheart is not Crookedstar's biofather While I want Hailstar to maybe be worse; I do want to fix Shellheart by making him a good parent. I've decided a good way to do this is to make it that Shellheart adopts Storm AFTER he's been abused by Rainflower. He didn't have authority over him before then. In general, I do want him to have a bigger positive role in this narrative. DEPENDING ON WHICH VERSION: Oakheart might also not be his bio-brother.
Crookedjaw is not a cruel name; it's an Honor Title. I've ALWAYS been frustrated by how canon treats scars and injuries as bad things. It's a BATTLE culture. Surviving brushes with death is their WHOLE THING. There is no "crookedkit" or "crookedpaw," he was Stormpaw until he earned his warrior name, with "Crookedjaw" commending the massive lengths he's gone to in order to survive, adapt, and honor StarClan.
Mentor change: Goodbye Cedarpelt, hello Magpiesky! I decided to repurpose one of the Barn Cats! Magpie from the books is a daughter of Perchshine-- the cat who killed Mapleshade. She joined RiverClan long ago. She's actually the one who points him in the way of the barn, and has to train him "as a punishment for teaching him disobedience" when he comes back. I actually have a couple of minor reasons for making this change but I'll spare them for now. He might start with Cedarpelt, but then run to the barn when Cedarpelt is basically refusing to train him properly.
Some family tree shuffles I need to update this tree to show Crookedstar's new situation with Shellheart (and also reflect some other changes I made like confirming Hallowflight fully being Lizardtail's honor title and Robinpaw being the apprentice who gets eaten by Ripwater), BUT, overall this tree is solid.
The ableism Storm faces is going to have a different flavor I have built BB in a way where him surviving his injury would be very respected, but he'd get badly coddled and pushed into early retirement. Him running to the barn is because he suspects he wouldn't have gotten training otherwise.
He kills a fox there because it's Cool. I might give him the tail to wear as a trophy of the kill because that's also Cool. The fox was very old and feeble at that point, which was why it was attacking chickens, but shhh
The Way It Was (Very Evil Mapleshade)
Darkstar's Commandment creating the Queen's Rights, that no queen would ever have to reveal the other parent of their kittens, wasn't enough to appease Mapleshade.
Nor was the damning of everyone that Mapleshade killed. In a fit of irrational fury at all the death, StarClan sent all her victims into the Dark Forest.
But she can't chase them. In the Dark Forest, you don't see someone unless you WANT to see them, not unless you're hanging out in a "land mar" (a sort of personal hell that all demons get).
on the off-chance she does see them, Frecklewish usually rips her to shreds...
Which is the next problem.
You can't DIE in the Dark Forest if you're a demon. You poof back into existence the next day, no injuries, no scars, nothing.
she's bored.
And vengeful. In spite of the wrong being righted, she still thinks she deserves MORE revenge, because what she wanted was really Appledusk.
She finds it unfair that HER legacy is snuffed out, that it's Darkstar's Commandment and not hers, that her babies were destined for greatness and by extension SHE should have been great.
So she takes up a hobby in tormenting Appledusk's descendants. She wants to eradicate them completely, but is spiteful enough that she'll just settle with hurting them.
The first one she managed to kill was Applefrost, Reedshine's son. Just by accident. She didn't know she had such power over the mortal plane.
After that, she managed to drown Duskwater. The daughter.
But she couldn't wipe out HER daughter in that storm... and she brought two more Applekin children into the world.
Stormkit and Oakkit.
So, naturally, Mapleshade turned her sight on the little fuzzball.
He would be an easy kill, in theory. She smashed Stormkit's jaw on the rock, but Oakkit pulled him out.
From there, it's similar to canon for a bit. His recovery is long and painful.
Rainflower is disgusted, and wants absolutely no part of helping him through this process.
That wasn't an injury gained in battle-- it's because he's careless and didn't listen to her. He's going through all this suffering, and for what?
To never become a warrior?
She's cruel to him, begins to neglect and distance herself from him. Discourages him from suckling.
Mapleshade LOVES this. It's worse than she could have imagined. Rainflower is horrible.
Gleefully, she realizes that Stormkit dying now is what Rainflower wants.
So, she kills two other kits in the nursery.
Fallowtail's only survivor is Willowkit, so she has plenty of milk. She starts suckling Stormkit.
(Graypool is now an older sibling! She's actually an apprentice at this time! Later, she encourages Willowkit to visit their father, who decides to just kidnap them completely)
Eventually, being the deputy, Rainflower had some kind of conversation with Hailstar.
During that conversation, she asked him to do something very cruel to Crookedkit.
And Hailstar LOST IT
He's the successor of Volestar, who was appointed by Darkstar herself to uphold the Queen's Rights and protect children.
How DARE you try to turn RiverClan into a place of disrespect?? To use my power this way?!
So, her power was stripped, and Oakkit and Stormkit were taken from her.
From there, Storm eventually goes to the barn as discussed, and Mapleshade continues to do things to hurt him.
This was my first draft, and now having thought about it a lot, I feel like it's not super cohesive. A demonic Mapleshade who's entirely malicious is neat, but I feel like this makes her flat. Shellheart's not tied in super well either, and Hailstar's stand feels kind of hollow because Rainflower hasn't actually used or leveraged the new authority I've given her.
But most egregiously? Rainflower's abuse being so close to canon tastes kind of bland. I feel like I can make it sooo much more intense, complicated, and painful.
Draft 2 of Stormpaw's Demon (Demon of Revenge Update) Essentially an outline for the first few chapters establishing Mapleshade by dealing with Rainflower and then fragments for the rest.
Mapleshade's still malicious, but this time, there's more to it.
Darkstar's Commandment, and the damning of her victims, DID appease this Mapleshade.
But is she satisfied? No.
She doesn't feel like she was wrong at all, actually. Without her killing those three in revenge for her kittens, StarClan's anger probably would have subsided.
She can't hunt her victims down again though, because, they don't want to see her. She fights Frecklewish every now and then but what's the point?
She WON already. She already GOT the euphoria of dragging them all down with her.
Punishing everyone who had ever wronged her was the highlight of her existence... but now it's done.
She's in Hell and she's bored. Her punishment is never seeing her kits again, but more importantly, her punishment is eternal shuffling through the leaf litter when she's SO GOOD at getting revenge.
Problem with revenge is, when you get it, it's gone.
She probably messed with Duskwater and Applefrost a bit, but if she killed one of them, it was accidental. It made her realize that revenge without a motive is just boring.
The prologue would probably open up with establishing her as a character. Who she is, what she wants.
Because the first chapter would dive RIGHT IN to Stormkit. The only child of Rainflower, the deputy.
Right along with Stormkit, you only learn in hindsight that he was born in a storm that killed his grandmother. It's clear that Rainflower reminds him of this often.
And that she's nasty to him. Giving him unclear instruction and finding things to critique, telling him to jump and then barking at him that he didn't ask how high.
She has great expectations for him, and reminds him of their family lineage often. Of who killed his great-grandfather, of what a fantastic pair of warriors Applefrost and Duskwater were
"I lost everything the night you were born. You'd better be able to make up for it."
Unfortunately, Stormkit is not the sort of child who's good at listening to those sorts of orders. He's stubborn and defiant; angry and oppositional.
When he doesn't understand why you do something, he doesn't want to do it
He "embarrasses" her a lot, and gets hurt for it.
In public, these are swats and whacks. The things you're "allowed" to do to discipline your child. In private these are a lot more severe.
So when Stormkit is given an order or a command, he obeys completely out of fear rather than respect. And sometimes he forgets his fear.
The other cats in RiverClan? Well... Stormkit is a problem child, and Rainflower is a fantastic, organized, respected deputy.
Hailstar especially, unfortunately. He feels bad... for Rainflower.
"It must be so hard for her to have such a little brat as a son. He never seems to learn his lesson. When will he stop wandering off? What's wrong with him? He certainly didn't get that from her."
His best friend, Oakkit, gets in the SAME trouble he does.
He's mischievous, fearless, and outgoing, and... never gets punished for it.
There's times where Oakkit does something and Stormkit physically recoils, just imagining what Rainflower would do if HE did something like that. Especially in how Oakkit talks to his dad, Shellheart.
For example, Shellheart will come to get his son for suckling time and Oakkit will tell him to his face things like, "I don't want to! I'm HAVING FUN!"
and shellheart doesn't flip out. He just. explains why it's important to eat on time.
"I know. But Fallowtail wants to go have fun too! She's waiting for you to come and suckle so she can go play."
"Well why can't she just play now and I suckle later?"
"When a suckler is full of milk, it makes their belly very itchy. She's uncomfortable when you don't come and eat on time."
"nnnh"
"Tough sell? How about I sweeten the pile with a badger ride back?"
"Hm. You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Dad."
Stormkit doesn't know why he hates it. He's all angry inside when he sees them acting friendly. He's polite because Oakkit's his best friend and Mr. Shellheart is really nice, but he just...
He's too young at the time to know he's envious. He wants what Oakkit has so badly it hurts.
Sometime after an exchange like that, Stormkit is visited by Mapleshade for the first time.
And they talk about Stormkit's anger and resentment. Stormkit lets it slip that he HATES his Mi.
Waits for Mapleshade to stop him and tell him, like everyone else does, that "she's still your mother."
...but she doesn't.
Besides Oakkit and Shellheart, she's the first person who doesn't tell him that.
She just lets him talk. Lets him go on. Starts making nasty jabs, which make him laugh.
"She says she lost everything the day I was born!!"
"What?! That's crazy! She got you that day!"
"Right?! It's like she's saying I'm nothing! Maybe she SHOULD lose everything, then she'd know what she's got!"
And then she asks, "Do you want her to die?"
Suddenly, there's a chill in the air. He's really shocked by the suggestion of that. He didn't... he didn't mean it to go THAT far. That's not what he meant... is it?
But she's fading back into the shadows, just her eyes visible in the dark. Tells him that she can see he's unsure. That's ok.
Holds up a budding sprig of sycamore, the maple she's named for. Its buds grow in a "deer hoof," with one large bud in the middle and two "toes" sprouting on its sides.
Teaches him that if he needs someone in his corner, all he has to do is call.
(to summon her, a bud is plucked off the sprig and thrown in the river.)
He wakes up with the sprig in his paw, panics, and shoves it under the nest he shares with his mother.
The experience shakes him. He probably ran to Brambleberry for the first time, who explains very seriously that he was contacted by a demon.
From the description... Mapleshade. The cat who killed his great-grandfather.
He BEGS her not to tell Rainflower. PLEADS with her. He can barely hear her already saying yes under the throbbing sound of his heart in his ears.
When he calms down, he hears her saying yes. On the condition she will need to smoke the nursery with sage and cedar, and that he will be needing a bath as well.
When he's still concerned that Rainflower will question him, she makes a plan to distract her for a day, long enough for him to do his cleanse and the smell to fade.
And, of course, that he will not follow any instructions that Mapleshade left him. He agrees. But does not tell Brambleberry about the sprig.
For a while he's very "well behaved." But it's not about him, never has been.
It really doesn't take long at all for Rainflower to get worse. Kids who are defiant like that are usually exercising a defense mechanism-- if they're not aggressive about their boundaries, their limits are pushed to a breaking point.
And after a big blowout like this, which was probably a public spectacle, Stormkit runs back to his nest and digs out the sprig, runs to the river, and throws a bud in the river.
Having calmed down from his shuddering fury, the dread begins to set in as a dead-smelling wind ruffles his fur. He can't help but feel like he just did something very stupid out of anger.
Looking at his reflection, he sees no cuts or swelling. The blows weren't "bad enough." He doesn't have the kind of injuries that anyone would do anything about. Equal parts guilt and frustration swell in him like a tide at full moon. How could he be sitting here wishing she hurt him worse?
So he tries to soften it, "I don't want her to die, I just, I... I just want her to lose everything like she says. Please..."
The wind whispers in his ear, "it will get worse before it gets better."
"I can handle that," he sobs, "I can do anything. Please. Make it stop."
After that, Oakkit probably runs to come find him. Stormkit doesn't want to be found. He makes up a childish plan, on the spot, to run away and join ThunderClan.
Oak says that's mousebrained, but Storm has DEVOTED himself to this plan he made just now.
And is crossing the stones.
Oak sighs, but if Storm's going to ThunderClan, he should really go with him because then they could totally fight off a small fox (Childish hubris)
Unfortunately, Rainflower found them. asks Exactly What He's Doing.
The kids freeze. Stormkit in particular has that horrible, twisting anxiety that you get when you hear The Tone that means you're in for an absolute wallop when you get home.
He's about to start running, but then the voice tickles his ear-fur again. Mapleshade tells him to go back. It'll be ok. She's on his side. She'll make her pay.
Oakkit is still frozen in place when, as if possessed, Storm's body stiffly returns to his mother.
There's a silence. The river trickling through the stepping stones. Storm looking with fear and anger up at her.
She's waiting for an apology, groveling. He doesn't give her one.
So she raises her paw and gives him an awful, hard blow.
His little body twists, flung off balance, trying to correct himself, and he can swear he felt paws pushing him a second time, whipping him downwards.
The feeling of falling fills his stomach, the water sloshes into his ears before there's a ring of a sound like CLUNK-CRUNCH, and then the river floods his nose and mouth.
It all goes dark.
When he wakes up, it's with a throbbing pain in the side of his jaw so intense that he can feel it all the way down in the tip of his tail. He learns from Brambleberry that Oakkit rescued him-- jumped right into the water to pull him out. And then Rainflower pulled him out. That was when Shellheart came and found them.
There's a LOT of arguing outside, but Storm can't ask what it is because it hurts to move his mouth at all. Brambleberry hushes and soothes him, telling him it's nothing he needs to know about.
(MEDICAL INFODUMPING: i do actually have a medical reason I want his injury to come from someone hitting him which causes him to fall. The injury he'd get in canon would actually be a really simple and common split in the front of the mandible, which wouldn't cause his mouth to have a dramatic twist and would heal very easily. He needs to come down on the rock at an angle to shatter the joint like that.)
From here, the tune about Stormkit starts to change.
Oakkit was distraught when they got back, telling everyone that Rainflower smashed him against a rock.
Rainflower's story is that he was running, and she chased after him. EVERYONE knows that he has a habit of doing this.
Then HE slipped and fell and hit his face on the rocks. His fault.
Oakkit was running away with him, he's lying.
Shellheart is FEROCIOUSLY taking the side of his son, furious that she would imply he raised a liar.
Hailstar is taking the side of Rainflower. It's two troublemaking kits against his deputy.
Yes, Rainflower's disciplined him before, but that's no indication she'd do something like this on purpose.
Brambleberry weighs in that the injury that Stormkit has isn't the sort of injury a kitten gets from hitting his jaw. The bone is shattered.
probably does some kind of visual to go along with it, using a stick and a stone
"The bones of a kitten are like the young shoots of a tree. When they fracture," she takes a young twig and snaps it in her paws. The fibers in the center are bent but unbroken, with the bark splintered around them, "they flay but don't snap."
She places the stick on the ground, "So for the injury that Stormkit has," and violently smashes the rock down onto it. It's shattered and pulped, the fibers flattened, "there would need to be a great force."
Shellheart hisses, saying that THIS is the evidence. Oakkit's story is consistent but Rainflower HAS to have lied.
Several cats are now on his side.
...But more are on Rainflower's.
"She's his mother. She loves him. Oakkit has to be mistaken."
"Why would she chase down her own son just to smash his face on a stone?"
"She wouldn't pull them out of the river if she really wanted to hurt him!"
Hailstar prompts if there's ANYTHING else that could explain this?
It comes up that Brambleberry cleansed the dens the other day.
She says that it's possible there is a demon's influence at work. She can't know for sure which one it is-- but it may have a grudge against Rainflower.
She allows them to reach the conclusion that it's probably Mapleshade on their own. She will be talking to Crookedkit when he's able, but she's not about to tell anyone about his dream yet.
She doesn't want him to have the extra scrutiny when he needs to rest and heal, but if she'd shared that an unnamed cat had a demonic dream, it would set off panic as cats accused each other of dark magic.
Rainflower manages to escape consequences by pointing out that it was likely Mapleshade that injured her son.
Oakkit is still trying to tell everyone SHE did it, he SAW it, Stormkit walked back and she hit him and smashed his jaw on the rock
But he's hushed. It's decided there's not enough evidence. And not enough reason to doubt the noble deputy.
She's never done something like this before, after all. It's more likely it was an accident.
There is a group of cats that are dissatisfied about this, though, and it only grows when Brambleberry explains that Stormkit's prognosis is not good.
There is a very high chance he will die. Even adult warriors can wither slowly from this sort of injury.
Recovery will be slow and it will be painful.
...but after that incident? Rainflower gets bolder. She got away with it in public. She got a taste of the leverage she has, how much they trust her.
Stormkit spends a lot of time floating in between his dreams and his living-world pain. There's at least one interaction where he speaks to Mapleshade, screaming at her that he TRUSTED her, he KNOWS she's the one who hurt him! How could she?!
She can't say much, kept at bay by a hazy smokescreen of sage. "You must live! You must survive!"
Her old words echo in his head; It Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better.
Throughout the recovery, Rainflower grows more cruel and more distant.
In public she likes to talk about how difficult this is for her, but he's strong, he will survive.
In private, she'll do things that hurt him, like repositioning his head in a way that "his jaw will heal better in." When he cries, she's unsympathetic.
"You brought this on yourself. This is for your own good."
Her definition of "private" is also changing. She's getting more comfortable with snapping at him in front of limited groups of people.
Since she's deputy, the other two parents in the nursery, Shellheart and Fallowtail, do their best to care for Stormkit while she's away. He's pulled away from them when she gets back, any ideas or suggestions they have vetoed.
When they try to go to Brambleberry about this, she shakes her head with frustration and tries to make them understand she knows... and she's just as unhappy with it as they are.
She tells them she keeps going to Hailstar, but he's still hesitant. Even though she's trying to tell him that Stormkit's recovery is being undermined.
"Rainflower's son has always needed tough love. She's his Mi and knows him best... she's still taking care of him. Give her a warning before suggesting anything drastic."
In the other draft, I had Mapleshade kill two of Fallowtail's kits to free up milk for Stormkit. I'm not sure I need that anymore honestly, plus, this rework's heavy enough! She can just have Willowkit without any deaths, while Graypaw remains an older sibling.
When Brambleberry informs Rainflower and Stormkit that the jaw isn't healing straight and it will probably be at an angle forever, Rainflower reacts with disdain.
"His first scar and it's nothing he earned?!"
She's reminded he might not even survive. He's lost weight. He's eating less. Stormkit curls up quietly. He hates how they talk about him like he can't hear them.
"Surviving is the bare minimum," she scoffs reflexively. There's a silence so thick you can cut it with a claw. After an uncomfortable heartbeat, she continues, "What kind of a life will he live if he-"
"a life," Brambleberry cuts in, "he'd live a life. And it can be a good one"
Rainflower growls, spitting that the twisted jaw is a disfigurement. He'll never be able to open his mouth all the way. He can't chew and he can't suckle forever. Stormkit will never become a warrior if he can't even dispatch a fish with a killing bite.
"Scars are the sign that StarClan has mended our bodies after fighting a good fight, making any Clanborn cat worthy of being an elder" Brambleberry preaches, "Names are what mark us, calling upon our ancestors to look down at us and witness our actions, Rainflower. Don't say anything you wouldn't want them to see."
Rainflower flicks her ear, seething, a rumble in her throat, "was that some kind of threat? As if I've said something wrong?"
"If you feel threatened, look within."
Stormkit resents all of this talk. He can feel his mother tensing up next to him, hears the low rumble progressing into a growl. When adults play stupid games with his mom, he's always the one who ends up dealing it. Why don't they get that?
It's only Shellheart who seems to have it click, "Hey, this is the nursery. Can you take it outside, please?"
As Brambleberry and Rainflower leave, Stormkit lays curled up in his nest, cold and alone. Oakkit leaves Shellheart's paws to curl up around his best friend.
Shellheart stares at them, shifting, but ultimately stays where he is.
There's a lot of words I could write there, between Storm and Oak. Ones where Storm speaks about how he just wants the pain to be done with. Others where Oak comforts him, tells him how much he means to him. More where they end up running into the wall that they're just two little kids and they've both learned the truth that they have no control over what happens when Rainflower comes back into that den.
But I think it would be good to end there, at the lowest point. Because it gets better.
Pissed off by being gently confronted, after her warning from Brambleberry, this is the moment where Rainflower goes too far.
Hailstar is gradually losing his patience. Every time this issue comes up, he's making some kind of new excuse for her.
She's still a competent deputy who holds the Clan together, but this has taken a toll on her reputation.
Her biggest mistake was becoming more open with her abuse after being emboldened. And I think Hailstar is beginning to feel like he's got "egg on his face."
After standing up for Rainflower several times, getting heat from Brambleberry, and now the Clan also starting to murmur...
It's getting very difficult to justify why he's sticking his neck out.
and maybe, part of him is starting to feel a little self-conscious about the way that his deputy is acting about her injured child.
When she comes storming up on this fateful day, interrupting whatever he was doing to make a proposition, it's the breaking point.
Her suggestion: "I've realized that there's only one way to ensure my son survives his injury. He's being haunted by our demon, which only started threatening him when he disobeyed me for the last time. WE need to teach him a lesson, and make sure StarClan gazes down upon him to acknowledge his mistakes."
"...how do you intend to do that?"
"Stormkit must be given a Dishonor Title."
A Dishonor Title, one of the greatest shames that a leader can put onto one of their warriors. A punishment that ranks just below exile in terms of severity.
"you want to put a dishonor title... on your child? one with a life-threatening injury?"
"One that acknowledges his carelessness. To protect him from the demon."
Protect him from the demon. "I see now what must be done."
Previously, I'd thought of Hailstar as someone who would be loud and merciless when he does this. Now I'm thinking it was something he put a lot of thought into. He stands up, brushes past her, and goes to talk to some of his most trusted cats. Brambleberry, his mate Echomist, an experienced warrior such as Piketooth or Ottersplash, and lastly, Shellheart.
So it's not a surprise to anyone but Rainflower herself. He doesn't want this to be dramatic. He doesn't want it to be another big scene. Stormkit has gone through enough.
When he eventually has this Clan meeting, he calls it quietly. In his address to the gathered cats, a crowd that Shellheart and his family are missing from at his request, he says that his greatest regret is that he didn't do this sooner. He even doubts that Mapleshade is haunting her at all-- now having seen her behavior, he says it's more likely that Rainflower bashed her own child against a rock and simply lied.
First, he announces that Stormkit will be removed from her care. He will no longer be of the Applekin bloodline.
She is banned from the nursery at the request of Fallowtail, and will only see Stormkit when supervised by his new Mi, Shellheart.
Brambleberry has already agreed to this necessity, and is performing a ritual so that StarClan may approve of this choice.
He also strips her of her deputyship, and appoints Ottersplash instead. (I might change this to a different deputy eventually)
Not everyone agrees with Hailstar. There's an uproar from Rainflower's supporters.
She was a VERY popular deputy.
More that are just uneasy, feeling that this was a BRUTAL punishment that she didn't deserve.
Lots are happy and optimistic, though. But the mixed reception is exactly why Hailstar asked Shellheart not to be here.
This isn't something Stormkit has to deal with right now.
When Darkstar herself, who created the Queen's Rights, was on her last life, she appointed Volestar to uphold the law as her legacy knowing that Oakstar might try to break it again.
Volestar appointed Hailstar, in the hopes that he would uphold her legacy in turn, to protect kittens and those who can't protect themselves.
He was late, and can only hope he was not too late. He hopes that Volestar can forgive him for that.
Meanwhile in the nursery, Shellheart, Oakkit, and Stormkit are alone, far in the back, where the padded moss keeps out arguing voices.
Oakkit, bless his little heart, is babbling with excitement because his best friend is his BROTHER now. And it's gonna be THE BEST.
He's talking about how it's fine he can't chew because now they can have soup, and they're going to make the nest bigger, and they can stay up later because they can whisper quieter if they're this close together
But Storm doesn't really hear him. His head's swimming, thinking about the dull ache in his jaw, how MAD his mom's going to be because he can't imagine her not finding a way to hurt him, how this is all his fault because he called Mapleshade.
He can't stop it anymore and starts sniffling, which turns into weeping. Still, he's TRYING not to bawl, knowing, knowing he looks stupid when he does that
Shellheart just pulls him in close, so he can bury his face in his fluffy chest. Tells him it's going to be ok. He's safe now. No one can hurt him there.
Not on his watch.
Unfortunately, it's not the last he sees of Mapleshade. After this...
Mapleshade shows him everything she did for him. Yes, she did smash his jaw-- but it was to get him away from his mother.
And she planted an idea here and there, just little whispers into Rainflower's ear. Nothing she wouldn't do all on her own.
And now... Mapleshade believes she's earned some respect.
Stormkit can't disagree... she did exactly what she told him she'd do.
And now that he's not Applekin anymore, they can be Real Friends. They could even strike up a partnership, of sorts. After all, what did StarClan do to help him?
It wasn't StarClan that answered his prayers.
I'm still figuring out what, exactly, she's going to want from him. I have a scintilla that she wants to give him a life, maybe as some kind of bridge to StarClan to see her kits?
Some strange "attempt" at redemption, perhaps? Which she ultimately doesn't get.
Not that she didn't enjoy doing all that for love of the game, mind you. She's very good at getting revenge and it's fun and exciting to pull it off.
But hey, if you're good at something, never do it for free.
What causes Mapleshade to ultimately turn, and begin haunting the bloodline again + Oakheart, is Crookedstar rejecting her in some way.
She comes to collect on her end of the bargain and he refuses, breaking their partnership. He chooses StarClan.
And then from there, it's ON again. Now she has another EXCUSE to do what she wanted to do, and take out her boredom and malice on his family.
This time, it includes Oakheart as well-- because he was Crookedstar's brother.
It was also her curse that harmed Willowbreeze and eventually Silverstream. She's on the warpath.
Maybe she actually helped make him leader on purpose. Like he explicitly asked so she helped him by making the squirrel omen, instead of just doing it for him unprompted. Still figuring it out.
Shortly after the scene where Stormkit cries, he needs to have a confrontation with Brambleberry about Mapleshade I think. She needs to explain why Dark Forest demons are seen as bad.
She's biased, of course, but it's not like she's TOTALLY wrong either. Cats like Mapleshade ARE vengeful, in ways many other spirits are not.
If you're curious, Crookedstar's dishonor title from Rainflower would have been something comparing him to a parasite and referencing his ""accident"" like Fleaskip or Midgefall.
The point she's trying to make with the Dishonor Title is that her son is an annoying bug who didn't listen, as well as subtly erase she fact she knocked him off that rock.
She wanted his name to say "everything that happened was my fault and my mom did nothing wrong"
Not that Hailstar got as far as even asking lmao
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gaykarstaagforever · 5 months ago
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Well if I'm going to use stupidass TikTok, I should find out what all the weird baby straights and soon-to-be-divorced tradwives are up to over there.
Today we learn about the "Clean Girl Aesthetic".
Near as I can tell, it basically means not looking or dressing like some kind of dumpster clown.
And there's a fascination with pleated slacks or shorts and exposed belly buttons.
Doubtless this is mimicking some lady all these people have seen on their TVs. Taylor Swift? Another lady? Who can say? Not me, because Taylor Swift is the only lady I know of.
I'm old enough to remember the predecessor of this style as a kind of late 80s / early 90s Yacht Club thing that was popular with movie bullies and other people no one liked. I'm sure it has a History of Fashion name but I'm not looking it up, because Google already doesn't know who the hell I am or what the hell to sell me. I know it was very polo-shirt heavy back then. Big pockets. Beiges and greys and muted colors, probably because the POOR PEOPLE were all dressing like dumpster clowns:
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But I looked up the Clean Girl thing to see exactly what probably-AI says it is:
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...So it is literally about not being dirty? Isn't all fashion, inherently? Was there a trend that was wearing filth recently? Filthcore? Dumpster clown?
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Well yeah, the midriff thing. But again, isn't all fashion inherently fatphobic? That's still bad, but kind of a universal in the world of people being dicks to other people about how everyone looks. The TRUE SOUL of fashion.
And that's not a new thing. Or is the Clean Girl thing especially virulently anti-fatty? Like to be a Clean Girl, you have to drive at least one fat person to contemplate suicide a month?
I mean that's awful, but TikTok is a lot of teenagers with stupid hair. I wouldn't put this past them. They're horrible little idiots. Look at their hair!
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...Wait so you guys are doing "brown = dirty"? In 2024? What Gulf Coast cave did you people crawl out of after a 150-year Rip Van Winkle nap? The War Between the States is over, and your side lost. How did you figure out TikTok so fast, displaced temporal stranger?
Can't we all just shut up and wear pants?
As for the stealing thing, white people have been stealing and recreating the things they stole from POCs, then excluding them from those versions of those things, for as long as there have been white people.
It's bad, but as it is our primary cultural trait, we're certainly never going to stop.
Especially not those hibernating cave people. They probably still think "the Curse of Ham" is a justifiable legal defense.
This is what Clean Girl looks like, in case you too want to dress like someone whose dad mismanages a major streaming platform:
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(I don't know who this model is. The picture is from a half-broken aggregator website in Foreign.)
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kindestofkings · 1 year ago
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what came first, the chicken or the dickhead [2/3]
[smau]
f1driver!reader x lando norris (eventually, friends to lovers ofc)]
authors note: THANK YOU SOOO much for the love on part one guys I'm so overwhelemed 🥺 hope you guys enjoy this next part <33
yourusername 
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yourusername I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now
Why? Oh, 'cause she's about kick off her first season with ferrari xx
view all 580 comments 
landonorris shes in her reputation era 💅
yourusername i've trained you so well
ynfan1 I'm so excited to see you in that red car ❤️🔥
Racerbia I can't believe my bestie is a FERRARI DRIVER
yourusername I know can you believe it!! best of luck with your season this year <33
charles_leclerc I did not know you joining the team would result in me learning so many taylor swift lyrics
landonorris just you wait until she starts sending you fan theories.. yourusername charlie you'd get an A in taylor swift theory and lyric knowledge, dont fight it !! f1fan she calls him charlie they have to be dating!
ynfan1 charles_leclerc what's your favourite Tswift album?
charles_leclerc I think its Red charles_leclerc (TAYLOR'S VERSION THO) yourusername phew that was a close one
​​taylorswift never seen a getaway car driver look so good, knock em dead 🖤
yourusername omgomgomgomgomgomg mother, I mean miss Swift its an honour landonorris oh thats why shes inconsolably crying alex_albon is that what that scream was? ynfan2 shes been broken
scuderiaferrari
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scuderiaferrari red era vibes with our dynamic duo locking it down here in bahrain! our two drivers are ready for sunday 👊
view all 290 comments
ynfan1 the power of yourusername, converting the whole ferrari team into being swifties 😂
yourusername you know it! I'm a swiftie first, a media nightmare second and THEN a f1 driver
f1fan enough with the pop culture comparisons. what matters is the race, not taylor swift. Let the performance do the talking
ynfan2 how sad is your little life??
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yourusername 
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yourusername P3 babyyy, while your out here running your mouth still I'm busy getting on to that podium. Bahrin you were beautiful, thank you to the team and to charles for all the support this weekend, and just in general ❤️
congrats maxverstappen1 on opening the season with such a surprising (not) win! was a fun fight 😂
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maxverstappen1 think you going to be a reoccurring problem now!
yourusername it me hi! im the problem its me xx (liked by taylorswift and others)
ynfan1 I never expected the f1/taylor swift cross over but i love this
f1fan making the tifosi so proud  👊❤️
maxfewtrell fantastic drive, so proud!!!
yourusername maxi my boy <3
charles_leclerc posted to their story!
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-@carlossainz55 would never have done this to me 😞
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f1wagsupdates
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f1wagsupdates in the week coming to the monaco grand prix, it appears the two ferrari drivers are spending time together with leclerc's family! seems like a bit more than just teammate bonding 👀
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yncharlesshipper wow the family, must be serious
ynlando4ever please please please be besties
ynfan1 its getting hard to be delulu about this 😀
yourusername posted a photo to their story!
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Mwahahahah mama leclerc the women than you are
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charles_leclerc when did this exchange happen 😂 arthur_leclerc 😂 😂 😂 😂 landonorris troy bolten and justin beiber call they want hair tips x
yourusername
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yourusername MONACOOOO its race day and you best believe I'm bringing my A game in defensive racing. il predestinato will break his monaco curse if its the last thing I do 😤
charles_leclerc starting p1 go slay this thing bestie!!
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charles_leclerc the best 👊
scuderiaferrari teamwork makes the dream work 🔥
f1fan gasly could NEVER with the teamwork
ynfan1 ouch that bestie has gotta hurt 😬
charles_leclerc
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charles_leclerc best. day. ever.
winning in red and winning at home has always been the dream, thank you thank you everyone for the support in getting here! special thanks to yourusername for the incredibly defense and helping reach my dream 🫶
this one's for you, monaco!
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scuderiaferrari we always knew you could do it 👊🔥
yourusername CHARLIEEE always knew you could do it !
carlossainz55 amazing felicidades
charles_leclerc thank you thank you
maxverstappen1 hate to lose but congrats mate!
pierregasly living out your destiny 💪 that was all you charles!
ynfan1 pierre try not to make a petty comment challenge: FAILED (liked by yourusername)
f1fan monaco belongs to you, il predestinato!!!
yourusername posted a photo to their story!
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they both prefer each other over me guys help 😭😭
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landonorris my best girl 🥰 -> me?? so kind! landonorris 😑😑
I just tagged a few peps that I thought were waiting out for part 2! let me know if you're not comfortable being tagged :))
taglist: @kissesandmartinis @kissesandmartinis @vellicora @reidside @leclercin16
2/3 , part three is coming later tonight its gonna be fluffy i promise 💓
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nimrochan · 7 months ago
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I don’t think that my few handfuls of followers on various social media accounts realize that I’m an American-Israeli. I’ve been watching things unfold and staying silent for the most part. I know it’s very easy to have an opinion from the comfort and safety of my home, but too many people are also echoing online opinions without enough information or thought behind them. Although it’s fair to say that I’m biased, I think it’s important to view conflicts from multiple perspectives. Including and especially from someone from the actual region/culture that everyone outside of it suddenly has an opinion on. And I think I’m ready to say what I wanted to say:
Why aren’t people more angry with Hamas?
I’ve spent some childhood years in Israel. Every week on the news was another incident - a bus b*mbing, a car b*mbing, a s*icide b*mber… I remember being terrified of getting on buses, or going to public places. I remember soldiers standing at the entrance of every mall, and I remember hearing how one soldier died while stopping a s*icide b*mber at a mall entrance - both were women in their early 20’s. Until today my father tells me to avoid crowded places, and to always stand in a corner with my back on the wall to observe my surroundings.
When I moved to America I had moved on from these memories and didn’t really think about them. But the attacks never stopped. For DECADES. And over the last few years I did notice that very few non-Jewish Americans were aware of what life is like in Israel - having a barrage of rockets rain on you every once in a while. Having alerts to warn you to head to the nearest shelter. Israel has the protection of the Iron Dome. But it’s not perfect, and some rockets do hit their targets. Also, you know, maybe people shouldn’t be firing rockets unprovoked into another country?? (Don’t even get me started on Hezbollah, too.) No one bats an eye if other countries randomly shoot rockets into Israel, but as soon as Israel retaliates to try destroying the area where rockets come from, everyone comes out of the woodwork to condemn them.
Some of my American family members have an app that dings every time rockets are fired into Israel. I could never bring myself to download it. The number of dings drives me crazy.
In fact, if you ever wanted to buy a piece of jewelry or sculpture made of Hamas rockets, there are businesses upcycling them.
If you’re not from Israel, I just want you to imagine the number of rockets that regularly have to come into your country for any rockets-to-products businesses to even exist. For reasons beyond my comprehension, a lot of political parties in America want to defund the Iron Dome, a system designed solely for defense. But I digress.
Gazans never had an Iron Dome and yet Hamas gives no regard to the lives of their own people when they fire openly from homes, schools, hospitals. When they hide hostages and weapons in heavily populated areas.
I remember frantically texting and calling people on 10/07 to see if any of my family members were harmed or killed in the attack. All while anti-Zionists already rallied on social media to offer no sympathy and blame the attack on the Jews on, the Jews. Right. Luckily, whatever close family I had in the area was far away enough from the attack that they were spared, and they soon evacuated. My second cousin and her kids were only spared because they happened to be away, but their home was in ashes and their friends and neighbors were dead.
Israel is a small and close-knit country. I don't have words to describe how we grieved. 1200 innocent civilians sl*ughtered for no reason. That number is just a little under half of the number of deaths on 9/11, and it was done without the help of airplanes, just men running around killing people. The youngest one was 14 hours old. This is the largest m*rder of Jews since the Holocaust. I won’t even go into detail about how some of their bodies were mutilated because it’s too horrific for me to want to type it out. In fact I left the most disturbing footage out of this post. I had been avoiding seeing the footage of Shani Louk, but it was shown at the exhibit too and I’ll never be able to forget it for as long as I live. It made me sick to my stomach.
Look at the pictures. Look at all those shoes. The last time I felt such powerful emotion staring at shoes was at a Holocaust museum. A lot of item displays included their owners’ smart phones showing their final videos on a loop. The people who attend the Nova festival tend to be laid-back, free spirits. They show up covered in glitter and wearing fairy-wings, waving rainbow flags. They lived next to Gaza because they felt safe there, and they often supported Palestinians. Listen to the unhindered joy in the voice of the man calling his father to tell him he had m*rdered ten Jews. One of the most disgusting parts of this is the fact that people protested outside this exhibit as well.
When I brought myself to browse social media again, over and over I saw posts about how “they deserved it” and “they had it coming.” The same people, the same self-proclaimed “feminists” who would shared the #MeToo and #YesAllWomen hashtags, people with immensely large followings, were now having no sympathy for the Israeli women who were r*ped, basically saying “she asked for it.” People defending and excusing Hamas because they “weren’t created in a vacuum.” When did we start excusing r*pe and t*rrorism for ANY reason? On that note, don’t you think Israel’s aggressive defense of itself also stems from a historical reason, shaped by outside forces?
And then there are many voices still expressing plain denial! This was the most well-documented t*rrorist attack in history, because the attackers filmed it with pride, and yet over and over I also saw people posting about how “it never happened,” “they would never do that,” and how these t*rrorists were just “resistance fighters” with propaganda crafted to “make them look bad.”
In my home state of New York, I saw people marching wearing same types of scarves that these “resistance fighters” wore to commit crimes against humanity so recently, tearing down posters of Israeli hostages instead of hanging their own posters on innocent killed Gazans and sharing in the grief.
I see people over and over calling Israelis “white colonists,” when in fact MOST OF THEM ARE BROWN, dark-skinned just like their neighbors (if I showed you photos of my family in Israel, you'd be surprised to learn they aren't Arabic). We are an ethnic minority on this planet and in every country except Israel, but antisemites love to flip the script and paint us as majority white colonizer oppressors. When the majority of Americans calling for the abolishment of Israel are themselves actually living on colonized land (I mean, really?) When most of North Africa has been colonized by Arab populations, yet everyone seems to conveniently forget that. Most alarmingly, I see people marching the streets and praising Hamas and the actual 10/07 attacks.
These same people probably could never spot Gaza on a map before 10/07. Where were they for the Chinese Uyghurs? Where were they for the mass murdered Syrians? For Afghans left at the mercy of the Taliban? For Iraqis killed after 9/11? For Darfur? Because no news unless Jews, right? How can you say you care about Muslims and then praise Hamas? How can you be Pro-Palestine and Pro-Hamas at the same time?! There is a huge, sick problem in America when college students here are applauded by overseas t*rrorist leaders on goddamn Twitter.
And these “Queers for Palestine”- where is the support for the gayest, most feminist, and most liberal country in the Middle East? (Go ahead and look up which country in the Middle East holds annual Pride Parades.) Where is the support for the millions of Arab-Israelis and other non-Jews who call Israel their home? Where is the support for the Arabs and non-Jews also killed on 10/07? Where are the feminists using their voices to demand Hamas return the hostages that are very likely being r*ped as I type this?
I feel like I’m going crazy telling people that there is a lot of fake news and propaganda being spread by Hamas and eaten up by the West. I am not the kind of person to use the phrase “fake news.” But when I see some extreme footage allegedly showing the IDF doing something especially horrible, I count the hours or days before the news is silently retracted because it turned out to be incorrect. Propaganda against Jews has seeped so far into gentile culture over the decades that people don't even realize it. It’s become sickeningly casual and normalized in all kinds of circles. Hell, I don’t even know who to vote for or who secretly wants me dead - the left side with the pro-Hamas crowd or the right side with their white supermacists .
No, I am not denying that a lot of innocent Gazans are dying horrific deaths. When I see footage of injured Palestinian children, I don’t look away and pretend it doesn’t happen, because it does. But what about Hamas dressing up as civilians, firing weapons among civilians, and continuing to hide the hostages??? What about the 15-17 year old brainwashed children marching with guns? When is enough enough? You know which army doesn’t hide in civilian clothing, or recruit children, or parade naked dead women around after they’ve killed them?? Take a guess.
War is fucking awful. And I'm not trying to justify it, just trying to articulate why this is such a clusterfuck of a situation. Someone please name any other country that wouldn’t retaliate and demand their hostages back after such an ugly, unprovoked attack. Someone please explain to me why the hatred is so intense and out of proportion. Again, DECADES of attacks. Someone please tell me what should be done - because if you do nothing, then 10/07 happens over and over and over again. Israelis are all living, breathing people with families just like Gazan civilians are. Stop dehumanizing us.
Why is it that after the Ukraine-Russia war started, when most westerners were on Ukraine’s side (including myself so don’t jump down my throat), that individual Russians living in western countries did not feel threatened the way individual Jews are being threatened? That war actually seems a way more black-and-white situation to me. Why did the Israeli singer for Eurovision need presidential-level protection from the mob gathered outside her hotel? Why did the other contestants continually insult her? You think every single Jew on the planet has a say in what happens in Israel?
Why am I going on social media to dumb down, only to see posts like “Reblog to increase IDF soldier s*icides” and “Like to # CeaseFire” and “From the river to the sea” (that expression basically means to promote the killing of all Israelis, I don’t care how you look at it). Why are you trying to call a cease fire with t*rrorists who are known to constantly break ceasefire, then make a surprised Pikachu face when they do it again?
Anti-Zionism is a clever cover for anti-semitism. The very definition of Zionism is the pursuit of an independent Jewish state (of which there is currently only ONE - for comparison, there are 57 Muslim countries). A lot of people don’t even know what Zionism is when they call themselves Anti-Zionist. And if you do? Most Jews are Zionist. You can’t separate semitism from Zionism to make yourself feel better. Israel is such a tiny country, it takes 6 hours to drive end-to-end across the longest part. While all over the world, synagogues are being threatened, Jewish graveyards are being vandalized, and Jews are being attacked, you are absolutely telling me and my people that we don’t deserve a safe space. And yes, Jews are indigenous to the Middle East just like Arabs are.
How do people rally against discrimination, but in the same breath act like discrimination towards Jews doesn’t count? You can’t reason your way out of it. You do not get to tell me what is and isn’t antisemitic.
Hamas does NOT give a damn about the actual land that Jews are living on. Hamas’s ultimate goal is to kill all Jews (it's LITERALLY spelled out in their government charter), is that what people want?? And even if you deny it, you think you could theoretically move all 8 million Jews out of Israel to where exactly?
You think other countries want to welcome a mass migration of 8 million Jews? (Remember why Jews left in the first place?) You want literal t*rrorists to have a stronger foothold in the Middle East?
Why do the surrounding countries condemn Israel, yet not step up to help Gazans either? Why won’t they open up their borders?
I’m sick and tired of people who have zero stake in the Middle East and very little knowledge just jumping on the bandwagon and virtue-signaling like it’s some clear black-and-white situation when it’s not. And then having the nerve to lecture ME. I’m angry and I’m frustrated.
Bring them the fuck home.
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