#Educational Excellence Everywhere

[sxorpiomooon]

D10 chart observations

paid readings

- having mars in your 6h might put you in situations where you'll be obliged to fight for your co workers especially new ones

- moon in 9h person makes the mother of the person be the "guru" or "teacher" they try to find everywhere. When faced with a situation they don't know what to do of asking their mother for their opinion is the best option

- rahu in 11h will make a person a natural marketing expert they will just naturally know how to promote a product

- it also makes a person have good friends outside of their job as in people working in the same field as theirs but in a different company

- people with jupiter in their 5h always become the master of their craft whether it's in the terms of getting an excellent education or excellent experience maybe even both but they will always be the master of their craft

- With that said, if you have jupiter in your 5h taking care of your father will also be beneficial for you

- having moon in your 7h will always want to deal with people one on one wanting to have that mental connection with other people

-having sun in your 12h can make you shine only in lands far away from your home(in terms of authority and fame)

- Having saturn in your 7h means that you might serve alot of people in masses

- Having saturn in your 7h can also show that you might have some karma with higher authorities

[evilminji]

Broadway :3c

And I hear ya. (Insert spooky joke here) There is a sprawling WEB of central hubs, for The Arts. For trade. For getting drunk and having a good time. The Zone is large and it is endless. You'll NEVER reach the far end. It can never reach you.

All things, in gentle sweeping waves, across eternity.

So when folks want to have "a market" or "a movie theater" or "the waterpark"? You gotta PICK a point on the endless map. Figure if you are close or far enough away for others like it, to make it worth the effort to build.

You might even be the first to do it for GALAXIES in any direction! People might fly for WEEKS to come to your place! Move their Lairs to be closer too it. Like dust gathered by gravity, slowly creating planets and stars. A mega Lair. A CITY.

They rise, they fall, the Zone shifts all the while.

But!

Does the dead starlet stop singing? Does getting gunned down, stop the show?? I think NOT! Where is her STAGE? What musicals? What dramas? What operas and tragedies and forms unknown to human kind??! Ballet dancers who CAN defy gravity! Singers who have no NEED for air! The haunting blend of instruments, that could never in life have met! From empires long turned to ASH!

The greatest show in DEATH!

Ember was a world wide hit. Yes, her voice was hypnotic. But that could be FOUGHT. It was SKILL that carried the game. And she was hardly "I was Literally The Greatest My Planet Ever Produced" skilled. She was good, great even. Not "I was Born For Greatness" Excellence.

And like?

.....eventually? Danny's gonna ask after "cultural-y" Culture stuff. Clothes and food. Music and the arts. To help his parents get used to the whole "our son is half-dead" thing. To show he's not some mindless monster now.

And? Ghostwriter? Probably an absolute legend. Does he know where you can find some CULTURE? Oh THANK ZONE! He thought you'd NEVER ask! You unsophisticated-! *fist fight in a library* Still a dick, though. Always and forever.

And just? Imagine Broadway stretched out into a floating city. That never sleeps. Never stops. Shows ever changing. Some on a cycle, some only once. Dream-like. Beautiful. Eye catching.

And yeah, Danny didn't think he LIKED musicals. It was more of a Jazz thing. But? This was important! Gotta get the whole family in the Speeder. We're going to see a play, guys! We'll pick when we get there! Family road trip! Educational! We can make notes!

His parents are trying to be supportive. Big, fixed, strained grins. Trying to pretend to be excited. But they... DO seem reluctantly intrigued? And Jazz is all but vibrating in her seat. It's basically her "before you go away to college" present. And she is THRILLED.

The longer she excitedly speculates? The more into it she gets their folks. This IS gonna be new! Exciting! Never before seen Ghost Culture! Music! As a FAMILY! Think we could find souvenirs? Ooooh, wonder if they sell CDs??!

Then? They GET there. And it's... it's like seeing the Las Vegas strip for the first time, except multiplied into a city. Made of even MORE styles and eras. At angles gravity would never allow.

The air filled with laughter and excitement, people rushing to shows or humming bits of tunes. Street stalls. Fountains. Flowers growing everywhere.

They could stay for months and not even reach a fraction of these buildings. His parents are taking countless photos. His sister squeeling with joy as she races for an information kiosk like they just arrived at Disneyland. He, at least, remembers to lock up the Speeder. Grab their day bags.

When did HE become the responsible one?

The argue over shows. Obviously. Wouldn't be Fenton's otherwise. HE wants to see the alien one. It's from mars! But it's his sister's trip, as his dad points out, so she gets to choose. She picks a musical set during the Fall of Krpton. He's... reluctantly kinda interested. I mean, EVERYBODY likes Superman, right?

It's... it's amazing. Terrible, but amazing. I mean? A coming of age story cut tragically short? Oof. Hello, massively projecting then getting FEELS about it! Yeah, sure, rip my heart out why don't you? He's fine. No, really! Just drowning in his own emotions over here. The refrain of "A Life Well Lived"? *gargling dying whale noises* he's FINE. Not grappling with anything! Go on without him!

Thankfully?

They DO sell CDs.

He... he may end up, kinda, getting a bit of a collection. Going on the weekends, hoping show to show. Wandering to whichever catches his eye in the moment. Buying the CDs for one's he likes. Which? Honestly is a lot of them. Even though there's all sorts of genres and languages. Cause it... it RESONATES you know?

The grief. The anger. The "I have died but I wasn't FINISHED. It isn't FAIR.". And? Something about ghost speak flows so BEAUTIFULLY in song? It's hard to explain. But he... he needs them.

A pair of headphones, a CD, and a clear night sky? Nothing touches it. It's like a trance made of light. Like he can just drift.

The problem? Is the CDs are kinda... Zone made? They're radioactive, for one. Nothing a Fenton CD player can't handle. But... they? Also? Kinda fuckin GLOW? Like... very, very noticeably. And not in a "ha ha, cool glow in the dark paint!" Sorta way.

.........but like FUCK is he leaving his music behind when he goes to college. Gotham will have to deal. It's already a burning shit-nado, it can handle this. Probably. He'll put um in a lead lined box. Actually, speaking OF.... he needs to get a few more of those... *goes back to packing*

Which? Is how? The Bats are treated to some of the most HAUNTING music they've ever heard, belted and crooned from Some Guy's speakers, out an open window, on the "stop for a mid-patrol drink of water and a snack" building. It's one of the intersections of their patrol routes. And THAT? That is some dude listening to a Romani ballad about death and the circus. Now it's a musical about the trenches of an obscure war.

Okay, that was DEFINITELY Kryptonian. Like... coherent Krypto- *Bruce gets a call from Clark on his "work" number DEMANDING to know where that is coming from. Who is that voice Bruce?!* huh.... Well Then.

@hdgnj @hypewinter @nerdpoe @lolottes @babbling-babull @spidori @mutable-manifestation @the-witchhunter

[campgender]

couldn't find this posted elsewhere so wanted to highlight this excellent article about Coretta Scott King's work & legacy, especially in loving Black queer people & working for queer liberation

image description: two screenshots from the Autostraddle article "How Coretta Scott King Leveraged MLK's Legacy to Fight for Gay Rights." the text reads:

In the mid-1980s, when President Ronald Reagan wouldn’t even acknowledge the disease, Scott King – with the help of her assistant Lynn Cothren, an openly gay man — used the King Center to create a welcoming environment for the LGBT community, especially queer black people who were suffering in the middle of a generational genocide from HIV/AIDS. After the death of a close gay friend, she hosted a day of memorial at the Center and encouraged participants to sew stitches on a panel that would become part of the AIDS memorial quilt.

On March 31st 1998, at the 25th Anniversary luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, King spoke out against strands of conservatism in black communities that had kept some members reluctant to join the gay rights movement. She stated, “I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice… but I hasten to remind that Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.”

end image description.

[sgiandubh]

Imagine

Imagine you are offered an exciting, well-paid job with an up and coming spirits business, whose owner you happened to sympathize with at a work event. Imagine you really invest yourself in that job and you are so enthusiastic about it, that you even put your own business network to service. Imagine you start seeing the first results of your efforts.

Then imagine that the owner you happened to sympathize with (and who probably recruited you) has a teeny-tiny problem, the amplitude of which was absolutely impossible for you to grasp. He is also an actor and, as many actors who are actively involved in successful cinema/TV productions, he has a fandom. Some things may have been mentioned to you, such as the abusive behavior of 'some' fans - but you really had no idea and you were way too excited to make this new job opportunity work for you. You definitely didn't take any warnings too seriously: you know that series has some sort of cult-ish status and that actor is many ageing women's secret fantasy, all around the world. You probably even think it's definitely corny, but overall these ladies seem harmless enough - plus they seem to show up in droves and buy in bulk, everywhere he goes. You are way too focused on your job to notice any misconduct: you dismiss it with a laugh.

And then, someone, somewhere decides it is your turn. You have excitedly posted a snapshot of a rugby match you have been invited to by the owner of the up and coming spirits company, who happens to have an excellent relationship with the local, prestigious club and is a rugby fan himself. You are over the moon to be a part of an event that allows you to better discern the new type of customers the business hopes to attract, in the foreseeable future. You enjoy the wonderful camaraderie in the galleries: you had no idea about what rugby means to so many different people, wow!

You are, therefore, very surprised to find out some women already started to claim on the Internet you and your boss are an item. This is completely nuts: courtship seldom involves attending a rugby match, in Europe - that much you know. You begin to receive nasty, insinuating DMs on your Instagram page. You perhaps remember one of your boss's friends, a young disabled artist, has very recently been harassed by his fans and had to call the police, in order to make it stop. You decide the best thing you could do is to erase the rugby match pic: too late, it has already been screen capped, shared and discussed. This is how you also find out that some of those women think you have an agenda, that you plan to seduce your boss and that you are, at any rate, a lousy wannabe in the business world and a highly functioning alcoholic, to boot. The ones claiming so are either pretending to be experts or to have SOURCES, based on FACTS. This is beyond your understanding. You may even have a mild panic attack and you definitely feel all of this is: a) ridiculous; b) unfair and c) potentially dangerous.

Most of the women who called you out have no idea about what happens at a rugby match. They are that kind of older people who still think geishas are prostitutes, for example, because they lack proper education. They have no direct experience of the business world, let alone the spirits business world. No real facts and no logical arguments are ever presented to seriously discuss your efforts, but many smearing accusations are being written down, with full confidence. All they know is that they don't like you, because you somehow failed to comply with their own, twisted version of reality. In their books, your boss is either a closeted gay man or a lewd womanizer, with a dirty penchant for whores. This would normally make you grin, but today you're just not in that mood.

Today's your turn.

[serpentface]

First Goose of Spring: What was it like living in Cynozepal?

"...I haven't actually seen much of it, but the kingslek had the most stunning view of the mountains. They rise higher than anything you've ever seen, I'm sure, all the way up to the clouds. And our serfs actually live up there! It must be awful, braving the heights and fending off those little qilik barbarians. But we are a very strong people, so they manage just fine.

But the kingslek was the very best place in Cynozepal. It had everything you could possibly want. There was a garden with a little herd of horses living in it, and a spring to bathe in, and musicians and singers, and plenty of good food and wine, and the finest cushions to sleep on, and a HUGE library that had every book in the civilized world, probably? And there were always tons of servants around to care for us. My handmaid, Gray Gull Comes Home Wealthy With Fish - may her next birth be prosperous - lived in the kingslek too. Because she used to be a concubine, I guess? And she was the best of all. I never learned to read like my older sisters did - may their next births be prosperous -, but she would read to me whenever I wanted so it was okay.

So obviously I never wanted to leave. But my sisters and I had to leave the kingslek sometimes. Like when our mothers and father had very, very important guests, or when there was an execution, or for the solstice songs. And this was always a dreadful bore. But Gray Gull Comes Home Wealthy With Fish would always bring my favorite books along, so it wasn't TOO bad. And she would always, ALWAYS carry me there on her back. Until I got too big, but we have litters for that.

And now, I am expected to walk everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Or fly like a serf, sun be swallowed. I hate it here."

---

Notes:

-Goose is the absolute worst source to to ask about life in Cynozepal. First and foremost, she's a young child and hasn't been on this earth all that long (she's cognitively equivalent to a human preteen, and is 5 years old). As the third youngest princess among 39 daughters, Goose spent the vast majority of her life both cloistered in the kingslek (which is a privilege) while experiencing little to no pressure to excel and being minimally educated (as she was exceptionally unlikely to be married into an important political role). She would leave this space only infrequently, and never once stepped foot outside of the palace grounds prior to her dynasty's fall.

...And she LOVED it. Now she’s out seeing the world firsthand, breathing the fresh air and feeling the ground beneath her feet, and it fucking suuuuuckkkkkssssss, man.

-The kingslek refers both to the collective women in a royal family (wives, concubines, daughters, all of whom will typically outnumber the men at LEAST 20:1) and the domestic space in which they live. This is a massive section of the palace (as it houses most of the members) complete with its own amenities, gardens, etc. It is functionally the center of power and politics within the palace (the culture itself is not outright matriarchal, but the institution of the kingslek effectively has more political power than the king, and tremendous sway on his actions).

-Honeythief is translating for her. He frequently manipulates his translations to make her sound a little more down to earth (but still regal and far, far more important than you) and less like an exceptionally ignorant, spoiled child, but his translation here is accurate.

-Crown Cynozepali language is (and a majority of caelin and delkhin languages are) predominantly tonal in nature, supplemented with rapid clicks and deep booming 'drum' beats (it is these aspects that are physically impossible for humans to accurately reproduce). To a human ear, these languages often sound like vaguely musical but discordant barrage of sounds. I'm attempting to represent this visually with dots and squiggles.

-'Little qilik barbarians' is not referring to qilik of the region as a whole. She is referring disparagingly to the Cu-Chukka, which are a people that traditionally inhabit the higher reaches of the Azure Mountains, and do not frequently interact with the Crown Cynozepali sphere outside of land conflicts with serfs (who build their homes at high altitudes and often encroach on Cu-Chukka territory). 'Barbarian' in this context is a racist and xenophobic insult that groups together all qilik, caelin, and delkhin peoples that do not speak Crown.

Honeythief is Chit-Sut-Susit (a nationality native to parts of eastern Cynozepal and the Ch'Chen plateau, most of whom exist within the Crown cultural sphere), and is not receiving a microaggression in this particular context.

-Crown Cynozepali personal names are descriptive phrases. Song and poetry is of central cultural import, and naming conventions are rooted in these poetic traditions, designed to be beautiful and evocative turns of phrase. This is often lost in translation, and the names take substantially longer to speak when translated into most human languages.

-There are taboos surrounding speech that evokes the recently dead (defined as within a solar year), that require additions of placating phrases that will dissuade the dead from attaching to the speaker and direct them towards a good rebirth. "May her next birth be prosperous" is one example. Goose's handmaid and most if not all of her sisters (among other relations) were killed in the coup.

-The 'solstice songs' refer to traditional 'boomsinging' performed at the summer and winter equinox to call down the Solar Dragon. (boomsinging is an artform utilizing the deep, thunderous vocalizations caelin and delkhin can produce- sounds like a combination of throat singing, drum beats, and a noise kind of like a sage grouse display but deeper. The sound can travel for miles)

-'Sun be swallowed' is a translation of a phrase used to (often hyperbolically) emphasize the horror and depravity of a situation. Kind of saying 'what's next? the end of the world?'.

-Kingslek members and royalty as a whole are transported from place to place in litters and carriages, but they aren't carried literally Everywhere (they do like, walk). Goose recalling constantly riding on the back of her handmaid is describing a time where she was a tiny 5 lb child (a phase in life where most caelin and delkhin children will ride on their mother's backs).

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮'𝘀

having good grades doesn't necessarily mean you're smart, a test or exam can't always determine someone's intelligence, but it's academic validation we crave, right? so here are some tips thanks to which you will get straight a's.

𝟭. understand what the professor wants ( 🪼 )

learning the entire book by heart is tiring and basically useless. we take our education seriously, but it's impossible to know everything about everything, so inevitably there will be topics we can gloss over. check old tests, listen to the teacher during the lecture, talk to students who have already attended the course and passed the exam. understand which aspects your professor particularly cares about and concentrate on those, your exam will certainly go well.

𝟮. strengthen your memorization ( 🦋 )

very often the amount of things to study is just too much and, even though you spend all day in the library rereading the topics again and again, you feel that it is not enough. you get confused, you forget steps, you get lost in the labyrinth of the subject. investing in understanding your form of memorization will benefit you in the long run. identify your type of memory (spatial, photographic, echoic, etc.) and focus on how to improve it. having a good memory will make your studying for the exam much faster and easier.

𝟯. pay attention in class ( 🫧 )

attend all lectures and take notes. much of your studying comes from your professor's lecture. underline the important things in your textbook, carefully follow their speech and - if there are any - their powerpoint slides, writing only the things that the teacher adds and which are not written either in the book or in the extra material, if necessary, record the lesson so you can listen to it again at a later time.

𝟰. organize your notes the same day ( 🧃 )

when i take notes in class i write badly and quickly to keep up with the teacher, shortening words or omitting passages.  by reorganizing your notes that same evening (at most the next day, if you really don't have time) you can revise your work when the lesson is still fresh in your mind; if you wait too long, you will forget most of the things and you will find yourself staring blankly at pages of notes which, at that point, will seem more like hieroglyphics to you than anything else.

𝟱. use ai responsibly ( 🪴 )

artificial intelligence is everywhere nowadays and why not use it to our advantage? of course i'm not suggesting that you let an ai take care of all your tests and essays, it wouldn't make sense, however very often it helped me make a list of key points to develop in a research paper, or gave me excellent ideas and insights for projects. they can also be used to create flashcards, summarize and simplify articles, or create practice tests based on the material you will have to study.

𝟲. delve deeper into your “whys” ( 🌾 )

sometimes when i study i stare into space and wonder why i am studying something that seems completely irrelevant to my path. i'm sure it happens to you too, don't ignore this feeling. don't be afraid to explore themes and topics that aren't clear to you, if two statements seem contradictory ask yourself why, if you don't understand some passages, don't be afraid to ask a question. we study for ourselves, before studying to graduate, to work. there is no shame in not understanding, your intelligence lies in striving to clarify what seems obscure.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Mbissine Thérèse Diop (Black Girl)—She’s a Senegalese actress known for starring in Black Girl, one of the first African films to receive international attention/acclaim. So much of the movie relies on her ability to convey her character’s sense of isolation/loneliness, she’s so amazing, I really wish she had acted more. However, she just recently appeared in the film Cuties!

Myrna Loy (The Thin Man, Manhattan Melodrama, Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House)—Started out a slinky silent screen vamp. Became a screwball lead who had a blast drinking, being married to William Powell, solving mysteries, and taking her dog everywhere in the Thin Man Movies. Broke our hearts in The Best Years of Our Lives and played a string of dream wives. Remained hot the entire time. Decades of hotness.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Mbissine Thérèse Diop:

Myrna Loy:

Myrna Loy excelled at playing coy women, so common in screwball comedies in the 40s. She batted her lashes, and shrugged with grace, and made her costars look like foolish heels next to her. She charmed with sneaky elegance, well-placed pouting, and repartee. Besides, she was sultry AF.

While Myrna certainly looked hot in some her earlier vampy exotic bad girl roles, I think shes hottest when her comedic chops got to be displayed. Her dry wit, comedic timing, and subtle facial expressions make her the queen of deadpan snark.

She's just very Mother

So beautiful and popular she was crowned Queen of the Movies in 1936, Myrna Loy was also an amazing actress. She's best remembered for The Thin Man and sequels, where she gets to show off her comedy skills, adding irresistible impish charm to her classic beauty and dancer's figure.

THE SASS

One of the few actresses who managed to successfully transition from silent to talkies, never won an Oscar but was at one time the highest paid woman in Hollywood. Advocated for better roles and pay for Black actors in the 1930s, so passionately anti-Nazi in the 40s she made Hitler's blacklist, spoke out against Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare, and advocated for fair housing in the 1950s and 1960s, all while being hot as fuck opposite William Powell, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy and a whole galaxy of the Hot Vintage Men Poll all-stars.

Cute as a button with so much RIZZ! She and whatsisname in The Thin Man are relationship goals.

She was literally called the Queen of Hollywood! She is so sassy and funny in the whole Thin Man series. Absolutely hot in those, and who doesn’t love a woman who can laugh? She had the sultriest gaze and that style! Also before she was a star she sat as the model for an iconic statue for a school (representing ��Fountain of Education”).

the glamour!! the banter!! the comedy!!

She's got this cute kinda scrunched up face AND shes funny AND shes got a bangin body.

[polysucks]

I've seen a bunch of your indigenous headcanons for Starks and I love them so. Do you think of all First Men that way or particularly northern First Men/Starks? Also I'm going feral over your idea for a wild west AU!

HI I LOVE YOU.

I will talk forever about indigenous Starks and Northmen.

yeah. I’m that bitch. I am the #1 Indigenous Stark Truther* (unproven claim) and I will happily die on this hill.

I’m answering all of this on mobile like 15 mins before I have to be in class so I have none of my research in front of me and no sources, so yall feel free to jump in the comments and the reblogs to compound or (CONSTRUCTIVELY) Correct me :)

As we know, the First Men are all over the place. I mean it’s been, what, twelve thousand years since they came over from Essos on the Dornish Landbridge? (Sound familiar, fellow US Public Education System Victims?) and maybe six thousand years since the Andals migrated, with all the interbreeding and the thousands of years of generational melding, there’s bound to be traces First Men blood all over the planet by now. Just like all indigenous peoples irl! Imma have to write a whole thing about the Westerosi equivalent to the Columbian Exchange now is not the time—

So like personally, I see Native American coding in the Northmen. And all I know is of the American Indigenous perspective (and not even a whole lot bc I wasn’t raised in the tribe. I was removed from the tribe via my grandparents who are both Blackfoot-Salish out of the PNW and victims of modern colonization but that’s another story for another time. It’s just to preface that I am no expert in Native American culture, and only know what I personally know. I got some baller resources if you’re super interested tho)

In my personal humble onion. There would be a high concentration of First Men blood (god I really hate using the term ‘blood’ bc of blood quantum and lineage politics but for the sake of brevity imma just use it) in the Northmen. To me it’s giving PNW and Inuit who pressed north after the Columbian invasion because they had the means to survive in the harsh lands, where the whites. Simply didn’t. And knowing Peepaw is American, like, I see the parallels.

The First Men lived in close harmony with the land, practicing a nature-based religion—the worship of the Old Gods—centered around weirwood trees, sacred groves, and the guidance of “greenseers” and “skinchangers.” (We don’t use the W word around here but do you smell what I’m stepping in?) Their way of life was deeply tied to the land and vaguely resembles that of indigenous spiritual beliefs about animism and ancestral wisdom.

After however long years of battling with the Children of the Forest, the First Men reached the pact, agreeing to honor the children’s sacred forests and worship their gods. This mirrors real-world treaties between indigenous peoples and settlers, which were often later broken or disregarded (to put it nicely). the pact was chill for thousands of years (I think like I say I got no refs in front of me we die like Icarus), leading to the Age of Heroes, in which the First Men formed their own kingdoms, including the foundation of House Stark.

Bro that. Is so ancient American history coded. Same shit different font.

There’s a large population of indigenous peoples in reservation-adjacent areas cherry picked all over the US. I mean, we’re everywhere. Don’t ever let terminal narratives win. We out here babyyyyyy but to me it makes sense that the highest population of indigenous peoples of Westeros would be on the lands that are least likely to be gentrified (wrong word but imma stick w it) as in. The North. I can’t source any quotes rn specifically but how often is it mentioned that the north is the biggest and the “emptiest” in all their seven kingdoms?

So excellent question! Yeah I think all the Northmen are indigenous coded! You can’t convince me that Lyanna Mormont isn’t some badass fuckin thicc warrior goddess coded. And the Greatjon??? My mans leanin and rockin w a bear pelt. That man kills bears with his fists (just ask him) and I could go on forever about how The Boltons in all their violence and the rumors surrounding all that they’re capable of is so so so sooooo Comanche Ute and Sioux coded. They were so shat in by westward expansionists and rumored to be barbaric and cannibalistic and fuuuuuuucked up—simply bc they fought back against the people who were raping, pillaging, and stealing from them. But that’s pure speculation and personal hot take on my part, and wildly incorrect bc the boltons really do be flaying people. While the Ute, Comanche and Sioux did not. In fact. Flay anyone. (Unless they deserved it :) )

Tl;dr

Yeah man I think all the Northmen are native coded (w some Viking and Norse imagery thrown in there bc this is fantasy. It’s not that serious.) but the Starks heavily so due to the hard focus on the animism, their honor, connection to the land, spiritual beliefs, dedication to family, and the fockin’ wolves bro. Natives do be really into wolves. (Wolves are cool as fuck dude)

Also I got three chapters of my Wild West au already written and so much art I haven’t posted. when I unlearn shame and finally post it all it’s over for you bitches

[covid-safer-hotties]

Opinion: Better protecting schools from COVID is within reach - Published Aug 17, 2022

This article was incredibly well sourced and correct: Why are these simple procedures not being implemented to keep children and teachers safe two years from publication?

Welcome to the “Live with COVID” era, where living with the virus means not talking about it at all. We’ve been told to pretend it’s over, though those “weird summer colds” and “lingering symptoms” indicate otherwise. Rising case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths. Best Summer Ever 2.0 is ending, which means kids are about to return for their third pandemic September.

Article content In the beginning, we were told that 1) kids don’t get COVID, 2) they do, but it’s mild, 3) vaccines alone will protect us, and 4) COVID does not spread in schools. While true that fewer children die from COVID than adults, they’re generally not supposed to die.

And kids are experiencing disabling long COVID, with estimated rates between two and 25 per cent of all infections, not counting reinfections. While vaccines mitigate the worst outcomes of COVID, they don’t completely stop transmission, and additional measures are required. And of course, as every parent knows, children don’t keep their germs to themselves. They go on to transmit to their teachers, parents and grandparents. Furthermore, outbreaks in schools do spread to the community.

Schools need to be safer for all students and staff, including those with medical concerns and vulnerable family members. Worker shortages are everywhere, education included. Sick teachers can’t teach, and more worryingly, may go on to develop long COVID, resulting in time away or even retirement.

It’s also harder for kids to learn when they’re sick and more absences means losing more time when so much has been lost to the pandemic. Looking at the Calgary Board of Education’s absence data, 6.3 per cent of students were away in April 2022, compared to 2.8 per cent in 2019. This is unsurprising, as there were essentially no protections in schools by June, despite low vaccination uptake and no vaccines for kids under five. No testing, mask mandates (Education Minister Adriana Lagrange outlawed those), enhanced ventilation nor in-room filtration (again, banned by the CBE). Yes, hand sanitizer was plentiful, but that doesn’t stop a virus that spreads through the air.

We can make schools safer for kids and their communities, but it means we have to talk about COVID. We need to acknowledge that COVID transmission is predominantly airborne, so that citizens have a framework for understanding risk. The smoke analogy, used by the Public Health Agency of Canada, and chief public health officer of Canada Dr. Theresa Tam, is an excellent metaphor.

There are multiple ways to make schools safer. Adequate ventilation, with a minimum of six fresh air changes per hour, mitigates build-up of viruses floating around in the air. Even opening windows/doors can be effective. Ventilation can be monitored through measuring the CO2 concentration in the room, essentially showing how much air one may be breathing in that was exhaled by someone else. Boston Public Schools is doing this and even has a public dashboard to share data. Upgrading filters in ventilation systems helps too, but as of May, the CBE has not completed this at any of their schools.

An additional intervention is filtration units like HEPA filters, or even homemade Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, to remove and trap virus particles. The CBE’s own risk management consultants acknowledged the effectiveness of this intervention.

Article content And we need to reinstate universal masking in zones where high community spread is identified, emphasizing respirator-style (N95 or KN95) masks for everyone. Information released in Alberta showed that schools with no mask mandates had three times more outbreaks than those with masking, confirming similar data from Arkansas and Massachusetts.

Pretending that COVID is over doesn’t it make it so. And it doesn’t help us “live with COVID” either. Yes, people are tired, we all want to move on. But making schools safer is fully within our reach. And until COVID is actually over, we can’t pretend our way out of it. So Alberta parents must demand the safety of their children and their teachers, or our leaders will simply go on pretending.

[siriusblack-the-third]

Sirius Black: Hobbies and Interests

The second part of The Sirius Black Headcanons Series! Here, I explore what he would have loved to do, and I hope you enjoy reading these!

Prev

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Loves flying, and is outstanding at it. Does not play Quidditch, but he does play air polo— polo on flying horses, or brooms if horses are not available. He does not care which one as long as he gets to play the sport. He also did competitive broom racing in school, and won a lot of trophies because he was just so bloody good at it. When James' mother gifted him a muggle bike for his 18th birthday, he enchants it to fly, and goes for a ride at least thrice a week. (James tried once to get Sirius to play Quidditch, but ended up getting roped into air polo himself.)

Competitive Duelling before he graduated Hogwarts and joined the Order. He participated everywhere— open circuits, a lot of closed competitions, and invite-only events— all over Europe and the Americas. Generally he was out of Hogwarts twice a month for two to three days, and he won a lot of them. He is an excellent duellist and everyone knows it; he won the U-19 Europe Open at the age of fourteen, a tournament that had over 2000 participants.

Playing the violin. It is the one thing apart from Duelling that his mother didn't force onto him as a child— he asked for classes of his own volition after seeing his grandmother Melanie play a truly beautiful tune when putting baby Regulus to sleep. He was naturally talented, and he practiced for years and years, and even after his tutor declared his education complete, he practised for at least 20 minutes every day. He played for himself rather than performing, and especially he played to put baby Harry to sleep, so much so that Harry would refuse to sleep if Sirius was not there.

Reads everything he can get his hands on. Everything. He prefers the genres of mystery, thriller, murder, historical and political fiction and mythologies of different religions. He and James devour books like they breathe air, both of them possessing excellent memory and being able to recall everything almost perfectly after only one read. Reading is a hobby he got from his father; they used to spend a lot of time together in the Black family library, debating topics ranging from Academics to Practical Magic to Ancient Philosophy to Current Affairs.

He enjoys spellcrafting a lot. Most of the pranks the Marauders play are planned with the spells that Sirius and James create. It is a little... illegal to experiment, but honestly he does not care. There are loopholes in those laws, and he knows them— he has read his father's law books. As long as nobody is adversely affected by his experimentation, and he sticks to a few ground rules, he should be fine. Besides, all his inventions came in handy when he was messing around with his motorbike.

Pranking. Do we even need to expand on this? Sirius is a genius, and he gets bored easily. Classwork is too easy for him, so he sets his sights on something interesting; the practical aspects of magic. Pranking, for him and James, is not just about taking the piss out of someone; it is about pushing the limits of magic, about accomplishing feats in magic people tell them are extremely difficult. It is about figuring out what magic can do if the limits of imagination are pushed. For the two of them, pranking is a giant experiment on the practicality, uses and effects of magic. They research, they read theses, textbooks, dissertations, encyclopaedias, they take notes and attend the higher year classes, and then they apply their knowledge to creative magical pranking.

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Do not tag w*lfst*r, do not argue with me in the notes, and if you don't agree with my HCs you can scroll past, please and thank you.

[electricneonvalkyrie]

The way Abby would be so patient with rookies.

I think she'd make an incredible instructor to new recruits.

Tough love, to be sure. Definitely strict where it counts. If she likes you, she'll hit you with some sarcasm, maybe a little ribbing. If she really likes you, and she knows you like her back, she'll start looking for excuses to train you.

Any reason she can find to just barely touch your hands or slide her arms around your waist.

But she'd be excellent at teaching a newbie to the WLF how to track, hunt, basic tips in self defense, deep dives on gun safety, all of it.

I know she gives off some hard-ass, grumpy vibes, but I think this is one area her sensitive side would really shine.

I also think Abby’s the one who brings back all the educational books and fiction for the classrooms.

She doesn’t make a big deal out of it—just quietly drops them off, lets someone else take the credit, and moves on. She tells herself it doesn’t matter if the kids know it was her, as long as they get what they need.

I picture her as the type who has a super hard time watching the kids around The Stadium play. Not because she doesn’t care—because she cares way, way too much.

It’s a reminder of everything she’s lost, everything they might never get to have. So she keeps her distance, never lingering too long.

But behind the scenes? She’s involved in every way she can be. Fixing up broken equipment and toys. Making sure they have warm clothes and boots when the weather turns. Keeping an eye out for anything useful on her patrols.

She won’t sit in the circle and read to them, but she’ll make damn sure they have something to read.

She loves them—she’d just never say it out loud. You'll never catch her letting her guard down unless it's her own nieces and nephews.

P.S.

Her patience does not extend to Manny in the gun range or anywhere for that matter. They hold the door open for each other everywhere they go, this is true. But beyond that, Manny gets:

"I already know this is gonna be painful to watch."

and nothing else. 🤣

It's cool to imagine what these hooligans get up to when they're not on assignment or training.

[mistresslynndramione]

Antisemitism in the Dramione fandom

This is the first of two posts I’ve written on antisemitism.

Antisemitism in the Dramione fandom

How antisemitism manifests in a broad sense, including how to deconvolute Palestinian activism from Jew hate, and personal accounts of Antisemitism that me, my family and my community have experienced over the past year ranging from bomb threats to harassment and vandalism to people screaming from a car at my friend’s kids that they’re baby killers (still working on this one, it’ll appear soon)

And now onto fandom.

One of the nice surprises I found when entering the Dramione fandom, was being exposed to a wide variety of people with experiences I didn’t have, where I could understand hardships others faced which I had no exposure to. To name a few: fatphobia, ableism, transphobia, racism, struggles with mental health and being neurodivergent, and living with debilitating and chronic diseases.

I was able to learn because marginalized communities felt empowered to discuss their struggles online under relative anonymity and with the support of others. It was an opportunity for those willing to listen to be educated. And I’m thankful because since joining fandom, I’ve truly broadened my horizons.

Being able to access people and their very personal, intimate experiences in a way one wouldn’t be exposed to IRL reflects the very best of the internet and demonstrates its potential. The internet, like books, is an excellent tool for bridging differences, empathizing with and understanding others.

And that’s something we should all strive for.

However, there is one marginalized minority that is not empowered to discuss their struggles and experiences in fandom. Not only are we shut down, deplatformed, disempowered and ostracized, but those that support or associate with us are too.

The Jews.

You will hear how every single oppressed minority experiences bigotry in fandom and in their lives. How the LGTBQ+ community experiences homophobia and transphobia, how POCs experience racism, how women experience misogyny, how Muslims experience Islamophobia, how people with disabilities experience ableism, how heavier people experience fatphobia – but you won’t hear how Jews experience antisemitism.

Rather, Jews are told by everyone else what our experiences with bigotry are. Goysplaining, if you will. We are told what is and isn’t antisemitism, as if people that aren’t Jewish know better. We’re told that we’re weaponizing antisemitism for political gain. And fringe, minority Jewish opinions are elevated and Jews are tokenized to justify bigotry and shield those who spread it.

These tactics aren’t new. Feminists and other minority rights activists describe facing the same obstacles. It’s only Jews that are treated differently by those who claim they listen to minorities – and should know better.

The hypocrisy is that those who profess to be advocates of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion simply will not include Jews or listen to Jewish experiences when it’s not politically convenient. They silence and exclude us when we protest bigotry stemming from the progressive wing of politics. And that’s despite the skyrocketing antisemitism across the world (and in fandom) since Oct 7, 2023, precisely when listening to Jews should be of paramount importance.

Do a quick google search ‘antisemitism + your country/closest major city and/or university’ to get a taste of what we’re dealing with. The US, Canada, France, Sweden – no country is immune. It’s everywhere. Everywhere. And it’s been all over the news. We have been speaking up about antisemitism on the far left for years and are screaming about it now that it’s being mainstreamed. So, if you’re only aware of Jew hate when it stems from right wing politics (tiki torches, space lasers and the great replacement theory), that should tell you something about the media you consume.

It’s a problem which has worsened over the years because progressives – the very people who claim to be anti-bigotry – only oppose antisemitism when it comes from the right wing and refuse to listen when Jews speak about it on the left.

The result is that most self-identifying liberals, Democrats, progressives, etc. are only able to identify anti-Jew bias when it comes from white supremacists. A common sentiment I’ve heard is “I’m not antisemitic, I learned about the Holocaust.” Which is akin to saying the US isn’t racist because they emancipated the slaves.

Just like racism, sexism, etc, antisemitism is the sea you swim in. It wasn’t solved with school field trips to Holocaust Museums because it’s much subtler than that. If you want to be anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-Islamophobic, anti-transphobic/homophobic, then you need to work hard to understand how those forms of bigotry are expressed and examine your subconscious biases. Most people simply don’t know how latent antisemitism lingers in their prejudices because society has never addressed them in the way they’ve (tried to) addressed latent sexism and racism.

The bigotry was always there, waiting to be harnessed. And those underlying prejudices fed the mass explosion of Jew hate across the world.

What does that have to do with antisemitism in the Dramione fandom?

Before the unprecedented increase in Jew hate, I’d seen the occasional bigoted comment and avoided the people that made them, preferring to stay apolitical in fandom anyway. But after Hamas invaded Israel on Oct 7, 2023, a loud portion of fandom started spreading hate speech and advocating for violence against Jews. It got worse as the war continued, and still continues even though it’s been over a year.

As conflicts elsewhere often do, this war has exposed the bigotry we have in our privileged society. Hate crimes against Jews (and Muslims) have since skyrocketed around the world. Most people are unable to separate their Palestinian activism from Jew hate due to lack of knowledge about the conflict and how antisemitism manifests. Some purposely muddy the waters, intentionally leveraging societal prejudice.

Like many Jews in fandom, I didn’t want to be exposed to hate speech and curated like hell. The rhetoric that describes Jews in progressive spaces is dishonest, demonizing and used to threaten, harass, ostracize, and call for violence.

Fandom, being loudly progressive in its politics, is no different. And because no one in fandom listens to Jews when we speak up, we are dehumanized and ostracized in fandom spaces, while violence against us is glorified. Fandom twitter and Bluesky quickly became cesspits. I’ve left chats, Facebook groups, and discord servers where antisemitic views were shared and allowed to stand uncontested despite those very spaces claiming to be against bigotry.  

Fandom will pride itself on being against antisemitism, despite having no idea what it is. I’ve seen righteous indignation over depictions of hooked-nosed goblins and piles of gold in the recent Harry Potter game but posts demonizing Jews and glorifying violence against us are enthusiastically supported. The former is virtue signaling with no impact on our lives. The latter directly impacts our safety and how we interact with society.

I understand that a lot of this is ignorance. Most people have good intentions. They by and large don’t think about the accuracy of their words, the consequences of their actions, and don’t know that they’re hurting their local Jewish communities. However, many do understand and are intentionally hurting their Jewish communities, leveraging the platform and legitimacy Progressives give them.

Until the recent antisemitic cybermob (I’ll get to the cybermob in a bit), I hadn’t seen anyone in fandom stand up to Jew hatred on the left. Not a single person. Not a peep from those professing that black lives matter and trans rights are human rights.

Posts glorifying resistance are glorifying Hamas and legitimizing the rape, torture and murder of Jews. When hundreds of people like and share those posts, they’re supporting the rape, torture and murder of Jews. Ironically, they’re also supporting the rape, torture and murder of Palestinians as well, because Hamas doesn’t just terrorize Jews.

Posts condemning the existence of Israel are calling for the erasure of an entire country, calling for the persecution and oppression of Jews and non-Jews alike. People cry “Free Palestine!” in one sentence and call for the destruction of Israel in the next. As if wanting two free, independent countries isn’t advocating for freedom? People can’t claim to be against oppression if they want to take away the freedom and independence of Israelis. And why would anyone want to do that? Israel is a free, multi-ethnic secular democracy home to 10 million people: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and Bahai.

You said something about a cybermob?

Last year, I was inspired by a group of several hundred Jewish students at Columbia University which has been something of an epicenter for Jew hate. They wrote and signed an open letter entitled: “We would like to speak in our name.” Those brave souls stood up, described the threats, harassment and ostracization they’d been subjected to at a place which was supposed to safe and inclusive for all, and declared themselves proud Zionists. They stood tall and corrected the misinformation spread about Jewish identity both by those who hate us, and those who are thoughtless and don’t know any better. My friend’s kid was one of them. And I’m proud of him for speaking up. That is bravery.

(If you want to know what the Jewish experience has been like after Hamas invaded Israel, their letter is an excellent read. My experience in fandom has been the same, just virtually.)

So, taking inspiration from those students who would face real life consequences instead of merely virtual ones in a fandom of wizard porn, I stood up for myself, my children and my people, and joined those courageous kids by posting on my Instagram bio: “Proud Zionist: two states for two peoples.”

I knew most people have no idea what ‘Zionist’ means. I know it’s currently used as a slur to threaten, harass, bully, boycott, ostracize and call for violence against Jews. And I know that since the war started, the Wikipedia entry for Zionism has been modified by those that hate us, in a way few Zionists would agree with, no longer reflecting what Zionism is. So I clarified my declaration in a way that would leave no room for argument by writing directly afterwards “two states for two peoples.”  

“Two states for two peoples” is a statement that advocates for an independent, safe and secure Palestinian state where Palestinians have self-determination. It is also a statement advocating for an independent, safe and secure Israel - where Jews have the right of self-determination. The right of Jews to self-determine in our ancestral homeland (Israel) is the most basic definition of Zionism and from which all versions of Zionism derive, no matter how they differ in implementation and belief.

Two separate states: Israel and Palestine; for two peoples: Israelis and Palestinians.

A bit of history: The two-state solution has been the cornerstone of peace talks supported by both left and right political leaders in Israel and across the world for 30 years to bring peace, coexistence and end the Palestinian portion of the larger Israeli-Arab conflict. Starting with the staged progression outlined in the Oslo Accords back in 1993, two states was the goal that spanned Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Binyamin Netanyahu (yup, he was the PM back then, too) and finally Ehud Barak with Yasser Arafat serving as leader of the PLO and Bill Clinton mediating. Two states were the goal of the Camp David Summit in 2000 with Clinton, Arafat and Barak. It was the goal of the Taba talks in 2001. It was the goal of the Road Map – constructed between Ariel Sharon, Mahmoud Abbas, Russia, the UN, the EU and George Bush Jr. It was the goal of the direct peace talks catalyzed by the Arab League between Ehud Olmert and Abbas in 2007-2008. A two-state solution was central to the Obama administration’s Middle East policy with the still current leaders Netanyahu and Abbas. It was the goal of the Trump administration; it is the goal of the Biden administration. Kamala Harris declared it as her goal in the recent presidential debate.

In short: regardless of who is in charge of Israel and what their goals are, being a Zionist and advocating for peace alongside a Palestinian state are not mutually exclusive.

If you are an advocate of the two-state solution, for the right and freedom of both Jews and Palestinians to self-determine in their homelands, if you think both Israel and Palestine have a right to exist, you are de-facto, a Zionist. Just like if you think men and women deserve social, legal and economic equality, you are de-facto, a feminist.

I know many people who would balk at being called a feminist because they have negative associations with the label, despite holding feminist beliefs. Similar to how some might balk at being called a Zionist because of the negative associations created by those that hate and/or don’t understand Jewish culture and history.

And yet, everyone should be a feminist – it’s a human rights movement.

Everyone should be a Zionist – it’s an indigenous people’s rights movement. It’s the Jewish liberation movement.

I’m proud to call myself both.

I didn’t expect anyone to know the history, but I did assume most people knew what ‘two states for two peoples’ meant. Naively, I thought that for those who didn’t know the definition of Zionism – stating ‘two states for two peoples’ would provide critical context.

One would think that if someone didn’t understand because they’re uninformed on Jewish culture, identity and Middle East history, that they’d take a moment to question their assumptions, do some research or (here’s a wild suggestion) ask me for clarification on words and phrases they don’t know the definition of before diving headfirst into a bigoted cybermob hellbent on hurting people.

The change in my bio was noticed on Instagram and had some negative reactions, but it didn’t spiral. And that’s pretty much what I expected the fallout to be because I’m not very active on social media – by choice. If people want to block/unfollow/mute me, they’re welcome to do so. I’m a big fan of curating and have no desire to interact with people contributing towards the skyrocketing Jew hate that my kids are growing up with.

The twitter fallout.

The contents of the tweet that started the cyber mob was a glib:

“hi hello, MistressLynn is, apparently, a proud zionist.”

Accompanied by a picture of my Instagram bio (where you can clearly see ‘two states for two peoples’) alongside a picture of the AO3 profile for a fest I was co-hosting with others at the time.

My bio had been changed for a few weeks, why wait until the fest reveals to incite a twitter mob? My guess (and this is purely speculation) about the timing, is that waiting for the fest reveals would maximize the drama, inflict the most harm and cause the most hurt because what happened on Instagram didn’t go anywhere.

I don’t really participate in social media, so I rarely know or care what’s happening in fandom. No feelings would be hurt, no tears would be shed, it would be a waste of a good dumpster fire if it were only me that was targeted. But the fest reveals would broaden the targets of the cybermob, via association.

Multiple targets. Maximum drama. And that’s exactly how it played out. You can see the tweet had 87.1K views. If you’re a fandom creator and like attention – bullying people is a surefire way to get it. Instigating drama almost always results in more interaction than fic and art creation. And those that latch onto it often seek the same.

Twitter exploded into a foaming-at-the-mouth frenzy over several days and spread to other platforms demonizing me, demonizing Jews and anyone who dared associate with me. Lots of dopamine for those that enjoy being cruel to others, or watching people get bullied by cybermobs.

Schadenfreude.

I’m not on Twitter. I had no idea anything was happening until a friend told me. Some of the fest participants joined the mob, turning on those they’d not too long ago been joking around with.

So many lurkers were justifiably shocked and horrified at what ensued on twitter, Instagram, the Dramione Writing Society discord and other servers, and tumblr, including the usually nuanced Dramione-Asks/Dramione-Discussions tumblr accounts.

To sum up the fallout:

Me: I’m a Proud Zionist who advocates for peace and coexistence in the form of a Palestinian state alongside an Israeli state.

Fandom: Lynn is a white colonialist oppressor of brown people, a Jewish supremacist, a white supremacist, a racist Islamophobic imperialist, an apartheid supporter, a baby killer, a child killer, and of course, pro-genocide. Ergo, Lynn should be run out of fandom, cancelled, boycotted, ostracized – the worst that any of us can to a person in cyberspace. And anyone who participates in her fest should immediately withdraw their participation because if they don’t, that means they are also pro-genocide, pro-Apartheid, pro-Colonialism, pro-Imperialism, pro-white supremacy, pro-baby killing and should similarly be boycotted and ostracized.

It's cartoonish. Many dystopian novels were written about this kind of rabid, hateful, mob behavior.

To be sure, the only political position the fest had was that Draco wanted to get reamed by Hermione.

And as if that wasn’t enough…

Also fandom: Everyone who associates with Lynn should immediately STOP associating with her because if they don’t, then they are pro-genocide, pro-Apartheid, pro-Colonialism, pro-Imperialism, pro-white supremacy, pro-baby killing and should be boycotted and ostracized, too. All Dramione spaces should stop promoting her work. All readers should stop reading and promoting her work. If they don’t, that means they are pro-genocide, pro-Apartheid, pro-Colonialism, pro-Imperialism, pro-white supremacy, pro-baby killing and should be boycotted and ostracized.

Do you see how this works? It’s not very subtle.

The mob went after everyone and didn’t ask questions. Participants were attacked out of nowhere as were those that associated with me.

Maybe I missed something, I only saw a few screen shots, but I’m very familiar with how hatred of Jews is expressed by progressives. It’s predictable.

The @dramioneasks/@dramionediscussion tumblr did the same thing, albeit more politely. But polite antisemitism is still antisemitism. I didn’t see how the Facebook groups handled it. Dramione reddit, to their credit, had enough of a moral compass not to allow the cybermob spread to their platform.

Many of my friends are still reeling and want nothing to do with fandom anymore. Even though I’d talked with them about my experiences with antisemitism IRL, until they’d experienced it directly in a community they frequent, with mutuals, I don’t think they really understood how bad it’s been.

To be clear: I don’t hold the instigators any more responsible than those who participated or just silently shun. In my eyes, they are all equally responsible, with some being more vicious than others. A mob is not one person, it is many. If it wasn’t this tweet by this person, it would have been someone else. Unfortunately, the Dramione fandom has a culture of inciting cybermobs. Because it’s the internet, and sane, educated, rational voices are not the ones that prevail.

Despite it being over a year later, I have friends who will only interact with me privately for fear of being bullied via association. A valid fear considering how crazy fandom is. We told fest artists and writers who didn’t know what to do yet had the strength of character not to engage in a bigoted cybermob, that they should prioritize their mental health, no hard feelings.

You probably figured it out, but this is exactly what bigotry towards Jews looks like. A misinformed, ignorant mob full of people that don’t know anything about Jewish religion, culture or history – who refuse to ask and learn – viciously stripping Jews of an integral part of our identity and redefining us by the most heinous, most appalling things society is capable of, and using their power to attempt to drive us out of the places they frequent.

Do you claim to be anti-bigotry? To speak up and fight it where you see it? Well, this was it. This was your opportunity. Antisemitism in a space you frequent. With people you interact with. It might be worth thinking about what you said and how you acted during that cybermob. Because that cybermob was an example of the language and tactics currently being used to silence Jews, ostracize us, threaten us, and incite violence against us everywhere around the world.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up to people caught in a mob frenzy. Some people supported me privately. And some did so publicly. Those who spoke out were shouted down with heinous accusations. Brave souls, I appreciate every single one of you.

It’s important to stand up to Jew hate, as it is important to stand up to all forms of bigotry. We’re forever indebted to those who stand beside us against those that wish to cause us harm.

At some point I was shown a tweet, one of the few sane, informed comments amongst fandom’s hysteria:

“I know jack about this community, but what’s wrong with her bio. She wants two states, that’s the most milquetoast, safe, non-offensive take one could have on the conflict”

Yup.

Sadly, only 44 views. Cybermobs aren't interested in rational analysis.

At any time during the weeks my bio had changed, anyone could have reached out and asked: What do you mean when you say you’re a proud Zionist? (I wrongly assumed that ‘two states for two peoples’ answered that question). Those who were that unfamiliar with the conflict could’ve asked: What do you mean by “two states for two peoples”?

I’m friendly, I’m open. I don’t engage with fandom drama and actively avoid those that cause it. Unlike many other popular writers, artists and their groupies, I’ve never participated in cybermobs or used my platform to bully. On contentious issues in fandom, my approach has always been civil, polite discussion. While the cyber mob was still going, I explicitly stated that people could reach out and DM me, that I’m happy to answer questions. Anyone could have asked for clarification, at any time.

A few people did. It’s not hard.

But that’s not how mob mentality works. Folks caught up in hysteria don’t want to educate themselves.

Does this story sound crazy? It was crazy. I wish I could say the Jew hate was limited to on-line fandom spaces, but it’s not. And that’s why I’m speaking up.

For those of you whose knowledge of antisemitism is limited to media coverage of white supremacists, you now have an example of antisemitism from progressives in the community you frequent, among the people you associate with. If you followed fandom twitter, bluesky or the @dramioneasks/@dramionediscussion tumblr or were a member of the Dramione Writers Society and other Dramione spaces at the time fandom went batshit, you now have firsthand experience observing an ignorant, antisemitic cybermob in action.

How people behave during times of conflict tells you a lot about their character. And I’m happy to say my friends are wonderful, kind, ethical people who have good heads on their shoulders. I knew all that before this happened, but it’s still amazing that I was lucky enough to meet them.

Not only that, but during the cybermob frenzy, dozens of people reached out to tell me they were shocked at the fallout and didn’t agree with what was going on. Some who I hadn’t spoken to in a while. Others reached out who I’d never really spoken to before. Several Jews told me they still can’t believe how we’re vilified in fandom and that it’s become acceptable to glorify violence against us.

All this to say, the circle of those I can trust is a lot larger than I previously thought. I’ve found the absolute best of fandom and I’m thrilled.

So, what happens next? What was the purpose of this screed?

A good rule for fandom drama (and the internet in general) is: if I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. However, as a Jew and a parent, it’s not good enough to curate. Just because I’ve isolated myself from fandom’s anti-Jewish prejudice, doesn’t mean there aren’t real life consequences for others. Online anti-Jewish rhetoric is a major cause of the hate crimes we’re suffering from right now. It’s impossible to decouple online behavior from real life consequences when it’s this pervasive. My daughters are growing up in a world which is increasingly hostile towards Jews, and they’ve already experienced bigotry in our (progressive) schools and community. Both from their peers and from those responsible for educating them. It’ll get worse when they go to college.

And so, I feel a responsibility to speak up for what is right and educate in the places I frequent. That means speaking up in fandom. I think most people who parrot antisemitic hate speech don’t quite understand what they’re doing and need to see the effects of their rhetoric on the people they have othered – whether intentional or not.

I’ve seen some people observing the hysteria around my declaration that I’m a Proud Zionist saying that they want to ‘do the right thing.’ But they don’t have the knowledge or the experience to know that the person that screams the loudest isn’t necessarily the arbiter of what is ethnical. And certainly, our leaders failed to provide moral clarity on the rising Jew hatred, which was and is still a huge failing.

But as I stated earlier – fandom, like most progressive spaces – isn’t a place where Jews are empowered to discuss the bigotry they face. So how will people learn if we’re shut down by whoever screams the loudest?

Do you consider yourself to be anti-racist? Anti-bigotry? I would hope so. But it that’s true, then you need to listen to our experiences with bigotry and – unlike our leaders - speak up when you see it. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Even if and especially when it comes from people on your side of the political aisle because that’s precisely where it will make a difference.

Silence in the face of such bigoted rhetoric allows violent forms of antisemitism to grow and spread. And we’ve been seeing that violence in my community, reflecting what Jews across the world are similarly experiencing. If people don’t speak up, it gets worse.

Is this the kind of world you want to live in?

If anyone is interested in learning, I’m happy to help. I don’t care what you did in the cybermob. Forgiven, forgotten, I probably didn’t see it anyway. Participating in the cybermob can be a good thing if it’s used to learn and make yourself a better person.

Socmed platforms are not good places for nuanced discourse. It’s common to exaggerate, remove context, lie by omission or outright lie when discussing this topic. The simplistic sloganeering, tik tok videos and memes prevalent in fandom are not a substitute for the informed discourse necessary to cover such a complex topic. So, I’m not going to publicly discuss the content of my posts.

However, if you’re approaching this topic in good faith, I’m willing to DM you for as long as you want. These are worthy discussions to have, and I’ll do it for my children. In fact, these posts are a work of love for my daughters, so they’ll have the strength to be proud of who they are, and the knowledge to defend themselves when they’re attacked for their identity, as I was. Because in this world that is increasingly dangerous for Jews, they will be.

Thank you for listening.

[lets-try-some-writing]

I've eaten up all your feral!Orion content and it's SO GOOD!! Do you...have any thoughts on feral!Orion and Megatronus???

I do love me some feral Orion. So of course here is some more for you dear anon!

Previous part here.

The Terror of the Pits

Megatronus met Orion in a rather simple way. Orion Pax came down from the upper echelons of Iacon to ask him some questions about his ideals and beliefs. While not normally something he would entertain, Orion had a look in his optics that Megatron knew well, the gaze of a hunter. Thus, intrigued with the archivist, he allowed an audience... then two... then three... and before long he was having bi deca-cycle meetings with the head archivist.

Orion was well educated in all manners and knew far more than he likely should have about anatomy, methods of making mecha "disappear", and how to get out of arrests and assault charges. Not only that, but Megatronus noted nearly immediately the fanged denta the archivist had and the slightly clawed digits that he sported. At first he thought them mods or upgrades made for appearances sake, but upon meeting Ratchet around the time Orion began associating with him regularly, those thoughts went out the window.

He watched on in total bewilderment as Orion went from normal mech™ to possessive nightmare fuel straight from the deepest pits of Cybertron in under a Klik whenever Ratchet turned up. Orion did not play games when it came to his medic and Megatronus was quick to stay the frag away from any action that Orion saw as a threat. He was there to observe the archivist nearly shred a gladiator after the mech in question made an inappropriate comment toward Ratchet and since that cycle he never again judged Orion based off his appearance and kept himself in line.

Ratchet was off limits and that was fine in Megatronus's book. Orion was a good companion and grew to be an excellent aid in his efforts. Thus he could easily overlook a little hyper aggression on the archivist's part. He was content to merely observe Orion's little habits and keep himself out of them, however he should have known that as his and Orion's friendship grew stronger, so would Orion's tendency to act out of the norm.

It was small things at first, a simple lingering touch here, a slight growl there, and the odd instance of Orion stepping in front of him almost protectively. That was it for a while and despite being odd, it was nothing worthy of much note. They were friends and gladiators tended to behave similarly when they felt the need to make a point. Of course then Orion seemed to get bolder and those small things evolved into something more.

Next thing Megatronus knew, Orion followed him fragging everywhere when he was in the pits visiting. The archivist was not as tall as him, but Primus his field made up for the lost height easily. Orion took no slag and made himself to be Megatronus's personal guard even though it was completely unneeded. The younger mech was not afraid to size up gladiators nearly double his size nor did he hesitate to begin growling and making a show of himself with flared plating when he felt Megatronus was in any sort of danger.

It was odd, very much so. However when asked Ratchet simply shrugged and offered the truth like it wasn't the strangest thing of the century.

Megatronus: Why is he like this? Is he perhaps malfunctioning?

Ratchet: No, not at all. He's just got active base coding.

Megatronus: Orion Pax? The archivist? Who hurt him badly enough to have him acting on base coding?

Ratchet: No one. According to Alpha Trion he came straight from the wilds and the coding has just stuck.

Megatronus: Then all this-?

Ratchet: Its a sign that he cares. You get used to it.

It was worrisome at first, but Megatronus let it be. Orion could be as wild as he wished so long as he didn't cause any wars or civil unrest. Thus Megatronus also overlooked the scratches that were most decidedly not from battle that he found carved onto his back almost as boldly as a "kick me" sign. He got a bit of mockery for it from his fellows, but that mockery quickly evaporated like smoke when his archivist threw himself into the arena during a particularly tense fight and practically mauled Megatronus's opponent.

Orion was downright feral as he latched on and dug into his enemy with enough strength to have Megatronus considering weather or not Orion was a civilian or not. Of course what terrified him most was how Orion's mouth seemed to open far larger than it should have as he bit down on the other gladiator's neck all while his optics widened so impossibly that it was frightening. It took three separate mecha to get Orion off Megatronus's opponent and even then it also took Ratchet to calm Orion down enough to peel him off where he had practically welded himself to Megatronus's side.

Orion Pax was from then on known as a terror in the pits not to be trifled with. Not a spark dared go anywhere near Megatronus with anything but pure intent when Orion was around simply because there were also a few incidents reported to him by Soundwave of Orion hunting certain mecha down to leave ominous dead things on their porches.

It just kept escalating as their friendship grew and eventually Megatronus grew to appreciate the little things Orion did. He liked the way Orion wrapped his field around him and he greatly enjoyed the random gifts Orion brought. They were always a tad ridiculous, but he was proud to weave the bits of plating Orion collected from his foes into a charm that he wore when he wanted to make a statement. And while a little more irritating, it was rather humorous to have Orion go out of his way to bring Megatronus his energon for him and only after checking for contamination.

It was almost like he had his own attack dog, but Orion was far too clever to be awarded such a pathetic title. No, with the way he would hunt down those he thought wronged Megatronus with a vengeance? He deserved the title of Terror of the Pits.

In the end Megatronus took great pride in painting Orion's armor a few vorns after their meeting and proclaiming him an honorary gladiator with how often he somehow managed to kick the afts of his fellows during spars. Orion was a challenge the gladiators liked to face and Orion was always calmer after getting down on all fours and going wild against the heavily armored gladiators who could take a great deal more of a beating than the soft little city mecha.

Good times.

Megatronus never forgot those simple days and had a great deal of fun making bets with Ratchet regarding who Orion would fight and who would win. Ratchet usually won, but Megatronus told himself it was because Ratchet had known Orion longer.

[copperbora]

Despite being still fairly feral at thirteen years strong, my boy Casper the orange tabby floof displays multiple traits of domestication: bold white markings, long exquisitely soft hair, and an orange coat which would only ever rarely ever occur in the wild. Also, allergies.

There Was Another Domestic Cat!

I hate that I'm only now in 2024 learning about this rad 2016 cat science find (frustrating that it wasn't more publicized,); there's evidence in China that there was once a second species of domestic cat, Prionailurus bengalensis, or the Asian Leopard Cat. Fellow cat nerds will recognize that this is the same wild species that was hybridized with the domestic cat to produce the famously active and beautiful breed known as the bengal cat, however these ancient domestic cats evidenced in the study share no relation to the modern bengal. Modern domestic cats notably descend from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica.)

The evidence of the domesticated version of the Asian Leopard cat is primarily wear patterns on teeth still connected to jaw bones found in China which do not show up in fully wild kitties. This basically means that these domestic cats were eating a diet which their wild brethren do not consume.

To me, the idea of a second ancient species of domestic cat is extremely intriguing and I will most definitely need to draw a concept if what these cats would have looked like with the calling card bold white markings and other domestic traits which inevitably appear in domesticated animals, as shown in the Russian Silver Fox Project which eventually produced completely domesticated foxes. It would also be very interesting scientifically to see the full ancient domestication of the Asian Leopard Cat reproduced although with thousands of modern domestic kitties in need of homes this experiment is likely never going to happen (which is for the better with so many far more suitable modern purr machines available for adoption.)

Domestication of modern domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus/Felis catus) likely took place on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus some 10,800 years ago with the cats quickly spreading to Egypt and China where they became beloved fixtures of temples, homes and palaces. Today thanks to artificial selection these kitties exist in miriad beautiful breeds and coat patterns but more importantly, modern kitties are noble, affectionate, and extremely social companions of the educated, responsible human household.

My three year old blue tuxedo cat Keplar, who spends his days playing, following me around everywhere that he can (getting very frustrated when he cannot,) chatting with me, and snuggling with his thirteen year old unrelated fluffy orange tabby brother, Casper. With a dilute gene turningwhat would've been a melanistic coat grey and bold white markings which are found only in domesticated animals, Keplar is an excellent representative of the modern domestic cat.

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

Underrated historical pieces (for when you're looking for recommendations)

I don't know if it's just me, but historical movie rec lists have become supersaturated with the same few titles lately (yes I have seen Hacksaw Ridge, yes I have seen Little Women, leave me alone) - so I thought I'd come up with a shortlist of my own! Below the cut are a few titles I haven't seen anyone talk about anywhere NEAR enough in my opinion, in case you need something new to watch!

Summerland (2020), dir. Jessica Swale

Summerland is set in Devon, England during the Second World War, and follows Alice Lamb as she is forced to take in Frank, a young evacuee boy, against her will. As their relationship develops, Alice learns to open herself up to others, and her budding friendship with Frank leads her back towards another relationship she thought was lost forever. If you're looking for an LGBT period drama - THIS ONE RIGHT HERE!!! Alice Lamb, you are my favourite grumpy lesbian academic. Seriously though, this movie is so so lovely - definitely a good one if you're looking for a happy-cry.

This is England (2006), dir. Shane Meadows

This is England follows Shaun, a young boy struggling to fit in in 1980s England, who finds support and friendship among a gang of local skinheads. At once gritty and sensitive, it provides a personal look at the darker side of British culture and the process of indoctrination into racist ideologies. This movie arguably receives the attention it deserves within the UK, but falls into the underrated category everywhere else. Despite being almost 20 years old, it remains alarmingly relevant, and every single member of the cast puts in an incredible performance. (I'd recommend checking for content warnings before giving this (or its subsequent TV shows) a watch)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018), dir. Mike Newell

Set in the aftermath of the Second World War, this movie follows writer Juliet Ashton as she travels to the island of Guernsey to meet a group of locals who found solace in her book during the Nazi occupation. However, as she grows closer to the group, she begins to uncover the tragedy at their core. This is such a perfect comfort movie. Every character is so so lovely, and honestly I've wanted to visit (/live on) Guernsey since the first time I watched this. It's a really wonderful watch, and sheds a nice insight into the experiences of the Channel Islands during WW2, which isn't something I've seen covered in other films set during this period.

Small Axe (2020), dir. Steve McQueen

Small Axe is an anthology series documenting the lives and experiences of London's West Indian population as they struggle through and fight against racial discrimination. I feel like the hype for this show died as soon as the year's awards season finished, and that's a CRIME. Britain's history of racial activism is generally overlooked in popular media, and this series did a wonderful job of showcasing both the pivotal and personal events that shaped the experiences of the Windrush generation. My personal favourites from this series were Education and Mangrove, but every episode is unique and well worth the watch.

Detroit (2017), dir. Kathryn Bigelow

In Detroit, public outrage is sparked when a police raid is carried out against black patrons of a local club, which grows more violent as the night progresses. This movie is terrifying. Every performance is excellent and harrowing, but Will Poulter's in particular has stuck with me since I first watched Detroit because it's just horrifying to watch. It's intense and brutal, but an important representation of the kind of violence that acted as a catalyst in the American civil rights movement.

Gosford Park (2001), dir. Robert Altman

Gosford Park follows a group of 1930s English aristocrats as they gather at a country estate for a weekend of socialising. However, when a member of the party is murdered, suspicion is cast upon everyone, and illicit secrets begin to come to light. Think Downton Abbey with murder. But then again, both were created/written by Julian Fellowes, so it makes sense. Almost painfully British, Gosford Park is a quick and clever indictment of the English upper classes that is thoroughly entertaining the whole way through.

Alias Grace (2017), dir. Mary Harron

Alias Grace follows Irish immigrant Grace Marks as she sits down with a doctor to attempt to recall the details of a murder she was accused of committing a decade prior. Based on Margaret Atwood's fictionalised retelling of a controversial, real-life case, this series offers an interesting insight into the oppression of Victorian working-class women, and the enduring cultural fascination with female violence. It's been a few years since I watched this show, but GOD I was so obsessed with it, so it's definitely time for a rewatch. Sarah Gadon is an absolutely brilliant lead, and Grace's recounting of events will leave you forever wondering what truly happened in this story.

Pride (2014), dir. Matthew Warchus

Set amidst the 1984 miners' strikes, Pride follows a small LGBT group from London as they raise money to support a small Welsh mining town, whose lives are badly struck by Thatcher's threats to close the mining pits they have built their lives around. Through their efforts, the group finds an unlikely community of supporters, breaching social barriers to lift each other up in times of hardship. Evidently I believe in saving the best for last, as Pride is definitely my personal favourite on this list - hell, it's one of my favourite movies EVER. Surprisingly niche despite its excellent cast (Andrew Scott, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton - to name a few), this movie is just utterly wonderful, and I guarantee you will spend the entire time either grinning or sobbing - trust me, I always do.

(not-so-subtle letterboxd plug, but for anyone interested, I've compiled a larger list of movies about British history HERE)

[cookiecandy22]

What would the sins do as adults in a modern setting?

Or well, at least in my modern au fic

(+Eli of course)

Meliodas: I think he would’ve been pressured by his family to get a business degree. He wanted to dropout but Elizabeth convinced him to continues as she knew that Meliodas dream was to open a tavern/restaurant/bar and the degree would help him know how everything works to run it smoothly and not end up in bankruptcy.

Ban: I don’t think he’d be interested to go to college or pursue higher education. I headcannon him as being really smart but without the capacity to sit still in a classroom (he hates studying things he isn’t interested in). So after finishing secondary school he starts working everywhere he can but without abandoning his passion: cooking. He keeps practicing and self teaches himself different techniques until Meliodas reconnects with him (they lost contact for five years:( ) and sets him on trial to see if he’d be able to work as the main cook in his bar/tavern/restaurant. Sales go up thanks to Ban’s cooking.

(Fun fact: Meliodas and Ban used to love watching Hell’s kitchen when they were younger and sometimes they’d talk about how cool would it be if Gordon Ramsey visited their future restaurant and that Ban’d be one of the little people who could impress him with his cooking skills)

Elizabeth: I think Eli’s always dreamed to be a doctor, specifically a pediatrician. She’d be very dedicated to have excellent marks at school but medicine is a career that a lot of people try to apply for, and her grades are good but not enough so she doesn’t get to enter at first. Her grades are good enough for nursing school though, so she goes for it while still studying and looking for a way to get into medicine (her awesome boyfriend Meliodas supporting her in the long process ofc). After two years she achieved it!

Diane: I headcanon her to be that kid who has a million of extra curricular activities all related to sport or dancing. She loves the latter and I think she tries to study superior studies for choreography and contemporary dance, but after getting her degree (I looked it up it’s like 4 years omg😳) she couldn’t find work so she starts working at her aunt Matrona’ gym. (She has a social media for her dances and’s been popular since she was 15. That helps her getting a job as a choreographer for broadway productions later don’t worry).

King: he’s a fashion designer, and a pretty good one. He specialises in costumes for movies or theatre but has gotten some of his more public-oriented clothes in fashion shows. He and Diane reconnect after King is tasked to design the costumes of one of the shows Diane is working as a choreographer.

Merlin: the only one who knows something about her is Gowther, she hasn’t communicated much with the rest of the sins. She works at a university in the research area for biochemistry (she has two pHD in physics and chemistry). She has to teach some hours to university students and has taken a promising student to help him with his thesis, Arthur, as an intern/assistant for her.

Gowther: I think Gowther would’ve studied medicine to be able to study psychiatry. Not because he wanted to, even though he’s always had a curiosity for the brain and how it worked, but more because it was one of the things his father had studied and didn’t know what to do with his life. He completed his studies early, go accepted into medicine first try (hard pill to swallow for Elizabeth, Meliodas had to reassure her that it didn’t matter if she needed more time to get accepted as long as she fulfills her dreams) and after he ended his studies and worked as a psychiatrist he realised that it was too much to him so he opened one of those spiritual retreats and has been conducting similar workshops. He also tried to work one year in a high school as a counsellor but he left after 1 year.

Escanor: he’s dead.

Nah jk

Escanor’s a part time poet full time spanish/english philologist. He’s worked both for Oxford dictionary and for “la Real Academia Española” in Spain (yep my Escanor is from a spanish family who migrated to England when Escanor was young but he’s been two years in high school as an exchange student in Spain). He moved there after his final heartbreak with Merlin. He sometimes messages Mel, Ban and Gowther but it isn’t very common

Hope you liked it:) maybe I’ll do this with the holy knights or other characters, if you want me to do any specific character please write it in the comments!