#Full cast shall be shown!

[pilfappreciator]

ATTENTION TROLLS FANDOM!!

This is very important. Mostly to me but maybe you guys have been wondering this too idk but anyways:

How does troll reproduction work exactly?

Cuz I'm genuinely curious. I dont think anyone on the series production team has said anything and so far I've seen absolutely no one touch on this subject but as someone who's always had an interest in the habits of creatures (both fictional or otherwise), I kinda sorta maybe NEED to know this otherwise I'll never be able to sleep peacefully again

Full disclaimer that I'm specifically talking about the whole egg situation, I am NOT ASKING HOW THEY GET IT ON IF I WANTED THAT ANSWER I'D GO TO DEVIANT ART OR TWITTER OR WHATEVER LAWLESS PLATFORM GOD STEERS CLEAR OF. This discussion shall remain STRICTLY educational, thank you very much

But anywho. Let's dive in

So trolls come from eggs. This is basic knowledge. First instance of this phenomenon (as far as I know, I've only seen the movies) is from World Tour.

Egg pops out of Guy Diamond's hair, egg hatches and BOOM, (literal) baby. Now I understand that this whole sequence was probably just a gag and a way for DreamWorks to implement another (merchandisable) addition to the cast HOWEVER this sequence also raises a few questions

First off, as far as I know Guy Diamond has no partner (again: I haven't watched any of the spinoff shows). Either that or maybe the other troll was a sorta one-night-stand/no-longer-in-his-life kinda situation? Which is great either way cuz its shown he obviously cares for his son and we at Tumblr appreciate a loving single father no matter the circumstances, but if my former theory is correct than that would imply that trolls are capable of reproducing asexually. Like onions.

Now if that hypothesis is, as they call it, "cap" then that would mean that some sorta hanky panky has to go down before an egg comes into question. And if that's the case, does this mean that male trolls are traditionally the ones who carry the eggs?

But that can't be right, can it? Afterall, World Tour gave us yet ANOTHER egg scene later on in the movie

In Cooper's flashback, we clearly see Queen Essence being the one carrying the eggs meanwhile King Quincy is eggless. Now, as far as i see it, this could be explained either one of four ways:

1) Quincy was the one who actually produced the eggs and Essence is merely holding them for her husband (since her hair seems more fitting to be a makeshift nest compared to Quincy's)

2) Female trolls are the ones who produce the eggs. Guy Diamond is just a trans icon

3) Troll reproduction differs from genre to genre

4) There is a... *sighs* a/b/o type of dynamic among troll kind where certain trolls are capable of giving birth/siring children depending on a secondary gender

In regards to theory #3, this could also explain why Guy Diamond seems to reproduce and hatch an egg in such a short amount of time (like 5 seconds I'm pretty sure) as opposed to Queen Essence/King Quincy who's eggs presumably went a while longer before actually hatching.

Actually, speaking off eggs, are trolls the only species in their world that reproduce that way?

Because now that Band Together has officially been released, we now know for certain that it's possible for different species to crossbreed. Biggest example? Resident DILF Bruce and his giant muppet wife

(Credit to @captainunderkrupp )

When I saw these two... I swear...

And these two already have a shit ton of kids okay so like... either Brandi was the one giving birth or trollsona Daveed Digs was over here pumpin out eggs, which I mean-

DO YOU SEE HOW BIG THESE THINGS ARE COMPARED TO BRANCH AND POPPY?? Believe me I am PRAYING that Bruce gave himself some serious maternity/paternity leave because my guy is honestly a trooper

But yeah any thoughts? :))

[autumnwhistles]

Middle Of Nowhere — Full Lyrics

As promised, here are the first lyrics to the first song in my Last Life Musical concept album (“Middle Of Nowhere”) a few hours before its release!

The song is split into two parts – the overture (which isn't strictly an overture since there's also singing, but still is a mainly instrumental section meant to introduce future themes), which isn't heavily plot relevant but does talk a little about what happened in the 'world' preceding this one (aka 3rd Life); and the main song, which introduces us to the Last Life world through the eyes of the chorus, who are Watchers narrating the events (as I'm basing it on Martyn's canon).

Normal text is for chorus, bold is for players, and italics are for lyrics happening at the same time as each other:

-Overture- Ludo ludete,* Ludo ludete, Ludo ludete! [Intrumental] Oh, gone, the kingdom fallen on the mountain Bare, the sands, their cacti alone Flowers razed and castles left abandoned Now we stage another show! So build up the frozen north! A south that shall fall to flames – Renew and repeat the game!  [Instrumental] -Middle of Nowhere- There is an old, old tale to be told, Of green like the spruce, of crimson and gold. Of crystals and curses, lives swapped and sold, Stories we’ll now behold. There is an old, old song to be sung/Look to the frozen north! Of victors that lost and victims that won/Look to the south in flames! Bonds forged in fire lie shattered and dull/Look to the fallen fort! All cast aside for one/Come on and play the game There is a land, in the middle of nowhere. It was too long ago there, Since last stories arose. So the tale is told, of the middle of nowhere: Watch and witness the show there, As our appetite grows! There is an old, old world to be moulded, Flames to be doused and craters unfolded Forests to spread, dark shadows to sprawl-/ Look to the names! Herald the cue!  Red leaves to mark the colours of the first to fall/Rise, rise anew! There is a call, and flocking, they come, Like moths to a flame or clouds to the sun! Ships to a whirlpool yet struggling still- Look to the trees! Look to the hills! Look to them, all the same/Look to the peaks, Helpless to play their game/Good for defence, style’s just pretence/Gather the sand, gather all the cane you can! And look there, could be a home, let's form a plan!/Ahhh Six, five, four, three, two, one! Look to their land, in the middle of nowhere!/There is an old, old right to be fought for: lives to be lived, and not lived for naught – Through the wants and the woe there/To laugh, be alive, defend our pride, Herald what must be done/To cause chaos, to protect, to attack! Best all in this land, in the middle of nowhere/Strike one! Strike two! You're done! You're through! Take your friends for your foes there/No time for mercy Till a champion has won/when the only thing that you can do is- Four for the traitor, four for the pawn, Six for the swindler selling the dawn; Five for the wolf and three for the mole, Two for the witness outstepping his role. Four, the enigma and expert alike, Three, the beholder, avoiding the strike; Two for the martyr, six for the moon, Two for the fierce-hearted cynic, untombed! [Instrumental] Three for the hero, four for the dame/There is an old tale, now soon to come, Six for the self-dubbed master of games/The stage has been set, the bell has been rung, let curtains soon rise, let lights dim as one! Two, for the king with no subjects to call/The audience trembles, anxious to know what joys and disasters they shall be shown in- Two, the canary, destined to fall.../-all, when the curtains fall... Caught in this land, in the middle of nowhere. Will it still end in woe there? Will it all come undone?/Did you hear that sound?** So many feelings so grand can arise from the middle of nowhere!/Did you hear that voice?** But – let our stars lead the show there, Heeding: our will be done!

(all lyrics and music by me)

*(hopefully) "play the game" in Latin (imperative for multiple people) **the player who sings this is Martyn – but listener Martyn is NOT canon, I am going by his lore. It's a setup to the fact that the voices speak to him (they're probably letting him hear some to mess with him), and also a way to move the musical to his perspective for the next song.

[ofmoonlily]

𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚈𝟽𝟶𝟶𝟶𝟶𝟶𝟷𝟶

SSD: Professor Hojo DATE: XX/XX/XXXX

Subject Name: Yunalesca; or "Yuna" as she prefers. However, I simply call her 'Subject Y' to keep conversaations short and my analysis centered. Time is of the essence! Age: 23 Height: 5'3" Eye: Heterochromia; Green right, blue left. (Perhaps the result of Ancient and human intermingling?) Weapon: Staff, or a sophisticated rod which grants the user proper focus for stronger spell casting. Equipped Materia: (Restore=All, Heal) (Aero/aera/aeroga=All) (Revive, Water/Watera/Waterga)

Biographay, or what is known thus far: Subject Y is an Ancient—or rather, "half" Ancient on the subject's biological father's side. (Does this mean Subject Y's talents only half compare to that of a full-blooded Ancient?) She was captured in tow alongside her father with willing cooperation. (ShinRa-grade firearms are quite convincing!) Subjects "Y" and "B" (B200000010; forename "Braska") thus graduated into a project witheld in my viscinity who I paired together to observe their techniques in the art of communing with the voices of the planet. Subject Y was much too young to adequately commune—a consequence of her half-bred blood? Worthless girl. Hence, Subject B allowed us to observe his talents and how the Ancient's use their gift via constructing a telepathic link. The results were fascinating!

LOG #1: A discovery! Subject Y has shown a small act of awakening. A "Planetary Guardian" (about 20 cms in length and height. Spherical. Image is foggy, almost ethereal. Dark blue with blots of inky-black saturation swirling around). "Kimahri" she's named it. A familiar, it seems. Though it was one step forward, Subject Y has shown next to nothing in her so-called talents. She's yet to forge a strong link with the planet. And yet, it gifts her a small allowance of protection to bar my data collection. Syringes labeled with the subject's code (full of a special concoction to speed up her prowess...and other samples from spliced DNA to give her that extra kick) have been misplaced or shattered by none other than the familiar itself.

After months of wasted research, a recent sighting of Ancients piqued my curiosity. Though, they were in the care of my lesser superior, I would reprimand Professor Gast for harboring his experiment and fathering a daughter with Ifalna years prior. I'll see to it I take them off of his hands, as a show of goodwill. In addition, it would do ShinRa's Science Division well to dismiss my current subjects back to their domain while running from the care of my latest creation: A SOLDIER-mutant hybrid spliced with Malboro DNA! He's quite the fiesty tentacle-weilding abomination with a taste for humanoid beings (considering a dozen of my finest infantrymen stationed to observe him have suddenly gone missing...) I hypothesize Ancient beings would suffice his appetite just as well.

LOG #2: Subjects Y and B have been disposed. END EXPERIMENT.

16 years later

A peculiar turn of events. It seems she may yet live, and with an abudence of abilities to weild. My! How she has grown! She conjures healing abilities without the use of materia! And I've noticed her competence to manifest deities—or "aeons" as she refers to them—to fight in her stead without said materia. She has finally awakened. I will get my hands onto Subject Y. Though, not to cause the specimen to become wary, I will simply discharge a few men to be my "eyes" for the time being.

LOG #3: For my next project, I shall figure out how to rip those deities from her body, and poke around their unusual forms. Perhaps mixing their DNA with fiend DNA laced with a dose of mako before returning them back into her person and observe what may happen to her pets and physical body.

Do my ears decieve me, or did Subject Y suggest the planet beckons her to give up her physical form in exchange for peace? What rubbish! Should she return to the planet there is absolutely nothing that can be done once the body is gone. And yet... there may be some underlying possibility of some phenomena we've yet to know.

Interesting! Very interesting Subject Y! I shall make arrangements to ensure her will is not to be disturbed.

Go forth and give your life to the planet, and my research!

((I'm stealing this from one of my other posts and re-doing it slightly to give a good run-down how things are going with Yunie in this realm.)

Yuna is “half ancient” on her father’s side. He was the second to last person to know all the stories and secrets about his people which he hammered into Yuna before he was killed trying to save his daughter via subjected to one of Hojo's creations.

Hojo declared Yuna worthless to his subjections because her planet spirit guardian, Kimahri, kept interfering with his work when she was young. And since he obtained a “better” specimen one day (Aerith) he “let them go”—a ploy to subject them to one last experiment: a mutated SOLDIER (and infantrymen) to chase them down and kill them.

When Braska is killed, he miraculously keeps Yuna alive by smearing her pink palid cheeks in his blood to fake her death. It was enough to deter the fiend somehow, supposedly not quite starving for flesh? Or perhaps it still retained a semblence of his humanity under all of his horrors? Nobody would know, as it would be killed and covered up sometime down the line.

Weeks go by. A retired SOLDIER named Jecht stumbles upon a malnourished young girl clinging to a decomposing body for warmth. She was in the middle of nowhere, yet the area he found her in was disturbed. There was nary a doubt in his mind ShinRa had something to do with it all. Against his better judgement, Jecht takes her in, clothes and feeds her and raises her alongside his son as if she were his own. Yuna eventually grows into a fine young woman, but her duty is calling to her… the planet is calling for her…

(She is more in-tune with her abilities now that's she's older, so she can still converse with, well, dead people. and the planet itself by simple concentration.)

One day Yuna leaves home leaving a note and implores Sir Jecht not to look for her. Unbeknownst to him, she is on a mission to protect the planet by way of giving up her physical form to unleash a hellish fury upon ShinRa’s mako syphoning reactors. It’s the only way she thinks she can save what was left of humanity.

Thus, she travels around as disguised as a healer and fiend exterminator (mixed with an unusual ability to conjure powerful aeons without the use of summoning materia.)

Hojo catches wind of this, and comes to the conclusion little Yuna didnt die that fateful day. Instead, he watches her. Oh how she has grown! And awakened a new ability, it seemed! Perhaps one bestowed to her by the planet itself? Ah! she is not so worthless afterall!

For now. He sends “eyes” to monitor her movements while running some “tests” in the background.

[mariacallous]

In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, at least 17 county election officials across six swing states attempted to prevent certification of county vote totals, many citing unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in an attempt to justify their actions. This widespread effort to block certification in 2020 was unprecedented. Though the attempts failed across the board, contested certifications can potentially sabotage democratic elections around the United States. Interference with certification now threatens to recur in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election.  

The growing risk is in part shown by the trend that emerged following 2020. In 2022, at least 22 county election officials voted to delay certification in key battleground states—a nearly 30% increase from 2020.1 In some instances, these officials constituted a majority of their county’s election board and succeeded in delaying—though not ultimately preventing—certification.2 In the first eight months of 2024, at least eight county officials have already voted against certifying primary or special election results.3

At least 35 current county election officials have a track record of voting against certification, according to a recent report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Dozens of new election officials have also been flagged by Public Wise, Informing Democracy, and the Center for Media and Democracy for promoting election denialism or amplifying unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud or irregularities. The sheer number of election skeptics who sit on county election boards in swing states presents a challenge for monitoring certification, especially in remote counties that may be overlooked by the media.

Because the once-obscure certification process has become an area of contestation, it is worth reviewing the basics. State laws set out a procedure for counting ballots and determining which candidate received the most votes. At the local level, a county election board is generally responsible for “canvassing” the ballots cast—reviewing and counting them once the polls close.4 Board members then convene to “certify” the final tabulation of county votes, that is, to officially declare what the vote totals are for the county. Certifying the results is a formality through which the board attests that it has completed a full and accurate canvass of all ballots cast by eligible voters. In all seven swing states, state election provisions establish that the board “shall” submit or certify the tabulation for their respective jurisdictions—language that courts across the country have long interpreted to create a mandatory duty to certify.

County election boards generally have no legal authority to investigate any allegations of fraud or irregularities. State election law provides other checks and safeguards (including audits, recounts, and election contests in court) through which suspected irregularities can be adjudicated. These mechanisms are designed to resolve disputes and ensure the integrity of the outcome. Those who administer them, such as secretaries of state or other officials, have the resources to address these issues. County officials do not, so county-level certification is not the proper mechanism to raise and resolve these concerns.

After the county board certifies their results, the official vote counts are sent to the entity responsible for the statewide canvass and certification. In Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, the secretaries of state certify the statewide results.5 In other swing states, the statewide count and certification is conducted by a state election body or  a combination of state constitutional officers (e.g., the governor, state supreme court justices, and/or the secretary of state).6 These state officials could in theory illegally disrupt certification, but thus far the predominant threats have been at the county level.  

County election boards across the seven swing states are generally composed of three to five officials who are either elected or appointed.7 In Arizona, Nevada, and most counties in Pennsylvania,8 the county election board is made up of either the county’s elected commissioners or supervisors, who serve on the board as part of their official duties.9

In other instances, members are appointed through a procedure established in state or county law. In Michigan, for example, the board of county canvassers consists of four members, two each appointed by the county Democratic and Republican committees. In some states, an even partisan balance on county election boards is not guaranteed, as members can also be appointed by the governor, state election board, chief judge of the county court, or other officials. In Cobb County, Georgia, for example, one member of the election board is appointed by each major party’s county executive committee;10 another by the county board of commissioners; and two by the members of the General Assembly who represent the county.

If a majority of elected or appointed members refuse to certify the official results, the statewide certification process is stalled, although some states have workarounds—as we discuss below. Extended delays in county-level certification could run up against or beyond state and federal deadlines for certifying statewide results, potentially leading to a chaotic delay scenario.

Although certification sabotage has not yet resulted in such an extensive delay, there have been many attempts which, if they were to succeed, could inject turmoil into the post-election period. How courts ultimately rule in disputes over county and state certification has the potential to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters and could determine the outcome in a close election. In 2020, President Biden won Georgia by 12,670 votes. He won Fulton County, Georgia by more than 200,000 votes. Thus, a long delay in the certification of Fulton County’s election results could impact the certification of the winner of the statewide race.

Measures can be taken prior to November to avoid illegal attempts to delay certification. The ACLU of Michigan and two voters have, for example, filed a lawsuit against Kalamazoo County board member Robert Froman, who preemptively vowed not to certify the 2024 results. Within a week of filing, Froman signed an affidavit swearing to certify the final tabulation. Should other county officials similarly suggest that they will not certify the November election results, litigation should be considered against them as well.   

Short of litigation, state officials should educate county election board members about the mandatory nature of certification and the potential criminal consequences for failing to fulfill this duty. Secretaries of state and state election agencies should specify in their election procedures that certification is nondiscretionary. State election officials, attorneys general, and district attorneys should issue letters or advisory opinions emphasizing that refusal to fulfill the mandatory obligation to certify election results carries criminal penalties.

If these preventative measures fail to deter election officials from refusing to certify vote totals, there are also retrospective legal remedies available. In all seven swing states, affected parties can petition a court for a writ of mandamus—a court order that compels an official to perform their duty as required by law. If an official refuses to comply with a court order, the court in some states could appoint someone to carry out the certification in their place and could impose contempt penalties. In North Carolina and Michigan, state election officials also have authority to directly intervene if a county board refuses to certify.

Finally, journalists, observers, and concerned Americans, especially in remote, rural, and smaller counties, should ensure that county election board meetings are monitored and that the news of any refusals to certify vote totals are communicated widely. Such vigilance is necessary to ensure that any attempts to delay certification are quickly identified, state and national attention brought to bear, and appropriate remedies applied.

[elhowe]

Perdita of Sicily and Bohemia

Princess, Daughter of a Shepherd or Shepherdess, Daughter of a King?

The Winters Tale. post - Act 5. Scene 3.

All but Perdita exit. She looks off. 

Perdita speaks.

I wonder if there is more story here.

[a pause] 

There is, of course. There always is.  A story cannot stand alone -  Not one line holds the next line back For fear his time will not be shown.

A man writes words, woman recites Here we go, never-ending plight

And yet I stand here,  Woman, wife, daughter, princess And even now I wish for more -  Or else, perhaps. A shepherdess,  With the name of royalty.

 [Another pause. She laughs without humor.] 

A shepherdess! A shepherdess, or a princess?  Who can tell the difference now.  I stand here with red skin and calloused fingers

I use lanolin to treat them, but here! Where are my sheep, my care? Sicily’s cold coast holds me away  And my wool will be fine now -  Spun by someone far away,  Carded and combed and washed  By a woman I will never meet.

A farmer in the employ of my father - My father, a man called Leonates - a king - Not the shepherd of my upbringing,  Not my beloved carer, but a man in a castle Who cast me away, doomed my mother to death,  At a glance which he now knows was nothing

Leonates claims me as his own daughter, now But as an infant - fresh from the womb,  The most innocent of gods creatures He set me to die, to be left for the wild. 

And I am lonely, here - I have a husband, my dear, Florizel, but I knew him by another name not weeks ago, And I knew not of his father - the King, Another king, who now calls me daughter While my own father stands there, beside me,  Dressed in finery I could never have imagined in my youth,  My brother beside him, his own fine clothes that do not fit The fool I know him to be.

Here, they too, are called kin - Leonates calls my father ‘brother,’ my brother ‘son’.  My mother, a woman I knew not of and then believed to be dead in only a minute,  Now suddenly stands tall, marble come to warm life. 

And a brother, too - not that which has been with me through my childhood, But another, dead from when I was hardly a day old. Shall I mourn him too? A child, so much younger than I am now, dead nearly all my life,  but with blood and lineage the same as mine. He fell with grief, for the woman he called mother his whole life, and I wonder where my grief should be? Should it be long gone, with the rest? Should I be celebrating this joyous reunion?  I should, I know! I know, I know, I know!

And still there are more to know - Paulina, who must be my mother’s -  (‘the queen’, instead, for I cannot find it in myself yet to call her mother,) Handmaiden, a woman loyal beyond words.  She embraced me upon recognition, gave me words of comfort,  And so I am grateful to her,  And the man Antigonus, her husband, whom they tell me is long dead,  Killed while saving my life. My life, worth that of this noble man’s. 

But Paulina stands as if she is indebted to me - she bids me bow to my mother,  As if I was not mourning her death but a moment ago - This, I think! I am told I have a mother, told she is dead, told we are to see her likeness, told she is alive And now Leonates wishes us to speak To know one another, our lost time -  Must I? Must I know this life?  I am happy with my love, and with the wealth my father and brother, the shepherds, have received I would not deign to lack forgiveness, for the gift I have been given In love, and wealth and family, both old and new. But here I stand and I miss my sheep! One, I had raised since its birth An ewe, by the name of Dorcsa - a light joke, a tease amongst friends.  Dorcsa now, I wonder, looks for me.  I know full well she does not - I know the nature of sheep,  So long as one is feeding them,  they have no wist for those who have fed before So perhaps she looks not for me, But I for her - I see her, and myself, a youth,  Embracing her warm coat, picking burrs out of the wool  which I would later help my father to carefully shear.  I had imagined I would do this - shearing and burr-picking  - And feeding and grazing and corralling -  For the rest of my life, and now I know not if I will do it ever again It is hard work, for certain, but it is the work I know. Will the calluses on my hands go soft?  Will my skill with the sheep waver?  Will I know no-longer how to create yarn from the raw wool,  will I remember only bits of my once treasured profession?

[A pause. She is imagining her sheep, and then she looks back towards where Hermione’s ‘statue’ had stood.] 

I had dreamt of my mother, throughout my youth, And yet even today, with Kings and Lords pronouncing the power of dreams,  I know that this visionary image was not the woman who has now come to life,  As a child, and, I must confess, even so recent, I did not picture The Queen Hermione, who stands before me now and tells me I am her own.  I saw, in those dreams, another woman, a working woman,  who shared my freckled skin and sun bleached hair,  not the pale visage and carefully arranged locks of the Queen, and this woman, my imagined mother,  wore a crown of daisies, not gold, as Hermione does even now,  As the man my father Leonates takes her away from this old house.

I am old enough now, I know now well enough,  That this was not some ought but natural vision But only the imagination of a youth  Who had never known from whose breast she came.  Somehow, though, I think that woman from the dream  May have made more sense as the mother to me,  A woman who now stands as a Princess - in two ways,  That of Bohemia and that of Sicily!  And yet wishes for the fields and labor that she has always known.

My new father-in-law, at the feast which I hosted, Which seems ages ago now, in my lost home of Bohemian fields,  Said that I appeared noble, despite my poor family. “She smacks of something greater than herself,” he said, When he did not think I could hear, “Too noble for this place,” He called me, and I heard, and at the time, I thought it a compliment. 

I am noble, I had thought, while I danced like a child, I do appear great.  Now I think of how he must have meant it - a girl pretending,  Imagining she could be good enough, noble enough,  to marry the Prince to whom I am now wed. Well it is alright now, Polixenes must have said,  now that I know from whose loins she came.  The noble Leonates,  who would cast an infant away for no crime of its own,  who would send his noble wife to prison because of an anxious thought.  It is his daughter, his offspring, who may marry Florizel,  Not the daughter of the poor Shepherd, Who would find a baby alone and take her in with no question,  Who would raise her as his own, with all the love in his heart. 

I told Florizel, back in Bohemia,  “I told you so,” I told him,  That nothing good could come of our relationship.  I told him, “I’ll queen it no inch farther, But milk my ewes and weep.” And now I do not weep, and I am without my ewes, And I am likely to someday be Queen,  Alongside the king of that man I met by chance,  When I thought my life would be only ewes and pastures. 

So now I stand here in this empty hall.  Soon enough I shall rejoin my family -  those who have lived by that name for many years,  and those who have not.  But for just a moment I will mourn.  The shepherdess Perdita, who is named for loss,  With the red cheeks and freckled skin and mess of hair And the shepherd family and the rural home and the sheep named In gentle teasing of friends. 

And I will allow her to leave, sail away on the west wind,  Back to her rolling hills and her sheep and her childhood,  As I step towards the Princess of Sicily and Bohemia. 

I wrote / made this for class lol but I was proud of it. Perdita is a character in Shakespeares The Winters Tale, who is a princess abandoned by her royal father as an infant and raised by a shepherd and his son. At the end, she has very few lines but basically seems to just accept her new life, and I wanted her to have something to say - my first stage direction here is meant to sit at the very end of the play.

I photoshopped the image myself - it's from a painting by Frederick Sandy's that's just called Perdita. The flowers are all ones she mentions in (one of? I can't remember) her first appearances in the play.

I wrote a bunch about this because it was my final project for this class, but it's mostly rambling so I didn't put it here lol, probably already rambly enough.

[phychohex]

I Met a Vampire Down in Santa Carla (chapter two)

Sitting down watching as Josh and Will search for a prop they lost in the water. Right now we are larping something we only did once a month cause they take so long. So far we have come to the beach and introduced my character. I play a high elf named Ismeth. Kayla sits next to us as we are currently out of game. "god can't believe those idiots actually put it in the water" she groans. She played teilfling rouge. She is currently in full get-up. I only had the ears on and a normal outfit that fit into my stepdad's stupid regulations. "should we help"

"you can" I huff she looks at me and laughs.

"no way are you still scared" Scared was a huge understatement. I had an insane phobia of the water but for all the right reasons. My dad had died in the ocean, I was there. Even though I went through years of intense therapy at a young age I never got over it. "how can a siren be scared of the ocean" she jokes and I shake my head. "I'm just fucking with you. I don't blame you, but you never really told me though what happened." She wasn't wrong even though we were the closest any two people could be I never could retell the story of that day. It always hurts too much. It doesn't help I was only five and what I do remember was through the eyes of a young child. I used to say a monster killed my dad and as far as I know that was true. The ocean is a monster.

A shriek of joy turns our attention back to Will. "found it" he exclaims and puts the game back on. We go over and look at a ceramic box with carving on it. Lilly holds it and flips through her book being a very powerful sossocer.

"I cast magic detection" hovering her hand over the box as Josh plays the role as Game master.

"Thy treasures may only be shown to one of true heart and courage. For if thou fail a deadly curse shall be cast down" We look at each other not sure what to do. Look at our barbarian who was played by Alex. He steps back shaking his head.

"you've fought a whole village of orcs come on" Kayla groans "That's pretty courageous"

"Who said I was scared to fight them"

"What are you talking about that has nothing to do with it" she snaps they always did this back and forth but that is only because their characters had been partners under odd circumstances. In reality, they got along very well.

"That defies the definition of courage" Lilly points out "Courage is shown when doing something even though it scares you"

"How is fighting a horde of orcs not terrifying tho" I ask

"I'm half" he shrugs. "besides it doesn't say a past act we have to do one now to prove to the box, so one of us should touch it that would be courageous"

"then do it" Kayla scuffs

"can't" he smiles "A tiny box doesn't scare the Mighty Throx" he boasts. "why not you?" she rolls her eyes.

"Have you not met me I'm anything but pure-hearted" Now lost with what to do. I go over to the water my heart racing.

"I will do it" I start not much of my character was known but this could be a good way to give a background. "my village was once attacked by a beast known as the Farquill. Many parished and my home was never the same yet somewhere out there the beast lay waiting to finish the job" I take a deep breath "I fear that if I ever step foot in the cold waters it will know" I let the water hit my feet before a loud crash. I turn to see Will smash the ceramic box on the ground.

"Juese dude" Josh snaps "trying to take someone out" I quickly step away "I also didn't want her to do that, you didn't have to do that Rory" he gave an apologetic look "But it worked." I go over and grab the scroll. it is a map. "that's it for today anyways um I guess we clean this up" I look at the time.

"shit" I start gathering my stuff.

"what" Lilly looks over "You okay"

"yeah, I'm going to be late I got to go" We all share our goodbyes and I drive to the tattoo shop. I enter with a ding of the bell going to the front desk waiting for Oscar. Instead, I'm greeted by a tall guy with short hair covered in tattoos sporting a goatee.

"How may I help you" he leans in smiling.

"I'm looking for Oscar" he turns and calls him.

Entering with that golly grin plastered on his face "Rory there you are Will told me you were on the way come on I'll show you where you can set up." I head back and the guy turns looking very displeased. I go back to; the shop being very high-end if I may say so. Each artist had a room to themselves. The room had all the stuff I needed. The chair for the client, a rolling stool, the drawers for all the supplies. "so you set up with all your stuff decorate as you like the shared supplies are down at the end of the hall." He smiles. The room was that of a small bedroom about 10x10. I go out to my car minding my own business noticing Oscar talking with the guy from before. I start loading my stuff in and making the room my own.

The tattoo gun I have is bright pink along with the gloves I use. I put a fluffy pink stool cover on making the place feel more like my own. I hang up some of my work all with a Pink wooden frame. The bride of Frankinsitne and Frankenstine both had rounded frames; putting them side by side facing each other. The other framed photo was a fairy with phycodelic cloud puff sitting on a mushroom smoking a hooka. Having to go get the shared shit from the storage room I leave making my way down the hall. I notice the man who greeted me glaring. Oscar comes out of his office offering to help.

"by the way this is Tyler he will be working night shift with you. It will be just you too at night." I hold out my hand and give him a handshake. "let me go get a box for you" Oscar walks off leaving me alone with tyler who didn't seem to thrilled to have me here. I could care less I wasn't here to be buddy buddy with people anyway. While it would be nice to be friends he didn't seem the type of person I'd be friends with. I'm here to do my thing and get paid that's all.

"can't believe I have a chick working with me" he huffs "When he said I was finally getting permanent help at night I didn't think he set me up with a newbie" Before more could be said under his breath Oscar came back showing me the supplies room.

"Is he always like that" I question. Oscar seemed all too clear knowing what I meant.

"just ignore him. All bark no bite, he has had some trouble with coworkers in general but he is damn good that's why I keep him. If you have any problem just let me know" reassuring me that I'd be okay and gathering what I needed before heading back to my area. It was quiet for the most part until some big dude with lots of tattoos covering his arms came in.

"oi, Rory right?" Tyler calls me over "I'll make a bet with you," intreged I walk over. "I want to see what you got. Round here respect is earned so whoever design he chooses wins bragging rights and gets to buy dinner on break deal" Feeling ballsy and a sense to prove myself I shake on it before going over. "how may I help you Tony" Apparently this was a recurring client knowing I might've made a bad decision.

"Sup, I'm looking to get a spider with an eye for the body. Just wanted to fill in some of the gaps" taking what he wanted and rushing off to start drawing what he wanted having a couple of ideas. I drew a normal spider and modified it by making the body like he wanted but it turned out kinda cartoony. Trying again to make it more photorealistic with the pupil being the hourglass-like a black widow. After about thirty minutes I go to see if Tyler was done and he was still working on the idea. He was good, so good it made me a bit nervous. He had the tarantula with the pattern being an eye it was realistic as well and in color. If it was my tattoo I'd probably choose him it would blend in and not be so obvious either. We go over Tony was impressed. "damn that's sick" he chuckles "I like this one" he fucking pointed to mine "Can it be in color" he asks "Thinking the eye can be red" I nod surprised he actually choose mine. The way I went about the design was a bit cartoony while Tyler's was more like something you'd see. Proud of myself we discuss everything.

I take him back and start setting up my station and doing the placement. After positioning it about twice I was ready. "would you like music or we can talk" I offer.

"music's fine" he smiles "What you got"

"not much sadly It's my first day in this shop so I haven't got the room completely decked out I can turn on a station if you'd like" I offer playing with the station till it is what he prefured. I get started my mind hyperfocused on what I was doing. I was finally in my zone. My mind was at ease nothing could stop my flow. I loved when clients wanted music, while I don't mind talking I'd much rather just vibe. I move on to the coloring after what felt like only thirty minutes even though I doubt it was. I felt thirsty leaning up and stopping the clock.

"is everything ok" The concern in his voice was a bit startling.

"yeah I just need something to drink real quick" I smile.

"you pay by hour no?"

"I do that's why I stopped the clock, I charge for the work I do not for taking breaks. Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

"Could I get some water too if you don't mind" I nod and go to get our drinks I glance at the time it has been almost two hours. fifty bucks. I was nowhere near done maybe another two to go. I come back refreshed and let him sit and relax some before resterilizing and going back to work this time no music.

"so where did you work before this"

"I worked in a shop called Vixxin it was in New Mexico"

"you from there"

"no I just moved back" I smile. "so when did you start your collage" I joke

"When I was bout your age I think. I was fucking around with some friends and got a stick and poke after a few of those I got addicted." we start talking about the addiction tattoo and how some had meanings. He was a war vet and had a big eagle on his bicep. Having served in Vietnam he moved to Santa Carla afterwards. The war changed him having seen such horrible things made him want to help those. Like the victims he saw in the war the civilians who just happened to be in the way of fire. He is currently a firefighter and has a kid on the way.

Wrapping things up and heading to the front his total wasn't bad. I did great; being really proud of my work. "I hope you enjoy and congratulations on the kiddo" I smile

"thanks and you know this was one of the best services I've gotten can I tip." Not sure if it was allowed I called for Oscar who still happened to be here.

"how can I help" He smiles

"Can we accept a tip ?"

"Yeah," I'm handed twenty-five which was a pleasant surprise. Having a happy customer made my night that much better. "well shit look at that keep up the good work." Oscar pats my back "I'm going to get going here in a bit"

"do you want me to just put it in a jar in the front?" I ask not sure of the rules on tips.

"Nah that's yours I believe if you earn it it's yours. My wife used to be a waitress and came home always mad about how she had to split her hard-earned money with people who sat around. So that's yours be proud." I go back to my room cleaning up again when I hear the ding. I go to see a woman waiting.

"How may I help you" I smile. The rest of the night was easy I had one other quick tattoo customer and did a few pricings. I started my reservations and appointments for clients. When break rolled around Tyler ordered a pizza and ignored me for the rest of the night pissy that I won the bet which was the icing on top. While sweeping up the floors and going around to start closing up shop Tyler comes out.

"you did good," He mutters still butt hurt.

"thank you" I smile "I got it from here if you want to go" I offer trying to be on a more friendly term with him.

"No it's fine you go I got it" he starts towards the back.

"Are you sure" I look at him and he nods I finish what I am doing before grabbing my things and heading out. The boardwalk was slowly closing the only places still open being a twenty-four hour convenience store as well as a few bars that didn't close till five. I get in my car and drive over to the store to get a snack and a drink. As I am checking out I hear the loud engines of bikes outside. I glance over to meet the blue eyes of the man from a few nights ago. Being almost entranced by them.

"is that all" the teenager working the counter asks with a bratty attitude. I look over nodding handing her the money before making my way out. They just sat there getting gas and all loudly talking. Having noticed me staring he leans forward against the handles nodding his head up eyebrows doing the same smirking. I quickly look away before getting in my car and heading home. I unlock the front door and enter not expecting Steve to be waiting nearly scaring the wits out of me.

"oh my god," I jump dropping my bag. I groan and pick my stuff up ready for the earful of whatever bullshit was about to spew out of his mouth.

"where were you" he questions "It's almost four in the morning"

"I was at work" I move past him "I told you I got it why are you surprised" Setting my things down on the counter I try to ignore him.

"you said you get off at three" he snaps

"I needed gas" opening the fridge to put my things away which was quickly slammed shut in my face.

"you will look at me when I am talking to you" He yells. "how do you expect to get shit done if you are out all night"

"what do you mean" I snap back.

"We agreed you'd help did we not"

"yes, I have a job though so I can pay you rent if you want and I will buy my food didn't Mom tell you"

"she did but that isn't any of her business this is my house Rory" he yells "So this is what will happen you will give me half of every paycheck." he smiles thinking he did something.

"Okay," I shrug.

Not getting the reaction he wanted he grits his teeth hissing under his breath"Well how much do you make then"

"a month" I get out a paper to go some quick math. "bout 4,500" I look over his eyes wide.

"bullshit" he snaps throwing whatever was close causing me to jump. "what do you really make" I shake my head handing him the paper. "there is no fucking way you make that much"

"on a good month yeah I would" I nod backing up not sure what he wanted me to say. "I do okay for myself, I don't get why you are so mad"

"Because I won't tolerate lying" he yells. My mom walked in just as confused as I was. "so how much" his face slowly turning red with rage. "an hour how much"

"twenty-five minus like 20%"

"Bullshit" He yells realizing his ego was hurt. He didn't want to believe I made so much. Even though it felt good to know I bruised his elated ego it was fucking terrifying.

"Fifteen" I blurt out saying the lowest but most believable number I could think of.

"there see why didn't you just say that hmm." smiling satisfied "No need to lie to me Rory, now I should expect about thirteen hundred right?" he asks and I nod not being able to move. It was like every muscle in my body was so tense that if you pointed a gun at me I wouldn't be able to move. The terror that filled me was too intense. He fixes himself to hide the rage fit he just had. "now I need to get going I love you both" He goes over to my mom kissing her head. "I'll be home later" before leaving. My eyes were wide as I looked over at my mom who was just as frozen as I was. What the fuck was that. I've never seen him act like that the whole time I've known him. Sure he was a horrible person but the shift of emotion was baffling. If he got mad it would take a long time for him to cool down we would hear about it all day but just smile say I love you then walk off. That was horrifying it's like a psychopath was just yelling at me. I go over to the broken object that he threw to clean. Mom springing in action as well. While cleaning up trying to help her with housework both of us kept quiet.

"what time did you get home" she asks while I help her with the dishes.

"like four" I mutter. She nods and glances over.

"don't you have work tonight" I nod "Honey go get some rest it's almost noon" I look at her. "don't worry I won't tell. As long as you are working he doesn't have to know that I do the housework by myself you are doing your part."

"I wasn't lying," I tell her my voice meek.

"I know, I'm proud of you. Doing what you love and doing so well. Jokes on him in the end though." she chuckles I look over her smile real not like when I first saw her when I got here. That's how she made it. Every time he got things wrong or showed his ass in front of people it filled her with the same sick joy of finally someone sees him for the bastard he is and how he isn't as tough as he seems, so fragile. Even though that fear plagued the back of her mind the fear that made it to where she would feel this joy in private. I knew this feeling too well the only hope for her was if she did what I did. She didn't have the resources though. No family to run back to. I won't leave no matter if it is worse than it was. I will stay and never leave her alone like I did again, if I do leave it will be with her going with me I vow that.

[uncaught-coolfish]

faunus culture. Go

don’t mind if I do o7

So

there’s a lot (me when I lie) I’m changing about how the Faunus themselves and Menagerie are shown in canon for “Black Horns, White Fang.” I always felt there could’ve been a lot more to be done with em? So… here goes. Just sort of a list of a bunch of things I (currently) have planned out.

The Faunus

•First and foremost, fuck the 1 trait rule, all my homies hate the 1 trait rule. While many of the characters still have that singular trait, many I’ve changed to have a bit more. Example; Sienna’s stripes are no longer tattoos, but naturally apart of her skin, and Ilia can now move her eyes in separate directions. Speaking of Ilia, similarly to how her canon trait was shown in her spotted skin, many Faunus have similarly unnoticeable traits. Whether it be eyes, finger nails, skin texture or teeth.

•Adding onto that, if two Faunus of differing traits (i.e: pig and leopard, falcon and pelican, etc) have a child, that child will either A; inherit the traits of one parent (i don’t know how the fuck genes work <3), or B; inherit both traits. As an example, a child whose mother held traits of a Tiger and whose father held traits of a Ram may be born with their mother’s stripes, and their father’s horns. …um, if that was a little specific for you, just… read chapter 2 :’)

•Pearls are a specific fashion staple amongst their kind, often being worn as bracelets, necklaces, adornments or earrings.

Menagerie

•The island is as diverse geographically as it is with the people it houses. While a great majority of Menagerie is made up of a vast, uninhabitable desert, the areas in which life flourishes are often comprised of thick jungles or lush beaches.

•There are many kinds of plant life not found anywhere else in Remnant on this island. As an example (bear with me hear I don’t know how plants work, fantasy setting), a particular form of plant, which starts out as a simple, inedible purple fruit, grows into a full leaf plant once placed on the ocean water. The leaves are then harvested to create either food or medicines for illnesses, such as fevers. These plants are often harvested by aquatic faunus, but many others, including those in the White Fang itself, are always willing to lend a helping hand.

•Livable settlements are filled to the brim with markets of all kinds, from cloth to furniture, foods to medicine, and again, members of the White Fang are within these areas to ensure all is smooth and well.

•On that note, lower-ranked or in-training WF members will often be seen carrying heavy cargo, harvesting plants, selling goods or just generally helping their fellow Faunus in the meantime before they are ready to go on more serious missions.

Religion

While there are many different subgroups of religion, the Faunus have 3 “main” religions.

Mau Loa: Followers of this religion believe in no greater, divine power, nor do they believe in any afterlife; Rather, when one dies, they are reborn and given a new life, over and over again. This religion is the most widely practiced among the people.

Vasa Paia: Vasa Paia is the only Faunus religion which “centers” around the existence of any sort of god or deities. Followers of the religion believe that when one dies, their soul shall depart to the ocean—in which they shall find themselves in a kingdom ruled over by five gods; each of whom represent the traits many Faunus have. The way this religion is practiced in every day life is that a ceremony will be held every year in which candles are cast out over the ocean’s surface, and when one dies that is a follower of the religion, their body is often left to sink down into the sea after a funeral ceremony.

Api Besar: A religion that was nearly snuffed out by human forces, followers of the Api Besar believe in no deity, nor god. When one dies, there is no afterlife, and your soul remains “stagnant.” It will remain as such until the day “The Great Fire”, which is believed to have created the Faunus in the first place by the religion, returns to the world, where all will be reborn within it as all cruelty is destroyed. It is the oldest known Faunus religion, but one which has nearly gone extinct due to meddling by Humanity.

~~~~~

I’ll probably make a couple more separate posts, but a lot of this stuff is still in WIP and I don’t want this to get too long. Feel free to give me feedback, I adore worldbuilding in general but I’d love to hear all of your guys’s thoughts!

[stereogeekspodcast]

[Transcript] Season 4, Episode 6. X-Men ‘97 Spoiler Review

The Stereo Geeks review the first season of X-Men '97.

Listen to the episode on Spotify.

Ron: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks. Today we’re chatting about season 1 of X-Men ‘97.

I’m Ron.

Mon: And, I’m Mon.

This episode is about the full season of X-Men ‘97, so yes, there will be spoilers. If you haven’t watched all ten episodes, go finish them and then return.

R: We had discussed the first three episodes of the show and our experience at the Toronto premiere–which we’ll link to in our show notes–but now we’re going to unleash all our thoughts. So, overall feelings about the show?

M: This show gave me life. 

R: Yep, loved every minute! Each episode stuck the landing in the most unexpected ways. It was obvious that the people behind this show loved the characters and the universe of X-Men.

M: Nothing can surpass the excitement of 2 months of X-Men day. I’m so glad we got to have this and spend time with the X-Men. 

The show’s animation is just gorgeous. The colours, the movement, the details–they added to the immersive experience of the story. 

The characterizations were stellar–characters who hadn’t been given their due came alive here, especially Jean and Gambit, as well as Storm, to an extent.

R: We got so many meaningful arcs for Cyclops, Rogue, Jean, Storm, Jubilee, even Cable.

There were so many fun cameos–Blob, Pixie, Exodus!

The dialogue this season–wow!

Every word Nightcrawler said was amazing. His eulogy for Gambit? Actual perfection.

Also, Xavier’s diatribe against the Shiar about equality? Print that and hand it out to politicians!

R: Some of the plots did feel curtailed though.

Madelyne Pryor’s arc could have been a couple of episodes. Would have been a great way to reintroduce Havok.

In fact, in the Krakoa comics, Maddy and Havok are together.

Lifedeath is another story that could definitely have been longer.

That teaser for the second season though. I can’t wait.

M: Honestly, the soap opera drama is why this show is killing it.

M: But, the show had issues

Morph being non-binary was a footnote, and they were the only character who had absolutely no story or arc

The characters of colour were shunted to the side–Storm being depowered meant she disappeared a lot, Forge was only shown in context of Storm, Bishop vanished after 3 episodes, and ‘Berto…

We love ‘Berto, but while Gui Augustini is Brazilian-born, he’s not Afro-Latino. I didn’t clock that ‘Berto’s comic origins were re-written on the show (because the OG is so ingrained in me). And then his skin colour just kept getting lighter. What the hell? People are rightfully angry about him. 

R: Yeah. I had mentioned the skin colour issue in our previous episode. It… did not get better. Sigh.

M: Shall we chat about the rest of the voice-cast? Because the voice-acting sold us on the stories and emotions. I loved Lenore Zann, who allowed her personal tragedy to inform her powerful and emotional performance as Rogue. 

R: The voice cast was stellar. Lenore Zann and Alyson Sealy-Smith were highlights for me.

The way Zann channelled Rogue’s grief and rage after Gambit’s death–I’m tearing up just thinking about it.

Sealy-Smith brings the regality to Storm that her character deserves. She’s got a majestic voice and was somehow even better in this season than the 92 show. I can now only read Storm in her voice now.

M: Alison Sealy-Smith was seamless, and powerful.

R: AJ LoCascio was such a delight as Gambit. He clearly adores the character and made such an impact in just five episodes.

M: The newcomers were all so good. Ray Chase (Cyclops), Holly Chou (Jubilee), Matthew Waterson (Magneto), Jennifer Hale (Jean Grey), and A.J. LoCascio were exactly what you’d expect these characters to sound like. Love love loved them. Chase is the voice of Scott for me now. And LoCascio’s love for Gambit came through in every scene of Gambit.

I also love that Catherine Disher came back but not as Jean Grey. She played the heck out of Val Cooper. She got an iconic monologue and said THE LINE - Magneto Was Right!

R: So many characters to love here. But do we have a favourite?

M: I think we may have the same favourite. 

R: I’ve loved Gambit for so long but this season was the first time I felt a story did him justice.

He’s got such a big heart and he loves Rogue completely. He doesn’t even care that she can’t touch him. I love that about him.

I also love that he took their breakup so well. 

I was so worried about that scene but Gambit still wants to be Rogue’s friend. It’s so sweet.

M: Yep, I concur. I am in love with Gambit. 

The creators purposely made him loveable, likeable and sexy. They made us want to fall in love with him, and they succeeded!

It’s the little things that made Gambit such a tragic hero.

He’s besotted with Rogue, he loves her even though physical touch is impossible for them, he is willing to let her go and love her as a friend when she chooses Magneto, and he dies for the people he loves. Tears all around. 

R: And that brings me to the best character arc. 

I’ve also loved Rogue for a very long time and I absolutely adore her arc in ‘97.

This show wasn’t afraid to dive into sexuality with Rogue, Gambit, and Magneto.

Gambit is so comfortable in his sexuality in the first episode.

But with Rogue not being able to touch people, this season really leaned into her indulging her physical requirements with Magneto because she needs that fulfilment in her life.

Loving Gambit isn’t enough for Rogue. I like a lady who takes charge of her desires!

Then there’s her anger at losing Gambit. She goes for the jugular with everyone who took her man. I loved seeing her fight and be ruthless.

Rogue and her brother, Nightcrawler, get such an incredible scene together.

You can really see how Rogue, who starts the show as a pacifist, by the end of the season, she’s throwing Trask out the window.

No wonder she joins Magneto. He’s the only one who understands her pain.

M: Rogue’s arc was undeniably great. But I’m going to go against the grain here and talk about our Team Leader, Cyclops.

I love Cyclops so much, and have for a very long time. 

He’s complicated and wrong, and sad, and human. 

He has a great arc because it’s about love and family. 

I think he really goes through it with his emotions because he’s in love with Jean, always has been, but then finds out he was with her clone

The fact that he goes from boy scout to pissed off when he has to justify himself and his reluctance to talk about his son to Trish Tilby the reporter, was, well, a choice. But it’s like the dam burst for him.

It’s a reflection of a very real problem. If you’re from a marginalized community, it’s assumed you can never be objective. But you can always be objective when you’re the ‘default’ community. 

So when Tilby is pushing Scott to explain why he’s supposedly lying about the existence of his child, she’s basically suggesting, as a mutant he has to be perfect, and Scott’s outburst is saying ‘no. if humans can be flawed and have secrets, so can he and mutantkind.’

He’s such a great human, though.

He’s willing to take the punches from the X-Cutioner in the second episode because he has to protect people from his blasts.

He’s willing to sacrifice himself in the finale so his son and the world can live.

He wants to give people a chance–save Magneto, appeal to Bastion–despite being a child soldier, he tries to break out of the mold that Charles has tried to shape him in

Scott’s love for Nathan is so dang palpable. You can almost feel his heart breaking for all the lost years.

And that bloody line of dialogue to Logan in the finale, ordering Logan to do what he’s best at, heal, so Logan doesn’t break Jean’s heart–Scott just wants Jean to be happy. 

R: Wow. We’re so predictable. 

M: Earlier, I mentioned the drama on the show. Talk about soap opera - who isn’t in love with the wrong person on this show!

R. Absolutely. A lot of the soap opera stuff has to do with the romances and love triangles/quadrangles!

R: I was uncomfortable with Magneto/Rogue/Gambit but I get it.

M: The Rogue/Magneto romance is still icky to me. There’s too large a gap and power-imbalance. But Maggie gives Rogue something no one else can, so I get why she turns to him. 

M: The Scott/Madelyne/Jean triangle is very complicated, and they wrote it well, where none of them are perfect, but they’re trying. 

Jean kissing Logan felt forced to me–Logan has been in love with her forever, but has she felt anything for him? Or is she, in a state of weakness, picking up his emotions and projecting back? 

Also, was ‘Berto introduced just to be Jubilee’s boyfriend? Boring.

I’m not convinced by Storm and Forge’s romance either. She went from feeling betrayed by the revelation that it was his invention that depowered her to being in love with him. superquick.

R: I see what you mean but I want Storm to find love with Forge.

R: I am very interested in Morph/Wolverine/Jean though.

In Fire Made Flesh, Morph’s demon takes the form of Wolverine saying he and everyone else know what Morph is. And Morph looks so scared.

I was wondering why Wolverine?

M: Why naked Wolverine?

R: Yeah right? 

I know they’re best friends in the show.

But the finale explains it–Morph is in love with Wolvie. Who wouldn’t be?

Of course, we know Logan’s been in love with Jeanie forever. So Morph takes Jean’s form to confess their love.

M: Morph being in love with Logan is unexpected–but again, why isn’t that part of the text of the show? Why is everything to do with Morph an afterthought?

I don’t hate that Morph’s feelings for Logan have evolved from platonic to romantic, considering Logan has been their biggest champion and friend and support from the get-go. The two of them have always been close. But we need to see their romance/friendship grow on screen!

R: I really want to see where this goes. Friends-to-lovers is a very popular fanfiction trope and Morph deserves it.

However, we can’t forget it’s 1997 in the show and being queer isn’t easy.

So, will Morph get a coming out story?

The X-Men have already accepted Morph’s non-binary identity. But would they feel the same way about Morph being a queer person in love with Wolverine?

Will Wolvie accept them?

I would hate for them to stop being friends over this!

How great would it be if Iceman joined the team in Season 2 and had his own coming out story?

X2, the film, was a coming out allegory so why not have a real coming out story?

I just want to see Bobby Drake!

M: Me too!

M: Best episode?

R: I was tempted to go with Remember It because of Gambit and Tolerance is Extinction Part 2 because of that Magneto vs Wolverine ending.

But, it’s episode 2 for me. Mutant Liberation Begins

This episode is the first season’s manifesto

Magneto does everything that humanity, and the X-Men, expect of him

And the humans still fight him; they take Storm’s power. They still choose hatred.

Magneto gave them chances and offered them harmony.

But they refused; humanity sided with Bastion, they destroyed Genosha, they shot nuclear missiles at Asteroid M

The human beings in the X-verse deserve whatever Magneto dishes out to them

M: Like you, for me it’s also Mutant Liberation Begins

This, to me, was one of the best episodes of television, ever

This was a clear reflection of the divisions of the real world–artificial divisions along the lines of race, class, ethnicity, and beliefs, that literally kill and maim people. 

The battle at the end where the X-Men are restraining themselves, getting beat down, while they protect the same class of people that are hurting them is poignant. 

The problem is, it doesn’t matter how much our art shows us we’re on the wrong side of history, people will purposely choose to be on the wrong side of it.

I also want to talk about S1.E5 ∙ Remember It

Honestly thought this was going to be a game-changer. The start of a Krakoa-like era where the X-Men and mutants have found a home for themselves. 

R: Never expect good things for the X-Men.

M:

And then we turn to the personal side of things when Rogue chooses Magneto over Gambit. I was like, ok, this is a character story, it’s about their arc.

And then boom, literally. You can have no peace in a world that actively hates you.

And lastly, S1.E10 ∙ Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 3

I thought the penultimate episode was one of the weaker ones of the season, so I was concerned about the finale. I was wrong. 

It became about connections–Charles connecting with Magnus, Jean and Scott connecting with Nathan, Scott reaching out to Bastion in friendship. Very emotional.

R: This leads us to the most shocking moment. 

It has to be Gambit dying, right? He’s a core character and he’s very much alive and kicking in the comics.

M: Honestly, did not expect Gambit to die. Like, I’m still reeling. I can only cope by knowing that he’s alive in the comics. 

R: The show has done this before–Morph died in the pilot but they did come back eventually.

There’s speculation that Gambit will return but like, how? He dead-dead.

M: Another shocking moment was Rogue dropping Trask off the building–this was not something Rogue would do. I know she was angry, but she should have been beating him to a pulp, not letting him plummet to his death.

R: That was shocking but it felt right.

R: But also, Magneto ripping the adamantium out of Wolverine?

It’s straight from the comics! In fact, the animation was based on the panel in the comic.

Very exciting but poor Wolverine!

M: Hopes for season 2? 

R: More Morph! I want to see them take the spotlight. Get a great arc, lots of action, and a full-on love story with someone. It probably won’t be Wolverine, because I doubt Marvel will make Wolvie queer. But someone.

Also, Mystique and Destiny. I love them so much and I need to see more of them. In the comics, Mystique and Destiny are ready to destroy the universe to save each other. I need to see that passion on screen.

But I’m worried that without Beau DeMayo, or a queer presence behind the scenes, we won’t get fulfilling queer stories.

I’d also love to see lots of new and old X-Men. Bring me Polaris, Havok, Iceman, Dani Moonstar, Rayne Sinclair, Synch. I need more Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

M: I want more of the mutants showing up and helping Forge and team. Iceman, Archangel, the New Mutants. I’d like to see them become mainstays. 

I really want more queer storylines, arcs, and characters. For all the updated sensibilities of this show, the queerbaiting irritated me.

That ‘Berto is back, he’s his comic book colour, his origins are retconned, and, while I love Augustini’s voice acting, we need a representative actor voicing him. 

Someone please explain Val Cooper–something is up with her!

More soap opera drama and romantic entanglements. We live for this.

[theprayerfulword]

May 19

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails.

John 2:9-10 The steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

Mark 5:19 Jesus did not let him [the man from whom he had cast out demons] come with him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

John 15:9-12 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

2 Corinthians 9:8 In all things at all times, having all that you need.

Proverbs 11:24-25 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

May you not be overcome of evil, nor permit others to render evil for good on your behalf, but, exercising faith and patience, hold tightly to the promises God has given you, trusting Him to bring them to pass in His time and in His way. 1 Samuel 24

May you truly repent and turn from the choices and actions God convicts you of, as David did, and not merely mourn when they are revealed, weeping for them but continuing to love them, convinced but not converted, ashamed yet still bitter, as Saul did. 1 Samuel 24

May you always remember that you are but a steward of what you have, realizing that all which you hold authority over was given you from God so that you may do the work of the Father, showing His love to those who have lost sight of Him and demonstrating His abundance to those who have need in doing His work. 1 Samuel 25

May you be as willing to follow Christ as His disciple in trials and sufferings as Abigail was willing to share the privations of David in the wilderness, because of faith in the kingship which shall be realized, and in response to the mercy and loving acceptance already shown. 1 Samuel 25

May you learn to hear the Lord plainly, listening to His voice and following Him in the paths of eternal life, as He keeps you safe from those who would snatch you from His hand, defeating them as they try. John 10

May you realize and understand that those who resist the work of God and reject the Word of God cannot restrict the will of God, but can only remove the blessing of God from their own lives, not the lives of others. John 10

Pray, My child, without ceasing; stand firm in resisting the enemy. Receive the full victory that is yours by praying with persistence, for while I purchased it for you in My flesh, you must receive it from Me by My Spirit. When you pray, I hear. And because I hear, My love guarantees an answer. But you must not doubt, for that is the enemy's goal. He cannot prevent My answer, but if he can make you doubt that I have heard and answered, you may give up, turn away, and quit praying. Look into the world of the spirit with My eyes, My wavering one. See the agents of the enemy which have been given assignments against you. Watch My anger burst forth and defeat the evil that attacks you, soundly and fully vanquishing each that touches My beloved, bringing you respite. But do not look away – for another minion has been sent to continue the attack. If you do not understand this, you may think you have “lost” the victory, that you were too “weak” to walk in the spirit, that “hidden” sin in your life is separating you from Me. Do not give up! Do not quit! Do not lay down your sword and shield! Stand against each attack and watch My power vanquish each foe. Remember that the enemy comes in as a flood, and he will send as many underlings to certain defeat as it takes to make you waver in your faith. Whatever the attack, it will not overwhelm you. Just as I have no limit to My grace, and endless abundance of compassion for all your needs, so also My arm will not grow weary, nor shall My will ever fail. I am the Captain of the army of the Lord, and I have personally overcome the wickedness of evil that strives against Me. Call upon Me as often as needed, speak in My name at every attack, stand on My promise in each situation, for I will always be victorious, time and time again, until the waves of attacks end. Remember that I was accosted by Satan more than once, but he eventually departed for a season; so must the repeated attacks which tempt you to give in eventually end as you endure in My name, lifting Me up, and celebrate each victory.

May you love the Lord and call upon Him for as long as you live, for He has turned His ear to you and hears your voice when you cry for mercy. Psalm 116

When you are overcome by trouble and sorrow, tangled in the cords of death and the anguish of the grave, may you call on the name of Lord to save you. Psalm 116

May the Lord save and protect you, preserving and guarding you while He keeps watch over you, as He does for all who are defenseless and untrained, who approach Him in simplicity and innocence, with the humility of the inexperienced and the weak. Psalm 116

May your soul be at rest once more for the Lord has been good to you, for He has delivered your soul from death, your eyes from tears, your feet from stumbling that you may walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 116

May you bring a song of thanksgiving to the Lord and fulfill your vows to Him, performing them in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord's house, and in the midst of Jerusalem. Psalm 116

May you choose and desire to be a wise and sensible child who brings joy and gladness to his Father, causing Him to rejoice in your faithfulness and obedience. Proverbs 15:20

May you have the intelligence, understanding and good sense to walk uprightly, to keep to a straight course, and regulate your walk in order to stay on the right path. Proverbs 15:21

[orthodoxadventure]

The Creator gave man everything for his growth in goodness. But when He sees evil again taking first place due to man’s free will, when He sees that people have abandoned Christ the Son of God, and have bowed down before and submitted to the antichrist, He will again come down to earth, but this time not as one Who is longsuffering, in humiliation, but as the Judge, separating the incurable from the healthy. He will descend in great glory—He shall sit on the throne of His glory (Matt. 19:28).

This was also revealed to the prophet Daniel, who wrote: I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit… and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:9, 13–14). In accordance with this prophecy of Daniel, the Gospel also says, And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats (Matt. 25). The Lord calls the righteous sheep; they are quiet and meek, and walk the path in their life that Christ has shown. He calls sinners goats; they are impertinent, unmerciful, and dissolute. They live in worship to idols, and their idols are “nature” and carnal mindedness.

Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, the impartial Judge will say to those standing at His right. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. In these words, the original thought and aim of the Creator at the creation of the world are expressed. The Creator gave man everything needed for the achievement of this aim: the Word become flesh, His sufferings, and the purifying and healing Sacraments. Come and inherit the kingdom… Enter into the joy of your Lord, for as God’s children, you have lived according to the Gospel; you have correctly used the earthly, corruptible, and transient world.

In what was expressed the righteous’ correct use of earthly blessings, their likeness to Christ? In deeds of mercy and humility. I was an hungred, and ye gave Me to eat… naked, and ye clothed Me… “Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and gave Thee to eat, or saw Thee a naked wanderer… and served Thee?” the righteous will ask Him. Their humility can be seen in this question. And humility is the expression of love for God and man.

There was none of that amongst those standing on the left side of the Righteous Judge, Who calls them goats. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy (Jas. 2:13), says the Apostle. Therefore, the Lord also says, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Let us pay attention to the Savior’s words: prepared not for you, not for man… But rather you people, through your own free will have bound your hearts and will to the devil; your hardness and enmity, uncompassionate hearts and miserly manners reveal the fullness of sin in you; you have placed your own selves outside of God.

Thus, my dear brothers and sisters, love and philanthropy, mercy and compassion, will reveal to us at the end of our earthly sojourn the things which God hath prepared for them that love him… Which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man (1 Cor. 2:9).

The Gospel of the Last Judgment calls us to follow Christ. In following Christ, and becoming like Christ, man’s dignity and grandeur unfolds. Amen.

Bishop Mitrophan (Znosko-Borovsky) Translation by OrthoChristian.com

Azbyka.ru

3/10/2024

[saffyxiv]

The Night Before Old Sharlayan

(set immediately before 6.0, established relationship. 447 words of fluff. Wolianger Week 2023 Day 2: Encourage)

Momo was dreading the plan to travel to Old Sharlayan. To be thrust into a city full of the world's knowledge when she could barely read anything more complex than a cookbook, when her only skills were botany and crying, how would she ever fit in? Even worse, would anyone there even accept her standing at Urianger's side?

Fresh from the bath with her damp hair clinging to her face, Momo quietly shut the door behind her as she entered her shared room with Urianger. Her eyes were cast downwards, but the sound of a tome folding shut drew her attention to the Elezen. He opened his arms up to offer his embrace, and her ears flattened in response, cheeks flushed with shame. Why couldn’t she be as excited as everyone else? Her nerves were eating her from the inside, still lingering on even after his prior reassurances. The Scions were due to leave in the morning, but every step towards the bed felt heavier than the last.

“Thy troubles still haunt thee,” he said carefully, watching as she crawled over next to him, curling up in a ball along his side.  Urianger wrapped his arms around her as his fingers combed through her hair.  She was quiet for a while longer, her breath slow and heavy; sighs escaping her now and then as her limbs slowly softened.  “I’m still scared,” she answered quietly, and he tightened his embrace in response.

“Thine heart is stronger than thou believes, my dearest Momo.”  His hand shifted to her cheek, brushing away her tears before gently tilting her head upwards.  “Who’s voice was the clearest of all Scions to pledge their forgiveness for my deceptions?  For ardently standing by mine undeserving side? Thy selfless love hath saved countless lives, mine own included.  These talents are not found in tomes, nor scripts, nor great halls in the Studium.  All the greatest scholars within Old Sharlayan couldst attempt to delve into the mysteries of what makes thine heart shine so bright, but none save I shall come close to understanding.”  He paused for a moment, his eyes wet with unshed tears.  Momo was shocked at his reaction, her mouth slightly agape at his expression. “That thou would permit me, a humble and regretful man, to call myself thou’s husband-”

Momo all but jumped out of her skin at that point, cheeks blazing red with embarrassment.  “Uri!  I can’t, what are all these compliments?  I’m just me, a little miqo who is in love with you…” her voice trailed off in shock.

“And thou art my brightest sun, Momo.  All shall be well, as thine everlasting light has shown me through the darkest of shadows.”  He cupped her cheeks in his palms, thumbs softly brushing over her markings before leaning forward to offer her a kiss.  She threw her arms around him, crying into his chest; soft cries of ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘I’ll try,’ echoed as she cried out the rest of her fears, with Urianger reassuring her throughout the night.

[pomegranate-cuties]

Chapter 19 Reactions

First time poster, long time reader and so on. All instances of bold in quoted text is my own emphasis. Now, without further ado:

People who have never seen these structures, and have only the ill-imagined efforts of artists or the imperfect descriptions of such eye-witnesses as myself to go upon, scarcely realise that living quality. I recall particularly the illustration of one of the first pamphlets to give a consecutive account of the war. The artist had evidently made a hasty study of one of the fighting-machines, and there his knowledge ended. He presented them as tilted, stiff tripods, without either flexibility or subtlety, and with an altogether misleading monotony of effect. The pamphlet containing these renderings had a considerable vogue, and I mention them here simply to warn the reader against the impression they may have created. They were no more like the Martians I saw in action than a Dutch doll is like a human being. To my mind, the pamphlet would have been much better without them.

Tell us how you really feel Mr Narrator! As someone who's been accepting any and all illustrations of our tripod aliens as canon, I'm feeling very attacked right now. And who was it who first described the Martian machines as a milk stool, hm?

The internal anatomy, I may remark here, as dissection has since shown, was almost equally simple.

I love these delicious little hints of a post-Martian world 🥰

They did not eat, much less digest. Instead, they took the fresh, living blood of other creatures, and injected it into their own veins. I have myself seen this being done, as I shall mention in its place.

Virgin digestive system (humans) vs Chad vampire metabolism (Martians). Also, I'm having a bad feeling about the fate of the Curate...

Their undeniable preference for men as their source of nourishment

[Audio and video description: Official YouTube music video for the US version of "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado, an uptempo electro-pop song with an infectious, thumping beat. The video is set to start at the chorus (timestamped 2:12), depicting Nelly Furtado dancing in a dimly-lit, dilapidated warehouse, interspersed with shots of the crowd dancing in other rooms of the warehouse:

Maneater, make you work hard Make you spend hard, make you want all of her love She's a maneater, make you buy cars Make you cut cards, make you fall real hard in love She's a maneater, make you work hard Make you spend hard, make you want all of her love She's a maneater, make you buy cars Make you cut cards, wish you never ever met her at all

End description.]

These creatures, to judge from the shrivelled remains that have fallen into human hands, were bipeds with flimsy, silicious skeletons (almost like those of the silicious sponges) and feeble musculature, standing about six feet high and having round, erect heads, and large eyes in flinty sockets. Two or three of these seem to have been brought in each cylinder, and all were killed before earth was reached. It was just as well for them, for the mere attempt to stand upright upon our planet would have broken every bone in their bodies.

[Audio and video description: Scene from "Chocolate with Nuts" (season 3, episode 52) of SpongeBob Squarepants. SpongeBob, with a bandaged head and two crutches, and Patrick, with a neck brace and both arms in casts, knock on the door of a potential chocolate customer. The customer wears a full-body cast, eyepatch, and ventilator face mask, with an IV drip attached to his right side.

The video begins with a close up of the customer's face, who laments, "Ugh, some guys have all the luck. I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning, I break my legs, and every afternoon, I break my arms. At night, I lie awake in agony until my heart attacks put me to sleep." As he speaks, a violin begins to play, and the shot cuts over to SpongeBob and Patrick, who look like they're about to cry.

Right as the customer finishes his speech, the mobility device holding the customer's leg out from him falls. A wire snaps, sending the customer tumbling down the stairs to the sounds of shattering glass and cries of pain.

End description.]

In the next place, wonderful as it seems in a sexual world, the Martians were absolutely without sex

Ace pride 🖤🤍💜

The last salient point in which the systems of these creatures differed from ours was in what one might have thought a very trivial particular. Micro-organisms, which cause so much disease and pain on earth, have either never appeared upon Mars or Martian sanitary science eliminated them ages ago. A hundred diseases, all the fevers and contagions of human life, consumption, cancers, tumours and such morbidities, never enter the scheme of their life.

Yes! I'm so glad this's been finally addressed, because it was the first thing I was curious about. It's a little inconceivable to me for life to exist on other planets without microorganisms, but that may be a lack of imagination on my part. What's more interesting is what this might mean for Martian immune systems...

[justicebled]

remembered that yuri has an extremely badass title that he gets after the end of part one, involving magistrate ragou's death and vanishing into the river of the bridge at dahngrest. ragou basically is full of triggers and i'm half asleep, but yuri actually gains in the west, the title most familiar ' vigilante ' but actually, in japan, according to @zelotae after yuri puts a stop to that monster of a thing, (ragou), he actually gains another title instead of that, called "conqueror of sin".

i find that one far more fitting, as i feel most people think vigilantes look 'cool' and 'edgy' and are just there to stop things the law can't touch it for 'personal reasons' when it couldn't be further from the truth with yuri.

yuri is not doing this for personal justice, but true justice the world won't give, or more clear: the right thing. yuri is impartial / emotionless and has shown this repeatedly when facing in battle or stopping one of the villains of the story all plastered with triggering topics yes, they're that evil, i'd compare symphon.ia's world and terca lumireis to be equal tbqh. just different horrors but no less equally horrifying, that he is not doing it to break the law.

in actuality, while the empire does have a 'law' in place, it actively time and time again in almost every thirty minutes of the game establishes for you that it is just like putting a poster up, it's empty and it says words but it doesn't actually fulfill anything. it doesn't stop poverty, it doesn't stop the abuse, murdering, and neglect of the lower class, it does not stop using the councils and bureaucracy from using their power from the royal family and fellow nobility to abuse for their own ends and even the first law of the knights in zaphias is not what you'd think.

it isn't, 'i will protect the people' first. the first law basically says 'serve the empire'. rather sickeningly, the second law is 'with this sword i shall protect the people'. yuri, who was a knight for three months and couldn't bear the corruption / evil within it, as the knights like everything else in the empire, is just pretty, gilded toys, they don't actually do anything is the one ironically in halure when people are being threatened, telling his former comrades in the knights:

" with this sword i shall protect the people. " and this should be the first law of the knight's code.

so really, terca lumireis has no real law. and if it does, it is not truly one. so i find the term 'vigilante' really cheap and kinda tacked on when it's MUCH more complicated for yuri's case, as all he does is impersonal and the only person who suffers is him. conqueror of sin fits him far more, and i'll probably go with that, though his tag fits fine as truth is also what yuri embodies as much as true justice / rightdoing.

if anything, yuri is more of an unwitting but unflinching rebel and borderline accidental revolutionary, small town hero to big hero (he'd look either sick or furious if you call him that btw) who just wanted to return the aque blastia (water supply) to the slowly but surely withering people of the lower class / caste system, the lower quarter, and instead is thrust upon with the hero's journey, which he has to by the end of part one, make the choice to follow, with good and bad consequences.

you know that any authoritative system is a fluke when someone you're trying to arrest is reciting to you, the people who should be saving and protecting instead of him, that your role is to protect and serve the people.

instead? the poor are not even given graves, and are burned, cremated, and placed at random locations on the continent where their very ashes are scattered with not a grave to remember them.

this is the kind of evil, horrifying, sickening world that yuri lives in. a lawless one, and one that has lost its heart, light and its hope, and instead the burden of being the heart, light and hope falls upon a single man who only wanted to return something and go home.

[nayaninarayana-mga2023mi5019]

White Hat : Facts

For the white hat I hope to demonstrate the basic definition of the topic for my animation and also include a statistic relating to the topic.

Definition: Body Image refers to how a person perceives their physical self and thoughts and feelings based on it.

Statistic: "60% of people using social media reported that it has harmed their self-esteem in some way."

As I was not told to change the White Hat idea I had come up with previously, I will be proceeding with it for the new concept as well.

Therefore in this scene the character will be shown in a room full of mirrors (similar to a circus mirror room) and the character's reflection will be casted on each mirror in different ways. None of them to be accurately depicting the reality.

This character's mirror reflection shall convey how a person perceives their physical self through social media, and the multiple mirrors points out how it is in the eye of the public. The different reflections in each mirror indicates that what you see online might not always be 100% accurate to the reality.

A rough sketch of the idea for white hat:

Animation techniques to be used:

3D animation - Mirrors and deformed reflections

2D animation - the character

[internet-marketing-stats-blog]

Holiday Shopping Trends in E-commerce

The holiday season almost always lays out a whole, new playing field for online marketers at large. And it so happens that it’s a field that’s packed full of opportunities not to be missed. Even amidst the shadow cast by the COVID-19 pandemic, the same trend of a heightened propensity for and interest in shopping still prevails. In fact, it won’t be farfetched to say that the pandemic served as a catalyst for a notable boost in the ecommerce industry. You only need to look at the top countries that have shown record-breaking continuous growth in their respective ecommerce markets to see this. That said, this Holiday Shopping Trends 2022 in E-commerce Infographic would not only reveal the said countries but provide indispensable and invaluable insights about the apparent revitalization the ecommerce industry almost always experiences once the holiday season rolls in.

What are the typical spending habits of the average holiday shopper? What do holiday sales figures usually look like? How has the pandemic affected (or benefited, to be exact) the ecommerce field? These are but some of the questions that the infographic can answer in a relatively detailed fashion.

That said, it doesn’t focus solely on the so-called holiday season “magic”, though. It shall also provide general figures about the state of ecommerce now — the most recent stats revealing the state of ecommerce in 2022, the general growth rate of the entire industry, the categories with the highest shopper interest, present consumer behavior, as well as the specific ecommerce websites dominating globally.

[bawdyknocker]

krakensdottir wrote:

it has been well over a decade since i last read any of the jan rawlins books, but i still remember clear as day what bullies her main cast had a tendency to be. people teased and bullied them, and so when time came to complete a revenge arc, you bet yer ass they fuckin did A Revenge. and i dont recall them being kind either. the worst bit to me is that tehy had every opportunity to show mercy, if only for their future selves to take solace in not having done terrible things when they could've.

[Never mind that harold patisserie grew up in a traumatic household, and like NEVER got therapy, or even a moments self-reflection of how that shit mightve permanently fucked him up... serious character development points completely whiffed. janky ranker could really take a lesson from leigh bardugo on vengeful character dev...]

counter this with pterry's good characters... sam vimes makes a great example here. a former alcoholic who looks like "a half drowned cat on a good day" (and user roach-works has demonstrated how jowling feels about cats...), sam is constantly at odds with himself. he *knows* he could be a good person, but he also *knows* he could much mpre easily be a bad person. he thinks of himself as a good person. and yet, most of the watch books make us privy to the thoughts of a man in constant struggle to do the morally right thing. sam wouldnt be able to live in comfort if he allowed himself a descent down a dark path (eg, "who watches the watchmen" ... "i do").

the astonishing ease with which jacob ramblings "morally good" characters justify little evils throughout those books, and yet seldom (if ever) seem to question the full breadth of consequences to those actions, speaks volumes of the author's true feelings of morals and justice.

...so pterry has shown anyone *can* become bad, but does he show how anyone "bad" can also become good? well, a brief look at sam again shwows an alcoholic staying clean for the rest of the books hes featured in. Moist von Lipwig (nee Spangler) repeatedly becomes a (re)founding pillar of ankh-morpork institutions. Rincewind is a college droput who has saved the world twice, and then again helps to save both the counterweight and lost continents (while being gay and disabled) ...[for sake of brevity, ill not get into the White Saviour imperialist wossnames here, though it shouldnt be discounted whatsoever.]

The point being, the leopard indeed CAN change its shorts. OVER AND OVER pterry writes this. different stories and characters and settings and trials...

like, FUCK. even the books about teenage girl wielding power beyond her conprehension, wrangling that power and STRUGGLING to use it for good. The Hiver take over her mind and body and pushes her to do horrible things. at the end of the book she realizes those were things she WANTED TO DO... and also things she was fully capable of doing. and yet. in I Shall Wear Midnight, she uses her power to make the bad people show their evil to the world, thus sewing seeds of their own downfall. so she has learned what evil is, and has also learned and SHOWN how not to be that way. and that is, in fact, still a struggle, but ultimately worthwhile.

I’m hardly the first person to compare them but Terry Pratchett and J K Rowling really are polar opposites in terms of the way their writing treats weird characters. In Rowling’s writing, any weirdness is there to be laughed at (for example: Professor Trelawney, the fake seer who doesn’t know she’s an actual seer). In Pratchett’s writing, though, the characters’ weirdness is taken 100% seriously and the humor arises organically from the situation itself and is never at the characters’ expense (for example: in Making Money, the man who was born a clown and was never told so until he was 13 years old). In Rowling’s writing, the main characters poke constant fun at Professor Trelawney, making joke predictions and fudging homework and talking about how divination isn’t a legitimate field of study. Even after she gets fired and more or less drops the act, the joke changes to “look at this sad drunk lady” and the main characters express little sympathy. The narrative is saying she’s there to make one real prediction and otherwise she’s only there for comic relief. This sort of thing happens over and over in Rowling’s writing, where any quirkiness is there to be laughed at and the misfortunes of characters we’re not supposed to like are supposed to be funny, and it sends a message of conformity under threat of ridicule. In Pratchett’s writing, the clown man’s story is treated as a great tragedy: imagine growing up not knowing why you are the way you are, and then finding out the truth as a teenager! And knowing that your own mother kept the truth from you! This man was so deeply traumatized by this he denied himself any humor or fun for decades, and when he has a crisis and runs off to become a clown again, he is given support and medical treatment and is welcomed back to his job at the bank and accepted for who he is. The fact that this whole situation is hilarious is secondary. And again, this sort of thing happens over and over again in Pratchett’s writing, where characters’ quirkiness is embraced and often seen as irreplaceable by the end of the book, and it sends a message that our quirks are valuable and weirdness should be acceptable. It just strikes me as a much… kinder approach to people, you know?