#GIVE IT UP AMERICA

[froody]

countries will be like “nooooo our birth rate is falling exponentially and it’s effecting our economy” and immigrants will be like “hey can you let us in so we can boost your economy and fill your empty jobs and raise our children here” and inevitably the country is like “the only thing worse than a large scale collapse of our population is letting foreigners live here”

[i-am-q]

Ok who’s next?

I’ll be working on my list of if then statements that are life saving regardless of what Rena says

We can cross check with Canadian Intelligence, the EU, the UN, the World Health Organization, the Smithsonian and Holocaust Museum Researchers, Moscow State, Russian Intelligence (foolishly referred to by Americans as the KGB), the North Korean Government-Specifically the President of North Korea (foolishly referred to by us Americans as the “supreme leader”), the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Nobel Committee, the Peoples Repulic of China (foolishly referred to as the CCP) President, the President of Ukraine, President Raisi, others alike. I love you all for fighting for me regardless of politics, war, and cultural differences.

I can specify the different methods and the respective experts if you “researchers” would like that. Those of you following along and taking notes should have a good idea. For example, President Xi and I discuss the use of phytocannabinoids and phospholipids for treating infection both by extracting heat using chromophoric molecules and lipids (similar to those synthesized by the endocannabinoid pathway—something he and I are both exploring with respect to human lipid bilayer formation and neurochemical

If anyone overwrites these methods, you will be immediately reported to both the US government federal agencies for torture and

[chick-it-out]

whoag... parts of the US deep south/southwest got the bronzed cowbird

he's so leveled up.....

he is Approaching

[cometrose]

trump may be a lying felon and biden a foot away from death but my fellow americans don’t forget to vote for your senators and representatives they’re important!!!

[hamsternamedmarinette]

Based on a real conversation I had

[rapturebin]

a brother problem

[ladyloveandjustice]

My favorite 'eat your hamburgers, Apollo' moment will always be in AA Investigations 1 when the third case hinges on the fact only law enforcement is allowed to carry guns. In America.

Lang strolls up to us and is like "remember your country's gun laws?" never fails to feel surreal. like if you've temporarily forgotten this ia actually a Japanese game, here's the BIG reminder!

(They do vaguely indicate it's a recent law and say "federal firearms act" or something (party like it's 1938! I do appreciate the throwback there), sort of vaguely indicating "this is an AU! and it's the future! remember!" but it's like. for sure one of the moments the localizers were "ok we can't really do much about this so whatever" in the game.

[dol--blathanna]

Thinking a lot about Orym choosing a rabbit when asked what animal he would pick if cursed with lycanthropy.

Because, it makes sense. Orym is small, quick, agile, jumps well, and is highly perceptive. That definitely evokes rabbit imagery. But a lot of Orym’s identity is also tied up with being a protector – giving people AC bumps, the shield being as much a part of his fighting style as his sword, even his title: Saviour Blade of the Tempest. He wants to be a “Shield that protects Exandria”; his priorities about saving the gods are less about the gods themselves, and more about protecting the people of Exandria from the unintended consequences and bloodshed of releasing Predathos. And it would’ve been very easy to pick a large, strong predator to try and evoke the sense of a protector – a wolf, for example, an animal associated with loyalty and protecting its pack. Yet Orym chose a rabbit.

And I think that’s interesting, because rabbits are often seen as ‘cute’ animals – but they’re also a prey animal. In fact, they’re a common food source for many animals across several ecosystems: foxes, wolves, wild cats, dogs, birds of prey like eagles or owls, coyotes, stoats, and humans (and that’s just off the top of my head). Rabbits are skittish, easily frightened; to be rabbit-hearted is to be timid or cowardly. They are not generally associated with fierceness or prowess in fighting. Mice and rats are prey animals too, but typically seen as vermin (rabbits are sometimes seen as vermin too, but a farmer could eat a rabbit – they wouldn’t eat a rat). Deer are prey, but they have hooves and antlers that bring a danger to hunting them, for any animal – the difficulties of hunting rabbits are more related to their evasiveness, speed and good hearing than any life-threatening danger they might pose. Rabbits are, first and foremost, prey animals. They are killed and eaten, so that another animal might live.

Which made me think a lot about one of Orym’s other key traits: self-sacrifice. Bait and switch doesn’t just bump up his ally’s ACs, it specifically switches their place to put him directly in harm’s way. Goading attack is meant to encourage enemies to attack him instead of his friends. He literally made a deal with a hag, essentially exchanging his own life for power to protect his friends. How many times has he gone down in a fight? He’s not the only tank – but unlike Ashton (and Chetney, who also uses ‘self-sacrifice’ in his fighting style with his blood curses) he has no abilities to reduce the damage from the hits he takes (barbarian rage and the werewolf form).

(Side note: I think it’s pretty interesting that Chetney, the wolf, has attacked Orym, the rabbit, more than anyone else when losing control. That Orym’s facial scar was given to him by a friend, not a foe).

Of course, Orym isn’t the only character with self-sacrificial tendencies (FCG wins by a landslide), but I just can’t stop thinking about how weirdly perfect it is that he chose a rabbit for his animal. Rabbits are prey animals. They are eaten, so that other animals may live. Orym takes the hits, he goads and switches with his team mates to put himself in danger, he makes a deal with a hag at the cost of his own life. He’s a soldier, throwing his life away for a cause over and over again because Ludinus must be stopped, because Keyleth has put her trust in him, because it’s the only way to protect his friends, to protect everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. Orym is a rabbit. He’s always been a rabbit. That day in Zephrah, it could have easily been Orym who died instead of Will and Derrig – “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices”, as Ludinus viewed the attack. It’s unfortunate they had to die, but it was for the greater good, according to Ludinus. It’s unfortunate that a rabbit has to die, but it will feed a family of foxes, or stoats, or even a hungry human, so it’s acceptable, right?

Orym is a rabbit. He is giving himself to a greater cause that could very easily kill him – he already willingly signed his life away to Nana Morri. Because that’s what rabbits do. They die to feed others.

And the theme of being disposable is present across the entire group, not just in Orym – Bell’s Hells has been called a “party of NPCs” before. Aside from FCG’s death, I’d say Laudna perhaps fits this theme the best: she was literally murdered and hung from a tree simply because she looked similar to Vex, acting as a warning to adventurers she had never met before. But FCG’s death was – rightfully – viewed as a terrible tragedy by the group. Laudna’s decision to remove Delilah, finally freeing herself from her abuser and emphasising she is more, and deserves to be more, than just some disposable puppet – this was rightfully viewed as a very good thing! But Orym seems to be embracing this identity of self-sacrifice instead, rather than this mindset being properly challenged or acknowledged as a bad thing. After all, there’s no time. There’s too much at stake. Keyleth, Bell’s Hells, all the memories of those who have died in this fight, all the people who might die if Predathos is released and kickstarts a second Calamity – they’re all relying on him, right? A rabbit feeding so many animals with his sacrifice. And it’s not malicious compared to the way that, say, Delilah killing Laudna was an incredibly evil, fucked up and unnecessary thing to do. If Orym died to save everyone else, well, at least everyone else would be saved, right? Saving lives is good, isn't it? How could he complain?

Because rabbits are prey animals, and Orym is a rabbit too. Destined to die so that another animal may feed.

Except, that’s not true. Rabbits are more than just prey. They’re highly social, and thrive best living with others. They’re playful, they enjoy running around and kicking their legs just to show their enjoyment. They’re inquisitive and mischievous, even being associated with tricksters in some folklore and stories. They’re also associated with innocence, playfulness, spring, youth – all manner of things, depending on the story or culture. And they’re not helpless, either, even if they might be thought of as such. They can bite and scratch and draw blood quite easily if they want to! In fact, freezing up isn’t their only response when being attacked by a predator, they are known to fight back if cornered. They can sprint quickly, they have excellent hearing and senses of smell, they know how to evade predators.

Rabbits are prey, and they are also survivors. They have their own social dynamics, their own habits and dislikes and preferences. They are more than just a wolf’s meal. And Orym is more than a soldier, too. He’s more than a “necessary sacrifice”, he’s more than just a shield and sword. He deserves more than to die for a cause. He deserves a happy ending, just like everyone else. I hope he remembers that.

Orym is a rabbit. And the message isn’t that he shouldn’t be a rabbit. It’s that rabbits are worthy of surviving, too.

[kukekakuningaskris]

not kris commenting 'come to Brazil' on the livestream lmaooooo

[simply-ivanka]

Respect that Trump is not a quitter.

[sunnysssol]

The King of Pie and Pastry and his Knight of Confections :')

( comms open )

[luvmoonie]

someone write something for kyle before things get ugly

[hurtcomforted]

imagine that, in the first avenger, before pre-serum steve's training montage, we get a flashback with sarah rogers to explain his perseverance. imagine that when he goes to save bucky and after losing him, we get flashbacks to them as kids.

imagine that, in civil war, instead of (or along with if that's what it takes) more of tony's daddy issues we also get to see little steve with sarah to also understand him better.

imagine we get more of steve's backstory.

[porcelainvino]

mfs who aren’t (deep) in the glee fandom need new “unpopular opinions”… oh you think the troubletones should’ve won?? EVERYONE THINKS THEY SHOULD’VE WON YOU ARE NOT UNIQUE LIKE I NEED THESE PEOPLE TO GIVE ME A FIVE PAGE ESSAY ABOUT RACHEL BERRY BEING AUTISTIC!!!

[lilacpaperbird]

But what is Kamala Harris' plan to ensure a J2 kiss on The Boys?

[applebees4prez]

my only complaint about dropout is that they make too many good shows and i do not have time to watch them all. also put emily axford in more things.