#God bless the Irish I guess

[kurage14]

We're only on day 6 of September but this has already been the worst fucking month of the year and I feel the need to list my woes and grievances:

Day 1: Got kicked off my parents health insurance bc I turned 26 in August

Also day 1: got strep throat which I have been sick with all weekend

Vomited several times. What triggered it? (besides the strep) A couple spoonfuls of soup!

Because of this I wasn't able to eat for like 2 days straight. I lived off of water, liquid IV, antibiotics, and spoonfuls of honey

Which also means I couldn't take any ibuprofen in case I vomited again

Went temporarily deaf in one ear which might be an ear infection (from the strep) bc it hurts.

Because of that it started ringing. Constantly. Incessantly. Endlessly.

In the process of being bedridden, I dropped my earbuds, and one apparently disappeared into the void??? I have rearranged and deep cleaned my room and I can't find it. All it did was fall off my bed

IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF I COULD DROWN OUT THE RINGING WITH SOME MUSIC I actually think this is making me go a little bit insane

Now that I've been able to hold food down (god bless plain white rice) my nausea is back. It likes to hit right when I lay down to go to bed

I washed all my pillows and sheets in the deep cleaning and apparently used a fabric softener which has a smell that is way too overwhelming. I gave up and slept on the couch last night

Spent $160 to replace the headphones to get a modicum of peace in my ears

[kindestofkings]

tis the damn season

robert keating x reader (she/her)

heres the requested bobby fic! reader is bobbys neighbour in dublin and they've had a situationship thats always off again on again, which ryan is v fed up with lol <3

masterlist

enjoy and also happy new year ! forgot how much I love making these so please come with some more requests, I always love getting them xxx

yourusername posted to their story!

year FIVE of working as a waitress during silly season, people need to be KINDER

yourbestfriend not all heros wear capes yourneighbour1 god bless you ↳ its been TOUGH but neighbours christmas party next week !! ↳ yourneighbour1 UGH best part of the season alsooo did I see a certain curly haired bass player make his return to the road...? ↳ feck he's home earlier than usual 😀 ↳ yourneighbour1 time to rekindle the infamous situationship??

yourusername posted to their story!

the return of the loudest next door neighbour known to man, yay 👍👍

yourneighbour1 😏😏 bobbyskeetz get rid of that sarcastic yay ryanmcmahon_15 yay my fav idiots have been reunited ! ↳ idiots? plural? why am I an idiot ryan?? ↳ ryanmcmahon_15 hmmhmm when will yee learn

bobbyskeetz

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bobbyskeetz home.

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joshjenkinson_ lookin so mysterious and interesting xx

inhalerfan1 he is one of us

inhalerfan2 missed the intense staring since tour has ended, thanks mr skeetz !

inhalerfan3 christmas came early

yourusername smoking kills

bobbyskeetz excuse me?? I have NEVER and WOULD never yourusername big fat liar yourbestfriend y'all are the worst, every fecking christmas ryanmcmahon_15 what she said !

yourusername

liked by yourneighbour1 and others

yourusername the kids table at the neighbours christmas party is always the place to be <3

also slayed so hard with my kris kindle present he literally cried for hours 💅

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bobbyskeetz I cried cause you threw it at me

yourneighbour1 weakling bobbyskeetz ugh thanks tho.... I guess

ryanmcmahon_15 bobby and yn being adults when

yourbestfriend but then what would happen to their beloved situationship? yourusername guys you know this is MY comment section right?

joshjenkson_ hahah the perfect gift for him

yourneighbour2 ugh BEST PARTY EVAAAA

yourusername

liked by ryanmcmahon_15 and others

yourusername and it always leads to you and my hometown

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yourbestfriend ah ryanmcmahon_15 shes quoting tis the damn season by THE taylor swift, what does this mean?

ryanmcmahon_1 gasp not the sad tones..

bobbyskeetz confused we're from the same hometown...?

yourusername you uncultured swine its a lyric 😭

bobbyskeetzswife

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bobbyskeetzswife OH MY GOD I JUST MET BOBBY, IM FREAKING OUT

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inhalerfan1 no way what the hell !! where?

bobbyskeetzswife literally in Dingle, Kerry 😭😭 he said hes with the lads but they ran out of drink so he was forced to go to the shops 😭 😭 inhalerfan1 omg hahahah I can't believe they just played the 3Arena

inhalerfan2 no way wonder why they're in dingle, such a random Irish town...

inhalerfan3 that girl that they all follow is in Kerry aswell with grace (eli's girlfriend) bobbyskeetzswife is that yourusername? I wonder who she is, bobby is always interacting with her inhalerfan2 huh wonder has he got a girlfriend

graciebrns

liked by elijahhewson and others

graciebrns wholesome few days before what I've been told, will be the best party I'll ever attend

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elijahhewson promise its not an oversell

joshjenkinson_ agreed yourusername throws a phenomenal party yourusername ah flattered lads thank you

bobbyskeetz the million hikes will be worth it

yourusername you said you loved going on hikes bobbyskeetz course I do love 😔 inhalerfan2 love ?? gathering evidence

inhalerfan1 wholesome band trip bless

yourneighbour1 woohoo almost time to partyyyy

ryanmcmahon_15 how did one row of houses produce so many party animals?

yourusername party animals okay old man bobbyskeetz just cause you can't ever keep up ryan yourneighbour1 its how we were raised 😤

yourusername

liked by bobbyskeetz and others

yourusername hot people have birthdays on nye 💅

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bobbyskeetz so feckin hot

yourusername baby stapppppp that

yourbestfriend was the BEST time ever

elijahhewson class night it was, graciebrns whats the verdict?

graciebrns best. night. ever. yourusername I love you thanks for having me <33 yourusername you kidding me? thank you for coming !!

inhalerfan1 oh hello inhaler spotted ..

inhalerfan2 not bobby on the decks

bobbyskeetz

liked by yourusername and others

bobbyskeetz happy birthday gorgeous, love cleaning up bottles with you on new years day x

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yourusername ahhhh the taylor reference 😭

yourusername my favourite nosey neighbour <3

ryanmcmahon_15 I have never been so invested in two idiots getting together properly

yourbestfriend so insufferable its taken like 13 years for them not to be idiots yourusername and what about you two being idiots.. bobbyskeetz whats your favourite book trope again love? yourusername FRIENDS TO LOVERS BABY, take notes ryanmcmahon_15 yourbestfriend

inhalerfan1 sad sad day for the bobby girlies 💔

bobbyskeetzswife noooooooooo

finished xx

[1800naveen]

This fandom has a problem.

The acotar fandom can be a cesspool but many of you know that already.

How some people treat Gwyn, Emerie, and/or Nesta, to defending actions that should never be defended, to other bullshit.

But one of the bigger problems is the racism.

Do you think you can come into this fandom with that kind of hatred in your body and proceed to type it out and everyone would be cool with it? Because if it's yes, you're wrong.

A majority of this fandom are white, the other being poc. I don't see a lot of poc but they're out there. And for some reason, there are people who have a problem with that.

Are you proud of yourself if you do something like this? Does it make you happy when you act like a piece of shit? When you act like fucking scum? When you act like a bigot? Calling people slurs? You must already feel like dogshit before so doing this must give you the boost that you so desperately need.

I don't understand racists. Why are you so heated about a person's skin color or their ethnicity or the country they come from? We're all human at the end of the day and we were put on this earth to love each other but some of us didn't get the memo.

There was some white chick who made a post ranting about faeries and its Irish roots, how it has white people, and started to bitch about the black characters. Her account got banned, bless but still, whomp whomp, you racist hoe. A person had talked to them about this and the OP got offended and proceeded to act like an asshole towards them. Ho, why is you mad?

I haven't seen the post but I imagine the OP going like this: "Silly little black people! They always think they can accomplish everything by just sitting around!" (This is from Drawn Together and Clara said this, she's also racist so if the shoe fits).

I've made some posts of SJM's portrayal of Celtic culture and how it's demonizing but I never once brought up or said shit like this.

Are you aware that these are fairies? Fairies don't really have a specific skin color assigned to them. Are you aware that fairies can have the skin color of a rainbow? They could be blue, green, orange, etc. Have you heard of elves? Well, SJM's fairies are basically that, they aren't really fairies but eh.

To anyone who has said racist remarks about characters or to other people in this fandom or any fandom in general, just know that your life is as significant as a cockroach's dick. A bunch of chauvinist pigs who come on the internet and act like they're tough shit.

You aren't worthy of drawing breath if you treat people like this. With the confidence and courage you have to act like this online, put that energy into taking a blade and pressing down on your wrist or tying that rope around your disgusting neck and pray to your God for the courage to kick that chair or put a bullet in your skull, right in the minuscule portion of your head that you think contains some semblance of rational thought, the shriveled lump that you call a brain.

I don't give a fuck if you're offended by this, never should've been a racist. Never should've insulted the country they came from. Never should've called a person a negro or the hard r.

People like you are a plague upon this earth and I pray for the day that you will one day vanish and slither back into the hellhole you came from and be set aflame, forever burning in the hellfire🙏🏾.

You ain't shit, you never were shit, and you never gonna be shit. 🎵Guess we both ain't shit.🎵

(If you got a problem with this post, just know that I don't give a fuck if I hurt your feelings. This had to be said.)

Take care and don't be a dick, it's not cool dudes.

[instruth]

A MELANCHOLIC POEM

Is this what we are told - a new found joy?

Not splendor but a treacherous decoy?

Groups cramped in pigeon holes on a stand

Large families packed in a home without a land

Hoisted home up in the sky swiftly built

No warm blankets just share a family quilt

Good Heaven! Greater sorrow newly imposed

No days for native walks none shall be proposed

O Fair Land, why hast thou caused us to leave

To this distant land unknown far more aggrieved?

Do thou, sweet Mother, weep in vain

Thine fair tribes now add on to thy pain?

Thine children knock at doors for bread

Chilling bones in hunger desperation led

Good neighbors forced to sell their daughters

Not through any faults of theirs that they should falter

Bless me - why, had we brothers any sister

Our decision would not have been better

Painful to watch sweet little girls in tears

Pretty innocents in their helpless years,

I weep as I watch them in their charms,

Shaking wildly in their fathers' arms

Grieving mothers kiss their mindless babes

Strike their breasts looking skyward sadly in gapes

I see the fairies and nymphs degraded

In my dreams I see my heaven has faded

These are the hard truth in times of shame

Best to forget, nothing to share, no one to blame.

Oh past the plain the surging joy prevail

That which I have loved can never fail

That broken teacups I have taken with me

Stirs my will daily sipping my humble tea

No tales no news from barbers or farmers

It's fine - all return at meals as we gather

No theatre, no ballad, no talent time

Everything comes handy in sublime

Make our own feathered balls and stuff

Marbles rolling, guessing games and bluff

Obscure yet it sinks deep in our souls and hearts

Those simple treasures, everlasting will not part

My vacant mind frolicking in the pond

Caress my soul, my spirit neatly bond

Contented on my stool writing my poetry

Pass my time in imagined peasantry

Raise my native strength for greater gain

Instead of indulging in pitiful afflicted pain

Plant my seeds, pull out the weeds annoy

With compliments from God, my daily joy.

©Johnny J P Lee

15 November 2024

A Short Story On

The Irish Famine In 1740

Photos Credit, JPLee, Ireland Visit, 2013

[sl-newsie]

American Woman (Thomas Shelby x American OC) Ch. 12: Congratulations and Conflicts

“Morning, Verena,” Ada announces as she joins me in the kitchen. “Sleep well?”

The memory of talking with Thomas last night replays in my mind yet again. Ever since I woke up I can’t stop thinking about it for some odd reason.

“As good as I can, I suppose. How are you feeling?” I gesture to her stomach.

Ada bites her lip as she spreads mustard on a bagel. “Um, alright I guess. I just- I never expected to be pregnant. I kept hoping it would pass but when the doctor confirmed it my whole life changed. One moment I’m my own self without any burdens and the next I’m carrying Freddie’s child.”

Freddie. That must be her lover. With a little luck he’ll keep his love for Ada and stand by her through this journey.

“I don’t have any experience of what you’re going through Ada, but it’s completely natural to fear the unknown.”

Ada squeezes her eyes shut and plays with the hand towel. “It’s not just that. It’s what people are going to say that I’m afraid of. That’s why I’m hiding it.”

Something about the way she says that makes my stomach churn. She couldn’t- Could she? Polly might have mentioned it to her…

“God have mercy.” I look up at her with petrified eyes. “You’re going to kill it, aren’t you?”

Ada’s face hardens. “It’s not your decision.”

“I know. But I’m still a Christian. It doesn’t mean my morals are turned off just so I can agree with you.” I take a deep breath. Not everyone sees what they’ve been blessed with right away. Ada’s right. In this harsh society rumors of her pregnancy will spread like wildfire. 

“I won’t fight you, Ada.” She continues to avoid my gaze. “I still disagree, but letting that tear apart an acquaintanceship with you isn’t worth it.”

The Shelby woman turns and squeezes my shoulder. “That’s all I’ll ever ask for.” Before I know it she pulls me into a hug. “It’s not easy being one of the only two women around here. Thanks for getting lost, Verena.”

I playfully scoff at her dark joke. “I never meant to get stuck here, Ada. I’m in your debt, remember?”

“Oh please!” Ada huffs and goes on to eat the disgusting bagel. “You’ve practically got everyone wrapped around your little finger.”

She wanders off to her room before I can ask further. She’s joking, right? There’s no way I’ve done that much here-

“What’s in the books for today?”

Except that.

“Morning, Finn. Don’t you want a day off? We’ve been doing lectures for the past week!”

The young Shelby slouches and grabs an apple. “What else can I do? If Aunt Polly sees me lounging about she’ll make me do chores.”

Realization hits me in the head and I smirk. “Ah, I see. You use me to cheat out of chores. Well Finn, sometimes the simplest tasks can teach us hidden lessons.” What else can… Ah-ha! “Finn, I do have something for you to do.” He immediately looks up. “I need you to complete what’s on this list in the next hour.”

I hand Finn a scrap piece of paper and he scrunches his face as he reads it. “These are chores.”

“Exactly. When you’re done we can discuss what you learn.”

“I don’t get it-”

“Chop chop!” 

I clap my hands and shoo him off. When he’s out I slump against the wall and sigh. Maybe now I can have some quiet time- Nope. The always-revolving door opens yet again and I hear heavy footsteps slump into the kitchen. I don’t even need to look up to know it’s Thomas. He sits down at the table and makes quick work to pour himself a glass of Irish whiskey.

“You’re in a bad mood,” I observe.

Thomas sees me slouched on the floor and grunts. “Monaghan Boy lost.”

“And you think drowning yourself in alcohol will fix that? What about the new horse?”

“Had to kill him. He was cursed.”

My jaw drops. “You- You killed…? God, all you Shelbys ever do is kill! You surround yourself with death and then wonder why you’re so unhappy!”

Bam!

Thomas bangs a fist on the table. “I don’t need this bloody argument, Steenstra!” 

He stands up and heads back to the door, slamming it shut. I think that’s the first time Thomas has ever yelled at me. And it’s kind of scary. I make a mental note never to get on his bad side and get up to walk down the hall to Ada’s room. I knock twice but there’s no answer. Either she’s ignoring me, she’s sleeping, or she snuck out the window. More than likely it’s the last scenario. 

“Done!” Finn sprints into the room waving the list like he just won a war. “All done!”

His bright smile almost makes me forget Thomas’ outburst. “Good job, Finn.”

“What’s wrong?”

Smile, Verena. You can’t just blurt out that his brother yelled at you. He does that to everyone. Why should you be any different?

“Too much thinking, Finn.” I shake the dark thoughts away. “Did you learn anything?”

Finn lets out an exasperated groan. “What can I learn from sweeping? Or beating the rug?”

“You took thirty minutes, half the time I gave you. And now that you have some extra time we can do a quick lesson.”

A few seconds go by and then Finn slowly gets a cheeky smirk on his face. “I see what you did there.”

“See? The lesson was time management!” I laugh and pull out my bookbag. “Now what’s today’s topic going to be?”

The rest of the day goes on much more smoothly. Yes I’m still dreading my next run-in with Thomas but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now I’m prepping an afternoon snack-

“I’m back,” Polly calls as she comes through the front door.

“Do you know where Ada is? She’s not in her room.”

Polly sets her bag down and grabs an apple. “She’s gone. Off to marry Freddie.”

So she’s keeping the baby! I’m so glad to hear it! Call it womanly instinct, but the death of a child can be much more traumatic and emotional compared to an adult because a child hasn’t gotten to live out their life yet. I haven’t gone through parenthood yet but I deeply sympathize with parents who have lost a child. Having a child is the greatest blessing in life and to have that taken away is devastating.

As for Ada running off, I can’t say I’m surprised. That sounds like something she’d do. 

“If you can, please pass on my congratulations to them,” I say with a wide smile. “Does Thomas know?”

“No.” Polly holds up a hand. “I’ll tell him so you won’t get the full blast of his tantrum.”

I bite my lip and avoid her gaze by busying myself with wiping down the counter. “Bit late for that, I’m afraid. He lashed out this morning and left, no doubt to go get drunk somewhere.”

Just then the door opens again and John walks in with a fit of tipsy laughter.

“Afternoon, ladies! How goes it?”

“Cut the chatter, John. Where’s Tommy?” Polly asks.

“Ath the Garrison. You should've seen the look on Tom’s face! A love-struck sucker if I ever saw one.”

Polly scoffs. “For who?”

“That barmaid, Grace. It’d be nice if at least one Shelby could keep a steady family,” John says as he takes a drink from the whiskey bottle on the table.

Polly huffs and walks down the hall to her room, leaving me flabbergasted to John’s words.

“None of you are married?” My jaw drops.

John takes another drink. “Arthur always puts business first. Tommy’s never even heard of love. Finn’s too young. And I’m a widower.”

Interesting. For all the glamor and excitement the Shelbys flaunt they’ve never settled for a simple family life.

“I’m so sorry. What was her name?”

“Martha,” John sighs. “She gave me 4 beautiful kids.”

I grab the cookie jar and plop down next to him. John immediately reaches for a biscuit.

“I can tell you really love your kids, John.”

“I do. Just wish I could find them a suitable mother,” John slurs. “If it’s any comfort, if you didn’t already love Tommy I’d take you.”

Obviously his drunk words hold little meaning. John’s looking for anyone and I just happen to be the woman sitting next to him. Yet somehow his words leave me questioning just how deep my feelings for Thomas go.

“I don’t love him. At least, not in the way people might expect me to. He’s a good friend. I love all you Shelbys. But thank you, John. I know that means a lot.”

“No problem love…” John murmurs as he drifts off with his head on the table.

Once again another Shelby brother has left me deep in thought about what my purpose here is. The Lord works in mysterious ways, as Polly would say. Whatever’s in store for me, I know it’s going to be a wild ride if it’s anything like the past few weeks.

[ellohallohiya]

Kald-dal's QQ1 OCs Name Yap >:D P.2

Yeah, I picked out more last names for the characters without them, and I'm so sorry for taking so long to make a part 2 :,)

-

Juniper - Comes from the juniper tree, it means to produce, it also means young, and it also is connected with its berries. Juniper berries are medicinal plants, and in ancient Rome they were associated with positive qualities, such as protectiveness, life and growth, energy, purification, and cleansing. Saint Juniper is also known as ‘the jester of the Lord’ or ‘the saint of comedy and laughter’ and the man was also known for his patience. Juniper is also associated with evergreens and fruit. Juniper also means, spiritually, setting up boundaries and standing their ground. Also it’s a hippie name

Skye - It’s popular as a name in the Christian religion, but comes from Norse. But it means ‘clouds’. The name also means they are spiritually strong and intense, in both charm and stinging. To continue on Norse, it means ‘misty isle’. Also The Island of Skye is the one of the most beautiful of Scotland’s sights to see

So Juniper is healing, protective, funny, energetic, patient, and full of life and growth. So I can’t wait to see her character arc. And I think it’s kind of a long stretch, but due to The Island of Skye, y’know, being an island, means she’s kind of alone and cut off, but when people come to see the views there it’s beautiful and so amazing to really be there (the Island is like the most famous in Ireland but you get the idea)

-

Cypress - From the cypress tree. The cypress both represents everlasting life and mourning of loss. It is also a very flammable tree. In a Greek story, ‘Cyparrissus’ (another version of the name Cypress), accidentally killed his best friend and favorite companion, a trained stag, with a hunting javelin. In sadness, he transformed into a cypress tree so he could mourn eternally for his loss. This Greek character was also gay with Apollo at some point. Anyways, as a spiritual name it means natural transitions and the cycle of life

Holden - Means hold, but, fancy in old language. It also means deep valley. In the Bible, its meaning is trapped, restrained, or unable to see. Another meaning is Christian Jewish is willing, quiet, gracious, from the hollow in the valley

I swear if he accidentally kills Juniper in the story with an ax (or an unfamiliar weapon he was pushed to use more likely) I will scream and cry. Anyways, he will mourn, like a lot. But the cycle of life I guess. And he is a deep valley, so his character will get even deeper, he is a thankful, quiet, and willing guy, (absolute malewife to Juniper)

-

Evelyn - In the Bible, it means life light, ‘source of light and life’. In Greek and French it means desired and wished for. In German, the name was derived from the word ‘ewe’ which means, wishing well, winning, and being blessed. In Irish, it means beauty, birds, hazelnuts, and water. On a baby website, the name means intuitive, creative, and compassionate

Danvers - A dancer or acrobat. (I tried to search it up but all I got was how Danvers became a last name. But fan fact: Supergirl’s last name is Danvers)

So Evelyn has many definitions (as I kinda expected) and hey, intuitiveness and creativity while being compassionate seems like Evelyn well. And winning sounds fun. (Also I know like two Evelyns in real life, one is blonde and is a bit overprotective of their younger brother too)

-

Avery - Wise and whimsical, also the ruler of elves (in German). And most definitions found in forums and baby name sites do say the name just mostly means the ruler of elves (or counsel) and wisdom. The name also means leadership and nobility in the Bible. Being chosen by God, and experiencing transformation, growth, evolution, and improvement

Danvers - Originally from Norse, which traveled to mostly France and Belgium

Avery is the ruler of elves! Wow. But anyways, he grows and changes down the story (before dying sadly) and can’t wait for his arc

-

Harvie - Strong, worthy, carnage, determined, eager for battle. Really matches my first interpretation of her character. Hervey means illustrious warrior, army, noble, sublime, bright and shining. Harvey means, battle worthy in blazing iron. But Harvie sounds like the word harvest, which means gathering of crops

Pollock - A group of fish that is related to cods, but is a bit darker. Pollock is also slang for insulting a person of Polish birth or descent (it says it isn’t a slur though, but just a derogatory term relating to the fact the word means fish and cod). But the fish does symbolize abundance and prosperity, a vital source of food, and a provider of sustenance 

I guess this name was mostly chosen due to it sounding like the word harvest. But it’s so funny how the actual definition matches how I first thought her would be like-

-

Weirdo - A person whose behavior is strange or eccentric. It could also mean unconventional. Or a psychopath or somebody just not normal and unusual. Sometimes used to describe perverts in slang

Wheaton - From the wheat town. Made of wheat. Man of wheat. Wheaton is scarecrow man confirmed /jkjk

Tobin - God is good. Otherwise, the name is usually connected to Saint Aubin. But there is several versions of the name in multiple other languages/cultures

Simple boi I guess. But scarecrow symbolism, it is like a natural boogeyman, a monster. But it is also a prop to scare of birds, maybe other tributes (Evelyn’s name also means bird so Wheaton just made her go away like the scarecrow he is)

-

Carmen - Short form of the name, Maria del Carmen, or ‘Mary of Caramel’, which is a reference to the Holy Land. And in the Bible it means garden, orchard, and vineyard. It also means song. And it can be a reference to the Roman Goddess Carmenta. And it represents a strong, compassionate, and natural woman

Cortez - Courteous or polite. The name could also mean someone who lived as/near the court of a king or sovereign 

I think her name was mostly chosen because of the queen Carmen Sandiego to be honest. But Carmen is a strong, compassionate, natural woman, she an icon for real. And I think she is polite, to a degree, like at least not an asshole

-

Taurus - Is a zodiac sign that represents a bull. The most prevalent personality traits on them that were shown on google were, being intelligent, dependable, hardworking, dedicated, stubborn, patient, loyal, sensual, and devoted. Apparently they don’t sweat the small stuff, so they are calming and nice to be around. They are mentally strong and very consistent. There is so much on a zodiac sign so… not gonna say it all sorry

Rivera - Name originates from the word riverbank. Not many definitions, but it is a popular Spanish last name

Taurus is a taurus! (He’s born on the 8th of May right? Or was that Katniss’ bday?) Anyways the zodiac sign fits him (there’s probably traits of other zodiac signs that can relate to him too though) And it’s honestly just a mine of character traits positive and negative and miscellaneous when being named after a zodiac

-

Robin - A small bird. The robin symbolizes good luck, happiness, rebirth, renewal, growth, and new beginnings. Fun facts about robins!: They are adaptable, with a variety of nest types, such as holes, hollows, recesses, and even boxes. They are very territorial, to the point where their breast is to indicate territorial messages, they defend their territory through the year, and they can resort to killing other birds aggressively (depending on the bird)

Maverick - Unconventional and independent. One who shuns custom, a lone wolf, somebody who blazes their own trail, someone who avoids conformity

Well it would be interesting if her character makes a base in some territory and ends up killing somebody defending it. And I chose the last name Maverick, due to it meaning independence and usually looking out for only oneself

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Everest - Dweller on the Eure River. It also means high point, or summit. It also represents ‘the iconic nature of what it is to be a wonder’. Like the most notable climb known to man

Sinclaire - Comes from ‘Saint Claire’. It can mean pure or renowned, and light and clear. It also means one who prays

He a dweller. And is probably somebody who can walk for very long without complaining. And maybe religious or as least believing in something

-

Lilith - Meaning belonging to the night. It is a feminine name for demon, spirit, and sometimes evil. On google it says it also represents: ‘rebellion, sexual liberation, independence, mystery, empowerment, resilience, transformation and the pursuit of personal freedom’

Maloret - Ill-fortuned or with bad luck. A luckless and unfortunate person

Well, Lilith was mysterious, she belonged to the night I guess. I chose the last name maloret because she seems to have bad luck. Not really having an interesting reason as compared to the other tributes. Getting to the cornucopia and still unfortunately still failing and dying (kind of because of bad luck, wrong place, wrong person, wrong time)

-

Harrow - To plunder or ravish. To cause worry and upset. It is a farm implement used for surface tillage. It is dragged over plowed land to break up clods, remove weeds, and cover seed. Some synonyms of the word is agonizing, torture, harass, excruciating, smite, tease, and vex 

Prairie - A plain of grassland without many trees. It also means meadows and pastures

He definitely caused worry and upset for his love. And he did die in torment or at the very least his dead body was mistreated… But I chose the last name Prairie because it also meant meadow. Most definitions said prairie meant a peaceful, calming land of nothing much but grass. So I guess he is resting peacefully waiting for his love in the meadow

Bonus!:

Marl - A loose or crumbly earth deposit. Also known as a kind of mixed soil. Sometimes fertilizer lands to help make it healthier. It is a mix of sand, silt, and clay. And it has rock forms, sedimentary

I chose this name as a first or last (or even middle name if you already had it chosen out) for Harrow’s lover. Because a harrow was used to till land/soil and help its growth of crops. Both help the soil and land in different ways, while still being different in their ways. A more man-made tool (like a richer tool like townies) and a natural help that can be used to help but with many properties and types (I dunno why I thought of the seam for this)

-

Sorry for taking so long again! Hope you enjoy reading this! And I hope you enjoy the last names :)

Gift for fav Hunger Game poster: @kald-dal-write

Also if you're a random person just seeing this, read their fic if you're interested!

[calamarr]

I sometimes cook and bartend at this like very neighborhood-corner Irish pub that’s frequented by older republicans and last night this guy was making fun of his friend by calling him a “hall of flamer” so I said “he can’t be better than me” to which he replied “you’re a flamer?” and I said “yep” and he goes “well GOD BLESS YA” and slammed his shot of Dirty Monkey. so I guess I believe in world peace after all.

[saint-ambrosef]

hello i am seeking prayers (and perhaps advice) i would like to be catholic. i have done extensive research, i have attended women's groups, i have talked to local outreach workers, i have attended a couple masses, i have had a couple one-on-one conversations with priests... this was all in the last two years. i have not taken rcia and i have not regularly attended mass. because there are two issues i bump into/cant get over first is that i have an incredibly close relationship with my current/home church, where i am an active member, where i was married, and where my child was baptized. i do not wish to leave them nor offend them, as they have been pivotal in strengthening my faith and materially supporting my pregnancy, they have funded some of my schooling and there is so much love there. the second issue is that my mother (who is not a member of my home church, nor a practicing christian at all) is extremely anti-catholic, to the point that she denies any irish heritage we have, and regularly talks trash (to me, i dont think to others) about catholicism as a whole as well as the stupidity of catholics as individuals. my father, an atheist, is not much better. i do not want to create dissent in my family, nor separate from my supportive village i have built for my child. however, i feel a constant calling towards the church... i guess i am asking for prayers for me to be brave, and for the hearts of my parents. and if i am brave, advice on how exactly to go about separating from people i know love and support me? i know this is a lot...thank you and god bless

A difficult situation indeed, anon, I am not envious of your position! The Truth is calling to you, but it is natural to be hesitant to potentially say goodbye to those who have nurtured your faith and pushed you (perhaps accidentally, perhaps purposefully) toward Christ's Church.

Do you worry you would be ostracized from your old community if you were to become Catholic? I am not sure what the "waters" are like in your current congregation; if they are not obstensibly anti-Catholic, there is no reason you cannot continue to be good friends with all of them. Regardless, it's wouldn't be the same as being a full member of that community, so I understand the reluctance to let go of something that was so foundational in your life.

The hardest part of living the faith is being a witness in these moments. Praying for strangers, going to Church on Sunday, those little "in the world but not of the world" actions are important. But one of the most difficult - and by extension, greatest - ways we are called to bear witness is to represent Truth to those we love. Doing so requires opening ourselves up to ostracization, ridicule, fear, anger, and disappointment by those closest to us. It's terrifying.

And He gets it. He really does. Christ was rejected from his entire hometown for revealing the Truth to them. We must do what we must.

I will be praying for you as you navigate this situation. I hope you are able to start attending RCIA soon; building a new community in the Church is not a replacement for those you are potentially leaving behind, but it may make it easier.

[oneluckygoose]

PINNED INTRO

Hi! I’m Lucky! Use any and all pronouns for this blog, it doesn't have a gender at all.

I’m a panromantic, asexual writer, potter, and architect. I've been doing pottery since I was 7, and I set my life to become an architect around the same time. I read my absolute favorite series EVER (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), which has radically shaped my life, when.... I was also 7. Guess that was a big year for me.

I'm a huge fandom enthusiast who gets way too into the things that I enjoy. I'm in many o' fandom, but you'll mainly find me interacting in the Percy Jackson + Riordenverse, The Marauders (occasionally the normal Harry Potter), Dimension 20, and the MCYT (HermitCraft, Life Series, Empires, etc.) fandoms.

I'm currently writing a Marauders era fic! You can go to this post (which is extremely long fair warning) to learn more about it, but it follows the characters' journey through Hogwarts and the first Wizarding War (so 1971-1981). I don't know yet if it's cannon compliment, but right now it can be read as one.

I do not support any type of oppression. I'm a very moral person, and I don't like it when people are getting hurt. I don't care if it's a government who's doing it, or a group of otherwise good people. If they're hurting people, I don't support it and will go to lengths to go against it, fuck whatever rules are set in place. I'll happily throw hands and get in trouble for it, I don't care.

More about me under the cut!

My favorite artists as of the current moment are Barns Courtney, Skid Row, Hozier, and Queen. I have a very wide range of music that I listen to, but whenever one of their songs comes on, I just get really happy.

I am a proud user of the block button on here. If I don't like/whatever a blog is doing doesn't sit with me right, I'll block it. Curating content is a very important thing, and my mental health is bad enough without a dash full of things that make it worse. Same thing goes with the content I make: if you have something to say about it and aren't being respectful about it, your comments will be removed and your blog will be blocked. I don't take shit.

I figured out I was asexual when I was very young. When I was in fifth grade my friend told me how sex worked and I fully didn't understand wtf was going on with that. Being sexualized and talking about sex in an explicit way makes me extremely uncomfortable, it always has. I don't like a lot of things in a lot of fandoms because it is hyper-sexualized and just makes me want to curl up and die (Yes I'm looking at you Jegulus, but I'm planning on writing it different because I do enjoy the ship). If you sexualize any part of this blog or me, we're going to have a serious issue.

I love writing, but I'm still in school, so I don't have the time very often to do so. I try and do the best with what little time I do have, though. If you want any writing advice of any sort, feel free to ask. I love helping people, and if I can do that with something I love, it's even better.

I play video games! My favorites are Minecraft, LoZ Breath of the Wild, and Brawlhalla. You won't typically see this type of content on my blog, I just kinda wanted to throw it out there.

I'm open to asks! I love talking about the things I enjoy, just please don't make them sexual!

My name is because I find like a seriously ridiculous amount of four leaf clovers. I'm not kidding, sometimes I'll be walking down the street and just look down and find one randomly. I think some Irish god blessed me or something, I'm not quite sure.

Remember to drink water and get enough sleep (Promise you, this is advice for me, too. We're in this unhealthy spiral together.)

[spotsupstuff]

Creature of root and wire? Folks gods? I am listening

GJLKDSJLKMK there's!!! not much thought that went into those doodles, honestly! i've just been listening to a lot of folk related stuff (and thinkin of my own n irish/scottish/sailor culture) mainly cuz it's connected to The OC Lore

but some thoughts that did spawn: the iterators are dieties of nature hiding away and just wanting to be more or less left alone (with possibly some meddling from other creatures, wink wonk ancients, this would take place from the perspective of slugcats again)

Pebbles is known as The Creature of Root and Wire. he hides in the dark depths of a secluded forest of dark oak. his place is protected by twisting branches and roots that seem to come alive, attempting to either guide lost creatures away or straight up kill them (The Rot are sickly trees that no longer listen to Pebs). Pebbles himself has skin of bark and moves around thanks to a living branch his body seems to be growing out of. within the bark are mechanications and his throat is made mainly of wires and some pipes, with a mask just kind of slapped on top of that to give the illusion of a head and a face

Moon is known as the Fallen Patience. she's hidden in marshes that the elders claim weren't always there, especially since the marshes are the domain of another (Nish). only the most daring or the most idiotic make their way to her. there's stories of her either cursing or blessing passerbys with knowledge, if they stay with her a kind little while. she kind of reminds me of a kelpie

going off of some slavic folk stories i know, a lot of iteractions with them revolves around being kind and hospitable. if one brings them offering of food (bread and salt is most appreciated since in my culture that is a way to welcome your guests!!!! :D) and is nice to them, they ought to repay the favor. if given gold and one is rude with them, they are gon either curse the beggar in some Folk™ way or just strike them down right then and there

Moon's domain used to be more or less plains with shores and bushes but because of Things like in canon RW shit went down. with time her place changed into a marsh and when it did, Nish found out about her condition since he just knows whats up in his own domain. purposing a little energetic glowing dragonfly, he sent his beautiful daughter (-cough- Hunter, she's pretty to me ok -cough-) to guide and protect the dragonfly all the way to Moon. Nish himself i'm thinkin would have similar stuff going on like a vodník (waterman??? lil green man that collects souls in cups) combined with the slavic deity Živa (goddess of life and spring, život translates to life)

oh! and neurons for Moon and Pebs are fireflies and for Nish they are dragonflies!

Suns i GUESS could be something like Poludnica. a guardian being of the holiness of midday (poludnie means midday so u can see the connection!). i remember some stories about how if one would work in the fields during midday, a beautiful woman would appear in the tall grass and tempt them to come to her. once close, it'd be revealed that she's actually quite an ugly old thing and then would kill the guy cuz of course what else this is Folklore

[justananxiousnight]

Until we meet again

I wasn’t waiting for his call. Absolutely not.

I was just as busy as always.

I had important things to do, while I wasn’t waiting for his call.

I had to clean my oven.

I made a mess cooking the peanut butter crumble and the cinnamon rolls. Those recipes came up to my mind and I wasn’t able to shake them off so I just started baking without thinking too much. I could probably gave them to my neighbours. They were always so sweet and caring with me.

A flash back of an interview rang to my ears. It seemed so long ago while in reality just few months had passed.

Suddenly the smell of peanut butter and cinnamon was too much to bear and I had to run to the window, searching for some air.

Bloody memories! It was too soon to face them.

I didn’t know what to tell him. I couldn’t trust myself and I was still too hurt. I knew I was at fault too but I wasn’t ready to grant forgiveness yet. Not to him. Not to myself. We made a big mess of things and I was trying to pick up all the pieces…

I reached for my phone.

He picked up almost immediately.

“Hey… It’s me…”

“Yeah… I know… I was just about to call you”

“Sorry if I…”

“Let me guess… You don’t want to see me”

He sounds so sad, almost defeated and I would do anything to ease him but…

“Just… not now. It’s just… I need a bit of time”

The silence was so heavy and my breathing was so fast.

“Ok. I… I understand. And it’s enough for now… But… Can I call you and text you again… please? I was miserable this past month, fuck, I am still miserable. I miss you so damn much…”

He was about to cry. And I was too.

“Ok… let’s… keep in touch, for now... I wish I was not but the truth is I miss you too… Just, let’s be honest with each other. No lying, no secrets… I’ll do my part as well, I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” He tried to lighting up the mood but the seriousness of our conversations was hanging in the air like a thick fog.

“Pinky promise!” I needed to ending the call even if I was drowning in each sounds coming from him. He was tattooed between my heart and my skin and that was a blessing and a curse at the same time.

“Newts… I need to finish some stuff…”

“Oh, of course… So… Bye Nic”

“Bye”

I hung up and released a big sigh, my shoulders somewhat lighter and my heart a bit happier. He was such an important part of my life. I remembered the final part of an Irish blessing “And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

[standardquip]

Heat Guy J Live Reacts

While watching Gungrave I remembered this show existed. Here are a compilation of discord messages I sent while watching the show over the course of ~2 weeks.

Key points: - This just might be an escaflowne AU - werewolves heck yes - better women than gungrave - surprise "tomatoes in anime" research

do I watch Heat Guy J (26 eps, similar to gungrave) or do I watch Black lagoon (29 eps, sexy guns starring a lady) I'm leaning toward Heat Guy J for my grey haired man quota I'm playing Heat Guy J ep 1 now so far the music is good lol kill bill inspired or kill bill was inspired bythis? I don't remember when either of those came out wow the voices are so much cooler sounding in japanese they just sound lame in english but english uses less brain power so I'll deal I'm gonna play all these at 1.5x speed because I'm on a strict schedule wow the cgi in this anime did not age well

I think this show shares a character designer with escaflowne … I might have to get this soundtrack damn this ost is all over the place but in a good way I'm only 12min into the first ep this is crazy ok alan schezar

hey look, it's Chid Freid all grown up

shut up, emo dildandau

also, they call the don of their mafia "vampire" (that's the title of the position) That's pretty neat

I'm pretty sure that's just a simplified bra design but this is the 2nd time she's shown up and all I can think of when I see her is "furry boobs"

this dude [Claire] seriously is dilandau straight up psychotic

werewolf or werecat? Hmmmmm

WHAT prisoners have their dna altered so when/if they escape prison, their faces are altered to look like beasts That is such an INSANE policy who puts sunflowers on a grave wtf

I started Heat Guy J I'm just starting ep 3 Here's my thoughts so far:

Surprisingly way more interesting than I thought it would be

The OST is god tier imo

Character design is very similar to vision of escaflowne

the android design is unique and cool bonus: at least one werewolf

ep4 it is a werewolf hecc yeah

"Have you seen my bunny?" I think I found Van

oh If we take personality into account This guy is actually folken

hot

this irish jig thing they have for the fight scenes is really entertaining

the russian roulette guy is the werewolf And I'm going back on the folken thing He's definitely Van ep5 I think this will be the last one for me tonight

fun times

[someone else says: Heat Guy J episode 1: October 1, 2002. Kill Bill Vol 1 premiere: October 30, 2003 ]

gonna try and get the next 5 eps of heat guy j done starting with ep 6 alright what's with the tomato symbolism in anime this didn't just come out of nowhere in new anime and now it's in heat guy j

[someone says: So Google has no idea why tomatoes I thought there would be like some sort of analysis on tomatoes as a symbolic device in anime ]

No it's probably not that direct like maybe japan exports a ton of tomatoes or something?

like if potatoes show up in some irish show There's a lot of history behind that (because of the potato famine) regardless of how they are actually used in the show There is a reason Just like how english is always saying "oh my god" or why they say "bless you" when you sneeze That seems benign but the reason for it is because english speakers are/were predominantly christian

Nobody's going to write an essay about why english speakers use "oh my god" or "bless you" in mass media It's something ingrained in the culture, so you'd have to look in a different context (different from its connection to why it shows up in tv shows a lot) to find the answer you're looking for

I guess ep 6 is "the stock market episode" oh boy they're really hamfisting the lessons in this one already oh boy they just explained the difference between stocks and commodities they also explained shorts (without calling them shorts)

J just caught a bullet with his BARE HANDS and it wasn't even a special scene or anything IT JUST HAPPENED

WHAT dilandau is like "I don't want you around anymore" to his butler so the butler is like "ok" AND THEN PUTS A GUN TO HIS HEAD FOR SUICIDE that's fucking crazy just leave the organization It was a free pass

ep7

cool he's got a scar now also it was just confirmed that THIS ONE is a cat

Back to tomatoes in anime: https://tasteofculture.com/2023/07/17/tomatoes-in-japan/ not as in-depth as I was hoping for

but my armchair guess is it symbolizes a gaijin making a big change to the culture and succeeding maybe an underdog story that also happens to look pretty

I wonder if this is why the tomato is getting spotlight in new anime https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/Japan-approves-gene-edited-super-tomato.-But-will-anyone-eat-it

why do japanese love the tomato so much? :skeptical fry.jpg: https://www.bbcspirits.com/gb/other-alcohols/729-liqueur-japan-la-tomato.html

ok so [person] might be onto something with the "it's just pretty" thing https://www.ishs.org/ishs-article/100_10 this abstract makes it more clear that tomatoes were grown primarily because they were pretty. They didn't start eating them until the 1920s!

starting ep 10 now

alright Let's see if I can get to ep 15 I want to start a different series

ep11 was about mind control You know, it's been awhile since we saw the werewolf guy I wonder if he'll be in ep12

Heat Guy J is way more entertaining than the trailer made it seem but there's no real over-arching plot so I'm kind of bored of it now But not bored enough of it that I am ok abandoning it without finishing HELL YEAH WEREWOLF GUY IS IN THIS ONE oh lame they reused the animation from the other episode 😔

ep13 (yay) if I could finish this series today, that would be cool idk if I can keep focused on it much longer though I actually kind of want to go to bed… :reigensweat: (it's only 6pm here)

Starting ep15 The last one for today oh damn they legit destroyed heat guy j they just gave the main character super lsd

… j will make a full recovery damn plot armor

damn MC's (Daisuke) got plot armor from the super lsd too what a letdown

well ep15 is over and nothing has fundamentally changed I'm going to bed I guess And by "Bed" i mean laying down and browsing reddit on my phone til I fall asleep

ok let's see if I can get through 16 - 20 of heat guy j tonight

ep16 MC's brother, alan with glasses, was shot and is in the hospital. I guess he doesn't have plot armor. Meanwhile, dildandau's organization tries to overthrow him because he's too psychotic I wasn't paying much attention, I'm not sure if it succeeded or not

ep17 continues this plot MC & J leave the city and MC smells clean air and grass for the first time He doesn't like nature smells one random side character is the voice of those toonami music video narrator's (outlaw star narrator?) and it's sooo weird

hell yeah werewolf is back werewolf guy aka van is actually just a deus ex He only appeared for 5 seconds to make plot armor for MC 😩 ep18 MC got fired from the special unit. So he and J are now no longer partners alan is out of the hospital I think MC is going after the gang organization that dildandau used to be head of. is currently head of? It's still confusing

ok looks like dildandau is uhhh not present mentally and is maybe on the run So I guess the coup succeeded lol dildandau's character name is claire rival crime gangs are all after claire because they need his eyes to defeat some retinal scanner to access a ton of gold

J has been re-activated to be the plot armor for MC, who happens to be in the same room as clair currently while this gang war is going on yadda yadda somehow MC got the special unit formed again ep19 MC trying to recruit werewolf to the new special unit oh werewolf history episode yay

werewolf joined them yay ep20 Probably the last one before bed tonight There's 26 eps total, so maybe I can finish it tomorrow ep20 today we learn lightsabers just casually exist in this universe oh There's also an evil clone of J apparently

the evil J is trying to kill the MCs but normal J is nowhere to be found I wonder why that is oh there he is finally J vs J battle has commenced J is so OP evil J is dead now ehhhh let's watch ep 21, then call it some random side character has lost his black cat, named juliet aaaand now he's dead

juliet sees it And with his dying breath, he reaches for the cat "I have to make sure that you get home" Sad surprisingly powerful for random side character who has never shown up before oh wait He has shown up before lmao his name is romeo of course he'd name his cat juliet poor juliet

ok ep21 done bed now finish heat guy j tomorrow hopefully

alright let's see if we can watch the last 5 eps of heat guy j today beginning ep 22 this time the killer machine is A WOMAN! you know, this show has more women than the last one (Gungrave), which is good, but so far every single "evil" woman has been mind controlled meaning apparently women don't have the power to be bad of their own accord So that's kind of weird that it's happened twice now

the mechanic for J is very obviously in love with him I mean it was obvious from the first ep she was introduced but now it's even more obvious This looks like it's going to turn into "the beach episode"

oh shit, the island's owned by sephiroth! 😂

ep 23 There's a reoccuring small girl photographer character. She sells photos from a carriage on the street with a mule. So we start this ep with her carriage (which is also her house) burning to the ground girl is stoic, mom is crying and sobbing Girl says "Darn. I forgot my camera. I bet I could've sold a photo of this to the news for some money"

monica (the girl) now lives with the special squad and she is spitting some straight facts J has agreed to pretend to be monica's dad She is using him as a stage performer so she can get money LOL Now she's using him to gamble haha

so you're telling me that in all the years MC has been carrying this bullet pendant around his neck, he never once tried to open it? give me a break Monica opened it and found a memory card inside which is a thing MC needed to solve a crime anyway, ep24 time woman assassin! is she acting of her own accord though? Let's find out

Turns out MC's brother, Alan (actually named Shun) was the evil one all along! Oh Female assassin is actually J's technician! womp womp and shun just killed her sad trombone.mp3 and now he's controlling J!

oh no.jpg

ep25 begins (second to last episode) claire/dildandau makes a triumphant return, to tell MC his brother is the one behind this! Because MC was too dumb to figure it out himself for some reason rather than MC fighting J, beautiful werewolf deus ex appears out of nowhere and forces J into sleep mode

something weird is happening with alan's voice I'm predicting he is actually an android as well Let's see if this bet pays off dildandau got his organization back

same face syndrome killed me the assassin was shun/alan's assistant, not J's technician time to start the final ep, ep26

this is dumb the anime is too episodic now what do I want to watch next? (even though ep26 is still going on in the background) - High Card - Link Click season 2 - Blood Blockade Battlefront - Grenadier - Noein - Black Lagoon

Currently I am interested in lots of guns and gray haired men idk which is more important so maybe a good 50/50 ratio is perfect 🤔 well if we go in download date order, I should do Black Lagoon next… MC to evil brother: "The only think I'm here to kill… Is your anger" 😂

plot armor is in full effect in this episode now there's fireworks because some random deus ex kills everyone that mattered to the coup evil brother tries to kill himself nothing matters evil brother is not an android sad evil brother does not die and decides to not be evil anymore they gave him amnesty This has less stakes than an MCU movie MC goes on a kino's journey without J series ends super lame I am going to make a very nonsensical decision and start High Card next oh no its japanese with subs only! 😩 I don't want to deal with that right now Guess I'll go with Black Lagoon

I finished Heat Guy J It's too episodic for my tastes Also the plot armor was super thick I have started Black Lagoon I'm on ep9 currently It's much better (Heat Guy J OST was still amazing though) the only thing black lagoon is missing is a silver haired guy

well there's 29 eps... More than enough time for one to show up

[calicohyde]

Tagged by @winterandwords to share my characters' name meanings. I already posted this on my main, but I didn't repost it when I moved my writing to this sideblog, so I guess I'm doing it now!

Some of these names were chosen for their meanings, some for their associations. I also chose a lot of names based on the character's ethnicity (i.e. Anca instead of Anna, Piero instead of Peter, etc) and also how they sounded together with characters they would interact with a lot.

The Stranger series ("witch noir")

Eddie: from Eduarda. "wealth, fortune". Chosen for its common use as a noir detective protagonist, and specifically Eddie Valiant. Fred: from Frederica/Frederico. "peaceful ruler". Chosen for similar commonality in noir detectives. Jessica: Shakespeare allegedly invented this name, presumably based on Iscah. Iscah means "to behold". Chosen for its association with Jessica Rabbit. Evan: "God is gracious". Chosen for my own personal associations. Lily: references the flower, a symbol of purity. Chosen for the association with the H4rry P0tter character and through that association with JK/R and through that the political movement she's allegorical to. Lol. Angel: from Angelito. "messenger". Chosen for the meaning. Dido: meaning unknown. I don't remember why I chose it. Maddie: from Madeline. "tower". I don't remember why I chose it. Ferris: "man of vigor". I don't remember why I chose it. Anca: "favor, grace". Chosen for the meaning. Raf: from Rafael. "God heals". Chosen for the meaning. Kapua: "flower child". Chosen for the meaning. Wâpo: I fucking lost my reference for what language this is and I don't remember like a tool and my search engine is failing me as usual. I think it's in the Algonquin family of languages, and it's a word for a raccoon. But since I can't find my source I'll probably have to change it. Nine: after a cat's nine lives. Obviously I made that one up, so yeah it's chosen for the meaning lol. Toots: from Antonia. Chosen to fit the nickname, which was chosen for being a derisive endearment in the time period associated with the noir genre. Piero: "stone". Chosen for its association with the disciple Peter.

Vanilla

Vana: "God is gracious" (has the same etymology as Evan, actually). Chosen for its sound; it's the most similar name to the word "vanilla" that I could find. Dara: "fruitful, fertile". Chosen because he's Irish and hot.

Any Publicity

Asher: "happy, blessed". Chosen for the ethnicity and its ability to have a one-syllable nickname. Jordan: "descend". Chosen for the ethnicity and its ability to have a one-syllable nickname. Gwaine: "hawk" + either "May" or "field". I don't remember why I chose it. Brittany: etymology from Briton (as in the people), which means "tattooed people". Chosen for its similar sound to another name. Candy: from Candace. "queen". I don't remember why I chose it. Mason: "to make". Chosen for its similar sound to another name. Beth (Rory, they go by their surname): from Bethany. "house of figs". Chosen for being a nickname-in-common with another name. Keahi: "the fire". Chosen for the meaning. (St.) Pat: from Patricia. "noble". Chosen for its ability to be turned into a nickname/title that is a holiday.

Not Just Us

Milo: "gracious soldier". Originally was Milivoj [mee-lee-voy] and was chosen for the ethnicity and because I Just Like It, but I changed it for easier pronunciation for English readers. The two names have the same etymology. Ken: from Kenshin. "humble, modest" + "trust, believe". Chosen for the meaning and its ability to have an English-sounding nickname (baby is assimilated 😔). Topher: from Christopher. "bearing Christ". Chosen for the meaning. Lol. Buzz: unknown meaning. Chosen for its similar sound to a certain company when paired with his last name. Lmao. Virgo: "maiden". Chosen with inspiration from Persephone Valentine.

I tag @ceph-the-ghost-writer @thewardenofwinter @vhwrites @nvjackwrites and @justsome-di.

[the1975attheirverybest]

I get that this is surprising for some, especially when there’s confusion about Irish catholicism, but I’m seeing some fans tease him or use his past words against him, and I don’t like that at all. Saying this is just a new ADHD hyper-fixation or that he’s having a mental breakdown is such a low blow. It’s just mean. 

If I Believe You is such a beautiful song that, in my opinion, comes from a very honest and vulnerable place. Do people think he just pulled that out of his ass? There was a point where he seemed quite angry about the idea of anyone believing in a God and in my experience, most atheists don’t feel that way unless they have a personal reason to. 

I’m not saying he’s having some type of religious epiphany. I think his keyword was “proud”, not that he isn’t an atheist (by definition, he is). It sounds weird but there are many people who identify with a religion but don’t believe in a God. He can respect the culture and traditions without being a believer. Religious by tradition is different than religious by faith. I’m an atheist that was raised in a religious family. I go to church for Christmas and Easter, I’ll bless myself passing a graveyard, etc. I was baptized so I’ll technically always be catholic. It’s odd but I appreciate the traditions, and I identify with the religion more through philosophy, rather than belief in a God. 

I don’t know, maybe I’m too sensitive but he clearly sees our tweets, and he’s posting a lot of stuff from Reddit. He just started interacting with us on socials again, it’d be nice if people showed him the same respect he always gives us.

Yeah, first of all, If I Believe You IS ELITE AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE SLANDER AGAINST IT!!!!!! Even as someone who DOES believe in god myself and practices an organized monotheistic religion I fuckin love that song and get SO emotional about it. “If it was you that made my body you probably shouldn’t have made me atheist” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! Goosebumps!!!!

C’mon we all know Matty’s song writing is nothing if not authentic. He won’t write a song just to write a song. It’s not like he sat there and said “need a Jesus song hmmmm”

Also, like, someone’s allowed to change and grow! Of course his initial arrival at the atheist conclusion is not gonna be the same after years and years more of living, seeing the world, thinking about it more, etc.

Even for religious folks. Ok I guess I shouldn’t speak for everyone. In MY experience as a practicer of religion, the version of religion that I used to believe in when I was young is VASTLY different from the one that I believe in today. And there have been many feelings and positions along the spectrum leading me up to today.

Why should that be diminished? He used to feel a certain way, and now he feels slightly differently about it. He was young and still figuring out who he is at the time and now he’s in his mid 30s and has a more complex identity. If a song does or doesn’t align with his beliefs now he may or may not choose to still perform it but it doesn’t mean that it’s now invalid or that it wasn’t sincere and authentic when he wrote it.

Why isn’t Matty allowed to grow lmaooo. You guys notice this?? Like even with his apology and stuff. People never wanna believe that he’s learning and trying to evolve. Not just about religion but about everything he does. It’s sooo annoying like let him be! Let him live. God forbid we should catch one of these Twitter idiots on their OWN mistakes or even beliefs that they’ve grown out of??? ???

[merryfortune]

incomplete list of all the fun i had in japan on my holiday

the bus trip from narita airport to shinjuku, the scenery was so gorgeous, i got to see my first cherry blossoms and first part of the city

sorakara-chan the mascot at the skytower, they also have nice lemonade there, and it was fun to walk on the floor windows too

the shogun's gardens are so cool you can hear the martial artists train - the imperial s garden was very nice as well, the azelias were in full bloom

karaoke with three of the others on the tour with me was tonnes of fun as well

also at karaoke i was the only one who could speak Japanese so I was ordering drinks for the other girls and had A VERY INTENSE “conversation” with the older waiter who spoke no English so it was very unintentionally funny experience to try and convey that i wanted two bottles (nipikki) of sake but I said nisai instead (so 2 years). also the Spanish-Irish chica said the sake that they/we ordered (I was soft drinks only) was the best she ever had

i loved having chanko for lunch and the similar ones as well (though the himeji oden set wasn't my favourite...)

asakusa shrine was so busy but i liked the balancing of the shinto and buddist faiths

meiji shrine was beautiful, the trees there are gorgeous and heartfelt, we also saw a wedding procession!!! the bride and groom looked stunning in their traditional ware

 the cruise night was good too

 IKEBUKURO MY BELOVED. the area was nerd heaven. i saw fellow yumejoshi god bless, bought a giant smoliv plush at the pokemon centre, and stuff like that yeah

the inari shrine/thousand torii gate shrine is definitely on my come back to list since there wasn't enough time to do the full summit

shoutout to the hotel we stayed at in mishima city, easily my favourite hotel, them soft beds went a long way, not to mention we could see mt fuji at breakfast

(for me personally that hotel was even outclassing the five star hotel we stayed at which is a highlight and also was home to foreign dignitaries and celebrities :o

 mt fuji. just. mt fuji in general. absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking, stunning, thank god we did not climb it as i was coming down with a cold the day we were meant to but mt fuji meanwhile was coming down with an avalanche risk so only looking for afar

oshina hokkai is gorgeous, i would love to come back there at peak with more time to wander

i also loved the little historical village, i can't remember its name rn but i loved seeing the different girls day and children's day displays, the tanuki statues and the scarecrows, the rubber duckies in the various streams, too

the various tanuki statues i saw all over the place deserve their own bullet point tbh

making soba was fun but i didn’t actually enjoy eating the soba, i wanted to try yakisoba though

i'm kinda blanking at this 3/4 mark because all i really remember is the bullet train journeys which are cool i guess but i'm not a train nerd like my dad lol, it just felt like taking a normal train to me

the osaka okonomiyaki lunch was my favourite lunch, probably

i loved the kyoto hotel we had dinner at too, they gave me extra on desserts. and also bread. carbs yippie

ooh the italian cafe we had lunch at in shibuya was also really good actually so i'll mention it here too

kiyomizu shrine was my Absolute Favourite Highlight, it was gorgeous and had so much history behind it, the shops are good too, i hope to visit it again one day, would especially love to visit in autumn/maple leaf season. also I got to drink from the fountains of long life, beauty, and wisdom which is really significant because normally that's impossible to do due to queues/demands. and also all the buddha with their bibs is adorable.

also at kiyomizu, one of my fellow tour goers did something so unintentionally hilarious, i want to add it. this guy was very cautious, always masked up and sanitising so we were all very surprised to go watch him fill up a ladle at the fountain... only for him to immediately dump it into the basin below instead of drinking it like I and a couple others did

miyajima island is amazing!! i definitely want to go back there in autumn one day. i had momiji manju with custard filling and it was so delicious. i visted the art museum there and the attendant on the second level gave me an Exclusive Special Experience™️ because I managed to convey that whilst I couldn't speak Japanese on account of my sore throat, i can understand it so they gave me a big art spiel and then turned off the lights so i could see this one silk screen literally glow in the dark like the moon

the himeji gardens were my favourite set of gardens!! i saw a cat and lots of pretty ponds

threw coins in okiku well at the himeji castle (well's haunted) and the architecture of himeji whilst a nightmare for a flat footer like me is awful but its still very beautiful i'm probably missing some stuff but i've had a big, big week and a bit in japan

[camilofebrero]

Reflection time

Some of my earliest memories of being in an orchestra haven't been called to the front of my mind recently. But I'll start by saying that learning to read music was an important step to finding myself in an orchestra. Mrs. Davidson is the one I credit. Her classroom, which was actually just the cafeteria space in the basement of the school, was made with rolling divider walls on which she pinned these posters. The posters showed instrument families, like percussion, brass, woodwinds, and strings. We, the class, learned about the staff, ledger lines, clefs, notes and note duration. We learned about scales. And about singing songs. We learned songs by repeating, not by reading. And we would perform the songs we learned in class. There were songs we learned for fun, not realising that we were practicing foundational skills like rhytmn (we clapped, stomped and patted our bodies as we sang.) We practiced how to perform the music we learned, and we listened to recordings of the songs we sang. I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the man who died and gave that right to me and I proudly stand up next to you and present her still today, cause there aint no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA! Gotta look that up and revisit the song. We sang theres a whole in the bucket dear liza dear liza with a hunch back, freckle faced substitute teacher whose name I forget. I think we even learned a song in spanish, I reember learning a word like embark, and that also reminds me of the Selena song where she says me marcho hoy. We learned an irish working railway song.. probably a little bit yikes but I was inocent at the time.

I have many fond memories of this time being introduced to music. It wasn't too far away that I was introduced to art, also in the basement of my elementary school. I loved math upstairs, too, and grew to love science later on. But, back to Mrs. Davidson, who introduced the class to our first instruments. The Recorder. She is a saint. 13 recorders in the hands of children, I'm guessing at the class size back then. Moving along, I tried many instruments while I was in elementary school, starting with auxiliary percussion in the school bands. I even played alongside a successful jazz musician of today's initials, I.T., who is married, I believe! We were friends, and our moms were friends, so I was able to play with him at his house. I learned about rug burn around that time. I learned about percussion instruments for a few years until I was able to make a shift that has lasted til today. I never joined the elementary school orchestra, but during a summer enrichment program, I got to choose the cello, which I had seen my best friend Jennifer O. playing the previous year. I learned to play in the Essentials book from Ms. S and studied with my first private teacher, Rene C. That summer, I gave my first concert, which is up on YouTube. My favorite song was Star Dancer, which had a lot of open C strings and a few double stops. I enjoyed learning cello that summer on account of the rate of progress I made. I was quickly better than my peers, and that motivated me to continue. Then, what happens next sort of eludes me. But I don't remember connecting with the other students in the orchestra. Just my private teacher, a high school cellist named Rene.