#I did in fact go to catholic school for 8 years

[ezratheunready]

Bought a historical text on stigmata this weekend becauseI’m officially ruined bc of growing up Catholic and mcr

[waheelawhisperer]

fiaexu, 2, 4, 20

Fiammetta or Exusiai (your choice =w=) , 4, 5, 8!

FiaExu:

2: Why I do or don't ship them

You fucking know why, it's your fault in the first place

(It's the Catholic guilt, the way they've both been treated like second-class citizens by Laterano, the height difference, the amusement i derive from Mostima's suffering, the way Exusiai made Fiammetta a present, the pain of isolation, the way their personal stories can both be readily interpreted as trans narratives, the thought of both of them healing and finding freedom from Laterano together, and more)

4: How many other characters in my opinion see the chemistry of this couple before the couple itself does.

it ultimately depends in how they get together and when but I imagine that if they had the chance to see the two of them interact, the Penguin Logistics ladies would figure it out before they did, so that's 3 right there. Mostima, Lemuen, and Andoain might also figure it out.

The Pope knows all and sees all.

20: How and when they should get/should have gotten together.

EXUSIAI SHOULD HAVE FOUND THE COURAGE TO ASK HER SENPAI OUT IN HIGH SCHOOL

Failing that, they should get together soon, perhaps similar to the way they did in a really nice fic I read once where they practiced safe sex and dunked on Mostima.

Fiammetta:

4: If I have NOTP for them.

Not... really? FiaMos is rather bland imo and it's frustrating how much Fiammetta art is centered around it, but it's at least aesthetically interesting and they've gotten enough interactions in canon that you can theoretically build a ship around them. I don't really think they have great chemistry, but they at least share screentime and have some kind of established relationship to work with.

Fiammetta x Andoain is utterly uninteresting to me when played straight, but it's a funny crackship specifically if she gets to deliver on her promise to sodomize and facefuck him

5: I feel like the writers mistreat them or if the story would be better if they were taken down a peg.

sorry, I read "Fiammetta" and "peg" and got so hard I got Nauseous

I don't think the writers particularly mistreat her, at least compared to the rest of the roster. She gets good character work in Guide Ahead and doesn't feel like she's been shunted out of the narrative, at least not any more than every character does when we have a revolving door of events that feature characters spread across the world. I guess she does suffer from the fact that she was introduced early in the game's run with minimal characterization and didn't get fleshed out until her HRT kicked in she got an event that gave her focus later.

8: a headcanon I have about this character.

I was gonna say "Fia's trans and has a feather treasure trail", but that's just objectively correct. I think that maybe, in contrast to her very critical view towards filmmaking, she secretly nurses a liking for really trashy novels.

Exusiai:

4: If I have NOTP for them.

I don't think so. I don't think Mostima is a good partner for her by any stretch of the imagination, but she's bad for her in ways that are interesting to explore. Other than that, Exusiai's other ships that have actual traction all feel at least workable to me. There are some where I think they're better as friends or don't find the ship all that interesting, but none that make me go "oh hell no"

5: I feel like the writers mistreat them or if the story would be better if they were taken down a peg.

Exusiai has the same problem a lot of launch characters have where she got a little bit of characterization and the fandom ran with it and filled out the rest with shipping and flanderization and stereotypes and didn't adjust for additional information when it came out. That said, she did at least get a little bit of relevance early on, unlike launch characters that didn't actually get any kind of acknowledgement until years into the game's run or the ones who just dropped randomly on a banner before they had any actual appearance in the story. She definitely, textually got mistreated within the narrative, but I don't think she got mistreated by the narrative significantly more than your average Arknights character.

That said, the fanbase did her dirty though.

8: a headcanon I have about this character.

excellent at video games. Plays Terran Tekken with Lappland.

[romanticvampiric]

୨ Some data or curiosities about Bloody Kisses~! ♡

Note: Hi❕I wanted to do this so that more people can learn a little more about my selfship and so we can interact a little more about it❕ I don't know much about these things and I'm not an expert speaking english as well, so it would help me a lot if you correct my mistakes when speaking so that I don't make them in the future. If you are interested in knowing more, you can consult my second account (@lovebatty) to know more. ╰⁠(⁠*⁠´⁠︶⁠`⁠*⁠)⁠╯🩷

Sfw version!

୨ Their first ship name was Ryato, also called Heartberry and Bloody Kisses (💗🍓). There are also variations of it in different alternate universes.

୨ Their anniversary is in February 5th❕

୨ Their love began in 2015, so, they have been together for 8 years even though it is a different time than in the story. ♡

୨ Romantic is mexican, his dream was to dedicate himself to cinema or literature, but he ended up choosing journalism. He is an exchange student who decided to go to Japan for the intriguing ‘Haunted House’ that he initially wanted to investigate, there he accidentally met Ayato.

୨ They share engagement bracelets and rings; the first ones made by Romi and the second ones bought by Ayato.

୨ Romi is ISFJ & Ayato ESTP, which is considered an ideal couple within the MBTI. 🩷

୨ Romantic is a diligent student. He normally tends to help Ayato with his tasks and team projects ( they are always a pair ); explaining to him in the best way possible, because Romi cares a lot about him and doesn't want Ayato to recycle the year.

୨ Ayato did not realize that Romantic was carrying a rosary until ‘Dark 10’ of Haunted Dark Bridal, which initially made him think that he was religious ( specifically Catholic ), but as Romantic already said, he considers himself a semi-agnostic.

୨ Ayato knows that Romi is a trans boy and supports him ( in his own way ), even giving him another binder on his birthday❕ ＼⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠)⁠／ 🏳️‍⚧️

୨ Although he doesn't say it openly all the time, Romi is not entirely against giving his blood to Ayato to drink whenever he needs it.

୨ The first time Romantic admitted to developing some attachment to Ayato was in ‘Dark 16’ of Haunted Dark Bridal, where he began to see him as good company.

୨ Although Ayato doesn't want to hurt Romantic, he loves to see him cry; calling him a ‘Crybaby’ because of how sensitive he is.

୨ Ayato belongs to the high school basketball team and Romi belongs to the chemistry club ( which he joined because it's not his strong subject, he wants to improve ).

୨ Romantic had never cooked takoyaki before, he had to get the recipe and perfect himself on it to please Ayato's whims. ᕙ⁠(⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠∧⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠)⁠ᕗ

୨ Ayato likes Romantic to comb his hair with his fingers. 🧚🏻‍♀️

୨ According to Ayato, the nickname “Chibimushi” ( Little Bug ) was born as a shameless mockery based on his first impression of Romantic, that is, that he was as 'small' and fragile as a bug. On the other hand, “Romi” emerged improvised after his first date as an alternative title since he was his current partner. He rarely calls Romantic by his name. ♡

୨ Curiously, in line with the previous information, Romantic is not short❕In fact, they are only a couple of centimeters apart with Ayato being the taller of the two.

୨ Romantic writes poems to Ayato since he found out that he wrote between classes.

୨ Since they were dating, they slept together in the same bed constantly❕ Usually in Romi's bed since the iron maiden is too narrow for the two of them. 💏🏻 ♡

୨ In an after story, Ayato found a white kitten in the school garden, quickly becoming fond of it and showing the kitten to Romantic. Ayato wanted to take him to the mansion without permission, but Romi suggested asking Reiji instead, and in the end they were able to keep the kitten they named “Copito”. ヾ⁠(⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠*⁠)⁠ﾉ

୨ It is quite clear that Romantic suffers from poor anxiety and depressive symptoms. A topic that Ayato was not aware of until he found out for himself in ecstasy's prologue in Haunted Dark Bridal ; at first Ayato did not understand it, however, upon hearing both Reiji's explanation and Romantic's own, he did whatever he could to help ( in his own way, surely ). ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡ 🩷 ♡

୨ Romantic and Ayato have quite similar traumas. For the same reason, Ayato tends to go to him whenever he feels that he has lost control of the situation, he has shown him that he can understand him and gives good advice to Ayato of which some reflect despite saying otherwise.

[alpaca-clouds]

I keep thinking recently about how kinda unlikely it is, that I grew up in fairly rural Germany in a very conservative home and ended up as radically left wing as I did. I spent the first 8 years of my life in a very catholic rural village. After that we moved to a small town, also very catholic. My mother was hyper catholic. More catholic then most people. I only was allowed to go to private catholic schools. The kinds of schools that did not allow non-christian children to attent. (Yes, that is legal in Germany.)

To some regard I think I was very much saved by anime and manga. Because through this I got the information that yeah, queer people exist. There are other cultures that exist. Those cultures are not christian in fact.

But I also keep thinking about this other one fact.

When I was living in that village, there was a refugee center there. And at the time (in the early 90s) there were a lot of Afghan refugees living there... And here is the thing: We moved there when I was tiny, but we moved there because my parents had gotten divorced. And a conservative rural little village did not take well to a single divorced woman and her (very clearly, though undiagnosed) child moving there. So most parents would not allow me in their homes. At least not the catholic parents.

As such... Pretty much all my friends - with one exception - were refugee kids. Most of them were Muslim. And I do remember that my mother at times was upset about it. And I never understood it.

I also did not understand at my 7th birthday how cruel my mother was, as I invited my mostly Muslim friends over, and she made a cake that involved gelantine made from pork bone. I did not know that they were not allowed to eat it until that day, because I never really wondered about it. It ended up in an argument between my Muslim friends, because of them had a father who did not take it all that serious, so she - well meaning - tried to talk the others into eating the cake. And let's face it. We were all that young, the others also did not understand why they were not allowed to eat it. So... it ended up rather dramatic.

But you know what? Whenever someone told me about how horrible Muslim men were supposedly. I always thought about this one girl's father. He only spoke broken German, but as long as I was living there and they were living there, he was so nice and caring for literally every child.

When I was an adult, I learned that this family stayed in Germany. I met that friend's two older brothers when I was 21. Even though they last saw me when I was 11 years old, they somehow recognized me. They owned a small restaurant in the next city and invited me for a meal. And I am kinda sad that I lost contact with them since.

But yeah... I just... I think in some way that saved me from becoming a big asshole in some regard. Because it turns out, if you grow up around people who are not from your culture and actually interact with them, you will not become as racist.

I still wonder though, what became of them.

I know one of my other friends - her family was from Iran, though her mother was half-American - ended up moving to New York. But I never know what happened to this one Afghan friend.

[purplesurveys]

1892

What's your favourite flavour of soda, pop or whatever else you call it?: I don't drink soda at all. I never enjoyed the fizziness it has and I always found it more uncomfortable/painful than refreshing.

What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at?: It's usually at max brightness for which I'll get occasionally made fun of since it's such an oldie thing to do lol. The only time I'll turn it all the way down is when I'm already in bed trying to fall asleep.

Have you ever attended a religious or private school?: Private Catholic school for 14 years, which from experience is also the easiest and quickest way to turn your kid into a rebel hah.

Do you have any pets and are they cuddly?: I have two dogs and a cat – Cooper is on-off cuddly, meaning he'll sometimes be bothered and show it if you get too close. Agi's super affectionate; will plop right next to you and doesn't ever mind being squished and hugged and kissed, even if you do it aggressively.

Max is the newest member of the family and is surprisingly affectionate. I've had mostly negative experiences with cats so he's been great at changing that for me (him and Miki, but unfortunately Miki passed away a week ago, just mere days after we picked him up from the streets).

What's the worst job you've ever had?: I've had one job ever so I can't really compare.

How many cars does your household own?: We have three.

Do you know anyone named Edward or any nickname of that?: I have a cousin with a variation of that name; he was named after his grandfather (my great uncle in law).

What time do you usually have dinner?: When my dad is home, anywhere between 7:30-8. When he's gone, my siblings and I don't follow a set schedule as we all just kind of eat by ourselves.

Are there any cracks or scuffs on your phone?: Impressively enough, none. I'm notorious for ending the lives of all my past phones from dropping them endless times, but my iPhone 13 seems to be stubbornly indestructible. My screen protector has a bubble from the time I needed to get the screen fixed, but that's it and it doesn't even count as a scratch haha.

What's your favourite meat?: Pork.

Do you need glasses to read or drive or need them all the time?: I need them all the time otherwise I'm a hopeless case (cause?).

How did you celebrate your last New Year's Eve?: The day part was a little quiet, but we had media noche with extended family in the evening and we pretty much just talked and listened to music until we entered 2024. When our guests left, I had a few glasses of wine and had my family watch The Beyoncé Experience with me until I dropped my glass and nicked my foot, stopping the party altogether lol.

Is the internet fast where you live?: It's fast for me because it's the internet speed I'm used to, but I know as fact that ours is very shitty from a global POV.

What is your favourite meal of the day and why?: Dinner. Typically the largest, and the best meals are usually reserved for dinner, so.

Do you like long surveys or short surveys better?: Such a safe and boring answer, but medium-length surveys are best for me – anywhere between 40 to 60 questions.

Xbox, PlayStation or neither?: Playstation.

Have you ever been to a cocktail bar?: Lots of times.

Do you consider yourself a fast typer?: I am, yes.

What's the best amusement park you've ever visited?: Universal Studios in Singapore was a lot of fun.

Do you keep the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom organised?: Yes.

Have you ever had a romantic fling?: Nope.

Are you a very forgetful person?: Just about certain things, but I'd say in general my memory is pretty sharp.

What was the last movie you saw in the cinema?: BTS in Busan, 1 year and 5 months ago haha. I never go to the cinema.

How old were you when you got your first car?: I was 17 when my dad handed me the Mirage.

What colour is your shampoo?: White.

Are you doing anything tomorrow?: Just work, but Friday left me in such a pissy mood so I'm not looking forward to tomorrow very much. I might also need to use my lunch break to take Max to the vet for his first set of vaccines, as we weren't able to do so today.

Do you know anyone who's gotten pregnant over the age of 40?: Yes.

Who does most of the grocery shopping in your home?: My parents.

Have you ever been approached by someone in public preaching about religion?: Those people roam around my university all the time, but fortunately I never encountered any of them during my time there.

Are you listening to music right now? If so, what's the theme of the lyrics?: Being okay and accepting yourself despite your fuckups, because you are all you have. Uhgood by RM.

What was the last thing you had to eat?: Pizza, shrimp, and lumpia. Pretty damn great combination if you ask me hahaha.

[nerves-nebula]

I’ve never really recognized it as “religious trauma”, but I’m nodding along to ur list. It’s just kinda stuff that happened. Except for the few things that grown me was kinda at like ‘that seems a little bad actually-‘

I remember being 7 and first thinking what if God isn’t real as I was trying to sleep. So it’s like midnight and I’ve just had this world breaking thought that immediately had me spiraling down two trains of thought: Im going to hell for thinking that, and, what if he isn’t what the fuck. So of course I’m freaked out and I’m pretty sure child me needed a fucking hug or some assurance or something, so I went to my parents room, which woke up my mom. At which point I realize, I can’t tell them my actual problem because it was a thought I was ashamed of having, and I didn’t want to run the risk of getting in trouble for some nebulous comfort that was frankly unfathomable cus my parents suck. So I just said felt sick, and took “sorry” my mam gave me as comfort enough (which in hindsight is not a great response to that), and just had to go back to bed with all that. That shit stuck with me. I remember at Sunday school, maybe months or a year later, when one of the teachers said doubt was put in our minds by the devil, I was so fucking relieved.

And there’s the fact that I didn’t know other religions were a thing. I didn’t know there were other blends of Christianity. I lived in a small town and I just had never been touched by that concept until I moved at 11, and one of our religious education modules was on Judaism. Everyone else was just learning customs and calendar stuff, and I was having a whole epiphany. I was so confused until halfway into the lesson, and I realized they were talking about not being catholic. I literally searched the library for a book that would explain this arcane concept. And it was just such a mind blowing experience. I was couldn’t comprehend why no one had ever mentioned other religions if there were so many. And how did it make any sense that there were so many. The differences aren’t subtle. Point is, it was a whole thing.

If I hadn’t moved I would have been made to do my confirmation that school year. And that’s not okay! The whole point of that sacrament is that you’re choosing Christianity, like your old enough and conscious enough to make that choice. Adult in the eyes of the church and all that. Baptism but leveled up. But they make children do it. Unrelated, but when I first learnt about it I was 8, and there was a girl in my class that never had to religion with us. Which was the weirdest thing to me at the time, because sure there were people that didn’t have to do Irish or English, because they had different first languages. But religion? I always found that so weird. But she literally just. Wasn’t catholic. And I just couldn’t conceptualize that. It didn’t occur to me that could be an option.

Jesus, raising kids with a religion is brainwashing of the highest order and no one can change my mind on that. Sorry for rambling at u, that post just made me think.

If I hadn’t moved I would have been made to do my confirmation that school year. And that’s not okay! The whole point of that sacrament is that you’re choosing Christianity, like your old enough and conscious enough to make that choice. Adult in the eyes of the church and all that.

my girlfriend said this exact same thing when i was forced to be confirmed. said it didnt count but tbh that feels like a cop out. like its something ive been forced to do, like a spiritual violation or something, it still happened. but, eh, whatever

Jesus, raising kids with a religion is brainwashing of the highest order and no one can change my mind on that.

not sure i agree with you here, but i can agree that a lot of the ways kids are raised within Christianity is cult-ish and brainwash-y and bad.

[captaingondolin]

Get to know me tag game!

tagged by @corelliaxdreaming

I am constitutionally incapable of being brief ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1. Do you make your bed?

Usually not. Sometimes I think it will magically make me feel better about life. Or help me not fall back into it (spoiler: it doesn't work)

2. Favorite number?

Even numbers. 5 and its multiples are on thin ice.

3. What’s your job?

Used to be librarian, currently an archeology student (shout out to my mother for the help, to my depression funk that meant I spent next to nothing during my last two years at work, and to the fact that I moved to a place where normal humans don't need faustian deals to afford higher education)

4. If you could go back to school would you?

See above. I am also an anxious mess who cannot do deadlines, so the dream would be just attending lectures forever without doing exams/essays (which I think in my home country you could technically legally do, since unis are public, you only pay if you enroll. but it might be outdated info)

5. Can you parallel park?

No license yet (and I'm An Old). Don't judge, I used to live in London, and currently I'm in a weird spot with figuring out where I'm living long term.

6. Do you think aliens are real?

Same as what Katie said, not sure about humanoid aliens, but the universe is vast and there must be life somewhere else.

7. Can you drive a manual car?

See above. But I live in Europe, most people use manual, so that's what I'll learn.

8. What’s your guilty pleasure?

Guilt was invented by the catholic church to sell more confessions.

9. Tattoos?

I have a whole list. I promised the very first to my child self (it will be Alexander the Great themed). But.

There's an ongoing thing with my mother - I know she has no say over my body and it's not my responsibility if she chooses to take my decisions as a personal attack. However, she's one of the best people I know about literally everything else (not just because we are related, mind you, I can and have told family to fuck right out of my life), so for a long time I hemmed and hawed about it, because I wasn't sure it was worth risking a fight. Recently I got a nose ring and she has kept her mouth blessedly shut about it, so yay for progress (again, I am An Old, but mediterranean mothers are just Like That. In her defence, she outright told me she is making an effort to treat me as an adult and a peer and I can see her really working on it).

10. Favorite color?

the colour of the sky

Orange. I'd pull off the pilot flightsuit. And pink, I adore all shades of pink!

11. Favorite type of music?

Currently in a months long standoff with my brain, who thinks music is evil and out to get him (because we're not having feelings right now) but I can occasionally spoon feed him Hazbin Hotel. ♫⋆ CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE POISON, YOU'RE FEEDING ME POOOISOOOON, ADDICTED TO THIS FEEEEELIIIIIN' ♪ ₊˚♬

...sorry.

If things are good, literally everything, but I love musicals (Legally Blonde got me through uni last time), metal (D'Artagnan is the latest band I discovered) and everything in the folk, folk metal, country, sea shanties, pirate metal kind of rhythm, and classical music (Verdi can so get it. and Mozart, baby Gondolin's first crush). Oh, and tango and early 2000 pop. Hardstyle if I'm in a writing fugue. I used to only dislike slow ballads and acoustic remakes, but I was recently personally attacked by Avril Lavigne with the Bite Me acoustic. And tbh I listen to Hozier, I should have known.

Shoutout to Inti-Illimani, I am contractually obligated to tell people about chilean protest songs-andean folk legends, listen to them.

12. Do you like puzzles?

Nope.

13. Any phobia?

Mice. Most houses I lived in while in London had mice, and seeing glimpses of tail and little feet scuttling about in places like the fucking kitchen counter really did me in. I recently saw the tiniest, objectively cute, mouse outside (at an archaeological dig, we'd disturbed him and not the other way around) and my heartbeat still got fucked. Meanwhile, I was chill with the HUGE centipede, the snake that slithered right past me, the geko, the turtles, spiders and all other wildlife, or even huge city cockroaches.

Maybe my phobia is shitty British houses, actually. Your walls and celings are not supposed to have holes, you know?

14. Favorite childhood sport?

Quitting. I wasn't into sports enough for me to want to go on and I couldn't give a rat's ass about competing. But I loved ice skating and judo. Skiing too (I grew up in the mountains, I know for a lot of people skiing is the epitome of luxury xD but I could have probably walked to a slope. Okay, maybe not walked, but.)

15. Do you talk to your self?

All the time, and my grandma used to be the same.

I used to give myself interviews when I was a kid, imagining myself as a famous author or filmmaker. Now sometimes I pretend I'm talking to my therapist. Or just straight up talk through things out loud, so it's easier to follow a single train of thought without thinking a billion things at once. Or I give myself little pep talks or go "godddamit, self" and I talk to objects a lot.

16. What movies do you adore?

The Lord of the Rings. All the Star Warses. Even the ones I don't love are fun. Rogue One is top tier but I need to be hydrated for how much I'll cry.

More recently the duology Les Trois Mousquetaires : D'Artagnan part I and II. I can't quite figure out if it's for the movies themselves (and the soundtrack, the soundtrack absolutely slaps), because I'm horrendously thirsty for the cast (I would let trauma-ridden, unwashed, long-haired Vincent Cassel straight up give me syphilis. He's so fucking good as the alcoholic trashfire that is Athos) or if it's because I adore the book and Dumas is part of my genetic makeup at this point.

17. Coffee or tea?

Coffee (currently drinking the cold brew of dreams). I don't like black tea, but herbal teas/infusions are fantastic. I have a hibiscus, apple, mint and berries one from Lidl that is the stuff of dreams (excellent cold too, I brew it for longer with a pinch of green tea and honey, then add some lemon and it's the shit). On the more bougie side, I have the biggest hard on for jasmine tea. Most places sell you green tea with a vague hint of jasmine, but the good stuff that comes in little balls is unparalleled, it smells like the flowers. Also good both hot or cold (again, brewed for longer with some honey or sugar and then I love it with milk or milk substitutes).

18. First thing you wanted to be growing up

Archaeologist 💖 librarian, writer, film director, and briefly F1 pilot.

Since I never know who to tag, I'm doing the last 5 mutuals who liked/reblogged something, because why not. Feel free to ignore this! @obiwong @reena-jenkins @silvergryphon @tothestarwarsandback @themonopolyhat

[otome-mondays]

Piofiore: Fated Memories Review 🔫

(Ignore the fact that’s a water gun ty)

Another one I’m late to reviewing, but also another one I finished years ago. I first started this while in the middle of Collar x Malice and at the end of my senior year of high school. I finished this one shortly after graduating. Now this game is very rough so if you are triggered by violence, mafia, graphic descriptions of torture, drug abuse, human trafficking, suicide, and catholicism, please put yourself first and don’t play this game. I’d also recommend looking up a full list in case I have missed anything. Also, as with all of my reviews, these are my own opinions about the game. You may agree with me, you may not. I’m open to discussions but please be respectful! This review will contain general game spoilers, as well as spoilers for the secret route.

Piofiore takes place in 1925 Italy, in the small fictional town of Burlone. Burlone is run basically by the mafia, split up into 4 parts. There are 3 different mafia within the town, who each control a district, and then there’s a neutral fourth district. The Falce district is run by the older and more traditional Falzone mafia, the Creta district is run by the younger Italiant mafia the Visconti, and the Veleno district is run by a faction of the Chinese Lao-Shu mafia. We play as Liliana Adornato, an orphan raised in the Catholic Church by the nuns. Lili lives a very simple life and enjoys it, not really leaving the neutral district unless with members of the church. That is until all of the sudden she gets targeted by the mafias and now we start the game. This seems kind of early, and to be fair I did skip a lot of the prologue details for a few reasons. One, the prologue changes more as you complete more routes. It expands and gets longer and adds more choices. Two, the prologue is honestly a little long and boring to me. It’s only two chapters long if I’m remembering correctly, but it was ridiculously painful for me to get through after the first time. You are introduced to all the known love interests during the prologue though, and your answers to questions determine which route you are playing. Most routes are locked at the start and I had very minimal info on a definitive route order, so I decided to specifically follow the one on Otome Kitten’s review. Like my last review, I’m going to go in order I played.

Spoilers Ahead

Nicola Francesca ☕️

First up we have Nicola, the underboss of the Falzone mafia family. Underboss basically means second in command, and he definitely fits the roll. Nicola’s route honestly served as the perfect introductory route to this game. We get to learn about many different terms and explanations as to what the mafia are doing without giving an information overload. We also see how the mafias work within the city of Burlone and have some minimal exploration of the world of Piofiore. I have seen very mixed opinions on this route, but Nicola’s routes was one of my favorites in the game. Nicola is also one of the few consistently written characters and it makes me enjoy him as a character even more. So in Piofiore, every route has 3 big endings: best, good, and tragic. Unlike Collar x Malice, you’ll generally know what route your on because you can get completely different chapters and some are shorter than others. The best and good endings here are great and really give a nice wrap up to Nicola’s route! They’re more on the lighthearted sides which helps ease you into the game. Meanwhile the tragic ending…the writing it great but oh boy is this ending twisted. Bit of a spoiler but warning, this is a yandere end. Now, most the tragic endings are very jarring and twisted, so if you don’t like that don’t read them (but also you really shouldn’t be playing this game if that’s the case). This isn’t even anywhere close to being the worst tragic ending in terms of twisted-ness, so brace yourself for the next ones. This route gets an 8/10 for me!

Yang 🐼

Congratulations everybody, we’ve made it to the incredibly twisted route. Do you like trash characters who don’t pretend to be morally correct? Then Yang is gonna be your guy! So Yang here is in charge of the Lao-Shu, which are typically the antagonists of the routes. He’s the one that basically pushes the story into motion too, having the Lao-Shu abduct Lili at the start of every route. In this route, he’s successful and keeps Lili with him in the Lao-Shu. I don’t know why I keep feeling the need to bring this up, but if you are looking for any cute romance stories this is not the game and this is definitely not that route. Yang’s route honestly probably has the best writing for both characters and story, and it makes a very interesting playthrough. All of Yang’s endings are also very interesting and Lili behaves differently as a character throughout them too. It’s interesting to see all the sides of Yang and because of this he’s my favorite character based purely on writing. Now as an actual love interest, my god I hate him. But I would 1000% replay this route and enjoy it. 9.5/10

Dante Falzone ✝️

Welcome to the long route…buckle up this one takes a bit. Dante is the boss of the Falzone family, and unfortunately very boring to me at least. At this point in me playing the game, I genuinely don’t have any problems with him other than he’s just kinda bland to me. Dante is a very straightforward and straight-laced man, and is an extremely devout Catholic who follows his beliefs better than most people I know irl who fall into any Christian denominations. Other than besides, ya know, murdering people and doing criminal stuff with the mafia. Anyways, Dante’s route has a lot of lore! A lot of lote that basically becomes meaningless outside of this route. Unfortunately for Dante, his endings didn’t stand out as much compared to others in this game. His best ending is a pretty basic happy ending, his tragic ending is another basic sad ending. As for the good ending? I genuinely do not remember it and I’m not going back to re-read it. Now for most of the good endings I have had to go back to look at the CGs to try to remember what happened and even doing that for Dante didn’t jog my memory so idk what happened there. At the end of Dante’s route, he’s left still an ok basic character. Unfortunately for him it won’t stay that way by the end of the game. 7/10

Orlok 🗡️

Oh boy here it is, the saddest route in the game. Orlok easily was my favorite and I was so excited for his route. Orlok is a very mysterious character seeing as he isn’t in any mafia family, but rather working as an assassin for the church. And oh boy, he has so much religious trauma. The church tends to shove most of their dirty work onto him and any unlucky soul forced into this position. His route makes me so mad, because while there is great writing and even minimally talks about having to balance religious trauma with spirituality, lots of characters are just butchered for the sake of angst. And not in a good way. Dante and Gil specifically are like 2 entirely different characters who are both incredibly stupid and way more aggressive than before…which is saying something. The best and good endings give Orlok and Lili some peace, but the tragic endings is one of the most brutal endings. I hated reading it too because of how it just shouldn’t of happened if we kept the proper characterizations of the others. Nicola’s the only one who doesn’t get his character assassinated. 8/10

Gil Redford 🥃

Need something to cheer you up after Orlok? Well, it’s a good thing we’re on Gil’s route! This route is surprisingly more easy-going than most of the other routes. Gil here is the leader of the Visconti, but he’s very friendly with all the citizens of Burlone regardless of their district. He’s really easy-going too, and I felt like he was the only one to really see Lili as a person rather than a target of the mafia. After Orlok’s route, I thought I’d hate him like I hate Dante, but he proved to have an actually entertaining and good route that redeemed him. His route also is nearly perfect, but because of the supposed need of a Finale we get some more “this would never happen” crap. Unfortunately I don’t remember his good ending, but his best ending and tragic ending were great! 9/10

Spoilers Below!

Finale 💶

The secret final boss, the finale route! This one functions a bit differently than the others. This route is also longer than the rest like Dante’s, and it was even less necessary! Unlike the other routes, this one has 2 major endings: Finale end and Henri end. Let’s start with the good one. The finale ending is very unique because it’s not a romantic one! This one rather ties up loose ends and solves the biggest mystery about wants going on in Burlone and who is orchestrating everything. Genuinely a good ending and if anything, could be considered the true ending. 8/10. Now the bad. Henri on the other hand…oh boy. Sorry to any Henri fans, but I hate this guy. Henri is the biggest man-child I have ever seen in a romance based game that I’ve played. That is really bad. Instead of doing any work on his trauma, he just blames everybody else for anything and everything bad that happens to it. It’s never his fault. The dude actively does bad things and throws a whole fit when bad things happen because of that. Maybe I’d understand it more if he wasn’t in his 30s! Even Yang would be a healthier partner than Henri at this point and that’s saying something. Literally 1/10 I hate this so much.

Overall Thoughts 🔫

Believe it or not I did enjoy this game, but it is definitely not for everybody! I am still upset years later about how Orlok’s route was handled and the fact Henri is even a part of the game. There’s bonus post-route stories for both the best endings and tragic endings, and Henri gets his own as well. The good ending ones specifically set up Piofiore: Episodio 1926 (which when I was playing had yet to be localized). As for a route order, I do recommend Nicola -> Yang -> Dante -> Orlok -> Gil -> Finale. At minimum play Dante’s route before Orlok’s because I feel Orlok’s route ruins Dante. This also follows the least to greatest lore drops and developing lore as you go along. Even with its issues, I do recommend this game for anybody who can handle it. 8/10

EDIT: I decided to add in my rankings for LIs and routes to my reviews!

Route: Yang > Gil > Orlok > Nicola > Finale > Dante >Henri

LIs: Orlok > Nicola > Gil > Yang > Dante > Henri

Resources 📝

I went and took pictures of the CGs use above, but I also got my walkthroughs from Otome Kitten. I also interacted with the otomegames subreddit for thoughts on the game.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

What were your top 10 favorite interactions on Tumblr?

(Thanks!)

1. When necarion-blog made a version of my long post in real LaTeX:

Let me explain to you some things about College

\begin{enumerate}

{\item[{\bf 0} there are no classes

1. This is because everyone in college is secretly a slacker

2. this is not true

3. 0 points}]

2. The first time I talked to one of my non-online friends after reading Floornight. I explained one of the characters to them (it was Arjun), and they asked me "are you saying the character is a nekobo?" and it took a moment for me to realize that, yes, he was a nekobo. It was just a very weird moment

3. Meeting all my internet friends at the same time IRL

4. The NAB chatlog from March 8, 2013

4(a). You know, that one

5. That time my cousin sent me an email expressing confusion about whether the phrase "Prince Namor" referred to a person, and I had to explain that it referred to a character from the Marvel universe. He asked me how that character could be a prince given that he was from the sea, and I had to explain the concept of "title" to him. That was really fun

6. The party where I told a story about how I had licked the ground a lot as a kid because the "ground was a flavor" and a friend told me I should check out "the show with the blue horse" ("My Little Pony")

7. The first time I learned that the person I had a crush on since the summer before 7th grade was "into me" (she gave me a Valentine's Day card at school)

8. My godfather and I had been having a long, frustrating conversation about theology in which he kept bringing up the arguments of William Lane Craig and I kept saying "but there are other Christian philosophers" and he kept saying "I don't know who they are, who are they?" and I mentioned Richard Swinburne (not a Catholic, but an influential Christian philosopher) and asked if that name sounded familiar. He said it didn't, and I said "OK, how about John Hick" and he said "ok, that sounds familiar, it sounds like a drug"

9. Noticing that I could not feel my left hand when I looked at it and my first reaction was to check to see if I was actually in contact with it, and determining that in fact I was (I had gone numb during a nap)

10. The time I took a 10-minute walk and decided that a specific hole in the ground was really cool and decided to document this by creating a Google account and a Google+ account both named "ThePitOfAwesome," of which the only content would be a picture of this hole and a post about how cool it was

10(a). I was about to post to Google+ until I realized that this would make me expose my actual identity to the world and decided it was for the best that I did not do this

10(b). I deleted this Google+ account yesterday because I was worried I would forget about it and later find out I had posted a picture of ThePitOfAwesome to my actual Facebook account

11. I got a new prescription for glasses this year and this morning was the first time I got to wear my new glasses to go outside and when I got up from the dinner table my dad asked if I wanted some water and I said "Yes, I'd like the water" (as opposed to "I'd like water") and my dad's response was "You know, you're talking like someone with glasses on now, it's so obvious" and my mom's response was "Well, duh"

12. When I was 6 or 7, I was playing with my little brother in the living room and I said something was "kind of green" and my dad said "that's just a stupid thing to say, no color is just 'kind of green.' 'Kind of green' doesn't exist" and I remember being really angry and saying something about how I would prove him wrong but realizing that I couldn't, because you couldn't have a color which was 50% green, 50% yellow, etc. The next day he finally caved and said "fine, greenish yellow does exist, whatever"

[the-dead-sea-trilogy]

Something that I think is now lost in translation/in the time stamp of the fic itself (Devil and the Dead Sea) and something I think is kinda important to touch on is just how vastly our environment has changed toward gay marriage between when I started writing Devil and when I finished, and it’s something that I kinda wanna talk about today.

For more context also- I went to Catholic school for 12 years. I did not even know about the existence of gay people until probably just before high school, and even then it was a BAD WORD and a BAD THING TO BE. You were going to HELL if you were gay and gay people were gonna TAKE OVER THE WORLD. I grew up in the early aughts and 2010s internet where being edgy for shock value was cool and everyone said “that’s gay” in referring to thIngs that were bad. Everything. Gay people in the media were either going to hell or a bad joke. That was it. That was the exposure.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire came out in November 2014. Gay marriage was legalized in the United States in June 2015. That is hardly seven months apart. Gay marriage was a HOT TOPIC OF DEBATE at the time these games were released and continued to be after. This is when the phrase “The Gay Agenda” was regularly in the news. That’s the political climate we were in. That’s the world I was living when I sat down to write Devil. Maxie’s queerness (not just his feelings for Archie) was actually a HUGE repressive factor for him in the way I initially conceived the book.

There is one specific conversation between the Aqua and Magma grunts early on, that Shelly kind of chimes in on, that had way different connotations back then when I wrote it than I think it does today. It is when they are talking about Maxie and his history with the team, and one of them in Team Aqua chimes in to say,

“You know, I heard he’s gay.”

This was like forbidden information to have on someone. This was “dirt” on someone else. Not exactly blackmail, but it could be to the right people at the right time. You said this when you wanted to speculate on someone in a really shitty way. When you wanted them to be that bad joke or go to hell.

In revisions five years later of course (and now like 8 at the time of writing this) this gets lost, and I played down the “oooo gay is bad” aspects of the fic because I didn’t want it to be that way anymore, but she even follows it up for a moment with “Wow, that sounded bad.” Because at the time it would have.

So then Shelly entering and stirring the pot there would also have been read as deliberately more malicious.

Maxie’s attitude, however, even in revisions, still clung to this old conception of “gay is bad,” even if I did not do so intentionally. All his major scenes with Archie (the fights, the kiss, etc) were conceived in the climate of “not only are his feelings for Archie bad to have, but the simple fact that he is gay is bad enough.” The whole major idea of these rumors about him swelling and stirring around the ship was conceived in that vein. And looking back and reading it now, I think some of his anger and the sheer scale at which he implodes are important in that context. In fact, I remember even leaning into this a bit with some of the religious imagery—Maxie compares Archie many times to the devil and hell. (The. Name. Of. The. Fic.)

“Gay is bad” is not the world I wanted them to live in, however, so I edited it severely. I took out Maxie’s repression of his homosexuality itself and made it all about his feelings for Archie. Being gay is way less big of a deal—much more the way it is now, compared to back then. Their world, while still imperfect, is more accepting than ours. However, “gay is bad,” is the world I lived in, so scars remain.

[darsynia]

Good morning 🤩

🌻 If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notes, anonymous or not! Let's get to know the person behind the blog 🌻

This is sweet... LOL at my cinematic life:

My dad was a Catholic priest+. He was born in 1935, joined 'gonna be a priest' high school at 13 years old, did his college degree in ROME with classes in English, Latin, and Italian, and was a prison chaplain in Texas when my mom met him in the 70's. They wrote letters and spoke on the phone back and forth for FIVE YEARS falling in love, huge age gap romance taboo thing (gosh where did I learn all my romance tropes) until they finally chucked it all and got married after a torrid affair during which I was conceived. He was 44 when he left. They loved each other PASSIONATELY and superbly and he died when he was 60 years old. Best romance I've ever known. I remember being 8 and telling myself not to expect to have a love like that (I was wrong! I am very lucky!!)

I lived in a religious commune for years as a kid. Literally communal, to the point where everyone's paycheck went in a pot and each person got the same stipend to live off of. The group included a multi-platinum recording group from the '70s, and I was on 2 of their subsequent records, once as a kid, and once as a young adult.

Barack Obama follows me on Twitter! I joined in 2008 when he was campaigning and asked people to follow him, he's the 6th person who followed me, haha. I have never abused my ability to DM him on there though.

+ Bonus: my dad having grown up in that world means his experience with it is more 1600's than twentieth century, lol. He had WILD stories of he and his fellow priests going on vacation and having hijinx?? Like they had a swear jar but you had to put money in if you forgot to swear.

[widgenstain]

@nextraordinaire tagged me like a month ago but even after eleven years on this site I can’t respond on time to memes, somehow?

1. are you named after anyone?

Yes, my paternal grandmother and my godmother, as it is usual for good Catholic girls.

2. when was the last time you cried?

can’t remember, probably a year ago out of anger? I hardly ever cry, which was really funny when I was fired, because they somewhat expected me to cry and... no? Not even if I was actually sad?

3. do you have kids?

No. And I’m not sure anymore how I feel about that.

4. do you use sarcasm a lot?

Way too much.

5. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

The way they carry themselves. Like, I can spot my father 100 metres away in a crowd like that, despite my failing eyesight. I look at how people walk and stand.Then the eyes. 

6. what’s your eye color?

Had a drunk recently wax on about my beautiful brown eyes. Fucker, they’re green, they only look brown because of my central heterochromia.

7. scary movies or happy endings?

going to give the same answer as the person before me: neither. ambiguous/open endings, please.

8. any special talents?

I can reach the top shelves, but also fold myself into one? I’m tall yet bendy.

9. where were you born?

Austria.

10. what are your hobbies?

wasting time on the internet, cycling, reading, being social.

11. have you any pets?

no. aside from the cats that visit my garden and the adorable songbirds that soon will end up in their stomachs, I don’t have any pet. (Also I’m so sorry nextra!)

12. what sports do you play/have you played?

so many, the ones I like most are the brutal ones, like martial arts and field hockey. A little known fact about me though is that I did ballet for roughly 8 years and was asked to be a cheerleader for a professional but small basketball team. So I can do both.

13. how tall are you?

6′.

14. favorite subject in school?

Always depended on the teacher, I was a nerd and good in all of them.

15. dream job?

Andrew Scott’s professional armpit sniffer.

tagging everyone who reads this, seriously, I mean it, tag me if you’re done!

[abandoned-as-mustard]

Wednesday review (spoilers)

That's it??? They just ended it like that???!!

I must say, this show's editing was choppy at times. VERY choppy. I have no idea what time of the year it's supposed to be, but shows don't seem to care nowadays.

Also it wouldn't have KILLED them to make a longer season! 8 episodes really wasn't enough to delve into that. EVERYTHING was just plot plot plot. If this show was made 15 years ago we'd have at least have shenanigans caused by a different set of outcasts every week, character-central episodes, delving into mythology and secret rooms and actually fleshing out the romantic interests, giving them moments that would actually make me feel bad for big reveals and betrayals, and when something really plotty happens (like a small detail) unexpectedly, THAT'S when you can point your finger and go OOOH!!!!! And it would at least be 16 episodes long.

Fun fact: Tyler was hottest when he was threatening Wednesday at the police station 🤭 oh, and covered in blood, too.

As for the relationships themselves: I really appreciated the friendship arc of Wednesday and Enid. No, I don't ship them.

Enid and Ajax: they are cute. He needed more lines. And when is he going to be used to defeat evil? And why didn't his beanie ever ... ya know. Hiss? Little moments that remind us he's got snakes under it.

Wednesday and tyler: where were our little moments??? When Tyler said 'I thought we liked each other', that was news to me. I like them, but at the same time, they hardly saw each other. I did like looking at him, but he really only had one bewildered expression.

Wednesday and Xavier (or *American accent* ex-avier): when she demanded why he liked her and he said 'what's there to like?' after how she treated him, he was never so right. I was expecting more moments to warrant a side of a love triangle, but there was no triangle. There wasn't even a friendship. There was Wednesday and tyler, and Xavier third wheeling like a kicked puppy. He had some good lines, though his delivery was.... a liiiiitle deadpan. But he'll get better, I hope. With some better writing, too.

And the powers: wouldn't have killed them to explain his powers more! So dad's a psychic, how does that translate to making lifelike art??

Also, he looked hottest when he was in paint-stained clothes in his studio 😍 that's probably just the artist in me. I actually really liked his art.

Plot: I spoiled myself on it, so I can't evaluate how well they foreshadowed. My brother watched it before me and he thought he had it 'all figured out' with guessing Xavier as the monster, but to be honest, they were so obvious with those misleading clues, which in itself gives it away. It probably comes down to how many shows you've watched: Tyler was either going to die, or turn out to be a freak.

Weems getting iced so easily? What was with that? Anticlimactic.

But YASS Enid became a wolf!!!

Also, crackstone just.... died? Like that? You're telling me all those randoms gave their body parts so he could spend 5 minutes terrorising a school, and he didn't even get to kill anyone?

And what the hell did Wednesday do with Ms Thornhill?

They were also very heavy-handed with all of their themes. You could tell when Goody Addams (as an unmarried paternal ancestor she shouldn't even have the surname, but that's neither here nor there) chucked out a few lines like 'we lived in harmony with the native folk', when crackstone and co. said things sounding like they were written by someone who was forced to go to catholic school at 12, when Wednesday spouted lines that made it hard to believe she did not spend time on Twitter, etc.

Just, man, I could write fanfic on the mythology that they couldve woven in with the literal vampires, shapeshifters, gorgons, sirens (SIRENS ARE NOT MERMAIDS, TIM BURTON!!! YOU COULDVE GIVEN THEM SICK WINGS AND CLAWS BUT YOU MADE THEM MERMAIDS WHILE BEING TOO COWARD TO CALL THEM THAT!) or the monster-of-the-week episodes we couldve done. :(

So overall TL;DR:

It was OK. Couldve been fleshed out more. Telling me there's another season isn't an excuse.

[chill-that-ur-inmyhead]

Are you between the ages of 30 & 40?

Not yet :)

What was your favourite Saturday morning cartoon growing up?

As to whether it was Saturday morning I am unsure, but Scooby Doo immediately pops into my head

What was your favourite toy as a child?

All my barbies

In High School, did you wear acid washed jeans?

I had a uniform in secondary school and I think I missed the acid wash jeans trend

How much was a gallon of gasoline when you first started driving?

Mmmm whatever the prices were in 2021 UK.

What was your first car?

I drove my mum's ford fiesta but have yet to buy and own my first car and already planning a mini countryman green or black preferably but probs will just take whatever I can afford at the time haha

Who taught you how to drive?

My mum sat alongside me but just practice and I had three different instructors (due to moving around)

What was your high school mascot?

We did not have one , or I suppose you could say it was Jesus as a catholic school. Haha

Did you go to your Senior Prom?

I did go to prom

What did you do after graduation?

Tried to find a job but it was the pandemic so took me some time

What was your first job?

Worked in Gap part time during uni

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Working for Vogue

Any posters on your bedroom walls growing up?

YES! In fact, for a time I had wall to wall posters of the classic pop mainstream celebs, Taylor, 1D, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Beyonce etc

Do you remember the first time you drank a beer?

Probs tried some whenever my mum had some maybe 18 but didn't like it

Did you ever try cigarettes?

Nope

How did you spend your summers growing up?

Usually we would go on holiday mainly in the UK and to see extended family.

If you could change anything from your teenage years, would you?

I would start learning to drive earlier!

Do you remember your first time?

Yes

Ever look back and wish some things were still the same?

Yes, I miss socialising with friends and meeting new people. I am currently unemployed and so my days are mostly spent looking for jobs alone. I didn't realise how surrounded by people I was and how much I would miss it until it was gone. Life is taking a slower pace right now.

After high school - straight to college or straight to work?

Uni

How much did you make per hour at your first job?

Pretty sure it was £8 something an hour

Favourite home-cooked meal growing up?

Fish fingers classic!

Favourite place to eat out growing up?

Pizza Hut - the ice cream machine was unlimited refills

Did your parents live in a different country before you were born?

Nope

Do you have a preferred coffee brand?

Nope

Have you ever dated someone who was terrible with money?

Nope

If so, how did it affect the relationship?

How often do you paint your nails?

I go to the salon just over once a month

Do you know anyone who’s related to a current or former world leader?

Not that I know of off the top of my head

What is something you don’t have any natural talent for?

Balance sport - skateboarding, surfing etc which sucks

Did you watch this year’s Eurovision?

Nope

Have there been any periods in your life that could be described as being chaotic?

Yes, pretty sure I have consistently had chaotic moments throughout

What is something you frequently forget?

I would say I am pretty good at remembering most things, I write things down in my calendar. Maybe when my life picks up the pace a little, I will start forgetting things.

If I looked in your fridge right now, what would I find?

Cheese, yoghurt, peppers, cucumber, celery, hummus, milk and much more. Very much an ingredient household.

How do you feel about your body?

Yikes. It is a work in progress. I'm trying to get into an active routine but I know it will change when I get a job.

Who is someone you would like to get to know better?

I don't think I have met them yet!

What is something that turned out for the best recently?

My friend invited me last minute to see Renee Rapp in London. I technically was busy but could have rearranged things if I really wanted. I said that 2024 was the year where I wanted to see more artists live but I am glad I didn't go because:

The tickets were standing and I'm not about that rock n roll life, much prefer seated tickets, that way I'm not packed into a crowd like a sardine. I watched a live stream of the concert and I joined at a moment where there was a break, for the concert employees to give out water to the crowd because it was so hot in the venue. Just from the concert stream I was feeling claustrophobic! (Maybe 2024 will be about learning about myself better and being okay with it!)

It is an hours journey into London and the venue was North London so essentially it adds an extra 30 mins to the journey time. Living at home means my sociable hours are limited to during daylight but as soon as it is night, I am indoors. Ofc when I move out I will go to any event at any time mostly because I won't have the stress of getting back at a certain time and feel guilty if I am keeping anyone up. And ofc there will be plenty of opportunities later in the year to see artists live, this won't be the last time :)

If you had to move to a new city, where would you move?

I would love to live and work in Paris for a while.

Have you ever travelled on a double-decker train?

I think the train from Paris to Versailles was a double decker.

What’s your opinion on assisted suicide?

Pro

At what point do you consider a relationship to be ‘long-term?’

After the first year mark.

What jobs did your parents have when you were growing up?

IT jobs

Do they still have these jobs? Or different jobs? Or have they retired?

Both retired.

Do you own any winter sports equipment?

Not yet but love to get into skiing.

Do you have a cell contract plan, or are you on a pre-paid plan?

Umm I own my phone and just pay monthly.

[drawingconclusions]

FIXING AMERICA'S BROKEN SYSTEM

I told you that most probably wouldn't like what I had to say today. But I'm almost done, and then we can all get back to the status quo!

So it's becoming more obvious to people that there are glaring issues with our justice system, and some are finally waking up to the fact that the FBI has become far too politicized. (Has anyone else noticed how FBI Director Christopher Wray always seems aghast at the breaking-news scandals at the FBI, such as the targeting of Catholics, etc.? And yet, issues just keep cropping up with him in charge...) Certain Democrats seem laser-focused on Supreme Court Justice Thomas Clarence for not having disclosed a few donated trips & gifts, yet they brazenly want to sweep under the rug the $20 million the Biden family has reportedly received from foreign influences over the years, according to bank statements. How do we solve what has in many cases devolved into a two-tier system of justice?

It's foolhardy to think I could solve this within a post of a couple hundred words, and I won't pretend to. This is a conversation that should involve all of America. However, I will say the following:

During a Congressional hearing recently, one Democrat defended the excesses and behavior of the FBI, the DOJ, and a few other government institutions, claiming that they were providing checks and balances in government. I'll beg to differ from that claim, especially in light of the fact that a few of the institutions he mentioned aren't even found in the Constitution. Instead, I propose that many of these government agencies need more checks and balances applied on them. There have to be severe legal and career consequences for agents or prosecutors who break the law or act in an unethical manner. And in some cases, yes, certain officials need to do jail time or lose their pensions. It's that serious.

Some time ago, someone implied that some members of Congress are hesitant to regulate the FBI, for example, because they're afraid of them and what they can do. And I have to ask, how in the world did it come to this??! It should be the other way around, and corrupt members of the FBI or any government agency should be afraid of Congress, knowing they could lose everything if they've broken the letter or the spirit of the law.

I didn't have time to continue my "Parameters of Government" series this time around. But consider just some of the behavior of local authorities in the past few months: On July 12th, around 10 AM (Eastern Time) a propeller-powered plane began flying frenetically around my house, and it sounded very similar to the plane that began buzzing me after I criticized Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal on September 3, 2021. And around 3 PM, another plane that sounded like the FBI's familiar Cessna plane began making its rounds overhead. When I checked the news later, I realized that FBI Director Wray was testifying before Congress that day. (I wonder, were those about the times he took the stand and subsequently ended the questioning session?) On June 27th, from about 7-8 PM and then from about 10:30 - 11:07 PM, a Cessna plane (the FBI's?) began flying overhead every six minutes. I later found out there was a local school board meeting regarding LBTQ+ students. And I could go on with literally thousands of similar instances (...such as the military helicopter frenetically showing up when I step outside to mow the lawn, or what appeared to be the local police helicopter that tracked my movement when I went to the store to pick up a forgotten item on July 4th). My point is, when government goes unchecked, it often morphs into something authoritarian and completely unbecoming of a democracy. And there's no denying there are people in government who hate and even fear free speech. Perhaps that's why some of these local authorities become so frenetic when there's an event they fear I would comment on. (As if I spend all my waking hours watching news and rushing here to write about it..)

You're more than welcome to submit a Freedom of Information request to verify the dates and times I just mentioned. I already stated long ago that if I spent all my time & resources submitting FOI requests for the thousands upon thousands of these instances, I'd get nothing done. But all this is really about more than me, more than just one individual. There must be changes in America's systems in order to sustain the essence of our democracy. We cannot have government officials (elected or unelected) censoring citizens on behalf of a single political party. We can't have unelected bureaucrats or law enforcement harassing citizens or labeling peacefully protesting parents at school board meetings as "domestic terrorists". And we won't survive long as the respected nation we've been with continued double standards in our system of justice.

[josefavomjaaga]

@northernmariette inquired after the third child born to the Soult family after the end of the empire, during Soult’s exile. The photo above shows this daughter's gravestone in the now abandoned Golzheim Cemetery in Düsseldorf. Yes, the grave apparently still exists today, which is at least a bit unusual for the resting place of a child who only lived a few months and whose family soon moved to another country.

The inscription is given in "Beiträge zur Geschichte des Niederrheins. Jahrbuch des Düsseldorfer Geschichtsvereins 6":

At the central aisle of the old churchyard here, where the child was buried, is a memorial stone with the following inscription:

Domine, refugium factum es nobis.

Ps. 89. 1

Marie Louise Caroline Léonie, née le 27 Janvier, morte le 25 Septembre 1817,

Fille de M. Jean-de-dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie, Maréchal de France etc.

et de Dame Louise Jeanne Elisabet, Son Épouse.

Nicole Gotteri mentions some more details: engravings of a butterfly opening its wings on one side of the stone, an overturned torch on the other, on the backside Soult’s coat of arms.

Little Caroline (this seems to have been the name she was called by) was born on 27 January 1817, at 8 PM, in Alleestraße 7, Düsseldorf, where the whole family had rented a seven-room-apartment, according to contemporary newspapers. They lived a very retired life, were – of course – under close surveillance by Prussian police, but also well respected by the locals. As a matter of fact, two members of the local Prussian government were witnesses at little Caroline’s baptism on January 29, in Düsseldorf’s oldest catholic church Sankt Lambertus. Godparents were Soult's mother Brigitte and his younger brother Jean-François, represented by little Caroline's two older siblings, Hortense and Napoléon-Hector.

Even though the exile was a time of trials, in a way it may also have been a happy time for them: the family was able to spend a whole year together, and for the first time the older children really got to know this father, whom they previously had only seen sporadically for a few days between campaigns or during short visits into enemy territory. The birth of the baby, occurring right during this time, contributed a lot to this happiness. According to Gotteri, Soult referred to her as »this divine creature« and claimed she reminded him of another child’s face in one of his paintings (he did not state which).

It was not to last. In July, Hortense transferred to a Paris girl's boarding school to complete her education; Louise accompanied her there before returning. Napoléon-Héctor so far had attended the Düsseldorf Gymnasium and in September was preparing to return to Paris as well. And right at this time, little Caroline fell dangerously sick. She suffered from terrible convulsions, starting at the time when her first teeth were showing. We know this from a letter Soult wrote to Hortense in Paris, on September 25, at the bottom of which Louise wrote:

I am heartbroken [navrée de douleur] about your angelic sister.

Caroline died the same day, at 10.30 PM. Her mother only found the strength to write to Hortense on October 4, a very long, and apparently very confused letter testifying to her emotional turmoil. It’s clear both parents were in extreme distress about this loss. Louise having born a child at the age of 45 (!) - Louise was born on 27 Mai 1771 – must have seemed like a miracle to them, a consolation for the troubles they had to go through, and also for all the time they had lost as a family. It was like they were starting over, together now, with this new family member.

And now Caroline was gone.

Your father and I are in the deepest pain and we will always, always mourn Caroline [...] An hour before her death and after the most horrible convulsions, she still recognised my voice and held my arms; afterwards, she breathed her last with tranquillity, as if she had already been in the bosom of the divinity.

Soult himself wrote to Hortense:

Think unceasingly, my dear Hortense, of the exhortations your mother makes to you, make them the rule of your conduct, and give us the consolation of seeing you justify our hopes. I pray God to watch over you. [...] Always count on the tenderness of your unfortunate father.

--

Photos: Church Sankt Lambertus and former Golzheim graveyard, today a public park