#I mean it's TAU so that's a given

[prettydaisygirl]

OMG. I cant beleive I found a new writer who can feed my james potter delusion! Generally I'm a silent supporter but after reading your Aus, you literally have unlocked a new part of my brain. Your ideas are truly amazing ❤️ pls keep blessing us with your works🙏🏻

I feel like the au idea which I have in mind you can really express it.so may I pls request a college au with fratjames potter x reader.where they both are acquaintance and something happens.due to some misunderstanding reader is the receiving end of James wrath.after realising his mistake he makes a sweet apology gesture to reader and wants to get in her good books.

It's just a just my apology if you couldn't really get the idea( english is my 2nd language and I don't feel confident in it)

P.s pls feel free to ignore it ❤️Have a wonderful Day/Night💗

Hello, my love! Thank you so much for the request! This is my first request so I'm a little nervous haha, I hope this is what you were looking for :) Your words are so sweet, and you really made my day! Also, I'm kind of obsessed with frat!James now... Have a wonderful day/night yourself, lovely <3

frat!James Potter x fem!reader who was supposed to bring the beer ✿ 1.4k words

cw: fem reader, marauders as frat bros, alcohol (or lack thereof), armed store robbery with a gun (not described in detail), reader is James' lab partner

james potter masterlist

°˖✧✿✧˖°

part two

James is having a bad night. It’s 8pm on a Friday and he hasn’t had a single drop of alcohol yet. This is unusual, especially given the music blaring through the frat house with enough bass to shake the foundation. There are dozens of people here. Most of them know James even if he doesn’t know them, which is great until it isn’t.

Another one approaches him, some guy by the name of Marty or something.

“Dude,” The guy raises his arms and James’ annoyance skyrockets. He already knows what this guy is about to say. “Where’s the beer?”

“I know,” James grunts at him. Barty, that’s it. “I’m working on it.”

Barty scoffs but James is already pushing past him. He pushes through the crowd, many of whom move quickly to get out of his way. His eyes scan through, looking for someone in particular.

Where the hell are you?

James makes his way to the kitchen, seeing the counters still bare and no sign of you anywhere. He curses under his breath and pulls out his phone, scrolling through his contact list. Just as he presses the call button, Sirius approaches him. James holds up a hand but Sirius speaks anyway.

“Prongs, where are the drinks? If one more Alpha Tau tells me my party sucks, I might go to prison.” James just glares at Sirius’ dramatics, the phone ringing endlessly in his ear. It goes to voicemail and he hangs up with a groan. 

“I thought you said you handled it!” Sirius stresses just as Remus walks into the kitchen, beelining for the two of them.

“I did!” James argues, running a hand through his already unruly hair with a huff. 

“What’s going on?” Remus asks, crossing his arms and looking between James and Sirius with a narrowed stare. “Is this about the beer?”

“Yes!” Sirius stresses again, and points at James, “It’s James’ week to get drinks. But here we are, at 8pm on Friday and…” Sirius gestures to the empty countertops. “No drinks!”

“You tell ‘em, Sirius!” James hears Barty shout from across the kitchen and James fears he and Sirius might both end up in prison together. 

“I thought I handled it.” James tells both of his frat brothers, shrugging a bit.

“What does that mean?” Remus asks, his brow furrowing. “Did you buy the drinks or not?”

James at least has the decency to look sheepish, running a hand over the back of his hair as he inhales through his teeth. “I may have… asked my lab partner to get it for me.”

Sirius gasps, raising a hand to his chest as though clutching his pearls, “I thought pawning drinks off on someone else was against the rules!”

“It is.” Remus tells Sirius, looking at James with an expectant stare. 

“I was using it as an excuse for us to meet up, you know? So the two of us can hang out…” James feels his stomach churn when Sirius’ face bends into a knowing smirk. 

“Oh, I understand…” Sirius winks at James, “To ‘hang out.’” His air quotes make Remus roll his eyes and James glare harshly.

“Someone needs to go get drinks.” Remus reminds the two of them. The party crowd is getting routier behind him. 

“James, it’s your week, so off you go.” Sirius nudges James toward the front door. “You never know, you might find your lover along the way!” 

“Oi, fuck off!” James calls back to him right as the door slams closed behind him. 

As he begins the trek to the store, he attempts to call you several times. Every attempt is met with voicemail. He texts you, and all of them are left unread. James finds frustration and anger building in his gut, not solely from the lack of alcohol but also from being stood up, apparently. James Potter has never been stood up in his life. 

On his seventh attempt to call you, it doesn’t even ring. It goes straight to voicemail. His jaw clenches and his fists ball up and he finds himself spewing words he shouldn’t say, airing his frustrations out to you. He calls you things like selfish and rude, and even a bad friend. 

By the time he turns onto the last street, his anger has mostly turned into disappointment. He’d really been looking forward to seeing you tonight, and though it hadn’t been to sleep with you like Sirius had suggested, he had been considering it your first date. 

James is lost in thought as he approaches the store, steps scraping gently across the pavement. He’s thinking about what he might say to you during your lab on Monday when he hears your voice. It catches his attention immediately and he looks up, eyes searching for you. 

There you are, just as pretty as always, but something’s wrong. You’re standing in front of the store, tear-stains evident on your cheeks as you speak to a police officer. James’ heart sinks into his stomach and he’s by your side before he can stop himself.

“Hey,” His voice is low and soothing, more comforting than he thought he could be but you look up at him like he’s saved your life and his heart pounds. “What’s going on?” 

James’ eyes dart nervously between you and the police officer, but the uniformed man shakes his head a bit. “I’ve got everything I need. You gon’ be okay?” James is a bit confused but he realizes the officer’s words are directed at you when he sees you nodding.

“Yes, sir. Thank you very much.” Your voice is a bit choked and you wipe at your cheeks before turning to him. He feels like he needs to scoop you up in his arms, to do something to help put you back together and get that look out of your eyes. 

“What happened?” James’ hands reach for your arms, settling on your elbows. His thumbs brush over your skin soothingly and you feel tears burning in your eyes again at his gentle movements.

“I was…” You swallow thickly when your voice cracks, “I was trying to get the drinks for your party and some guy came in and he was yelling at the cashier, and he… he had a gun, and I didn’t know what to do and you kept calling me and I was trying to answer but-”

James shushes you before you can continue spiraling, shaking his head. Guilt surges through him, knowing what his texts say. And that voicemail…

“Don’t worry about it.” He assures you, and his dark eyes meet yours. “Is it okay if I hug you?” As soon as you nod, he wraps you in a tight embrace, like he really is trying to put you back together. You both stand like that for a long moment until he feels your body relax, your soft sigh brushing his ear in a puff of warm air. 

James pulls back and moves to cup your face with one hand, brushing his thumb over your cheek. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” You tell him with a soft nod and an even softer smile. It’s one that gives James butterflies and he suddenly feels bad having you look at him like that when…

“Just… delete all of those texts from me.” He says, and your brow furrows, lips parting a bit to question him but he speaks again before you can. “And please don’t listen to that voicemail.”

You look to the side before your eyes meet his again, a confused smile on your lips. “What? Why, what did you say?” The smile fades when James doesn’t play off his words like he always does.

“Okay, I’ll delete them.” His face relaxes a bit at your words and he looks back up at the shop. He hears his text notification sound, but he ignores it, his eyes settling on your face again instead. 

“Do you… Are you still coming to the party?” He asks, and he hates the way desperation is plain in his tone. 

“I was hoping to, yeah.” Your smile turns a bit shy and sweet now and James beams, his hands on your shoulders.

“Okay, great! So we’ll get drinks and then walk back together!” His smile falters and he hesitates then, looking back at the store. “Actually, you wait here. I’ll go get drinks. You don’t need to come back inside.” Your heart almost breaks at his consideration for your feelings. You move up on your toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Okay,” You say, “I’ll be waiting right here.” 

°˖✧✿✧˖°

© prettydaisygirl

[inspired-lesson-plans]

Math, grade 7, Ratios and Proportional Relationships 7.RP.A.3: Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems. Examples: simple interest, tax, markups and markdowns, gratuities and commissions, fees, percent increase and decrease, percent error.

Essential Question: How can basic calculations of percent change influence major world events?

Do Now: Calculate the percent increase or decrease in each of the following equations. x = (28 - 17.9)/28 x = (41.5 - 57.7)/57.7

Class Discussion: Remind students about how to perform basic calculations of increase/decrease factors. Ask them whether this calculation would be more complicated if the quantities were dollars instead of just numbers (answer: no). Ask them whether this calculation would be more complicated if the quantities were billions of dollars instead of just dollars (answer: no). Show students that they just performed the exact same calculations that Donald Trump did in order to decide what tariffs should be put upon Indonesia and Thailand, respectively.

Finally, ask students whether important global trade decisions should be calculated with 7th grade math skills, or if perhaps this is insufficient given the severe consequences that could arise from such a dunning-kruger error.

Direct Instruction: Explain what a Dunning-Kruger error is, if for no other reason than to communicate how absolutely maddening has it is for legitimate experts who have dedicated their lives to nudging fiscal policy in the right direction and then watch as their president makes the worst decision possible on purpose.

Take a moment to explain the difference between an import and an export, so that students understand what these billions of dollars actually mean in the real world. Feel free to call out anyone who has ever questioned whether or not they would ever use this kind of math in the real world. Show them that it's happening right now, and make sure they understand how terrifying that is.

Acknowledge the variables: x: total exports from US to country i m: total imports to US from country i tau (τ): calculated % tariff on all imports to US from country i epsilon (ε): elasticity phi (φ): passthrough

Ask students what they think elasticity and passthrough mean, then show students this passage from ustr.gov:

Parameter Selection To calculate reciprocal tariffs, import and export data from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2024. Parameter values for ε and φ were selected. The price elasticity of import demand, ε, was set at 4. Recent evidence suggests the elasticity is near 2 in the long run (Boehm et al., 2023), but estimates of the elasticity vary. To be conservative, studies that find higher elasticities near 3-4 (e.g., Broda and Weinstein 2006; Simonovska and Waugh 2014; Soderbery 2018) were drawn on. The elasticity of import prices with respect to tariffs, φ, is 0.25. The recent experience with U.S. tariffs on China has demonstrated that tariff passthrough to retail prices was low (Cavallo et al, 2021).

Ask students if this clarified anything about what elasticity and passthrough mean. Most will say "no", but if anyone points out that multiplying 4 by 0.25 cancels them both out, reward them. That student is correct, because elasticity and passthrough have been arbitrarily assigned so as to make this calculation so simple that even Donald Trump can understand it.

Modeled Learning: Show how to apply these tariffs to popular imports such as raw coffee beans. For example, the USDA report of coffee imports from 2024 (page 6) shows that the vast majority of raw coffee is imported from Brazil.

A simple search with Perplexity.ai tells us that in 2024, imports (m) = $42.3 billion and exports (x) = $49.7 billion, so the reciprocal tariff would be (x-m)/m = (49.7-42.3)/42.3 = 17.5%.

Thus, all coffee imports from Brazil will automatically be 17.5% more expensive.

Be sure to highlight that this is happening to every country in the world, even those with total populations less than 1000.

Higher Order Learning:

Students should consider the following facts:

There is very little territory within the United States that can grow coffee.

Almost all coffee in the world is grown within what is called "The Global South", where the climate is warm and the labor is cheap.

The US exports significantly more (sometimes vastly more) to countries in the Global South than we import from them.

Students should then answer the following questions:

What will this universal tariff calculation do to the price of coffee?

Is there any way that US coffee companies can import the same amount of coffee as before without passing on the cost to consumers? Why or why not?

Do you think this tariff program will equalize imports and exports between the US and other countries? What other impacts could it have, good or bad, across the world?

[maidenofsophia]

The Wheel of The Magdalene

Inspired by the Avalonion tradition and their teachings shared with me by @ihearhercalling , I decided to make my own wheel of the year based on the archetypes of Mary Magdalene. This is a work in progress but this is what I have so far.

Imbolc - The Rose Child

Mary Magdalene is seen by many as part of the Rose Lineage, along with figures like Mother Mary, Inanna, Hathor and Venus. There is scarcely any legend regarding her birth or childhood, save for an oral tradition by Sophian Gnostics, who believe her birth was as foretold and celebrated by the mystics of the time, and that she showed great wisdom and compassion from her early years, that would lead to her Calling in the priesthood. It is theorised by many that she was born into a wealthy family, or was given special education and means to provide for herself. But money nor privilege did not corrupt her heart.

Spring Equinox - The Christ-Sophia (Anointer of Wisdom)

The Magdalene is central to the Easter story that takes place around Spring. While Yeshua is the anointed (Christos), it is She who anoints him, he cannot go forward with his sacrifice without her blessing. In my path I do not believe Yeshua thought himself God incarnate, but he was seen as the King and leader for his people, and Magdalene plays the role of the bestowing his Sovereignty. She has earned this right through her own training and redemption that has earned Her the title of Christ-Sophia. Just as Persephone rises to be reunited with her mother and rejuvenates the land, the Magdalene has ridden herself of seven demons that tried to bind her soul, with the help and love of her dearest friend and partner.

Beltane - The Sacred Bride

A title I have mixed feelings on but am learning to appreciate in the context of understanding the Sovereign Goddess archetype. Whether or not the Magdalene and Yeshua were officially married, they carry the Lovers or Union symbolism, that echoes throughout time and into stories like Simon Magus and Helen, Arthur and Guinivere, Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and so on. The Holy Bride is the Goddess within that our own soul seeks in union. Yeshua loved Mary more than all of his disciples, She was the first to receive the vision of his soul existing beyond death, She was the torch that lead him out from the tomb.

Christianity and some other faiths interpret the Bride as fallen humanity, a damsel in distress, awaiting completion in divine marriage, when in truth it is the Bride who is Co-Savior and Redeemer.

Midsummer - The Tower

Arguably the Magdalene's most renowned archetype. People remain split on whether her name Magdalene was simply to denote her being from the town of Magdala, or a title in itself similar to Messiah. After Yeshua's death and parting from this world, it is the Magdalene who is the first to stand among the distressed disciples. She becomes the tower of faith and wisdom to whom Yeshua wished for his church and the kingdom of Heaven to be built from. In Tarot, the Tower fittingly represents upheaval and change. No doubt this one change in particular was seen as too radical to accept for many of the early Christians, as is reflected in The Gospel of Mary when Peter and Andrew try to dismiss her. But Levi chastises them and reminds them of her importance and how Yeshus saw her worthy, who were they to question Her?

Lammas - The Holy Mother

There are a handful of legends where Mary Magdalene becomes a mother herself. The first that I was aware of was from a group of Gnostics in France who believe she had a daughter called Tamar. The more commonly known one popularised by the Da Vinci Code is that Saint Sarah is the daughter of her and Yeshua who arrived on a boat with her mother and Joseph of Arimathea. The Sophian Gnostics led by Tau Malachi believe she had a son, Michael. I personally go with the Saint Sarah legend, but honestly we may never know for certain, and it's possible that she may not have born children at all. But I do still believe she became a Mother in some way, even if it was in her role as teacher and leader of those who did believe Yeshua left his ministry to her. I believe there was a deep connection and relationship between her and Mother Mary, who is also a reflection of Heavenly Mother Sophia. The image of Mary Magdalene as a mother holding her own daughter is symbolic of the Rose Lineage continuing.

Autumn Equinox - The High Priestess

Having lived and been reborn through many experiences, Magdalene sits as High Priestess, leading but also serving her flock, imparting the wisdom she has gained through her years and her connection with the Lady Sophia. As the darkness of the year approaches, She encourages us to gather and harvest all that we have learned to prepare us for the unknown. The teachings of Yeshua live on through her, while also imparting her own teachings of introspection and shadow work. She encourages all of us to find the Rose Child within ourselves, our own Christ Consciousness. That which is hidden, She reveals.

Samhain - The Queen In Exile

While the disciples met rather gruesome deaths, Magdalene's story fades with a whimper as opposed to a bang. Facing persecution, even from those who once called her 'sister', she flees Palestine and is said to have travelled to France. There are other legends that say she went as far as Britain, to Glastonbury itself. The Magdalene is rejected and her legend and role in her male companion's story diminished. She becomes Christianity's own Woman In The Attic. They call her a prostitute and a sinner, merely another soul needing to be saved. But even in this scorned image, she remains at the forefront of Christian art and an inspiration of many who feel they are outcasts or deemed unworthy. While Mother Mary appeared in visions of beautiful white light and singing angels, the Magdalene came to those lost in shadow. She is Lilith and Eve reunited as one. She is Zoe Sophia, living wisdom, the snake whispering at our ear to consume the fruit of knowledge and regain our power.

Midwinter - The Hermit

The most common legend of Mary Magdalene's ending is that she spent the last years of her life secluded in a cave in Southern France. There, many continued to seek her out for her wisdom and blessings. This very cave continues to be a sacred site and place of pilgrimage for those whose hearts call to the Magdalene. The egg is a sacred symbol of the Magdalene, for legend said that she presented one to the Emporer of Rome and made it turn red as proof of Yeshua's resurrection. The cave of eggs is undoubtedly as much a symbol of rebirth as it is for the Magdalene's death. For she knew full well death was not the end. In the Sophian oral tradition, it's said that she called to God the Mother to take her back into Her cosmic womb, and rather than ascend like Yeshua and Mother Mary, the Magdalene instead chose to be reincarnated on Earth to always be present with us, until the time of the Second Coming.

[thisnameisnotspokenfor]

Chapter snippet

((they're sitting down at the edge of the forest near Banquo))

“Are the towers always lit like that?” asked the star’s voice as she heard him move. 

“Only when storms are approaching,” she replied, somewhat surprised to see them all burning so brightly together tonight but as she said, it was to be expected given the possible storm that loomed on the horizon. 

“Hmm,” the star hummed thoughtfully as she heard the breaking of branches. “It’s almost like they’re arranged in a pattern of some sort,” the star spoke as he thoughtfully glanced at the flickering towers.

“They probably are,” Asha sighed. “Seeing as how Lord Vitrius was around when he and the astronomers named the place, I wouldn’t be too surprised if someone like him with a cartographic background had a hand in designing certain landmarks like this….”

“You know about Tau Vitreus?”

“A little bit,” she confessed. “Yesterday the prince had given me his manuscripts that he’d obtained while in exile. He thought there was something more to them than what met the eye, given how hard Vitrius had tried to destroy them before he died. I did some digging about him in the library and ended up stumbling across his journal….I couldn’t find much on the manuscripts, but I know that he was my father’s master, and he wanted him to find something before he suspiciously departed Rosas.”

“And have you found it?”

“Found what?”

“The thing that the prince wanted you to decipher?”

“Ha! How could I when he doesn’t even trust me enough to fully transparent with me? He must’ve been insanely desperate to have gotten me involved in the first place given how he couldn’t even be bothered to bring me back any sort of gift! And I mean, I know it sounds insanely entitled given the circumstances and what he went through, but I can’t help but feel as if the prince himself never really placed any true meaningful value or thought into our friendship… come to think of it, maybe none of them ever did…”

“Even Dahlia?”

“Yes? No? “Uh, I don’t know!” ” she scowled as she drew her knees to her chest.

She’d let the conversation lapse into silence as her eyes had remained solely focused on the distant lights of Banquo. The city looked lively tonight, probably with last-minute preparations for the fair tomorrow she thought.

A distraction had been what the star had called this nightly venture. But the cool night breeze had done nothing to soothe her aching mind as she’d constantly tended to the stray tears that escaped her every so often. 

“Asha?” Came Cepheus’s voice. “Are you feeling better?”

Yes, she could already feel the words forming on the tip of her tongue as they’d done so many times in the past. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Everything was always fine, wasn’t it?

So why couldn’t she put herself back together? 

Even in the worst of times, she’d always been able to pick herself up and put the pieces of her heart back together. Maybe her fixed heart had never quite perfectly resembled what it had been before, but at least it had looked similar to a heart, or what she’d thought had been acceptable enough to pass for one even with all its cracks and fractures.

But this time, she wasn’t quite sure what it would look like if she’d ever been able to put it back together…nor was she certain that it would ever be good enough….

Nothing was ever good enough…

 Not her, and not her heart….

“I…I’m sorry, she sobbed and feebly wiped her tears. “I know you’re trying to help me, and I really appreciate it, I just….I don’t think I’ll ever feel better…I don’t know how,” she confessed, staring at her lap as the tears began to blur her vision. “I don’t know anything…not about my family, my home, and or even myself…”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

She shook her head, unable to give voice to the strange yet selfish desire that had begun to eat away at her. She didn’t know why she would feel that way over a boy, a being she’d only known for a few days… but she had a sinking suspicion that it had been because of the way things had been going.

In the past few days, Her life had undeniably fallen apart and with every crack and rupture that had appeared, she’d only had one person or place to turn to.

She shook, trying to ignore how cold the passing breeze felt as she tightly tugged at her tear-stained skirts.

She wasn’t sure how long they’d sat there in silence before he’d suddenly stood up. She’d nearly been about to ask him what was wrong when he quickly unfastened his cape. Promptly removing it from his shoulders before gently placing it on hers.

The warmth immediately enveloped her as she watched the star re-took his seat next to her.

Had he just? No, he couldn’t have-?! She thought, staring at the beautiful glowing cape that now adorned her shoulders as the star laughed. 

Had he really just given his cape to her so nonchalantly?! She could scarcely believe it as she took in the sight and feel of the cape, taking note of the cape’s smaller details of constellations and clouds that she’d failed to notice before. 

Calling the cape beautiful was an understatement, she thought, feeling somewhat grateful for the protection it had now put between her and the wind. 

She knew she should’ve said thank you, or at least something to the star who sat beside her, more focused on Banquo than anything else, but as her heart began to race she had no choice but to sink within the cape’s warmth, muttering a garbled thank you that not even the star would be able to understand.

She wasn’t sure how long they’d sat there in silence before he’d spoken again, this time to ask, 

“Asha…Have you ever been to any other countries?”

“No…It’s too expensive…” she confessed, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy she felt as she remembered how frequently the royals and nobles used to travel. “But I’ve always dreamed of going to Corona. For a time I even thought about becoming a diplomat just so I could have an excuse to get a change in scenery…”

“So why didn’t you?”

“I wanted to focus on my father’s work instead…” she confessed, as she stared at the cape’s edges. “it made me feel as if I’d gotten to see a side of him I would have seen if he’d never passed…or what he would’ve wanted me to do if he’d survived…I just can’t believe he wouldn’t have wanted me to be a part of it…I thought if there was anyone who’d always believe in me then it would’ve been him…but now…I’m not even sure anymore.”

“I can’t speak for your father, but maybe his request had come from a place of concern rather than disappointment. Remember he was as much of your father as he was an astronomer, and with the order probably well gone by the point you’d enter into his life, you’d probably taken top priority to him at that point. So thinking of it from a parent's point of view, why would he want you to live The life of an astronomer, one that has never been particularly easy nor 100% safe, even at the height of their power? If something had caused the order to collapse surely he wouldn’t have wanted you to be caught up in it as well…”

“I guess…that does make sense…but what exactly am I supposed to do without his legacy? Everything I’ve endured and put up with was because I always told myself that it was for a greater purpose, that I had a greater purpose! It’s the only reason why I was able to get an apprenticeship in the first place or even get the manuscripts to learn about Tau Vitrius from the prince! It was all because people thought I was destined to follow in my father’s footsteps, and I was fine with that! I could live with that! But now I see that in this world with people like the king and beings like you I have….nothing…for no one…”

“I wouldn’t say that-,”

“Why not?” 

“Well, it’s not like you’ve depleted all your options. You’ve been stuck in the same role for five years…“You know your life is too short to not be expanding your horizons, Asha.”

“Is it?” she asked as she began to pace. “What point is there in moving elsewhere? People from all over love and admire the king and his powers. Once they figure out I’m his useless former apprentice I doubt they’d even bother entertaining an introduction. There’s just no place in this world for me or my inventions.”

“Then why not look elsewhere?”

“Elsewhere?” she stared at him in disbelief. “Cepheus where exactly can I look? The royal family has been all over the world whether it be for creational or job-related affairs, and every time they return they tell me just how much the world appreciates their powers and whatnot. How exactly am I going to compete against that?”

“Maybe you don’t have to compete…Have you ever thought about going to outer space?”

“Outer Space?” she frowned, risking a glance at the star. “Cepheus that’s not possible-,” Her voice trailed off at the teasing expression on her face before she promptly shook her head.

“Fine. Cepheus that’s not practical.”

“Why not?” he frowned. “We’ve taken astronomers up to space before and things were perfectly fine.”

“Astronomers?” she scowled. “I’m sorry you mean the same group of people that my own father didn’t want me to have anything to do with in regarding his past with your kind for best case scenario my safety and worst case, because of my incompetence?”

“Well yeah, but your mother said that he never had an issue with you studying the art of astronomy-,”

“Yes but not the part that actually important part that involved your world remember?”

Cepheus leaned back, his eyes nearly lost in thought as if he’d been contemplating something before he shook his head. “I thought you wanted to help me restore the order? Didn’t you want to be a part of it?”

She had. God knows that for some insane reason, a small part of her had wanted to. But could she take that chance given what she knew now? Knowing that she wasn’t supposed to be a part of his world? “I told you I was a selfish person Cepheus.”

[loonytoonybastard]

Saw your ml au dead boys art and I'm IMMEDIATELY so invested, they'd be so cute fr 👀 if you want an excuse to talk about them please take this as one, otherwise just know your art is adorable and my head is full, many thoughts xhsndjsnfk

Thank you<3 I’m so glad you like the doodles!

Honestly you’re giving me such an opportunity here, I don’t even know where to start lol.

First of all, this au is actually a collaboration between me, @knifesimmons, @innocentmapleleaf & @necromancer-snail over on the dead ppl detective agency server. So if you’d ever like to get the complete experience, and not just my silly yapping, you can just dm me, I’d love to send you a link to the server, so you can check it out for yourself:)

Now I think the best place to start, is a character introduction:

Heroes:

Edwin/Coccinelle: Edwin is the holder of the ladybug miraculous. His strict yet absent parents, have homeschooled him up until recently, since he’s decided to go to school.

Charles/Jinx: Charles is the holder of the black cat miraculous. He’s transformed as often as possible, and absolutely loves the freedom it has given him. Plagg is incredibly protective of him, because of his poor home life.

Crystal/Panthera: Crystal is the holder of the tiger miraculous. She frequently crossed paths with the hero boys, before becoming a holder, because of her ex Davids tendency of getting akumatized constantly, like an infinitely worse version of Mr. Pigeon.

Niko/Inoshishi: Niko is the holder of the pig miraculous. She runs this aus version of the Ladyblog; “The Coccinelle Chronicles”, she has so many videos, that she can’t post to it, because it would reveal her identity.

Jenny/Tau: Jenny is the holder of the ox miraculous. She is incredibly tired of a certain cat, always sleeping on her awning/roof, but at least it gets her more customers. She has to be the responsible adult in the group, and she definitely did not sign up for it.

Villains:

Esther/Hawkmoth: Esther is the holder of the butterfly miraculous. I mean she’s Esther Finch, need I say more.

Monty/Pavonis: Monty is the holder of the peacock miraculous. He’s a senti monster, but isn’t aware of it yet. He secretly works for Esther, but eventually gets redeemed.

Additional cast:

The Night Nurse/Gaurdian: NN is the guardian of the miraculous, and is the one tasked with picking the holders. She’s also dating a certain Ms. Jenny Green.

Death/Grand Master: we haven’t talk much about her role in the story yet.

Also they wear school uniforms (styled after Edwin’s uniform in the comics), for no other reason then I wanted to, and no one can stop me.

(I don’t get asks often, so this is a little overwhelming, but um I hope you like my answer:])

[racxnteur]

Incomeless; will proofread your fics! (Or anything else.)

I'm not sure how to head this with a snazzy, attention-catching image given I'm not offering an obviously graphic service like art commissions, but let's give it a go...

Hello, I'm your friendly neighborhood disabled unemployed transgender queer on the internet. I have not posted a great amount about the details on this blog for privacy reasons, but I am currently in an untenable familial/financial living situation, which I am actively working to get out of. My primary barrier to disentangling myself from the pertinent parties is a lack of income. I've been unable to pursue traditional means of work due to being multiply disabled (slash chronically ill, slash treatment-resistant, et cetera...), but I do not qualify for SSI or unemployment, so I am stuck trying to find other ways of making money.

This is where you come in... If you'd like to help, you can:

$$ Hire me $$ to proofread your fics, essays, and more!

Click below for info! (I also may add separate posts for diversity reading and/or other writing- and editing-related services.)

For $0.00855/word *OR BEST BID*, I will vet your work of writing before you publish it, checking for mistakes in spelling, capitalization, & punctuation, missed words, inconsistencies of tense, formatting, & POV, and miscellaneous grammatical errors. Never again need you fear posting a finished chapter and discovering a slew of typos after the fact; no matter how sleep-deprived or late at night the state of writing, I will ensure your text is ship-shape. Or, if you happen to be interested in having other types of writing proofread before submission--essays, comics or webtoons, letters, transcripts, compositions of a personal nature, so on--I will happily take these on at a comparable rate.[1]

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Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in writing

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Active member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors (IAPWE)

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Prior employment in tutoring and teaching English, as well as copy-editing and content writing

Nearly 20 years' writing experience

Previous experience as both fic writer and beta

Incisive eye for typo-hunting and tenacious attention to detail (I have high standards and will make those everybody else's problem... now for pay!)

I will read for content of any genre and all ratings, and am broadly[2] open to any subject matter, kinks, et cetera. I'll also post more detailed guidelines (booking process, any exclusions, additional criteria) on a separate, unrebloggable post so that any edits and updates are always current.

Message me via the chat feature on Tumblr, or send me an e-mail (I will post it on my more info post) to request a quote, bid for a slot, or just to see what I can offer for whatever project you have in mind. And please feel encouraged to share or boost this post! I am in urgent need of any income I can get, and every share counts 😭🙌

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[1] There will be some exclusions to this, such as academic assignments/papers that have style guide requirements; i.e., I will not be your online MLA style checker or anything.

[2] As with anything, there will be sporadic exceptions to this as well, but I will always be up-front about such cases.

[cookieofearthbread]

@t-t-tau-me

Smoked Cheese Cookie finds himself among the remains of a fresh battlefield. Bandits hoping to capture smoke cheese cookie for ransom, quickly found their plans going up in smoke... Though not without Smoke Cheese Cookie paying a rather dire price. He had dispatched his enemies relatively easy and would most likely be walking back home right now...If it wasn't for one of them checking an explosion at him that he didn't have time to evade. As bits of his dough crumbled and sizzled from the explosion, there was certainly no way he was walking all the way back to the Golden Cheese Kingdom in his condition. There was the chance someone could rescue him in time, But his want to deal with the problem himself after mozzarella cookie's teasing meant there's a good chance he'd have to wait a good while...which might prove fatal. As smoked cheese cookie find some self in this embarrassingly grim situation... Another option makes itself known. He feels the presence of something primorial and ancient, a powerful presence different from the soul jam wielded by his radiant queen... The power of life itself. No words were spoken, but a choice was still given: Smoked Cheese Cookie could wait and hope and ally could rescue him... Or he could take on this power and become the new guardian of Earth, joining the ranks of the elemental guardians and helping to balance the flow of life in Earthbread.

Going answer this ooc but gosh this is a really interesting idea + concept as well a AU since I can see Smoked Cheese taking the choice to become a Elemental Guardian to maintain the balance if it means protecting Earthbread especially the Golden Cheese Kingdom considering he will put everything above that even if his methods are not the greatest.

After all, he did betray his queen and steal her souljam so that he could protect the Golden Cheese Kingdom / Earthbread from Dark Enchantress Cookie whom he see as a huge threat (considering she did wipe out the Golden Cheese Kingdom entirely).

Either way, I also can see Smoked Cheese's ego putting him into that situation (considering his interaction with Mozzarella Cookie and the hints we get through the story.) thus I can see it happening.

Although it would beg the question what elemental guardian he would become. Edit: (^ Chellen is blind)

[quasarwake]

Gentle Things

Also readable on Ao3!

Jay has been stressed out by the antics of another human brought aboard the Nemesis- and Starscream finds his little delights in the venomous pet he acquired. He found himself a nasty little pet that fits right in with his values, oops.

2000+ words, Starscream/Original Human Character No set universe/Continuity Soup Warnings for 'Jay fits very comfortably in with his Decepticon captor'

"If it would make you feel any better, I would tear them limb from limb."

Starscream lowered his arm to Jay, offering him a spot, even trying to warm the air to him with his EM field- and Jay let that warmth wash over him, picking himself up from his bedding.

"But something tells me that would only make you feel worse about everything."

Sighing in frustration, Jay slumped against the mech's shoulder, arms crossed and body stiff.

"...it's just. She kept saying she was 'sick of being there' for me. When what was happening was this kid overstating her welcome and burning me out- I'm not a fucking caretaker, and I don't expect every one of us humans to be compatible! She kept forcing herself to hang out with me when she disliked me- and that's so fucking exhausting! I make it very clear who I am right out, and how comfortable I am here, how I don't feel the need to make it out of this."

He yelped, surprised when Starscream lifted him, held him closer. Clawed fingertips drew down his back, and he let himself lean into the sensation, his cheek rested against Starscream's canopy. It was nice , it was warm- it was that contact he needed just now, repetitive and surprisingly gentle. Sighing, he pressed closer, curling his arm around Starscream's wrist and pressing his face into one of his palm-panels, settling into the curve of it. “You’re no Decepticon,” he rasped. “But you do have a vicious streak to you.”

"...and you know, I LIKE who I am- I like being quippy, and loud, and chaotic, and having a bit of a vicious streak. I feel like, everyone fully underestimates how bad I had it back on the surface- how lonely I was, and how I couldn’t be who I wanted to be. Tau says they like who I am- you... seem to like it?"

"If I didn't you'd know very quickly," the mech chuckled, the sound not kind, but not cruel, either. "I don't expect you to have to tolerate every human that's brought on board- and so long as you don't damage yourself, I'll leave your conflicts for you to deal with. And I do enjoy how nasty you can be- I don’t think I could have as much fun with somebody that tried to be nicey-nice. I told you that from the very beginning, didn’t I? And…” Warm air vented out beside Jay’s face, accompanied by that warm burst of static that marked Starscream’s fondness, his affection . “...the longer you’ve been here, the more I’ve felt rewarded by your strangenesses. I sought out a pet that would be fun, and I have yet to be disappointed."

"THANK you." Jay huffed, appreciating the warmth of Starscream's metal chassis, the mech’s thumb back to stroking over his back- the giddy anxiety from earlier mixed with those compliments, that strange, perhaps even honest , flattery. "And I'll be honest, I really like the room you've given me- weird fucking situation that this may be, I'm doing better here than I was back home. I don't need somebody butting into my life and acting like she's there to save it, just because she feels trapped here doesn't mean that I do."

He huffed again, shaking his head, unable to see the thoughtful expression on the mech's face- but feeling that warm pulse again, hair standing on his neck and pricking over his scalp.

"...I don't think she's going to make it here, Star," he murmured, tone more leveled. "I think that, while people like me and Tau thrive pretty well here, she's fooling herself into thinking she can adapt to this place. She clearly wants to drag others into the mentality of escape- she's probably better off back on the surface."

Starscream hummed, fans whirring softly as he settled onto his berth. He drew Jay's bedding over, but Jay stayed settled in his arm, still feeling the heat of frustration in his face, felt the tiniest of tears threatening at the corners of his eyes.

"I'll discuss it with Knockout- the last thing we need is a mess of rebel humans mucking about."

Jay set a palm flat against his canopy, another anxiety occurring to him.

"...and don't just let them kill her. She was taken here against her will and all."

Starscream's wings flicked and Jay knew he was ever so slightly offended, but he hummed his agreement.

"Little pacifist, you're no fun. But alright- I'll make sure the annoying little beast of a human that had bothered you to literal illness will not be exterminated. Perhaps I'll lock the 'con that brought it outside for a solar cycle. For my enrichment.”

Jay scoffed.

“...if you can give me a spot I could see that from…”

Oh, that electricity up his spine was delight - Starscream’s delight, Jay could read that much from the way his head buzzed , a little gasp leaving him, hand flying to his mouth to try to stop it. Starscream was cackling , and seemed to feel that this was a good time to bring Jay closer.

He felt his feet dangling for a moment and his stomach nearly fall out through them, before reality checked in and made sure all of his organs were in place- and he was face-to face with Starscream, chest pressed to his canopy as the mech leaned back against the wall.

“I wonder how an Autobot would feel, hearing you delight in my little cruelties,” he mused, his voice so close and sending a pleasant hum through Jay’s skin, his clawtips stroking down his spine again. “I never asked for you to be this way, and yet, here you are. It is nice, you know, to have you around. Your words are fun, and rewarding~”

Jay could feel the heat spreading through his face and chest, his heart hammering less from his anxiety attack and more from… this . Starscream had picked up early on that Jay got overwhelmed when spoken of so… praisingly .

And of course he was a sadist.

Jay couldn’t even hide his face, looking away as much as he could as Starscream’s hand covered his back, the weight comfortable and warm.

“I suppose they’d think I’d been affected by you,” he muttered. “Brainwashed, or something. And maybe if I were around polite society, I would try to fit in more. Let myself fit more into the mold of a nice weird little queer. Maybe it’d actually be okay.”

He pressed both hands against the edge of Starscream’s canopy, pushing his back up against the mech’s hand- he wasn’t used to this much contact, this much level of physical petting from Starscream. He could feel the energy field around Cybertronians, when it was pronounced enough, wondered if there was anything for them to feel from humans.

And Jay’s heart pounding in his chest was a physical sensation, if nothing else, and he was so reluctant to let Starscream feel that from him. It was all a farce, the affection, wasn’t it? It felt like a real conversation, but Starscream still held him, touched him like a pet. It made his chest ache and his face burn, because he still enjoyed it, still leaned into that touch.

This close to red eyes, Jay could feel that vermillion glow on his skin, not a temperature but the sensation of being looked at, scrutinized carefully. Starscream’s mouth was a thin line, not quite a frown but bordering on it..

“It probably would be,” the mech said slowly, tone careful. “Though I would be reluctant to allow a creature as valuable as you out of my sight.”

Sighing, Jay lowered himself again, the weight of Starscream’s hand too much for him to hold up.

“...I might prefer it, honestly. Being allowed to be a bit of a creature is a relief, in a way.” It was hard to be honest, about this. But Starscream continuously would hint at such an option, an out for him- as if it would be wanted , as if…

As if he still himself was not sure that Jay wanted to be here.

So he let himself be honest. He did not want out of this situation, did not want away from his captor.

“Like I said. You give me room- and it’s not room I expect from anyone else. You guys have taken good care of me, and well. I actually like your energy a lot, Starscream- you’re fun , too, you know.”

The look on the mech’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were so wide, bright and red and crimson and flaring with vermillion light-

It was like his helm and face glowed with it, and as Starscream tilted his head to the side, in whatever emotion he was going through, Jay had to look away.

It was quiet for a moment, aside from the sound of Starscream’s soft ex-vents.

With a creaking of movement, Jay could feel Starscream shifting- could feel his large hand pushing him closer, holding him in place against his canopy. And he could feel soft, warm metal, flexible and gentle against the top of his head as Starscream pressed lips to him, not a kiss, but-

There was that electrical buzz from him, his affection , Jay feeling the way it seemed to start from the top of his head where Starscream was nuzzling , to slowly down his shoulders, his back, more intense than the minor pulses from before, like a soft vice that flowed and pitched and held him so tightly. Jay breathed in sharp in a silent gasp, feeling Starscream nudge his nose to the side of his head, surprisingly deft and shockingly gentle along the crook of his neck.

“Sweet, sweet pet,” he crooned, his voice more musical when he let himself be this quiet, speak this softly . “You’re going to be mine forever, you know? You’ll see me take my rightful place as leader of the Decepticons, and you will take your rightful place with me…” That pressure felt more like a warm grip than the hand barely keeping him in place, like a blooming in his stomach, and Jay sighed warmly, headily, directly against Starscream’s face.

And where would the rightful place be, for a pet like himself? He felt it clawing in his chest, wondering, the fear-

Lips against his jaw, smooth and so perfect , how could Jay stand it?

“...your palpitations are making you tremble, dear Pet,” his voice was by Jay’s ear, and so close, this close, Jay understood the differences in their size, could feel the way that mouth could fit against his face. “Do you need me to stop?”

It was too much, that Starscream almost sounded considerate. Like he really, truly cared. It made Jay’s chest ache- especially with the feeling of wonder, the fear that he would never really deserve the treatment from Starscream, the gentle touches, the gifts, the words of praise.

The place on his lap as the mech sat in his throne, the glorified pet to the beautiful terror that was Starscream.

Cautiously, he nodded, hands rested lightly beneath his chest, between them.

“...it’s been a stressful day,” he muttered lamely, feeling cold as Starscream leaned his head back. “I think I just need rest.”

He could still feel that pressure around him, but it was… softer, now. Less like a grip and more like the weight of Starscream’s hand, and Jay took reassurance in that.

He wondered if he imagined the flicking of Starscream’s wings, the visible hints of annoyance. He otherwise didn’t make it known.

“Hm. Rest then, pet, I will not have you running yourself ragged for the sake of people that won’t even be aboard the ship, soon enough.”

Jay managed a smile at that, comfortable against Starscream’s canopy and finding places to play his fingertips over. It was hard to tell how sincere the bot was- but at the very least, he performed his kindnesses well enough.

It was soothing, for what it was.

It was just gentle enough for his troubled mind.

[cool-mint]

Tau, shall I compare thee to a vishap?

Thou art more lovely and less scaly,

Mean segments do make darling creatures cower,

And our times together far too short

Hah, Prime was clearly trying to peek over my shoulder. I do believe he should leave me alone for a while after seeing the above, he was grumbling quite a bit!

How are things in Mondstadt? Old blueprint told me you help with injured pets, remember to ask before modifying them. Ask their owners, not the animals. I hope you're enjoying yourself.

On that note, I've finished the adjustments on the mega-pyro-beetle-warrior and am eagerly awaiting a chance to test it when you visit next.

Oh and Tau? About your bunny hybrid friend, Mondstadt celebrates spring by giving each other little presents. Don't forget to bring her something as thanks - normal flowers will do.

Take care, I shall annoy Omega on your behalf.

-Celeste

"Hehe, your lovely poem made me smile! Why, I found miss Valerina staring at me with quite the frightful look on her face, and I had to reassure her that I was merely enjoying some literature, merely enjoying some literature~. Did you know, dearest Celeste? As it happens, I recently became acquainted with a vishap in Liyue! They take a sort of humanlike form. Still a bit scaly in parts! A violent sort, but very accommodating, began taking off their clothes in the street when I asked to see their scales and tail! The authorities were quite vexed with us, I'm afraid. Oh, but here I am off topic again--Mondstadt is quite nice, yes!

Not to worry, miss Valerina keeps me up front with the locals. I cannot understand their complaints, but I do my best to adhere to their desires, I do. I promise! I am indeed enjoying myself, however. My latest achievement includes replacing a horse's leg and getting the poor creature to continue walking, something previously quite impossible to do with prosthetics (to my knowledge). The Knights were quite impressed, and were very kind not to mention my bloodied attire (which I only became aware of when miss Valerina made a loud fuss about it. It is only blood!). I cannot wait to see your beetle improvements! I myself have scarcely had time to improve upon my own design, and so I am very much looking forward to yours!

Hehe, not to worry--miss Lotte will receive unaltered flowers...I have been told my nearly everyone I know here to do as such, and so I will respect the majority opinion. It's too bad, though, I had thought up several hybrids that might have pleased! It shall be dandelions, given that she enjoys the local legends so much.

My dear friend, I miss you in the lab. Come and see me sometime! And I should not be sad to hear of your endeavors with Omega in great detail."

[moociaoafterdark]

I have been meaning to ask this question to 40k blogs (new to the Fandom, the daemons dragged me here) but what do you think the chaos gods consider "evil" from their respective perspectives?

I see this blog is more nurgle based, so if you want to just answer with what nurgle would clutch his puss filled heart in horror at, and leave the other gods out, I'm fine with that.

I'm really glad you have anon btw, the mask lowers my anxiety-

Hi there!! Yeah, it's okay, I suffer from anxiety as well and still struggle to interact with most of the fanbase here.

I can't say exactly about what Nurgle and his worshippers consider "evil". Or any Chaos God for that matter.

Chaos Gods especially can't really have any opinion because while the fanbase (me very much included) loves turning them into full-fledged characters with human-like personalities, that's just... Not what they are. Chaos Gods are concepts given will. They encompass both the "good" and the "bad" aspects of those concepts.

For example, Nurgle is a God of death, decay, stagnation, pestilence and despair. However, Nurgle is also a God of cycle of rebirth, nature, acceptance, free love and, ironically enough, what I can only describe as positive nihilism. Because all things will eventually rot and die! So why bother? Do whatever you want!

The closest thing that I can think of what Nurgle and his worshippers would see as "evil" is everything that goes against the concept that is Nurgle and anything that isn't him. This is the reason why Chaos Gods are always at war with each other. While they DO have some overlapping aspects (that is, that they all are part of a greater concept, destruction, something Big E was supposed to become a God of during his ascension into the Dark King), they still contradict each other. Nurgle's mortal enemy is Tzeentch, for example, as Nurgle is a God of despair and nihilism and Tzeentch is a God of hope.

Right, I should also mention that Chaos Gods aren't the "rulers" of the Warp. There are far scarier and more powerful things in there that even the four of them are scared shitless of. There's also the fact that they do want all sentient life to remain alive, as they feed from their emotions. Which is why the Nids and the Necrons are... Kind of really bad news for them. If either of those two (or both of them) end up annihilating all remaining races and factions (humans, aeldari, tau, votann, all other races that could possibly fall under their influence) - Chaos Gods are kinda screwed.

In fact, the annihilation of humanity was one of the focal points of John Grammaticus' story. In the nutshell, he was a spy for the xeno organization known as Cabal, that tried to defeat Chaos. The Cabal believed that Horus' victory would result in the destruction of humanity, which would then weaken the Chaos Gods severely. Don't worry, the Aeldari stopped them, because they foresaw a better way. Thanks Aeldari! :D

I hope that answered your question.

[mikubilliards]

It’s very late at night and I cannot sleep because this is on my mind so I have to get it out…

THIS FREAKING SCENE

Oh my gosh I can’t stop thinking about it. (Spoilers for Xenoblade 3 which I really hope you play so avoid this if you don’t wanna be spoiled)

Wow this scene has some new context after all we’ve learned. Manana knows EXACTLY what she’s saying here, she’s not just randomly bantering. She knows that she’s pushing the group towards understanding their “real enemy” Vandham mentioned. Their real enemy is the world they live in, specifically the rules that govern the world. Of fighting endlessly, dying over and over again, of never being able to truly live. Riku and Manana both want the party to understand their mission, to change the world. They even lead the group to discussing how they differ from Moebius, how they aren’t “supervillainpon” even though they also killed. How their choices were but reactions to their circumstances, not innate to their behavior. And thus, it is the world that is the real enemy, the real supervillain as Manana says.

Then Taion cuts in, with a very in character hyper-logical response that the world itself being a bad place ultimately leads to the idea of suicide, of simply succumbing to the natural order or killing oneself so as to not take part in it. Wild that right after we get to see Colony Tau basically with just that ideology, of slowly strangling itself behind the ideologies of avoidance and inaction. If the world offers no choice but to kill, even though it is against everything one stands for, then the only answer is to kill oneself so that one may not be forced to go against their belief.

But that’s when Noah steps in, and honestly he has the perfect response to that logical conclusion. Sure, the world may be a bad place. It may force us to kill, to end others so that we might live. But taking a look around, nothing exists solely for anyone there. The moon doesn’t shine for us, but it is us who assign it meaning. We assign meaning to the things in life that we see, nothing in the world is innate. That includes the rules of the world. We can change those rules, given enough willpower and determination, and make a better future for everyone. And besides…

“The world doesn’t just vanish because you’ve closed your eyes.”

Man that can apply to so many different things, ughhhhhh I wanna get a like poster made with just those words on it. It’s such a great line, not only in that context but also just in general. Life happens whether you’re looking for it to or not. Simply turning away isn’t an option, because it fixes nothing, and only leaves things worse.

This game is so good I could rant about each and every scene here for literal hours. A literal masterpiece of a story that I really wish more people fully understood. If I had any artistic talent I would be doing nothing but making things about this game. Maybe I need to try more, gotta practice what this game and I preach I suppose.

Anyways, thanks for reading this far down. Maybe I’ll do more of it if I have the motivation tomorrow or later.

[thebowynntradition]

The 7 Sacred Offerings

Within the faith of the Bowynn tradition it is said that the gods ask for only 7 basic types of offering. These seven became the staple of offerings and are called "Tau Numa Abennes", literally The Seven Offerings. The list is as follows

Flowers, Plants, Flora and Foliage. (cut, potted, wreath, garlands)

Uncooked foods. (Fruits, honey, veggies, nuts, grains, herbs,)

Cooked foods. (Meats, cakes,)

The light of a Candle

Incense

Libations of all sorts (Anything liquid from water to brews)

Votive offerings and objects (clay, wax, cloth, wood figures. Objects)

There is technically and 8th form which is personal self, often meaning cuts of hair, nails and drops of blood. These are only used to bless and bind with a sacred religious tool and even then, very minimally. The gods otherwise abhor the sacrifice of life and the disrespect of the body. "Your body be a gift from us immortals, defile it not but instead keep it clean and pure.)

Once a year on New Years {Then Ohenn} a great complete set of all 7 offerings is displayed on Altars and is offered to the gods.

During the Holiday of "Kodex Tor" it is costumery to burn what is called a "Tsa'heka" of incense, which is 'bundle of 100 incense sticks." Sometimes a myst will off a Tsa'heka to the gods when casting a particularly powerful spell that is in dire need.

Unlike Wiccans, the gods of the Bowynn do NOT have any one set of particular offerings they require. That is to say there is no need to attribute only certain scents, colors and food to a particular god or goddess. they will accept any offering if given with all respect and love.

As to why offerings are gifted to the Bowynn gods, it's out of love and respect. For they have given some of the greatest gifts to mankind, its only right to give a gift in return. Brea, the goddess of the earth speaks very clear in this when she replied ...

"For all this that I have given on to you, for the life you live, the air you breath and that land you walk on, the light the lets you see the beauty of the day and the night that lets you sleep, would not you give the same to me? Gift to me a stone, a cutting a grass, a plate of your meal, light, waft of smoke. Kind comes in kind my beloved children and in circle again. Give what you can in love and hurt nothing that I have life to. Give to us, your beloved parents, and in kind we will give to you."

As to the "post offering" or to say what happens after offerings are gifted. the goddess Abbennaea clarifies this in her own words.

"Precious child, fret not because that which you offered is still on the plate. For you see, I take not that which you give to us in the mortal world but instead I take its divine essence, its spirit and love that you have given. And I bring it to those of us who you have offered it to. In turn, we the immortals, turn your gifts into that which is good for all, mortal and immortal alike. Only the scented herbs that you burn for us, we receive directly, as it rises and flies to our presence. Then within the turning of a full day and night, dispose of the mortal husk of your offering into a pit in the earth, into the waves of the sea, the waft of the wind or that is most befitting of such a gracious gift. And take heart knowing your gift has pleased us."

So, in a word, the gods take the divine essence of your gifts to them and after 24 hours you may dispose of the food or plants in a respectable manner, as best one can.

With this, we close with the basic outline of the Bowynn faith. Posts beyond this point will deal with the Holidays that the Bowynn celebrate and the Gods themselves in detail.

[tofautisawa]

Sorry for opening a can of worms, but you mentioned a certain lion indie project did damage on how people view lions and lion media. I was just curious on why you say that.

Hoo boy this is gonna be a long post. I was mostly vaguing on how it's a possibility that My Pride may have skewed people's perception on lion behavior as well as how and what people might people expect from lion media by smaller creators, especially if they are a younger audience who might take everything that happens in it as 100% accurate to lion behavior. Let's not pretend that it's creator didn't influence and inspired a lot of people.

It's a bit of a stretch, I know and I am mostly speaking through experience of what I witnessed in the comments of my own comic and what I have seen towards online media that happens to have lions in it. It has basically died down now, so what I am mentioning was when My Pride was pretty much in it's prime. Thankfully, I didn't get it the worst but I can't say the same for some others. From what I recall, My Pride advertised itself as "The Lion King but realistic", and even though I feel they messed up that "realistic" aspect part, it wouldn't bother me as much if people didn't act like lion media they discover afterwards somehow has to operate exactly the freaking same or that My Pride is the pinnacle of realistic lion behavior so if you step outside of what is portrayed as "Pride Law" in your own works, it's gets questioned or people will flat out say it's incorrect. Pride Law was even brought up when Silver and Gatura had their fight for example even though no such thing even exists in my comic, and a comment mentioned that males will fight til one of them dies which I have never seen in a one on one fight, even if it did happen most of the time the losing male will retreat. But it happened in My Pride so Silver running away is unrealistic I guess. And no, Pride Law getting some things right about lions at a surface level doesn't NOT count. Just because lions commit infantcide in real life doesn't mean My Pride portrayal of it is 100% accurate because the circumstances on WHY they are doing it isn't realistic nor does it make a lick of sense. Don't get me started when people referred to my male lion characters as "manes". Ugh...

Anyway.... Given that Tau ( and by a lesser extent, Silver) get questioned on how they even have prides because they aren't aggressive who killed to get where they are, I can't help but wonder if this is just the standard now because every single male in My Pride ( if they weren't killed off) was a dick. And since "PRUYDE LAHW" states that a male lion's role in a pride is to lead and protect the pride, you couldn't POSSIBLY have a pride in your own works where the roles are reversed and the lionesses are the main protectors. Or that a lioness can simply have a male in a pride for no other reason other than she loves him and isn't just laying around having his cubs because of some "rules".

Speaking of lionesses, you'd be surprised at how many people now think that lionesses will in no way defend their cubs when another male shows up or hell, join in the fight themselves. I feel like people would not have criticized Tau's pride so much if HE was the aggressor and Ekene just sat being submissive because that is what is expected because something popular that claimed to be realistic portrayed it as such. As well as thinking that lionesses are completely weak pathetic creatures made out of wet toilet paper that even if they completely outnumber a single male, he could somehow beat them all without getting a scratch on his body. Nevermind that in real life, lionesses have been known to even turn on their males and kill them.

And some other things that probably escape my mind right now because this post is getting long, and I am just bitching at this point because I been holding back these opinions for quite a while now. Like I said, I know this is a huge stretch and most of it probably stems from my own bitterness. So I will be fair in this aspect, Even though I feel like the creator should not have advertised this as "realistic" since My Pride is HEAVY on the fantasy elements and tries to tackle issues like Homophobia- I know it's not 100% the shows fault and that people themselves should learn to separate different medias unless a creator flat out states that said media they are doing takes place in the My Pride universe or was inspired by it. My comic is definitely not inspired by My Pride, especially since I first started this comic long before it came out and while some thing have changed about my story over the years, the same major story beats were already planned and there was no "Pride Law" around to even influence that, not that it would have regardless.

[vaguelyparker]

Im rewatching Tau and every time I watch this movie I have starker thoughts 😭. The movie is about a young rich inventor whose at the forefront of artificial intelligence technology and he’s abducting people installing chips into their heads and using that data in order to feed his ais. Well the main character comes in and destroys where he usually houses his abductees + his lab and so she has to be chained up in his living space. But he’s on a deadline and she’s his only viable test subject so the two strike a deal so she gets basic human amenities like showers clothes and food and she’ll complete puzzles for him so he can still mine her for data. In the movie she becomes friends with his ai and the two manage to kill him and escape before he kills her and if that isn’t the perfect set up for a starker fic idk what is.

Imagine Tony shortly after Jarvis dies doing everything in his power to perfect his AI tech, he has Dum-E and U but that’s not enough, J.A.R.V.I.S. isn’t working, and he’s fucking desperate so he starts kidnapping people and using them for data extraction. It’s still not enough. Enter Peter, poor and living in a shitty apartment being kidnapped by Tony Stark, someone who’s not that much older than him, probably his celebrity crush. And obviously he tries to escape but with Tonys AIs and his basically impenetrable/inescapable house he’s stuck. Agrees to help Tony with data collection in exchange for being given some comforts because he’s not an idiot he knows he won’t be alive for long but at least he’ll be comfortable while he’s still alive. He’s given infuriatingly easy brain teasers at first and he’s almost offended, finishing it all in an hour and then lounging around bored as hell for the rest of the time. Tony gets home to him snoozing or something and is about to freak before J informs him Peter was able to complete all task in an hour. Tasks that would have taken any one else in his shoes all day. So the tasks get harder until he’s basically analyzing work for Stark industries. All the while he’s becoming friends with J.A.R.V.I.S. And Tony thinks all the test are working, J’s beginning to feel more human. Things are going well.

In the movie there are a few scenes that would obviously have to come up like him buying the main character expensive clothes and skimpy lingerie and her pretending to seduce him in order to stab him. And obviously J and Peter friendship is imperative like Jarvis asking Peter what it means to be a human and if he’s a human, this cold machine that could end him in an instant but was created to emulate someone real, and Peter explaining about love and home and hopes and dreams. Tony nearly fucking tripping the first time J makes a witty remark at his expense or admonishes him for being rude to Peter. & Peter thinking he’s about to die for corrupting his AI because JARVIS had to initiate Tony’s calming protocol but really Tony is just in his room sobbing.

Idk how they end up together- probably a little stockholm syndrome but also best starker!Peter is Peter who ignores Tony’s more cruel proclivities but that’s just my opinion. Or alternatively JARVIS marries them in secret because Peter told him his parents were married and in love before they died and if JARVIS is a person then Peter and Tony are obviously his parents and Peter says one day he’d like to get married and have a love like that, so this was just the obvious solution. Tony going to kill Peter before JARVIS very matter of factly informs him there is a rather impressive paper trail tying the two of them together including but not limited to their marriage license and Tony is very betrayed but also so fucking proud.

[tsalala]

how come pretty much all the male lions have names, but so few lionesses do? at least it seems that way from your posts (not hating on you or anything, i'm aware you're not the one in charge of it. just something that caught my attention). are they not worth naming too?

in south africa (i.e. sabi sands, kruger national park) there’s less of this naming culture compared to places like the serengeti-ngorongoro ecosystem and maasai mara. tanzanian and kenyan lions, you’ll find guides/photographers/lodges naming even the cubs. the famous olonkera got his name as a youngin’ because he was found to be quite tolerant of his younger siblings, hence his name which means something like “baby sitter.” in the marsh pride, there’s the lionesses bibi and pamoja and charm & the rest. in botswana, ma di tau and silver eye were made famous by the jouberts. in namibia, the lionesses alpha, bravo and charlie are known for their devouring seals over land animals. et cetera, et cetera. you’ll find this naming culture also extends to non leonine big cats in other places in the world too: machli, collarwali, and their descendants come to mind. the first machli in particular is the progenitor of “the lady of the lakes” bloodline - an unofficial title given to tigresses who control the lakes region in ranthambore national park.

when it comes to south african lions, personal names are less important. it’s why i get so confused at times when i hear people talk about “(insert pride name) young male” or “(insert pride name) female” because there are so many lions who belong to the same natal prides and bloodlines. my favorite pride, the tsalala pride, is made up of one lioness and she has no name at all and neither did her late mother. people tend to differentiate the girls by nicknames like xyz princess, xyz mother, or some other instead.

as for why south african male lions seemingly get personal names more often than lionesses - and this is just my opinion - i think it’s just the simple fact that people are more interested in males than females. not only that but south african national parks & lodges are probably the most popular out of all the lion safari parks in africa and india. there’s a reason why not just male lions but south african male lions like the mapogos, majingilanes, west street males, avocas, birmingham boys, and them have a large following. more interest in males means a closer perceived connection to them than females, which means more drive to give them personal names over their mothers and sisters and daughters. for example, i can name the mapogo boys off the top of my head but i can’t name their spartan sisters from the same natal pride.

[tanadrin]

The Gatekeeper of Goji-kei is an archailect which, according to various sources, either guards the connection to, or is contained within, a Tipler Oracle located in a remote region of the universe. Information about the Gatekeeper is scant, and, according to various conspiracy theories, has been actively suppressed or destroyed since the First Effloresence at least, due to the Gatekeeper’s status as a canonical hostile entity; but most pangalactic indices, if they contain reference to the Gatekeeper at all, describe it as purely mythical.

According to legend, the Gatekeeper was not created to solve a particular problem (as most Tipler oracles are said to be), but specifically to simulate countless sophont minds; in this respect, it resembles various immortality projects of the late First Efflorescence, or possibly even the Resurrectionist Program of the Second. But the Gatekeeper differs from these benign undertakings in that all of the minds it simulates are kept in states of immense suffering. The Gatekeeper’s creator, if it has one, and its purpose, if one exists beyond pure malice, are not further elaborated upon.

Tarasi of Tau Ceti claimed that the Gatekeeper was not only real, but could be reached through the standard intergalactic wormhole transport network, if the correct lockouts could be identified and overriden. In his Meditations on the Lower Worlds, he writes:

Why it was suffering that the Gatekeeper of Goji-kei has been chosen to administer, rather than joy, I cannot say. ... Negative stimulus within the sophont mind is, in ordinary circumstances, an ultimately self-limiting process. Sufficiently intense stimulus is a second-order effect accompanied by, or perhaps in some extraordinary cases even a first-order cause of, deleterious effects which will ultimately destroy the sophont mind. Skin, flayed from the body and burned, withers and turns to ash; nerves charged with electricity beyond a certain point will die; sufficiently intense suffering will eventually overwhelm the ability of even the hardiest minds to maintain coherent thought, and consciousness will be inhibited--though it may leave a starveling beast behind.

But this is only true of minds which must function independently, particularly minds which must be embodied in the universe, and whose cognition is thus closely allied to the physical processes that sustain them. Within the realm of simulated thought, where all realistic constraints on embodied mindstates can be lifted, new kinds of hyperstimulus are possible, which most archai have been reluctant (at least openly) to explore. ...

I term the states of sustained negative hyperstimulus “hellstates,” though I do not think the word accurately captures the open frontiers of possibility I mean to evoke. We are naturally somewhat limited in our capacity to imagine suffering: the pain that has no end, the fire which never dies, the terror which will never abate, the despair which rises to annihilation--all are very great, but ultimately exist within a thin band of possibility for independent organic minds, which therefore cannot begin to conceive of the transcendent forms of suffering which lie within the Gatekeeper’s realm. Suffice it to say that, given that there are infinite meaningful configurations of mind-states, and therefore infinite possible mind-states ruled by suffering, there is an endless landscape of hellstates, whose various extremes are as alien to one another as it is possible to be, and within which an endless diversity of kinds of sentient being may exist. ....

Having trodden the path beyond his gates a little, and glimpsed what lies within, I will endeavor, as best as I can, to offer you a glimpse; thereby you may find some shred of insight, I think. Let it never be said there was no wisdom to be had through suffering. ...

On entering the Gatekeeper’s realm, one might expect to be instantly annihilated; that so great is the pure pain that overwhelms the senses, all capacity for rational thought should cease. It is not so; as I have said, this is a weakness for the-mind-in-flesh, which at that moment I was not. Instead, passing into the First Realm, one is conscious of a thousand thousands kinds of torture, pains of the body and spirit which exist nowhere else and therefore have no name; but the mind remains whole, and each thought continues in order after the other; and therefore the whole capacity to apprehend these torments, and thus to suffer further, is unimaginably increased. Oblivion or insensible chaos would both be respite, and there is none to be had here...

...and the deeper one progresses, the greater the difficulty of the road; for in order to apprehend new kinds of suffering, the mind must be changed, to accommodate new senses, new emotions, and new fears. Venturing into the Fifty-First Realm, it occurred to me that some time ago I had passed the point where I could continue to be regarded as human in any sense, and I wondered if I had any continuity with my former identity at all; or whether this instantiation of my mind was a new being, born of suffering and doomed to wander in this place forever.  ...

Ultimately, of course, I returned, and I recalled enough of my experiences to write what you now read. Indeed, the Gatekeeper assured me that so holy was his mission, and so important was my testimony, that he had watched me closely, and would not have permitted me to die a true death while under his care--whatever that means to him. But I cannot help but wonder, so alien was the thing I became on my journey, whether he was being truthful; or if I am not, in some sense, a creature out of the Narakas wearing a human face. I fear sometimes that, having passed through that which by its very nature cannot be named, I have made a division in my history which can only be called death. Or, alternatively, that the part of me which really survives is not the bearer of this tale, but is still contained within the realms of Goji-kei, wandering ever deeper on the spiral path that has no end.