#Loot Accusations

[crossdressingdeath]

For some reason Abdirak didn't despawn properly when I attacked the goblins, so while I was looting the bodies he came running up to accuse me of theft. I convinced him the thief had definitely been caught and he just... walked past the corpses and out the front door...? The whole situation was very strange.

[probablyasocialecologist]

During the first six months of the current war on Gaza, the Israeli military destroyed about 60 percent of the Strip’s cultural heritage sites and monuments. This toll includes the Bronze Age settlement of Tell el-‘Ajjul, the St. Hilarion monastery founded nearly 1,700 years ago, and Pasha’s Palace built in the 13th century and used recently as an archaeological museum. According to many Palestinian and civil rights organizations, this destruction is deliberate. I’m an archaeologist living in the West Bank who has written about cultural heritage destruction and antiquities looting. I serve as the secretary general of the International Council on Monuments and Sites–Palestine and of the Society for Palestinian Archaeology. Over 34 years, I have conducted several research projects and interviewed hundreds of Palestinians involved in illegal looting, trading, and trafficking of ancient objects. The losses unfolding now in Palestine, however, are unprecedented in scale and speed. International agreements enshrine the protection of cultural heritage and recognize its destruction as a war crime. But agencies responsible for policing these agreements have been conspicuously and inexcusably absent from the current conflict. No doubt protecting historical monuments and archaeological sites is challenging amid a war, and humanitarian efforts should prioritize saving lives. Yet UNESCO and other heritage organizations have tools and tactics to deter the destruction of cultural assets in conflict zones. Why, then, are these organizations neglecting to protect cultural heritage in Palestine?

[...]

According to Resolution 242, passed by the United Nations Security Council in 1967, the Palestinian territories, which include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, are under occupation. As the occupying power, Israel must take necessary measures to safeguard and protect the cultural and natural heritage of the Palestinian territories. During its 2023–2024 assault on Gaza, Israel has been credibly accused of doing the opposite: systematically destroying Gaza’s cultural heritage as part of its broader genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. As of February, Israeli forces have destroyed at least 200 archaeological sites and buildings of cultural and historical significance in the Gaza Strip, according to a report from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.

6 June 2024

[reality-detective]

Let's see 👀 what Tim Walz has done for Minnesota while governor 👇

Who is Tim Walz? What did he do? 👇

👉 Fueled BLM riots in 2020

👉 Allowed riots that looted and wrecked Minneapolis

👉 Changed Minnesota’s State Flag to resemble Somalia’s

👉 K*lled old people with Covid nursing home scandal

👉 Minnesota — a ‘friendly’ LGBTQIA+ ‘sanctuary’ State

👉 Pushes youth trans surgery, ‘hormone therapy’ agenda

👉 Soldiers accused Walz of embellishing and selectively omitting facts about his military career

👉 Fellow soldiers accused him of ‘quitting’ on them

👉 Got DUI in 1995 going 96mph in a 55 speed zone

👉 Praises socialism

That is Tim Walz — The Marxist for Vice President Candidate 🤔

[intersectionalpraxis]

"I expect that by September, we’re looking at about 70% of the population being extremely hungry," said Timmo Gaasbeek, a food security expert who has worked in Sudan."

"That could lead to two-and-a-half million deaths, or more. It could be as many as four million. There is just not enough food."

"He said the way that food kitchens have been distributing food is a big help but it is not enough."

"The war has paralysed the economy of the country, so people have no money," said Amgad al-Farid, a veteran human rights activist who runs the Fikra for Studies and Development think-tank."

"Also, the RSF has taken Gezira state, which has the biggest agricultural scheme in Sudan, and produced a lot of our daily needs."

"And due to the huge inflation, food imports have declined," Dr Farid explained."

"[....] In short, there is not enough food, and what food there is has become punishingly expensive."

"Both sides use starvation as a weapon of war," said Alex de Waal from the World Peace Foundation. He has been studying famines and conflict in Sudan since the early 1980s."

"The RSF, Mr De Waal said, is "essentially a looting machine."

"They rampage through the countryside and towns, stealing everything there is, and that’s how they sustain themselves."

"While the Sudanese Armed Forces "are trying to starve the areas under control of the RSF" to up the pressure on their rival."

"The two sides, Mr De Waal added, "show no signs of any willingness to relinquish what is a cheap and very effective weapon".

[rainystarters]

* ☔ : action prompts inspired by FANTASY, NOBILITY, ETC. some prompts are usfw. add reversed for the muse receiving the meme to perform the action instead. ( adjust scenarios or specify details as needed. )

crown of dawn. sender swears their fealty to the receiver.

crown of silver. sender congratulates the receiver on their political engagement, hiding their true affection for the receiver.

crown of midnight. sender dances with the receiver at a masquerade.

crown of glass. sender meets the receiver while their true identity is concealed.

crown of shadows. sender controls the receiver through magic or blackmail, making them their pawn so they can rule from the background.

crown of ink. sender meets the receiver for the first time after they are joined in an arranged marriage.

crown of starlight. sender kneels before the receiver to receive a boon.

crown of rot. sender accuses the receiver of failing their people.

crown of sorrow. sender tells the receiver they are the new lord/queen/etc. as those ahead of them in the line of succession have died.

crown of blood. sender stands before the receiver to be judged for their crimes.

crown of lies. sender accuses the receiver of not being the true heir.

crown of thorns. sender crowns the receiver after killing the previous ruler.

crown of nightshade. sender consumes a poisoned drink meant for the receiver.

---

wand of bone. sender uses necromancy to raise the receiver's companions from to dead to aid the sender in fighting against the receiver.

wand of ivy. sender ensnares the receiver in a net of living vines.

wand of twilight. sender conjures the spirit of the receiver from the land of the dead to speak with them.

wand of clouds. sender infiltrates the receiver's dreams to learn their desires.

wand of portals. sender summons the receiver to their world.

wand of resurrection. sender brings the receiver back to life.

wand of memory. sender clouds the receiver's mind so they don't leave.

wand of blossoms. sender grows flowers in the receiver's hair.

wand of salt. sender heals the receiver's wounds.

wand of leaves. sender asks the receiver to read their fortune.

wand of lightning. sender conjures a storm to impede the receiver.

wand of masks. sender crosses paths with the receiver while disguised as them.

wand of flesh. sender wounds the receiver to fuel their blood magic.

---

sword of honor. sender challenges the receiver to a duel to decide an argument.

sword of moons. sender wakes up to discover the receiver pressing a blade against the sender's throat.

sword of sacrifice. sender takes a deadly attack meant for the receiver.

sword of wrath. sender kills the receiver's loved one(s) as they watch.

sword of loyalty. sender executes someone at the receiver's command.

sword of blessings. sender asks the receiver to bless their weapon before battle.

sword of madness. sender tries to stop the receiver's bloodthirsty rage.

sword of ruin. sender tortures the receiver for information.

sword of defeat. sender surrenders to the receiver after a hard-fought battle.

sword of ash. sender asks the receiver to kill them for failing the receiver.

sword of spite. sender twists their weapon deeper into the receiver's wound.

sword of wind. sender quickly kills an enemy before they attack the receiver.

sword of betrayal. sender stabs the receiver in the back.

---

card of misfortune. sender catches the receiver trying to pick their pocket.

card of coins. sender buys the receiver a drink at a tavern.

card of vipers. sender meets the receiver in a thieves' den.

card of fools. sender finds the receiver caught in a trap, magical or otherwise.

card of iron. sender recognizes the receiver from a wanted poster.

card of vultures. sender is caught looting a dead body by the receiver.

card of songs. sender asks a bard to sing a ballad about the receiver.

card of keys. sender picks a lock to help the receiver escape.

card of winter. sender finds the receiver dying of frostbite and gathers them in their arms to warm them.

card of dust. sender finds the receiver asleep over a book and wakes them.

card of stars. sender keeps the receiver company during first watch at camp.

card of crows. sender warns the receiver they're being followed but that the sender can protect them—for a fee.

card of twine. sender stitches a wound shut for the receiver.

---

heart of virtue. sender presses a kiss to the back of the receiver's hand.

heart of devotion. sender slips their signet ring onto the receiver's finger.

heart of roses. sender gives the receiver a token of their favor before a tourney.

heart of thrones. sender kneels before the receiver to pleasure them.

heart of destiny. sender tells the receiver they are fated or reincarnated lovers.

heart of honey. sender intimately feeds the receiver by hand.

heart of darkness. sender cloaks themselves and the receiver in shadows so they can kiss in public.

heart of stone. sender asks the receiver to be their lover as they can't marry.

heart of gold. sender renounces their title to be with the receiver.

heart of wolves. sender intimately licks blood from the receiver's body.

heart of knives. sender cuts the clothes from the receiver's body, unable to wait.

heart of dusk. sender meets the receiver in secret to be together.

heart of embers. sender initiates intimacy to keep the receiver warm.

[taibhsearachd]

I've been fucking haunted by shit going on in Darfur for months now, and it seems like no one is really paying attention to it.

The most recent news stories involve children being "piled up and shot", massive displacement of people, and basically no humanitarian aid given. This is a very statistics-based analysis of what is going on in Darfur. When you get to the actual human stories, they're actual nightmares.

Important quotes from the UN website:

The UN says it is particularly worried about conditions in Darfur, where babies are dying in hospitals, children and mothers are suffering from severe malnutrition and camps for displaced people have been burned to the ground. The UN’s Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee told the Security Council, that “sexual and gender-based violence continues, with accusations of sexual violence by Rapid Support Forces personnel, and rape and sexual harassment implicating the Sudanese Armed Forces.”

And recently....

UN humanitarian agencies left Darfur when the April 2023 conflict broke out and many of their facilities were looted or destroyed. Some have returned on an occasional basis to provide humanitarian relief when the security situation has allowed.. Many aid workers have been killed in Darfur, while others are working under extremely challenging conditions to support the civilians there.

It's genuinely hard to find out what to do about this, a lot of it is down to governmental support for humanitarian aid, so... call your representatives about aid to Sudan, I am begging you. There is one donation portal I think might be a useful place to put your money if you can (if there are more, I would love to spread that info).

People are dying. Children are dying. I know so much else is going on in the world but there is ethnic cleansing going on in Sudan and it feels like no one is even noticing that it's happening.

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

Something really bizarre is happening right now; there's been friction between the Russian Ministry of Defence and Prigozhin (head of Wagner PMC) for months now, with Prigozhin regularly releasing video tirades blaming people high up in the ministry - pretty much everybody except Putin himself - about how they're fucking up the war, or needlessly endangering Wagner forces, etc. Today he released a video about how the ones responsible for the war had been looting Donbass since 2014 and that the states casus belli for the current invasion is a bunch of lies.

Anyway, just a little while ago Prigozhin accused the ministry of striking a Wagner training camp with missiles and released another recording basically declaring war on the ministry in fairly unambiguous terms in what almost sounds like he's announcing a coup attempt

[sayruq]

In the early hours of April 7th the Israel Defence Forces’ (idf) 98th Division withdrew from Khan Younis, the second-largest city in Gaza, exactly six months after Hamas’s attack of October 7th. Israel had the sympathy and broad support of much of the West when it sent its army to war with Hamas. Half a year later, much of Gaza lies in ruins. Over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gazan health ministry. The uprooted civilian population faces famine. Israel has lost the battle for global public opinion. Even its closest allies, including America, are considering whether to limit arms shipments. Much of the criticism centres on Israel’s armed forces. Even after its devastating failure to prevent the massacres of October 7th, the idf has remained the most cherished institution in Israeli society. Holding fast to the vision of the idf as both effective and moral is essential to Israelis’ image of themselves. But it is now accused of two catastrophic failures. First, that it has not achieved its military objectives in Gaza. Second, that it has acted immorally and broken the laws of war. The implications for both the idf and Israel are profound.

Major-General Noam Tibon is a retired corps commander who on October 7th rushed to his son’s kibbutz near Gaza, single-handedly extricating his young family while Hamas was on the rampage. In hindsight, he says, the idf should have gone into Rafah first. He believes his former colleagues were “under the illusion that going first into Gaza City would break Hamas psychologically, by taking their symbols of government”. But, he argues, “all the talk of dismantling their brigades and battalions is rubbish. They remain a fundamentalist movement which doesn’t need commanders to fight until death.” The lack of enforcement of even these looser rules of engagement has been such that accusations that Israel has broken the laws of war are plausible. “The standing orders don’t matter in the field,” says one veteran reserve officer who has mostly been in Gaza since October. “Just about any battalion commander can decide that whoever moves in his sector is a terrorist or that buildings should be destroyed because they could have been used by Hamas.” “The only limit to the number of buildings we blew up was the time we had inside Gaza,” says one sapper in a combat-engineering battalion. “If you find a Kalashnikov or even Hamas literature in an apartment, it’s enough to incriminate the building.” Other officers reported a breakdown of discipline in their units, with multiple cases of looting. “I think everyone in our platoon took a coffee set,” said one sergeant. Soldiers have filmed themselves vandalising Palestinian property and, in some cases, put those videos online. On February 20th the idf’s chief of staff published a public letter to all soldiers warning them to use force only where necessary, “to distinguish between a terrorist and who is not, not to take anything which isn’t ours—a souvenir or weaponry—and not to film vengeance videos.” Four months into the war, this was too little, too late. “He should have acted much sooner to root this out,” says one battalion commander. The idf’s third failure is its role in Israel’s obstruction—until an angry phone call between President Joe Biden and Mr Netanyahu on April 4th—of aid efforts to Gazans. Officers have mainly blamed the politicians for this. But some acknowledge that even without a political directive, the army, which is arguably an occupying force in Gaza now, should have assumed this responsibility from the planning stage. Instead it acted only when the humanitarian situation became critical. That does not bode well for the future. The war in Gaza is not over. Israel’s next step is unclear. Mr Netanyahu says that a date has been set for an incursion into Rafah, Hamas’s last major stronghold (in private, Israeli generals deny this).

[apas-95]

abt the 'exit strategy for capitalism' thing obviously the natural advantages of socialist states will lead to their uncontested military and economical dominance in the coming decades, at which point they'll have both means and motive to buy out bourgeois interests and their 'possessions' and transition the economical system while there's no easy way for imperial core states to outright end these trends, their policies obviously do affect the economical development of socialist states and there's probably enough variance to shift the timetable on all this happening by a couple years, so y'know exert whatever influence you have on the particular flavor of capitalism that's in vogue if done well (and what I'm seeing rn actually gives me hope for that) the capitalists at no point have an incentive to burn the whole thing down out of spite bc they keep earning right until they don't, you know how the saying abt ropes and hangings goes (and if done poorly and they cling to and suck dry the last scraps of the world's economy they control at least everywhere else should be out of reach by then) and my main concern with a revolution is actually that one will 100% get accused of having foreign backing, at which point you just needlessly raise the odds of some general deciding he (or she #imwithher) might as well let those nukes fly (even if they're losing, especially if they're losing) But it's all w/e, I could be convinced either way, this all just makes a lot more sense to me than a succesful imperial core revolution that doesn't end with the northern hemisphere irradiated

fundamentally the notion of a peaceful transition out of capitalism is simply not in agreement with reality. no class has ever abandoned the world stage without fighting to maintain itself, and the imperial core is already both undertaking massive violence and war against the sections of the global south it already has under its heel, and preparing for high-intensity conflict against the communists that have slipped its shackles. there is no point where the bourgeoisie would simply peacefully allow themselves to be stripped of power.

the point of nukes is exactly *why* there has to be revolution within the imperial core, rather than having the rest of the world do the job for them - there is precisely one place the US has no nuclear deterrent against, which is itself. if the thing we're supposed to fear is that both 'the US military's high command, likely facing severe mutiny, rather than ordering a negotiated surrender during civil war, decides to nuke themselves' as well as 'the US strategic missile forces, upon receiving the order to nuke themselves, carry it out', then so be it - such a fundamental strategic insanity would be just as likely to start a nuclear exchange even if there weren't a revolution - which brings us to the final point.

world war is on the horizon. the economic reasons for world war remain as they did a century and a half ago. the world has been fully carved up, and the profits are drying out. the imperialist blocks, principally the US and EU, are driven to compete against each other for their holdings, first peacefully, then through proxy war, and finally through direct conflict. as it was a hundred years ago, the buildup of war is accepted on all sides with the target of the socialist bloc and the potential for its pillaging, but (as has already started breaking out among larger and larger regional powers) any conflict of this sort would manifest as general war and looting, as desperate, recession-wracked imperialists take opportunity as it presents itself. in inter-imperialist war the most ruthless techniques are used, and a nuclear exchange would not be off the table -- and, fundamentally, the conditions that lead to world war are the same that lead to instability, insurrection, and revolution within individual countries.

war is, at this juncture, an inevitability. the only question is whether revolutionary war will win out over unjust war, will convert the war between nations to a war between classes. we are against war, but we are not afraid of it.

[spot-the-antisemitism]

I find it bizarre how often certain things only apply to Jews. For example, whenever someone uses "109 countries" argument as gotcha against Jews. You can go through pretty much every single one of those expulsions and find not only was reason not justified, if it was used against pretty much any other group it would have been seen as evil today.

Antisemites look at Spanish expulsion of Jews and terror through inquisition against them as justified, yet will bemoan the same actions when they were carried out against various heretic groups and exaggerate them to extreme.

Antisemites look at Philip IV's expulsion of Jews from France as justified because (((they))) were greedy bankers, ignoring that Philip got rid of them so he doesn't have to pay back his loans. But when the same thing happened to Templar order, then they rightfully see it as sham and slander.

Antisemites look at Crusaders killing Jews in modern Germany as part of the course, but cry over Crusaders looting Constantinople, even though the same logic should justify it since it was heretic city.

Antisemites look at blood libel accusations and conclude there had to be some truth to it, but see witch trials and similar superstitions as based on a hoax.

Antisemites look at Holocaust as educational experience and Jews had it coming, yet rightfully call similar rhetoric (Blacks had it coming for not being Christian, slavery was positive experience) regarding Atlantic slave trade as racist.

Antisemites look at pogroms that happened in Middle East in 20th century as justified because (((they))) were foreign agents seeking to destroy Muslim countries from within, yet will recognize similar actions elsewhere as ethnic cleansing or outright genocide.

Feels like antisemitism forgoes any logic in favor of mindless hate.

Dear anon,

thank you for your excellent essay on antisemitic double standarts in how we view European history

please write again

Cecil

[berryhobii]

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH! 🖤🖤🖤In honor of this wonderful month and the history of our people, I want to provide information on pieces of black history that is often overlooked due to the whitewashing of education.

First up, the race riots and black massacres that occurred. Many people do not know but before, during, and after segregation and Jim Crow laws, black people had built wealthy black communities and were striving despite racial discrimination.

A black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma was known as Black Wall Street. Black owned businesses thrived and we were reaching the same levels as our white counterparts. The masacre started on Memorial Day weekend when a young black man by the name of Dick Rowland was accused of assaulting a young white woman. After this hearsay reached the white community, they gathered their arms, Rowland was arrested and set to be lynched with no trial. Due to a white man being lynched the year before, white people took this as an opportunity to get revenge. After a report that hundreds of white men had gathered to hurt Rowland in prison, a group of 75 black men also gathered to protect him. However, a white officer convinced them to leave. It was later found that Rowland was beaten by this officer already but didn’t want anyone else to find out.

Referring to as a “rolling gunfight”, more instances of white people provoking black people led to a shootout between both communities. When outnumbered, the black people were forced to retreat.

As news of his gun violence spread, mob violence reached its peak. For an entire day and night, white rioters looted stores, burned down buildings, destroyed homes, and unalived many black people. It’s also believed that white rioters started this massacre as a way to knock black wealth down out of jealousy and white supremacy.

A little over 10,000 black people were left homeless and the property damage to the community was set close to $1.5Million and personal property at $750,000(equal to about $36.92 Million today). Due to racial discrimination and redlining, the city and banks refused to compensate black people while simultaneously handing out loans to white businesses that were not affected during the riots. This caused many black families to leave Tulsa in search of a new place to settle. Due to white people’s power over media, the Tulsa Riots remained omitted from national histories. It didn’t even get published into history books until the 1960s.

While Tulsa is the most common masacre we hear about, it’s not the only one. The destruction of black communities have led to the property value in those areas steadily decreasing. Redlining made it so that black people could not rebuild and the majority of money was funneled into white communities. Today, it’s why POC communities are more likely to be dilapidated and poverty stricken while white communities are maintained and clean.

I will provide a list of other race riots and black massacres here.

Educate yourself. Teach the children. Don’t let them gaslight you. Our history is long and harsh and it deserves to be spoken about.

[spaceyaceface]

I just discovered your blog from your fake dating story and I am in love with everything you have written! I would like to request one if you are open to writing it. Sebastian and f!mc’s relationship is at a standstill after a big fight. Rumors floating around the castle that they have broken up, a student who fancies MC takes his chance to flirt and ask MC on a date. MC hesitantly, like she’s unsure, claims she’s with Sebastian. He does not believe her, perhaps because MC does not believe it herself. Possessive!Sebastian appears.

AHHHH thank you so so much, you're wonderful anon! This was such a fun one to write---I really enjoy Possessive!Seb haha, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the request!

Sebastian Sallow x f!MC/Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: Possessive!Seb, Andrew Larson being rude, making out lol

She and Sebastian had fought before, but never like that. 

What made it worse is she knew it was all her fault. It had started out like many of their disagreements—she had been late coming back from the Forbidden Forest, and was a bit banged up. Sebastian, as always, had waited up for her. He’d made a habit of doing that, always telling her he’d be unable to sleep until she was safe. Most of the time, she would let him worry over her for a few minutes, heal whatever wounds the Wiggenweld had missed, and then kiss goodnight. But that night, everything had been too much. 

She had failed to save the puffskeins she’d been fighting to save. A quick cast of Depulso had caught her just at the worst moment, sending her flying back into a cliffside. As she crumpled to the ground, the poachers had grabbed their loot and aparated away. So when Sebastian fussed over her—and that time she didn’t even have anything worthwhile to show for it—she snapped. 

How she wished she could take back the words she’d said to him. What she wouldn’t give for a time turner to slap some sense into her past self. She accused him of being too controlling, of telling her what she could and couldn’t do (that was completely false—he’d always let her go where and when she wanted, as long as he let her know). Then he fired back that perhaps he’d allowed her too much freedom, had she been hit so hard she’d lost her bloody mind? It only escalated from there. It ended with her storming out of the room, without even a hint of remorse. 

Oh, how she felt it now.

It hit her as she curled up in bed, staring up at the ceiling as her anger cooled. The tears flooded her alongside the regret. She had said some horrible things. What if he couldn’t forgive her? 

She didn’t sleep that night. Or the night after that. Or any for the several days that followed. 

Because when she had gone to apologize that morning, she… couldn’t. It wasn’t that she was stubborn or wanted him to say sorry first—it was fear that he wouldn’t accept her apology, that she had permanently ruined things between them. Maybe that fight would finally make him realize how much better he could do than her. 

So she didn’t approach him. And he didn’t approach her. For an agonizing week they went on in silence. She could swear she felt his eyes on the back of her head, but when she turned, he would be talking to someone else. For as much as she stared, longing to see that lop-sided smirk she knew so well, he didn’t turn her way. It was awful.

And now there were rumors—rumors that she didn’t know what to do with. People began to whisper that they’d broken up, that the Hero of Hogwarts was back on the market. It made her sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to be with anyone but Sebastian, and the thought of them not being together—well, it tore her apart. 

What made it even worse was Andrew Larson trying to take his chance with her. 

Throughout the week, he began to make sly remarks in class about how wonderfully she had performed the spells. He walked with her, even offering to carry her books, which she nearly scoffed at. Every time he said something like that, she couldn’t help but glance at Sebastian, seeing if it would garner any reaction from him. He never said anything or stepped in, but she could see the way his jaw tensed—it gave her a bit of hope that perhaps there was still something there for them. 

It all came to a head nine days after her and Sebastian had fought. She was in the courtyard, studying—normally she would have gone to the library, but Sebastian was usually there that time in the evening. She read through the pages of her textbook, trying her best to get lost in the pages. Evidently, it worked; she hadn’t heard Andrew Larson’s footsteps as he had approached her. 

The clearing of his throat startled her from her reading, and she looked up at him. There was a smile on his face–-one that filled her with much more dread than it should have. 

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“In a way, I suppose,” he said. 

She frowned. “Well then, what is it?” 

“I was wondering if you would join me on a trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow.” 

Her heart dropped. She hadn’t once played into his attempts at flirting—never showed any sign she felt that way towards him, yet he still had the gall to ask her out? 

She stood, starting to gather her things to get out of there as quickly as possible. “No, thank you, Andrew.” 

“And why not?”

“You know full well I—” her throat felt suddenly dry. Her voice came out weaker as she continued. “I’m… with Sebastian.”

Andrew let out a laugh, one that made her stomach churn. “Oh, please. You two haven’t even looked at each other in a week. It couldn’t be more clear you’ve gone your separate ways. I promise I’m an excellent candidate to get you back into dating.”

“We haven’t broken up,” she said. But it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than anything. “We just…” Just what, she thought. 

Andrew seemed to read her thoughts and made a strange attempt at a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. I promise I can help that little broken heart of yours.”

“You won’t be doing anything of the sort, Larson.” 

She whirled around toward the familiar voice. Her heart fluttered at the expression on his face. He wore a deep scowl, lip curled slightly from disgust. His eyes were dark and menacing. 

It was pretty hot.

His wand was clenched in his hand, and she couldn’t really find it in herself to tell him to calm down. 

Andrew didn’t seem nearly as phased as he should have been. She had seen looks like that cross Sebastian’s face before, and it never ended well for the person on the receiving end of his fury. Instead of running like a sensible man might do, Andrew stood his ground, arms crossed. “Oh really? And why is that, Sallow?”

“Because she’s mine.”

The way he practically growled the word sent shivers down her spine.

Andrew narrowed his eyes. “She didn’t seem too sure about that just a moment ago. Maybe she needs the chance to see what she’s missing out on.” 

And suddenly Sebastian’s dark and angry eyes were on her, and he was stepping closer, and some instinct in the back of her head warned her to run, but of course she won’t, not from Sebastian, never from Sebastian—and then his lips crashed into hers, his hands on either side of her face, and she felt like she would combust on the spot—

He’s kissed her before, too many times to count. There kisses stolen between classes, when he insisted he just could resist her lovely smile, kisses in private, where he let his lips linger and part until they were overtaken with laughs and smiles . Kisses that were passionate, hungry, leaving her aching with a strange need. None of them held a flame to this.

Her arms lift to wrap around the back of his neck, pulling herself closer to the heat of his mouth. One of his hands left her face to pull her hips to his, and he took advantage of the gasp that parted her lips, letting himself taste her even more deeply. 

It was ghastly. Indecent. Provocative. Heavenly.

She was barely aware of all the students that cleared themselves out of the courtyard (though not after a good moment of gawking at the sight). Andrew Larson stomped away among them. Finally, the pair broke apart, gasping desperately for the shared air between them. It was a good few minutes before either of them had the mind to talk. 

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian said. His voice was husky in a way that made her want to reclaim his lips, but she knew she could wait until they got some things settled. 

“You better not be referring to that kiss,” she breathed out. “Because that was… it was…”

He chuckled, placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, a stark contrast to their ministrations mere moments ago. “Oh believe me, I’m not sorry for that one bit. It seemed to get the message to Larson pretty well, too.” 

She blushed, the realization that they had more than just a handful of witnesses to that scene hitting her. But she shook the thought. “Then you better not be saying sorry for our stupid fight, either.”

Sebastian’s brows furrowed. “Am I not supposed to apologize for fighting?” 

“Not when you did nothing wrong,” she sighed, burying her head in the crook of his neck. “It was all my fault. I was frustrated and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.” 

“I still could have come to talk to you this whole time,” he said. “But I didn’t. Thought maybe you’d be better off without me.”

She nearly laughed at that. “That’s silly. I was thinking you were better off without me.” 

“Then maybe we can agree that both of those thoughts are ridiculous.” 

She pulled her face up to look at him. “I love you, Sebastian. And I promise if we ever fight again, I’m not going to be an idiot.”

“I’m not sure I can promise the same.”

She laughed, and he grinned at the sound. One week had been much too long without it. 

He bit his lip a bit. “I um… I’m sorry I sort of… lost control over Larson.” His gaze trailed away from hers. 

She blushed. “Don’t be. It was hot.”

His eyes widened as they met hers once again. “Hot?”

She gave a small nod. “Yes. What was it you said? I’m yours?”

His grip on her tightened as he grinned down at her. “And don’t you forget it.”

“I think I could use another reminder, if you don’t mind.”

He didn’t mind at all.

[quoththeowl31]

Lets have some Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey fun!

The Young Man:

I thought I was alone in the manor only to find another reading the diaries. He jumped when I cleared my throat and turned, blinding me with the light from his helmet.

The light looked to be far more modern than what is used by today's standards and it easily obscured the man's features.

"What are you doing here?" Was all I could ask.

"I could ask you the same!" His accent wasn't from around here. There was a drawl to it. American? From what I could tell he was young with dark hair and he was ready for a fight given his body language. I have to de-escalate.

"Look I'm just here investigating a missing girl. I'm a private detective."

"Missing girl eh? I've heard rumors this place swallows people up like a hungry beast. Still how do I know you're not pullin' my leg? You ain't some squatter, right?"

My turn...

"Well what about you? What exactly are you doing here? You look like you're here to loot what valuables are left here."

"I don't take kindly to that type of accusation, Detective. If you must know, I'm an Archeologist and here for my own kind of investigation."

Archeologist?

"What could an Archeologist possibly be investigating in an old manor?"

He huffed.

"A lot of people say that this manor is cursed. I'm not necessarily one to believe in supernatural curses; usually when a place is said to be cursed, it's a warning about what natural dangers are encountered there; venomous reptiles or insects, hazardous environments or just a way to scare looters off. But here...there might be something to that."

He pulls something out of his pocket; a photograph of a strange symbol etched into the wall of a room.

"See here? Before the basement was turned into...that...it used to be a darkroom for developing photographs. The Manor's owner at the time of this was a man named Joseph Desaulniers and from what I understand, he was obsessed with capturing souls in photographs and dabbled in occult means to do so. There were symbols like these etched into the walls of the basement and in various locations around the manor grounds."

These symbols...they were familiar but I couldn't place them to any known ancient civilization. I hand back the photos to the Archeologist.

"These symbols...where are they from?"

"From what I've discovered they're from a time before the Romans but there's so little left I've been tracking what little leads I could find about them..." The pause is palpable, I feel as though the sense of dread about the manor has only grown stronger.

"Remember how I said this manor is like a hungry beast? I've managed to decode some of the symbols. They point to a ritual that grants good fortune to those who invoke it. The thing is a constant stream of fresh blood is needed..."

"Fresh blood...you mean like..."

"Yeah...sacrifice."

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Scythian Gold Jewelry Stolen From Ukraine Recovered in Spain

An Orthodox Church priest is among the five people accused of trying to sell the pieces, taken after being put on display at a Kyiv museum between 2009 and 2013.

The Spanish authorities have seized Scythian jewelry worth €60m (£52m) they say was stolen from Ukraine.

Police said the 11 ancient gold pieces were smuggled out of Ukraine in 2016 to be resold in Spain.

The bracelets, necklaces and earrings, from the 8th to 4th Centuries BC, had forged documents saying they belonged to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Five arrests were made previously as part of an investigation into the 2021 sale of a gold belt with rams' heads.

The Scythians were a nomadic people who dominated parts of eastern Europe and Asia, including what is now southern Ukraine, from around 800 BC until 400 AD. They were known for their rich cultural heritage and metalworking skills, particularly in the manufacture of elaborate gold jewelry.

Separately, the Ukrainian authorities said last week that they had recovered 14 archaeological items allegedly stolen from areas occupied by Russia. A Russian man was arrested after attempting to smuggle them into the US.

The items include a Neolithic axe dating from approximately 5,000-3,000 BC.

"It's safe to say that Ukraine has received a new shipment of weaponry. The only catch is that this weaponry is incredibly ancient," Ukraine's acting Minister of Culture Rostyslav Karandieiev wryly noted at a news conference.

Artifacts created by the Scythian civilisation are among Ukraine's best-known historical heritage.

Ukrainian archaeologists say Scythian gold held in Ukrainian museums in areas under Russian occupation has been looted since the full-scale invasion last year.

Losses from alleged Russian plundering of Ukraine's historical and artistic heritage are estimated to run into the hundreds of millions of euros.

[troythecatfish]

The Jewish Council of Australia issued a statement that accuses Israel of misappropriating the Star of David

The statement noted that "Israel's soldiers have been documented emblazoning the Star of David on Palestinian prisoners, graffitiing it on the walls of houses they loot in Gaza, and using tanks to sear it into the rubble of what used to be recreation parks for families." It therefore said that "these actions place all Jewish people at risk by tarnishing us with these egregious human rights abuses."

Source: Mintpress

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 TENNANT - General Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis on Tennant as a character and other related things.

I missed doing analysis like this and I got burnt out from writing oneshots, so since someone asked for a Tennant post last month or so, here we are <3

she's literally the only 5* I don't have, the woman avoids me like the plague LMFAO. because of this, the screenshots and examples will be taken directly from the fandom wikia!

On the subject of diamonds, Laurence Tennant and the House of Tennant.

I feel like we should talk first about her father, as it will give more context as to her current personality and themes. For the sake of making things less confusing, I'll be addressing Tennant by her real name (Ada) throughout this specific bullet point!

Going by Ada's Cover profile, we can confirm that she was born in Birmingham and at the age of 15, moved with her father to New Delhi.

Thanks to the 01 Story, we understand that the Tennants moved from their homeland because of Laurence's job (mining, identifying and transporting diamonds from British India to the UK). It's also worth noting that the House of Tennant seems to be extremely valuable to the UK because of their mineral/diamond related skills and arcanum - note how Ada's father is titled Sir Laurence Tennant in the first part, and how they strip him of his title.

But what the 01 Story fails to explain is the reason Laurence was persecuted. He's suspected of "an arcanum-related crime, thef, fraud" and other six unknown charges, that's all we know. The 02 Story gives a little more information on the crime he might've committed to have such a large bounty on his head.

"…Laurence Tennant stands accused of an arcanum-related crime, in which he may have turned a batch of diamonds into charcoal on their way to Britain through his arcane skill. The colonial government is still in search of Laurence Tennant and trying to locate the whereabouts of the diamonds and therefore cannot take legal action against the suspect at the moment."

Basically, he does the exact same thing Ada is currently known for. The year this event takes place in is also important - Bluepoch puts a lot of references to real people and events, and given how the House of Tennant lived through the british occupation of India and how they're related to the diamond mining industry, I'd like to talk about a very specific diamond: Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest diamonds in the world.

Now, as usual, I'm only getting this information from skimming wikipedia articles and anyone with more knowledge on this subject is free to correct me or add to the post!

The Koh-i-Noor is notorious for its conflicting and confusing origins, with the earliest mention of its existence being around the 1740s and that it was directly looted from Delhi. This diamond was passed around various royal figures, but we'll focus on what happened to it on the year Laurence Tennant went missing. In 1937, the Koh-i-Noor was put on the crown of Queen Elizabeth for her coronation.

For full transparency, the diamond had been in possession of the Royal British Family since 1851, so the idea that Laurence Tennant might've somehow acquired it while he was aaaaall the way in New Delhi doesn't exactly make much sense. Still, I feel like the year chosen for this event, the themes and the theft of diamonds, plus the subtle emphasis on british colonialism that Tennant's character has, are still worth discussing, to draw more parallels between the real events and the details chosen by Bluepoch.

Laurence Tennant might've or might've not stolen the Koh-i-Noor, for all we know he simply could've switched a handful of regular diamonds for charcoal using his arcane skills. To me this doesn't explain all the chaos that ensued, but it could still be a thing that happened!

My personal headcanon on this matter is that the House of Tennant has been doing this since the very beginning. Father and daughter share the same arcanum, after all. Laurence Tennant was stated to have been working in the diamond industry for many, many years - there's no way he could've missed something as important as the Koh-i-Noor. And in the context of politics, it's way easier to accuse the perpetrator of many different, smaller crimes than the big crime that could ridicule the crown or the authorities in power. I personally like to think this is what happened with the Tennants - that the Koh-i-Noor was found to be fake during Queen Elizabeth's coronation, that they finally realized Laurence Tennant's long scam, and they accused him of minor crimes to save face all while giving him the biggest fucking bounty known to man during those years.

What leads me to believe that the House of Tennant, that both father and daughter were scamming the crown all along, is Ada's 02 Story.

Once her father disappears, he's gone for good. Ada never mentions him again, not in her voicelines, not in her interview with Pandora Wilson. Ada never seems to grieve his disappearance, which seems weird since there's nothing that hints towards them being on bad terms. As far as we know, the Tennant family is only them.

A year after Laurence Tennant disappears from the face of the Earth, his daughter follows. In 1938, Ada also escapes the authorities that were actively supervising her during Laurence's case. We don't know how old she was exactly, other than she must've been older than 15 at minimum. And if she was spotted around the 1940s with her current age being 25, well...

For someone that young to vanish without a trace despite all the constant surveillance, all the attention drawn to her family due to her father's crime - to me it seems like she learned from the best. Especially when she begins her own career of crime in Paris that very same year, using the exact same methods as her father, the legacy of her family.

This would also explain Ada's constant lying and acting. These are all things she learned from her father, someone who was never truly obedient and loyal to the people he worked with.

I would also like to draw parallels between Ada and Druvis III. It's the same argument and parallels I talked about when discussing Forget Me Not. Feel free to skip this, if you already know the deal.

Both characters, Ada and Druvis, were part of important arcanist families, known and respected for their specific arcane skills. Both of them had to leave their homes behind: Druvis, an immigrant forced to abandon her roots and traditions for the sake of assimilating into the "american dream". Ada, who moved into one of the colonies her own country was actively exploiting, an outsider and indirect participant in the mining of diamonds.

Both characters also carry their families and legacies in their names, but whereas Druvis is constantly haunted by her past and the way people continue to talk about her family, the House of Tennant is forgotten. Ada's first birthday quote states:

Many years ago, the Tennants held a birthday banquet for their beloved daughter on this day. But now, almost no one remembers this déclassé family.

The House of Tennant is gone, despite their importance in history and the huge crime commited, no one remembers them. And yet, Ada wears her family name proudly, there's barely anyone left to remember where it comes from and the weight it used to carry.

It's understandable that people recognize Druvis. But why can't people remember the House of Tennant? I don't have an answer for this, I just think it's a very interesting thing, some food for thought!

On the subject of Tennant's ties to New Delhi, colonialism and her stance on racial and arcanist/human issues.

Not to hit everyone with heavy topics, but I feel this is an aspect of Tennant that often goes overlooked in favour of her whole seductive vibes.

Now, Tennant was born in the United Kingdom, but she has a noticeable darker tone to her skin, and while her ethnicity is never stated, it might be implied that she's a woman of color. I've seen people say that she's tan because of the time she spent in New Delhi - she does have a voiceline speaking about the scorching sun - but... She left New Delhi years ago. A tan you get from the sun doesn't ... stick for a decade. That argument doesn't make sense at all to me.

Either way, while I'll be treating her ethnicity as ambiguous, I felt it was important to note out that she might not be white, especially because of the themes I'll be addressing here.

Now, first and foremost I want to talk about the way Tennant talks of New Delhi - this is not the country she was born in, nor the place she was raised, as it's implied that she was also pretty young when she left for Paris. Yet she makes no references to the United Kingdom.

New Delhi? To be honest, I barely remember anything about it. It doesn't make much difference to England, aside from the scorching sun.

This quote? This is a lie. This is Tennant choosing to lie to Vertin for reasons I'll talk about in the next bullet point. How do I know it's a lie? Because the last item you can unlock for Tennant is this.

Cheap accessories she bought in New Delhi. And they must mean a lot to Tennant, because Pandora Wilson notes that it's impressive that she's managed to keep them until now.

The first skin Tennant gets in 1.3 is "Roaming in Delhi".

The text reads:

Back then, whenever there was a day off, I would put on a local outfit and wander around Delhi to visit some historical sites and handicraft shops... Those days were fun. Yours, Tennant.

Clearly, Tennant still thinks about Delhi. The time she spent there must've been important to her because to this day, she still carries part of it with her.

I believe that during her time there, Tennant came to understand the way rich countries exploit others, the lengths they'll go for something as simple as diamonds. And now, knowing that she dressed up as a local and saw their way of life first hand during the british occupation, it gives a lot more depth to her character and why she seems to cherish New Delhi above all the other places she's been in.

I won't pretend I'm a history buff. Again, all this information comes from quick searches and reading wikipedia articles. I'm a person of color myself, but I cannot speak on the struggle India and its people went through.

What I gathered is that Tennant lived through the last stages of the Indian Independence Movement. And given how Tennant was spotted in the 1940's, it's safe to say that she outlived the British Raj, as India gained independence in 1947. The fact that all of these important events were chosen for her backstory doesn't seem like a coincidence to me. It makes sense that Tennant does not abide by laws and is considered a criminal - because the authorities she witnessed were anything but just and fair to the commonfolk. We must also take into account the issues R1999 introduces between arcanists and humans, which overlap with our own racial issues in the real world to a degree.

This might be a reach from my part, but notice how the news from Tennant's 01 Story change when addressing her father. First it's "an official in British India, Sir Laurence Tennant", when they believe him to be missing. Later, after they issue a wanted notice, it's "senior official, mineralogist, arcanist Laurence Tennant". They've already stripped him of his title and now that he's officially a criminal in the eyes of the government, they felt it was necessary to state he was an arcanist. And sure, they also stated his previous role and his job, but as a person of color myself it definitely feels similar to the way POC's ethnicities are highlighted in media whenever they're accused of crimes.

Language and wording matters a lot, and perhaps this is why Tennant knows this, why one of her most effective methods is sweet-talking.

Either way, Tennant does speak of politics and I think her character as a whole was meant to be political given the details we just discussed. There's this exchange at the beginning of her interview with Pandora Wilson:

Pandora Wilson: What's the difference between Britain, India and France to you? Tennant: Nothing different, my beautiful lady. Pandora Wilson: What do you mean? Tennant: For me, humans are all the same, no matter where they are from. Tennant: We share the same virtues and the same weaknesses, and we can't do anything about it. They are part of human nature.

Tennant has experienced all three points of view - that of the oppressor, moving to New Dehli because her family's business is involved in the diamond mining market. That of the oppressed, both as an arcanist and from the times she disguised herself as a local to experience life as just another girl from New Dehli. That of a third party, oblivious to the issues, in a brand new country who does not concern itself with these matters and live a beautiful life in ignorance.

She doesn't see any difference when it comes to all these countries she visited, because she knows of the struggles and how stupid prejudice and bigotry are.

Arcanists, within the universe of R1999, are hinted to be an entirely different race to humans because of the many differences in their biology, with their appearance being one of the things they share. And yet, Tennant doesn't make this distinction - WE share the same virtues. WE can't do anything about it. We are all the same, no matter where we come from.

Tennant, despite the lies she attempts to sell to the world, is an extremely grounded individual, just as multifaceted as the diamonds she recreates!

On the subject of Tennant's lies.

We can't talk about Tennant without addressing her whole lying motif. I've already covered characters who aren't fully transparent with their thoughts, feelings or intentions - not necessarily deceitful on purpose like, let's say, Forget Me Not, but just misleading.

In Tennant's case, this is taken to an extreme.

She's described as a fraudster, a con artist. There's a lot of stress into the fact that one cannot trust her. Deceit runs in her family, her medium is lies, her Inheritance Skill is called "Beautiful Lie". She states that her hobby is "diddling", cheating and scamming others...

And yet, this entire act is a performance.

This might be a controversial take, but Tennant is honest.

She delivers exactly the sort of behaviour and persona that people expect her to, the one she's built throughout the years. She's playing a character and performing for those willing to approach her despite the very red flags - because Tennant makes it extremely obvious that she's not someone to be trusted. You can see it in the way she speaks to Vertin.

Sunlight eases people's mind and endows diamonds with glowing luxury. What a perfect occasion for deceiving.

Good morning, my lady. I've prepared you fresh coffee, sandwiches, and this shiny diamond. Of course, I would never lie to you. This is a piece of cultured work. But look how it sparkles, how elegant, isn't it?

If you want to, you're always welcome at my place. I will be here, with my cleverest scam, waiting for your arrival and, of course, an invitation to yours.

This isn't to say that Tennant doesn't lie - she does that a lot, a good chunk of her voicelines are directly contradicted by her items. The voiceline in the middle is a lie. She's lied to Vertin already, when she said she did not remember New Dehli. She vaguely poses as a man...

If else, lies are to be expected when she's playing her part, when she's painting a picture of her nature as a con artist for you to fall for.

And speaking of falling for Tennant, aside from the whole counterfeit diamond scam, seduction is another aspect to her character. I don't have to go in-depth about this because everyone and their dog has seen her Insight 2 illustration, a good chunk of women who play the game did it because of Tennant's charms. Every day I look through the tag and see people talk about how Tennant was the one character that enticed them to play.

But I will point out a few other details! This is one of her voicelines.

So what's next? The young lady of the rich, resolute and courageous as she is, disregards my humble beginnings and takes her possessions to elope with me. But then, I will leave her and disappear, forever.

And this is the information given for her second birthday login.

On this day, countless maidens in Paris went dizzy with love. They all just happened to encounter an elegant, charming gentleman who gave them a "unique" invitation to a birthday date.

These fleeting relationships, her constant flattery and flirting - they're part of the performance and all the women who fall for it are willing participants. As far as I know, Tennant never steals from them, her targets being merchants and people who can afford to spend money on diamonds so frivolously.

This is why Tennant insists her behaviour is harmless, it's a game. Her conversation in the Wilderness is a perfect example of the way she operates, specifically the way she opens with:

Ironically, diamond itself is a product of lies. I merely add a new layer to it, won't you agree?

The phrase "a product of lies" is very evocative to me. Tennant more than anyone is aware of the truth about diamonds - their value is artificially inflated to support the whole market, but they're not that valuable and they're mostly sold to rich people. So she's right, a diamond is a product of lies! But this phrase could also be read differently, like the way a diamond is born from coal, or the way something so "high class" and brittle could be created through insane amounts of pressure and work. Again,

Bluepoch gives their character many, many layers, the same way Tennant adds yet another layer to the lies of a diamond.

"It's just a lie known to everyone."

So, to summarize: Tennant is honest and upfront about her lies, she's playing a character. Her big scam is to make people fall for something so obvious - she makes maidens fall in love with her despite everything, she makes merchants buy into her fake diamonds. It's both an innocent performance and a risky game she plays. It's like her Ultimate says - she has a sincere heart, just split into many pieces.

What leads me to believe that Tennant is also a very kind-hearted woman is the fact that one of her skills is a shield. This is also something I talked about when analyzing Dikke, since she's also a very violent person whose healing skill give more insight into her character. It's the same for Tennant here!

"People have always dreamed of such thing, no matter it's in the distant universe, or right in front of them."

These little things and the previous point portray a different Tennant altogether - she's offering a harmless, whirlwind romance to many girls out there who are willing to play along, who are enticed by the danger without knowing they're safe and sound by her side, to give them a taste of something beautiful and fleeting. She carries around a gun that is explicitly "seldom pulled out".

To end the post, I have to admit I don't have many in-depth headcanons for Tennant? At least not enough to warrant more bullet points, and I already sprinkled a few throughout the post, so that's about it from me!