#Subjects. I mean half of them all do or have lived in their own country's capitals. Dude capital cities are expensive af to live in

[the-final-sif]

There's a post from someone outside of the US about how people in the US don't put their country down and just put down their state and something about US people being US centric, and part of it has always kind of bothered me because I think that people outside of the US don't really understand how states work for us or why people think their state should be enough. Some of it is being US centric for sure, but I honestly don't think that's the main reason.

It's because the US is a bunch of countries in a trench coat. I've compared it before to the EU, and I really do think that's accurate. It's literally a union of states. Each state has it's own government and laws and we have the federal government too but day to day a lot more of your life comes down to the state laws. Your driver's license, license plate, wage and a lot of employment protect (and enforcement), vast majority of court experiences, etc all go through the state. Moving to different states can mean being subject to wildly different laws, tax rates/methods, and forms of discrimination (ie florida trying to ban queer people while other states are explicitly adding protections for them).

Like, you'll notice that streamers often tend to be clustered in certain states in the US, and a lot of that has to do with certain states not having an income tax. Depending on what state they're registered in, companies can be subject to wildly different laws. Hence why Delaware is so popular for businesses. Bankruptcy law works differently in every state.

Lawyers are licensed to practice by state, and while they can move to different states, it's difficult and depending on their area of law they may be totally out of their field. Even small states like Delaware have totally different laws from a place 15 minutes to the left like New Jersey.

The largest single state by population is California which has nearly 40 million people. That is more than the entire population of Canada. It's roughly on par with Poland. Give or take a million people.

Ohio has about 11 million people, about 1 million more than Sweden. Florida has 22 million, over double Greece's population. New York and Romania both come out to about 19 million each.

Our smallest state by population, Wyoming, which has about 500k people, still has about 200k more people than Iceland.

Fucking Russia literally does not have half the population of the US. It sits at 144 million while we're at 333 million.

To give a sense of landmass/scale, France is the largest EU state by landmass with 630k square km. Texas alone is 695k. Alaska is 1.7 million square km. The US in total is 11.3 million square km. The entire EU has 4.2 million square km.

The US is 1) fucking huge and 2) so much less cohesive than a lot of non-Americans assume.

So why would someone from the US just put down their state? For the same reason that most people from the EU don't write down "Germany in the EU". Your state is where you're actually from, the USA is the weird umbrella you live under.

[matan4il]

Kibbutz menara in the north has been half demolished by hezbollah

Nonnie, I hope it's okay to add to this ask, another one on the same subject, kibbutz Menara:

Can you write about the huge damage to kibbutz menara in your next update post? Tysm for them

And just in case both are from you, I'm so sorry I hadn't posted about this before, I did think of adding it to one of my daily update posts, but then I thought this deserves a post of its own, so I hope this ask reply dedicated to the subject will do it some justice.

(also, thank you for the kind words about my daily update posts! That means so, so very much! *hearts*)

Hezbollah has been targeting civilian communities along Israel's northern border. Kibbutz Menara is situated incredibly close to the border. I heard one journalist, who described the distance as, "There's the border fence, a narrow road running along it, and on the road's other side, the kibbutz fence," but looking up Menara on the map, sometimes it's not even that. Here's the map:

The kibbutz is also high up the mountain, making it very easy for Hezbollah to target this community, and very difficult for Israeli forces to defend. This image can give you an idea of what we're talking about:

I heard on the news that when fire broke out at one point, firefighters couldn't even approach the kibbutz, because Hezbollah's rockets made it too dangerous, and they just had to sit back, and watch the fire rage uncontrolled.

On Dec 24, Orly Yitzchak, a senior member of the kibbutz, said that 86 out of 155 apartments at Menara have been damaged, so we're talking about over half of the homes in this community at that point. And that's about two weeks ago, when Hezbollah's terrorist activity on Israel's border has only increased since.

Just to give everyone some context regarding this kibbutz... It was founded in 1943, as a community for Jewish youths from Germany and Poland, meaning young Holocaust survivors. The land for it was purchased a short while before the kibbutz was established. The conditions were very rough at first, for example supplies had to be brought there on mules, and at the beginning, the kibbutz members slept in tents and caves. A proper road was only completed in 1947. The first water pipe took longer, it was only inaugurated in 1953. During Israel's Independence War, the kibbutz was besieged from March to May 1948, and food had to be smuggled in at night, while some of the younger kids had to be secretly smuggled out (if you read the novel Exodus or watched its movie version, there's a fictional account of this real event). The kibbutz continued to be under attack even after the end of the war, including its water pipe being blown up in 1965, and community members being murdered along the years.

That's some of what the elders of the kibbutz had been through, the same people who now, at their old age, are forced to evacuate their community, live as refugees in their own country, and no one knows yet if they'll have any homes to return to. Roni, one kibbutz member, said in an interview that it's the community's elders who are strengthening the rest, and asking the younger generation to return to it no matter what.

There aren't a lot of photos taken there since the start of the war, but here are a few, just to give you an idea... The first pic is taken out of a family's living room.

I hope this does the kibbutz some justice. My heart goes out to the community's members. Thank you for caring about them, Nonnie! I hope you're well, and taking care of yourself! Sending you lots and lots of love. xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[i-merani]

Lawfare and discrimination against Palestinians by Arab countries

Hey I want to talk about something that is a very uncomfortable truth regarding Arab countries and their attitude towards Palestinians. Arab countries, which claim that they support Palestine, only do so to fulfill their own self interest. The reality of their "support" is different. Palestinians are not allowed to be in certain arab countries, they are not allowed to get citizenship, residence permit, pasport. Palestinians cannot fully live in Arab countries.

First read this info about Palestinians in Israel: All persons legally resident and registered, born or naturalised in Palestine under the British Mandate (1919-1948) were British Protected Persons, holders of British (Palestine) passports. Citizenship in both Jewish and Arab states – proposed by the Partition Plan set out in UN Res. 181 in 1947 – was meant to be granted to all inhabitants. However, when Britain promptly ended its mandate on 15 May 1948, it was left to the successor state, Israel, to determine entitlement to nationality.

Here are some facts:

Today more than half of the eight million or so Palestinians are considered to be de jure stateless persons. These fall broadly into three categories:

• holders of the 'Refugee Travel Document' (RTD) issued by Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and some other Arab countries (not a pasport/citizenship)

• holders of nationalities of convenience - mainly temporary Jordanian passports (not a pasport/citizenship)

• holders of the Palestinian passport issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA) which is considered as a travel document pending formation of a fully-fledged Palestinian state.

Policies of Arab countries regarding Palestinians:

Two main principles - set out in an Arab League protocol signed in Casablanca in 19651 - have determined the treatment of Palestinian refugees in host Arab states:

1. Granting Palestinian refugees full citizenship rights but denying them naturalisation (meaning, if a Palestinian is born in a certain Arab state, they will get a citizenship but a Palestinian not born in e.g. Egypt, will not get a citizenship even if they've lived there for 20 years)

2. Issuing them with Refugee Travel Documents (RTD) in order to maintain their refugee status (again, not granting citizenship)

But protocol was not followed through by some Arab countries, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Meaning that Palestinians were not only denied possibility of citizenship, but even their refugee statuses (RTD).

Additionally, Palestinians were expelled en masse from Kuwait in 1991 and from Libya in 1995. Palestinians in Iraq had to endure acts of vengeance including killings, evacuation and deportation.

Instititional discrimination against Palestinians in Arab countries:

The legal status, residency and civil rights of Palestinian communities in the Arab World are increasingly uncertain, particularly in Lebanon and Egypt where they are denied rights to secure residency, employment, property, communal interaction and family unification (this part is very similar how Jews were treated in Europe).

Procedures to allow nonresidents to apply for naturalisation in Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia do not apply to stateless Palestinians.

Palestinian refugees in Jordan have Jordanian nationality but are denied equal political participation and subjected to subtle forms of discrimination. Jordanian authorities refuse to offer naturalisation to those Palestinians who at the time of their displacement in 1967 did not hold Tordanian passports. Some 60,000 stateless Palestinians, mainly from Gaza and original holders of Egyptian RTDs, were allowed to stay but have been denied any civil rights and most are confined to a camp near the northern city of Jarash.

What is my point?

I want to demonstrate how Arab countries are directly harming Palestinians. While Arab countries express their support for Palestine, restricting their freedom of movement by elaborate rules of law that deny them possibility of pursuing better life outside Palestine is a blatant violation of human rights.

At this moment, while Israel is bombing Palestine, Egypt and Jordan are refusing to open their borders to Palestinians fleeing the bombs.

Arab countries are physically trapping Palestinians in Palestine not giving them proper means to live in the Arab world outside Palestine.

Palestinians don't have anywhere to go and that is not a hyperbole, it is a deliberate lawfare against them by their "brothers" from the Arab world. While Israel is destroying Palestine, it is also important to see how much harm the policies of Arab countries cause regular Palestinians who want to flee the conflict zone and live a better life.

[anchorandrope]

my dear friend dony is in the running to win the chance to interview louis. i genuinely don't know anyone more louie than her, i mean it. she deserves this, she spends time, money and energy every day of her life to support louis. it would mean the world to me if she could win. if you want to help her, you can like, save, share on your stories and tag cinepolismx in this instagram reel. if you don't believe me, she explained in her reel only a small part of everything she did and does for louis, so here is the video with its transcription in english.

hi cinépolis! i'm dony and i'm so louie that i spent hours designing and programming this filter for the premiere and red carpet of all of those voices. honestly when you asked me how louie i am i thought about telling you all these things i do to support louis, however, although i have a thousand words and things to show you, i prefer you to see it with your own eyes. louis has been part of me for more than half of my life, so much so that i travelled 4502km to see him for the first time. for years his lyrics took me through the darkness and that's why i'm grateful for every moment i have with him, like the time i waited in an unknown country, in the cold and without a jumper just to see him for a few small moments. and if we talk about the crazy things i did for love, leaving my city during exam week to sleep 3 nights in the street to see him close to me is definitely one of them. i guess the subjects repeat themselves, but not a louis concert. and i swear nothing compares to seeing him live. he has taught me to live a life for 2 people and for that i will be eternally grateful. i would really do anything to always see him smile and have him that close again. i have always looked for ways to stay connected, from listening to his music to communicating with him with a sign in the middle of a concert. and when i say i would really do anything, i'm not lying i would fill my city with his face if that's what it was all about. well, actually, i did. just like when i collaborated to buy him a star. because those and more projects i have done and would do in order to see him grow. the truth is that a reel is not enough to tell you everything i have done for louis in all these years and what it is that makes me such a louie, so i would love to tell you in person on the red carpet and during the interview. see you!

[noahtally-famous]

some Dave family & childhood/adolescence headcanons:

bc I wanna dissect this guy and his mind fr-

(fyi I'm desi (a person of South Asian descent born in another country), and I'm like 99% sure Dave is desi as well, so this is just a note for ppl so y'all are aware that I'm an Indian too! however, if anything at all mentioned below doesn't sound right (and not opinions, though I'd love to hear those too, I mean like actual info) pls lmk!)

uh, also mentions of homophobia, internalized homophobia, and trauma relating to mysophobia

some of these might be subject to change or tweak here and there, but overall, I'm satisfied with what I have!

- his father is a prestigious businessman who was born in Canada—he worked his way from the ground up as his parents (Dave’s grandparents) were immigrants from India; his reputation is everything to him, and he sees his family as a way to enhance said reputation so that he doesn’t lose face.

- his mother is descended from a wealthy family—she likes to say her great-grandfather was a Baron who’d resided on the India-Nepal border—and she was born in London. It was her grandparents (Dave’s great-grandparents) who emigrated from India to the UK. She’s artistic and the lower level of their house is her own studio.

- Dave’s parents marriage was more of an ‘alliance’ than anything. It’s little details that are also glaringly obvious that signified to him that his parents really didn’t love each other in that way—and if they did, it isn’t a priority; things like his mother hyphenating her last name and not fully taking his fathers, the distance in the way they interact, just slight emotional ticks that let him know their love was more of a facade.

- since then, Dave vowed that if he ever found someone, the love they’d share would be real and genuine—ironically, he became a bit of a romantic (okay, a huge romantic). Obv his parents weren’t good role models in the romance department but all those movies he’d watched are!

- anyway back to the family; Dave’s father spent long hours either at the office or traveling for business. Whenever he’s away, their house feels a bit more like a home—his mother unfurls like a flower and her already overprotective nature due to his weak immune system heightens, and Dave let’s himself believe he’s a normal guy in a normal family when this happens.

- but eventually his father returns and the emotional distance ensues, the high expectations, his mother retreating back into her shell, and the reality hits that he just can’t ever be ordinary.

- only one person has brought up the topic of a divorce and it’s his older brother; it’s mentioned half-heartedly too as though he knew she’ll disagree. It’s a funny thing; Dave’s mother does love his father and maybe that feeling is returned, but there’s so much weight and expectations and pressure they’d placed upon themselves that whatever affection is straining.

- his father reacts to this by overworking himself; his mother by retreating.

- (Dave also vowed that him and his lover won’t have a relationship this complicated. It’ll be simple, cliche, normal, and perfect.)

- Dave has Middle Child Syndrome. He has three other siblings and he’s not just the middle kid, but also the kid who doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing (in other words, who doesn’t seem to be able to ‘enhance the family name rep’. He’s just…There.)

- perhaps that’s why he and his father are so distant—more than his siblings are. No matter how hard he tries to impress his father with anything, it goes awry and/or his father never seems to give him more than a curt nod.

- there’s his older sister: she’s graduated from law school, is 25, and is currently an attorney for their fathers business. She goes with him on his business trips, and Dave is so not jealous. She’s strong, bold, and isn’t afraid to look assholes, sexism, and racism in the eye and shoot them down with her words and expressions. She’s like the shield, a mature presence in the siblings’ lives.

- his older brother is second. A double-major in history and business, and 22 years old. At first, he was meant to take on the mantle of their fathers business when the time was right. However, that took a drastic turn when news got out that his brother was fully and utterly homosexual. Naturally the equation in his fathers head was: ‘homosexuality = hate = losing precious reputation’ and the following arguments that spawned between the two of them from this were some of the nastiest. That’s when Dave, listening in keyholes, over banisters, and in other random locations, found out one huge thing: his father is a homophobe.

- (not that that mattered to him. He’s straight, he liked only girls. Right?)

- anyway, their father told his brother to ‘hide his gayness’ and pretend he’s straight. His brother said that’s bullshit and that everything rich ppl do is ‘pretend’. Long story short, his brother moved out. Currently, he lives in Europe and owns an art gallery that his mother sends her artwork to (his father found out abt that once, and that resulting fight was a mess too--but dw she still does it and he can't stop her).

- Dave hates him. He wants to hate him so fucking badly for leaving him behind, for not listening to their dad and pretending to be straight, for being gay in the first place! Bc he and his brother were tight; they were super close and he’s the one guy Dave felt he could rely on and now?? He’s in another damn continent and Dave’s stuck in this suffocating atmosphere and ugh, goddammit he wants to hate him but he can’t bc he’s his brother and he loves him. So yeah. He def has mixed feelings lmao

- (this is also when his internalized homophobia started. He doesn’t care who other ppl love, he just cares who he loves. He’s not making the same mistake his brother did.)

- his younger sister, 14-15 years old, going into high school. Unlike the rest of their siblings, she doesn't want to be bogged down by office work or business drags. With a foot in every sport imaginable and an expert breakdancer, she's already got her sights set on making it professional in the sports category or becoming a famous dancer (maybe both, depending on how good she is, and she is good). She may only be in 9th grade, but words already spread that she's been scouted to go pro. She takes self-defense classes, helps coach soccer and softball for the younger kids during summers, and basically whatever her siblings didn't do in the athletic field, she's making do with flying colors.

- so yeah. After all this, you can see why Dave feels as lost as he does. Whichever way he turns, there's one or more of his siblings achieving great things, and he's just there...doing nothing...not being recognized because he's good at nothing. Just average. At every goddamn thing.

- normally he'd be fine with that, considering that's what ordinary ppl feel and that's what he wants to be, but it goes at odds with the side of him who wants to impress his father, make his mother proud, also stay at the same level as his siblings are.

- he's just so confused, he doesn't know what to do, and he's too scared to take a step forward. He's just some sheltered rich kid who doesn't understand/know cues in society, what good is that?

- onto his childhood/adolescence; boarding schools. That's basically all he's known. And ofc it has to be fancy boarding schools that the parents of other rich kids send them bc despite Dave being so average, his father will be damned if he sends him off to some middle-grade school.

- boarding schools left their own respective impressions on him as well. He used to be made fun of, teased, and even bullied bc rich ppl are nasty and they don't hold back—even to one of their own (especially to one of their own). One stark incident that left a huge mark on him was when he was eleven and his bullies took things a bit too far--you can't put a bunch of kids whose parents are competitive maniacs in a harsh cooperative and/or political world together and expect nothing crazy to happen; this was one of those crazy incidents. Long story short: some older kids took advantage of the fact that Dave has a weak immune system, lots of dirt was involved, a near burying-alive incident, lots of name-calling and taunting, and, as a result, on top of his immune system problems, he developed mysophobia too—which added more to his germaphobic tendencies.

- Whenever he's in a situation similar to the one that triggered this phobia, he falls into a panic. Those first few weeks, months, couple of years, it was horrible; only his siblings (mainly his younger sister and older brother bc his older sister was away a lot) and his best friend at the time would make any headway pulling him out of that trauma. Overtime (and the only time Dave was actively determined to do smth) he forced himself, his mind, his body reactions, to tune in with his thoughts so that if he ever got into a panic, he'd have a greater chance of pulling himself out instead of relying on someone else.

- but yeah. He has mysophobia, is a germaphobe, and has a weak immune system (smth his father considered a weakness) so him asking if smth is unhealthy or dangerous or "of questionable origin" isn't just him being a hypochondriac.

- that wasn't the only thing he went through in boarding schools. But, before we get to that, imma just say after that incident, he learned his lesson—he learned that rich kids are nasty pieces of shit and he's not gonna get anywhere the way he's being right now. So he excels in the art of people-watching, of careful observation that over time just becomes a habit/instinct—scoping out the opposition. He knows who's the assholes, who're worth interacting with, what to do to stay under the radar. Like magic, the lack of bullies dwindles once he starts doing that, and he finds out that everyone rlly does have something to hide—but he's not a blackmailer, he just observes, gives a mental nod, and moves on with his life.

- he often fluctuates with what his father would expect of him, and what he expects from himself; one of them is the lengths to go to stay on top. For example, despite knowing he's not a blackmailer, he'll still hesitate bc it's "what his father would've wanted".

- anyway, he's switched boarding schools twice—the first bc of the dirt incident, the second bc that's when he got his sexual awakening:

- his best friend in that boarding school—the only person he lets loose around—ends up also being someone he, to his horror, gets a crush on. Why horror, you might ask? Simple: his best friend is a guy.

- see: Dave's internalized homophobia. My dude already has fluctuating feelings abt impressing his dad, if he comes out as liking guys, he just knows that's not gonna be well-received. Literally, the one thing he thought wouldn't ever happen does. So he reacts in typical Dave-fashion: he panics, and does what his mum would do: retreat. He basically runs away from the problem lmfao, he ignores his best friend—which he still feels guilty for to a degree bc the one person who accepted him for who he was and supported him, and he just...stomped on him bc of a sexuality crisis lmao. And that's not the worst of it: he actually nails the head in the coffin by asking his dad to switch him to another boarding school bc his roommate is gay. (And yeah, ofc, they were roommates lmao).

- not his best moment, everyone's well aware.

- (and try as he might, his bisexuality (though he doesn't know that he's bisexual yet) isn't "gone" like he hoped it was; it's more so repressed, buried, deep within him, but in a manner that one tilt off-axis will send him spiraling into another sexuality crisis)

- anyway, he's in his third boarding school when he comes across the Total Drama audition flyer online, and decides why the heck not lmao.

- before his younger sister was born, Dave spent most of his early childhood at his aunts place—his mother's younger sister. The utter normalcy of the place compared to what he’s used to astounds little him, and his visits there leave a great impact on him. His aunt, an art teacher at a local school, had a small, modest house filled with sketches, paintings, murals, and the various designs and bright colors were mesmerizing to him. They took him to a world where only colors mattered and nothing else. His aunt doted on him too, and Dave loved spending his days in that house more than his own place.

- Unfortunately, when he was seven, his aunt died—a mundane way to die for a mundane young lady, he couldn’t help thinking; (I'm thinking either getting hit by a car while crossing the street or what is a 'simple viral infection' which turned out to actually be a tumor). As mentioned though, those times left a great impact on him. Made him realize that it is possible to an extent to lead an ordinary life even while connected to such extraordinary. It also made him harbor a love for art—any and all kind of it (except maybe pottery bc it’s messy, as well as the unconventional types like using dirt and the outdoors as tools).

- her death, if I wanna go the tumor route, will emphasize his germaphobic tendencies and his mysophobia. Depending on which road I wanna take, if I do this, the dirt incident at the boarding school won’t have happened, maybe?? not quite sure 🤔

- given all this, it's no wonder he has attachment issues. Usually, he's standoffish, he keeps to himself, he still interacts with ppl but he doesn't trust or get close to ppl easily. But when he does, when he finds someone who he actually vibes with, he sorta just...latches to them bc of this worry that they might leave him, or the other shoe will drop, or smth bad will happen to them. Basically, it's hard for him to let go. He's capable of it, but it's difficult for him to process—heightened depending on how strong the bond is with the other person.

- being ordinary is the center point of this guy's persona—his core existence. it's why when he auditioned for Total Drama, he's labeled as "A Normal Guy". He didn't mention anything abt his family and if he had to, it was the bare minimum; no one knows who his parents are, who he's connected to, they just know him as a germaphobic average joe.

bonus stuff:

- for his last name, I'm thinking Jha??? idk I rlly like it and I think it suits him.

- vegetarian, due to his cultural background.

- hates horror movies, he's the guy to cling onto your hand or arm if you're watching one with him, and def the type to scream at the jump scares and then curse up a storm.

- gore is a no. it's too messy and makes his stomach twist; same with zombies bc uh...the effects are basically overkill for him. (Shawn dared him during one of their scavengings that if he won the show, Dave would watch a bit of The Walking Dead with him. Rip Dave lmao.)

- he can tolerate horror and gory movies, btw, he just doesn't prefer it.

- I've this standing silly hc that he and Noah are family friends; as a desi, let me tell you, we've a lot of family friends lmao. The opposites of his and Noah's home lives only serve to prove that it is possible to lead a normal life where your emotions aren't secondary to the public.

- despite leading a variety of lives, Dave and his siblings are pretty close! When they were little, they used to have tree-climbing contests, which is why, even if his arms might look chickeny, his legs are pretty strong stamina-wise. They might be more distant now with a lot more differences between them, but they're capable of standing together when need be.

- speaks English and Hindi; due to his upbringing, he's fluent in several other languages too.

- obv closet disaster bi; his main fear is someone will find out and his sexuality will be exposed on international television

- likes to garden, but only if he's wearing gardening gloves; he also feels productive when doing so bc it makes him feel strong tackling the dirt to let beautiful plants grow—like facing his fears to let smth else grow there instead. He has several potted plants in his house.

- while he seems standoffish and 'colder' at first, ironically, he also has the tendency to get emotional easily. Especially when it comes to rejection—he's not very good at handling that. Basically he's a mix of nervousness and distant—he can be quick to judge, especially when it comes to ppl who have different quirks like Beardo and Leonard.

- he learned coding bc that’s what his dad wanted him to do. All he got from his father was the usual ‘curt nods’ so he thinks he’s just average at it. Whenever his dad gives him one of those nods, Dave just assumes that means he’s not particularly exceptional at whatever it is he’s currently doing—even if that may not be the case.

- the attachment issues and emotional detachment of his family are one of the main reasons for his snarky self-aware yet also lack of self-awareness (and, at times, rude) personality; I want to say it's like a shield--the snarkiness, I mean--but it's also basically an ingrained habit.

- doesn't like being called David. his father (and his mother, oftentimes) tend to call him that, and hearing the name reminds him of them and the expectations and pressure and everything he cannot be. He much prefers Dave.

[valenteal]

Fun fact about me: I am a rare breed of theater nerd who doesn’t like musicals.

I find that while they do a great job showcasing the actor’s musical talents and dancing abilities musicals tend to leave storytelling and character depth by the wayside. Everything becomes a Production not just in that it is a thing that has been produced but in that it’s all over the top and kinda shallow. As a writer I think the medium of storytelling is extremely delicate, and while musicals can have good storytelling it’s very easy to get caught in the many pitfalls. Weather it’s overuse of musical numbers, formulaic songs that all sound the same, or neglecting proper character development or forgetting to showcase it with normal non-musical conversations, there are a lot of ways to go wrong with a musical.

Now, sometimes it’s done well, and people are going to hate me for this, but Disney has a pretty good track record with making musicals. And I mean Disney, not Disney channel. Encanto was flawless. I love the live action remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. But that isn’t musical theater. That’s movies. The medium is easier to work with for deeper storytelling. Stage performances have the constraints of limited space and a fixed audience who can’t see them up close. But that doesn’t mean you give up on good storytelling! It means you work to overcome those obstacles with talented and dedicated people! You can make a truly moving production on a stage but modern musical theatre just… doesn’t.

For me, a great example of this is Heathers the musical. I watched it back to back with the movie (and I plan on reading the book at some point though I’ve yet to do so) and I was able to really pin down what I dislike about musicals with that comparison. Heathers is a deep story that touches on the very real and very dark truths of being an American teenager and going to public school. It’s a story about imperfect teens who are all under pressure and who all have their own reasons. The characters are realistic and relatable, and anyone who’s been to public high school can probably recognize themselves or people they know in the characters. It tackles the very real issues of teen violence and the mental health crisis that our country is facing. The musical failed to capture any of that. The whole thing was weirdly sanitized and all the characters were turned into caricatures (wow that’s hard to spell). Heathers the musical was not deep or moving and it didn’t take itself half as seriously as it should’ve. The topics it was dealing with were too serious and close to home for them to make light of it. It’s dark. It’s heavy. The characters are kids who made mistakes, were victims of circumstance and none of them deserved to be vilified or victimized. But the musical took all of their depth away and made the whole thing more detached from reality and less serious than it is. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of storytelling, but at least write your own story instead of taking someone else’s and twisting it to suit your needs.

While Heathers is a very specific example it made some general mistakes common in musical theatre. The music itself, while catchy, is fairly unoriginal and simplistic. I don’t mean lyrically, that’s very original, though in my opinion distasteful. Meaningful conversations that showcase character depth were replaced with song and dance routines that failed to convey the same meaning. I found it to be pretty tedious in all honesty, the songs were so repetitive and they didn’t even move the story forward all that quickly, just got stuck in one moment way longer than necessary and sacrificed valuable time that could be used for real dialogue.

Anyway, that’s my informal essay on why musicals are an inferior form of storytelling, with only one example for evidence since this is just me doing this for fun and I am not going to subject myself to more musicals for no reason.

[novuit]

I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABT THIS SCHOOL AU 👁👁

You have no idea how delighted I am that you've asked!! Writing this ask took so long because I hadn't thought about it too much until you asked and I'm terrible at explaining things lmao

It doesn't really have a plot but it's set in the 2020s (post-Queen era) in Southwest England. Arthur and Feliciano are both in year 10 and knew eachother briefly for quite a long time - mainly through Lloyd (Wales) - but never really got to know eachother until they joined the music club, which it was mandatory to join a club.

They started off as friendly rivals at first but quickly fell inlove after finding out about some common interests (cough cough Queen, old films and those shows like ofmd and good omens cough). They now meet up in the sensory room almost every break and do all sorts of things: snogging, watching the bubble tubes, playing music and reenacting fanfics.

Feliciano is seen as a very bubbly character who lives with his brother Lovino and his wealthy grandfather and gets along with pretty much everyone. Though he gets along with people easily, he is also pretty two-faced and can ruin your life if you snap him bad enough. He is often described as unpredictable, gifted, rich and terryifying/sweet (depending who you ask). He really takes pride in certain subjects which is why he sometimes skips certain classes: because it makes him feel stupid and it's so limited that he feels like he can't be the upmost creative. He is a good friend of one of Arthur's brothers who is also his brother's best friend.

Arthur is seen as either quite reserved or emotional. He is currently in foster care along with his five brothers and it wasn't until he finished primary school that he, Lloyd and Oisin (N.Ireland) were taken into custody of his two eldest brothers, Scott (canon scotland) and Alistair - I'll get to Ciaran in a moment. He loves talking about his fixations: mainly 70/80s bands, history and anything vintage and which also means he gets along with the older people way more easily than people his own age; i'd like to think he's an old soul. Arthur can get quite irritable and reclusive but other times hes awfully polite and sweet; he even gives nicknames to everyone he likes :)

Lloyd is in year 11 and is always busy with gcses and usually hangs out with his Lovino (they're in this weird best friend/situationship thing) after school. Oisin and Ciaran (Ireland) is at college. Oisin comes home late and raids the fridge and usually eats the left overs and they don't see Ciaran as he was placed in a different home but he does see them from time to time and usually tag along whenever theyre going to a restaurant or on holidays abroad. Alistair works at home as a programmer and does most of the house chores since his bedroom is literally the laundry room and when he's doing neither, you'll find him watching twilight or riverdale while drinking irnbru. Scott works with the wealthy which means hes with celebrities half the time and is out for many hours (especially if he has to drive across the country).

Romulus is Feliciano's grandfather and he has been in handful of careers:a musician, a model and currently an actor in alot of popular movies. He's a really sexy silver fox (for a grandpa obviously) but he's also that kind of rich guy who would make awful puns and have the loudest laughs while wearing either pink/blue polo shirts and khaki trousers or black trousers with an unbuttoned shirt, showing his chest hair and golden tanned skin... Lovino is his older brother, and like Lloyd, he's in year 11 and always busy with gcses and hanging out with him after school. He would usually host game nights and house parties with his friends and always introduces them to Feli. Outside parties, friend gatherings and events though, they never really talk or hang out.

Ludwig and Kiku are Feliciano's friend group and they've been really good friends since primary school. Feli loves them to bits and always talk about them to everyone he knows like a proud mother and they all always bring treats they made which they would always eat at lunch times while studying or talking about alot of wholesome, easy topics most of the time. They mainly cook together and talk about anime and shows they've watched but they dont really do anything else since the county is so car dependent and his friends aren't keen on adventure anyway and he gets lonely easily and ends up tagging along with Lovino and Lloyd (even if they don't want him with them).

Alfred and Francis are Arthur's. They're like one of the very few people who manages to get him out of rooms and actually drag him places lol. They have super different tastes but the one thing they all have in common is movies and drama. He used to have a much bigger friend group in year 7 but most of them either moved to college or drifted to other, smaller friend groups so it's just him, Alfie and Franny (just like every year 7 friend group). They all agreed to go to film club so they could just chill out but Arthur changed his choice last minute to music club which they think was out of character but a huge step for him because he's literally a disoriented, paranoid old man in a 15 year old's body who locks himself in empty rooms and needs constant help finding things that are right infront of him (he's not blind btw).

I think that's all I have to say about it! I have alot of weird stories from school so you might see some true stories dhbjkfjih. This is as modern as any of my AUs get and I hope I explained enough! X)

[propertyoftoru]

Tag game: Get to know me!

Thank you @abiaswreck for the tag! :] 🖤

1. Birthday?

8/11 (me and binnie are birthday twins)

2. Favorite color?

I'll say black but i dont really have a favorite!

3. How tall are you?

5’5 (and 3/4 thank you very much)

4. How many pair of shoes to you own?

somewhere around 14 idk i gave up on counting

5. Favorite song?

for skz probably ssick or easy but not skz probably ohio is for lovers by hawthorne heights

6. Favorite movie?

oh probably either the scream movies or unironically the twilight movies (theyre my childhood comfort movies)

7. Who would be your ideal partner?

Someone who makes me laugh and takes the time to understand me.

8. Do you want children?

I've said no for a really long time but i think if i met the right person and the circumstances were ideal then maybe.

9. Have you gotten in trouble with the law?

Not really other than a few times of being a stupid teenager nothing serious though. Watching my parents screw up a lot when i was young probably had a lot to do with that.

10. What color socks are you wearing?

oh god i hate socks so much. i only wear them when i have to and not a second longer.

11. Favorite type of music?

this is such a cliché but i really do listen to everything. edm, pop, pop punk, metal, sad songs, happy songs, hell on occasion even a tiny bit of country (only carrie underwood lets not get carried away)

12. How many pillows do you sleep with?

2! One horizontal and one vertical. Kinda like a half body pillow i guess? idk i have to be hugging something to fall asleep.

13. What position do you sleep in?

im a diagnosed insomniac so really whatever position my body finally passes out in... there's a lot of tossing and turning most nights.

14. What don’t you like when you’re sleeping?

Bright lights (a tv or any sort of light on an appliance) or dead silence i need a fan or rain or SOMETHING.

15. Have you tried archery?

Yeah actually my grandfather used to take me hunting when i was younger. I never actually killed anything but i got pretty good at hitting cans and targets :]

16. Favorite fruit?

ohhhhh either strawberries or blackberries or pineapple... idk i love fruit so much.

17. Are you a good liar?

I can be when I have to be. I hate lying though it always brings drama and negative energy.

18. What’s your personality type?

INFP-T

19. Innie or outie?

Innie

20. Left or right handed?

Both! but I mostly use my right!

21. Favorite food?

Pineapple pizza (fight me Christopher Bang)

22. Favorite foreign food?

Oh my grandmother makes Jag on special occasions and its one of my favorites. Other than that as of recently ive been eating japchae so much i literally have a craving for it like every other day.

23. Are you clean or messy?

sigh. my room? depression disaster area. Everything else in my life? Severe OCD neat freak (im talking labels, sorted by color and size, the whole nine yards)

24. Most used phrase?

buh. it really has no meaning its just a sound i make about 200 times a day. i also swear like a sailor so if not buh then probably cunt or fuck.

25. How long does it take you to get ready?

Depends on where im going and whos gonna be there. anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes.

26. Do you talk to yourself?

Of course, im the funniest and smartest person i know. (on a real note my hyperactive imagination goes crazy so i spend most days rambling to myself about nonsense.)

27. Do you sing to yourself?

All day everyday like im in a fucking musical or something.

28. Are you a good singer?

Eh. ive been told i am but i think i could be decent if i took lessons.

29. Biggest fear?

Sharks/The ocean (its more a fear of the unknown because what the fuck even lives down there)

30. Are you a gossip?

Absolutely not. I learned my lesson in middle/high school that shit brings nothing but bad vibes and negative energy.

31. Long or short hair?

I wish i could say short because my hair drives me crazy most days but i also hate how i look with short hair so long i suppose.

32. Favorite school subject?

English or Criminal Justice/Forensics

33. Extrovert or introvert?

introvert but situational extrovert (ill be extroverted if theres someone more introverted than me solely because i cannot stand awkward tension) not quite an ambivert but somewhere close to one.

34. What make you nervous?

Groups of super outgoing people. I always get too afraid to talk in fear of ruining the flow of conversation or being talked over.

35. Who was your first crush?

idk probably justin bieber or nick jonas

36. How many piercings do you have?

4. Both of my ears and both of my nipples. i want to get my bellybutton done soon though.

37. How many tattoos do you have?

9 but im hoping to work on my leg sleeve again soon.

38. How fast can you run?

Depends on whos chasing me.

39. What color is your hair?

Brown right now. It was half black half blonde but i wanted to focus on getting my hair healthy for a while.

40. What color are your eyes?

Blue/Green/Gray depends on who you ask and the lighting in the room.

41. What makes you angry?

Not much im a pretty calm person but when im playing video games thats a different story.

42. Do you like your name?

No. My father chose it and i dont speak to him.

43. Do you want a boy to girl as a child?

IF i had a kid i would want a boy 100%. As someone whos mother had 3 babies when i was 16/17/18 i can confidently say little girls are the spawns of the devil and little boys are rays of sunshine.

44. What are your strengths?

Mental fortitude and my empathy for others.

45. What are your weaknesses?

I give second (and third and fourth) chances to people that do not deserve it.

46. What’s the color of your bedspread?

Light gray but i keep lots and lots of blankets around too.

47. What’s the color of your room?

Gray and dark blue.

Tagging for fun! Ignore if you don’t want it do it! Or ignore if you don’t feel comfortable!: @bbyquokka @lino-ppang @alphadisaster @aspenwritesstuff +anyone that wants to do this.

[regalfairytaleacademy]

Biographical Information

Name: Charisse Locks

Japanese: チャリスロック (Charisurokku)

Quote: "There are so many mysterious around the world. Wonder if there's anything I didn't know"

Gender: Female

Age: 16 y.o

Birthday: August 19th

Star Sign: Leo

Height: 175 cm

Race: Half demon, half angel

Species: Nephalem

Eyes color: Apple Red

Hair color: Dark Brown

Homeland: Renaissance City (the first country in Melodie Kingdom)

Family:

Lucifer (Father / Creator)

Simeon (Second Father / Creator)

Lumiere Locks (Younger brother)

Mammon, Leviathan, Satan Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphgor, Luke, Solomon, Diavolo and Barbatos (uncles)

Renee Sofia Petunia Rosa, Flora Astrid Marigold Kitty, Stefano Flynn Flameo Beau, Callum & Meribella Jewel (Related cousins)

Millicent Paradis & Luna Angelique (Ex-cousins)

Augustine Liddell Scott, Cosmina Featherbed, Coralia Marina & Harry (Adoptive cousins)

Barbara, Teresa and Theodore Jade (Adoptive sworn cousins)

Nicknames / Aliases:

Cherry (by her family and friends)

Cousin Cherry (by her cousins)

Fair lady (by some men who fell in love of her)

Dame de Ruby (by Rook; means "Lady of Ruby" due to her red eyes likes ruby)

Angelfish (by Floyd; because of her red eyes)

Others:

Sadism lady (by the rumors; due to her scary punishments to them if being annoyed)

School Facts and Fun Facts

Dorm: Nymfevilla

School Year: 1st

Class: 1-C | Student no.9

Occupation: Student

School Prefect

Café maid (part-time)

Novelist

Pianist

Guitarist

Best Subject: History Magic | Magiphilosophy | Fencing

Worst Subject: Machinery | Marathon run

Club: Music Club

Dominant Hand: Both (sometimes left-handed)

Favourite Colours: Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Cyan

Favourite food: Apple dishes (caramel poisoned apples) | Tea (lemon tea, herbal tea & milk tea)

Least favorite: Spicy foods and Chili

Likes: Her family, music, classical, pop rock, fairytales, gothic, musical theatre, living in commoner's life, novels, reality shows, fun games, warmth of her loved ones, books with strong characters and happy endings, peace, simple things

Dislikes: Metal music, family issues, being annoyed, thieves, pickpockets, tough trainings, living in luxurious life, considered as princess, being disrespected, her friends mistreated, smelly things, being alone, losing her loved ones, boredoms, lonely, her watches stopped, being pranked, her fathers' broke up, stepfamily, lies, cheaters, considered as an outcast, ruining hers and family's image

Hobbies: Listening her favourite music, singing, dancing, baking, chatting with her relatives and friends, doing house chores, feeding animals, visiting music theatre, drawing

Talents: Unlocking and locking the object, animal linguistics, dancing, vocalizing skills, leadership, cooking, drawing, modeling, spell summoning, break the curse herself for second, flight

Idol Stat

Performance: Her voice is considered divine due to her soft and deep voice. She always sings with all her touching yet sympathetic emotions.

Choreography: In addition to her vocal talents, Charisse is a skilled dancer and quick learner who can only do well in ballroom dance and freestyle.

Shimmering Wings: Gothic • Cool • Classical

Idol Brand

Demonic Star

This idol brand is the reminiscent of the most beautiful angel who once fallen from grace and became a prideful demon. Its outfits and accessories has apple and peacock feather motifs with a pair of dark angel's wings and devil's horn. Some outfits also have their own unique black and red masks.

Shimmery Wings: Gothic • Cool

Heavenly Emerald

This idol brand represents the archangel's hope of reuniting with the demon who was once an angel. Some aesthetics in clothing and accessories are dark and gothic, while others are bright and regal. This brand has a pair of angel wings in different sizes and shapes. The clothing has emeralds and sapphires on for the decorations.

Shimmery Wings: Gothic • Classical

Etymology

Charisse is primarily a female name of French origin that means "Grace, Beauty, Kindness."

Her surname, "Locks" is referred to her character inspired, Lockette, but also named after to her two creators' fake name, "Carlos & Christopher Locks" as well as reflected on their past.

Characters Inspired

Charisse was inspired by

Lockette (Winx Club / Pop Pixies)

Charlie Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel)

Mirabel Madrigal (Disney's Encanto)

[oacaactcf]

‘Tammy Chen Fund a “Godsend”’

—

The Tammy Chen Postgraduate Studentship is transforming the lives of postgraduates at Caius.

—

One of the first recipients of the Tammy Chen Postgraduate Studentship says she would have probably quit the University of Cambridge, had it not been for the support she obtained from Caius.

Tiéphaine Thomason (History 2017) says the help she received during her undergraduate study at Gonville & Caius College was “pretty amazing” — and getting the funding to study for an MPhil in Early Modern History was “an absolute godsend”. Tiéphaine said: “I’d had a bit of an odd second year, and applied with my grades from then. I ended up getting a starred first in my third year, topping the College for History. Getting funding meant that I could do the MPhil work and that my grades from third year were acknowledged.”

The Tammy Chen Postgraduate Studentship provides financial support to postgraduate students studying Humanities subjects at Caius. It was established in memory of Tammy Chen, a PhD candidate at Caius killed in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso in August 2017. Tiéphaine says she felt humbled to receive funding from such tragic circumstances. Had the bursary not come through, she would have had to defer her studies.

Tiéphaine ended up getting the joint-highest MPhil grade in her cohort, and was jointly awarded the Members' History Prize for the best MPhil dissertation in Early Modern History submitted in 2020/21. She largely credited the support she received from the College, particularly her Directors of Studies Prof Peter Mandler and Dr Melissa Calaresu. She says: “The College has been so supportive in every single way. I would not have made it through Cambridge at all, had it not been for Caius.”

—

“The College has been so supportive in every single way. I would not have made it through Cambridge at all, had it not been for Caius.”

—

One of her most surreal memories of College was during the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, towards the end of her third year and going into her MPhil year. Tiéphaine says: “The whole University was in the ‘red phase’, which meant that everyone had gone home, apart from a select group of us, who couldn’t go home.”

She adds that being cut off from their families was a “very odd” experience, and thanked Senior Tutor Dr Andrew Spencer for his support during this strange period. Tiéphaine says: “In my case, my dad lives in Hong Kong. You couldn’t fly back to Hong Kong during that time. The same with a few friends of mine. We were all revising for exams, so that’s quite intense. Town was absolutely silent during this period. It was a very eerie feeling but it was also very exciting because you were left in an empty Cambridge to your own devices.” The students relaxed by having sing-a-longs to Simon & Garfunkel songs in the evenings and cooking international meals from their home countries, using the limited ingredients available at the time.

Growing up in Hong King, Singapore and Zurich, Tiéphaine, who is half-French, half-English, said she was “sent to the UK to straighten out my English” at the age of thirteen, having previously studied in French. Becoming a boarder at Oakham School in Rutland, one of England’s smallest counties, was a culture shock, so finding a multicultural community at Caius was a big relief, she says. She adds: “Caius itself is a wonderful environment, we’re one of the few colleges with very regular formals in the evenings, which means we go to them quite casually. When you go to formals at other colleges, people are always dressed in a very fancy way, whereas at Caius we’re all desperately trying not to get tomato soup on our gowns.”

She also enjoyed helping out in the College Archives and now volunteers through mentorship schemes such as Zero Gravity and Insight Outreach, encouraging other students to apply to university.

Tiéphaine has a final message to those who contributed towards her bursary, saying: “Thank you so much for all the support that you give to Caius and to students here. It makes a real impact and difference to our lives and on the future careers that we can have and hopefully we’ll be able to give something back at some point through the research that we do or what we end up producing.”

Tiéphaine recently discovered that she has been successful in receiving full funding from the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarships Programme to study for a PhD in Early Modern History at the University of Cambridge, based at Murray Edwards College, from 2022/23. There, she will be looking at the spread of spoken French across the early modern Francophone Atlantic. While the College is sorry to see Tiéphaine leave, we know she will stay in touch with the fellows and students at Caius.

Outstanding students like Tiéphaine continue to require funding, especially in the Humanities and Social Sciences, for which financial support is increasingly difficult to access. The appointment of Dr Calaresu as the new Deputy Senior Tutor for Postgraduates is indicative of the College directing focus on our postgraduate community and creating additional sources of funding to attract the best postgraduate students.

—

written up by Tali Iserles | ‘Once a Caian’, Issue 22, p. 355 (15 November 2022) | ‘Caius News’ (22 May 2022)

[solardick]

Здравствуйте versus привет.

Hello versus hi.

Formal versus informal.

Subject’s birth point on “classical/modern” Waite’s version of the high priestess versus my own variant. The bearer of language and structure.

“Formal” english is a meek point. It barely exists anymore. The more formal an english speaker is the queerer they sound.

May I? Versus. Can I? Proves the degeneration of language. Which isn’t a far off shoot considering the vast amount of imaginative corrections needed to be made between spelling and pronunciation, it comes built it. And predisposes the mass to live an untrue nature. If i worded all that the way i intented. A Bow’s bow. Cant tell the difference between what word means what the contextual fails to the bias.

Yeah. It must be Santa clause. Definitely.

Truth is here. One may easily change the devil card for satan. Uh, i mean santa.

Clause

The russian’s dont technically have a Santa. Its soemthing else. Which serves as a near point.

Its makes the man’s job alot easier considering he doesnt have to fly over and deliver presents to the largest country in the world.

But on track. The high priestess of waites variety, makes a luke warm connection to the biblical holy church of king David or who ever. Part of the old testement. Ehich is primarily the school of gard knocks. Without saying the BJ on the pillars are suppose to represent boaz and joaz or whatever. Like anyone cares. But, those familiar witb the tarot cards would agree. That thise pillars stand for the magician and the chariot. Too bad though that BJ stands for something completely different on the perverted side of society. No one is going to make a connection to the church based on a BJ.

Its the tora or rota. Or whatever BS. The circle of “life” go around and come around the BJ. Getting sick of it yet. Well too bad.

Curiosity abound. What is the difference between C, see and sea? How to spell the letter C? Speaking of meekness. I beleive this is here.

Wholy mother of mary. Damned girl. Dont stop now.

But, oh well, my ass is going to keep me up all night again. I don’t want to be alive anymore. Right in the “erogenous” zone. Never goes away. Always gassy. Always sensitive. Always swollen.i dotn think im going to work again inwamt a fucken ciggarette. Diet doens tfuxken matter. Just life fucken with me since my first memeory.nothing to learn except being raped by existance. Doems tmatter if im an asshole or a savoir. Its always the same. Welcome to life man. Here a staircase. Push. Been that way ever since. For experience. Im hoing start smoking again pop a couple pills maybe ill sleep. And no one to talk to excspt degenerates criminals, foreigners that dont speak english and fags. The only thing i did different today was buy a couple snokes off some fucken cocksucker asshole that talks crap all the time. Like most of them. Probaly drugging me again as usual. Been beeing drugged since forever. Its apart of their warcraft. Been super nice to me today too. Even offered coffee. But fuck you. Last time its fucked me up. Side wffect aof the pills the guesswork doctors gave me. Are. No operating machinery and Psychosis.

Suicide is the only sin god doesnt forgive. No fuck cause you fucken dead. Wait another half hour see if the pills work and if not. Save the rest for when i get wasted and hang myself. Being muscle relaxants or some shit. The fuck if i know. Back to

Tv.

Pills worked. Mostly. Just felt warm. And now my vission is a little blurry. Doubled the dose he gave me. So 20ml is just a little too little. Last time i took a dose he gave me. It didnt do anything. I dont want ot go to work anymore. I want ot go bsck to being wnemployed and and suicidal. Less stress that way.

Oh well guess ill never know what it feels like not being abused.

Oh gid sent me a rabbit. Still dont knwo what thise mean. A croh flew past earlier.

Want people to quit smoking? How about you make them illegal and stop fucken manufacturing thr fucken things. Maybe we do need a fucken dictatorship. Anout the jobs the jobs. Fuck the job hiw many fucken immagrant do y’all invite over here and they go straight to welfare. Fuck your bs.

I fucken hate this continent. I can eat an wntire large bag of doritos and have no symtoms. Had chicken and homey yestweday. No symptoms. Had so again the next day. Was up all night. . If its at the end of the GI track. Then it can take up to 36 hours to reach that point. But apparently it can take on 15 mins to 4 hours. At leat i grt my proteins worth with a litter of yogurt everyday.

So i checked my hororscope for my birthday next year. Spyche return. And eros. Pluto sqaure pluto. Neptune sayrts in aries. Mean. Wonder if its a comming out celebration. Oh, there goes a croh. Ita ganna be a shitty day

Anyway. Excuse the insanity and despair. So for the rabbit portent. Or omen. It’s attached to lost and found. Easter bunny. This coupled to the crohs. Lost ans found something negative. But also dor the positive. For the rabbit. Seems to be. A neutral character. But, this is going off a single happening. And will need to be looked into to see if it’s a constant. Like that of the croh.

…uh. He told me his name was BJ.

I cant do it man. I cant look at an image of a woman with nig bold letters saying B J and keep a straight face.

Though inget it. It was definatally a magician chariot converstion. Empowering and all. Can’t say that it didn’t wake me a bit. Even though ive heard it all before. My own priestess. Has innocense written all over her. With a power of a logos looking over her. The magician to the empress or the emperor. As number 4. Nature and rule. Its akin to my gamma card being connected to the star. But i dont like callingnit the star. Its misleading. As there is no wish. Its retirbution. Because the falling star as it is sometimes depicted as. Is a moment to wish. A moment in the future to come. But asnit plays out. It is that moment of the future being breed from temperance. The eight pointed star is the connecting clue to the justice card. And is the calm and quiet of the night from upheaval and unease. It being a woman. Suits it perfectly.

As temperanve is a balancing of Accounts of something that shouldnt be. Waite’s version shits all over these connections. Replaces the eight pointed star connection to strength instead. Mother nature wrestling a lion roar to caressing it. Not my experience.

… ghost busters: frozen empire?

Is this to say that the summer is going to be mild and cool. As aquaman: the lost kingdom, was to the unnaturally warm winter? So, jo “intense heat this summer? The preview looked like some horrible acting. But ant-man. Isnt a greta actor anyway. Funny but. Not very good. I dont know if i should order books. I never read them. They just sit there. But i like having a library. University edition of english grammar. And the evolution of the russian language. Which is pricy. But, tarot books are inadequate and unreliable.

And what happened to my symptoms? Severe again last night. Popped a couple pills fell asleep. Instead of binging anime. Woke up the next morning and all but gone except for the very mild by comparison. Didn’t do anything different even ate a large bag of Doritos. The Polypropylene and thermoplastic resins are delicious.

Whichc must be why when people have a hard time saying something, or looking for the roght word. Most people will comenin a correct them or say “ja, i get ehat you mean.” But, i havent even pooped yet.

Erin on attack on titan finally found the ocean. The ocean and the perils within and withon. Not so different from the perils on the night. Which works as a star card. And the letter V the russian war machine placed upon their naval fleets.

Wow, women are particularly pretty today. Told you V stands for vagina.

What? They’re objects. Blame the english language.

But its monday now. Pains back. And why move away. Looks like the condition is permanent. And if i do. Ill just be forced out of where ever i land ahyway. Its a life theme. Been that way since my first memory. Seems to dissapear mostly on saterdays. I get born, tied to a higjlt toxic relationship to some plutonic fucken cocksycker that treats me like shit. Enjoying the feeling of superiority over me. Litterally. And i get tossed around from place to place for ither peoples convinience. 39 years and counting nothings changed and it has nothing to do with me. . The entire fucken plabet may burn. And i font give a fuck.

[collymore]

The sheer hypocrisy really of the very selective and professionally concerned!

By Stanley Collymore

The so-called Western World, obviously unquestionably led by its overly as well as overtly bullying, evidently routinely murderous but, nevertheless, portrays itself as this self-professed benign and objective patriarchy, the United States of America: most laughably, if it weren't so blatantly obvious such a sickeningly pathetic, absolutely a most categorical, and distinctly a self-evident wilful lie!

The USA: the self- professed defender of the quite euphemistically labelled Free World; an equally risible situation that is simply compounded by its obviously intransigent sycophants like Britain, so asininely, as if crucially simply literally for dear life, tenaciously hanging on to the USA's actual coattails in the patently unquestionably ridiculous but basically discernibly and obviously vainglorious expectation that in doing so it will both automatically and globally, undeniably regain the worldwide dominance once exercised by itself through the crucially debilitating fear that Britain previously generally and ruthlessly engendered in its subject victims worldwide.

This all fully complemented ongoingly, by these irrefutably colonised peoples' enforced conformity in the undeniably clear barbaric, and similarly genocidal acquisition of their countries, massive wealth and the actual subservience by means of arbitrary and quite routinely so unquestionable barbarity obviously against all those who bravely, and also undoubtedly morally and essentially in that milieu very dauntlessly challenged them!  

Other people's wealth, countries and as well those inhabitants own lives which these barbaric, and literally interloping white Caucasian Britons arrogantly and quite superciliously in their discernibly unquestionably but actually delusional white supremacist superiorly distinctly took for granted, and even in this quite  evidently so, the 21st Century, there are still multitudes of them who arrogantly  claim that their kind has done nothing  wrong, has nothing to apologise for and as such it's not their fault in the least.

However, these are the very people that along with their governments not only assume they have the right to obviously run their own countries preferably also without the quite insufferable presence of non-whites within them but basically as well, generally arbitrarily assign and quite arrogantly arrogate to themselves the unquestionably unwarranted right, as they view it, to actually undoubtedly and significantly not only determine in all respects how the rather purportedly to them Third World, and others clearly like China and Russia, should run their own domestic affairs, but undoubtedly, as well, accord to themselves what they see as their inalienable right to literally actually rectify, and basically by force if necessary, what they clearly arbitrarily for selfish reasons don't like or approve of!

Effectively nothing new! For here in his own words what the half-breed British American, Winston Churchill distinctly and openly had to say about essentially non-whites globally. Taking into actual account that Winston Churchill was in effect an inured racist, and eugenicist! Here are Churchill's actual words then.

"I truly do not agree, that the dog in the manger has the final right to that [said] manger even though he may have lain there for a long time. [Equally] I do not admit, for an instance, that [really] any great wrong was [truly] done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia! I don't admit that a wrong has been done, to these people - by the fact that a stronger race, a higher grade race, to put it that way, has come in and taken their place!"

Well, you simply can't have it any more succinctly voiced than that! Racism and unquestionably delusional, master race supremacist attitudes, not only actually evidently apparent but likewise deeply embedded in clearly significantly large numbers of the white Caucasian race to this very day - yet, never questioned by these people, irrespective of how rather ignorant they are, even clearly to other members of their white tribe, and very specifically those they asininely and as well inappropriately look down on.

The USA might generally by the literally ill-informed, be regarded as a veritable  melting pot of the various human races but that's quite misleading as the actual British barbarity effectively of basically quite evidently odious, colonial times is in essence unquestionably so distinctly discernibly and thoroughly endemic of those who effectively run the USA!

And it's this psychopathic and crucially sociopathic as well as deeply ingrained psychopathic lot that run the USA in all those areas that really matter and also whose predatory mercenary obsession knows no bounds!

Consequently the USA in crucially most of its significant spheres, and clearly in close tandem with countries essentially like Britain and Israel notoriously - are all of them run by megalomaniac with large and demented egos and to whom uncaringly the rest of us are essentially just collateral damage!

(C) Stanley V. Collymore 5 April 2024.

Author's Remarks: The USA alone gives $14 billion dollars in so-called Aid annually while several millions of quite bona fide, US citizens are without basic health care assistance and are literally dying because of this.

The United Kingdom actually provides Israel with billions of Pounds Sterling, state of the art weapons, while clearly discernibly millions of British citizens, serfs or subjects, dependent on exactly how you personally view them in 21st Century, distinctly feudal monarchical Britain, cannot afford to basically heat their homes, properly or otherwise, as likewise significant numbers crucially survive only with the quite charitable assistance of food banks. And adding insult to injury, not only in the case of the British underclass but similarly as well the clearly genocidally wiped out Palestinians - this British government, has made a deal with Israel to actually assist that rogue state in the unlawful  purloining of Gazan oil discovered off the official shores if Gaza; just as Tony Blair and George W. Bush odiously did in the Iraq, when with this discernibly principal theft in mind they criminally and barbarically invaded Iraq, clearly on the known false premise of it's very non-existent WMDs, that both Bush and Blair knew weren't there. But never the less despite over ONE million innocent Iraqis slaughtered and several millions more made clearly hapless refugees to this day; both Blair and Bush, and also the western companies they were very much in cahoots with are considerably better off financially; as are the west's Military Industrial Complex controlled principally by the USA!

To this day no USA government has had the decency nor the morality to tell the families of those barbarically killed by the Israelis during Israel's attack on the clearly non-belligerent USS Liberty: a United States warship in the Middle East off Palestine at the time, the truth about their dear ones evidently odious murder at the hands of these barbarians masquerading as human beings: neither also, have the American people been officially told! And if the USA government and quite also the requisite authorities that do know the truth can actually do this to their own citizens who vote them into office, why obviously then should any intelligent non-American, trust these self-evidently warmongering cunts to whom money is undoubtedly clearly far more important than principles. Shame on you USA: the self-professed leader of the Free World! Really? Pull the other one, it has bells on!

I'm no belligerent self-hater of the USA, a country which my very own ancestral homeland of Barbados, gave enormous support to, during its own Sterling fight for independence from Britain and that their first President George Washington greatly recognized and quite graciously thanked the single only country that he actually visited and stayed in outside of what afterwards became the USA. Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourself and quite obviously what each and every Barbadian school kid simply clearly does know and significantly our well-kept contemporary archives show.

Additionally to all that a very principal aspect of the American Constitution: No taxation without representation is very discernibly taken from the Barbadian Treaty of Oistins 1652, and I do suggest that you really check both these factors out to show the close links that existed between Barbados, significantly the 13 American colonies and what thereafter subsequently became the USA. Likewise that it was Barbadians that founded the Colony of Carolina in 1663, so our links historically with the USA are strong.

But we Bajans are a proud and honest people and speak our minds regardless of who it's to. And literally as for myself I do actually have many relatives really on both my paternal and maternal side of my family who are born and bred US citizens, and not 1st generation either, but who go way back to those basically initial links. So I rather evidently don't need any lectures from 1st generation US whites or the other detritus from all those European lands that now literally infest the USA and think they crucially and exclusively own the USA. You don't and never will!

All I want to see is the USA pull it's very collective fingers out of its ass and very sensibly revert to the entity that it was and which my fellow Barbadians were quite proud to help! When our then PM and father of our Bajan nation proudly addressed the UN when Barbados did formally become a member following its independence also from Britain, in a brilliant and succinct speech our PM, a World War 2 esteemed RAF combatant Errol Walton Barrow had this to say as regards Barbados: "We will be a friend to everyone but never a servant to any one". It's the philosophy we live by as Bajans and is deeply entrenched in me.

Respect let alone questionably claiming to be influencing others actually has to be positively earned; not automatically expected or unquestionably granted as an inalienable right, simply because of who you think you are! Even if you do happen to be the country with actually the most nuclear weapons obviously on Planet Earth! Makes no difference at all to this Bajan!

[survey--s]

599.

When you’re visiting a site, do you still type ‘www.’? No. I don't know anyone who does that anymore lol.

Can you still read the time if an analogue clock doesn’t have numbers on it? Yeah, sure.

To whom will/did you first talk about the first time you’ve had sex?  My best friend at the time. Her name was Linnet.

Have you ever fallen asleep while taking an exam?  No.

Tell me something ridiculous about the place or country you live in:  We voted for fucking BREXIT.

Did you know that ` is not an apostrophe? Are you guilty of using it?  Yes, no.

Have you ever gave the rejection hotline number to anyone?  Ha, no.

What is something you didn’t like about being thirteen?  Hormones, spots and periods.

What can you hear right now?  Two and a Half Men, my own typing, the cats playing.

Do you think it’s okay for kids to have cellphones?  That depends on the age? I mean, I don't think there's any need for anyone under the age of 10 or so to have a phone.

Do you watch anime? If so, what are some of your favorites?  No.

A quote/funny line from the last movie you saw?  "Should I describe it to you? Or would you like to find you a box?"

Don’t you hate yes/no surveys? Or do you prefer the ones that make you think and explain your thoughts?  Yeah, I much prefer ones where you can elaborate. Saying that, I hate the ones that are about five questions rolled into one.

Do you have a favorite curse word? If so, what is it and why?  Fuck - just because it works in so many situations.

How well would you say you do in school? Do you actually exert effort or are you naturally good at your subjects? I always did pretty well in school but I never really tried all that hard. I just didn't enjoy school, really.

Do you have any siblings? If so which one of them do you get along with the best?  No. I have multiple siblings in law though, and I get on the best with Tracy.

What’s your favorite TV show? And who’s your favorite character from it?  Friends - Chandler. Two and a Half Men - Berta. Fawlty Towers - Basil. Blackadder - Blackadder and Baldrick. Parks and Recreation - Ron and April.

Is there someone that you look up to? If so, who and why?  Sure, taller people.

Do you take surveys on other sites besides Bzoink?  I've never used Bzoink.

When did/will summer start for you? Well, my summer break began today but summer itself started a couple of months ago.

Do you have a poor eyesight? If so, what is the power of your eyes?  My eyesight is HORRENDOUS. Around -10 in both eyes.

…do you use glasses or contacts for it?  I wear glasses. Contact lenses give me a migraine and my prescription is too complex for laser eye surgery.

Have you violated any of the 10 Commandments? If so, what?  I'm sure I have.

What would you consider to be your most valued possession? Why?  My house - because all my stuff is in it.

Are you ever satisfied? Or are you one of those people who always want more? Generally I'm very satisfied with my life.

What were you like as a kid?  Weird. I talked to myself all the time.

[mrfoox]

Idk how I managed to end up in a group of 7 people where all but me and another is basically ambitious and driven with a dream in mind

[letarasstuff]

Ranting

(A/N): This was requested by an anon, I hope you like it :)

Summary: In the middle of midterms, Spencer's daughter has enough and for the first time in her life, she rants to the team

Warnings: one swear word, school, school stress, mental breakdown, shitty friends, a bit of angst (but there is fluff to balance that out), weird grammatical sentences that are according to google correct

Wordcount: 2.3k

✨Masterlist✨ _____________________________ As a teenager, Spencer was pretty closed off. But this had several reasons, like being a child (or moreover a teen prodigy) at college and getting his first Ph.D, or that he hadn’t had a safety net of people he could have gone to. So as he became a father himself, he tried everything possible to assure his own daughter that her feelings and thoughts are always welcome and valid.

Unfortunately (Y/N) herself has developed the same habit starting high school and ever since Spencer can’t do anything to get her to open up to him. It’s not like they don’t have a good relationship, they have one of the strongest father-daughter bonds the BAU has ever witnessed. The girl simply has other ways to cope with her feelings and how to act them out in the safety of her own four walls. Her father learned to accept it, knowing that he can’t and won’t force her to talk to him.

So what follows now not only shocked Spencer. But also his work family.

It’s the time every teen in high school dreads: Midterms.

A word a teacher can mutter and a shiver goes through the rows of students in the classroom. Or at least it feels like it to (Y/N). She takes her school work very seriously. In her mind every single grade determines her future.

The rational part in her knows that the grades in her sophomore year doesn’t matter. That they are even long forgotten when she graduates. There is just so much pressure on her. But it isn’t coming from her father.

Spencer is pretty laid-back regarding school. He knows his daughter is trying her best and that it’s just the tenth grade and not the end of the world. School is not everything life has to offer, especially he has to know it as a scholar and profiler flying through the country in a jet back and forth.

It’s (Y/N)’s classmates, who pressure her to get good grades.

“We depend on you and your notes”, Tyler exclaims as he jogs next to her through the busy hallway. “Ty, I know. But I don’t have the time to get them done for all of you to understand by tomorrow. They are still a mess that only I know to see through. I still have to finish my history project and I go to my Dad’s work this afternoon, which means I won’t get much done and I still have to do the homework I got today before sorting my notes for the test in two days.”

At her locker, the boy still doesn’t let go of the subject. “Do you want to say that our grades don’t matter as much as yours? Because this would be a true selfish statement.” Maybe it is the lack of sleep, because she pulled three all-nighters in two weeks, or the fact that she is slowly getting fed up being treated like an unpaid private teacher, but (Y/N) can’t stop her sassy answer. “Tyler, you wouldn't even know how to tell apart your ass from your head if it weren’t for me and my help in biology. You wouldn’t even know how to spell selfish if I didn’t let you copy my answers in spelling tests in elementary school.”

Done with the day and her friend’s shit, she slams the door of her locker shut and leaves a flabbergasted boy behind. Half an hour later the teenager enters the bullpen with her visitor badge clipped to the pocket of her sweater.

On the way there she was fuming. The audacity of her friends. It’s not only Tyler, who tried to get her notes of a unit, she was the only one listening, even though the teacher said loud and clear that this will be important for midterms. A few other friends out of the group she usually hangs out with texted her the same question of when her notes will be given to them. Understandably, (Y/N) comes into the office in the worst mood anyone from the team ever saw, including her own father.

“Hey Sweetheart”, he tries to greet her with a hug. Even though both of them are not big on touch, they are extra affectionate with people they are close to.

To everybody’s surprise, the girl takes a step back, effectively avoiding his open arms. “Hey”, she grumbles out before taking a seat in the chair already waiting for her. Nobody is allowed to sit in this one, except for her. Not even Derek has ever put his butt on this one, knowing the sacredness of it.

Without sparing anyone another glance, (Y/N) gets the needed stuff for that history project out and continues working on it. The team resorts to throwing a questiongly look to Spencer, who shrugs his shoulders with a look of despair. So everyone resumes their work without even daring to say a word.

The general silence is occasionally broken by an unnerved sigh leaving the teenager’s lips. “Is the conference room occupied?” She asks, her voice clearly showing how annoyed she is. Her father shakes his head. “No, not that I know of. Do you need help with your school work?” This is obviously the wrong thing to say. “Do I look like a baby? I don’t need anyone to help with that, I have been going to school for ten years now, I think I can handle this project as perfectly fine as I did since day one. It’s just your keyboard typing that will be the reason for my first grey hairs if I don’t get out of here soon.”

Quickly (Y/N) gathers her stuff and storms off into the conference room. Immediately the team crowds her father’s desk. “What happened?” “Who hurt her?” “Go, talk to her!”

“Guys, I don’t know what’s going on. I’m at the same loss as all of you. The only thing I know is that (Y/N) is under pressure, because it’s midterms. But judging by the way she reacted, I don’t want to go near her. It’s safer to try to defuse a bomb than talk to her in that mood. Last time I saw something similar, her favorite show was declared finished, got a revival and then didn’t get one and nobody mentioned it again. She was so mad, I think it took three years of her life.” A silence of uncertainty spreads through the room.

“What about we give her some room until she calms down?” JJ suggests, being unsure herself how to deal with a teenage girl. But the rest agrees and goes back to filling out their paperwork.

This continues for about 20 minutes, till a loud bang and a frustrated scream is heard followed by “DON’T THEY WANT TO GET IT OR ARE THEY JUST STUPID?!” Alerted by that, seven people (yes, even Dave and Aaron leave their offices, while Penelope was already in the bullpen) storm into the round table room only to see a more than outraged (Y/N).

“Sweetheart”, Spencer speaks to her in the gentlest voice they ever heard from him and slowly moves towards his daughter, “What’s going on?”

Her response is delayed by several deep breaths she has to take in order to be able to talk without seething. “ALL OF MY SO CALLED FRIENDS ARE ASKING ME FOR MY NOTES, like do I look like a personal tutor? And when I tell them that I got a life, a life outside of school and grades, because otherwise I go completely bananas, just like all of you say, they get mad. Now they act like I’m the most selfish person in the whole world. I’m so done, can’t they understand that they are old enough to take care of their own stuff? I’m not responsible for them, their grades or anything regarding their lives. Otherwise I would be the mother of at least four toddlers and one baby and at the age of sixteen I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I know friends are there for eachother, and I really don’t mind helping them from time to time. But what they are doing is terror. Terror.

“Oh and don’t get me started on their tormention if I get something lower than an A-. Then they suddenly transform into geniuses, like they suddenly know everything possible. Of course, I’m the dumb one. I should have studied more.

“I am under an insane amount of pressure, because I know they rely on me, but enough is enough. I tell them that if anyone asks me for anything school related again and they act like I owe them an answer, I’ll cut off all ties to all of them. What am I, a roboter just there for their needs, without some of my own?”

After her long rant, (Y/N) takes a couple more breaths. It’s pretty much the only sound right now, because the team is stunned. None of them heard her talking, no ranting, like that. Not even her Spencer has seen her like that.

Realizing what she just said, the teenager fidgets nervously with her hands. “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you know, blow up like that. I, I really don’t know where this came from.” Nervously she scratches the back of her head. It really wasn’t her intention to let it out like that. Her plan was just to come home tonight and deal in the confinement of her own four walls with all of her feelings. It’s easier to be honest to yourself when you are alone than having an audience watching you losing it.

Suddenly (Y/N) finds herself engulfed in a massive bear hug. “Oh, my sweet sweet summerchild. You needed to rant to us and I’m so happy you did. Even though your uhm, friends, sound like big douchebags, we can help you sort something out”, Penelope tells her while keeping her arms around the teen.

“Just like lil mama said, we are here for you, Baby Reid. Don’t ever be afraid to tell us something, may it even be as small as you having stubbed your toe.” Morgan ruffles her hair and gives her a reassuring smile.

Just like them everybody shows her their support, be it encouraging words or affectionately gestures. Rossi invites her to a calm and quiet dinner at his mansion, cooking class included. Hotch assures her that she will get through this rough patch, with or without these fake people. JJ suggests (Y/N) comes over to her home and she can participate in a family game night at their home.

When it’s Emily’s turn, she makes sure to get her message loud and clear by looking the teen in the eyes (not as deep as it sounds, because some people make an intense stare really uncomfortable): “If those kids give you a hard time again, tell me. I’ll pay them a visit in classic protective godmother fashion, because nobody traits MY godchild like this. Just give me their names and I’ll handle the rest.” Obviously she doesn’t say this aloud in front of everyone, else Hotch will have her head, knowing she goes through with her threats. Instead she whispers it into the teen’s ear. Still, it makes (Y/N) smile, having such a strong support net.

Sensing the family’s need for time of their own to talk about the whole situation, the team leaves the room. Spencer gestures to her to take a seat after moving two chairs opposite each other. He wants her not to feel trapped.

“Do you still want to talk about it? It doesn’t have to be now, we can do it tonight, tomorrow, in a week or in a month. Just, please don’t shut me out. I know it’s difficult to be a teenager, especially in times like these. But it won’t do you any good keeping all of this for yourself. Today you took it out through anger. How will it look next time?

I don’t want to pressure you into talking. We don’t need to. We can find other coping mechanisms. We can try and reduce your stress. Anything. But we both know that this is not the right way.” While speaking, he takes his daughter’s hand, making her look up to him.

(Y/N) nods. Her eyes fill with tears. “I just can’t keep going like this.” She whispers, feeling all the stress, pressure and the intensity of the last few weeks crashing down on her. Quickly Spencer gathers her in his arms, letting her cry in his embrace.

After calming down, she looks up to her father with bloodshot eyes. “We can talk tonight. But I need you to do me a favor.” “Anything”, he assures her, stroking a hand along her back. “I, uhm, I need a new phone. I may or may not have thrown mine against the wall after getting a text from Tyler.”

Spencer looks at the crooked cell laying on the floor, the screen cracked. “I think we can get that sorted”, he tells her with a smile and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

The two of them leave the office earlier, having many things to talk about and many problems to solve. But with the help of her family (Y/N) gets through this, a time where people unfortunately only like her for her smarts and not being herself.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187 @kneelforloki

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner

[sniper-childe]

Some notes of a chili role swap au that I will never write

AKA 1.3k+ words worth of headcanons ft. Archon Childe and Harbinger Zhongli :D

Rex Mare / Celestial Vanguard / Flawless Lily

Has served Celestia for six thousand years. And like his devotion to the Tsaritsa, this Childe has a seemingly unbreakable bond with Celestia.

As the Archon of Justice, he is their judge, jury, and executioner. He upholds the Heavenly Principles more than any of the other archons.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his own morals and sense of justice. He firmly believes that the most certain thing about our world is we know nothing—that we are all just fools—and that only by continually seeking knowledge and truth are we virtuous. This means he likes learning new stuff and mastering it. Kinda like how og Childe is with weapons but with basically everything.

This is the main value of the Land of Justice and it is the foundation of the many Schools of Thought. This is also why Snezhnaya’s best scholars are called the Fatui :D

However, the god is not as flawless as his people think. He refuses to see what Celestia truly is because of his faith. [insert here the complexities of letting go of your devotion that ultimately boils down to fear. Fear of retaliation to a rebellion, fear of a stripped identity without your faith, fear of the loneliness when you learn your god never existed in the first place and she is merely a collection of ideologies that you hold so closely to exonerate yourself of your blind eyes and bloody hands]

If you read the second story in my Ajax: Champion of Dreams series, you might realize I have some kind of religious trauma HAHAHAHAHDJGKG (living in an Asian country that is widely Catholic and Christian will do that to ya ;)) this is why I need the Fontaine Arc to be Anti-Church. I’ve mentioned this before but damn it. I NEED. Or at least touch the complexities of faith (and losing it) as mentioned above. You know? Of course, I don’t want it to be heavy-handed and Honkai handled this stuff well so I just— aaaaaa

Appearance: kinda like Taishakuten from Onmyoji but replace the lotus for the lily of the valley that actually chimes. They are the Damning Bells you hear before an execution.

Why lily of the valley? It’s the national flower of Serbia :D

Also, I know “cleansing bells” are more of an eastern thing but Catholics have bells too right? Bells are known to purify one’s soul or place of worship. If criminals think the god’s bells are damning, his followers revere them as their salvation. The cleansing of lilies in water—washing them of their impure thoughts and deeds. They are what gives them clarity so that they may hold court without bias.

To subvert the modern dystopia setting trope, Childe likes to come down from the White Palace to the valley and chill with the common people to ensure fairness among his subjects. This has made his country and its people endeared to him and he has become protective of them.

On one of his excursions, he meets a man from Liyue.

Fifth of the Seven Stars / Harbinger of Misery / Last of His Kind

五 (wǔ, the number 5) sounds like 呜 (wū) which is an onomatopoeia for crying. So number 5 in Chinese Numerology is considered unlucky.

Also yes, while the Tsaritsa needs Eleven Harbingers, Ningguang (the Geo Archon in this AU) only needs seven. She calls them the Qixing or the Seven Stars.

He is still a half-dragon, half-qilin but is far younger than og Zhongli.

About three thousand years ago, he slipped into a crack. He stayed in the Abyss for what seemed like 3 months but actually, millennia had passed in Teyvat.

In this world, Guizhong was the first Geo Archon but during the Cataclysm, she passed and Ningguang took the mantle.

Her death was not because of the Cataclysm though but because of her nature as an emphatic god—she didn’t approve of razing civilizations. She defied Celestia and paid the price. This is what sets Liyue’s vendetta against Celestia.

Appearance: He looks like White Asura. He wears a lot of white. A lot happened while he was gone and when he returned, it was tragedy after tragedy. And as a qilin-dragon and adeptus, he has a duty to Liyue and its people, so he’s immediately put to work. He hasn’t had the proper time to breathe and grieve. So he’s in an eternal state of mourning.

I actually have tried writing Zhongli, an immortal god who remembers everything, who is actively grieving (and it’s the hardest thing, let me tell you). I’ve imagined him trying to prolong his grief. I think he’d be the type of person to box it away because he has all the time in the world. Why should he have to face something that’s making him sad now? I think every stage of grief for immortals would take centuries.

So I think he actively supported Ningguang’s cause to not let himself breathe and grieve, not just to uphold the oldest contract. Because does he really deserve it when he wasn’t there to protect his family?

Anyways,,

A younger Morax was brazen and callous was canon, right? So I guess this is also what this Zhongli is. And he fell into the Abyss before the Golden Age of the Guili Assembly. So I think he’s more of an isolationist here like how other adepti are. He probably acts a lot like Xiao but has more bite and bark.

He was sent to Snezhnaya to steal the Hydro Archon’s gnosis. There he meets a man, picking lilies by a stream that leads to the sea. And he makes the first friend he’s ever had in… too long.

PS. Here is a picture of White Asura LOL. Listen His and Taishakuten's story feels like a chili role swap au. Go look them up, you won't regret it.

Some worldbuilding stuff that nobody probably will care about because it doesn’t have anything to do with chili BUT this is here so that you can imagine what would be their first meeting like, what would be their first impressions of each other, how would they act around each other, etc. (I actually have my own imagined scene at the bottom hajasdhh)

Snezhnaya is mountainous that is good for fortress-like cities. From the tallest mountain, water falls from the White Palace (even at such a high altitude, the Hydro Archon keeps the water flowing) down to a river that leads to the sea. This river cuts through the valley that the mountains surround.

The forts and castles in the mountain region are home to the nobles. While the valley is for the farmhands and common folk.

The class system is such that philosophers are considered the nobility. Social mobility is possible through the Imperial Exams. If you’re good enough to bullshit through essay questions that test your ethical, logical, and legal knowledge, then you can have a piece of land and a title :D

Ever since the Cataclysm, and the death of Guizhong, the diplomatic relationship between Liyue and the other nations has been strenuous. Maritime trading has become less ideal but there is a small port in Snezhnaya (Morepesok) that connects the country to the others.

Liyue’s main trade has become highly regulated. Export has become more expensive and has become a symbol of status among the rich and powerful outside the nation. Handwoven silk now sells at a minimum of 10 million mora!

Liyue has the best relationship with Mondstadt. The in-land trade between these two nations is the “only way in” to Liyue so to speak.

Liyue was the Land of Commerce so when it closed off itself from the rest of the world, there was an economic collapse. Self-sustaining cities have survived this but there have been less fortunate ones.

I mostly focused on class and symbols of status and wealth because I imagine that in their first meeting… Childe looks like a fisherman. And from an outsider, that must mean he’s illiterate, right????? Imagine the insult to everything sacred to Snezhnaya when Liyue’s diplomat actually thought that the Archon of Justice and Court Trials doesn’t even know how to read or write. Imagine Zhongli actually having so much money that he’ll splurge it on the poor fisherman he’s somehow befriended. IMAGINE!