#The power of sheer lack of communication compells you
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Everybody shut the fuck up, maiko break up song aquired.
#The power of sheer lack of communication compells you#absolutely no hate to shippers. Just thought of them in a sad depressing way#avatar the last airbender#a:tla#atla maiko#maiko#atla#zuko/mai#zuko#zuko atla#prince zuko#firelord zuko#avatar mai#atla mai#I can SEE the animatics in my head almost like a deprived illusion of granduer RHEHDH#(help how do I tag this banger of a song)#Spotify
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"gimme a kiss here,"
wriothesley points at his cheek, index finger catching the flustered flesh and wriggling for more, "and here," he adds promptly, a crystal clear image portrayed in front of your eyes as to what the duke sought after before eagerly pointing at his forehead next, "and here," lastly, he finishes his deepest sentencing, pointing at his mouth.
"point taken," you retort back, adding in a pet name just to see how flustered wriothesley could get from it, his throat working around a deep swallow as he sucks in a breath when you call him baby, the warm breeze fanning against your slightly parted lips.
with the last word lingering in the air, you remember that wriothesley liked to play the tough one and he certainly enjoyed the feeling of other people being reluctant to approach him, given that he was of influential power, although currently, he was not in such a position.
he's swift when he melts against your lips, humming in a pleased timbre when you gave him what he longed for all day long— and wriothesley whines next, such a rare noise, as if that was an effective way of communicating with you, a silent more muffled by your hungry lips devouring each other— but the sound of the small sobs and heavy breathes coming from your person were a heavenly melody to him, his mouth curling into a cheeky smile when he pinches your hips as to pull you on his lap.
with that sudden act, you're straddling the duke, your arms wrapped around his neck as you continue with your sweet ministrations, bringing your lips together in another heated kiss and lapping your tongue against his wet muscle while the rough material of your panties and his tight pants clash together— the small tingles you could gather on your core slither around you, almost like a gentle sloping cloud in the sky manifesting a curl of pleasure, the sheer impact of it all trailing down the expanse of your spine.
and when wriothesley notices your sudden weakness— compelled how your hips have gone rogue and stutter from lack of control, he figures there wasn't necessarily a point in stopping those additional movements, in fact, he'd love to help you out, the rhythm of your clothed cunt rolling across his length let lose between a heart-beat as your boyfriend decides to harshly drag you against him instead.
together you're breathing deeply before he presses you into his stiffened groin— the movement of it so sudden that you weren't able to voice anything at all and were forced out a crumbling whine, catching you off guard as you part your mouth ever so slightly which allowed wriothesley to demand entrance again— immediately taking the candied chance to let his tongue slide inside your mouth with ease, pressing and mingling the two together.
he gives your hips a few more tugs, focusing that you're nudging your wet panties over his length and that his thick cock-head could poke at your concealed entrance, shoving back an impatient growl all the while rubbing circles on your thighs with his index fingers to soothe you.
soft lips tease you through the thin skin on your neck and you wet the pale grey fabric of his pants beyond decency, placing an insufferable quiver of need through his throbbing shaft followed by a sharp grin leaving you gasping and squirming— both of you distracted against drenched clothes, swollen lips soaked with saliva and your unravelling bodies working ethusiastically with quick, lascivious grinds of your hips and wriothesley bottoming out ever so often, dragging you rapidly to the utter brink of release.
©2023 anantaru do not repost, copy, translate, modify
#fem! reader#genshin smut#genshin impact smut#genshin x reader#genshin impact x reader#wriothesley x reader#wriothesley smut
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The battle for cloud supremacy rages on, with titans like AWS and Azure locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. While Azure has made impressive strides, closing the gap in certain areas, AWS continues to hold the crown. But why? Is it simply a matter of being the first mover, or are there deeper reasons behind AWS's enduring reign? Let's dive deep into this cloud clash, exploring the nuances, the shortcomings, and the factors that keep AWS ahead of the curve. A Legacy of Innovation and a Breadth of Services AWS has been the undisputed pioneer in cloud computing, consistently pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From its humble beginnings offering basic compute and storage, AWS has evolved into a sprawling ecosystem of services that's nothing short of breathtaking. It covers everything from the foundations of computing to the cutting edge – AI and machine learning, IoT, serverless computing, quantum technologies, and beyond. This relentless innovation has created a mature and comprehensive platform that's incredibly difficult to match. Azure, while making significant progress, still struggles to keep pace with AWS's sheer breadth and depth of services. While it offers solid core services, it often lacks the specialized tools, niche offerings, and intricate integrations that AWS provides. For businesses with complex needs, those seeking cutting-edge technologies, or those requiring highly specialized solutions, AWS often presents a more complete and compelling proposition. Let's get specific. AWS offers services like AWS Lambda for serverless computing, AWS Glue for data integration, and AWS Ground Station for satellite communications – services that Azure simply doesn't have equivalents for. This gap in specialized offerings can be a significant deciding factor for businesses operating in niche industries or those seeking to leverage the latest cloud innovations. The Power of Choice and Granular Control AWS offers an unparalleled range of instance types, catering to every conceivable workload and budget. Need a behemoth of a machine for high-performance computing or complex simulations? AWS has you covered. Looking for a cost-effective option for running web applications or small databases? AWS has that too. This granular control and vast selection empower businesses to optimize their cloud spending and choose the perfect instance for their specific needs. Azure, while offering a decent selection of virtual machines, doesn't quite match the sheer variety and flexibility of AWS. This can be a limiting factor for businesses with diverse workloads or those requiring highly specialized hardware or unique configurations. A Global Footprint with Local Nuances AWS boasts a truly global infrastructure, with a presence in more regions than any other cloud provider. This extensive reach allows businesses to deploy applications closer to their customers, reducing latency and improving performance. But it's not just about breadth; it's about depth. AWS offers region-specific services and features, catering to local regulations, compliance requirements, and data sovereignty needs. Azure, while expanding its global footprint, still has some catching up to do. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with a global presence or those operating in regions with limited Azure availability. Furthermore, AWS often offers more mature and feature-rich services within specific regions, giving it a local advantage even where both providers have a presence. The Ecosystem Advantage: A Thriving Community AWS has fostered a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem of partners, tools, and integrations. This means businesses can tap into a wealth of third-party solutions to enhance their AWS deployments. From DevOps tools and security solutions to industry-specific applications and specialized integrations, the AWS ecosystem offers a rich tapestry of options. Azure, while building its own ecosystem, hasn't yet reached the same level of maturity and diversity. This can limit the options available to businesses, make it harder to find specialized solutions, and increase the reliance on in-house development or less established providers. The Price War: Beyond the Sticker Price Pricing is a complex and ever-shifting battleground in the cloud wars. While both AWS and Azure offer competitive pricing models, AWS often has an edge due to its scale, operational efficiency, and sustained price reductions over the years. Moreover, AWS offers a wider range of pricing options, including reserved instances, spot instances, and savings plans, allowing businesses to fine-tune their cloud spending based on their specific needs and usage patterns. Azure has made strides in pricing, particularly for Microsoft-centric customers. However, it can sometimes be more expensive than AWS for certain services or workloads. Careful cost analysis and a deep understanding of your own usage patterns are essential when comparing the two platforms. The Human Factor: Experience, Expertise, and Community AWS has a longer history and a significantly larger user base, which translates to a wealth of experience and expertise within the industry. Finding skilled AWS professionals is generally easier than finding Azure specialists. This can be a significant advantage for businesses seeking to build or augment their cloud teams, especially when looking for niche skills or deep expertise. Azure is gaining ground in terms of talent pool, but it still has some catching up to do. This can make it more challenging to find qualified professionals, particularly for specialized roles or cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, the AWS community is vast and active, offering a wealth of resources, support forums, and online communities. This vibrant community can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues, learning new skills, and staying up-to-date with the latest AWS developments. Reliability and Outages: A Tale of Two Clouds While both AWS and Azure offer high availability and strive for minimal downtime, Azure has faced some notable outages in recent years. These outages have impacted various services, from core compute and storage to networking and databases. While Azure has taken steps to improve its reliability, these incidents have raised concerns about its overall stability. AWS, while not immune to outages, has generally maintained a higher level of reliability. Its mature infrastructure, extensive experience, and focus on operational excellence have resulted in a more stable platform. This track record of reliability can be a crucial factor for businesses where downtime translates to significant financial losses or reputational damage. The Verdict: AWS Still Holds the Edge While Azure is a formidable competitor with its own strengths, AWS continues to reign supreme in the cloud arena. Its legacy of innovation, vast and mature ecosystem, global reach, competitive pricing, and proven reliability make it a compelling choice for businesses of all sizes. While Azure has made significant strides and closed the gap in certain areas, it still has some ground to cover before it can truly challenge AWS's dominance. Ultimately, the best choice for your business will depend on your specific needs, priorities, and existing technology stack. Careful evaluation of both platforms, considering factors like cost, performance, reliability, and available services, is essential to determine which one best aligns with your requirements. But for now, AWS remains the cloud leader, setting the pace and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud computing world. Read the full article
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The battle for cloud supremacy rages on, with titans like AWS and Azure locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. While Azure has made impressive strides, closing the gap in certain areas, AWS continues to hold the crown. But why? Is it simply a matter of being the first mover, or are there deeper reasons behind AWS's enduring reign? Let's dive deep into this cloud clash, exploring the nuances, the shortcomings, and the factors that keep AWS ahead of the curve. A Legacy of Innovation and a Breadth of Services AWS has been the undisputed pioneer in cloud computing, consistently pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From its humble beginnings offering basic compute and storage, AWS has evolved into a sprawling ecosystem of services that's nothing short of breathtaking. It covers everything from the foundations of computing to the cutting edge – AI and machine learning, IoT, serverless computing, quantum technologies, and beyond. This relentless innovation has created a mature and comprehensive platform that's incredibly difficult to match. Azure, while making significant progress, still struggles to keep pace with AWS's sheer breadth and depth of services. While it offers solid core services, it often lacks the specialized tools, niche offerings, and intricate integrations that AWS provides. For businesses with complex needs, those seeking cutting-edge technologies, or those requiring highly specialized solutions, AWS often presents a more complete and compelling proposition. Let's get specific. AWS offers services like AWS Lambda for serverless computing, AWS Glue for data integration, and AWS Ground Station for satellite communications – services that Azure simply doesn't have equivalents for. This gap in specialized offerings can be a significant deciding factor for businesses operating in niche industries or those seeking to leverage the latest cloud innovations. The Power of Choice and Granular Control AWS offers an unparalleled range of instance types, catering to every conceivable workload and budget. Need a behemoth of a machine for high-performance computing or complex simulations? AWS has you covered. Looking for a cost-effective option for running web applications or small databases? AWS has that too. This granular control and vast selection empower businesses to optimize their cloud spending and choose the perfect instance for their specific needs. Azure, while offering a decent selection of virtual machines, doesn't quite match the sheer variety and flexibility of AWS. This can be a limiting factor for businesses with diverse workloads or those requiring highly specialized hardware or unique configurations. A Global Footprint with Local Nuances AWS boasts a truly global infrastructure, with a presence in more regions than any other cloud provider. This extensive reach allows businesses to deploy applications closer to their customers, reducing latency and improving performance. But it's not just about breadth; it's about depth. AWS offers region-specific services and features, catering to local regulations, compliance requirements, and data sovereignty needs. Azure, while expanding its global footprint, still has some catching up to do. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with a global presence or those operating in regions with limited Azure availability. Furthermore, AWS often offers more mature and feature-rich services within specific regions, giving it a local advantage even where both providers have a presence. The Ecosystem Advantage: A Thriving Community AWS has fostered a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem of partners, tools, and integrations. This means businesses can tap into a wealth of third-party solutions to enhance their AWS deployments. From DevOps tools and security solutions to industry-specific applications and specialized integrations, the AWS ecosystem offers a rich tapestry of options. Azure, while building its own ecosystem, hasn't yet reached the same level of maturity and diversity. This can limit the options available to businesses, make it harder to find specialized solutions, and increase the reliance on in-house development or less established providers. The Price War: Beyond the Sticker Price Pricing is a complex and ever-shifting battleground in the cloud wars. While both AWS and Azure offer competitive pricing models, AWS often has an edge due to its scale, operational efficiency, and sustained price reductions over the years. Moreover, AWS offers a wider range of pricing options, including reserved instances, spot instances, and savings plans, allowing businesses to fine-tune their cloud spending based on their specific needs and usage patterns. Azure has made strides in pricing, particularly for Microsoft-centric customers. However, it can sometimes be more expensive than AWS for certain services or workloads. Careful cost analysis and a deep understanding of your own usage patterns are essential when comparing the two platforms. The Human Factor: Experience, Expertise, and Community AWS has a longer history and a significantly larger user base, which translates to a wealth of experience and expertise within the industry. Finding skilled AWS professionals is generally easier than finding Azure specialists. This can be a significant advantage for businesses seeking to build or augment their cloud teams, especially when looking for niche skills or deep expertise. Azure is gaining ground in terms of talent pool, but it still has some catching up to do. This can make it more challenging to find qualified professionals, particularly for specialized roles or cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, the AWS community is vast and active, offering a wealth of resources, support forums, and online communities. This vibrant community can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues, learning new skills, and staying up-to-date with the latest AWS developments. Reliability and Outages: A Tale of Two Clouds While both AWS and Azure offer high availability and strive for minimal downtime, Azure has faced some notable outages in recent years. These outages have impacted various services, from core compute and storage to networking and databases. While Azure has taken steps to improve its reliability, these incidents have raised concerns about its overall stability. AWS, while not immune to outages, has generally maintained a higher level of reliability. Its mature infrastructure, extensive experience, and focus on operational excellence have resulted in a more stable platform. This track record of reliability can be a crucial factor for businesses where downtime translates to significant financial losses or reputational damage. The Verdict: AWS Still Holds the Edge While Azure is a formidable competitor with its own strengths, AWS continues to reign supreme in the cloud arena. Its legacy of innovation, vast and mature ecosystem, global reach, competitive pricing, and proven reliability make it a compelling choice for businesses of all sizes. While Azure has made significant strides and closed the gap in certain areas, it still has some ground to cover before it can truly challenge AWS's dominance. Ultimately, the best choice for your business will depend on your specific needs, priorities, and existing technology stack. Careful evaluation of both platforms, considering factors like cost, performance, reliability, and available services, is essential to determine which one best aligns with your requirements. But for now, AWS remains the cloud leader, setting the pace and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud computing world. Read the full article
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What Makes The Nissan Magnite Such A Chic Magnet
Stylish, punchy and spacious: the Nissan Magnite has everything going for it.
Over the last year or so, numerous adjectives have been used to describe the Nissan Magnite. And Nissan’s compelling SUV is deserving of each one of them. The one that really sticks, though, is ‘charismatic’. There is clearly no better word for the SUV that has been racking up sales numbers despite the numerous lockdowns. But surely, the sheer appeal of the Magnite isn’t all that surprising when you consider Nissan’s illustrious automotive heritage: the GT-R, the Leaf, the 350Z, the Bluebird… and now, the Magnite. Suffice it to say that superior engineering has been part of Nissan’s DNA for over a hundred years. And so are incandescent looks.
The Magnite is all sharp lines and angular handsomeness, and its aggressive stance is so inviting, that you want to get into the car, thumb the starter button and floor the pedal. This visual boldness and aggression is not the only reason the Magnite stands apart from other run-of-the-mill SUVs. What the Magnite has done since its launch in December last year is to overturn traditional assumptions about category, style, and class. Here is an SUV that offers a real explosion for your buck, and thanks to this combination of spot-on pricing and an assemblage of incredible attributes, the Magnite has been a threat to not just other SUVs in its class, but also to sedans and premium hatchbacks.
Take, for instance, the suite of features it comes with. The Nissan Magnite for sale is packed with segment-first features such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and then there is wireless charging and – wait for it – a 360-degree reversing camera and display. All of this, of course, is accompanied by a crisp 8.0-inch touchscreen, Nissan Connect, the company’s integrated audio, navigation, and communication system, smartwatch connectivity, puddle lamps, automatic climate control, steering-mounted controls and a sweet-sounding six-speaker audio system. If you think that’s impressive, you’ll be glad to know that the Magnite doesn’t lack space either. The SUV’s cabin is a serene space enlivened by quality trim and tasteful textures all around. We especially love the smart air-con knobs, the deconstructed centre console, and the double-stitched ‘denim’ on the door pads and elbow rests. Plus, those of us who practically live in our cars will dig the ginormous 10-litre glovebox.
The seats are remarkably comfortable and space is abundant, especially at the rear. This means that, irrespective of whether you are at the back, or in the driver’s seat, you’ll find your time inside the Magnite to be engaging and yet relaxing.
Since we are talking about driving, prospective Magnite owners will encounter two contenders that could do duty under its hood. These are a 1.0-litre B4D naturally-aspirated petrol engine and a 1.0-litre HRA0 turbo-petrol. The former is a naturally aspirated petrol engine that develops 72PS and is offered with a slick 5-speed manual transmission, while the 100PS turbo-petrol comes with the option of either a manual transmission or a CVT automatic. We had a blast with the latter and loved the way the Magnite performed at traffic light grands prix. It’s a lively engine that responds with great alacrity to inputs and is eager to spring out of inertia. This enthusiasm comes in handy, especially in urban situations and makes driving practically effortless. Keep going towards – and on – an open road, and two things stand out: linear power delivery and refinement. Should you be in the mood for some fun, simply select ‘Sport’ to make the experience even better and revel in the punch that the engine delivers.
The Magnite is equipped with a pliant suspension, and that means a comfortable ride irrespective of the terrain the SUV is on. The suspension soaks up undulations with ease and admirably tackles larger threats that rise up from the rain-battered roads of our cities.
As impressive is the SUV’s straightline stability, which inspires confidence at high speeds. Another highlight? The well-weighted steering makes zipping through traffic and into and out of narrow lanes a breeze. What about safety, you ask? Well, that has always been a priority area for Nissan, and it’s no wonder the Magnite has, apart from ABS with EBD and dual front airbags, features such as rear parking sensors and automatic warning hazard on heavy braking as standard. Plus, you also get electronic stability control, brake assist, ISOFIX child-seat mounts, traction control, hill start assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The Nissan Magnite has clearly left an impression on everyone who has driven one. What we have here is a sharp-looking SUV that makes driving something to look forward to, that’s filled to the gills with equipment and spacious enough for five. Plus, how can one forget that it earned a 4-star safety rating in the ASEAN NCAP tests earlier this year? Now, if you add cost-effectiveness to this mix – Nissan’s capable, stylish all-rounder is the most affordable compact SUV around – you’ll realise that there is nothing quite like the Magnite.
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Shared from https://www.autocarindia.com/
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Liebe: The Dramatically Ironic Demon
So, I was going through my word-vomit drafts looking for hot takes, and I came across an interesting phrase that I apparently wrote down and then immediately forgot about:
“Liebe’s two primary modes of existence can best be described as, “Stoic Silence,” and “Incandescent Fury.”
And I still stand by that, but I feel like I’ve been sidetracked by the Incandescent Fury facet of his character, when the Stoic Silence aspect is arguably more important, due to it being Liebe’s default state of existence.
Sure, Liebe has his Berserker Rages, and they are legendary, with the two most noticeable instances occurring when Asta fought Dante, and then again during the Devil Binding Ritual.
And his rage comes from a place of extreme pain--specifically it’s triggered by reminders of the death of Licita, his adopted mother.
In other words, He’s a demon who feels such grief at the loss of a human life that it causes him to lose all control over his emotions.
Demon or no, that makes him extremely sympathetic, as well as a deeply compelling character.
(Honestly, I truly admire that Tabata has never, well, ‘Demonized’ the Demons. Even Zagred was clearly a person, rather than an inexplicable monster. Albeit, it goes without saying that he was an absolute shitbag of a sapient being. Same goes for the Dark Triad’s demons. They’re godawful people, but they’re definitely people.)
Anyway, Liebe as a Stoic Silent character is significant in that I find it extremely funny.
Liebe is an absolute saint of a demonic being.
Even after being tortured for his entire childhood, and being told it was deserved because it was the privilege of the strong to oppress the weak... he never tried to hurt anyone when he came to the human realm, despite the fact that doing so would have fit nicely into the only worldview he’d ever known.
Then, after being possessed and being forced to watch as Lucifero killed Liebe’s mother using Liebe’s own hands... and spending years alone in what was essentially a solitary confinement cell with only his own vows of vengeance for company...
Well, he was still pretty affable when it came to helping Asta. It doesn’t seem like he ever tried to withhold his powers. Which is even more remarkable when we learn that when Asta is in black form and gets injured, Liebe gets hurt as well.
It’s entirely possible that this only started happening when the two of them formed a contract... but I would be surprised if that was the case.
Liebe doesn’t tend to talk about his own pain. Hell, during the first time they spoke face to face in the Witches Forest, I’m pretty sure Asta punched him, but Liebe never said anything about it.
It was never really clear how aware of the world Liebe was while stuck in the grimoire. The best I can discern, it seems like Liebe can only perceive the outside world when Asta uses antimagic. But I don’t think it’s necessary for Asta to be in black form, or even to be fully conscious, based on how the grimoire seems able to recall the swords even if Asta is passed out, or even to eat new swords, as it did with the Demon Destroyer sword in the Elf Reincarnation arc, and with Yami’s Katana, after the battle with Dante.
The point is that Liebe definitely has at least some awareness of the outside world, and that is a fact we can be certain of.
Why?
Because he knows Asta.
When they were trying to figure out Union Mode, Liebe thought to himself, “When [Asta] gets like this, about 10% of the time his idea is sheer genius... the other 90% of the time, it’s crap.”
And that’s hilarious, extremely true, and also something that he would have to know Asta fairly well to understand.
And his regard for Asta only seems to be growing. During the fight with Lilith/Namah, he marveled at the fact that, thanks to Asta, he can use Union Mode to fight against the highest ranked Devils of the first floor, who used to quite literally throw Liebe around when they were mad.
But here’s the thing.
All of this character development? Our understanding of Liebe and his motives? That’s only been revealed to the audience.
Asta doesn’t know that Liebe is essentially his brother.
Asta doesn’t know anything that’s motivating Liebe, beyond whatever basic emotions he’s feeling.
Not that Asta particularly cares. He would pack bond with a rock if it stayed still long enough.
It was perfectly in character for Liebe to barely say ten words to him for the year and change that Asta was in the magic knights before they formed a contract.
It’s now perfectly in character for Liebe to keep most of his thoughts to himself, since that’s just the kind of person he is.
But the lack of communication is honestly starting to seem kind of like the inverse of that one avenger’s meme:
Liebe: “You gave me control over my own destiny.”
Asta: “I don’t even know who you are!”
...and that’s pretty damn funny.
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Like, it's the way I genuinely can't think of many pop culture anti-heroes done as well as Loki?? There's been a lot of attempts in this era of pop culture to create good anti-heroes, but many of them either a) were never really villains to begin with, or b) never did the work to actually redeem them or make them sympathetic.
Loki is genuinely an incredibly well-done anti-hero (and I'm using the colloquial definition here of "a person who's 'bad' and does bad things, but is sympathetic and possibly redeemable", rather than the strict definition) because you see from the very first Thor movie how he was constantly shunned, excluded, and ultimately manipulated and lied to because of something he could not control. He lacked agency, so he went out and took it. He did genuine awful things because of the lack of agency, control, clarity, and community he had. And as a result, he was justifiably punished--but you still, as a viewer, remember the sheer agony on his face when he realized he never, ever had a chance.
His character evolves through the different ranges of villain to anti-hero throughout Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, showing his change of nature to someone who is still very much conniving, untrustworthy, and power-hungry, but genuinely cares about other people. His character arc culminates in Avengers: Infinity War, where he sacrifices himself without hesitation for his brother and people, in the process accepting who he is in every aspect of his being (it is not to go unnoticed that he uses exactly what is villainous about him--lying, manipulation, magic, etc--against Thanos to attempt to save his loved ones).
Loki's evolution through villain and anti-hero is done through a near-imperceptible slide of actions and often-inscrutable motive, but never in a way that breaks character. I very much kudos Tom Hiddleston's acting and depth of character work, because I genuinely do not think another actor could have worked with the very limited information and talent Marvel (Taika Waititi and Kenneth Branagh excluded) gives out and come up with a compelling, intricate character the same way he did.
#loki series#marvel#flickerthoughts#flicker's meta#GAH he's just a well-written character#like....there are so few good anti heroes like him in pop culture#characters like zuko and bucky were never truly evil to begin with#characters like kyl* r*n *spits* were never redeemed through character work#loki did it all!! tom hiddleston DID THAT!! what an icon thank u for ur service
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Matrix. By Lauren Groff. New York: Riverhead Books, 2021.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Genre: historical fiction
Part of a Series? No
Summary: Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease. At first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie's vision be bulwark enough? Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Lauren Groff's new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.
***Full review under the cut.***
Content Warnings: blood, violence, gore, childbirth, threats of rape
Overview: As a medievalist, I’m admittedly a little picky when it comes to my historical fiction set in the Middle Ages, but because this book was about Marie de France, I decided to give it a go. While I do think that Groff is a talented writer, I ultimately felt let down by Matrix; when I think about Marie de France, I think of her lais and the magic she weaves into them (not literal magic, mind you, but things like the power of women, courtly love, lush atmosphere, etc). This book, by contrast, contained very few of the themes that make Marie’s work so memorable, to the point where the less you know about the real Marie de France, the better. Instead of exploring the mind of the woman who wrote such wonderful, magical tales, we get the story of a nun who brings an impoverished abbey to prosperity. It’s a fine story, don’t get me wrong - it’s just not one I’d associate with Marie de France. Honestly, I think Groff would have had more success writing about her own original character, taking inspiration from mystics like Julian of Norwich or Margery Kempe. Thus, this book only gets 3 stars from me.
Writing: Groff’s prose is beautifully crafted with evocative imagery that is also easy to read. Everything flows well and moves at a quick pace, so readers won’t feel bogged down by details such as the day-to-day work at the abbey or some such. This book also uses present tense to narrate the story, and while I’m not usually a fan of the present tense, I think Groff made it work. The narrative feels energetic and grounded, and I think it combined well with the technique of using run-on sentences from time to time to convey the feeling of being caught up in the moment or lost in thought.
Plot: The plot of this book mainly follows Marie de France as she is yanked from her life at the French court and placed in charged of a poor English abbey. We follow Marie as she rises through the ranks and brings the abbey to prosperity, all while wrangling unruly nuns and doing her best to convince Eleanor of Aquitaine to come for a visit.
I think I would have enjoyed this plot more if the protagonist were someone other than Marie de France. As I said in my intro, the story isn’t an exploration of the inner workings of the mind of a (female) medieval poet; rather, it’s a story about a woman obsessed with her own power and reputation within the Church. The lais themselves get only about 3 pages of mention, and it felt like none of the themes that we associate with Marie’s real-life lais made it into this novel. While I did appreciate the little nods to history here and there (for example, the description of one of the nuns sticking a paintbrush in her mouth and getting lapis lazuli in her teeth), there wasn’t enough in this book to made the story feel fresh or new. Perhaps Groff was working with the theory that Marie de France was Marie, Abbess of Shaftesbury, but even so, the lack of attention to the lais and how they’d complicate our expectations or assumptions about the life of a medieval nun was baffling to me. Personally, I think Groff would have had more success if the book was “about” Marie, Abbess of Shaftesbury, or about an original character, inspired by female mystics such as Julian of Norwich or Margery Kempe.
I also wasn’t enthusiastic about the way Groff chooses to present her “feminist utopia” of an abbey staffed with only women. Despite the desire for Marie to protect her nuns from male violence and power, not much work is put into describing the abbey as a haven. Instead, Marie imposes her own will onto others and replicates the power hierarchies that she is (supposedly) so desperate to escape. I think I would have liked this book better if the author could have looked for the ways in which abbey life could have been a solace to the women. For example, maybe the daily routine provides comfort for those struggling with the chaos of the outside world. Maybe the queer nuns finally find a place that feels safe for them to express their affection for other women. Anything that complicated our modern assumptions about medieval Christianity would have been welcome; instead, I felt like I got a lot of “barbaric Middle Ages.”
I guess I’m being harsh in that Marie explicitly says that she thinks women are only safeguarded by their reputations. Thus, all of her actions are in service to cultivating a particular image of herself and the abbey (imposing, impregnable, protected by magic, etc). I think this could have been more satisfying for me if A.) again, we weren’t reading a story about “Marie de France,” or B.) the novel was very self-conscious about the fact that Marie was manipulating the perspectives of others.
Characters: Marie, our main protagonist, is confusing and difficult to like. Originally, she’s too cool for school; she arrives at the abbey more than a little skeptical of Christianity, and she judges the other nuns around her rather harshly (even though some deserve it, but still - there was this “not like other girls” vibe that I didn’t like). The novel tells us that she was a child crusader, which seems odd for one not invested in Christianity, and then never really does anything with that except use it to instill fear in people who are uncomfortable with her “imposing” demeanor. After a few years, Marie becomes devout to the point where she’s having divine visions, like e medieval mystic. The switch felt fairly abrupt, and Marie’s ruthless pursuit of power and prosperity was admittedly a little tired at times. The only things I liked about her were her queerness and obsession with Eleanor of Aquitaine. Queerness is fairly commonplace, which is refreshing; even though Marie struggles with the idea of whether it is a sin or not to have carnal desires for other women, I did appreciate that wlw relationships were everywhere within the abbey, not just between Marie and a single other nun. Marie’s obsession with Eleanor was also interesting in that it bordered on erotic obsession and made manifest the pains unreciprocated love, mirroring courtly love in real medieval literature. I liked how Marie strove to please Eleanor in everything that she did, and loving the Queen from a distance put an interesting spin on courtly love between two women.
Eleanor, for her part, was intriguing because she was something of a mystery. We mainly saw her though Marie’s eyes, which meant that she was held up as a paragon - of beauty, of intelligence, of courage, etc. When we do finally see Eleanor in the flesh (so to speak), she doesn’t quite live up to Marie’s hype, and I liked the conflict between reality and the lover’s image of the beloved.
Most other characters blurred together for me. There are many nuns at the abbey, and most of them have quirks or jobs that make them unique. In that respect, I liked how Groff made each nun feel like an individual, and that they all came together to form a community. What I didn’t really like, however, was how they always seemed to be in conflict. Aside from a couple characters, it didn’t seem like any of the women had any close relationships; rather, I felt like the women were frequently in conflict or at least consistently incompatible in some way or another. If Groff really wanted to paint the abbey as some kind of haven or utopia, I think having more of the nuns find emotional intimacy with one another would have gone a long way. Even if some of the women didn’t get along, I would have liked to see more positive relationships rather than negative or impersonal ones.
TL;DR: Matrix is ultimately a compelling novel about running an abbey, but a poor imagining of real-life poet Marie de France. While there is much to admire about Groff’s prose and the book would have been a fine work of historical fiction if written about, say, the Abbess of Shaftesbury, the narrative is unfulfilling for those who are familiar with the lais of Marie de France, primarily because none of the core themes from the medieval poems play major roles in Groff’s novel.
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Superpowers I Like
An ongoing list of superpowers i like. most from superpower wiki, the stuff in () are my thoughts, the rest from the website’s linked. sometimes powerlisting changes the names so if the link doesnt work let me know ad i’ll update.
Let me know if you use any and tag me in the fics you write!
Geometric Physiology
Transform yourself or objects into any shape
Universal Irreversibility
Ability to render an action impossible to be stopped, blocked, manipulated, and reversed
Talpidae Physiology
can mimic/transform into talpids, including the moles, shrew moles, desmans, and other intermediate forms of small insectivorous mammals.
Earth Weaponry
can create or wield weaponry with power over earth, which grants the user a wide variety of earth-based abilities
Transcendent Demonic Mage Physiology
The power to use the abilities of demon of godly arcane powers.
Tooth Fairy Physiology
Can transform into and perform acts the tooth fairy does. (Rip out the teeth of your enemies. control every tooth in the room. could also be strengthened to control bone? maybe?)
Psychic Food Manipulation
The ability to manipulate psychic food/edible substances. (technically, animals are edible, people technically.. like this has so much room for creativity)
Contact Force Defiance
can ignore contact forces, forces that require contact with something, like a surface of the ground or an object. They can defy contact forces and not need to make contact with the surface, or interact with objects from a distance without touching them. Like magnets that don’t want to touch.
Life Connection
User is connected to any/all life and living things, so that as long as they exists life does as well. This allows them to have both an emotional and spiritual link to every form of life, so if the target feels pain or is injured all living things would feel the same pain and/or possibly gain the same wounds as the user. If the user ever dies or is killed then life itself may cease to exist as well. Reader needs a bodyguard??
Fine Interaction
The user can interact with anything that that is microscopic, no matter how small it may be, allowing the user to interact with them as if they were objects or surfaces, possibly even causing macroscopic effects if skilled. This can include viruses, diseases, microbes, atoms, molecules, particles, superstrings, etc. reader is a heart surgeon.
Snake Den
The user can project numerous snakes from their body to eject poison into the target, project snakes as projectiles to attack or otherwise send them to the target.
Chi Manipulation
The user can create, shape, and manipulate chi. By learning to harness this inner latent energy, they can gain superhuman capabilities and use them in cases of extreme combat. Some examples include physically manifesting all of their inner strength and unleashing it through sheer force of will
Dimensional Storage
The user can put items/beings into a separate dimension for safekeeping and can summon them back with relative ease.(I really like this one)
Liquid Transmutation
User can transform any/all liquids, whether organic or inorganic, into any other fluid/liquid and change a liquids inherent properties such as turning water into acid or even make something like soda poisonous. Any liquids transformed by this power would have all the properties of the liquid they become.
Replication
User can instantly and perfectly replicate themselves and/or targets which can be objects or living beings, numerous times, while usually being able to recombine the clones. Most users have both of these abilities (if subconsciously), copying their clothes/equipment along with their body. Original target will normally be able to maintain control over all copies.
Reactive Adaptation
Users can either instantly develop powers or abilities to deal with threats or their bodies dynamically learn from experience. Depending on the user's control of the power or genetic structure, the reactive effects can be permanent or temporary.
Self-Sustenance
Users physical needs are greatly reduced or completely removed. These needs include air/breathing, sleep/rest, food, drink, bodily evacuations, shelter from environmental effects and their lack (heat/cold, dryness/wetness), etc. The user is also able to stay immobile without the normal effects this would have.
Technology Manipulation
User can create, shape, and manipulate technology and technological constructs, computers, robots, hardware, and other devices that can be termed as "technology." Manifested as a special form of electrical/telekinetic manipulation, a special form of "morphing" which allows physical interaction with machines, or even a psychic ability that allows mental interface with computer data.
User can control the flow of intricate machinery, and assemble or disengage their programming at will and operate most technology at distance. A variation of Electricity Manipulation, they control specific electrons and instructs them which items to engage or disengage and may be able to use the electric impulses to gently control smaller metal parts
Matter Ingestion
The user can eat any substance without harmful effects, regardless of what they consume. They can consume matter in any form - solid, liquid or gas.
(maybe what they eat gives them energy, maybe like how Natsu can eat flames?)
Persuasion
can compel people by speaking, the victims are unable to disobey; the seemingly cogent commandment is far too compelling. At a high level, users can persuade people into hurting/killing themselves or even flip around sense of logic, but can never cause victims to achieve what they are not capable of.
(maybe user has to work up and strengthen it to be able to persuade peoples to do bigger things)
Anatomical Liberation
User can split their own body apart into pieces and control the said pieces however they wish, by levitating them away from the user's main body and using them as they were connected to the user.
User is immune to cutting and being slashed because they can just pull their bodies back together again. They can also remove their own organs without dying and will neither bleed to death nor die if their brain or heart is removed.
Omnilingualism.
User can speak, write, understand and communicate in any language, including computer codes, languages they have never been heard before, sign language (even lip-reading), illegible words, and backwards speech and writing with little or no training. The user may even communicate with non-human animals or read body language.
Item duplication
user is able to mimic and replicate the objects of others around oneself, and be able to use those objects as one's own.
Darkness Manipulation
User can create, shape and manipulate darkness and shadows. By itself, darkness is mostly used to cloud everything into total darkness, but by accessing a dimension of dark energy it can be channeled to a variety of effects, both as an absence of light and a solid substance: one can also control and manipulate the beings that exist there, create and dispel shields and areas of total darkness, create constructs and weapons, teleport one's self through massive distances via shadows, etc.
Density Manipulation
User can manipulate density, which is defined as mass per unit of volume. This allows them to alter solidity, change the size of substances, create or destroy matter/mass in a volume, change inertial resistance (mass), make things intangible, either strengthen or weaken gravity, concentrate or expand matter, or create pressure differences in a fluid (gas, liquid, plasma) to induce a current and possibly use it to move solids.
Some users might even be able to control electrical charge density, which is the amount of electric charge per unit volume. This would, in turn, enable them to manipulate electromagnetic fields. Control over population density might also be possible for some users as well.
Luck
The user is gifted with an automatic and continuous supply of good luck, most have no control over this power as things considered "lucky" randomly and unexpectedly happens to them despite any predestined fate or logical reason. Ergo, nothing bad will happen or if it does, their power will sort it out no matter how impossible the situation is or how high the odds are against them, allowing the user to always be in complete context in whatever situation they are, be free to do as they please without consequences, and be untouched and ineffective to the laws of causality.
All aspects of user's life improve drastically: work, social, romantic, personal, financial, school, and basically life as a whole would become easier, happier, and would excel altogether.
Paralysis Inducement
Users can immobilize the target completely or partially, causing them to be left without movement and sensation. Making motor functions and muscle movement unavailable, the victim may freeze on the spot or crumple to the ground.
Pain Infliction
Pain Infliction is the ability to inflict horrible pain on others with the mind. It is triggered by pointing one's hand at a target, who will be overwhelmed with pain. The pain is described as a thousand tiny blades stabbing the brain. The pain will instantly vanish once the user loses concentration.
Prehensile Muscles
User can make their muscles stretch/extend and hold/manipulate objects like an extra limb. (could be like tendrils)
Liquid Mimicry
user can morph their body into a liquid state, is made up of or can transform their body completely into liquid substances. A user's transformed form is anatomically identical to their normal form, aside of being made of liquid, in which case it contains all to organs and is somewhat vulnerable to attacks. Alternately the user can transform into homogeneous matter, without any part of their form being more important than the other.
Animal Morphing
User with this ability either is or can transform into animals, whether partially or completely, as well as use the abilities, traits and appearance/physiology of animals by rearranging their own DNA structure. They are able to transform into animals that exist, alien animals and/or animals that are extinct, such as Dinosaurs.
User may have this ability from an empty genetic code, allowing them to accept any form from which they have a DNA sample, others may be able to alter their form mentally and change just by seeing and mimicking animal features.
Life-Force Absorption
The user can absorb life-force/energy, vitality and health, while removing it from the source, into their body and use it in various ways, gaining some form of advantage, either by enhancing themselves, gaining the drained power, using it as power source etc., either temporarily or permanently.
Weapon Hands
User can transform parts of their body to form a weapon of their choice onto their hands and forearms, possibly their biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
Vision Manipulation
The user has complete control over the vision of oneself and others. They can enhance, reduce or remove them temporarily or permanently, protect them from being overwhelmed, cause the target to see things that aren't there or prevent them from seeing things that are, cause/remove sensory ailments, etc.
Tactile Teleportation
User can teleport objects and/or beings through physical contact, the user can transfer them to any location they desire as long their in physical contact with the object/being
Disease Manipulation
The user can create, manipulate, shape, transform, cause/heal, etc. all forms of diseases, including their severity, contagiousness, methods of spreading, etc. They can control the organisms that spread diseases, including germs, bacteria, virus, or other pathogens on a cellular level, including bacteriophages, microorganisms (microscopic organisms), retroviruses, cells that abnormally grow to make cancerous tumors and cysts, and pathogens that produce genetic mutations
Morality Manipulation
The user can manipulate morality, making people ethically good or immorally evil by psychically kindling the targets’ minds so that they succumb to the voice of truth or to the urge of sin. The victim may feel the calling of the Almighty or some other cosmic force of good or succumb to all inner sins. The effect may expire, but that may be years after the evocations.
Dream Manipulation
User can create, shape, enter and manipulate the dreams of oneself and others, including modifying, suppressing, fabricating, influencing, manifesting, sensing, and observing dreams as well as nightmares, daydreams, etc., possibly including past ones. They can produce and modify dreams, bestow nightmares or lucid dreaming, entrap people in REM, and promote spiritual/emotional healing within dreams.
In some cases, user's power extends to the real world, such as wounds inflicted on a sleeping victim, healed damage (mental or physical) affecting the physical form, and other wise blurring the line between waking and dream. They may be able to pull someone from the waking world into the dream world or brings people/things from the dream world into the waking world.
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**Update: The works mentioned in this post have since been taken down. The “message” was removed by AO3 because it was a violation of their TOS and it seems the author chose to remove their “opinions” piece.**
Despite the ongoing world crisis, I hope everyone is doing great as the year comes to a close and prepping for a safe holiday season.
I don’t really post here a lot, but I just wanted to talk about a problem that exists in every fandom and has recently come up for me in the BSD fandom. This problem is typically referred to as: toxic behavior, however, I sort of hate that term because it’s an umbrella term that encapsulates a wide array of behaviors that is purposefully vague so as to imply everything can be toxic, which means the definition changes depending upon the person, and ends up getting thrown around to describe any behavior that a person dislikes. That said, most people can agree that the term ‘toxic behavior’ includes “shipper wars” and harassing people because of their “ship”.
Yesterday, a user on AO3 going by the penname E_C_arts posted a message titled “deer Soukoku fans” and giving it the not-innocuous summary “please we’re begging you, please stop”. Clicking through leads to a rather prime example of this particular flavor of toxic fandom behavior, guised as an attempt to defend those who were allegedly victims of this self-same behavior, also a lovely example of emotional manipulation.
Although what’s currently posted (and what I managed to screen shot below) may not seem terrible on first glance, if not a little cringey, and can be easy to agree with (don’t bully people that write for a ship you dislike), this was not their original message and has been edited since being posted and, and only after receiving the number of comments it did and which they’re now noting as “proving their point” – a point which they erased, thus manipulating perceptions. I wish I had gotten a screenshot of the original, but if you scroll through the comments, you can find some people that quoted it.
This person most definitely did open their “message” to Soukoku fans by literally telling them to “stop writing” for it. They claimed there was some unspecified AU (or maybe multiple unspecified AUs) that had been overwritten for, that it was overused, and not original. They went on to talk about how the abundance of soukoku content was turning off new fans to the series (don’t even know how that logics…) and bullying people from creating content for other ships, basing these irrational sentiments off some false claim that removing everything with the soukoku ship from the fandom would only leave behind a sad, inacccurate (and oddly specific) 305 posts.
Evidence of their now deleted perspective can be further seen in another post they made to AO3 a couple days before this ugly rant. Titled simply “My unpopular BSD opinions”, they didn’t manage to garner much attention and went mostly ignored because, well, it’s your opinions about the show and that’s whatever. Of course, when you click into it, the very first “opinion” shared, is that they hate Dazai x Chuuya. Okay, that’s an opinion everyone is entitled to, and that’s fine. You don’t like the popular ship, that’s…not exactly an unpopular opinion, there’s quite a number of people that don’t ship soukoku. No problem. Until, they go on to elaborate.
Despite the title of this piece being ‘their opinions’, they state as ‘fact’ that its confirmed that this is “not a thing”, so ‘please stop shipping them it doesn’t work, it’s way too overused for it to be “funny” anymore’ (I’m a little confused about this wording, because Shipping is Serious Business™, so…not sure there are too many soukoku shippers doing it because they think it’s hilarious or whatnot, in fact, most soukoku fics are tagged ‘angst’, which we all know, angst is very ‘haha, lol’…but whatevs). They then include the same sentiment they expanded on in their Dear John to soukoku fans and subsequently deleted: “Please stop, there are too many au’s with almost the exact same plot Chuuya and Dazai being together, its really difficult to find any non-Dazai x Chuuya au’s”.
On the surface, once again, there are some “truths” to this sentiment. DaiChuu is a popular ship and there is a disproportionate amount of soukoku ship fics on the fandom comparative to other ships (soukoku comes in at a whopping 10,000+ currently, with the next popular ship Aku/Atsushi sitting at a decidedly less 2500+). It’s really not that difficult to find non-DazaixChuuya fics, if you know how to use filters on AO3, but there are going to be less to read from when you filter it down, and depending on your ship, you may find yourself in a fic desert, and I can certainly understand why someone young and lacking in rational thought processes might want to blame the popular ship for this predicament.
The problem with this logic, and it permeates every fandom, not just BSD, is that the shippers sharing and loving their ship are not to blame for your lack of ship content. You just don’t have a popular ship. If all the people who love soukoku stopped creating content for it, as this person is ‘begging’ them to do, that’s not going to increase the amount of content for your ships, because the reason that content isn’t being created is because there aren’t enough shippers for it. So, the only way this person’s logic works, is if what this person is actually saying, isn’t that they want these people to stop creating content for the BSD fandom, they just want them to jump ship, stop creating content for soukoku and start creating content for their ships.
Any creator/fan is going to have a visceral reaction to that: who the fuck are you to tell me what to create? And for free, no less!
This moves us more towards a clearer definition of what is toxic fandom behavior. In short, its telling anyone how they should interact with or interpret their favorite content. I mean, even Word of God does not have this power. That’s because every single fan in a fandom is an individual human being. They are possessed of their own autonomy, and as a creator I know, that once you put something out into the world and give it over to others, you have little control over how people consume and feel about your work. You can tell them your intention, but that’s not going to sway them to interpret it that way, and that’s…just the way it works.
Now, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed. It’s easy for me to be ‘offended’ by this person’s post and not see their complaints because I am a soukoku fan. I’m also the target of this person’s rant, and one of those people this person is attempting to emotionally manipulate into writing for other ships in the fandom for which I have no preference. But I am capable of seeing the other side of this argument.
First, because I do have other fandoms in which I am part, and for which I have a rare-pair ship. For example, I am a Gundam Wing fan and a 2x5 (Duo/WuFei) shipper. I’ve posted two 2x5 fics on fanfiction.net. While 2x5 is not the rarest of rarepairs in the Gundam Wing fandom, it is significantly eclipsed (as are almost *all* ships in the fandom) by the 1x2 (Heero/Duo) ship. Do I hate 1x2 shippers for my lack of 2x5 content? No. I just appreciate what I’ve got all the more, and I’ll create content for it when I feel compelled, and I sure the fuck won’t implore 1x2 shippers to stop writing for their fave and write more for mine because I want more 2x5 – that’s sheer entitlement, right there, pure and simple. I also ship 3xD (Trowa/Dorothy) in Gundam Wing, which *is* the rarest of rarepairs – I think there’s only, like, two stories in existence that features this pair on the entirety of the internet. I’m also a RavenxMurphy (Murven) shipper in The 100 fandom and I do not hate Bellarke fans because…those people are scary and have canceled the show’s creator for not delivering on Bellarke, and in BSD, I ship Atsushi/Lucy (yes, I said it, they’re cute af and I hope Asagiri delivers on that ship). I also low-key ship Yosano/Ranpo (sorry, Ranpo/Poe shippers, I understand the appeal, I just think him and Yosano is sooo cute, please don’t kill me…), and I also ship Yosano with Kunikida – all of which are some of the rarest in the BSD fandom.
Second, because I have seen and called out shipping harassment in the BSD fandom, so I am well aware that this kind of thing exists – as it exists literally everywhere and in every flavor. Against soukoku shippers from antis and by soukoku shippers against shippers putting Dazai or Chuuya with any other characters and by soukoku shippers against other soukoku shippers that are, uh, “doing it wrong”. None of these is appropriate. You’re not fighting fire with fire if you’re an anti-attacking the popular ship, you’re just creating a bigger fire and burning the entire fandom down. You’re not defending your ship if you are a soukoku fan attacking non-soukoku fans, you’re just punching down by attacking a less popular ship. And top/bottom arguments aren’t just toxic, they’re also deeply entrenched in fetishization of same sex pairings through a forced heteronormative lens and is, kind of, sort of, actually homophobic in its basis (yes, I said it. It’s ignorant and homophobic and trying to argue with ‘personality/physical traits’ as evidence of who serves what position in the bedroom can be emotionally and mentally damaging to members of the LGBTQ community. Claiming that Chuuya should be bottom because he’s shorter/smaller, or that Dazai has ‘bottom energy’ because he’s more flamboyant and ‘feminine’ is straight up discrimination – a shorter guy can definitely be top, and a manly man can be bottom, it’s not a behavior based on perceived gendered traits, it is just a fucking preferred sexual position, and no, you are not ‘fixing it’ by purposely using positions for these characters that eschews the stereotypes either. Trying to justify positioning by personality/physical traits at all, in any way, shape, or form is just not okay – if it’s your preference, it’s your preference, no justification needed, just recognize that it is *your* preference and arguing what’s ‘right/wrong’ positioning is just plain wrong).
But this brings us to a different issue: bad actors and blaming a whole community for a ‘few rotten apples’. I could easily lump this one person in with everyone that does not ship soukoku and deem them all toxic, aggressive, entitled, bullies attempting to harass soukoku shippers off the platform. Or I could see them for what they are, individuals with individual motivations and drives and morals that also happen to share the same shipping preferences. Is it true to say that there are no soukoku fans that engage in the behaviors described by E_C_arts? No, there are definitely those that do, as there are antis that engage in that same behavior against soukoku fans. But this person also asserts that soukoku fans turning ‘every BSD post about soukoku’ is also a toxic behavior. To which I refer you back to one. This is how they engage with and interpret the work. Don’t yuck on someone else’s yum. People want to gush about how cute they thought soukoku were in an official art, or that they felt there was some hidden (or not so hidden) interaction between them that validates their ship, or their inspired to create soukoku content based on it, so what (for the record, it irks me too when people go ‘see it’s canon and Bones totally ships it’, because it’s unlikely, given BSDs genre, that any romantic relationship will be confirmed, soukoku notwithstanding). It is not, in fact, toxic to gush over it. Let them have their fun with it, let them enjoy their ship. Now, if you go and make a comment about liking the art for other reasons and they reply to you about “…but also soukoku”, then still, that’s not toxic, that’s just them enjoying the content the way that they enjoy it, so let them enjoy it, and you opened yourself to engagement without any qualifiers for the type of engagement you were soliciting, you can’t then backtrack and go ‘but I’m not a soukoku shipper, they should’ve been able to read my mind and known that, it’s totally toxic of them to share their personal reasons for loving the show in response to my sharing my love for the show’. But if you comment about another ship, and they reply to you “…ew, gross! It’s 100% soukoku” then yes, that’s toxic. A lot of people fail to make this distinction, that they are, maybe, merely being triggered and not actually harassed, by feeling like their ship isn’t being validated because they see another ship all over the place and everyone they engage with ships it.
It’s also toxic, to take an experience with one person and hold every soukoku shipper in existence responsible for that one person’s inappropriate behavior. The truth is, that bad actors amongst soukoku fans are not unique, not to the ship and not to the fandom and not even to fandom culture in general. Every group in existence everywhere has bad actors in it that, while the group disavows their behavior, they continue to be held accountable for those individuals and judged by them. For current events, look at how the BLM movement has been blamed for bad actors (many of whom were not actually BLM activists) that took advantage of the protests and started riots and chaos. A small percentage of people were involved in these behaviors, but the entire movement, despite speaking out against rioting, continues to take the blame for it. For me, that’s the root of toxicity. We need to start holding individuals accountable and stop blaming people who have no control over those individuals, because they share a few similar beliefs or interests. That’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater. But the shippers as a whole are not to blame for the actions of a few, and the reason that it feels that there are so many more soukoku fans that do this is because of volume, there are so many more soukoku fans. It’s basic math. If two percent of fans are these toxic kinds of shippers, then there’s going to be so many more of them in a larger population than a smaller one.
I try to call out toxic behavior, no matter if it’s my ship being lambasted or one of my fellow shippers doing the lambasting, whenever I see it, but the trouble is, I don’t typically go into fan content that isn’t for my ship and, thus, I don’t see it. The same goes for the vast majority of soukoku fans out there. We’re here for soukoku content, we’re seeking out soukoku content, and avoiding what isn’t soukoku content. But here is my offer to all of those who are outside of my ship. I like to argue. If someone is harassing you for having a non-soukoku ship, call me, let me know, I will argue with them for you. I will explain to them in no uncertain terms, and in many unpleasant ways, that they do not represent the soukoku shipping community and they are an embarrassment to us. Content for any and all ships is welcomed and encouraged within the fandom. Write, draw, contribute, be a part of the fandom and express yourself, please. If you are a soukoku shipper (or even if you’re not), and someone is harassing you about your top/bottom preference, call me, let me know, I will argue with them for you. I will explain to them why their justifications for which character should be top or bottom in a same sex pairing is grossly misrepresentative and exploitative of the LGBTQ community and rather disgusting. Do not assume that because we seem to remain silent on these types of harassment that it’s because we are in agreement with them, it is only because we haven’t seen them – why would we, we’re not going in those spaces that weren’t created for us. Ask the community for help, don’t attack the rest of us for the poor actions of a few that we were not even aware of. Let us help you in policing them, rather than assuming we don’t care. We are just too busy staying in our lanes, but if you need us, we are here. Majority of us want a clean, friendly, welcoming community for creators of all types as much as you do.
All of this aside, there are spaces and places for these debates and AO3 is not it. Posting this kind of message is actually a violation of AO3 TOS, constituting as harassment, which is defined on the AO3 TOS as “…any behavior that produces a generally hostile environment for its target…”( https://archiveofourown.org/tos#IV.G.). This general behavior also falls into the realm of another kind of toxic fandom behavior: hijacking a platform/tag for your own purposes that is a direct contradiction to its express usage (otherwise, known as trolling). AO3 is for posting fan-made content that contributes to a deeper understanding and expansion upon the original work. Using AO3 to attack people who are using AO3 for exactly what it is designed to be used for is an abuse of the platform. It’s not okay and invites similar content that will ultimately interfere with the original purpose of the platform. AO3 is for fan content, not for your own personal rants about other people in the community, please keep it that way
I do also want to note, that this person choosing to edit their post after receiving the justified ire from fans (notably soukoku and non-soukoku fans alike upset by the audacity of this person, who, as far as can be told, has never themselves contributed fanfiction to the community, to tell people what they can and cannot write) for their original comments, is a form of manipulative abuse called ‘gaslighting’. They are now claiming to be a victim that “never said to stop writing”, despite that having been the literal words they used in the opening of their original post. They are now pointing at these comments as “proof” of their point that soukoku fans are aggressive bullies that attack without cause when there was definitely cause from the original comments. This person clearly has bigger issues than just lacking shipper content for their personal preferences on the BSD fandom.
To all of those who are afraid to share content for your ship because you think you’ll be harassed, as evidenced by this person’s claims, that is simply not true. While there might be one or two people that say something, we all get them no matter if you have a popular ship or a rarepair ship, haters are gonna hate – I’ve gotten my share of hateful comments towards my ships too, but there are many more people that share your ship and are interested in your content, in fact, some of them are starved for it. While having a rarepair might mean you’ll garner less interactions with your content, you have a better opportunity to form a deeper bond with the people that do interact, and they may be more appreciative, because what you’re delivering to them is so much harder to come by. The existence of one ship does not affect your ship’s popularity, and if it simply went away, that doesn’t mean that your ship would receive more attention – in fact, it might mean the show itself would receive less attention.
Create and let others create and use platforms for their appropriate purposes, and most importantly, when it comes to addressing toxic behavior in a fandom, look to yourself first. Are you placing the blame where it belongs? Are you addressing the root cause of the problem or swinging blindly and attacking innocent bystanders in the process? Will what you say actually help the problem? Or will it contribute to the issue, and maybe even create an issue that didn’t exist before?
#fanfiction#fanfic#bsd#bsd fanfic#soukoku#daichuu#dazai x chuuya#shipper war#toxic fandom behavior#toxic people#toxic#AO3#bullying#harassment
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The Dawn of the World and the Rule of the Pentarchal Empires
Some Lovecraftian worldbuilding featuring a genesis story that can both feature in my Archenia D&D setting as well as just being nice exploitable eldritch/cosmic deep lore for all kinds of purposes. If you like weird aliens, check it out below the cut or over on my WordPress.
In the beginning, this planet was a lifeless husk, unformed and chaotic, its consolidated form still little different from the astral primordia that composed it. Devoid of creatures imbued with life essence, the world still was host to many primitive elementals which coalesced in their own inscrutable civilizations soon after the formation of the planet. First there were the primordials of flame and chaos, and then those creatures born of the solidity of rock, metal, and the cooling inferno. These nameless forces warred, and over the eons greater order emerged from their debris – the elementals of vapor, who were caught within the bounded skies, and in turn gave rise to their own spawn. Most notable of all were the waters, which spread across the globe and aided in its temperance.
Over time, the resulting landscape was one more stable, richer in those conditions hospitable to life, yet still without anything that could be counted amongst the living. The elementals raised up ancient edifices of their own civilizations, but these were as inconsistent as they were, and forgotten by their makers in the abyss of time before the first histories were ever written.
Unto this world, then, came the Outsiders. On membranous wings they arrived, in clouds of stardust were they borne, from the vibrations between the Planes did they congeal. These alien beings, primitive or advanced, would seed the planet by various means with the raw stuff of life.
Again, for many eons there was nothing but chaos, but there came at last the height of that primordial era. Lost to all but the deepest occult lore, it would be the work of five great civilizations that would set the growth of life upon its current course. Counted together, they are known as the Pentarchal Empires.
—
Perhaps most abundant of all were those beings known as the Deep Spawn, who came in an unknown age upon beholding the promise of this planet’s vast newborn seas. Wormlike creatures of ill-defined form, the Spawn possessed great magics and sciences, and prided themselves on their boundless efficiency and ability for adaptation. Out of mineral precipitate they were able to craft modular shells for their soft bodies, growing and improving upon themselves so that their hive elders were as chitinous mountains compared to their hydrozoan polyps. The Deep Spawn were eusocial, following a communal will guided by the immense wisdom of their parental elders. Their sprawling aquatic cities drew upon the power of deep-sea vents and more arcane crafts, such as their mastery of hydrophilic lightning and magnetic manipulation. It is perhaps the curious and unceasing studies of the Deep Spawn that gave rise to the greatest explosion of life upon the world, as the Spawn terraformed an ecosystem to suit their needs.
There came the largest division between the coastal Spawn and the deep-sea Spawn. Both were communal and made use of extensive eldritch inventions to aid in their expansions, but the coastal Spawn were warlike and brutal, as opposed to their more erudite and temperate abyssal cousins. The tyrant elders of the shallow hives raised vast slave armies that warred with all about them, whether it be their own kind or other groups of Outsiders in that dawn era. In turn, the deep-sea Spawn were content in their well-ordered civilizations far removed from outside concerns, emerging with powerful technologies but in times of great desperation. These two branches of the Deep Spawn conquered and overthrew each other many times, but their ultimate fate is unknown. It is posited that those of their kind that were not destroyed evolved in time into more familiar forms – planting their genetic lineage into all life upon the world as their own expression of immortality.
—
The skies of the infant planet came under the control of yet more alien creatures, who descended in turn down from the stars to colonize and explore, as they were compelled to by unknowable emotions and drives. These were the Great Beings of Ga-an, whose forms too were mutable and uncertain as was the result of their chaotic biology and weird sciences. Looking like conglomerations of gaseous sacs interspersed with unnumbered pseudopods and growths suited for locomotion and observation, the Great Beings were not born but “built” by the strange craft of their kind from unshaped flesh-stuffs. Into adulthood this obsession continued, until over the course of their lives the Ga-an became as hovering masses of surgical insanity, built and deconstructed countless times as their needs changed.
A curious and inscrutable people, the Ga-an were motivated not so much by greed for power or resources or even ties of familiarity, but from individual lusts to learn. Every Ga-an was a mad scientist, artisan, and inventor in their own right, and they formed great swarms and covens not out of social aid but out of social curiosity, as Great Beings of similar goals gathered in the interest of grand experiments. Unconcerned with war outside of a testing ground for their more destructive inventions, the Ga-an survived despite their lack of coordination through sheer numbers, ingenuity, and avoidance of conflicts they had no stock in. Some scryers of the most ancient lore believe that, despite these measures, the Great Beings were wiped out by their neighbors; though others hold they left this sphere of their own accord, growing bored with the planet as was always an inevitability for their species.
—
It is unknown when within the deepest reaches of the lightless underworld the Nameless Things formed, but form they did beneath the notice of all above them. Flowing down in ever-mixing paths of effluvium, the raw detritus of a world burgeoning with life collected in abyssal pits near to the boundaries where the crust of the planet met its molten core. This black substance was the stuff of death and decay, but by magical means was it made animate yet again, roiling and twisting and spawning forth those Nameless Things.
The first of the Nameless were unformed creatures who lived but mere moments, their every second of life agony as they struggled to even be. Yet still, compelled by the energies that suffused their otherwise entropic forms, the Nameless were born again and again as their birthing-pools churned with unceasing vigor. Over eons and eons were new forms of un-life created, until at last the first true members of their race were given body. These mounds of living rot were made stable by forming shells of resin for themselves, crafted from a mixing of subterranean sediment and their own tar-like excretions. Not beholden to conventional limitations, the Nameless nonetheless gravitated towards arachnoid forms out of convenience, and began to build their unseen civilization through the use of great burrowing worms, erecting hives within the cavernous depths that staggered the mind with their palatine size and majesty.
A communal race, the Nameless Things were bonded by a common experience – pain. They were all of them afflicted and could sense even within their very beings that there was something unnatural at their continued existence. Unable to look upon even their own forms without disgust, these emotions nonetheless inspired a sense of empathy and desire within them. Upon their emergence into the territories of other races, they brought nothing but death, yet among their own kind they were peaceful and gentle, and aided each other in the building of a grand empire that sought to touch something of the beauty and strength they all desired despite the adversities of their species. The Nameless Things were fascinated by death and the cycles by which life and death gave rise to each other, and became masters of occult magics feared by all, learning how to trap souls and walk between the veils that separated the Planes. Any who fell in battle against the Nameless were brought within the fold of the unliving empire without malice, and even upon the borders of their lands there grew a great wealth of unbeautiful yet persistent and useful life that aided in the balancing of the biosphere’s many cycles.
Yet the doom of the Nameless came from within. A cabal of dark sorcerers became enthralled to the call of the Oblivion, the Hungering Void. They sought to corrupt the nascent world-spirit of the planet and destroy all who opposed them. The lords of the Nameless called upon the other empires for aid, and were granted assistance, managing to push back the hordes of the Void-worshippers and imprison them within the Abyss. Still, the other races saw how the Nameless had become weakened in this war and turned upon them soon after their victory. Many died, but the ultimate fate of the unliving ones is not known, as so great was their power that they may have but moved to another Plane when faced with the destruction of their subterranean civilization.
—
Upon the lands, youngest of the great empires, there came to be a collection known as the Everborn. It cannot be known if these creatures were of one race or many, as they are among the most enigmatic and chaotic of the Pentarchy. Some hold that the Everborn were the earliest expression of the Green, the unified lifeforce of all creatures on the planet, and they are said to have been perhaps the most skilled and suffused with magic of all their competitors. Little can be known about their true forms, though some occultists have described the Everborn as being like imps or kobolds, while others hold them as giants, formless spirits, or great seas of hive-minded proto-plantae. It may be that the Everborn came from another Plane, within different vibrational patterns than their neighbors, and that their existence in the material world was predicated on possession and manipulation of existing matter.
Next to the Deep Spawn, it is believed that the Everborn contributed most to the spread of primitive life across the once-dead globe. Theirs was a shamanic and obscure culture, so caught up in the practice of grand negentropic magics that all other concerns for technology and artistry fell by the wayside. Cyclopean monuments were erected across the lands where the Everborn could coalesce their powers, and that race delighted in the enthrallment of lesser beings to defend their territories, terrorizing any who dared intrude upon their sacred lands. The fate of the Everborn is as little-known as their origins, but by virtue of their predilections, it is believed that they became one with the gestating Green, and continue to live on in some form.
—
Yet all of these grand civilizations could not compare to the unfathomable powers of that race which was the tip of the Pentarchal Empires, the Dawn Celestials. Mighty beings who came from the outer blackness, it was rare for them to ever descend onto the world proper. Rather, like gods they presided over the whole of the world and its surrounding astral bodies, acting in accordance with some strange nature or purpose towards the evolution of the planet. The Dawn Celestials were beings of stardust and shadow which whirled about hearts of crystalline Void – creatures locked between creation and destruction, who might harness the powers of both to whatever ends they wished. It is believed that the Dawn Celestials’ greatest strength was their mastery over the mysteries of time, which they were able to move through as other beings moved through space, existing all within one singular moment. More unfettered theories by the maddest dreamers and far-seers even propose that every “individual” of that race was but the same being stretched across a billion moments.
It was rare for the Dawn Celestials to ever contend with others, and for the most part their interest was in the construction of various great works of incomprehensible design and unknowable purpose, which brought chaos and order to the world in equal measure. As soon as their great inventions had been completed, the Dawn Celestials would tear them down again, and like mortals beholden to angels did the other races suffer their intrusions as if they were natural phenomenon. What became of the Dawn Celestials is as little known as any of the other spokes of the Pentarchy, but they were never seen again. Some scholars on the natures of the divine speculated to the point of giving the Dawn Celestials their name – born from a belief that they were the still-forming expressions of the later Gods of mortals, congealed out of the raw forces of creation. Still, few are the souls who know anything of that primordial eon, and fewer still are those who are privy to those secrets and have not been driven mad.
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What Do Trees Think Of
What Do Trees Think Of
I wonder what trees think of? I only wonder this because I recently recalled a story my parents used to tell when I was young. A forest at the edge of town that stood like an impossible wall of darkness. Most ever went in the forest; everyone knew the stories. Many told tales of folks going in and never coming out. Some stories told of monsters and otherworldly creatures living there. I’m not sure what I believed, I just know I was always afraid. Which, I suppose that was the point of the tales; to keep kids out of the woods where they’d most likely be injured by completely normal means. Nonetheless, that forest held a mystical notion to anyone who grew up this way. Throughout my life, there were dozens of news stories about missing people, who were last known to be going hiking or camping in those woods. But, honestly, the real stories never scared me as much as the woods from the stories. I always thought it was kind of funny that I feared stories about trees more than going on a hike and being mauled by wild animals.
I recall being able to see the forest from the highway on the way to the city. From far enough away, it looked to be a line of green trees, and then just black. Beyond the first treeline, you couldn’t see the forest floor. I was knowledgeable enough to know that this was just a very dense forest, but that didn’t stop my feeling that it was something more. Over time, I suppose folks stopped telling the stories to me because I was older. There was no reason to put the fear in me any longer, it was seeded quite deep. I stopped thinking about it for the most part. It became like a faint fire in the back of my mind. I would only acknowledge its existence while passing it on the highway. By that point, my feelings about the forest were that it was simply haunted. Like a silly campfire ghost story or a myth you pass on to your younger cousin but embellished because you enjoy seeing the fear run through him. I had become like most others in town, only thinking of the forest briefly when another person went missing. “Those are dangerous woods, I just don’t know what compels folks to keep trying to camp in there”, my father would say each time.
When I reached high school, the most you would hear about it was juniors and seniors daring each other to enter the woods. The foolish antics of angsty renegades brought on by the sheer lack of concession and entertainment in a small town. Even as I went through those years, I had no interest in the forest. It wasn’t until I was grown, with a child of my own that I remembered just how scared I was. I was laying my daughter down for bed one night, and she asked for a story. She would often do this, and I obliged because it got her to sleep faster. I rummaged through her books, and both of us agreed that they had been read far too many times. So, I thought for a moment of a story to tell, and the forest came to mind like a bullet that had been chasing me for decades. I told her the story of the forest just as it was told to me.
She cried, and I read her one of the stories that had been read too many times instead. The forest story was not a good idea.
The fire had been lit. I recalled all my fear for the forest in an instant, and I struggled to fully understand why I felt that way about it. I suppose, from my perspective, I had written it off as stories my parents would tell and nothing more. But those very stories had instilled great fear in me. Honestly, I was kind of miffed about that, so I decided to fix it. The next day I went to the store and bought some camping gear. A tent, lanterns, backpacks, canteens, solar-powered cell phone chargers, seven packs of lighters, and various other bits and bobs. All the standard camping gear a family would need. I convinced my wife and daughter to go on a camping trip the next weekend, they seemed delighted. My daughter didn’t remember the story I had told her, and my wife grew up in another town. They didn’t have the same fear. But to me, the fear had been sewn so deep that I was angry at it. It was childish and needed to be conquered. Decades I had spent ignoring this beautiful part of my home, and all because of children's tales.
That weekend, we headed to the forest for a fun family camping adventure. In about thirty minutes we came to a dilapidated parking lot, overgrown with weeds and shrubbery. An opening in the treeline revealed a trail that seemingly hadn’t been used in years. We loaded up all our gear and entered the woods. I had to cut back some greenery to clear the path, it did look like no one had step foot there in years. We pressed into the darkness of the forest, and the deeper we got, the more it seemed normal. The pressing darkness felt more like a bit of welcome cool shade on a hot summer day. The forest was darker than outside, for sure, but only due to the thick canopy. I felt good, nothing about being in the forest gave me that fear. I felt like I was overcoming it.
We stayed the night, no excitement, just a nice relaxing time with family. It was serene and beautiful. The next morning we packed up and hiked out of the wood, got in the car, and left. That was that; no fear, nothing bad, just forest. I still wondered what the trees were thinking though. I’ve always wondered that. On the drive home I wondered if they thought we were beautiful in the same way we do for them. I got lost in this thought. I pondered on the personality of trees, how they communicate with each other, how they grow with each other, and how they see things happening below them each day for centuries. I suppose I must have been lost in thought so much that I don’t remember getting home. The whole trip seemed like a blur, but when I ‘came to’, so to speak, I was home. For a moment I was confused, my memories playing tricks on me. I felt like this home was not mine, like I was in the wrong place. I assumed this feeling came about because of my daydream while traveling, so I shook it off and settled in. I always enjoyed being home, just nestled in place. My feet reaching through the soil, arms outstretched into the sky, feeling the wind blow through my hair, my body creaking slightly as it too is moved in the wind. It always feels good to be home. It feels good to always be home. I wonder what trees think of.
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Chaos at Home: New Moon in Gemini
New Moon in Gemini June 3rd, 2019
Gemini Season has amped up our mental energy. It has made us more communicative by wanting and needing to connect with others a lot more. You may have a tendency to either start multiple group chats or to be brought into them. Virgos and Geminis (Sun, Moon and Ascendants) will experience this more than others since they are both Mercury ruled. With the upsides of wanting to connect more comes the downside of wanting to disassociate and retreat from the world. This is typical with Gemini energy because what goes up will eventually crash and burn right back down. Learn to pace yourselves and take it easy, do not rush through things as much as you may feel compelled to. Slow and steady wins the race and that also applies with how you disperse that mental energy.
Aries – Aries this season will be chatty and excited or chatty and nervous. The ups and downs of Gemini season will be amplified with this New Moon. Because this is in your communication sector, you may experience trouble with technology or just connecting with others. Messages sent may or may not be received on time, creating a frustrating moment for you. Do not fret, focus on occupying your mind with other mentally stimulating hobbies and you’ll see how much fun you will continue to have.
Taurus – There will be an obsession with money and productivity. One moment you will feel abundant energy and the next you will be on the verge of debt. Pace yourself and take it easy, the ups and downs of this New Moon will be felt by all. Structure a game plan for yourself to make sure you are on track with budgeting, this will alleviate some of the worries and tensions that might present themselves in your mind.
Gemini – Lunar energy will make you feel renewed as you focus on this new chapter in your life. While everyone else is coping with the sheer chaos and madness this season has to bring, you may feel Zen. This applies to Sun, Moon and Rising folks who constantly feel the unrelenting chaos of Mercury. Things will seem balanced for you, so put plans in motion, finish any projects that may still be pending and trust yourself enough to get things done.
Cancer – Magic is one word to sum up what you will experience during this new Moon. To those who are on the creative path, utilize the messages sent through dreams to inspire your art and craft. The planet of communication, Mercury will be sending you messages that may seem invaluable now but have the power to transform yourself and your work of art. This is an enlightening moment, one that you should appreciate since it will bring more enchantments in your future.
Leo – Social Leo will feel this New Moon’s energy as you see your need to transform. There will be people in your life, new people, who will be filled with the energy of the season. You may feel inspired, annoyed and uplifted by everyone in your life now. Take this to heart as you will see social progress come your way. These people will push you to change for the better even if it may not appear so now. You might even be inspired to stand up for the underdog and help others face challenges.
Virgo – The production value that you have put throughout the year will pay off this season. The New Moon will bring that to light, so if you have hustled and suffered, now you will be rewarded. Saturn has been relentless in its domicile, Capricorn, so you as a fellow Earth Sign will understand the importance and value of hard work. You have earned the gifts and praises during this moment (assuming you have worked hard for it). To those who have slacked off, you will realize it now and will be granted another opportunity to thrive.
Libra – You will want to take control of your destiny with the New Moon in fellow Air Sign, Gemini. Your world might feel like it may be in shambles, no thanks to Capricorn causing mayhem for the Cardinal signs. Libras will have a plan now after dealing with the pain. Your eyes will open wide as you acquire an understanding of things that have been happening to you in the last couple of years. This is a moment to find your strength and to battle the pain you may feel in your heart. The chaotic energy of this moon will guide you to heal.
Scorpio – The New Moon on June 3rd will open up your eyes, heart and mind. The answers you seek will present themselves like a domino effect. This could be an interesting moment in time for you, as you may be compelled to travel or separate yourself from others. Many Scorpios might turn to books and the internet to research more. Your mind feels insatiable now, let it thrive. Absorb the lessons the world has to offer and come up with a game plan to take on the challenges.
Sagittarius – You will be meeting new people and connecting with old friends this time around. It is no surprise to see how those partnerships you may or may have already formed could help boost whatever projects you may have planned for the upcoming year. Money is in your eyes and you have a goal. Maintain that energy, keep things flowing and make sure to trust in your abilities. Gemini Season can bring abundance to you if you let the creative energy work for you.
Capricorn – Expect some peaceful energy when it comes to dealing with people this season. You will be at the top of your game, flawless in your projects and determined to take on all challenges presented your way. Capricorns may find Gemini Season excruciating but you love to work your hardest when everyone is starting to slack off during the Summer. Take the time to rest, to breathe and to center yourself because you can easily make it to the top but crash and burn due to lack of energy.
Aquarius – This burst of energy will make you socialize and the urge to party more will present itself during this lively Gemini Season. The Sun is making it an exciting moment in time for you but the moon will allow for you to tap into your creative energy. Be prepared to be inspired and expect some lively dreams. If you are connected to the artistic or creative world, you will definitely benefit from the energy this season. Use it to create a masterpiece since you will be driven to make magic.
Pisces – With Gemini Season in full flare, you will be already more focused on the matters of the heart and your space at home. You may want to be alone this moment in time, to get closer to your thoughts and to plan and focus on personal issues you may be avoiding. However, that Cancerian energy will not let you mope around since you will still embrace the fun involved with socializing. You may be more popular this period, but you still want to be centered in your own personal space.
#Astrology#New Moon in Gemini#Aries#Taurus#Gemini#Cancer#Leo#Virgo#Libra#Scorpio#Sagittarius#Capricorn#Aquarius#Pisces
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The battle for cloud supremacy rages on, with titans like AWS and Azure locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. While Azure has made impressive strides, closing the gap in certain areas, AWS continues to hold the crown. But why? Is it simply a matter of being the first mover, or are there deeper reasons behind AWS's enduring reign? Let's dive deep into this cloud clash, exploring the nuances, the shortcomings, and the factors that keep AWS ahead of the curve. A Legacy of Innovation and a Breadth of Services AWS has been the undisputed pioneer in cloud computing, consistently pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From its humble beginnings offering basic compute and storage, AWS has evolved into a sprawling ecosystem of services that's nothing short of breathtaking. It covers everything from the foundations of computing to the cutting edge – AI and machine learning, IoT, serverless computing, quantum technologies, and beyond. This relentless innovation has created a mature and comprehensive platform that's incredibly difficult to match. Azure, while making significant progress, still struggles to keep pace with AWS's sheer breadth and depth of services. While it offers solid core services, it often lacks the specialized tools, niche offerings, and intricate integrations that AWS provides. For businesses with complex needs, those seeking cutting-edge technologies, or those requiring highly specialized solutions, AWS often presents a more complete and compelling proposition. Let's get specific. AWS offers services like AWS Lambda for serverless computing, AWS Glue for data integration, and AWS Ground Station for satellite communications – services that Azure simply doesn't have equivalents for. This gap in specialized offerings can be a significant deciding factor for businesses operating in niche industries or those seeking to leverage the latest cloud innovations. The Power of Choice and Granular Control AWS offers an unparalleled range of instance types, catering to every conceivable workload and budget. Need a behemoth of a machine for high-performance computing or complex simulations? AWS has you covered. Looking for a cost-effective option for running web applications or small databases? AWS has that too. This granular control and vast selection empower businesses to optimize their cloud spending and choose the perfect instance for their specific needs. Azure, while offering a decent selection of virtual machines, doesn't quite match the sheer variety and flexibility of AWS. This can be a limiting factor for businesses with diverse workloads or those requiring highly specialized hardware or unique configurations. A Global Footprint with Local Nuances AWS boasts a truly global infrastructure, with a presence in more regions than any other cloud provider. This extensive reach allows businesses to deploy applications closer to their customers, reducing latency and improving performance. But it's not just about breadth; it's about depth. AWS offers region-specific services and features, catering to local regulations, compliance requirements, and data sovereignty needs. Azure, while expanding its global footprint, still has some catching up to do. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with a global presence or those operating in regions with limited Azure availability. Furthermore, AWS often offers more mature and feature-rich services within specific regions, giving it a local advantage even where both providers have a presence. The Ecosystem Advantage: A Thriving Community AWS has fostered a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem of partners, tools, and integrations. This means businesses can tap into a wealth of third-party solutions to enhance their AWS deployments. From DevOps tools and security solutions to industry-specific applications and specialized integrations, the AWS ecosystem offers a rich tapestry of options. Azure, while building its own ecosystem, hasn't yet reached the same level of maturity and diversity. This can limit the options available to businesses, make it harder to find specialized solutions, and increase the reliance on in-house development or less established providers. The Price War: Beyond the Sticker Price Pricing is a complex and ever-shifting battleground in the cloud wars. While both AWS and Azure offer competitive pricing models, AWS often has an edge due to its scale, operational efficiency, and sustained price reductions over the years. Moreover, AWS offers a wider range of pricing options, including reserved instances, spot instances, and savings plans, allowing businesses to fine-tune their cloud spending based on their specific needs and usage patterns. Azure has made strides in pricing, particularly for Microsoft-centric customers. However, it can sometimes be more expensive than AWS for certain services or workloads. Careful cost analysis and a deep understanding of your own usage patterns are essential when comparing the two platforms. The Human Factor: Experience, Expertise, and Community AWS has a longer history and a significantly larger user base, which translates to a wealth of experience and expertise within the industry. Finding skilled AWS professionals is generally easier than finding Azure specialists. This can be a significant advantage for businesses seeking to build or augment their cloud teams, especially when looking for niche skills or deep expertise. Azure is gaining ground in terms of talent pool, but it still has some catching up to do. This can make it more challenging to find qualified professionals, particularly for specialized roles or cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, the AWS community is vast and active, offering a wealth of resources, support forums, and online communities. This vibrant community can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues, learning new skills, and staying up-to-date with the latest AWS developments. Reliability and Outages: A Tale of Two Clouds While both AWS and Azure offer high availability and strive for minimal downtime, Azure has faced some notable outages in recent years. These outages have impacted various services, from core compute and storage to networking and databases. While Azure has taken steps to improve its reliability, these incidents have raised concerns about its overall stability. AWS, while not immune to outages, has generally maintained a higher level of reliability. Its mature infrastructure, extensive experience, and focus on operational excellence have resulted in a more stable platform. This track record of reliability can be a crucial factor for businesses where downtime translates to significant financial losses or reputational damage. The Verdict: AWS Still Holds the Edge While Azure is a formidable competitor with its own strengths, AWS continues to reign supreme in the cloud arena. Its legacy of innovation, vast and mature ecosystem, global reach, competitive pricing, and proven reliability make it a compelling choice for businesses of all sizes. While Azure has made significant strides and closed the gap in certain areas, it still has some ground to cover before it can truly challenge AWS's dominance. Ultimately, the best choice for your business will depend on your specific needs, priorities, and existing technology stack. Careful evaluation of both platforms, considering factors like cost, performance, reliability, and available services, is essential to determine which one best aligns with your requirements. But for now, AWS remains the cloud leader, setting the pace and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud computing world. Read the full article
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The battle for cloud supremacy rages on, with titans like AWS and Azure locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. While Azure has made impressive strides, closing the gap in certain areas, AWS continues to hold the crown. But why? Is it simply a matter of being the first mover, or are there deeper reasons behind AWS's enduring reign? Let's dive deep into this cloud clash, exploring the nuances, the shortcomings, and the factors that keep AWS ahead of the curve. A Legacy of Innovation and a Breadth of Services AWS has been the undisputed pioneer in cloud computing, consistently pushing the boundaries of what's possible. From its humble beginnings offering basic compute and storage, AWS has evolved into a sprawling ecosystem of services that's nothing short of breathtaking. It covers everything from the foundations of computing to the cutting edge – AI and machine learning, IoT, serverless computing, quantum technologies, and beyond. This relentless innovation has created a mature and comprehensive platform that's incredibly difficult to match. Azure, while making significant progress, still struggles to keep pace with AWS's sheer breadth and depth of services. While it offers solid core services, it often lacks the specialized tools, niche offerings, and intricate integrations that AWS provides. For businesses with complex needs, those seeking cutting-edge technologies, or those requiring highly specialized solutions, AWS often presents a more complete and compelling proposition. Let's get specific. AWS offers services like AWS Lambda for serverless computing, AWS Glue for data integration, and AWS Ground Station for satellite communications – services that Azure simply doesn't have equivalents for. This gap in specialized offerings can be a significant deciding factor for businesses operating in niche industries or those seeking to leverage the latest cloud innovations. The Power of Choice and Granular Control AWS offers an unparalleled range of instance types, catering to every conceivable workload and budget. Need a behemoth of a machine for high-performance computing or complex simulations? AWS has you covered. Looking for a cost-effective option for running web applications or small databases? AWS has that too. This granular control and vast selection empower businesses to optimize their cloud spending and choose the perfect instance for their specific needs. Azure, while offering a decent selection of virtual machines, doesn't quite match the sheer variety and flexibility of AWS. This can be a limiting factor for businesses with diverse workloads or those requiring highly specialized hardware or unique configurations. A Global Footprint with Local Nuances AWS boasts a truly global infrastructure, with a presence in more regions than any other cloud provider. This extensive reach allows businesses to deploy applications closer to their customers, reducing latency and improving performance. But it's not just about breadth; it's about depth. AWS offers region-specific services and features, catering to local regulations, compliance requirements, and data sovereignty needs. Azure, while expanding its global footprint, still has some catching up to do. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with a global presence or those operating in regions with limited Azure availability. Furthermore, AWS often offers more mature and feature-rich services within specific regions, giving it a local advantage even where both providers have a presence. The Ecosystem Advantage: A Thriving Community AWS has fostered a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem of partners, tools, and integrations. This means businesses can tap into a wealth of third-party solutions to enhance their AWS deployments. From DevOps tools and security solutions to industry-specific applications and specialized integrations, the AWS ecosystem offers a rich tapestry of options. Azure, while building its own ecosystem, hasn't yet reached the same level of maturity and diversity. This can limit the options available to businesses, make it harder to find specialized solutions, and increase the reliance on in-house development or less established providers. The Price War: Beyond the Sticker Price Pricing is a complex and ever-shifting battleground in the cloud wars. While both AWS and Azure offer competitive pricing models, AWS often has an edge due to its scale, operational efficiency, and sustained price reductions over the years. Moreover, AWS offers a wider range of pricing options, including reserved instances, spot instances, and savings plans, allowing businesses to fine-tune their cloud spending based on their specific needs and usage patterns. Azure has made strides in pricing, particularly for Microsoft-centric customers. However, it can sometimes be more expensive than AWS for certain services or workloads. Careful cost analysis and a deep understanding of your own usage patterns are essential when comparing the two platforms. The Human Factor: Experience, Expertise, and Community AWS has a longer history and a significantly larger user base, which translates to a wealth of experience and expertise within the industry. Finding skilled AWS professionals is generally easier than finding Azure specialists. This can be a significant advantage for businesses seeking to build or augment their cloud teams, especially when looking for niche skills or deep expertise. Azure is gaining ground in terms of talent pool, but it still has some catching up to do. This can make it more challenging to find qualified professionals, particularly for specialized roles or cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, the AWS community is vast and active, offering a wealth of resources, support forums, and online communities. This vibrant community can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues, learning new skills, and staying up-to-date with the latest AWS developments. Reliability and Outages: A Tale of Two Clouds While both AWS and Azure offer high availability and strive for minimal downtime, Azure has faced some notable outages in recent years. These outages have impacted various services, from core compute and storage to networking and databases. While Azure has taken steps to improve its reliability, these incidents have raised concerns about its overall stability. AWS, while not immune to outages, has generally maintained a higher level of reliability. Its mature infrastructure, extensive experience, and focus on operational excellence have resulted in a more stable platform. This track record of reliability can be a crucial factor for businesses where downtime translates to significant financial losses or reputational damage. The Verdict: AWS Still Holds the Edge While Azure is a formidable competitor with its own strengths, AWS continues to reign supreme in the cloud arena. Its legacy of innovation, vast and mature ecosystem, global reach, competitive pricing, and proven reliability make it a compelling choice for businesses of all sizes. While Azure has made significant strides and closed the gap in certain areas, it still has some ground to cover before it can truly challenge AWS's dominance. Ultimately, the best choice for your business will depend on your specific needs, priorities, and existing technology stack. Careful evaluation of both platforms, considering factors like cost, performance, reliability, and available services, is essential to determine which one best aligns with your requirements. But for now, AWS remains the cloud leader, setting the pace and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the cloud computing world. Read the full article
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Some of the best fanfiction I've been privileged to read has motivations and arcs well thought-out, facts researched, fantasy well within realm of plausibility, and with plotlines that are cohesive, compelling and which deliver emotional gratification.
Name/Handle/Alias
TazWren (Ao3 / Tumblr) / Wrentaz (Twitter)
About how long would you say you’ve been rooting for Reylo?
Since Christmas Eve, 2017, the day I watched TLJ
What did you think of the way Rise of Skywalker handled Rey and Kylo’s relationship?
I think it was clumsy as best, lazy at worst. TFA and TLJ set up what could have been a complex interplay between two people on opposite sides who still resonated at some core level. The potential to build was there. It was hinted at through the movie but never explored in full. It's testimony to the actors that so much was communicated nonverbally. Kylo/Ben shift of focus to saving / protecting Rey from Palpatine the only way he thinks is available to him, his transformation at her hands, her confession of wanting to have taken his hand, their scenes on Exegol. There was poetry there. A handful of beautiful moments. However it completely wasted the potential of Ben + Rey as a fighting unit, as two halves of a whole, and of two people who could only belong to each other.
Do you think the film understood why you, and other people, felt like Rey and Kylo had something together? Did it get their chemistry?
Again, I think the chemistry shone through in a handful of moments in the movie, on account of brilliant and nuanced acting. For the most part, the scripted sections were very wooden their actions lacked motivation and were overall not really reflective of who these characters had been shown to be in past movies and ancillary content.
What about the handling of Kylo’s redemption? Was it something you had to think through in your stories?
I think the process of his transformation into Ben Solo was beautifully done, as also all the scenes with his running into Exegol. However, redemption needs to be balanced against what Kylo/Ben has been subjected to from infancy till that point. Redemption cannot equal death, especially one as unmourned or throwaway as it was. It has to mean the opportunity to rectify wrongs, to prove that you are capable of being different and doing different. Ben Solo was given no choice at any point. His redemption by death served no-one, respected no-one, least of all all the people who made sacrifices to be able to save him. Not to mention, the fact none of his past abuse or what he was put through is ever addressed. All his focus is Rey. And the absolute radio silence from the so-called Jedi pantheon when it came to the prodigal son of one of their own, so to speak? No one ever made an effort to be there for Ben, and we are expected to believe he deserves to be forsaken for turning into Kylo? That's not how the world works.
How did you handle or would you have handled the redemption of Kylo Ren in your fics? How did you envision Kylo/Ben’s redemption before TROS and how do you (re)envision it after seeing TROS?
There had to be a strong driving force for change - love can be that I've thought about how Ben could begin to make amends - by respecting choices, by doing the heavy lifting with his mother, the Resistance, by using his power to build Vs tear down, by being who Rey saw him to be. By being free of voices and finally making his own choices. In war, there are no innocents - there are only bad orders and worse orders to follow. I think it's important that both sides acknowledge that as they try to rebuild - it's something I'm exploring in one of my fics, right now. Honestly, TROS has made no difference to how I see redemption, only now I absolutely hate the idea of death as the snap that fixes it. Not in the case of Kylo Ren / Ben Solo. Not after what his universe put him through.
What did you think of where Rey landed at the end? There had been a lot of excitement around Star Wars having a female protagonist. Do you think she lived up to the promise of her character?
No. TROS did an absolute disservice to Rey, by reducing her to a pawn, a vessel whose strength is defined by her bloodline and not by her own merit, and whose lifelong struggle was erased to serve the resurrection of a defunct character. There was absolutely no need to bring Palpatine back. Nor to infantilize Rey's development to the point she is only defined by what her masters thinks she is. Sticking her on Tatooine, alone, with no visceral reaction to having her other half ripped from her? On a planet that no-one in the family she blithely adopted ever had any happy memories for? At best she's shown as stupidly uncaring, at worst conniving. This is not the Rey we were set up to see.
There’s criticism of the movie that argues it’s akin to “fan fiction” and that is has too much fan service. As fans and fan-fiction writers, how do you react to that?
Possibly, just not the good kind of fanfiction! Some of the best fanfiction I've been privileged to read has motivations and arcs well thought-out, facts researched, fantasy well within realm of plausibility, and with plotlines that are cohesive, compelling and which deliver emotional gratification. TROS had none of that. It is an embarrassment to the history of a franchise that has always build the idea of hope, family, love, redemption.
Tell us about your favorite parts of the fandom. How does the fandom lift you up and embody the best parts of Reylo and Star Wars?
I've been a Star Wars fan for over 35 years, and the sheer love of the stories, and the myths they told, has always shone through in every installment, in every medium / format. That is amazing to be a part of. With the Reylos, I have the best of like-minded, intelligent, creative, caring, talented and funny people from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe. That is rare in itself! My everyday is filled with interactions with Reylos around our writing, art, the movies / books / comics / series, about meta, about mutual thirst(!) and also about supporting each other in our offline endeavors and lives. I have made many friends who are for life.
Are you still writing any Star Wars fanfic? Tell us about it! (Don't forget your Ao3 handle!)
Absolutely! As TazWren am working on a post-TLJ redemption / New Order fic (Caught Between Beats), another post-TLJ fic with Kylo/Ben suffering from trauma-induced amnesia (Hoth Landing) a few modern AUs (Brooklyn Bridge Blues, an unnamed on for the Reylo Charity Anthology). As TrashcanWren I'm wrapping up a couple modern AU about single-parent Ben-Teacher Rey (All I Want for Christmas), Prodigal Son-Ben & Guardian Angel Rey (My Angel Cometh) and a canon divergent JediStormPilot AU... My w.i.ps runneth over 🤣
Thank you @tazwren for the words! You can find their writing here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazWren/pseuds/TazWren
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