#Unique Garden Flag

[grannyandgrandpascreations]

Mr. Rogers Did Not Adequately Prepare Me For The People In My Neighborhood Garden Yard Flag

Shop our Mr. Rogers Did Not Adequately Prepare Me For The People In My Neighborhood Garden Yard Flag! This is a perfect gift for anyone who wants to joke around with their neighbors. Our Garden Yard Flags make great Housewarming Gifts! Shop Granny and Grandpa’s Custom Creations other Garden Flags!

Garden flags are an exciting and easy way to express yourself and add some color and cheer to your home, your porch and/or garden especially with the many different options of Granny & Grandpa’s Custom Creations Garden Flags! Decorative and eye-catching garden flag to theme your home outdoor yard. Our Garden Flags make great Housewarming Gifts!

Granny & Grandpa’s Custom Creations can also personalize your Garden Flag with a monogram, your family name and much, much more; please reach out to us at grannyscustomcreations@gmail.com to personalize your Garden Flag.

Our designed is on a durable 11.81 x 17.72 inches, white single layer, polyester durable garden flag.

Fabric Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, no bleach, no softener. Do not dry clean. Do not iron. Air dry.

Due to different light settings the actual color might vary a bit from the pictures.

Flag post is NOT included.

All items are created or designed by Granny & Grandpa's Custom Creations. We also print and heat press our items using our professional, commercial grade heat press! Each design is made with High Quality, Heat Transfer Vinyl.

After a package leaves my hands with the post office, Granny & Grandpa's Custom Creations is not held responsible. Current Turnaround Time due to upcoming Holidays - 1-5 Business Days. While we always use priority shipping options, once shipped we cannot guarantee delivery due to the backlog current being experienced USPS/UPS/FedEx. If you have a strict deadline, please message me when ordering so that I can note any rush requests. Ownership of packages turned over to USPS transfers to the Buyer. We are not responsible for lost, held, damaged packages or delayed packages, once your package(s) leaves our Shop it is completely out of our control. Thank you for understanding!

Thank you so much for supporting our "small Granny & Grandpa's Shop", we truly appreciate YOU!

Please visit www.grannygrandpascustomcreations.com/shop to view more of our creations!

LET’S GET SOCIAL & BE FRIENDS! Like, Tag & Follow us for Our new Creations, Inspiration & Giveaways!

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#grannygrandpascustomcreations - #garden - #flags

Shop our Mr. Rogers Did Not Adequately Prepare Me For The People In My Neighborhood Garden Yard Flag! This is a perfect gift for anyone who wants to joke around with their neighbors. Our Garden Yard Flags make great Housewarming Gifts! Shop Granny and Grandpa’s Custom Creations other Garden Flags!

Garden flags are an exciting and easy way to express yourself and add some color and cheer to your home, your porch and/or garden especially with the many different options of Granny & Grandpa’s Custom Creations Garden Flags! Decorative and eye-catching garden flag to theme your home outdoor yard. Our Garden Flags make great Housewarming Gifts!

Granny & Grandpa’s Custom Creations can also personalize your Garden Flag with a monogram, your family name and much, much more; please reach out to us at grannyscustomcreations@gmail.com to personalize your Garden Flag.

Our designed is on a durable 11.81 x 17.72 inches, white single layer, polyester durable garden flag.

Fabric Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, no bleach, no softener. Do not dry clean. Do not iron. Air dry.

Due to different light settings the actual color might vary a bit from the pictures.

Flag post is NOT included.

All items are created or designed by Granny & Grandpa's Custom Creations. We also print and heat press our items using our professional, commercial grade heat press! Each design is made with High Quality, Heat Transfer Vinyl.

After a package leaves my hands with the post office, Granny & Grandpa's Custom Creations is not held responsible. Current Turnaround Time due to upcoming Holidays - 1-5 Business Days. While we always use priority shipping options, once shipped we cannot guarantee delivery due to the backlog current being experienced USPS/UPS/FedEx. If you have a strict deadline, please message me when ordering so that I can note any rush requests. Ownership of packages turned over to USPS transfers to the Buyer. We are not responsible for lost, held, damaged packages or delayed packages, once your package(s) leaves our Shop it is completely out of our control. Thank you for understanding!

Thank you so much for supporting our "small Granny & Grandpa's Shop", we truly appreciate YOU!

Please visit www.grannygrandpascustomcreations.com/shop to view more of our creations!

LET’S GET SOCIAL & BE FRIENDS! Like, Tag & Follow us for Our new Creations, Inspiration & Giveaways!

website/ www.grannygrandpascustomcreations.com/shop

facebook.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GrandpaHandmadecreations/

instagram.com/ https://www.instagram.com/grannyandgrandpacustomcreation/

goimagine.com/ https://goimagine.com/granny-and-grandpas-custom-creations/

pinterest.com/https://www.pinterest.com/grannyscustomcreations

#grannygrandpascustomcreations - #garden - #flags

[orcinus-veterinarius]

So... it seems I accidentally deleted an ask rather than answering it. To whoever asked "is it okay to visit SeaWorld? Does the money go to giving the orcas good care?"... here is your answer!

The SeaWorld parks, as well as Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, and a few others, are operated by the recently renamed United Parks and Entertainment, a for-profit theme park company. Like any other corporation, their first goal is to remain profitable. Obviously, a large portion of that goes to corporate leadership and shareholders. But that's far from unique to United, or theme parks in general. It's a byproduct of the greedy world we live in. If you're willing to buy a ticket to Disney or Six Flags, then buying a ticket to a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens is no more immoral.

According to the AZA, approximately 46% of their members are for-profit. And while AZA zoos certainly vary in quality (anywhere from "acceptable" to "exceptional" in my opinion), for-profit status does not cheapen or detract from the work they do. In fact, for-profit institutions often have more financial freedom for animal care and conservation efforts than their non-profit counterparts. Non-profit zoos and aquariums are wonderful places, but believe me when I say there's a startling amount of politics in every aspect of their management. Non-profit status does not automatically make a zoo better, and for-profit status does not automatically make a zoo worse.

Now... do SeaWorld ticket sales go toward giving their orcas (and other animals) good care? Yes.

While it's certainly simplistic for parks to claim, as they do, "just by buying a ticket today you're helping save animals in the wild!"... it's not exactly a lie. Being for-profit, SeaWorld doesn't ask for donations to fund park operations or outreach endeavours. That revenue is generated by selling tickets, merchandise, food, etc. The same goes for their wildlife rescue and rehab program, Rising Tide conservation program, Coral Rescue Center, and the SeaWorld-Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, as well as partner organizations like OCEARCH and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute.

Take ticket sales away, and they can't care for their animals, or continue to fund conservation projects. While I don't know the whole story of what exactly is going on with Marineland Antibes, it appears that the park is in a dire financial situation due to plummeting attendance, to the point that they can no longer maintain their killer whale habitat and are trying to offload their animals onto an Asian aquarium or, potentially, an as-of-yet non-existent third party sea pen. While certainly well-meaning, years of boycotts against Marineland ultimately put their animals in a position where they are not being properly cared for. And it would be horrifying if the same thing happened to SeaWorld. I don't think many people, in their fervor to punish the parks for their perceived misdeeds and save the animals, thought about what the reality of driving a zoological facility into financial ruin would look like.

Don't get me wrong, SeaWorld's shift toward promoting itself as a thrill park that also does conservation rather than a marine facility that happens to have roller coasters annoys me. I would have rather they built a separate, neighboring park for the rides, or at least integrated them into the existing park less obtrusively (Disney's Animal Kingdom, for example, seemlessly integrates the theme park and zoo elements, although they have the benefit of the incredibly talented Imagineering team behind them). But as tiresome as the constant roller coaster announcements are, they are what kept the company afloat financially in the years immediately following Blackfish, drawing in a crowd that previously had no interest in the parks, and for that I'm grateful. Thankfully, SeaWorld is in a better spot nowadays. But the only way to convince them that their animals, not their roller coasters, are what people want to see... is to visit and see the animals.

In short, yes, part of your SeaWorld ticket funds care for their orcas and their many admirable projects. Now if only more of it went to giving their staff better salaries.

[apoemaday]

A Brave and Startling Truth

by Maya Angelou

We, this people, on a small and lonely planet Traveling through casual space Past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns To a destination where all signs tell us It is possible and imperative that we learn A brave and startling truth And when we come to it To the day of peacemaking When we release our fingers From fists of hostility And allow the pure air to cool our palms When we come to it When the curtain falls on the minstrel show of hate And faces sooted with scorn are scrubbed clean When battlefields and coliseum No longer rake our unique and particular sons and daughters Up with the bruised and bloody grass To lie in identical plots in foreign soil When the rapacious storming of the churches The screaming racket in the temples have ceased When the pennants are waving gaily When the banners of the world tremble Stoutly in the good, clean breeze When we come to it When we let the rifles fall from our shoulders And children dress their dolls in flags of truce When land mines of death have been removed And the aged can walk into evenings of peace When religious ritual is not perfumed By the incense of burning flesh And childhood dreams are not kicked awake By nightmares of abuse When we come to it Then we will confess that not the Pyramids With their stones set in mysterious perfection Nor the Gardens of Babylon Hanging as eternal beauty In our collective memory Not the Grand Canyon Kindled into delicious color By Western sunsets Nor the Danube, flowing its blue soul into Europe Not the sacred peak of Mount Fuji Stretching to the Rising Sun Neither Father Amazon nor Mother Mississippi who, without favor, Nurture all creatures in the depths and on the shores These are not the only wonders of the world When we come to it We, this people, on this minuscule and kithless globe Who reach daily for the bomb, the blade and the dagger Yet who petition in the dark for tokens of peace We, this people on this mote of matter In whose mouths abide cankerous words Which challenge our very existence Yet out of those same mouths Come songs of such exquisite sweetness That the heart falters in its labor And the body is quieted into awe We, this people, on this small and drifting planet Whose hands can strike with such abandon That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness That the haughty neck is happy to bow And the proud back is glad to bend Out of such chaos, of such contradiction We learn that we are neither devils nor divines When we come to it We, this people, on this wayward, floating body Created on this earth, of this earth Have the power to fashion for this earth A climate where every man and every woman Can live freely without sanctimonious piety Without crippling fear When we come to it We must confess that we are the possible We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world That is when, and only when We come to it.

[venusianpulp]

Part 1 of Asteroids & Major Aspects

These are just some examples. I think, just like Tarot, it extremely important for peoples personal experiences and intuitive guidance helps create the whole interpretation from a chart by chart perspective, therefore... this would primarily help those of you who don't know the generak themes/are just starting out in astrology. Regardless, this is hyper-generalized as more of a starter guide:

Asteroid Juno:

The asteroid Juno represents marriage and commitment dynamics in astrology. Having significant aspects to Juno in a natal chart can reveal information about someone's approach to long-term partnerships:

Juno conjunct Sun/Moon - Commitment is central to one's identity and emotional needs. Loyal but may depend heavily on partner.

Juno conjunct Venus - Highly romantic nature. Idealistic in relationships. Strong desire for marriage or lifelong bonding.

Juno conjunct Mars - Sexual needs tied to intimacy. There can be contention around commitment needs.

Juno square Saturn - Difficulty with obligation in relationships. Fears of losing freedom or individuality through marriage.

Juno opposite Uranus - Drawn to unconventional relationships. Dislikes feeling "owned" or bound. Issues with fidelity.

Juno trine Jupiter - Faith in marriage and willingness to work through challenges. Expansive benefits from partnerships.

Juno quincunx Neptune - Yearning for soulmate union. Can sacrifice too much or ignore red flags when in love.

Aspects to Juno should be considered alongside the entire chart. But they can reveal someone's unique needs, wounds, potentials or lessons when it comes to long-term marriage and commitment. The house placement of Juno also adds additional context to these relationship tendencies.

Asteroid Ceres:

The asteroid Ceres represents nurturing, maternal instincts, and family/childhood issues in astrology. Having significant aspects to Ceres in a natal chart can indicate the following:

Ceres conjunct Moon - Deep need to care for others, especially children. Strong maternal instincts. Early childhood issues around nurturing may arise.

Ceres conjunct Venus - Expressing affection by providing food, comfort and security. Partners may take on child-like roles.

Ceres conjunct Mars - Nurturing drives or inhibits sexuality. Could indicate conflicts around parenting.

Ceres square Saturn - Difficulty nurturing oneself/others due to parental criticism or early life responsibility.

Ceres opposite Uranus - Nurturing patterns disrupted by sudden change. Rebellious response to restrictive mother.

Ceres trine Jupiter - Positive nurturing from mother and family. Natural talent for parenting, cooking, gardening.

Ceres quincunx Pluto - Intense need for security. Hunger for deep connection. Early power struggles around dependence.

Ceres Return - Time of reconnecting with these themes. Healing childhood issues. Revisiting parenting roles.

Aspects to natal Ceres help uncover your unique attachment style and talents/wounds around providing and receiving nurturance within families. Ceres' house placement adds more detail about where these dynamics play out.

Asteroid Pallas:

The asteroid Pallas represents wisdom, strategy, and political/social justice in astrology. Major aspects to Pallas in a natal chart indicate the following:

Pallas conjunct Mercury - Strong strategic thinking and gift for seeing multiple angles of a situation. Able to mediate conflicts.

Pallas conjunct Venus - Sense of justice and fairness applied to relationships and social connections. Diplomatic mediator.

Pallas conjunct Mars - Fights for beliefs, sometimes aggressively. May be combative communication style.

Pallas square Saturn - Difficulty employing practical strategy. Wisdom gained slowly through experience.

Pallas opposite Uranus - Innovative thinker but can be stubborn in views. Fights for radical change.

Pallas trine Jupiter - Expansive wisdom, big picture thinking. Natural lawyer or wise counselor. Lucky planning.

Pallas quincunx Pluto - Compulsive need to understand hidden agendas. Sees manipulation in all interactions.

Pallas Return - Period of reconnecting to inner wisdom and reassessing life strategies.

Pallas aspects in the natal chart illuminate your relationship to wisdom, discernment, strategy, and ability to negotiate. Pallas' house placement provides added context on applying these qualities to specific life areas.

Asteroid Vesta:

The asteroid Vesta represents devotion, focus, sacred rituals, and the temple of the self in astrology. Major aspects between Vesta and planets/points in a natal chart indicate:

Vesta conjunct Sun - Strong sense of inner purpose. Needs to dedicate self to meaningful cause for fulfillment.

Vesta conjunct Moon - Soulful devotion and emotional investment in what one holds sacred. Possible spiritual calling.

Vesta conjunct Mercury - Mental dedication to areas of focus and study. Disciplined thinker.

Vesta conjunct Venus - Deeply devoted in relationships but needs personal space respected. May be devoted to arts.

Vesta conjunct Mars - Drive to devote energy passionately but can lead to burnout without care.

Vesta square Saturn - Challenges in reconciling dedication with responsibilities. Tests of commitment

Vesta opposite Uranus - Needs freedom and humanity in what one dedicates to. Rebellious to dogma.

Vesta trine Neptune - Spiritual devotion comes naturally. Drawn to mysticism and esoteric rituals.

Vesta quincunx Pluto - Intense focus can lead to destructive tendencies without balance.

Vesta aspects reveal the positive and challenging ways one directs devotion, ritual, and sacred focus in life. Vesta's house and sign placements add more texture.

Asteroid Pholus:

The asteroid Pholus represents one's response to crisis, the unexpected, and where we may feel pressured to take extreme measures or actions. Major aspects to Pholus in a natal chart indicate:

Pholus conjunct Sun - Identity tied to managing crises. Drawn to emergency response and high pressure situations.

Pholus conjunct Moon - Heightened emotional reactions to the unexpected. Difficulty regulating feelings under duress.

Pholus conjunct Mercury - Strong mental strategizing to handle catastrophes. Tendency to give unsolicited advice when stressed.

Pholus conjunct Mars - Reacts urgently, aggressively when faced with disruption. Prone to impulsiveness under pressure.

Pholus square Saturn - Hardships build character and skills to handle predicaments. Can also cause rigidity and avoidance.

Pholus opposite Uranus - Rebellious reactions to turmoil. Uses shock value to shake things up.

Pholus trine Pluto - Able to regenerate and find power when faced with what seems like disaster.

Pholus quincunx Neptune - Handles chaos through imagination, spirituality, chemicals. Can lose grip on reality.

Pholus aspects point to our reflexive responses to crises and willingness to cross boundaries when pressured. Pholus' house placement adds more context.

[ask-the-koopa-family]

((STORY))

A long time ago, in the koopa kingdom, young Bowser and his little sister Betty spent a sunny afternoon playing together. Their laughter echoed through their castle's garden as they stacked blocks to create their own fortress.

“Look, Betty!” Bowser exclaimed, placing the last block on top of their creation. “Our fortress is almost finished!”

Betty, her eyes shining with excitement, placed a small flag at the top of the wall. “It’s amazing, Bowser! But it still needs some details. We should add traps!”

Bowser nodded eagerly. “Yeah, but we don’t have enough blocks for traps.”

At that moment, a soft blue light filled the room, and Kamek appeared, floating in mid-air. The old magician, who was like a grandfather to the children, looked at them with a warm smile.

“What are you two up to?��� he asked in a gentle voice.

“We’re building a fortress!” Bowser replied proudly. “But we need more blocks for the traps.”

Kamek thought for a moment, then looked at the children with a twinkle in his eye. “Well, perhaps I could help with my magic. How about that?”

Betty burst into joy. “Oh, yes! That would be amazing, Kamek!”

The magician waved his wand, and blocks appeared as if by magic around the children. Blocks floated around them.

“Here you go!” said Kamek with a smile. “Now you have everything you need to add traps and details to your fortress.”

Bowser and Betty thanked Kamek warmly. They immediately got to work, using the new blocks to create moats and impenetrable walls.

Bowser’s father, a grand and powerful king, entered the room with an amused smile. “So, what’s going on here?” he asked, seeing the fortress grow.

“Dad!” Bowser exclaimed. “We’re building a fortress with Kamek! He helped us with his magic.”

Bowser’s mother, gentle and caring, joined her husband. “It’s wonderful to see you so creative! Don’t forget to make a little place for us in your fortress!”

“Of course, Mom!” Betty replied with a smile. “You’ll be the honored guests!”

Kamek, still smiling, turned to the children’s parents. “You have truly talented children. It’s a pleasure to see them grow and have fun like this.”

The parents exchanged a tender glance. “We’re happy to see that Kamek is always there for our children,” said the father. “It’s like he’s part of the family.”

Kamek nodded with a satisfied air. “I will always be here to watch over them, as I always have.”

The day continued in joy and fun, with Bowser, Betty, Kamek, and their parents enjoying their time together. The fortress soon became a masterpiece of imagination, a symbol of the love and friendship that united this unique family.

The end !

Art and ocs are mine dont copy/repost!

[aquamine-amarine]

I've got a lot of thoughts.

And it ended up being way too long again. Spoilers, analyzing, half assed translations, rants... Has anyone translated this or summarized it yet? Did I just waste my time? It took hours.

The title page is an obvious throwback to the very first chapter. It's nice I guess, I would have liked something a little more original and unique to this new series though. This new character still bothers me so I'm not sold on him just yet...

The official X account for the series is killing me though, cropping out that middle part to use as a header... Also this:

Where will Amu-chan's love go...!?

I'm telling you're the Nakayoshi editorial department is full of Amuto shippers.

The armband is on the wrong arm...

This is a huge red flag and a major regression in character development, because Amu should NOT be acting like this anymore. It's a huge problem.

Her crush on Tadase pretty much died after volume 7. During volumes 8-12 she isn't fangirling over him anymore and doesn't have any fangirl fantasies involving him like she used to. She started acting normal around him, like close friends, and it was nice. It was a positive development. WHY is all that development being thrown out the window? Just to cater to new fans?

I fully expected Tadase to continue trying to whoo her because he pretty much said he would continue to do so in volume 12. So I'm not annoyed about that. Amu's reaction to him is what annoys me, because she's not supposed to be acting like this anymore. You can keep trolling us with the love triangle WITHOUT regressing Amu's behavior to how she was in volume 1. They proved they could do this in volume 12. So this is bad.

As for the reason they're still in their elementary school uniforms, it's because the new school term hasn't started yet. This scene takes place during spring break in the Royal Garden, and there's a scene where Rima is asking if the middle school uniforms have arrived yet. I was wondering why they were still in their elementary school uniforms, when we know middle school uniforms DO exist. So the transfer happens before they even start middle school, it makes sense now.

The school they're transferring to (because Tadase is going with her) is called Arcana Academy. It's Seiyo's sister school.

A Japanese fan I follow on X noticed something very interesting about the kanji in the school's name. 聖或奏学園 translates to "Saint Arcana Academy". The 或 kanji is present in Aruto's name (it's the "aru" part), and the 奏 is present in Souko's name. Although in Souko's case it's a different reading. For her name, it takes the on'yomi reading of "sou", and when it's used in the school's name it uses the kun'yomi reading of "kana". From volume 10:

That's pretty interesting, I wonder if it ends up having any significance later? Or maybe it's just a coincidence? They do like being funny with the kanji they use in names, like all the celestial references they used here.

Tsukasa tells them they're transferring because there's an outbreak (he actually uses the word plague) of X-Eggs at Arcana Academy. He also says that Amu has a "secret mission".

Fast forward to the new school...

Amu's thought bubble says he's the Principal. He looks so familiar... He kinda looks like P from Kugiko-san (another Peach-Pit manga, from the Kugiko-chan series). And I feel like I've seen a character similiar to him in some other manga...

Someone said something they weren't supposed to during introductions in the auditorium... don't traumatize your new classmates already!

This little psycho is going on a joyride on this chandelier...

It did not want to be cleansed.

He's telling the entire auditorium that what they just witnessed were a "character change" and a "character transformation". The students are all amazed.

In a later page Tadase says that everyone in this school has a guardian egg. He said "egg" and not "character", so maybe most of them haven't actually hatched yet?

Daiya is a fucking airhead and slept through the entire fiasco in the auditorium. Because of that, everyone thinks Amu only has 3 guardian characters and not 4!

But Tadase thinks that's fine, they should keep Daiya a secret and use the fact that everyone thinks Amu only has 3 guardian characters to their advantage. Daiya can be their trump card.

She introduces herself as Erito Rose, a guide. Is that a name or a position? But if it was supposed to be "Elite Rose" instead, the whole thing should have been written in katakana... The guardian character's name is Rosetta.

Amu's dorm room is haunted... so the rumors say.

Phone call with Rima! And oh boy is this juicy...

Rima: By the way, did you contact Ikuto and Nagihiko who are overseas? Amu: Ah, not yet… Rima: Is that okay? Rima: Isn't Ikuto your boyfriend? Amu: Boy…!? Amu: There's no way!!

Rima!!! I love you, you angry little midget. That last text bubble was giving me trouble, so I gave up trying to translate it...

Amu: We've been apart this whole time. The replies to my messages vary.

I knew they were going to hurt me by bringing out my repressed long distance relationship memories... you stop that!

She was also saying how he's actually studying music overseas right now... no mention of looking for his father.

Also they forgot to draw the belt/strap things on his pants.

Amu: Even though you said something like that! Amu: Jeez! I'm an idiot! It's the same pattern. Rima: Amu? Amu: I won't be swayed by him anymore!! Definitely! Rima: Hey Amu, I just had a thought.

Rima: Do you live with someone in the dorms? Rima: If you say something like "I'm sharing a room with a boy", it'll make him jealous. Amu: Ha?! Amu: No no, this is a single room!? Amu: That's just a lie!! Rima: Amu, you're a kid. Rima: Boys like it when you tease them sometimes. All the servants say that it's a reward. Amu: This girl is scary...

Rima!!! Now I know why the Chinese Amuto fans were rolling around in their feels all over the place. Girl is giving Amu advice on how to flirt with Ikuto. I'm dying. How did I miss this page the other day...

Exactly what has Amu been telling Rima? Did she tell Rima they've shared a bed together already? I was not expecting Rima to be pro-Amuto! I always assumed Rima would hate Ikuto - for one, he's fucking tall and she's smol. Second, it's another man that's way too close to Amu (the other one being Nagihiko) and I thought that would make her angry. Although she mellowed out around Nagihiko in volume 12... and she's gotten REALLY attached to Amu in this chapter.

As fun as these pages were, time for some more ranting...

Amu: I won't be swayed by him anymore!! Definitely!

What the fuck are you talking about?! Did you forgot ALL OF THIS:

What the fuck happened to all this character development?! Why is she regressing?! Her reaction to him should NOT have been that hostile. Not after all these scenes. Which only happened months (some of them only weeks) before the graduation and wedding. The fact that 14 years has passed is definitely showing, and not in a good way… It feels like they're going backwards and I don't like it.

This bullshit right here is why I didn't want a sequel, I just knew they would fuck something up. They're either senile and completely forgot the events of volumes 8-12 (how, when they clearly took that quote from volume 12…) or their editor is braindead and giving them horrible advice, like how erasing 5 volumes worth of character development is a great fucking idea by setting Amu's relationships with Tadase and Ikuto back to pre-volume 8 levels. It's fucking stupid. It shouldn't be happening. It's bad writing to just erase all the good stuff that happened near the end of the first series. For what, to cater to new fans and drag the love triangle out some more? That's so stupid.

Should I make her my girlfriend?

I see someone has a death wish. I'd pay to see that cat fight.

There's a LOT of things that were left out. No mention of Easter, Hikaru wasn't in the Royal Garden with everyone, no mention of Nagihiko actually being Nadeshiko, no mention of Yoru being gone... hopefully these are all addressed soon. Maybe I'm being too critical, since it's still just the first chapter... I just have high expectations. I don't want them to ruin this.

As for the art... miles better than what they drew for that stupid ad (NOT a "short story", that was a lie). I hate the way Ikuto looked there, he looks a lot better now. The eyes look a lot better too, more detailed like they used to be. So that's a plus. The way they drew eyes were always one of my favorite parts about their shoujo artstyle, and it was sad that for their other manga they got lazy with it.

As for the story... everyone in this new school is aware that guardian eggs exist. Like I said earlier though, they were always using the word "egg" and not "character", so perhaps only a few people have actually had their eggs hatch.

Near the end of Amu and Rima's phone call, Amu talks more about her "secret mission", and how purifying X-Eggs isn't the only reason she's there. She also has to look for something. So I wonder what that's about...

[little-robin-h00d]

Happy Halloween! :D a Halloween Town Ienzo for your viewing pleasure!

I was able to do art for the first time in years recently, and I absolutely WENT OFF! The muses put me in a headlock and didn't let me go until they were satisfied, so this boi got done just in time for Halloween!

The amount of detail i put into this guy is INSANE! But the glazing and light filters messed up the small details that were only really visible anyway at 800% zoom, so i'll be including those under the cut.

Embroidery

Almost every embroidered symbol is unique, only mirrored on the other side of the coat. From top to bottom: the Nobody symbol, the Heartless symbol, a symbol found in the old mansion in Traverse down combining the fleur-de-lis heart and a crown, the symbol of Ansem the Wise, the Kingdom Hearts symbol, a stylized rose, an eight pointed star, the player pin from The World Ends With you and the one from the sequel, a symbol found in Scala ad Caelum, a rounded star, a book, scales of justice, a beaker, Sephiroth's symbol with the wing inside the meteor, Shinra's logo, the buster sword from Final Fantasy 7, a chocobo, a cactuar, a moogle, fleur-de-lis, Red XIII, the Unversed symbol, Nobody symbol, Heartless symbol, Kingdom Hearts symbol, Roxas’ symbol, Eraqus’ symbol, numbers 1-14 in roman numerals.

The general mirroring stops here, and the symbols on the right are: a sun, moon, pentacle, meteor, hidden Mickey/lucky emblem, demon and angel wings on a heartless symbol representing Riku, sea salt ice cream and a thalassa shell for Xion, and Roxas’ symbol and a cut-off Oathkeeper keyblade.

On the inside of the coat’s embroidery are funny easter eggs to fill out the space because I ran out of ideas, from right to left: Sans, Loss.jpg, Amogus, Anarchy symbol, the cool S, the symbol for pi, Bill Cipher, Kirby, Ali from “Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun”, Elmo, a rat, a bat, the Palestinian flag and a watermelon (free Palestine!), two band-aids, the Pokémon type symbols for ghost psychic and dark-types, and the Genshin Impact element icons in order as they appear on the loading screen.

The text inside the Lexicon reads…

Page 1:

Once upon a time, a young boy became a prince. However, this story is not a fairytale…

This is a tragedy.

[This is the story of] Radiant Garden, and the [events that led to its] fall. It all began with [a man with amnesia, and a] series of experiments [by the apprentices of Ansem the Wise,] students of the Heart. [The amnesiac man, only remembering his name was Xehanort, was taken in by] Master Ansem.

… it is unclear when … point of no return.

Page 2: Little Ienzo rarely spoke, but [that certainly didn’t mean he] didn’t understand. The edge of the book reads: see every atrocity, hear every rumor, never shut up.

The rest is illegible.

Page 3: … Heartless because Xehanort had… body…

Page 4: Ignis Fatuus: fool’s fire, will-o-wisp. … illusion, delusion.

There is also text on all of the floating pages!

First floating page:

Design (and art) By: Little Robin Hood 1 Halloween Town Ienzo Wizard/Blue Mage + Will-O-Wisp Fanart encouraged, but please credit [the design]! I have lost so much sleep over this boi… Record: 22 hours awake TToTT

Second floating page:

I hereby relinquish my heart to Xehanort. In order to [successfully] achieve the goals of Organization XIII, I shall be given the number VI, and the title of Cloaked Schemer. I shall apprentice under lord Xemnas directly, and pledge loyalty to the Superior of the In-between. I shall don the cloak and a new name, and act as the Superior’s eyes and ears. None shall be above Xemnas, and my loyalty shall be his alone. Until our goals are finally achieved, my name shall be…

X Zexion

Third floating page: an abridged short version of the “Fresh Prince” theme song

Fourth floating page: T’was the Nightmare before Christmas And all through the streets, every monster was preparing for next Halloween! But good ol Jack had another idea - why not invite Sora and friends? And thus, Ienzo let his magic work, now ready for fun and festive fright! What fun forms might his friends take..?

Fifth floating page: dictionary definition of Wizard and its etymology

[xxsycamore]

𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬. . . Blanc X MC

↬ A rainy afternoon shouldn't get in the way of Blanc's sweet teatime with Alice!

Blanc Lapin x MC (Alice) • rating: G • tags: Fluff; Rain; Tea Parties; Kissing; Magic • wordcount:  1,481•masterlist

a/n: the weather outside provoked me to start off early with the challenge 👉🏻👈🏻 this is for day 8 of Spring Showers Spring Flowers by @aquagirl1978 & @violettduchess - Prompt: Rainy Days (fluff) - special tags for @vivifucksthevillian @viohasgoneintothewoods @katriniac

"Umm, Blanc… are you sure that we should be here?"

Despite the evident concern in her tone, Alice takes another sip from her cup, enjoying her tea. This impromptu tea party came out of nowhere, but she couldn't refuse Blanc's kind offer…

She'd just come to the Civic Center awhile ago to bring Blanc his lunch, seeing as her distracted White Rabbit had forgotten it again at home… She'd made it right on time for his lunch break, but was quite surprised when Blanc asked for her company. Exiting the office in flavor of finding some place more suited for having a meal, Alice's next surprise was seeing him begin to brew tea. And then the feeling grew tenfold as Blanc began climbing the stairs to the rooftop, where the Garden is situated.

"Why yes, we're merely having some tea, I don't see the harm in that. I'd hate to get you in trouble, dear Alice, I merely wanted to enjoy your company in a place that compliments your beauty…"

Blanc stirs his tea, smiling politely and prompting her to taste the food as well. She'd made enough for him to be sated and more, and a shared meal is always a tastier meal… maybe it's because of believing in this philosophy why Alice complies and nods, returning the smile. Oh, it really is tasty!

"The table looks even bigger when the seats are empty, somehow… there's this energy about this place even when we're alone here."

Blanc hums approvingly, gracious even in his chewing. He pats over his mouth with a handkerchief, manners on point as if this really is one of those special meetings of the top officers of the two armies. Their respective flags waver slightly in the wind, standing proud on their tall poles on either side of the table.

"Aren't you feeling calm in my company, Alice?"

The question gets her off-guard, the tea cup trembling for a second in her hands. She takes another sip.

"Uh-huh! I do. Thank you for bringing me here, it's not every day that I get to enjoy tea in such a place!"

While admiring the scenery, Alice notes how the grey clouds overhead add to the beauty of it, instead of ruining it, strange as it is. It's a pretty unique feeling. Gray days are almost never pretty, but from up here it's different. The budding nature enveloping the Garden adds enough color to contrast with the sky, and the temperature is not unpleasantly low at all. It's a typical spring day.

Well, it wouldn't be one without rain. And so the rain arrives.

Plop.

"Ahh, a raindrop fell into my tea… Haha…"

Blanc's beautiful white lashes flutter and show more of the pretty color of his peach-colored eyes behind the lenses of his glasses, as his attention is drawn to the cup, after Alice's comment. He's quick to react, much to Alice's surprise, as he jumps to his feet and opens his coat to reveal a foldable umbrella… so he predicted that this might happen?

"This is no ordinary umbrella, Alice. It's one of Oliver's newest inventions, you see. I think today makes the perfect chance for us to put it to the test."

Alice blinks but is just as curious as Blanc appears to be, scooting closer to his side. Of course Oliver makes poor Blanc his test bunny that is supposed to report obediently afterwards… she can only hope the invention is harmless. Considering how much of Fenrir's infamous guns are created where this umbrella came from…

"We unfold it like this, and the magic crystal in the handle does the rest of the job!"

Blanc explains, giving himself an aura of someone who knows what he's doing. Fortunately, it goes as he says, the crystal starting to shine as the umbrella is unfolded… and it starts to grow?!

The fabric held on the metal rods stretches out until it reaches the size of a sunshade, like the ones that can be seen in one of those cute outdoor cafes in central.

"Are those… balloons?"

The worries about Blanc suddenly having to hold the weight of that large thing start to disappear as Alice observes dozens of detached balloons inflate under the umbrella, making it float graciously in the air.

"Ahh, good, it didn't fly away! Oliver's main concern was that the balloons would either be too few or too many for its mass. As always, his calculations are top notch."

As more raindrops fall, Alice feels the need to snap out of her awe and take refuge under the parasol, along with her tea cup.

"And now, we can resume our tea time."

Blanc looks at Alice and they exchange a sweet smile. The food is finished and put away, and the rain becomes but a soundtrack to the tranquil afternoon.

"Ah, Alice, please come closer. I don't want the rain to get to you, and besides, you must be getting cold."

Blanc is… offering his lap. True, the parasol is large, but Alice really does feel the raindrops hitting her arm occasionally… oh well. Maybe it won't hurt, just this once.

"If you'd excuse me…"

Ah, this is bad. Her heart is going to explode, and her lips are remaining on a thin line as she attempts to drink as if nothing is happening. The lukewarm liquid is touching her mouth but she can't take in anything, fairly sure that she's going to choke the second she does.

Blanc is warm, especially his arm that wraps around her waist. That's why the invention is so clever, leaving him with two free hands… It's convenient for holding her in place, and nothing more of course, the gentleman that he is. Alice tries to concentrate on anything that is not him, in order to keep her sanity.

Nearby, the blossoming trees are standing tall in the spring shower as it starts to fall with more vigor upon them from the skies.

"Aww, I feel bad for the little buds. They're so fragile, and the rain is so strong."

Blanc follows her line of sight, chuckling softly. The sound of his laugher is more prominent when she's that close, and it sounds way more melodic too.

"They're going to be alright. Nature has its ways. Besides, they're just like you."

"?!"

Alice turns to look at Blanc, not realizing how he'd leaned closer to see better. Their faces are millimeters apart.

"Fate gave you strong rains, yet you held your head high and blossomed after each one. You're strong, Alice. And beautiful, too. You bring spring to Cradle."

Each word makes Alice's head spin more as she finds herself lavished with sweet words… she knows Blanc means each one of them deeply, his usual gentlemanly smile looking a tad more serious now. She's going to explode if he doesn't kiss her right this instant.

"Can I kiss you?"

Yes! Yes!

"Please."

Blanc's chuckle is barely audible, but she can feel it as he presses his lips to her. First, the stretch of his mouth in that sweet smile, then the parting of his lips. She eagerly answers, melting into the sweet-tasting kiss.

Blanc's lunch break draws to an end, much to their dismay. Raindrops start to fall seldom from the skies, like spring showers do, and Blanc outstretches an ungloved hand beyond the margins of the parasol to check. He then folds the umbrella, but still hurries inside with Alice, tea set safely collected as he insists he could take care of that.

"Ahh, I still worry about raindrops getting on the frames of my glasses… Do you think I can ask Oliver to create mini-umbrellas for them?"

Alice lets out a snort that grows into audible laugher, imagining how silly it would look like… but if she can find something charming in that, then the inventor surely wouldn't, and it won't go without some rude remarks. But oh well, maybe the kind heart he hides somewhere deep within would dictate the words "Fine, you stupid rabbit, ridicule yourself if you want to, I'll see what I can do."

"Anything that prevents you from taking off your glasses to wipe them and thus leaves you vulnerable is a good idea, Blanc…"

Going down the stairs with Blanc, the record keeper suddenly stops and looks and looks at her.

"I don't mind the rain, if it makes my dear little blossom show her beautiful, true colors."

With a finger behind his lips, a silent gesture to shush her, Blanc joins his colleague Mousse who seems to have used his own lunch break to its fullest, relishing in his favorite pastime of napping. At least that's what the lines on his face tell. Maybe Alice can too use a nap right now, because all that happened this afternoon felt like a dream, and it was one that ended too fast…

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran    @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou   @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @ikemenlover24 @mcofthemansion @tiny-wooden-robot @joy-the-reader @ikemen-writer @tele86 @psychodreamer666 @cilokgoang @moonstruck-writing Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[sanjiaftersex]

Pre-timeskip thoughts :

I just finished pre-timeskip and before i get into fishmen arc here are some thoughts

Favorite Strawhat : Sanji, Luffy

Favorite non-Strawhat : nefertari vivi, Bonclay

Other characters I liked : Dr Kureha (girlboss), the baratie workers, portgas d Ace (*sobs uncontrollably*), Hachi the octopus, Vivi's duck karoo, boa hancock, Rayleigh, ivankov HEEHAW,

Favourite friendships : zoro-luffy, zoro-chopper, sanji-ace (sobs uncontrollably), nami-usopp, Luffy-vivi, Luffy-bon chan

Favorite island : Little Garden, Water 7

Favorite Villains :

Captain Kuro and the kuro neko pirates were good and i liked the unique fighting style they had (siam and buchi, then jango was hilarious as hell etc)

Don krieg was the scum of earth but he made the story progress into something more serious and thrilling.

Sawtooth Arlong, the fishmen were all intimidating as hell and the whole arc was filled to the brim with excitement

The Baroque works concept was very cool with all the code names and i felt eager to find out the powers of the duos being revealed slowly. I liked Ms. Goldenweek and Ms doublefinger and would love to see more of them in the future. Finally Crocodile served well as a villain and later as an ally.

Skypiea Eneru (enel?idk) was so formidable and his power was so very unique from all the villains up till that arc, so it was very refreshing to watch. Plus the priests and their fighting style was a good introduction to haki (called as mantra) and its influence in a fight. (Strawhats' fight with satori was fun HOH HO HO).

CP9 were all parts of ruthless and annoying about their government assigned crimes but i like that Chapapa guy the most, he's cute asf and Rob Lucci turning into a tiger gave me a shock lmao. But damn rob lucci as a shipwright was some hot shit

Aokiji gave me blood pressure from how angry he makes me but him letting go off robin in water 7 and all that time ago in ohara, he has left an impression and I'm looking forward to find out more about him

Bartholomew Kuma gave me the HOLY FUCK OH SHIT OH GOD FUCK HE IS HERE AGAIN jolts but then turned out to be a nice person with mysterious lore that im eager to find out so he deserves a place here. Plus his paw paw power is cute

Perona's negative hollow power was hilarious and she's a nice cutie girl who considers zoro a boytoy like me and Luffy so that's a plus

Favourite devil fruit power so far : tori tori no mi : model phoenix (marco) i like the flight and his regeneration power

Favourite moments : Enies Lobby Sogeking shooting down the govt flag as the strawhats announce war against them, sabaody archipelago Luffy punching a celestial dragon (GOAT Luffy), marineford Luffy punching Garp (GOAT LUFFY), Luffy crying after Ace's death, Luffy punching bellamy

Favourite fights : Luffy vs kuro pirates, Luffy vs Crocodile final battle in alabasta, Sanji on the train fighting that ramen guy, zoro vs hachi, little garden final battle

a few tears may or may not have been shed : Chopper's backstory, going merry funeral, little Luffy being kidnapped :(, marineford ace-Luffy

Best arc : Arlong, Little garden, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark (i love spooky things and tb was hilarious)

Thoughts on the Strawhats :

Luffy : I've grown to love him a lot. His innocence, childlike excitement and badbitchery have rizzed me up, your honor. Also he is a musical genius, minami no shimawa has been SOTY for decades. Plus I really love Luffy's eating moments. He looks so cute and stupid and it melts my heart so much i know a Luffy mukbang show would go SO HARD

Zoro : His backstory felt a bit lukewarm but he later made up for everything. He turned out to be so thoughtful, brave and selfless, especially, zoro's character got new dimension during water 7 saga and ofc thriller bark zoro is one for the history books.

Nami : at first she irked me a bit, but after knowing her backstory, I started loving her. She's strong, resourceful, selfless and smart.

Usopp : his quirks, especially during the G-8 filler arc after skypiea, Usopp's CONDORRRIANO still cracks me up like no other. And him getting all the protective religious gears and garlic necklace when he saw Brook, was hilarious.

Chopper : little baby, soft fuzzy and dumb as fuck but has been so so traumatized. Also Tony Tony chopper has to be the cutest name anyone has ever been given, little baby is always too hard on himself (typical capricorn) and needs to chill.

Franky : I love his dance routines, and his franky family was cool as well. I once even followed one of his routines he does after he landed in the karakuri island (it was a good hip movement after binging one piece for HOURS). Also i miss mozu and kiwi dance icons

Robin : She filled me with rage during water 7, but after her backstory, I understood her more. She's cute and her nihilistic outlook on life is hilarious

Sanji : PERFECTION. He took my heart even before baratie (I saw a person doing leg karate in one of the openings and couldn't wait to meet him). His initial backstory (the starvation and zeff) moved me,and based on that i can see how thoughtful and kind he is. I can't wait to discover more about this wonderful character in depth. His badbitchery with fullbody, His kindness with Gin and don Krieg, the unique way he fights - he had me from the very first appearance. And I can't believe he has more depth to his already beautiful complex character. look at my pretty boy

Brook : i love how polite but chaotic he is and how easily he blends in with the strawhats. And i absolutely love how open minded Luffy was with Brook, and their interactions crack me UP.

General thoughts about op :

- op keeps me on my toes with the constant new islands, the new characters, both allies and villains, being gradually introduced feels very refreshing and thrilling

- Even the Strawhats slowly joined with a fun (sometimes sad) story. The introduction with a fresh face and the development of a new friendship felt good and didn't jumble my brain with too much information at the same time

- I love the dynamics of the strawhats and how wholesome all of them are in their own ways

- The summit war wasn't as exciting as i was expecting, it felt too drawn out and the constant switch between different fight scenes and fighting parties made things feel unfinished. On that note, whitebeard and his pirates were disappointing asf

- Excited to see more of Bartholomew Kuma, shanks, crocodile, mihawk, ivankov, perona, captain kidd, Law

- Bon chan is GOAT and i better be seeing him soon

Looking forward to see what the series has in store for me <3

[thefalloutwiki]

Do you guys have any info about what exactly Future-Tec is? I remember seeing some stuff in the 76 Atomic shop about it, but I can't really find any good info on what it is and what role it plays in the lore.

Heyo, thanks for the ask! I'm happy to answer anything I can!

So first, let's establish every game or publication Future-Tec is mentioned in (to my knowledge). Future-Tec is mentioned in the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide (Fallout's manual), Fallout 76 and lastly, Fallout: The Roleplaying Game!

In the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide, Future-Tec is stated to be a division of Vault-Tec, and presents an advertisement for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit (mind you, this is before the GECK was in a game too).

In Fallout 76, several Future-Tec Atomic Shop C.A.M.P. items appear, all with unique descriptions. The description for the Future-Tec Week Flag states the following:

Future-Tec was once a secret branch of Vault-tec tasked with investigating top-secret and alien technologies. Fly their flag in your C.A.M.P. with the Future-Tec Week Flag.

Additionally, the terminal entries for Vault 51 show that ZAX 1.3c copied Dr. Stanislaus Braun's writing and speaking style, in order to obtain a Hellfire Prototype Power Armor unit. The entry reveals that Braun was the department head of Future-Tec!

//SEARCHING: Hellfire Prototype Power Armor //SEARCHING: Future-Tec //SEARCHING: Department head //SEARCHING: Dr. Stanislaus Braun //ANALYZING: Dr. Stanislaus Braun published research and speaking history //COPYING: Dr. Stanislaus Braun writing & speaking style ........ Success; Probability of direct match 99.6% //SENDING: Hellfire Prototype Power Armor Requisition Request ........ Success; message delivered.

In Fallout 3, we also learn that Braun is the creator of the GECK!

Lastly, in Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, we get this short blurb about the GECK:

Devised by Vault-Tec’s Future-Tec division, this terraforming device uses matter recombination technology to transform irradiated or otherwise polluted earth into fertile soil. It also included force-field schematics and 3D printing arrays to make everything from buildings to clothing from the raw materials of the earth.

Now that we have our sources put together, let's piece together all that we know about Future-Tec, as a division of Vault-Tec.

Future-Tec was a division of Vault-Tec, headed by Dr. Stanislaus Braun. Described as a secret branch of the company, the division was responsible for investigating "top-secret and alien technologies." The Garden of Eden Creation Kit was devised by the department, with Dr. Braun being responsible for developing the device itself.

Hope this helps! Of course, sometimes I do miss a source or two, but I'm confident that that is all the info we have on Future-Tec. This was a nice little writing exercise, so I'd love to answer any more asks people have! :D

With this post, all info I've stated has been added to our Future-Tec page, which you can check out here:

https://fallout.wiki/wiki/Future-Tec

[forthegothicheroine]

Congratulations on your turn as Iris! I'm so happy to hear you're treading the boards again!

I might get the chance to visit San Francisco early in next year, and I was wondering if you might have any suggestions of fun things to do, off the beaten path a bit, in the colder months in that fair city?

I greatly apologize for taking so long to answer this! While many of my favorite things are gone (I still weep for steampunk stores and revival movie houses,) there are still cool, unique things to do on a trip. Here are some of them which were open as of a year ago.

Japantown Mall: The best place to be, hands down. The mall itself has amazing authentic Japanese food, a giant half-Japanese and half-English bookstore with a whole level devoted to manga and light novels, and lots of small stalls of crepes and boba tea. Across the street you'll find the Crown and Crumpet, a cute tea room with an upper floor that sells EGL brands. Even if you don't buy anything, just walking around is a great day!

Golden Gate Park: Take a walk and see the beauty of nature! Have a snack at the Japanese Tea Garden while admiring the koi pond! If the tickets aren't too expensive, go to the Academy of Sciences aquarium and say hi to the albino alligator for me! Admire the Shakespeare garden if it's in season! Another fun place to be for a whole afternoon.

Lupa Trattoria: The best Italian food I've ever had in the United States.

Haight-Ashbury: While not the goth and hippie paradise it used to be, this is still a cool couple streets. There's a science fiction bookstore called Borderlands, another cool indie bookstore called Booksmith, a huge vintage clothing store called Relic Vintage, and some pretty good thrift stores as well.

City Lights: Not done book shopping? Go to the place that published beat generation writings back in the day, which now sells an eclectic collection of intellectual, classic and offbeat titles. When I would get a book and go read it at the nearbye Cafe Zoetrope, I felt like the coolest person in the world.

Pier 39 Sea Lions: Sea lions!!! An earthquake sent them here, and they've stayed here ever since. They sit on a bunch of large rafts wrestling, showing off, or sleeping in the sun. They always cheered me up.

Exploratorium: A totally unique science museum that encourages you to touch and interact with the exhibits. They have special presentations as well, so check the website to see what's going on

Musée Mécanique: Do you want to take a headlong plunge into the uncanny valley? Of course you do! This free mini-museum has animations and carnival games from yesteryear, and the huge and terrifying Laughing Sally. It's in walking distance of Pier 39, too.

Lovejoy's Tea Room: They catered my wedding!!! Great tea and pastries, and a super cozy atmosphere, plus you sometimes get to see egl friends have meetups in gorgeous attire.

The Castro: As gentrified as it's gotten, there's still something wonderful about a neighborhood with rainbow crosswalks and pride flags waving everywhere. Sob outside of the late lamented Castro Theater (now a concert venue,) go to a souvenir store, walk down to Bi-Rite Creamery for ice cream if the line isn't too long.

Bourbon and Branch, Smuggler's Cove: If you like vintage cocktails, have a night out at Bourbon and Branch, a retro speakeasy, or Smuggler's Cove, an amazing tiki bar. Call ahead for B&B, since you need reservations and the password.

Folsom Street Fair: If you ever go again in summer and are not squicked by kink, check out this fetish festival! (And no, scaremongers, children can not actually get in and be traumatized by this, as they check your ID.) Buy a corset, have experts tie you up, get sex ed from guys who've been teaching it for fifty years, see everybody in their awesome outfits. (It is somehow always on the hottest day of the year, though, so stay hydrated, especially if you're in head to toe leather.)

The Alamo Drafthouse: While not unique to San Francisco, I'm always happy to be in a city that has one of these. This movie theater shows new films, classics and cult favorites, and you can order food while you watch (try the milkshakes!) One of my best moviegoing experiences was when they showed The Lost Boys, and all the goths in the lobby looked at each other and nodded, like yeah, we all know why we're here.

[stepswordsen]

【KHR AU】 XanLena Chibi Commission by Hika ❤️💜🔥🪷

XanLena (Xanxus/Selena) Chibi Icon Commission by Hika (@/onigiwi2namayo)

Hika's Twitter: (X)

Hika's VGen: (X)

In accordance with Hika's Terms of Service (TOS), editing, using, or reposting these arts, in any way, is prohibited without explicit permission from Hika, and me, the commissioner.

Intro

I commissioned Hika to draw my beloved XanLena ❤️💜🔥🪷

Selena is my beloved KHR OC and wife 💜🪷

Her name is Nguyễn Selena, and her Vietnamese name is Nguyễn Nguyệt Vân Liên. Her Viet name, Liên, means "lotus" in Sino-Viet 🪷

She is a Viet NB assassin with a calm and aloof personality, who's reserved and mainly keeps to herself, but cheerful around people she's close to. Her design is NB flag colours 💜🖤🤍💛

She has an interest in gardening (collecting flowers, plants, learning about different types of poisons), and fashion (collecting clothes, including traditional clothes) 💐👗

Xanxus/Selena matching cheebs ❤️💜 The little Xanxus and Selena... I'm SOOOO happy!!!

My friend Snow and I used Hika's XanLena chibi icons as matching PFPs on Discord for a bit 🥰 They're just that cute 💘

Rambles

WAHHHH THE XANLENA CHIBI ICONS ❤️💜🫶 OH MY GOD THEY'RE SO CUTEEE MY BABIES!!! 🥺💗

THEY'RE SO CUTE IN HIKA'S STYLE… REALLY ADORABLE OMG I LOVE THEIR EXPRESSIONS 🥰💞💘🫶

Selena's smiley :D and Xanxus' grumpy pouty >:|

The round lines and shapes... OMGGG ✨ I love the colours too!

I love how Hika drew Selena's eyelashes and underlashes with the dots...

I asked Hika to draw TYL Xanxus' design since I felt like his TYL (Ten Years Later) design would be easier to draw.

Hika originally chose a dark blue BG colour for the both of them, but changed it to yellow and red respectively to make them stand out more!

The blue ones were nice, but omg the final versions Hika went with, do reflect their actual colours better. These fit them better! Matching eye colors (plus it makes their hair stand out from the BG more)

Since Selena and Xanxus are toned with blue/purple in Hika's colours, the new BGs have more visual contrast!

Hika was very accommodating with minor colour edits and revisions as well! 🙏

I wanna commission Hika to draw JuAli and IdaTatsu with my headcanon designs of them in the future 🥰💘✨

My Message

This was the message I left for Hika!

The finished commission arts are wonderful! Selena and Xanxus look so cute in your art style ❤️💜🥺 Really adorable~ I'm very happy with how it turned out!

I love their expressions 🥰🫶 The thick round lines and shapes in your chibi style are great. I love how you draw dot eyelashes in your chibi style!

The colours are amazing! The orange~ish red and blue tones you chose for Xanxus has such nice visual contrast!

I love how the background colours you chose match their eye colours too~ It really brings out their designs' overall colour schemes and hair ❤️💛

Thank you for being very quick and accommodating with colour revisions as well! I look forward to commissioning you again sometime in the future! 🙏 👍

Read more under the cut if you're curious!

Misc Rambles

XanLena doodles by Sen (@/stepswordsen)

I feel like the KHR ani style goes for a much more generic art style, compared to Amano's unique art style.

For Xanxus' late manga design (Rainbow arc Xanxus), Amano improves the shape of his hair and makes it more wavy and easier to draw.

Amano has an amazing art style, and really detailed lineart and inking. She's one of the biggest inspirations for me. Her style was honestly very inspirational for me...

I started drawing everyday as a kid (at 11) BECAUSE of KHR, so KHR is very important and personal to me. I first watched KHR and read the manga at 11.

Amano's style is honestly defining to my style - It shows in the way I draw faces and eyes.

I'm not big on the KHR ani's art style, but I do appreciate what it gave us with the chibi interviews, character songs, etc. It's also cuz of the KHR ani that we (somehow) get endless KHR merch.

I prefer the manga designs, but I prefer the ani's colours for the charas because the KHR ani generally gave the KHR cast more skintone variety (when everyone was pasty in the original manga)

The KHR ani did such a great job by giving the KHR charas more skintone variety... Even pale charas in the KHR ani have different skin tones from each other.

Original vs. My Edit

I headcanon Xanxus to have tanner/warmer skin.

Xanxus with darker skin (olive skin in the KHR ani, and either olive or tan skin in certain KHR ani merch arts), literally just looks better from a character design perspective, imo. That's just facts 📠

His design has much better colour contrast with the ani colours. Like the black and red colours in his design contrast better with darker skin. Also against his blood/wine red eyes. It has more colour harmony and cohesiveness in terms of the colours

Xanxus with pale skin has less cohesiveness in terms of the colours

Xanxus, Yamamoto, and Ryouhei's designs just look so much more boring, pale, imo.

For KHR, I go manga design + ani colours + my own take on the ani colours.

Since I have a tendency to saturate colours with my own arts.

As a personal HC, I think Xanxus has a very mixed ethnicity.

My Italian American friend Feuri said Southern Italy and namely Sicily has a more mixed population.

The ani colours provide a good base for me to work off of for me to improve the colours :3

I do colour edits for fun. I like playing around with colours (editing official arts to see how the colours work together) to help guide my arts. I either do colour edits first or just immediately start picking colours for my arts

...

I usually hand artists a Drive folder filled with XanLena's art refs (including my own doodles) and write some notes on their design details since this makes things easier for the artists I'm commissioning.

Selena is Vietnamese/SEAsian with light tanned skin. She has black hair with a long ponytail that goes down to around the same length as her long front hair strands, and wears a white blouse with frills and a black seam with white buttons. She wears a black pleated skirt with a white line near the ends, and black thigh highs with horizontal white diamonds, and black doll-like shoes.

Since Xanxus wears a brown fluffy accessory, red feathers (that may be dyed red -> orange -> yellow), green strings with red beads, I don't mind if the artists I comm simplify these details.

So, whenever I commission artists, I ask for them to draw my HC versions! I'm very glad that all the artists I've commissioned have been very accommodating! 🙏💖

The XanLena chibis Hika made are being used for Hika's Chibi Icon samples 🥺 Wahhhh

...

The modern remakes of old 90s - 2000s animes have such boring and bland dull colours to me.

I seriously fear that if they ever do a KHR remake or reboot, that they're gonna take away the OG KHR ani's better colours and make everyone look pasty pale (just like in the manga) just for "manga authenticity" and "loyalty to the source material" even though everyone looks so much more boring pasty pale!!! 🧍

[aevumisles]

╰┈➤ AEVUM ISLES :: JUNE FESTIVAL ❂

Throughout the beginning of the summer season, Isle residents gather in multitudes during the day and the night to celebrate the natural world and the communities that share in it. Many traditions find the Aercon and Echoes alike visiting the sandy shores of the Lunar Coast, cleaning up the environment, and showing goodwill to their neighbors with plenty of gifts. Please refer to the ARCANUS ISLE COMPENDIUM for creature and plant references.

OVERVIEW.

The Sunflower Festival

The Sunflower Festival is a month long event taking place from the beginning to the end of June. While the festivities do not last for the entirety of the summer season, residents of Arcanus Isle take great care to enjoy the warmer weather.

Festivities take place during the night and the day. In the daytime, events like the Sunflower Parade or the Lunar Tournament can be enjoyed in the Lunar Coast and Downtown Arcanus Districts.

During the early evening, the celebrations continue with bright fireworks that light up the night sky. 

The Solstice Ball

Takes place during the 16th - 30th of June.

The festival concludes with The Solstice Ball, a spectacular event where everyone dresses in their best to dance under the glorious Golden Moon. (see: Notable Legends down below.)

This year, residents will also partake in the grand reveal of a new location: the Viderenox Observatory.

ACTIVITIES:

NOTE: Other activities such as sea shell collecting, beach parties, garden parties and so on are all celebrated during the Sunflower Festival. While you may create member-run mini parties and events during the festival, only interactions with the listed activities/areas will be considered valid forms of festival participation.

For a limited time, a number of Sunflower Festival wares can be purchased (for free!) from the Aevum Marketplace using the Sunflower Festival Voucher.

Some of these wares include:

Shimmer and Glows Sprinkler - (available only with participation in Nighttime Shimmers and Glows.) An endless sprinkler that sparks and changes color! They are also non-flammable. Lunar Rod - (available only with participation in the Lunar Tournament.) A gold-flaked fishing rod with a special tackle that is highly attractive to the local aevum fish. Fish Charm - (available only with participation in Fish Spy) a small charm in the shape of any fish, made from stones, shells, or wood. Olympic Flag - (available only with participation in the Aevum Olympics) A one-of-a-kind flag with the icon of the sport participated in. Garden Bracelet (available only with participation in Charms of the Garden Activity) A custom bracelet made with several unique charms and beads of flowers. Keepers of the Land, Sky, and Sea Shirt (available only with participation in the KLSS) A cool, breathable t-shirt displaying the logo of the volunteer organization. Homeworld Wares (available only with participation in the Gateway Flea Market) These items are custom to each Echo, and are subject to the rules detailed in the event below.

Requests will be processed from June 22nd - May 3rd. All requests should include a link to the thread or drabble that shows the participation in said event, in addition to the stats, and thread pages.

Downtown Arcanus.

Sunflower Parade

One of the many highlights of the Sunflower Festival is the Sunflower Parade! It is a warm welcome to the summer sun and the influx of Ivurie Aether that comes with it. Downtown Arcanus will be decorated with balloons, sunflower petals, and more. Music will be heard during the day throughout the streets. Especially along the Arcanus University campus.

During the cooler hours of the late afternoon and early evening, a float parade is conducted by residents who choose to participate. These floats range from large and small, elaborate and simple.

Notably, the East Tower Company and the West Tower Society are known to be highly competitive during the parade. Each year, they create more and more elaborate floats each year. The not-so-rumour has it that they may even be trying to outdo each other.... While the other rumour has it that they've even gone so far as to try and sabotage each other's floats!

While many floats are crafted by the various notable figures and local businesses of Arcanus Isle (Echoes will find a representation of almost every Aercon-owned business!), the Echoes are equally encouraged to create floats of their own for the parade. Or join in other floats to assist their performances (or sabotage other performances) in an effort to join in the celebration!

Announcing the event on her very own float is is Arcanus’ own Opal Luminous, where you can watch the parade from your home.

Charms of the Garden

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

A favorite activity amongst festival-goers is to create unique garden bracelet for their friends and family members. There are dozens of different ornaments to choose from, each with their own meaning. All ornaments for Charms of the Garden are created by students at Arcanus University, and the proceeds return to the school's funding.

The charms provided are as follows:

Echo Tree Nut ( peace in change ) 

Field Fish Feather ( brings good people into your life ) 

Sapeng Wool ( aid with memories ) 

Moonview Spring Stones ( rejuvenation )

Lunar Coast Shells ( wealth in the summer ) 

Heavens Mirror Bead ( mourning lost loved ones ) 

May Flower Bead ( protection ) 

Zephyr Lilly Bead ( guidance in dark times ) 

Orb Flower Bead ( good wishes ) 

Sunflower Bead ( happiness ) 

Aether Rose Bead ( balance ) 

There are multiple locations for bracelets to be created along campus grounds.

THE LUNAR COAST.

The Lunar Tournament

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

The Trawler Docks are open and bustling with activity! During this time of year, the ocean is flourishing with many forms of sea life.

Some locals offer scuba diving tours of Arcus Cove's coral reefs, while others will gladly rent out boats for other residents to enjoy the clear blue waters.

Of course, the docks are also host to the largest fishing competition of the year: The Lunar Tournament.

There are three main categories that one could enter into: Biggest Fish (measured by weight and length), Most Fish (measured by total weight), and Rarest Fish (judged by leading Marine Biologists of Arcanus Isle). The competition also has a catch-and-release policy, which dictates that all fish caught should be released upon completion of the final scoring.

The winners of each category will receive a cash prize of 1,000 keys, a trophy representing their category, and a brand-new fishing rod!

Fish Spy

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Primarily marketed towards families with younger children, Fish Spy is an event taking place in Arcus Cove. Participants are given a bingo card and taken out the coral reefs. There, they can snorkel in the waters while looking for many breeds of fish on their cards. (The cards are water proof!)

Some fish to find that are native to the Arcanus Isle include:

Comet Fish

Gem Fish

Illumenoctopi

Ripple Kelpies

Successfully filled-out cards can be exchanged for a variety of fish charms.

Nighttime Shimmers and Glows

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In brilliant displays of wonder and light, a fireworks show is held every Sunday evening along Halycon Beach. Many gather all across the Lunar Coast just to watch the astonishing display. The firework shows change almost every night, with each display being more even grand than the last.

The show is hosted by Vander Bard of the Comet Promenade. Many enjoy watching the show on the Comets Ferris Wheel, especially with friends and loved ones.

Along the Comet Piers and Comet Promenade many shops offer great selections of fireworks, sprinklers, poppers, and plenty of fantastically sweet and savory treats the likes of fair foods.

The Clearview District.

Aevum Olympics 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Attention all sports fans! Coming to the Clearview Stadium is one of the most highly anticipated events of the Isle! The Aevum Olympics is the time when Aercon from all over Aevum come to compete in various sporting events. These include but are not limited to:

Track and Field (split between marathon and half-marathon sprints)

Swimming

Wrestling and Boxing

Various sports (e.g., soccer, football, baseball, tennis, etc.)

Pole Vaulting

Gymnastics

Ice Skating

Ping Pong

and many others!

Note: The Olympics can also include sports from an Echoes' homeworld.

All are welcome to come and spectate or participate! There’s just one rule:

No Cheating.

Cheaters will be forced to repeat their event against an Olympian Android. (Specifically, one designed by the event's biggest sponsor, the East Tower Company)

It never loses.

Of course, Aevum’s Tossup is one of the most popular sports. Over the spring, the four teams have been preparing near-endlessly for the playoffs that occur during this event. Now, it is finally time for the four biggest teams to compete for the championship title.

See here for information on the local sport.

Make sure to follow Aevum Daily for updates!

Fanalea District.

The Golden Harvests

No people are more excited about the Sunflower Festival than the residents of the Fanalean Farmlands, and Echoes are encouraged to join in! Beneath the Golden Moon, the Fanalean community ensures that their fields are fully revitalized for the coming crops to grow.

Plenty of help is wanted in the fields to help cultivate and care for the land. Fanalean farmers employ any volunteers to pick up a trowel to clear the fields of Whisper Thistles, care for livestock, harvest the last spring produce, sow summer seeds, and prepare some fields to lie fallow for the season.

Up to 500 keys per day will be offered to participating echoes.

At night, the workers watch in awe as fields of sunflowers begin to glow brightly across the fields, matching the Zephyr Lillies around them. The sunflowers absorb sunlight in their petals, and then under the golden moon, they glow a bright golden color.

Sunflower Feast

During Sunflower Festival, the locals will often spend time experimenting with new dishes and flavors. When new recipes have been concocted, the chefs gather around the bonfire at the center of Fanalea to share them. In fact, the whole community comes together to create new traditions and delights!

Sunflower is a key ingredient in many of the foods found. A glowing, golden tea - called Golden Cortania - is made from the petals of the sunflower. It is especially a fan-favorite. Tins can of Golden Cortania be bought from select shops in the Vesper Town Trading Post.

Some of the foods that can be enjoyed include:

Sunflower Seed Muffins

Pumpkin Sauce Pizza

Eben Root Stew, and many others!

Honeyglow Meadery is also offering Sunflower Wine, which is only available during this festival.

The Aether Reserve.

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas

As nature is the focal point of the Sunflower Festival, the Padedue Temple, Whisperwind Hacienda, and West Tower Society have combined efforts to create volunteer programs to help clean up and protect the natural world of Arcanus Isle. As this is a joint effort, the Hacienda is focused on education, the Padedue Temple is focused on volunteer work, and the WTS is responsible for funding and advertisements.

Information booths with petitions written by the West Tower Society will be posted all throughout Arcanus. Signers will pledge to protect the environment and spread awareness about ways residents can keep Arcanus Isle spick and span.

Those who sign on to the petition pledge will be made automatic volunteers, where they will be assigned a location to clear up any trash and resident-made debris. These trips involve waking up early, and are often an all-day event. Supplies are provided to the volunteers by the West Tower Society, and Willow Westson has designer a cool shirt with “Keepers of the Lands, Skies, and Seas” written on it. —They're tie-dye!

Most volunteer work will be found along the Lunar Coast. Primarily: Halycon Beach, Arcus Cove and Arcus Reef. But Downtown Arcanus' Quill Pillar Shores, the Aether Reserve's Moonview Springs, and any of the parks across Arcanus are all available volunteer locations.

Merchant Town.

Gateway Flea Market 

This activity is eligible for festival redemption.

In the center plaza of Merchant Town, a giant, mysterious tent has appeared seemingly overnight! Instead of the various food stalls and market shops, there now sits a wondrous pavilion called the Gateway Flea Market.

This tent houses brand new stalls full of Aercon selling or trading their random assortment of goods to anyone who may find a home for them. 

While many of of the prices come cheap, many other items may only be acquired through trading specific items that may take hours to find. An Echo dead set on a ware may find themselves embarking on a long and arduous Exchange Quest.

Curiously, in some of these stalls Echoes may come upon strange wares. Instead of the usual bits and bobbles however, what makes these wares so strange is that they may be familiar to the Echoes themselves.

These items range from books and journals, to trinkets, toys, jewelry and clothes, tools, decorations, and other such similar items. As with any item, these come at a price, and some merchants drive a harder bargain than others.

The rule of the game? One man's trash is another man's treasure. 

Be warned if you see one of the Pyrite Pawners triplets! They are all ruthless in their pursuit of unique items to sell in their shop.

Note: The following restrictions apply: The Items can: - Be items that exist in an Echo's native world - Be pulled from any point in time in the Echo's world, regardless of an Echo's current or potential canon points. - Be minor canon items, background items, and major canon items. The items cannot: - Be any belongings found on an Echo's application, current or future. - be weapons or magical in any way. - be eligible for the Tier Four Homeworld Redemption item. - Be larger than a two-foot cube. - Be items that canonically belong to another character or from a world separate to their own. All items redeemed must not serve a largely important purpose. e.g., Bilbo Baggins could not find one of the Ten Rings. These items must be found in either thread or drabble form in order to keep them. In which, a brief description of what the item is, and may be used is required. The thread or drabble must be submitted to the Aevum Marketplace as proof for approval to put on one's Stats page inventory. Requests will be processed from June 22rd - May 3rd.

Notable Legends.

The Golden Moon

The two moons of the Aevum Isles have always held a certain air of mystery to them. Most scholars agree that the moons are a symbol of Ebenos, while the sun represents Ivurie's qualities. As the understanding of the Aether grows, studies have shown that during select periods of time, one Aether may influx so greatly that it reflects upon the other.

One of these select periods is the beginning of summer, in which the Ivurie Aether burgeons so greatly, it reflects in the largest of the two moons, turning it bright golden color. As the light of the golden moon bathes Arcanus in its glow, it can be noted that plants grow much faster than usual, and the wildlife become more active and present in day-to-day lives.

Many speculate that this phenomena is the Aether replenishing itself in all forms of life. There is, after all, no other time of year where Aevum sunflowers glow as they do during the summer nights. Now, residents of Aevum Isles look to the glowing, golden moon and her many stars for glad tidings, good luck, and rejuvenation.

Stay tuned for more information on the Viderenox Observatory.

[nrcnewspaperclub]

Welcome To Our Club!

this serves as a Masterlist for the blog and will be updated as time goes on last Updated: October 29, 2024

Introduction

This blog is run by the members of the NRC Newspaper Club. Each post will have tags that mark down the club member that answers them and the asker’s name/emoji(s) Current members: 🪞, 🪸, 🪶 Current readers: 🍋, Atlas, 🥀, voidlesslove, 🐦‍⬛✨, 🌿 mod, 🐚 mod, 🪼, 💛⭐️, 🕷️, info anon, 🐇, 🪻, 🍒, Floyd Leech, Yuu, 🍊, 🟦, catfish, 🍄, Mono, Lost anon, gardening club, 🐾, 🎲, Ignihyde Splatoon Anon, Ignihyde Translator, 🎤, 🪡, ⚔️, 🦖, 🍭🕷️, 🐍❤️, 💫, 🦇❤️, 🐇🃏

Rules

1. Homophobia, transphobia, ableism, racism, sexism, etc. will not be tolerated here 2. We do not care if you do or do not name the people in your asks, just please try not to directly involve us in your business 3. Please, do not badmouth the Mostro Lounge (we can’t afford a defamation lawsuit or anything of the sort) 4. confidentiality is important to us! do not expose/doxx any of your fellow readers please and thank you 5. if possible, please reblog our posts. It helps the blog stay alive 6. no nsfw or general thirstiness. //It makes me feel somewhat nauseous and I will most likely not answer it. I have been pretty lenient on it before, but I don’t want to see it anymore.//

Extra Tags

//lore drop// - explaining things about the club members //ooc - out of character post. any ooc messages within a post shall follow this format: //canon character interactions are allowed//. Ooc messages in the tags will follow this format: //ooc: just make sure to sign with their name/emoji(s)// Old Lore - posts that no longer align with the current canon New Lore - posts that do align with the current canon [reader: anonymous] - any unmarked/unnamed askers

Need to Catch Up?

🪸 vs 🐚 - the fight between NRC Confessions’ 🐚 mod and NRC Newspaper Club’s reporter 🪸 club room spider saga - that time a spider, identified as info anon’s “birdie”, broke into the club room and the events that followed afterwards the cursed cooking of lilia vanrouge - 🪞 dramatically lamenting their vice housewarden’s cooking skills (or lack thereof) interview the mods - A 100 follower celebration! readers are allowed to ask questions about the mods from the provided list, which they will answer (//in character unless stated otherwise//) status: ended 🟢 or 🚩- Nerei(🪸) decides whether your crush is a red flag or a green light reblog from (insert name) - used to filter who we’ve reblogged a post from. This includes: nrc confessions, Styx health & safety, ourselves, micah del ray, ace trappola, and many others!

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The NRC Newspaper Club is in no way responsible for any injuries*, illnesses, property damages, etc. the readers may experience and/or cause

*including collarings from Riddle Rosehearts’ Unique Magic, Off With Your Head

[theculturedmarxist]

The labor movement is a capricious friend — it hands out heartbreak as much as it hands out joy. But every once in a while, it is able to wave a triumphant flag and give us all a glimmer of what its potential could truly be. 

The recently concluded UAW strike offered just such a moment. It wasn’t just the contract agreements themselves, which were a material success, but also the union’s public call for movement-wide coordination to build the possibility of mass action around the May 1, 2028 expiration of the next auto contracts. ​“We invite unions around the country to align your contract expirations with our own so that together we can begin to flex our collective muscles,” the UAW declared on October 29.

This could be the beginning of the most exciting resurgence of American organized labor power in a century. Or, it could just be a tweet. What happens in the coming months will determine which of those things is the case.

The general feeling of a labor power resurgence since the pandemic has been fueled by a procession of high profile wins: The Starbucks and Amazon union drives, the massive organizing on college campuses, the friendly Biden administration and its uniquely pro-union NLRB, the historically high favorability of unions in public opinion polls, the periodic mini-strike waves at a variety of fed-up workplaces. This year, we have seen a trio of actions — the Teamsters backing down UPS with a credible strike threat, and the successful WGA and UAW strikes — that show what can be won with the power of strikes at a larger scale.

All of this is encouraging. All of this is evidence of a real shift in public sentiment. All of this, however, does not add up to a robust and lasting change in the balance of power between capital and labor. Right now, what we have are a bunch of discrete occurrences, a bunch of data points that amount to proof of potential. 

There are two things that will determine whether or not this promising moment leads to a true, historic revival of the labor movement. The first is easily measurable: union density. Barely one in ten American workers is a union member today. Despite all of the wins just mentioned, that number has not risen in the wake of the pandemic. The primary thing that unions need to do today is to organize more union members. Without this, organized labor is a walled and shrinking garden, rather than a legitimately expansive force for society-wide change.

The second thing is related to the first, but it offers a broader menu for action: We must see some tangible coordination of action across the U.S. labor movement. It is great when one union wins a contract, or organizes an important new company, but those isolated events will not be enough to take on the combined power of trillion-dollar multinational corporations and their political allies. Not even when they involve tens or hundreds of thousands of workers. Big unions, the ones with the most resources, along with whatever non-union groups want to help them, must be able to sit down and plan and carry out big national campaigns together if we want to have any chance at winning the class war. 

Amazon will never be a unionized company without an enormous, multi-union campaign. Nor will the powerful and wealthy tech industry be organized without an enormous multi-union campaign. We will never achieve the eternal goal of ​“organizing the South” without an enormous multi-union campaign. Nor will we ever pull off strategic general strikes without an enormous multi-union campaign. 

The process of scaling up from some unions making incremental progress to a national labor movement strategically building and exercising labor power wherever and whenever it needs to, all in order to drown the monster of inequality once and for all, will require a whole lot of coordination. That sort of coordination — the sort that happens in service of movement goals, rather than those of individual (and sometimes feuding) unions — really doesn’t happen today.

Ideally, an organization like the AFL-CIO would have begun coordinating such an effort years ago. But they haven’t, and there is little evidence that they will. So unions will have to build these coalitions themselves. And that’s what made the UAW’s public call for other unions to line up their contract expiration dates with theirs so exciting. 

This is not some meaningless fringe group. This is a powerful, national union with more than 400,000 active members, fresh off winning a consequential industrial strike, that is shining the Labor Movement Bat Signal high in the sky and beseeching its peers: Join us! If we get ourselves aligned, in four and a half years, we can really put the capitalists in a headlock.

There is much to love about this strategy. It is both powerful and achievable. Lining up contract dates does not require the blood, sweat, and uncertainty of huge new organizing campaigns. It is a way to make existing unions stronger by drawing their influence together into a single point. (Look at the Culinary Union in Las Vegas, currently threatening to strike the entire Las Vegas strip, for an example of what can be won with this tactic in practice.) 

Doing this not just in one union or one industry but across many unions in many industries can set the stage for a mass walkout. It can make political power brokers pay attention in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t. It can captivate the public, and draw them into the fight even if they are not union members. It is a real world example of scaling up. It is not just one group of unionized workers making a demand for themselves; it offers the promise of workers in general making demands for the entire working class, backed up by the threat of a general strike. It’s not a dream. It can be done. The UAW is exactly the sort of credible organization that can be the launching point.

Realistically, the UAW and its allies need to convince many of their fellow big unions that this is a real goal within the next six months.

What it will take is other major unions taking this call seriously. Most union contracts are three years long, give or take. That means that unions must begin planning for this now. Contracts that are negotiated in 2024 and 2025 need to set their expiration dates for May 1, 2028. Realistically, the UAW and its allies need to convince many of their fellow big unions that this is a real goal within the next six months. There should be furious inter-union lobbying already taking place. The more radical unions, who have an actual vision, should publicly sign onto this plan in the near future, and then they should fan out and try to draw in the less radical unions, by arguing that this action is low-risk common sense. It’s a good argument! 

The bigger this gets, the stronger it is, and the more it helps every union. And the more it helps every union, the more leverage it gives this broader coalition of unions to make larger demands that will benefit everyone in the working class, unionized or not. Union leaders need to be made to see the virtues of this argument soon. The case then needs to be made to individual units, and to individual workers, who will have to decide that they want their own contracts to be a part of this strategy.

There is not a lot of time to waste. But on a more positive note, this is a uniquely plausible opportunity for a historic boost in organized labor power. The path to achieving this goal is very straightforward, and there is no part of it that is not within the capabilities of existing unions, their organizing staff and current members. It does not require finding a huge amount of new resources. It just requires today’s unions to have a little vision, and to be willing to work together. 

Sometimes, ironically, those qualities are in short supply in the labor movement. But there is no reason we can’t stop being our own worst enemy, right now. Big things are on the table. Let’s reach out and take them.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Art: Nocturne in Blue: On Thin Ice by Leonard Koscianski, oil on canvas, 2020.

* * * *

A Brave and Startling Truth by Maya Angelou

We, this people, on a small and lonely planet Traveling through casual space Past aloof stars, across the way of indifferent suns To a destination where all signs tell us It is possible and imperative that we learn A brave and startling truth

And when we come to it To the day of peacemaking When we release our fingers From fists of hostility And allow the pure air to cool our palms

When we come to it When the curtain falls on the minstrel show of hate And faces sooted with scorn are scrubbed clean When battlefields and coliseum No longer rake our unique and particular sons and daughters Up with the bruised and bloody grass To lie in identical plots in foreign soil

When the rapacious storming of the churches The screaming racket in the temples have ceased When the pennants are waving gaily When the banners of the world tremble Stoutly in the good, clean breeze

When we come to it When we let the rifles fall from our shoulders And children dress their dolls in flags of truce When land mines of death have been removed And the aged can walk into evenings of peace When religious ritual is not perfumed By the incense of burning flesh And childhood dreams are not kicked awake By nightmares of abuse

When we come to it Then we will confess that not the Pyramids With their stones set in mysterious perfection Nor the Gardens of Babylon Hanging as eternal beauty In our collective memory Not the Grand Canyon Kindled into delicious color By Western sunsets

Nor the Danube, flowing its blue soul into Europe Not the sacred peak of Mount Fuji Stretching to the Rising Sun Neither Father Amazon nor Mother Mississippi who, without favor, Nurture all creatures in the depths and on the shores These are not the only wonders of the world

When we come to it We, this people, on this minuscule and kithless globe Who reach daily for the bomb, the blade and the dagger Yet who petition in the dark for tokens of peace We, this people on this mote of matter In whose mouths abide cankerous words Which challenge our very existence Yet out of those same mouths Come songs of such exquisite sweetness That the heart falters in its labor And the body is quieted into awe

We, this people, on this small and drifting planet Whose hands can strike with such abandon That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness That the haughty neck is happy to bow And the proud back is glad to bend Out of such chaos, of such contradiction We learn that we are neither devils nor divines

When we come to it We, this people, on this wayward, floating body Created on this earth, of this earth Have the power to fashion for this earth A climate where every man and every woman Can live freely without sanctimonious piety Without crippling fear

When we come to it We must confess that we are the possible We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world That is when, and only when We come to it.