#What is Payment Facilitator

[risestarkiss]

Huge changes are coming to my Rise Ramblings…

Hey yooo!

So as the title suggests, there will be some major changes to the RiseStarKiss blog going forward.

The full explanation is below but I also included a TLDR version at the end of the post.

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Instead of continuing to post my long form “Rise Ramblings” on Tumblr, I’ll be taking them to the small screen…In other words, my larger Rise Ramblings will be in video format from now on. I also want to go back and adapt my older/more popular Rise Ramblings to video as well.

And for that reason, I’m starting a YouTube Channel!

As a more detailed explanation, I’ve found that creating the long form posts on Tumblr just doesn’t allow for the freedom and flexibility that I need to fully express myself. Even in my older posts I had to leave so much content on the chopping block in order to facilitate readability.

But not anymore!

So, what is the plan?

Well for starters, my channel, RiseStarKissStudios, is now live.

Also, I plan on creating ONLY Rise of the TMNT content on this channel.

Why? Mainly because from what I’ve seen, usually when Rise is addressed by large channels it’s generally looked down upon. Other than that, Rise is ignored completely!

*tsk* So I’m going to give ROTTMNT the spotlight it deserves.

😒💅

But I can’t do it alone…

That’s where you come in.

All I ask is for your support and patience.

Support comes in the form of:

• Heart and Reblog this post • Subscribe to the channel and Hit the Bell to be alerted to when videos drop • Spread the word about my channel and the amazing ROTTMNT content I’ll be creating there

And lastly, if you are so inclined, you can support my Kofi.

I’ve added better payment methods and monthly contribution options.

As thanks, the username of every monthly contributor will appear at the end of my YouTube videos as a part of the “Mad Dogs!”

It’s the least I can do. 😣😌💜

Also, the reason I ask for your patience is because I’ll be writing, editing, and creating the content all on my own, as well as continuing my “Don the Fashionista” comics in tandem. I also am writing/composing the music for the Rise Rambling series, of which is all Rise inspired.

I know it will be a lot of work, nonetheless, I’m excited for this new frontier, and if things go even slightly to plan, my best ROTTMNT content is yet to come…

So, let’s have some fun, shall we?

❤️🧡💙💜

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Here’s the TLDR!

This is my brand new YouTube Channel, RiseStarKissStudios, that will be Rise Content Exclusive!

Subscribe & Hit the Bell so you don’t miss a video!

Reblog this post to show support and spread the word!

Support my Kofi if you are so inclined.

Let’s have some fun with Rise, shall we?

[artemisdesari-blog]

The trouble with writing a long AU is sometimes it sparks ideas for others based off narrative choices. In this case; what would have happened if the deal between Dooku and Fett in Careless To Let It Fall had been allowed to happen.

After killing Komari, Fett encounters Dooku who offers him the job of being the progenitor and trainer of an army of clones. So good, so canon. In Careless this is expanded on as a deal where two hundred thousand men are grown and trained purely for the purpose of overthrowing the Republic Senate who are responsible for, among many things, supporting the New Mandalorian's take over of Mandalore (leading to something of a cultural genocide) and the mission to Galidraan where Dooku was given all the wrong information as part of a Death Watch trap, but Jango shot first. Obviously there are more issues than that, and Jango is in full on revenge and not thinking clearly mode, but that's the base of it. As Jango’s payment for helping the Jedi effectively overthrow the Senate (cesspool of corruption that it is) Jango will be given fifty thousand of those men to use to wipe out any Death Watch in hiding and take back Mandalore. Obviously, neither Dooku nor Jango mean to keep their end of the deal. Dooku knows Palpatine has bigger plans and will work on Jango as much as possible to make a larger army and Jango intends to just abscond with every clone when the time comes and wipe out any Jedi who come for them.

This where Careless and whatever this AU is would diverge. In Careless Qui-Gon Jinn lives, Obi-Wan goes off to do his own thing, and Fett gets aggressively mind wiped and controlled by Dooku and Sidious so that he truly becomes the major asshole we all love. There's other stuff, but that hasn't been revealed yet even though I'm at chapter 100.

In this universe, Qui-Gon would die and the Trade Federation, humiliated by how Sidious used them, would find a way to off the Chancellor of the Republic as a final fuck you. Maybe Palpatine’s death is just an accident. Either way, Sidious is out of the picture but the clones are already in production and the Senate is still a total cesspool of corruption and arrogance and greed. Without Sidious to help facilitate the plan of playing one side of a conflict against the other, Dooku has to rethink and do it fast. He rejoins the order (or stays, some agree he left before Qui-Gon died and just stopped by to visit, others think it was what caused him to leave and I am too tired and lazy to check which is correct), forms a relationship with Obi-Wan even though he doesn’t bring him into the plan because he can tell Obi doesn't have time due to Anakin’s everything, because I am trash for Grandpa Dooku stuff, and begins to quietly convince younger and more idealistic Jedi that the Senate needs an overhaul, usually approaching them after missions gone wrong, while periodically checking in on Jango and the clones.

All on Kamino appears to be going according to the revised plan, except its actually going according to Jango’s plan. Jango pulls in the trainers and spends a couple of years weeding out the ones he can't actually trust as much as he hoped while quietly adopting a few dozen clones, including many fan faves. Other trainers adopt other clones, those clones adopt brothers, they basically become a group of clans with Jango as their Mand'alor. Dooku’s Jedi come for their one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers who will help them overturn the Senate and the clones turn on the Jedi, capture them, and head off to Mandalore to take what Jango has promised them with Fett as their leader and Cody as his right hand. Predictably, Obi-Wan is sent to Mandalore to deal with the fall out while the rest of the Jedi Council try to work out what the actual fuck happened and how Dooku managed it.

In all likelihood this would result in the Jedi leaving the Republic because the fact that Dooku managed to draw a good number of them into the mess would catch attention and make things very difficult. We would probably end up with some Codywan (because this is me) but that would probably only be implied at the end rather than the focus.

But, yes, the danger of long form AUs and the ideas that narrative choices spark. Another one for the maybe some day pile.

[spitblaze]

Kinda fucked up ur reblogging ai art as an artist yourself

Ah, I knew this would happen someday.

I've stated multiple times: I have no beef with generative art, in and of itself. I feel there are genuinely good reasons you can employ it, ranging from harmless fun to accessibility to actual artistic use. The issues I have mostly involve 1) acquisition of the dataset, 2) involvement of money, and 3) authorial intent. I have jumpy lizardbrain issues with 'machine what will steal my job' too, but the generative art that I reblog on purpose is stuff that I feel meets my criteria for 'ethical', as lame as I sound for saying that.

So let's look at this post I reblogged from @infiniteartmachine. This is a project from @reachartwork, a disabled artist who made their own dang generative program and dataset in order to facilitate their creative endeavors. To my knowledge, they have done the work to do this as ethically as possible. Criteria one passed.

Criteria two is the involvement of money. The pinned post on the Reach side is a patreon plug. Understandable to get jumpy at first sight, before remembering that not only did this person develop their own dang program and dataset, they also make art the old-fashioned way, and are mostly asking for money to help with living expenses for themselves and their partner. No ludicrous commission fees, no use to avoid employing the talent of human artists. Two, check.

Finally, authorial intent. Looking back both on what we know and the contents of the image, I feel like I can safely call this one fine. No intent to deceive, no intent to avoid the utilization or payment of a human artist, no intent to impersonate. Just the intent to generate interesting imagery.

I've said it before, I feel like generative art's biggest advantage is its capability for surrealism and uncanny imagery. To me, there's something inherently interesting about the construction of these images! The fact that it's not a thinking person creating something with intent is both its biggest downside and its greatest strength. It doesn't 'know' anything, it can't exactly replicate an image so it puts down pixels based on its training set. The imperfections, utilized well, turn from weird smudgey marks into something that elevates the inherent strangeness of the imagery and the system.

I understand people who have reservations with the entire idea of generative art, I get your jumpiness and want to dismiss all of it entirely. But I still stand by my assertion that a hammer is morally neutral, it just depends on what you're using it for. I've found no good arguments to sway me that even generative imagery that meets my personal requirements is 'bad' in and of itself. That's where I stand on it.

[askgentlemanghost]

What do you even spend the money you steal on? I don’t imagine being a ghost is an expensive lifestyle (unless ghost rent is a thing??)

I’ve cheated death, I’ve cheated taxes, both sure things in life, but the fact of the matter is that dying will not keep you from the claws of those you owe debts too— especially if you’ve accrued those debts after you have passed from this mortal plane. I’ve always enjoyed betting on horse races, but I am not, as one might expect from such an illustrious gambler, the most accurate pick for a winning racer. There’s something of a humdrum routine in my afterlife: borrow money from Squire Shade on a “sure thing”, lose- I am certain that he fixes them, mark my words, I know he does- and have to pay it back three times what I took or have an Nth metal-wielding demon repossess my ectoplasmic remains. You’d think after the cycle repeated so often- after the constant throat-clearing and knuckle-rapping from Shade over late payments- I would learn my lesson, but the thrill of victory always surmounts my common sense. I always was an “instincts first” kind of gentleman, because if you aren’t opportunity may pass you by, just as misfortune will occasionally deign to visit…

And, of course, I have living souls whom I associate with that enjoy spending money on their own earthly delights. I enjoy facilitating this enjoyment, for entirely altruistic reasons. The fact that these individuals are inclined to let me get close and intimate with their warm, living flesh after the exchange of payment is merely a side-effect, an unintended happy benefit…

Mmmh…

[beardedmrbean]

What’s an acceptable tip for a driver who delivers a $20 pizza?

A TikTok video purporting to show a DoorDash delivery driver in Texas swearing at a customer over the $5 tip she gave him has gone viral, sparking fresh online debate over tipping culture in the U.S.

“I just want to say it’s a nice house for a $5 tip,” the driver can be heard saying as he walks away from a home in the door camera video posted to TikTok earlier this week by a user under the name Lacey Purciful.

“You’re welcome!” the resident says, appearing surprised by the remark. “F--- you,” the driver responds before walking away.

“So how much should I be tipping for a $20 pie?” Purciful, who, in a separate post said she herself has worked in the service industry for over 10 years and tips “very well,” wrote in a caption.

Purciful, who did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment from NBC News, said the driver was fired by DoorDash following the incident.

A DoorDash spokesperson confirmed that the worker had been removed from their platform. They said the company had also reached out to the customer regarding the incident.

“Respectfully asking for a tip is acceptable but abusing or harassing someone is never acceptable,” the spokesperson said.

“Our rules exist to help ensure everyone who uses our platform — Dashers, customers, merchants — have a safe and enjoyable experience,” they said. “We expect everyone to treat others with respect and we will enforce our rules fairly and consistently.”

The video added fuel to a growing debate in the U.S. over tipping culture, with some complaining current trends may have reached a tipping point.

“Tipping is out of control,” one social media user said, commenting on the video. They said they felt $5 for a $20 order was “more than” enough.”

“I doordash and most (not all) pizza delivery orders don’t tip. That was a Rockstar tip,” another user said.

Not everyone agreed, however, with some branding Purciful a “Karen” for contacting DoorDash over the incident.

One poster said they felt the driver should not have lost their job over the exchange, writing: “What he said was not right, but he didn’t have to lose job over it. Everyone is trying to make a living.”

Another commenter noted that the driver may have been concerned about mileage, writing: “Maybe $5 wasn’t enough.”

The COVID-19 pandemic brought consumer willingness to give tips, particularly during times of hardship, into fresh focus, with many ponying up to pay higher gratuities during the crisis, according to research.

Figures provided earlier this year to NBC News by payment processor Square showed the frequency of gratuities at full-service restaurants grew 17% in the fourth quarter last year from the same period in 2021. Meanwhile, tip frequency at quick-service restaurants, such as coffee shops and fast-food chains, rose 16%, according to the company’s data.

The apparent rise in tipping came despite a period of record inflation, which has eaten away at many consumers’ discretionary income.

While the pandemic appeared to spur widespread changes in tipping culture, the growing use of point-of-service, or POS systems, to process payments also appear to have made it easier than ever for customers to provide — and for businesses to ask for — tips.

In a survey of restaurant executives by industry group Hospitality Technology, 71% of respondents said using data to “understand guest preferences and behavior” was their primary reason for facilitating POS system upgrades, while for 57% enabling new payment options was the priority.

A recent Lending Tree survey found that 60% of Americans felt they were tipping more, NBC Boston reported. Around 24% said they felt pressured to tip when the option was presented, while 41% said they had changed their buying habits due to gratuity expectations and 60% felt tipping expectations had gotten out of hand. _________________

Door dash fired him, your opinion on tips aside that's not how you act to customers unless they are directly rude to you.

[litnerdwrites]

Okay, but who owes who, really?

The Ic love to talk about how 'ungrateful' Nesta is and how they do so much for her, and how spending 500 gold marks is so terrible. But Feyre admits herself, it isn't the money that's the issue, it's what Nesta spent it on; Booze and food.

However, the IC are buying whole estates and drinking each other under the table at Rita's almost every night. So it's safe to infer that 500 gold marks isn't that much when compared to what the rest of the IC spend. If I remember ACOFAS right, they all have a communal fun money account too, which Nesta should be given access to, if she was a member of his court since the war ended. Especially since attending those events the IC make her attend, count as court work (as I'll explain later).

For now, I've decided to list everything I can think of that Rhysand owes Nesta.

We can start with paying her rent for the use of her property to facilitate the meeting. (Not letting them die or suffer emotional/physical damages from it should be given).

Paying her for organising and supplying anything needed for the meetings to happen (so like event organisation) since the Ic pretty much just showed up.

Payment for the trips she took to mail the letters.

Paying for the servants to leave during the day Feyre arrived, and during the meetings. This includes tasks the servants would've normally done during those days but didn't because they needed to be out.

Then there's restitution for bodily harm, and emotional damages from being kidnapped (To both Nesta, and Elain)

Payment for new accommodations, including food, clothes and other necessities.

We can also add on restitution for any property damages inflicted when Hybern broke in.

Restitution for emotional damages for when she was attacked in the library.

Payment for her services in training with Amren plus trying to fix the wall.

Payment for her work at the HL meeting, plus a bonus for the emotional tole it took on her.

Payment for her scrying.

Payment for the works she did around the war camp, like fetching buckets and wrapping wounds and stuff (since I bet every other soldier, nurse, healer, or whoever, was paid in one way or another).

Payment for being willing to cross the battlefield with Amren and Feyre, and Elain, putting their lives on the line to reach the cauldron.

Payment for saving Cassian from the cauldron.

Payment for being willing to go as bait to lure out the king.

A reward for actually killing the kind.

Reparations for their fathers' death.

Payment for each scrying session in ACOSF.

Payment for going to The Middle.

Reparations for emotional damages caused by the Kelpi when she went to find the mask.

A reward for actually getting the mask.

Payment for going to the prison.

Reparations for emotional damages in the prison.

A reward for finding the mask.

Payment for taking her made swords, unless the wanna return those.

Payment for every single meeting she attends with Eris, be it in Spring, The Middle, or wherever.

Reparations for being thrown into the blood right, for all three of them, (since the ones who kidnapped them where Rhysand's own soldiers, and given that they're camp lords, we can assume they have decent ranks)

A reward for killing Bryallin (even though it was literally the IC job, since they promised to do that in exchange for her training to fix the wall and find magic items.

Payment for the dancing in Hewn city.

Payment for every dancing lesson she spends her time doing with Morrigan.

Emotional damages for the verbal abuse she gets from each member of the IC.

Payment for her work in the library

Payment for her training (since both that and the library were forced onto her).

Reparations for evicting and demolishing her apartment.

Reparations for the emotional damages inflicted by the Illyrians who stare and gawk at her the whole time, and insult her behind her back and too her face.

Her father's inheritance (If he didn't leave a will, then it's divided up by inheritance law, which Emerie mentions, includes females now, in the NC. We can also assume, based on her interactions with her cousin, that his side of the family got very little after her father's death. So, we can assume his fortune, business contracts, properties, including ships and things would go to Nesta. A majority of it would, anyway.)

Oh, and payment for every party she attends. And I mean more than just rent. Since Amren wants to use the argument that Nesta is part of the court, then every party she attends, from the bridge party, to starfall, to solstice, is considered a work trip, and she needs to be paid in full. For each one.)

Plus, emotional damages caused by the fire, the insults from their court, and the fact that she was on a boat, over water, despite her trauma.

Moreover, we learn in ACOMAF that Rhys doesn't lowball what he pays his court or those who work for him. Meaning that it's reasonable to expect the amount he pays to be from the higher end of the threshold. So, depending of if Rhysand pays from the mid to high end of the threshold, the total amount he owes Nesta would be pretty close to or even well over the millions.

The 500 gold marks that Feyre was so upset about was a first for Nesta, so even if we add that to Nesta's expenditures over the past year, and subtract that from what she's owed, she'd still have a lot of money. Maybe it would still be in the millions too.

That said, this is all just speculation, since we don't know the irl value of a gold mark, or the exact expenses Nesta incurred during that one year. We also don't know for sure exactly how much Rhysand pays his court or his soldiers.

[myrfing]

hi!!! sorry this might be a bit of an odd ask, but i saw that you get some comms from the crepe site (the eating gif one is sooooo cute) and i wanted to ask what the process was like to use that site to order commissions? is knowledge of korean needed? is it like skeb where you can enter comm details in english and it auto translates it for the artist? thank you for your time!

HI not odd at all! I hope more people use crepe, there's many talented artists on there. There is no auto-translate like on skeb. I run everything through the DeepL translator or good old google translate. I also use the Simple Translate extension for Firefox to make this a lot easier. I have 0 knowledge of Korean so I like to double check back and forth & try to use simple, straightforward phrases. Thankfully the website is also designed pretty intuitively, it's just a lot double checking on my end :J...

I pay via stocking up on Points via Paypal and use that to pay artists. In short: you select a commission type from the artist's page, fill out and send in their request form (it seems to be customizable on their end so they differ between artists), and if they accept your commission, they will invoice you via the site's chat system. They will also likely ask any questions they have about your request in here. Once the site confirms your payment, then it's relayed to them to begin working on your commission. Some artists offer check sketch, etc., stages that are facilitated by the site in the same chat, some don't. When they finish, the site will notify you via email & that chat thread, you receive the file, review it, and confirm the completion. At that point, no changes can be made, and the transaction is complete.

Here's a shitty mspaint guide:

To sign up via email:

Follow this link. Enter your email and hit the link to send an authentication email.

2. In the email from crepe, hit the verify button.

3. Fill out your new credentials, then hit the create account button. You can review the terms & services via the subtitle link.

4. This next page asks you what your account is for. The left box = I'm here to commission artists. The right box = I'm here to take commissions as an artist. Make sure the left box is selected and hit next. (Text below informs you you can swap to an artist account later, and artists can commission from other artists)

5. It then scrolls you to the option to verify your identity. This lets you communicate via kakaotalk, adds a layer of security, and verifies your age for 18+ commissions, but unless you have some form of S. Korean ID, hit "I want to do it later". Then hit the "I don't want to verify now" option again on the confirmation popup. I'll add on to this post on how to verify via passport as an overseas user, but it's not necessary unless you want to get hole & pole commissions.

6. Account creation complete :~)! the button just takes you to the front page which displays random commissions you can browse.

To commission an artist:

I'll use the artist who did the snacking animation for me as an example! Say you find an artist you really like, and you go on their page. Here's an overview.

Let's say I click on the top one. It will take me to this page. Scroll down and review all the information and terms about this particular commission type. Artists will tell you what you get, what they will and won't draw, pricing caveats, what you're allowed to do with the commission, and whatever other pertinent info here.

2. Once you've reviewed everything, scroll back up and hit apply. The price is a range; artists will tend to charge more for high detail/addons!

3. You will be taken to their application form. Again, this is different for each artist, and you're gonna need to carefully fill it out case-by-case. Once you've filled out everything required, scroll all the way down and the submit button should no longer be greyed out. It's purple like all the buttons so far. Hit that, and it will show you your completed application and send it to the artist.

4. At this point, you wait for them to either accept or deny your commission. Here's an overview of your header bar menu, click on your icon to access it. You can check commission progress history, the application you submitted, and your messages here. Your messages are where you're going to be alerted if the artist accepts or not, it will have a notif mark. You can also stock up on points, but you can also do that when they invoice you.

5. Once the artist accepts, you'll get a message. It's in the messages where you'll deal with all communication and the procession of your commission. If you're not completing your steps (i.e. paying, checking the sketches) by hitting the purple buttons, the commission can't continue. These buttons will sometimes take you to different pages, i.e. charging points for the invoice, to the comm timeline page to receive your files and confirm steps...U Must play it by ear here and translate on your own because I'd need an ongoing commission to show you & I'm on ice soup week right now

But that's pretty much it! Some things:

I usually begin my applications with a blurb specifying I'm using a translator as an overseas customer in case they are not comfortable working with the language barrier or I start saying some crazy ass mistranslated shit to them. Ex: 안녕하세요! 저는 기계 번역을 사용하는 해외 고객입니다. 번역이 제대로 되지 않은 텍스트에 대해 사과드립니다. 해외 고객은 받지 않는지 알려주세요.

I tried asking if an artist takes tips once, but there's no built-in system for it and Paypal seems to be the only avenue for it, which I think the site disallows you from sharing (?) to keep transactions moderated by the site. They said "don't worry about it", but I dunno if this is universal

Try to not leave descriptions in your ref images, it's hard to read in your application. Enter it as text in the boxes.

I leave a review once per artist within a month, I am nooot sure about the etiquette about leaving multiple reviews. I don't think it would hurt but uhhh I haven't checked

"Omakase" = artist's choice for most of the image composition. You can still give refs of course and make a simple request, but this means you can't nitpick/have total control over what the artist draws.

"Water level" = NSFW 18+ stuff. I habe no idea what a better translation for the term is yahoo mario water level

👍 enjoy your beautofial art

[valictini]

(Anon from previous ask)

What doesn’t sit right with me is that Quackity said during a stream that there was no volunteer positions within his studios. Wouldn’t that mean that he or his team would have budgeted in order to account for admins payements even before the last merch drop ?

Even if you assume he wasn’t much involved in the behind the scenes workings of his company, didn’t know how many people exactly were working under it, it’s impossible to ignore the eggs admins, he literally played with them for months (putting aside Chunsik who joined much later, that makes 10 eggs who have been around for 6 months/an entire year).

Then if volunteers were never supposed to exist, wouldn’t they have budgeted in order to have enough money to pay AT LEAST these ten people every month ? Even if there was indeed a bad apple higher up who was misusing the funds before, this shouldn’t be an issue now.

I’m sorry for the rant, it’s just that the financial issues argument has felt very inconsistent for me since it was first brought up and I need to air my frustration.

Yeah I feel you anon, I really feel you.

First of all, I believe Quackity said he knew that there were volunteers, but he thought people were eventually hired after a trial. Also, I think the egg actors role was explicitly a volunteer role. Since it was supposed to last for like, 2 weeks, I can understand the reasoning. It should have probably been reevaluated after it was made clear that the eggs would stay longer though.

What still baffles me is that no official structure was implemented for when a new language would be included. I feel like one paid manager per language would have been the BARE minimum, but instead, we got Lumi (with later Lea) carrying the entire french side of the server alone, for months, for free, while also playing an egg.

Honestly, the ONLY way I can see Quackity being fully ignorant of the real state of things is that the administration lied about everything, especially the payment (as in, they showed fake receipts, declared that they paid people when they didn't, and pocketed the difference) AND, critically, that Quackity never checked himself.

This is in the realm of possibilities, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were what actually happened. Doesn't change the fact that it would mean that Quackity was sorely incompetent and naive, and doesn't excuse the real harm that this caused to the volunteers. But hey, at least he had no ill intents.

The fact that in this scenario, he never talked to the admins privately is, again, baffling to me, but seeing how limited the communication seemed to be between admins and ccs, it unfortunately is in the realm of possibilities too.

So here, this is the most generous scenario I can think of for Quackity. Unrealistic ambitions combined with absolute incompetence of how to manage such a big project and blind trust in people that ultimately exploited his ignorance.

Still, the fact that he never hired any HR and never personally checked why, for example, there were languages that were consistently left out of official announcements are a big red flag to me, and a reminder that we just don't know wtf happened. I want to believe he never intended for the abuse, but there are ways he has facilitated it when, as a law student, he should have known better, and people have every right to not trust his intentions.

[mariacallous]

The Middle East teeters on the brink of a regional war, and Israel’s conflict with Hamas hit the one-year mark on Oct 7. The longer that such wars—particularly when they are centered around long-standing geopolitical hot spots—go on, the greater their potential to spread—not just militarily, but also into the tangled domains of hybrid warfare, where political, strategic, and economic demands meet. Russia’s war in Ukraine offers a telling set of examples of what might be to come in the Middle East.

While the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought global attention to the conflict, the war was already long underway. Its start came with the Euromaidan revolution in Kyiv in 2014 and Russia’s subsequent annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which was followed by Russian support of pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine during the ensuing years. Attempts at international mediation and negotiations over a cease-fire ultimately proved unsuccessful, leading to a gradual escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine that exploded into full-scale war nearly a decade later.

The hybrid dimension of the conflict has emerged as a pivotal component of the war. This spans everything from sanctions to cyberattacks to proxy conflicts between Moscow and Kyiv that go far beyond the front lines in Eastern Europe. And it’s played nearly as critical a role as the battlefield in shaping the course of the war.

Sanctions and other forms of economic restrictions have been some of the most actively used tools by Western states to pressure and weaken Moscow without having to get militarily involved in the conflict directly. The United States and European Union have levied thousands of sanctions against Russia, including against individuals, companies, and entire sectors such as banking and energy. For Washington, this has also included the use of secondary sanctions, which are designed to punish or dissuade non-Russian countries or companies from engaging with those sanctioned entities.

These strategies have been applied to various countries—from China to India to the United Arab Emirates—and reshaped global trade and financial flows while also spurring such countries to seek out loopholes and workarounds in order to mitigate their economic impact.

One case in point is the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan. One of the country’s largest banks—MBank, owned by former Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov—is reported by the Kyiv Independent to be working with Russia’s Sberbank, which has been sanctioned by the EU and United States. One of the mechanisms allegedly used by MBank to bypass sanctions involves a partnership with Bank 131, a Sberbank subsidiary that facilitates international payments.

Through a Singapore-based financial technology company called Thunes, MBank has reportedly reestablished payment channels linked to Sberbank, allowing it to conduct transactions in clear violation of the sanctions. Babanov himself is reportedly facing potential sanctions due to allegations that his company, Asia Cement, is linked to Russia’s nuclear industry.

MBank is not alone in this scrutiny. Other major Kyrgyz banks, including RSK and Keremet, are also under the spotlight for potentially bypassing anti-Kremlin sanctions. Both institutions rely on services from the KartStandard processing center and a local affiliate, CSI, which are effectively subsidiaries of Russia’s CFT Group, a company sanctioned by the United States in August.

If MBank and other Kyrgyz businesses continue their apparent engagement with sanctioned Russian companies, they may face secondary sanctions from Washington and the EU, which could in turn lead to Kyrgyzstan’s financial isolation, loss of access to international markets, and diminished foreign investment. Sanctions have been a potent tool for the West—and one that can affect countries far beyond the front lines.

Another key area is the cybersphere. Cyberattacks are, of course, not a new phenomenon, but they have been increasingly used by Kyiv and Moscow against a growing list of targets, including military sites, government agencies, and critical infrastructure such as energy grids and power plants. Russia has also employed cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns against Ukraine’s Western backers, most notably during its efforts to interfere with U.S. elections in 2016, and has shown no signs of abating such practices in the current election cycle.

A third arena in the hybrid sphere of the Russia-Ukraine war has taken the form of proxy conflicts, with the Middle East and Africa serving as key theaters. In the case of the Middle East, Russia has ramped up its support for anti-Western regimes since 2014, from intervening in the Syrian civil war in support of Bashar al-Assad in 2015 to beefing up cooperation with Iran.

Escalating tensions in the Middle East more recently have not deterred Moscow from providing such support, with Russia increasing economic and security ties with Iran, while the two countries reportedly plan to sign a strategic partnership agreement at the upcoming summit of the BRICS bloc (comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and several recently added members) in late October.

In Africa, the Russia-Ukraine proxy war has taken on a more direct dimension, particularly in the Sahel region. Russia and Ukraine back rival sides of the Sudan conflict, with Russian Wagner Group mercenaries supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces while Kyiv backs the Sudanese Armed Forces. Ukrainian special forces have reportedly participated in drone strikes against Wagner forces in Sudan, and Ukraine also was accused of providing intelligence to rebels in Mali for an attack on Wagner forces operating there. Such a move prompted Mali and Niger to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine, while Moscow accused Kyiv of opening a “second front” in their war.

The multidimensional nature of the war has complicated efforts to resolve the it diplomatically, given the sheer number of players pulled into the conflict and their complicated web of competing interests.

The Middle East could see similar hybrid dynamics emerge or strengthen in parallel to the military component of the conflict. This could include everything from the economic spread of anti-Israel boycotts to the politicization of the conflict in countries throughout the Muslim world to the growing use of cyberwarfare both within the region and outside of it.

After all, the war in Ukraine has shown no bounds when it comes to hybrid implications, with various aspects of connectivity between those involved—from energy to grain to telecommunications—being weaponized in the conflict.

This should serve as a cautionary tale for the Middle East. The longer that conflict drags on, the more players that it is likely to pull in (whether directly or indirectly) and the greater the consequences will be. Without a concerted effort to resolve or at least mitigate the conflict diplomatically, the hybrid components of the Russia-Ukraine conflict could be a sign for what’s to come in the Middle East—and far beyond.

[kivaember]

there's a startling lack of allmind/iguazu fics out there... anyway this is the start of an allmind/iguazu oneshot im writing, so... enjoy!

It started with an innocuous mission request.

"Rb19 Iguazu: as per your standing search query, one job meets your parametres. Location, Grid 086. Client, Junker Coyotes. Target, RaD. Payment: 100'000 COAM. Do you wish to accept this job as an independent contractor?"

It didn't stand out as anything unusual. Iguazu abused the 'independent contractor services' that ALLMIND offered to all mercenaries on Rubicon - be they corporate or independent - trying his best to build up some personal scratch that wasn't directly tied to the Redgun's operational budget.

Every single sortie he did under the Balam banner he basically did for free. After deducting ammunition, repairs, fuel and a bunch of other bullshit auxiliary costs, Iguazu was left with barely two coins to rub together. The Reguns existed in perpetual poverty, indentured servants despite most of them being in denial over it, and Iguazu refused to let himself be content with that.

So he accepted ALLMIND's offered missions on the sly, pocketing a considerable chunk of the pay after she deducted a 5% 'facilitation cost'. ALLMIND even paid for the ammunition and repairs! It was suspiciously generous, but no matter how much Iguazu wracked his brains, he didn't know what ALLMIND was getting out of this. She was an AI, she didn't really have ambitions. It was likely she was just programmed by a complete dumbass.

Well, her deficiencies were his gain. After a few more months, Iguazu might actually have enough money to negotiate for an early release from his Redgun contract, and finally leave this whole life behind him. So, when that innocuous mission request rolled round, no different to any other job he'd taken before through ALLMIND, he'd accepted it without question and departed.

It ended up being the biggest mistake of his life.

-

"DAMN IT!"

Iguazu slammed his fists against the arms of his cockpit seat, his vision half-dazzled by the blinking red emergency lights. There was a faint stench of burning, but he didn't move to evacuate his wreck of an AC, stewing quietly as EN ANAMOLY flashed across his mostly inert console.

Fucker had somehow hit his generator after they got jumped by those random mechs... and just left him here?! Through HEAD BRINGER's thick chassis he could hear the sounds of combat, muffled staccato fire and the telltale 'pff-THWMP' of a piledriver engaging and driving its spike into solid, military grade steel. It galled him to know that Raven didn't need back up at all, that Iguazu had been viewed as an annoyance to be swept aside quickly to focus on the real threat.

How dare he... how dare he...?!

"Rb19 Iguazu."

He froze at the familiar voice, ALLMIND's detachedly polite voice crackly through his fucked console. The emergency power only really focused on powering the important things: life support and comms.

"I see that HEAD BRINGER has suffered from a catastrophic failure. Do you require extraction and repairs?"

Iguazu didn't immediately answer. His chest felt tight and his stomach churned, as he abruptly realised the predicament he was in. Iguazu never told the other Redguns about him taking sly jobs through ALLMIND, because he'd always finished them with only a few dents and scratches on HEAD BRINGER's paintjob, and ALLMIND usually buffed those out. He'd never full on wrecked before. Michigan might get pissed...

...which was whatever! Guy was always riding Iguazu's ass! This would just be one another thing he'd nag him about, and Nile will complain about the fact that this was done off company time so Iguazu would-

Oh.

Oh shit.

He'd have to... pay for repairs out of pocket.

His savings... all that COAM he'd managed to scrape together and save by taking these jobs, that'll be consumed and thensome to fix up HEAD BRINGER. Generators weren't cheap! Not at all! He would've preferred Raven shooting off a leg at this rate! Oh fucking shit cunt asshole fuck-

"Rb19 Iguazu."

"Will you fuck off!?" he half-shrieked. "I'm busy- fucking- argh, I'm so screwed! Why did you give me this job?! Why didn't you tell me the fucking freelancer was here?! I got caught totally off guard because of you!"

"I was unaware that Rb23 Raven was contracted by RaD at this time. His handler had submitted a stay in mission requests for the next two days."

What? Wait, Iguazu didn't give a shit about that.

"Well he's here! Kicking ass and being a fucking cunt as usual!" Iguazu seethed, and flung himself back in his cockpit chair, grunting when it jarred his Cerebral Control Spite. Irritably, he reached up, easing out the cerebral spike with an experienced and gentle care, closing his eyes against the brief moment of vertigo the disconnect brought him.

ALLMIND obliviously kept talking.

"I've initiated emergency extraction protocols. Please hold your position for the next ten minutes. You will be brought to an ALLMIND sponsored foundry for repair and recuperation. Do you wish to send a message to Rb09 Michigan-"

"NO!" Iguazu snapped. "No, don't tell that old man anything. He can't know I was out here!"

"I understand. Then I assume you wish for your bill of repairs to be discretionary?"

Bill of...? "You're gonna bill me?!"

"Yes. If you recall, part of the policy for the Independent Contractors System is that upon mission success, all repair and ammunition costs are absorbed by ALLMIND. Upon failure, the pilot takes full responsibility-"

Iguazu did not recall reading that at all, but... well, he just skimmed all the legal jargon and fine print when ALLMIND had first introduced this system to him, so it was likey he'd missed it. Crap. Well, there was the fish hook he had been marvelling the absence of.

"...how much will it cost," he asked stonily.

"If you don't wish to pay using COAM, an alternative means of payment can be arranged," ALLMIND said, and though she was an AI and thus lacking in emotion or human ambition, there was something... unnervingly sly in her tone. Smug, almost.

That fish hook now had a hundred cruel barbs on it. Iguazu swallowed, viscerally remembering the last time he heard those words - if you can't pay with money, then there's an alternative means of payment... - and how it ended up with him here: augmented against his will and fighting on a backwater planet for a company he despised from the very bottom of his soul.

"Depends on what those 'alternative means' are," Iguazu said warily.

"In pursuit of offering better services to the mercenaries I serve, and gaining better understanding of their wants and needs, it would be beneficial to have several mercenary subjects on hand to gather vital data from."

What? "You want me to be some guinea pig?"

"There will be nothing invasive. Not to the extent of your augmentation surgery. All data shall be harvested via simulations or logs you willingly submit from live combat. You will not be harmed or physically discomforted in any way."

This sounded way too lenient.

"That's it...?" Iguazu probed. "You just want... some fucking data from me? You can get that whenever you want as is! You definitely want something else."

"Of course. The data I automatically obtain is superficial at most. What I require is your biometrics."

"What, like my... fingerprints?"

"The biological performance of your body in combat, both real and simulated, its responses to actions taken by your AC whilst you are under high-levels of stress and synchronisation, its default state post-combat. Gathering this data will allow me to develop AC hardware that encourages perfect synergy between pilot and machine, the likes which Arquebus and Balam have not yet achieved."

Okay... okay, this was... Iguazu could not put his finger on it, but having grown up in the slums of Earth, where he'd met almost every single degenerate under the sun, an instinctive part of him was screaming this is a fetish thing the AI is making you participate in a fetish thing THIS IS TOTALLY A FETISH THING.

"..."

But even if it was a fetish thing, it was still a good deal. Iguazu's used to being horrifically violated, and this was the most gentle way of having it done. He could record this data and send it, and exist in blissful denial over whatever ALLMIND would do with it. She's an AI, she didn't have a physical body to masturbate with. She'd do... whatever it was AI did to get off. Have a power surge? Bluescreen? Whatever. Not his problem. Not thinking about it. Biometric data for possibly fetishtic purposes in exchange for HEAD BRINGER getting repaired and Michigan not knowing about his illegal moonlighting? Brilliant deal if you had no pride, and boy, Iguazu was used to tossing his aside when it was convenient.

"Fine. It's a deal," Iguazu gritted out. "I'll send you all the data you want after you repair HEAD BRINGER."

"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation, Rb19 Iguazu. This will serve to benefit ALLMIND, and in turn, benefit all mercenaries."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

-

Actually, accepting that mission hadn't been the biggest mistake of his life.

Agreeing to ALLMIND's deal had been.

[sunshinesmebdy]

Asteroid Wage Enters Gemini: Tips for Thriving in the Whirlwind

Brace yourselves for a celestial shift that’s set to shake up the market: asteroid Wage is setting foot in the nimble, ever-curious sign of Gemini. Buckle up, because the next year promises volatility, adaptability, and yes, even potential financial gains for those who navigate this transit wisely.

What is Asteroid Wage in Gemini?

Think of Wage as the cosmic paymaster, highlighting areas of earning potential and value exchange. In Gemini, the realm of communication, information, and versatility, Wage gets supercharged. Expect dynamic shifts in labor markets, evolving payment models, and a renewed focus on skills and flexibility over tenure.

Impacts for Businesses:

Embrace the gig economy: The Gemini Wage favors agile operations and independent contractors. Consider outsourcing tasks and diversifying your workforce to adapt to changing demands.

Ditch the nine-to-five and hello, dynamic duo! Gemini Wage thrives on adaptability and short-burst projects, so tap into the gig economy to fuel your flexibility. Outsource tasks, embrace a diverse team of independent contractors, and watch your business pirouette through changing demands with the grace of a celestial ballerina. This isn’t just cost-effective, it’s a cosmic recipe for agility and growth.

Invest in communication: Clear communication is key to attracting and retaining talent. Streamline internal processes, refine your marketing message, and invest in technology that facilitates collaboration.

Make your message a megaphone under Gemini Wage! Crystal-clear communication is your golden key to talent, both attracting new stars and keeping your current team in orbit. Polish your internal processes to gleaming, hone your marketing message to a razor-sharp point, and invest in tech that fosters collaboration like a cosmic chatroom. Remember, in this whirlwind transit, the loudest, clearest voices soar highest.

Upskill your team: Be prepared for rapid changes in technology and market trends. Encourage continuous learning and invest in retraining programs to keep your employees relevant.

Equip your team for the cosmic roller coaster! Gemini Wage craves adaptability, so prioritize continuous learning and upskilling programs. Encourage tech-savvy side hustles, invest in retraining that flexes with market trends, and watch your employees morph from cogs in the machine to versatile, innovative problem-solvers. Remember, in this whirlwind, the sharpest minds reap the richest rewards.

Rethink traditional compensation: Bonus structures, profit-sharing models, and performance-based incentives become more attractive under Gemini Wage. Consider adopting alternative salary structures to motivate and retain talent.

Toss out the dusty old salary spreadsheets and embrace the dynamic dance of Gemini Wage! This transit demands agility, and that extends to how you compensate your team. Think beyond the rigid monthly wage. Bonus structures that reward quick wins and innovative ideas become gold under this celestial influence. Consider profit-sharing models, where your team’s success directly translates to their pockets, fostering a culture of ownership and shared goals. Performance-based incentives, tailored to individual strengths and contributions, light a fire under even the most seasoned employee. Remember, in the whirlwind of Gemini Wage, a little creative compensation can go a long way in attracting and retaining top talent. So, ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and get ready to tango with a compensation system that’s as adaptable and exciting as the cosmic twins themselves!

Investing and Finance:

Focus on agility and diversification: Gemini favors short-term, high-growth investments and sectors like tech, media, and communication. Don’t be afraid to experiment and spread your bets.

Ditch the tortoise, embrace the hummingbird! Under Gemini Wage, agility reigns supreme. Invest in short-term, high-growth ventures, particularly in the tech, media, and communication galaxies. Spread your bets like cosmic confetti, experimenting with diverse projects and sectors. Don’t be afraid to pivot and adapt, for in this whirlwind market, nimbleness is your golden ticket to stratospheric returns. Remember, diversification is the secret sauce, so keep your portfolio a constellation of possibilities, ready to catch the next supernova of opportunity.

Stay informed and adaptable: Be nimble enough to react to sudden market shifts. Embrace news apps, financial forecasts, and astrological timing (yes, even!) to make informed decisions.

Become a cosmic chameleon under Gemini Wage! Stay nimbler than a celestial ninja, ready to dodge and weave through sudden market shifts. Embrace financial forecasts and news apps like your personal oracle, but don’t underestimate the whispers of the stars. Align your investments with astrological timing, tuning into energy shifts for informed decisions. Remember, under this whirlwind transit, knowledge is power, and a sprinkle of celestial awareness can be the secret weapon that sets you apart from the herd. So, keep your ear to the ground, your eyes on the charts, and your mind open to the whispers of the cosmos — it’s the recipe for navigating the financial galaxy with grace and prosperity.

Look for the hidden value: Gemini’s sharp eye can uncover undervalued assets and innovative opportunities. Think outside the box and explore emerging markets and disruptive technologies.

This transit sharpens your eye to spot undervalued assets lurking in plain sight, like diamonds in the rough. Think beyond the obvious, explore emerging markets where innovation ripples like a sonic boom, and embrace disruptive technologies that could rewrite the financial rulebook. Remember, under Gemini’s curious gaze, the unconventional can become your goldmine. So, ditch the herd mentality, channel your inner maverick, and unearth the treasures waiting just beyond the edge of the financial map. The rewards for the adventurous investor are written in the stars!

Tips for Thriving with Gemini Wage:

Sharpen your communication skills: The more effectively you communicate your value, the more opportunities you attract. Honing your negotiation and presentation skills will pay off.

Network like a pro: Gemini thrives on connections. Build relationships with potential partners, clients, and collaborators. Your network is your net worth under this transit.

Embrace change and flexibility: Don’t get stuck in outdated models. Be open to new ideas, explore diverse perspectives, and adapt quickly to market shifts.

Focus on learning and adaptability: Invest in personal and professional development. Hone your skills, upgrade your knowledge, and stay ahead of the curve in your field.

So, entrepreneurs and financiers, are you ready to dance with the whirlwind? Let’s see what fortunes await under the sign of the twins!

[ellatholmes]

Do you have short stories in need of a critical eye 👁 and some detailed feedback? Do you have questions about whether your story is functioning the way you want it to, if your plot is solid, if your jokes are landing?

Well, with this one simple trick—

☝️🤓 I offer writing critiques!

Price: $0.01 per word / $10 per 1000 words

My credentials: I have qualifications in marketing and communication, as well as editing and publishing. I have participated in and facilitated over 100 writing workshops, and provided critiques and feedback to writers here on tumblr of the past year. I also have several short stories published in literary journals.

But Ella, what is it like working with you?: When I give feedback and critiques, I begin by speaking to you about how to deliver feedback that is most useful to you. If you need it framed in a gentle way, bluntly, or with an equal dose of compliments--I do it all. Next, I start by reading the story all the way through, making notes along the way. I then go back to the beginning and do a re-read with hindsight in mind, making more notes and comments. I correct spelling and grammar, offer suggestions for strengthening vocabulary and prose, as well as plot. I will also answer any questions you may have about my feedback.

I accept payment through PayPal before I complete the critique.

I'm interested! How do I take advantage of this service? Easy peasy, just send me a message! 💖

See my website for other services I offer, including novel beta reading, sensitivity reading, cover design, and social media marketing material.

[kaidanworkshop]

Workshop Update: Budget Surplus And You

Hello workshop followers! It's been about two months since our last major update, and for good reason: following the successful donation drive that we concluded in late May, we needed to reevaluate our staff timelines and prioritization of content, as we raised more than our initial goal. We'll be going over the details of those discussions in this post, but if you're more interested in reading about what each of our teams have been up to, you can find that post here.

Firstly, if you are unfamiliar with the Workshop budget, we suggest reading this post, the most salient part of which is:

"For the sake of transparency regarding script pricing, you can find the Indie Rate Guide for voice actor pricing that we are referencing for our budget here (specifically, the 'suggested' per hour payment of $250). With an estimation of approximately 100 lines per hour & approximately 1400 lines in the original script (plus the fees Paypal will assess), we have set our budget goal at $3600. This should cover the original script plus an additional 30 - 80 lines to cover new dialogue needed for expanded features. Our project is strictly non-profit; all funds raised are to commission Mr. Warren for his services."

We ultimately raised a grand total of $3870, leaving us with a $270 surplus -- equivalent to an hour of Mr. Warren's standard rate. Additionally during our staff meeting, our business lead checked our projected expenses and estimated that we may have the space in the original budget to squeeze out another $100 to go towards this 'fun stuff budget,' as we have informally dubbed it.

We came up with a few different ideas as to what we could allocate that money to, namely:

1. Nickname Expansion - creating and running another poll for the community to select nicknames to be added into the base mod

2. Roleplay Expansion - creating new dialogue options for the series of questions Kaidan asks about your character, to facilitate better roleplaying options (i.e. adding lines to declare that the player worships a god outside of the Nine Divines, more responses to the "Tell me something about you" dialogue tree, etc)

3. Custom Voiced Follower Fast Tracking - allowing the community to decide and vote on the funds being allocated towards a specific voiced follower that we have obtained permissions for

While our focus continues to primarily be on the base mod rebuild, we want the community to begin considering which of these options appeals to you the most -- and if you have a suggestion of your own, please feel free to drop a message or reach out to a Community Team member on our Discord server!

We hope to run a poll to decide what the surplus will go towards sometime after August, so there's plenty of time for everyone to think about what you'd like to see most!

[ausetkmt]

Knights of Liberty - Wikipedia

Pictured here is Moses Dickson, from the frontispiece illustration of the 1879 book A Manual of the Knights of Tabor and Daughters of the Tabernacle. In 1872, the Rev. Moses Dickson founded the International Order of Twelve of Knights and Daughters of Tabor, an African-American fraternal order focused on benevolence and financial programs. Dickson was born a free man in Cincinnati in 1824, was a Union soldier during the Civil War, and afterwards became a prominent clergyman in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Dickson showed an interest in progressive fraternal organizations early on – in 1846 Dickson, with others, founded a society known as the Knights of Liberty, whose objective was to overthrow slavery; the group did not get beyond the organizing stages. Dickson was also involved in Freemasonry – he was the second Grand Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri.

Dickson’s International Order of Twelve of Knights and Daughters of Tabor – or Order of Twelve, as it’s more commonly know – accepted men and women on equal terms. Men and women met together in higher level groups and in the governance of the organization, although at the local level they met separately – the men in “temples” and the women in “tabernacles” (akin to “lodges” in Freemasonry). The Order of Twelve was most prominent in the South and the lower Midwest. The major benefits to members – similar to many fraternal orders of the time – was a burial policy and weekly cash payments for the sick.

What many people today remember about the Order of Twelve is an institution founded in Mound Bayou, Misssissippi in 1942 – the Taborian Hospital. Michael Premo, a Story Corps facilitator, posted his appreciation for the impact that the Taborian Hospital had on the lives of African-Americans living in the Mississippi Delta from the 1940s-1960s. The Taborian Hospital was on the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s 10 Most Endangered List of 2000, and an update to that list indicates that the hospital still stands vacant and seeks funding for renovation. Here are some photos of the Taborian Hospital today.

Want to learn more about the Order of Twelve? Here are a few primary and secondary sources that we have here in our collection (with primary sources listed first):

Dickson, Moses. A Manual of the Knights of Tabor and Daughters of the Tabernacle, including the Ceremonies of the Order, Constitutions, Installations, Dedications, and Funerals, with Forms, and the Taborian Drill and Tactics. St. Louis, Mo. : G. I. Jones [printer], 1879. Call number: RARE HS 2259 .T3 D5 1879

—-. Ritual of Taborian Knighthood, including : the Uniform Rank. St. Louis, Mo. : A. R. Fleming & Co., printers, 1889. Call number: RARE HS 2230 .T3 D5 1889

Beito, David. From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social services, 1890-1967. Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Call number: 44 .B423 2000

Skocpol, Theda, Ariane Liazos, Marshall Ganz. What a Mighty Power We Can Be : African American Fraternal Groups and the Struggle for Racial Equality. Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2006. Call number: 90 .S616 2006 (1)

(1)  From The National Heritage Museum -   http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2008/05/moses-dickson-a.html

SOME ADDITIONAL INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT MOSES DICKSON

Moses Dickson, prior to the Civil War was a traveling barber.  Later he became an AME minister and was known as Father Dickson.

He was one of the Founders of the Lincoln Institute, now Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Misouri.

In 1879 along with others such as James Milton Turner, John Wheeler and John Turner he helped create the Committee of Twenty Five, organized to set up temporary housing for the more than 10,000 travelers who passed through St. Louis each year.

He was President of the Refugee Relief Board in St. Louis which helped to shelter and feed 16,000 former slaves who relocated to Kansas.

Moses Dickson was the first Grand Lecturer of the Most Worhipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri upon its foundation in 1865.  He was the second Grand Master of this Grand Lodge and the Grand Secretary in 1869.

In 1876 Companion Moses dickson was elected Deputy Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons of Missouri and Jurisdiction.

Moses Dickson wrote the Ritual of Heroines of Jericho penning the “Master Mason’s Daughter,” the “True Kinsman,” and “Heroines of Jericho” degrees. It was sold and distributed by the Moses Dickson Regalia and Supply Co., Kansas City, Missouri and entered into the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. in the year 1895.

The Knights of Liberty was organized by 12 Black Men in secret in August, 1846 in St. Louis, Missouri.  They were also known as the Knights of Tabor or the International Order of Twelve. Tabor is a Biblical mountain in Israel where the Israelites won a big victory over the Canaanites.

Moses Dickson was a leader of the Underground Railroad.  He and 47,000 other Knights enlisted in the Union Army as soon as Linclon authorized Black men to sign up.

Disbanded by the Civil War many of the Knights of Liberty reformed after the War was over into a benevolent fraternal society named the International Order of the Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor. Moses Dickson authored “International Order of Twelve 333 of Knights and Daughters of Tabor,” a book outlining the Constitution, Rules and Regulations of the Temples of the Uniform Rank of Tabor and Taborian Division.

Moses Dickson died on November 28, 1901. A truly remarkable man!

Originally published at the National Heritage Museum’s blog. The National Heritage Museum is an American history museum founded and supported by 32° Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America.

[beemynumberone]

Heartbreaker

-> a rendition of how Oikawa Tooru and gf!reader broke up

-> angst, written mainly as a recount from reader’s POV

-> inspired by Majorie by Taylor Swift (the regret of losing someone you didn’t treasure enough, but mainly the angst tho)

-> constructive feedback is always appreciated!

Writer’s note: Hi! I am writing these scenarios to placate my active imagination and hopefully make someone’s day/night. I do not intend to hurt anyone/anything through this fic.

Thank you for picking up my story and happy reading!

Part 1

my haikyuu masterlist

Chapter 4:

Disaster by the name of Kageyama Tobio struck when we moved to third year. It came slowly but surely and well, I tried my best to be a supportive girlfriend. But my best was still not enough. For the both of us.

Our Mondays remained the same, we would go to the convenience store after school, grab a snack, calculate calories, complain about diets, choose the original snack anyway then play payment roulette at the cashier. The cashiers all knew us by name but called us that cute couple anyway. It was our thing.

However, everything else changed. Tooru’s favourite conversation starter became Kageyama Tobio. A first year in Karasuno High and a former volleyball teammate (or rival? I couldn’t tell until Iwa told me) in middle school. On our long cycles, the occasional remarks became Oikawa ranting about Kageyama. Even while panting and puffing his way up a hill, Tooru would talk in between gasped breaths about him. I didn’t mind the extra words. I however, did mind the way Tooru seemed obsessed about the poor dude.

Kageyama this, Kageyama that. How funny that I was worried about losing my boyfriend to a volleyball rival and not another girl. Oikawa was strangely loyal like that, I supposed.

Chapter 6:

It all came to a head when the volleyball season was nearing. Tooru, the hardworking gentleman I knew became a shell of himself. Even after his team volleyball practice, he would continue practising his spikes, sets and serves until his “fingers had no strength to grip the door key to lock the door”, as Mattsun whispered to me, concerned for his friend and captain.

So on a Wednesday, I waited for Tooru to finish his volleyball practice. At 6pm, I stood outside the indoor hall, waiting for the familiar matted brown hair I grew to love. Some boys wearing the cyan jersey rushed out cheering. The second years moved pass me, some bowing their heads. Then the third years came out. I waited and watched. Iwaizumi was at the back of the group. He looked at me, shaking his head. “He’s still inside. Please convince him to stop. The coaches and all of us are afraid he will burn himself out. You’re the only one who can stop himself y/n.”

“Tooru, are you there?” I walked down the steps into the hall, trying not to breathe in too hard the musty concoction of sweat and axe body spray. I walked pass the spectator steps, down to the only remaining net.

The boy in question didn’t hear me apparently. He continued to dribble the ball, tossing it into the air and jumping.

The ball whooshed into the air and slammed into the other court. I swallowed my words. How could I stop this talented guy from doing what he always wanted, what he always told me about with sparkling eyes that shone as brightly as the stars in the night sky.

And as Tooru kept serving one ball after the other, the sky outside grew darker and darker.

Chapter 7:

It was a Saturday morning when I got the call from Iwaizumi. “Y/n, Oikawa’s injured. His knee gave way while practising.”

And just like that, our routine changed.

The Monday convenience store trips were now facilitated by me. The old granny cashier asked me where my “handsome boyfriend” was. I smiled at her, tight-lipped. “He’s injured. Overstrained his knee.” The granny made a sad face and patted my arm. “Hope he gets well quickly. My grandson says that the volleyball games are coming soon.” I sighed.

Our cycling trips were now shifted indoors. So it became movie sleepover nights, which then turned to watching-past-volleyball-game-nights. I frowned at Tooru, whose eyes had been glued to the glowing screen for the past 2 and a half hours. Must have been something that led to his bespectacled life, I guessed with a heavy heart.

“Tooru, let’s sleep okay? It’s really late.”

Chapter 8 (The beginning of the end):

Tooru had finally gotten the clear to start training again. He was eager to walk with me to the convenience store again, say hi to the nice cashier, pay for all the food I’d paid for while he was resting. And soon he got greedy, as usual.

“Let’s go cycling again y/n.” Tooru was a fighter, I could get that.

So we started small. 10 minutes and pain evident on Tooru’s face was all I needed to stop. “Let’s try again next week Tooru, baby steps remember?”

10 minutes grew to 30 in a matter of a month. Tooru seemed happier about his mobility.

“Y/n, do you think coach would let me play in the upcoming season?”

“If he cared about your wellbeing, I don’t think so.”

“How could you say that! Where’s the supportive girlfriend you were when I was spiking that Wednesday?”

“Yea, I was a supportive girlfriend and look where we are now. Please Tooru, listen to me, you should at least let your knee recuperate. We did 2 hours before with no pain. Let’s aim for that first.”

The next week, Tooru wanted to do 2 hours. Of course I said no because he was going to hurt himself.

Tooru sulked and grumbled all the way to his room about everyone being so mean to him. My heart sank. At the top of the staircase, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why are you like this?”

“Like what?”

“Always pushing yourself to the ends of your limits and ignoring all the advice given to you. It’s really worrying y’know.”

Tooru blurted out with shiny eyes. “I can’t let Kageyama win me. You know that he’s more talented than I am so I must work ten times harder than what he does. I want to beat him. I have to, y/n.”

I should’ve taken his vulnerability as an answer and let it all slide. But I was tired. Tired of always being placed after his volleyball.

“Kageyama this, Kageyama that. Why are you making this so big of an issue?”

“You don’t understand me y/n!”

“Well yea, I don’t. I don’t understand why you are putting so much pressure on yourself when you know your body cant take it. Everyone’s worried sick about you!”

Tooru’s smile turned rigid. I waited with bated breath for what came next.

“If you could just stop caring about me for once, you would stop worrying.”

“What are you suggesting? Of course I care for you Tooru! You’ll make me less worried if you’d just listen.”

“No I won’t. I love volleyball.”

My heart dropped. “Did you ever once think that you liked me? At least close to your love for volleyball?”

Those warm brown eyes, now stone cold and filled with hatred were looking at me.

“No. I never thought of you that way.”

No, I wasn’t going to break down in front of this guy. My lip trembled as I fought my tears to remain hidden. I could feel Oikawa’s eyes boring into my bowed head. He was analysing, wondering what he could get out of this, just like the first time we met.

My expectations were too high. This was high school, sweetheart. Play stupid games win stupid prizes. Well done y/n.

“Let’s break up. I think it’s better for the both of us Oikawa.”

I looked up, gave a defiant glare and bolted crying. Tears streamed down my face and I didn’t bother to wipe them off. Let him see me in this miserable state, let him gloat or regret. I didn’t care anymore.

I unlocked my bike and took off. I didn’t know where to, I just knew I wanted to be as far away from that guy as possible. I wiped my teary eyes and out came a contact lens. I stared at it, flashbacks of our first encounter came back. The heart fluttering moment now tinged with sadness. I was never going to fall for deceitfully kind people like him ever again.

Combined with my rage, blurred vision and tears that were starting to fall again, I paddled into the abyss. Missed a pebble. Tripped, bike fell, chain came out.

And as I knelt on the muddy floor trying to put the stupid chain back on its spikes, I lost it. Whenever my bike chain came out, Oikawa always took the initiative to fix it for me. His deft fingers handling the stubborn chain in mere minutes, which when he stood up, made me feel like he was the saviour of my dreams. His hands were greasy and dirty from touching the chain but if he did care, he never showed it. He would simply dust his hands off, crack a lame joke and we would carry on.

My tears fell as I reminisced on the muddy floor. I hated that I loved him. I hated that I still did.

On Monday, I went to school emotionless. I was desperate to forget him. Even as people whispered about us in the school hallway, I remained silent. When Iwa sat next to me for math class, eyes asking for answers, I sent him a stern look which shut him up.

After school, I couldn’t help myself. I walked over to the same convenience store we always went to. Took the same drink as I always did and went to pay. The granny cashier took one look at me and waived off the fee. A small “Are you alright dear?” later and there I was, sobbing in her arms, babbling apologies for soaking her shirt with my tears and snot. Her gentle countenance and warm words reached out to touch my aching heart and for once I felt peace that I was going to survive this ordeal.

Oikawa’s POV:

“Tooru, please help me take Takeru out. He’s been restless since morning and I have work to do.”

Oikawa grumbled. He couldn’t find it in himself to refuse his sister or that absolutely adorable brat (but he wouldn’t say that of course).

He stood in front of the vanity, hands poised to wear his contacts, when an image of y/n came to mind. Her figure hunched over, phone camera out, trying her hardest to put her contacts in. He couldn’t help but offer assistance.

“Look up for me please.”

Her eyes shone in the morning sun, looking ethereal. She was scared, he could tell. But when she handed over the reins to him, Oikawa felt… trusted. He felt like she saw him for who he was and not by any title. Simply that he was a kind person who was willing and experienced to help her. And after dating her, she never failed to make him feel special even without a title. He loved how she listened to him during their conversations and how she always gave good advice that showed she really did listen to him. He really was a jerk to her, Oikawa sighed, heart sinking.

When he had to go straight home after school, her absence was conspicuous. He wanted to rant about the new teacher and how Iwa teased him again during lunch. He missed her smile and the convenience store trips and even the 10 minute cycling sessions (which were bearable only due to her encouragement and smiles when they passed the 5 minute mark) and everything else about her. Tears welled up and threatened to spill out of his eyes.

*Knock*

Startled, Oikawa poked his eye. His eyes watered.

Takeru strolled into the room.

“What happened Uncle Tooru? Why are your eyes so red?”

Oikawa sniffed back his tears. “Takeru, I’m so bored that I was crying out of boredom cause my girlfriend dumped me. Wanna go out and play?”