#and ​choosing to live helps the people around you

[tisanegarden]

Asking entirely in good faith and with the hope of gaining insight: how does the alternative play out?

Something I've seen (and wrestled with the morals of) in local communities a few times is that someone is outed as a Bad Person, some proportion of people decide they don't want that kind of Bad in their lives and stop inviting them places. Sometimes an organiser or admin will officially ban them from an event or online group, often they could still go but it'd be awkward. Sometimes they're genuinely shitty, like sexual predators or serial abusers, sometimes their mental health issues cause them to unintentionally hurt others, sometimes it's just regular human conflict that escalated and everybody got hurt. But figuring out which of those things happened and the appropriate response can be impossible.

I've been on both sides of it. Someone hurt me, in a small but serious way, I mentioned it to someone else in the group and so many people had stories of this person abusing their position of power and pushing people into things. An admin had a quiet word with them (quite politely as I understand) and they burned every bridge in sight, made legal threats and basically went mask-off and stormed out. They've since found their way into a position of power in another group, whose admins have started asking us for help with dealing with them. On the flip side, an ex decided I'm the devil and pressured a community group into banning me from their events. Which sucks, isolation has an outsized effect on me, but if people hear that you're a predator then there's nothing you can say that won't be discarded as manipulation.

So on the one hand, I can't blame people for saying "I don't believe you're irredeemably evil, but you've got shit to work on and until you do, you're gonna keep hurting me and I don't want to be around you". And if an organiser is told that someone's a predator, they're caught between "believe victims, abuse is under-reported, so much harm is done by people in power choosing to do nothing" and "community is for everyone, and interpersonal drama often gets conflated with Bad Person", which isn't a pleasant choice, and it's not like these communities generally have the spare resources for complex conflict mediation, so it tends to be they do nothing, restrict how/when/where the person can participate, or ban them entirely. Taken altogether, it's exactly as you describe, anyone can be ostracised for quite nebulous reasons, especially if they're already marginalised.

I don't know what the alternative is, other than a world where people can easily access things like therapy and conflict resolution services, but I welcome any viewpoints people would like to toss in.

btw it truly is incredible how you can say "weaponising social power dynamics to isolate ostracise people from any form of community is cruel and fucked up and doesn't meaningfully protect anyone or achieve anything" as articulately and eloquently as you like and people will still be like okay except when you do it to Bad People. who we will identify and protect ourselves from by weaponising social power dynamics to isolate and ostracise them from any form of community.

[smalltown-if]

Smalltown, Nowhere (an Interactive Fiction game)

a slice-of-life game set in a small town with a focus on romantic, platonic, and family relationships

After getting laid off from your swanky job in the city, you are left with no choice but to move back to your rural hometown, Bridgewater, while you get your life back together. Your parents let you move into the apartment above their bar, with one condition- you pick up some shifts and help their once-popular bar get more customers again. But life in a small town can get messy quick, and even though Bridgewater comes with a lot of mess, it’s hard not to get attached to the small town and the people that reside in it. As you start to build a life here, you realize you have a big decision in your future: will you stay or will you go?

Play as female, male, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, aro, or ace.

Customize your mc’s appearance

Develop your personality over the course of the book.

Romance one of 4 romanceable characters: your best friend, their (moody) twin sibling, a single parent, or the kind but mysterious bartender.

Develop friendships with the cast.

Customize the bar: choose a theme, decorate, set the vibes.

Make a big decision: do you stay in your hometown, or move away again?

Make decisions that impact your reputation in the town.

Get involved with the town: volunteer at local businesses, help plan town events, and get to know the people of Bridgewater.

Apply for jobs in the city… or procrastinate.

all gender selectable

Spencer | 28 : Spencer has been your best friend since childhood, but you haven’t lived in the same place since you were 18. For the last ten years, you’ve stayed in touch, but living 2 minutes away again will be completely different. Spencer is kind, funny, and creative, and there’s not much they wouldn’t do for you.

Spencer has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. m!Spencer has medium length wavy hair and is 5’11. f!Spencer’s falls to her chest and is slightly wavy. f!Spencer is 5’8.

Arden | 28 : Arden runs Bridgewater’s community center and is the glue that holds the town together. They’re generous, patient, and mature- or so you’re told. They’ve never acted like that toward you. Arden is Spencer’s twin, and you’ve just been their sibling’s friend who’s always around, and always annoying. Moving back to Bridgewater could be a chance to start fresh, or you can pick up right where you left off.

Arden has dark brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and a small scar above his right eyebrow. m!Arden has medium length, slighty wavy hair and is 5’11. f!Arden’s hair is mid-back length and wavy.

if Arden and Spencer are the same gender, they are identical twins.

Noel/le | 31 : Noel/le is the coach of the local high school’s football team and a musician at the bar. A relative newcomer to Bridgewater, N moved here after the birth of their daughter, Tatum, in order to be closer to Tatum’s other parent. Noel/le is gentle, responsible, active, and cautious- especially when it comes to who they let into their life.

Noel/le has pale, freckled skin and green eyes. Noel has short light brown hair and he stands at 6’1. Noelle’s hair ends between her jaw and shoulder, and she stands at 5’10. Noel/le has a toned build.

Kit | 30 : Kit moved to town a few months after you left and works for your parents as a bartender when they aren’t studying at a nearby college. In your absence, they became close with your parents. Despite this, Kit is one of the few people in Bridgewater who doesn’t seem to be here permanently. Kit is hardworking, intelligent, and extremely driven. They have a lot they want to achieve, and romance just doesn’t fit into that.

Kit has rich brown skin and brown eyes. m!Kit has buzzcut and is 6’0, and f!Kit’s long hair is in many braids that reach mid-back and is 5’9. Kit has a lithe body.

smalltown, nowhere is rated 18+ for (optional) NSFW scenes.

[inkieflame]

I have a question/writing prompt (you can choose what to do with it) about your lab AU!

How was Impulse coping when he found out that Skizz escaped after the fire in the Last Life lab? Or did he even know that Skizz escaped, or did the watchers just let him believe the fire had killed Skizz? And what did Impulse do when Skizz willingly turned himself back in?

I want Imp and Skizz angst :3

‘Cause you’ll miss the sun (The warmth of another’s embrace)

An Imp and Skizz fic

Word count: 2100

Trigger warnings: drugs, implied death, blood drawing, firearms

Aka: Skizz is gone and Impulse is coping. Featuring failed escape attempts and flat lines.

It doesn’t take long for Impulse to realize people are missing.

The past few hours have been overwhelming. Being soulbound to Bdubs, Impulse hasn’t had a moment of silence yet. And part of that is nice, because it means he has a distraction from this sense of dread that has begun to loom over him.

Because Impulse hasn’t seen his best friend yet.

He knows that Lizzie missing too, from how Joel is dragging his new soulmate around the facility as he looks for her. Etho looks exhausted from all the movement, and Impulse thinks he might pass out the moment Joel lets him rest.

That night, Impulse still hasn’t seen Skizz yet. He falls asleep to the rhythm of Bdubs counting next to him.

…

Impulse is no stranger to the medical center.

Bleach white walls covered with propaganda-like posters telling the subjects “we care for you!” and “good subjects take their meds on time!” the right wall has two doors, both leading to surgery rooms that Impulse is intimately familiar with. One large screen takes up the majority of the left wall, divided up into about two dozen sections labeled with various subject’s names. Underneath their names are heartbeat monitors.

Impulse doesn’t recognize some of the few few names. Grian, Martyn, Jimmy, those he does know, but Taurtis? Salem? Netty? Impulse doesn’t know them, and he knows that’s because of the flat lines under their names.

When he visits the Double Life medical center for the first time, he can’t help but scan the screen for Skizz’s name. He dreads the flat line, and is confused when the screen shows his heartbeat drumming on steadily.

Somewhere, Skizz is alive.

Just not with Impulse.

The Watcher who brought him here guides Impulse to the chair nearby, and he sits. They turn to ready their equipment, and Impulse keeps his gaze on the screen across from him.

Thump thump. Thump thump. Skizz keeps living and breathing. Thump thump.

The Watcher takes him arm and puts it up on the counter next to him. Impulse keeps his eyes trained on the screen. He doesn’t like to look when they put the needle in.

There is a pinch and Impulse clenches his teeth quietly. He pain subsides quickly, and the Watcher turns to start the pump.

Impulse doesn’t know why the Watchers collect his blood, he assumes they donate it, or sell it. Either way, he’s always in the medical center for it. Once a week, always at one.

Recently this time has been nice. It’s a few minutes of silence where he’s detached from Bdub’s and his constant murmuring. The blood draining makes him lightheaded and dizzy, but it’s not painful. So Impulse will find comfort in it.

…

The alarms wakes the entire facility.

Normally there are small alarms. Sirens contained to the medical center, and the devices the Watchers have. They go off when a subject is in danger.

Sometimes these alarms go off for Jimmy, when he’s out on rental and the Watchers need to go pull him out.

But this blaring noise is deafening. It rings out, one constant tone, stretching on forever and ever. Impulse doesn’t know what it’s for.

He makes his way out of his bed, wanting to crane his head down the hall and see who else was woken. But Bdubs groans and pulls back on the chain.

“Time to shreep.” He mumbles. “Too early.”

Through the open window Impulse can see Bigb, charging down the hall looking panicked. Ren is at his heels, whining and barking at the sirens.

Close behind them, Martyn is checking every room, with Cleo complaining loudly behind him.

His door opens, “Are you alive?” Martyn asks and, seeing Impulse sitting there with Bdubs still beside him, barges in.

“Martyn!” Cleo snaps, “Stop dragging me! What are you doing?”

Martyn wastes no time in grabbing Bdubs and shaking him awake, “’Dubs? Are you there?”

When Bdubs groans weakly and pushes Martyn away, Martyn let’s out a breath of relief.

“Next room.” He demands, but Cleo stands stubbornly in the doorway.

“What is happening?” She says.

Martyn shoves at her, clearly panicked, “Cleo, move, we don’t have time for this.”

“What does the alarm mean!?” She shouts, even though she doesn’t need to shout to be heard over the noise.

“it means someone has died, okay, now move.” Martyn pushes past her, “and we need to figure out who it was, and if it was someone here or rented.”

“why?!”

Martyn stops and looks at Impulse, “get ready to run.” He says, “it might be tonight.”

And then they are both gone.

And Bdubs is already asleep again.

…

Impulse ends up carrying his sleeping soulmate. Bdubs manages to sleep through the alarms.

Most of the subjects are in the lobby, waiting. Impulse sees Martyn eyeing the red lights of the security cameras.

As soon as those lights turn off Martyn waves, getting the group’s attention.

“Hey! Hey, guys, listen.” He says, “we don’t have long, so pay attention.”

The group quiets curiously.

“Etho and Joel have just turned off the camera system, but the back up system will be on in about ten minutes.” Martyn starts, “Skizz just flat lined, so most of the Watchers are out of the lab. This is the best time to coordinate escape.”

Skizz? Skizz flat lined?

The thought settles in Impulse’s stomach like a millstone in a lake. Skizz flat lined.

Martyn is still talking. He’s handing something out to a few of the subjects. There is a copy of the lab passed around.

But Impulse isn’t really paying attention to any of it.

He can’t be dead.

He can’t.

But the alarm hasn’t stopped, and to Impulse it sounds like the constant monotonous tone of a flat line.

…

The escape fails.

Of course it does, there was no way that it could succeed. They still hadn’t gotten use to moving while tethered to someone. And Tango and Etho were drugged and sleepy. And Ren barked at any foreign movement.

And the Watchers came back far too soon.

Impulse doesn’t think they ever found Skizz. They were still in and out of the lab for hours after their initial return. He knows that if they find him soon enough, they could put him back together.

He's seen it a few times with Jimmy. The little alarms go off, a noise contained to the medical center, and the all Watchers go into a flurry to retrieve him from his renters.

He’s brought into the operating room limp, and walks out just a fine a few hours later. The Watchers are irritated after that. All tires and angry like it has taken too much out of them to keep him alive.

Impulse wonders how long they have after death to bring someone back. It has been hours, almost a full day, since Skizz’s alarm.

The system wide noise has been silenced, but Impulse can still hear the ringing of the flat line when he walks by the medical center.

…

Impulse cannot be soothed.

Bdubs can tell this, first because the weeks of close quarters has taught him how to read Impulse, and second because of how he can barely hold a conversation.

Every word has a bite to it, teeth laced with venom and fury and broken glass. Impulse doesn’t want to talk to anyone. He doesn’t want to feel anymore. Everything hurts, and everything aches, and it’s been days and days without rest from this.

The Watchers sing no dirge. There is no requiem for Impulse to hold to dearly.

Only quiet empty space, and the rhythmic counting that Bdubs has never stopped. Softly counting to the next day Impulse has to face without Skizz.

There is an anger and an ache.

And it stays and stays.

…

It is about noon when the lobby wall explodes outwards, and the subjects around it leap up and out of the way.

A black van crashes into the room, swerving to a stop.

Impulse and Bdubs are in the lobby with Etho and Joel when it happens. Etho lifts his sleepy head to stare at the rubble. Joel openly gapes.

The driver side door slams open, and Impulse feels his heart drum. Skizz stands there, pale wings, bright halo, dressed in a hoodie and jeans like he’s never seen the horrors of the lab. There is no uniform, and no collar.

Skizz hurries to open the side door, “I’m getting y’all out of here.” He shouts, “get in the van, get in the van!”

Joel tugs suddenly at Etho’s chain, but Etho needs to encouragement. They’re both hurrying to the car doors.

Skizz catches Impulse’s eyes. Impulse swallows, frozen.

“Hey man!” Skizz beams at him. Sunshine and sunshine, “Get in the van, let’s go!”

Bdubs is tugging at him, but Impulse can only stare.

“I thought you were dead.” He thinks, or whispers, or screams. “I thought you were dead.”

Skizz puts a firm hand on his shoulder, “Good to see you, dude.”

Around them, other subjects are gravitating to the noise. Skizz helps Impulse and Bdubs into the van, and others are joining them. Jimmy and Tango. Scott.

“Someone go find Scar, make sure he’s not stuck somewhere.” Skizz orders, “Ren too. I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

Impulse crams into the back of the van, feeling the way the weight shifts and creaks as all thirteen of them make their way on.

Etho murmurs something to Joel about Watchers. Next to him, Tango is nodding off, unable to stay away despite the chaos around him.

“Where’s Martyn?” Skizz asks, counting each of the people in the van, “and Pearl. Where are they?”

“Rented.” Scott says. “they’re not here right now.” Instead of Pearl, Scott seems to be tethered to a weight. Cleo has the same ball-and-chain attached to her.

Skizz grimaces.

“I’m here, I’m here.” Scar shouts. “Sorry, we couldn’t get Grian to move.”

When Impulse cranes his head to look out the tinted windows, he can see Bigb sprinting up to the van, desperately pushing a wheelchair with both Scar and Grian in it. Grian is twitching angrily like he’s upset at being saved. Ren is bounding right behind them.

Skizz does another count as Scar is lifted out of his chair and pulled into someone’s lap. Grian is tugged along too, although he looks like he might start to fight back soon. Ren is pushed into the van, and Bigb closes the door behind him.

“That’s everyone. Go.” Joel demands.

“Pearl and Martyn-” Scott begins weakly, and his protests are shut down by the jolt of the van.

Impulse can see the Watchers surrounding the vehicle, just a few minutes too late to stop them from all getting in.

They are shouting, but the purring of the engine and the walls of the van are soft and sweet, letting no violence in. Skizz steps on the gas, and cranks the wheel to drive right back out of the lobby.

There is a small series of beeping that comes from everyone’s collar.

Ren jumps up, clearly panicked by the noise. Or maybe he knows what it means.

Because a moment later there is a prick at the back of Impulse’s neck, right where his collar meets his skin.

His stomach drops with the realization.

Etho recognizes it too, “We’ve just been drugged.” He mumbles. Then he turns to Skizz, “Skizz, they got us.”

But his words slur, and Skizz can only glance at him in confusion. The van goes barreling through the opening of the wall.

There are distant gunshots.

Impulse is nodding off, but he knows that’s weird. The Watchers don’t shoot at them, they would get hurt. Why guns now?

The vehicle stutters underneath them, and Skizz swears.

They swerve as they make it outside. The van is failing for sure, but Skizz keeps urging it on.

Impulse passes out before the car stops.

…

Impulse almost expects to wake up back him.

Maybe on the couch, curled next to his best friend. Or maybe in bed with his wife at his side.

But he is greeted with the same white walls. The same collar at his throat. He’s no tied to Bdubs anymore, but he still feels anchored to this place.

Next to him, Skizz is waking slowly. He is in uniform again, metal collar and all. He groans and rubs his eyes, and Impulse feels his stomach twist.

They had been so close.

He could taste it.

But still, they end up back here again. And like always Grian is standing and gesturing grandly around the new building.

“Welcome to Limited Life.” He declares, “Enjoy your stay.”

[1nkwe4ver]

Okay had a thought from a comment on one of my posts that helped me articulate something

I was a few paragraphs deep into defending innie Mark’s feelings for Helly despite the persons issues with it (they’re only being together for a few weeks/months, the focus on whether Mark could tell the difference between Helly/Helena never being resolved, the shows sudden shift to having so much romance)

And like, I have arguments defending my opinions on Markhelly, sure. But I realized as I rambled them- my real feelings about Mark’s decision at the end of that hallway were not about Markhelly or Markgemma. Just like the show isn’t really about shipping or romance.

Here’s the thing: I’d argue that if Petey was still alive, (and their relationship remained platonic), he could have been the one at the end of that hallway, with a bit less romantic of a look, and I would have still bought the decision. Hell, I might have bought it as things are if Irving miraculously appeared. (would have been on the edge of my seat for how they explained that in season three, but just as an example.)

Because it’s not about the romance. It’s about the innies.

The show took a turn at the end of season 2- a predictable one, but at the same time one that seems to come out of nowhere.

We spend two seasons building up these characters, and their issues, and a whole new sci-fi-esque oppressed group of people.

And yet what was our conflict and goal really about? Who was our main character?

In one sense- Mark, of course.

But if we divide it between Innie and Outie Mark- Outie Mark is significant, but the show is not about him. And yet it has been. This whole show has been like- is Outie Mark gonna choose to help Petey? Reintegrate? Omg, his wife is down there? We have to save her!! And saving her has been the main goal for a while.

And Innie Mark wants to save her. He does. He’s a good person, he doesn’t want her to suffer.

But all this running around, romance with Helly, revolution, all that- it’s led to something else- he values his own life. We know it, we agree with it, and yet we still almost have the same surprised reaction Outie Mark does when he asserts it.

There is a distinct, hopeless tragedy looming over Mark and Helly this whole episode, because despite all we’ve been led to care about Innies being people and Innies having autonomy and innies having lives that end if their Outies never come back to work- in the final episode, doing the “right thing” is going to trap them.

It’s not the Innie’s world out there. Tomorrow they’re going to be gone no matter what they do. The last bit of good they do, is an act of good for the Outies. Mark *may* reintegrate if his Outie isn’t lying. If his outie will risk it after he has everything he wants. If that even still means some form of existence for innie Mark, cause won’t his 40 years swallow up innie Mark’s two? And Helly simply has no chance. Helena will never reintegrate. And Helly probably doesn’t want to be reintegrated with that kind of person.

So they are trapped. Alone, really. The show that seemed to be about the Innies has become Outies vs Lumon, using the Innies and their rebellion as foot soldiers to save one Outie woman. Innie Mark has been holding on by his finger nails trying to find a way to choose Innies, but there’s no way. No Option C. Mark and Helly expect to die.

But then our protagonist is faced with a pivotal decision. A couple of steps from leaving, making the final sacrifice for the Outies, ceasing to exist- which he hesitates to do even in his rush because that’s fucking scary-

Helly appears. Finally, Option C.

She’s not just the woman he loves. She got more Innies on her side. She’s got a minor resistance going. There’s a chance they could hold things off for a day. A few hours. An hour. A few minutes. Anything. Of course they’re not gonna win. Who said you have to win to make a difference?

Is it really love between them? Something objectively as true and full as what Outie Mark has with Gemma?

Who fucking cares? He’s been alive for 2 years. A couple of months must feel like a couple of Marks years, relatively. Not to mention, she changed everything about him. Set him free emotionally. Revolutionized him.

Who cares if it’s not quite up to Outie standards?

So what if they have half a love?

So what if they have half a life?

You expect them not to fight for it?

[hahawishmeluck]

okay so i really think in order to truly move forward an apology is like really warranted

i think i get what you’re ultimately trying to say, but you’re going about it in a super unproductive way. i’m assuming you’re running into the problem of like, “there’s all this bad stuff going on and then when i use the words i’m taught online no one listens to me because they hate the word privilege” right? okay.

when people are talking about their own experiences, it’s not up to anyone except them how they choose to word things. as briar said, their wording was incredibly intentional (and seemed to be very effective based on the notes.) the general population’s misunderstanding of words or concepts is not relevant, nor is anything else besides really truly trying to listen and learn

(get that cop out of your head that wants to tell people how to talk. we all have one and we all have to tell it to shut up. that’s what happens when you grow up in a police state)

back to it:

and then when you go try to educate other people, like maybe friends or family who don’t like woke mind virus words but are otherwise good people, you can adjust your language to meet them where they’re at

i don’t want to use OP’s experience and speak for them here so i’ll come up with a personal example. BIG caveat here that posts about physical disability are often turned into posts about mental illness. this is not my intention, i’m just using a personal example that i think might be effective for this convo. the following example is NOT the point of the post.

-me on tumblr: people don’t realize how much of a privilege it is to safely always be honest with their psych. i would be institutionalized if i was honest and that’s fucked up. burn it down abolish psych wards tear down every wall ACAB

vs

-me with a normie: you may not have ever considered this, but psychiatrists can actually pose a lot of danger for me. if i’m too honest i can get sent to a psych ward where im denied basic human rights

and then ideally you can have a conversation and the other person may not leave the conversation with new definitions and big words — maybe one or two if they’re relevant — but you introduced them to a new idea and chipped away at some indoctrination. yay! hopefully you can keep having more convos with this person and slowly introduce more concepts and tie them together

ultimately, telling someone online how to describe their lived experience is unhelpful and honestly really harmful and rude. there’s also this huge tie to eugenics that you might not realize you accidentally brought up, because nazis target and kill disabled people. so like bringing up nazi shit on a disabled persons post is super not ideal

hopefully that’s what you’re stuck on and my explanation helped. my brain jumps around a lot so hopefully that was semi followable

please dm me if you want to talk about this concept more because at this point we’ve successfully derailed the post

hopefully this all makes sense, and you can pinpoint what you were trying to do vs what you actually did. and if you’re able to draw that conclusion, please say sorry to my friend

Being an obligate wheelchair user is frustrating in ways you'd never expect. I can only use door in my house because of the way my house is set up. That means if I want to go out back, I have to go ALL THE WAY around the house. No insurance company will help you use both doors of your house, you're limited to one.

[ambrosiagourmet]

This is just a smaller observation that will hopefully someday be part of a larger analysis on Kabru's view of Laios & how Laios impacts him...

But I think it really interesting that Kabru surrenders something for Laios twice, and that these moments are inversions of each other.

The first time, Kabru gives up his life to maintain his control. He changes the course of the entire story with this action, and is willing to die to achieve that. Kabru is (supposedly) entrusting the future to Laios, but he is still very much the primary actor in the overall narrative. He is still the one choosing what the story should be.

The second time, however, Kabru gives up his control to keep hold of something personal and selfish (in the way of dungeon meshi selfishness - it is a good thing to keep this desire. It small piece of what makes him a living creature). He steps aside to let Laios choose the way forward. He surrenders narrative agency for personal agency... not changing the story, but changing himself.

[thelaurenshippen]

open ai made a little post about how they chose their chatbot voices and two things stood out to me:

a) I am genuinely pleased and surprised that the voices come from specific real people that they hired and paid, rather than being built off of all of the data open ai has scraped. the voice for siri did one job for one company 20 years ago and now she is literally everywhere without ever being compensated by apple or even acknowledged as the voice. there's simply no way she was paid enough in that original job. whereas, open ai says "each actor receives compensation above top-of-market rates, and this will continue for as long as their voices are used in our products." this could mean literally anything (what market rate are we going above? does continue mean they get residuals or get paid for doing more sessions?) but, christ, at least the actors are doing it with full knowledge of what their voices are being used for and can decide for themselves if the compensation is enough

b) the post talks about working with "award-winning casting directors" to get the voices. first of all, yay for paying casting directors! we love to see it. but they also say the CDs received over 400 submissions in a week and they state that like a big number and it's just...not at all. and look, without knowing the intricacies of the casting process, it's hard to know what approach the CDs took - it's very possible they were selective from the jump and 400 is a lot from the pool they were tapping. 400 would be a lot if you were going to the agencies directly and asking for names, but there's just no way in hell open ai went after big stars for this. so it would've been a pool of unknowns. in which case, 400 is laughably small. even if you're not using the big casting sites like actorsaccess, I've worked on projects with CDs and their own internal systems where we've gotten over 100 submissions for a single role. I've posted roles on casting sites and received literally thousands of submissions in just a few days

look, I have a very limited perspective on this - I am not a casting director (imo, one of the most important and undervalued jobs in hollywood) and I, in fact, hate the process of casting with a passion. but 400 just seemed like such a tiny pool to pull from and, idk, it heartens me! it's heartening to think that there's very little interest from actors and agents to be doing this kind of stuff. and absolutely no shade to the actors who did--I want actors to get their bag however they want as long as it's, like, safe sane and consensual, you know? but there's something encouraging about thinking that open ai hired some big casting agency to get their foot into the voice acting door and people didn't come running

[queencaramilflinda]

The real message of Lucy vs Buddy is that worshipping a divinity is about following the values that the god puts forth, not about preaching or praying or evangelizing.

When Buddy was offered to die a Helio worshipper or live with a different god, he chose to abandon the faith he claimed such devotion to. When Lucy was offered the same thing, she looked to her values as they related to her religion and decided that she would not add to the coldness of the world. Lucy, even in death, remains a light in the dark, the warm memory in the coldness of the ratgrinders. That’s true devotion. That’s the point of religion.

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

Stepford Nazi? Really? First and foremost I really need you to understand something which is the fact that there is a limit to one's own stupidity. I am not a kind person and I am aware of this. So I'm going to put this in the most blunt way possible. If you believe children have the capacity at the level in which you enter first grade. To grasp the nuances of conversations revolving around this, you're either stupid or you're dishonest. Sadly no in-between in this case.

Secondly what the teachers union says and with the teachers say, versus what's actually going to be taught is it necessarily exact. The reason that this is true is because we know for a fact that administrators took various things off of their yearly plans publicly, while still teaching those things under the radar. This is what is known as normalcy bias. Because you believe as long as somebody says that they're not going to do something that they're not going to do it. Whereas historically over the past 10 years we've seen teachers do wild and stupid shit.

We've also seen schools happily willing to help transition kids behind their parents back. A process that should definitely involve parents. All the wild the school lied about it. And you want me to take their word for it? This woman does a Christian and a concerned parent and you like every other leftist shill on the internet are dead set on literally making the word Nazi mean nothing. And she's not even mad. She would love her kid to go to school and have peers that he grows up around. However looks like they are going to have to move or choose homeschooling or pod schooling.

Because you miss another point with this as well. Elementary School kids are in the earliest learning stages of their life. Which means they are extremely easy to influence. And a teaching kids that black people are poor and stupid and unable to do things without handouts is not exactly the right way to go. Because when you teach differences about race in any capacity it always boils down to that. Even if that's not how it's worded, that's the sentiment. And my favorite example of this-

"These types of people; they don't live in areas with access to a DMV-"

This is modern liberalism. Which teachers perpetuate. As often they lean towards neo progressivism. Further more, parents have a right to demand change during these meetings at what's she appropriate for the kids as it's THEIR KIDS going to this school. You talk about Nazis while clearly have zero idea what a Nazi is.

And being a Nazi is not being a parent and demanding that a school board teach age appropriate things to your children. Especially when without your patronage existing the school board itself would cease to exist.

Truer words were never spoken

Down with the leftist Matriarchy

[rickyyysaurus]

IM sorry, if you know my passion is with helping animals, do NOT tell me your bucket list of exotic animals you want to eat just to "see what they taste like"? Actual poacher mentality, one of the biggest threats to endangered species is the exotic culinary world, so EXCUSE me if I get pissy about it

[castratedtestimonies]

This is extremely typical of the Drunk Driver Mindset.

I know this is a new concept for people, so I want to take it slow.

56% of American men, and 43% of American women have driven drunk in their lifetime. I'm reblogging from an Australian, so I will also add: 14% of Australians have driven drunk just in the last six months.

Okay, who gives a fuck?

Well, the thing is, it kills people. It kills people very regularly. Drunk driving is so dangerous that it's fair to say that anyone who chooses to drive drunk knowingly risks killing people every time they do it. On average, when an American is arrested for driving drunk, they are on their 80th offense, only being caught for the first time now.

So what's the mindset issue?

Entitlement.

Entitlement is the notion that what other people do that's wrong is okay for you to do because you're special. Entitlement is less an ideology and more a habit of mind. I used to be a counselor for men who committed domestic violence. I saw this all the time: They would be able to recognize abuse and violence in other people's relationship, but make exceptions for themselves and their behaviors. They might be ashamed, but they will never admit wrong.

But it doesn't just go away, those feelings of shame. They tend to fester. They find new outlets.

The drunk driver, having knowingly risked killing others countless times begins to devalue human life itself, and feel entitled to decide which lives are important.

Enter immigration.

Illegal immigration is about as dangerous a crime as a clerical error. You might think that immigrants are the cause of lots of other social ills, mass rapes, violent drug dealers, human trafficking (or whatever the latest fad story being pushed out by nationalists). And you might even be right.

But the crime of crossing a border is a paperwork mistake. A clerical error. A non-issue as far as the health and safety of the public is concerned

So why is it that such a minor crime yields the ire and fear of such a large portion of the population?

Well, of course there's racism, and ignorance, and the idea that somehow rape and murder are worse when it's a non-national doing it, and that it's somehow, absurdly, more logical to group crimes together by the race of their perpetrators--rather than by, Oh I don't know, the crime itself. But that's boring and not actually that important.

Drunk drivers would kill children for dressing in bunny costumes if it eased their consciences.

Drunk Driver Mindset dictates that, in order to recuperate the health and safety that the drunk driver knowingly compromises in their own society, there must be someone even more dangerous. Alcoholics are notorious for blaming their issues on others, and for having obsessions around control where they cannot control things, and freedom where no one is holding them back. This drama basically ensues from the inability to get a grip on their drinking. The drunk driver compounds these obsessions because they know they use their freedom to endanger others. They know that they cannot stop themselves without a help that, were it to come, they would slap away as unjust control.

The drunk driver is the reason we can't have nice things.

The Drunk Driver Mindset is what drives our culture to be filled with murder fantasies whenever our culture collectively finds a target for their rage and their obsessions.

If you really do care about health and safety, get help with your drinking. If you really do care about health and safety, accept the reality that drunk drivers are a greater danger to society than immigrants or single mothers or trans kids or whatever other target you'd like to feel entitled to attack.

Take a deep breath.

Look at the numbers. Understand that drunk driving is the greater danger.

Or else please do shut the fuck up.

[zoologica42]

Temperate Lake Dashboard Simulator

🐦‍⬛2xcrested_cormorant Follow Going to try and eat this weird fish

♻️🐦‍⬛2xcrested_cormorant Follow wilmdlife hopital

🐸rana-bufo Follow No one can ever truly understand what BULL4rog's music means to me 😭 this song in particular argrgrgrgrgrg the way he puffs out his vocal sack asdfghjk

BULL4rog: listen here on spotify ♻️🐸rana-bufo Follow I think I huave chytrid

🐟ilikeeatingminnowsFollow I just migrated here from finstagram please be nice

🐠powerbottomfeeder Follow

I have HAD IT with this lake, it’s the third day in a row we’ve had nitrates above 8 ppm and uug the algae, my allergies I can’t do this

♻️🐟carpy-diem Follow

Lol we regularly get nitrates up to 20 ppm in my lake ♻️🦞crawdaddy Follow uhhh you shouldn't be bragging about that, it's really unsafe ♻️🐟carpy-diem Follow suck it you little oligotrophic bitch

🐢snappturt Follow Dear Tumblr, am I the Basshole for the way I catch minnows? I was chatting with some of the guys I bask with and they said the way I catch minnows is problematic; What I do is I sit on the bottom of the lake, I hide myself in the mud and I open my mouth. My tongue looks a lot like a little worm so I wiggle it around- and because of that, minnows swim over and check it out. Once they get close enough, then I bite down and eat them. Some of my rockmates have told me that this is manipulative and toxic behavior- but they also eat minnows...I don't know guys...

🦆tree hole-nester-acorn-eater Follow

is it just me, or is this super homoerotic???

🐟bigpikexxl Follow liveblogging diving down to the bottom

♻️🐟bigpikexxl Follow dark

♻️🐟bigpikexxl Follow big log

♻️🐟bigpikexxl Follow rock

♻️🐟bigpikexxl Follow kinda cold

♻️🐟bigpikexxl Follow oh hi @deepwatersculpin!!!

♻️🐠deepwatersculpin Follow oh hey @bigpikexxl!!!

never thought i'd seen one of my mutuals irl!!! I didn't even know we lived in the same lake!!!

🐠Shadlad Follow I'm not sorry, and I'm not afraid to say it, if you're an introduced species, go dry yourself out. You're not welcome to eat up all of our resources and live in my ancestral longs and rock crags. These things are for us to relate to and not for you to squander.

♻️🦞crevice-steve Follow

Can't believe this type of fishcourse is still popular on this site, introduced species didn't choose to be introduced and have as much of a right to live as anyone else. Bigotry against introduced species is still bigotry and that's a hill I will dry on. ♻️🐠Shadlad Follow Go ahead, dry yourself out then ;) ♻️🪷nootnootnewt Follow Hey man, I hate invasive species as much as anyone else but please stop telling people to beach themselves for political reasons- yeah that includes inavsives too ♻️🦐typical_scud Follow Did you legit just use the word Invas*ve to describe introduced species? ♻️🦢flatfootswimmer Follow anyone in this thread eat pondweed?

♻️🐟largemouthbASS Follow A colab with my mutual @2xcrested_cormorant after they got released from the wildlife hospital. They haven't been on much since the Fish and Wildlife Service released them in the wrong lake and it took them a while to get back to their colony. We hope this guide will help you avoid accidentally eating/engaging with bait!

[the-joy-of-knowledge]

25 Laws of power for women

Conceal your goals especially the ones that are appealing. Losing weight, reinventing yourself, marrying wealthy. Instead talk about your altruistic goals - to help children, invest in education, this will chase insecure people with vile intentions.

Do not give anyone your source of power: Was is a book that changed your life? a mentor? a movie? Never give up your secret to success. If forced to do say allude to God, the universe, the a random phenomenon

Use the patriarchy to your favor; we live in a world that is, only associate with men who have power, use that power for good.

Never appear too perfect but be selectively vulnerable when needed. Only share something that you will be comfortable saying. You might say “I forget my keys all the time,” “I don’t know how to perfectly park a car “. But never disclose something you are not comfortable with just because you are afraid of being perfect.

Maintain distance in relationships. Friends are the best and you need them. But if you feel that they are becoming too dependent, see them at your own will. But also the reverse could be the case. Your friend may keep a distance, and that is the way of life. You have got to move on from it.

Develop your own style that makes you unique, beautiful, and elegant. Avoid trying to fit in the crowd of people who claim to care less about their style yet have too many opinions about other women’s style

Avoid male friends at all cost, you will have male colleagues, male bosses, male acquaintances, business partners. Keep it that way. You do not want a Truman Capote divulging your secrets to the world. Do not keep a man who does not fit your standard.

You do not have to win at every game. Pick and choose what is best for you and leave room for others. And step down if you have attained that level of success, do not let the society do it for you.

Trust people but remember that we are all humans. So trust with discretion!

Confuse people with kindness; people are not always comfortable with beautiful and intelligent women. That power is too intimidating so confuse them by being genuinely generous, curious, kind, and passionate.

Keep your strong opinions to yourself.. if you support a movement, a way of life, do so silently.

We all have dirty laundry, wash them privately, don’t expose yourself. Remain silent when people try to attack you or shame you. Whatever is not confirmed is not true. You are the only one who knows all the truth about you.

Don’t attract pity or praise: People who pity you do not help you, in fact they might think that you are weak and could mock you at their annual gossipping meeting. And if you are doing things for the sake of praise you are wasting your time.

Choose yourself all the time; never put any one’s feelings above yours.

Trust your own intuition if you feel someone is being malicious towards you, giving you back handed compliments then you should let them go

Never speak bad of another woman. Do not lazy around gossipping. Keep your hands clean and your conscience clear.

Avoid women with low self esteem they will bring you down. For some reason they do not like seeing other women who are doing better than them

Be careful who you seek validation from. Not everyone needs to be pleased. If they are in no way capable of contributing to your life in the ways you prefer, then don’t ask them for their opinions or please them.

Do not compete with other women, if you do you are only putting them on a pedestal. You are making the the standard by which you measure your progress. If you do compete, begin digging your grave.

Do not give unsolicited advice, do not share the inner workings of your mind, If your mouth is very charitable you better start journaling.

Be well-rounded and interesting. It attracts people. It also keeps you busy because you are continually improving and learning. An idle mind is an easily subdued one.

Avoid women who want to live vicariously through you; they want to know who you know, shop where you shop, befriend who you befriend, wear what you wear.

Pay attention to the source of your discomfort; get rid of them. You tell them your dreams and they remind you of all your hindrances. They ask why are you dressed so fancy as though fancy isn’t subjective. They undermine you interests and goals. They will also be quick to bring you down because they are afraid of your potential.

Do not fear power or please power. When we see powerful people we try to hard to befriend them, to be close to them but you need to be comfortable without them. Don’t push yourself in the name of friendship, do not try too hard to be in their inner circle. Your independence of mind is the most important. Instead become a powerful woman, aloof to the presence of power but aware of its importance. Be an ingenious and intelligent and use your creativity to uplift yourself. When you do so it will be hard to ignore you. Even the powerful will become an ally.

Enjoy moments of solitude. Use that time to develop yourself, improve your body, learn new skills, create with your mind, read widely, become more elegant, then launch yourself.

Remember the most powerful women are the most intelligent. Inspired by Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power. Use at your discretion.

[beloveds-embrace]

Idgaf abt how military works sorry yall but imagine the 141 gang having to do mandatory charity and no, not even Ghost can opt out of it regardless of how he says he’s honest to god not fucking fit to be visiting sick patients. But alas.

But they end up meeting you- frail, fragile, and sick you, no visitors around you. Though you look at them with curiosity and admiration, you keep yourself away, almost as if you don’t want to bother them.

You can’t help looking at them, though. You’ve been sick all your life- born to a mother who left you on the doorsteps of an overcrowded orphanage, left alone often and long for your body to just… fail you. You don’t think you’ve seen outside the orphanage walls and then these hospital grounds since your birth. You would be dead now if it weren’t for the CEO of the hospital taking pity on you after you turned eighteen and the orphanage cleaned their hands off you.

And so, you can’t help but envy them just a little. Strong, agile people in the military, bodies fit and healthy. Despite knowing they are always putting themselves on the line, constantly in danger, you can’t help the longing you feel. Longing you don’t realize is clear as day in your eyes.

The one to approach you first is the man you thought one of the prettiest men you’ve ever seen. He introduces himself as Kyle, and despite your silence- your interactions with others that are not doctors or nurses are far and few, and you are painfully shy- but he is nice. Gentle. Easily keeps the conversation going despite. He is so easy-going he has you grinning and laughing in no time. It catches the attention of a the Scot with a mohawk, who joins in by sharing even wilder stories. And then the man with the scary ghost mask, so often in their stories, comes to your little crowd. He is big, scary if the nurses’ reactions are anything to go by, and yet the only thing you’ve ever truly been afraid of is dying with a life not truly lived. So you don’t flinch or cower from him, merely ask if he has anything interesting to share with you.

The last you speak with is John Price. Captain John Price. If there is a man that can embody a bear, it has to be him. You are sure of it. Especially when you witness him smacking the back of Kyle’s head lightly after a teasing comment.

Maybe your chances of a long, fulfilling life are slim but today, just for today, you allow yourself to envision a life with them. Such a strange desire, a useless and wistful one.

“Thank you, for today.” You tell them quietly, when it’s nearing time to leave. Your hands are held in Kyle and Johnny’s, frail and weak compared to theirs. You smile at them, squeezing lightly. “I think this is the most happy and content I’ve been all my life. I won’t forget today.”

And in return? Neither will they. How could they ever forget you, the sweetheart in the hospital bed, your sickness keeping you away from the joyful life you deserve?

The won’t forget you. Not at all. And when you start receiving gifts, polaroids and letters and texts, you already know who is sending them to you.

It makes things just a little easier- your life just a little brighter.

Other works + help me choose a title for this!

[fading-event-608]

Help Falstin's family survive and escape genocide in Gaza and win hand-made Palestinian thob!

What can you win?

A Palestinian thob made by Palestinian hands, tailored for you. Thobes are traditional dresses worn in Palestine and are embroidered with tatreez patterns of various colors (usually mainly red) on black cloth - you can see the example in the poster.

Who will you help?

24 people trapped in Gaza who desperately need funds for their survival and evacuation. Falastin's family already has a lot of martyrs and they were displaced more than 20 times leaving them with very little possessions. It has been extremely hard for them to meet their basic needs, and they need all the help they can get to purchase food, water and medicine (which are incredibly expensive as there is very little aid entering Gaza) as well as shelter, fuel and clothing as it's getting cold.

Gofundme donation link

PayPal donation link

Please fill out this form after donating: https://forms.gle/1JPkqoab55bxC3iS8

More detailed info under the cut:

We accept both PayPal and Gofundme donations: 50 USD for one PayPal entry; 500 SEK for one Gofundme entry (500 SEK is around 47 USD so it's a slight discount!)

Only donations done after the raffle start (October 19th, since making this post) will count for entries. Additionally, every three weeks starting from today, one winner will be chosen and all entries for that period will be reset. The winner will be given 48 hours to respond and if they do not then we will choose another one from that time period.

Dates for raffle resets:

1) 9th of November - first winner 2) 30th of November - second winner 3) 21st of December - third winner

The winner announcement will be done on those Saturdays at 15:00 (3 PM) GMT (that's 10 AM EST).

Right now we are a little over 12k USD (counting both PayPal and Gofundme) but most of it came in the last several weeks. So we aim to get another 12k USD/126k SEK (again both PayPal and Gofundme) by the end of the first raffle round.

You can enter as many times as you want and can stack entries over time (so one 2000 SEK donation will be 4 entries, or two donations 75 USD and 25 USD will count as 2 entries). Because there will be 3 rotations, if your donations fall short of the minimum donation in the first/second rounds, you can still qualify for the next until your total exceeds the entry cost. For example, if you donated 40 USD in the first rotation you will not enter the first raffle round but can still enter second one if you donate another 10 USD. Another example: if you donated 120 USD in the first time period you can donate another 30 in the next one for one entry. You can enter second or third time even if you won previously.

After you have made the donation(s) required for at least one entry you need to fill out the form: [link]. You will be asked to provide a proof of your donation, your email address (or discord handle) and (optionally) Tumblr/Instagram username. An email address or Discord is required for contact purposes, as there is a possibility that either me of Falastin could be restricted or suspended on Tumblr, but we will contact you on your preferred platform if we can.

One thob will roughly take 3 weeks to complete so please be patient - you will be contacted by your preferred method for any questions after you won and when the shipment starts.

Shipment is covered for Europe, but if you are living outside of that region you will need to cover the shipment cost yourself.

You also need to be comfortable with sharing following info with us privately if if you win the raffle:

address and name for the shipment;

your measures or general size (S, M, L, etc) for tailoring.

You can ask any questions me here on Tumblr or send an email to fadingevent608@proton.me.

Vetting info: #282 in El-Shab-Hussein and Nabulsi's spreadsheet [here], #957 in the Butterfly Project spreadsheet [here] Falastin's account: [link]

Donation links again:

GOFUNDME:

PAYPAL:

[teaboot]

I've never had a cat before and I'm hoping to get one soon. Do you have any advice?

Treat a new cat as you would a new roommate. Give them space and time to settle, establish a pattern and a rhythm, and in time they may choose to become friends and spend time with you. Dont force a friendship.

Use simple words and repetition to establish communication. Words like breakfast, treat, snack, lunch, supper, dinner, food, and eat all basically mean, "I am feeding you; expect to be fed", but it's a lot for a little guy to remember. I just say "Dinner" when I mean "cat food is coming", and so my boy knows exactly what I mean when I say it. As a plus, using only one word for snack time means he has no idea what the other words mean, so I can talk about food in front of him without ruling him up.

Pay attention to body language. Cats all have different personalities, and you'll learn their likes, dislikes, and messages over time this way. Son boy here loves anything with plumbing but dislikes getting wet- his favourite blanket to chew and snuggle goes on his favourite chair, and he gives me a specific gesture when he wants me to kneel down so he can jump onto my shoulder.

Read into problematic behaviour. Cats pee in weird places when they're hurting, in distress, or have insufficient of unclean litter box space. Biting, attacking feet , and knocking things off tables often means they're understimulated and need you to play with them, or at least need some kind of enrichment or puzzle to tackle. Tail flicking can be frustration or irritation. Purring is usually good, but may also be self-soothing behaviour to alleviate pain, encourage healing, and relieve anxiety, like over-grooming.

Like children, "bad" behaviour isn't malicious- it usually means there's something you aren't seeing.

Learn how your cat expresses love. Loads of people think cats are uncaring, cruel, and indifferent, but the truth is, they're just not dogs. Spending time near you, showing an interest in tools you're using or projects you're working on, sitting the way you sit, laying on their back, rubbing on your legs, wiping their face on your shoes when you get home- these are signs that your cat is enamored with you. You're their family, they feel safe and protected around you, they're curious about things you enjoy and want everyone to know you're family.

Set reasonable expectations. Again, cats are not dogs.We bred dogs to desire our approval- cats walked into our lives themselves. They have no human-programmed need to fulfill a duty or perform a task to your standards.

Training cats to do tricks isn't as hard as people say, but the willingness or interest in doing the trick is more heavily reliant on personality and mood. Some cats will refuse all but the most basic requests- I'm lucky in that Ollie understands and is willing to do several, provided I don't abuse his trust and he's not crowded or overwhelmed or just bored of doing it over and over in a short period.

Ollie, for example, knows Up to stand on his back legs and hold my hand, Down to get to a surface I indicate, Out to emerge from a closed space, Come to find me where I am, Help? when I'm offering to let him use me as an elevator, Dinner when I understand he's hungry and am getting food, and when I put on his collar he knows to climb into his carrier 'cause we're going somewhere. And he'll do any of these about 90% of the time, either ignoring me or phoning it in when there's something interesting somewhere else, or if he's feeling anxious.

Lead by example. If you dread taking them to the vet, they'll see the anxiety in your body language and behaviour and likely learn to hate it, too. Again using my guy an example, I starred taking him on walks long before his first vet appointment, just to get used to his carrier and leash. Then his first checkup was relaxed and informal, with plenty of treats, and I let him explore the examination room with permission from the tech. Now he loves going, so I'm not stressed about taking him, so I don't stress him out in turn, and the vest doesn't have to deal with a stressed out cat slowing things down and fighting with them.

Make sure your sources are good ones, and also good ones for you. I will recommend Jackson Galaxy's YouTube channel for cat advice because a lot of what he does matches up with what I've learned and know to be true. I don't personally recommend Ceasar Milan because I personally find his methods distressing to recreate regardless of efficacy, so even if that advice was useful, *I'd* be miserable, and it'd just be trading one issue for another.

Have a person who can help. You never know when you might end up out of town overnight unexpectedly, or when your place may need serviced or fumigated, or if you may be called out of town. Before getting a cat, research reliable pet sitters, house sitters, pet daycares, whatever, just in case.

Consider pet insurance. No long spiel here, just think about it. Especially if you don't know your cats ancestry or potenyial health risks. An on top of that, fucking vaccinate them.

Dont let them free roam. At all.

I grew up on a farm with free-roaming barn cats. Do you know how many times child-me cried over having to bury them? Illness, disease, pregnancy, vehicles, other territorial cats, ticks, fleas, litter, poisoned prey, malicious humans, local wildlife, predatory birds, scrap metal, extreme heat, freezing temperatures, tainted water sources, poisonous or venomous critters, getting stuck in small or high places, tapeworms, loose nails, old equipment, falling branches...

I've seen some truly body-horror slasher-movie shit- just truly nauseating visual fuckery- and I'm telling you not to let your cat free-roam.

Leash training isn't hard. Supervised walks aren't hard. Even keeping your cat physically fit and entertained indoors isn't an impossible feat. Don't let your fucking cat fucking free-roam. Fuck

Also read up on foods and plants cats can't do, like every houseplant in existence is toxic it's insane

Anyhow yeah that's like. A couple things I guess

Here, have an Ollie Pic