#and ​choosing to live helps the people around you

[lacefuneral]

hi. guy who works adjacent to this field as a day job here. typically these are three documents. specific laws vary by state (so some of what i say here may differ). prices of these documents vary by practice. but never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever do one of those "easy online docs" because in most cases they aren't legally valid and do not permit you to write specific clauses.

lawyers are like doctors in that they specialize in different fields of law. you are looking for a "wills and estates" or an "elder law" lawyer. all of these documents will need to be notarized (by a notary) for a small fee. most law offices have notaries in-house. shop around if you can - ask what different offices charge for a set of three docs and compare prices.

only the original document, on official letterhead, with a notary seal is a valid legal document. you can have copies of a document for reference purposes, but copies alone are not sufficient for actual legal purposes. always keep your originals somewhere safe, like a safe deposit box at a bank. i'm serious. not a drawer, not under your bed. these documents must be kept safe from fire, water damage, theft. because if they are destroyed or missing, the state rules that you never had documents at all, and it defeats the purpose of having them made in the first place. unless there is a local law in your area that prevents it, insist upon taking your original documents so you can decide where and how they are stored, rather than being trapped in some lawyer's office

always go to a lawyer for updates on documents. hand-written addendums (like last-minute wills scribbled on napkins) are not recognized by law in most states, and even in states where they are, the validity is often contested because these are not witnessed/notarized, so it's hard to know if they are authentic or staged.

Power of Attorney - A person (or persons) of your choosing has access to things like bank accounts, real estate, business stuff, medical records, etc. while you are still living. Often, elderly persons seek out POAs (usually their adult children) to help handle their affairs, but generally it is good for a person of any age to have one for emergencies so they can advocate on your behalf. POAs can be fired by you at any time, and are held accountable by law should they violate this document.

Medical Directive (also called "Medical Power of Attorney" or "Living Will") - This is a document that grants power to a person (or persons) of your choosing to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to communicate (example: coma, brain death). You designate whether or not you want to donate organs, whether or not you consent to life support, etc. - and it is up to your agent to ensure that your wishes are respected.

Will - The document most people know about. It determines who inherits your estate after you die, who your executor is (person in charge of estate), any distribution of material objects/properties/money, etc. - also if you have any specific requests.

your documents can be updated as many times as you deem necessary. and, in fact, should be updated throughout your life depending on circumstance. your ex husband should not be your Medical Directive agent, for example. maybe you don't want to leave a generous donation in your will to such-and-such organization because they turned out to be bigots. but if your documents hold up five, ten, twenty years from now... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Before January 2025:

If you are a USAmerican in a relationship that might be affected by legislation that dissolves same-sex marriages, who may no longer be recognized as next-of-kin, especially if you have children, get your rights in writing!

Your marriage certificate may not be enough to prove you have rights to make medical decisions for non-biological children or for a same-sex spouse or partner.

Go to a lawyer, get it spelled out as clearly as possible that you have a voice in emergency medical and legal situations.

[validfemale]

his mind, my playground, ⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 

let’s get into it, babe:

every thought you think about him? it’s like low-key mind control. no joke. you’re playing this game of influence on a level most people don’t even realize. when you decide in your mind that he’s loving, obsessed, devoted, or anything else you crave, it’s not just wishful thinking—it’s planting seeds that grow in his subconscious. he starts picking up on that vibe, drawn to it like a magnet, without even knowing where it’s coming from.

your thoughts become his blueprint, shaping the way he feels and acts around you. think of it as setting the standard: you create this mental framework where he’s already the person you desire. and guess what? he’s over there, subconsciously catching that frequency, aligning himself with those vibes, and reflecting back exactly what you’ve been affirming.

this isn’t just some fluffy idea; it’s energy work in action. you’re showing the universe what you expect, and he can’t help but follow. so, choose your thoughts wisely. the way you see him in your mind? that’s the version he’s compelled to step into, to live up to, without even realizing why. it’s the power of belief meeting reality, babe, and you’re the one holding the reins.

[tarotbyjam24]

November's forecast: tarot reading

some of you're having your b'days so happy birthday day hun 💕 and some are graduating from schools\colleges congrats 💛.

You all have come this far and still working towards your goals in November I see you're being more productive than usual but maybe you're not taking care of your mental and physical well-being .

It's getting cold so wear slippers and socks when you walk around don't go barefeet idk who needs to hear this ! Whatever you're working towards you'll get rewards for it . Your hardwork will come to fruition

Also if some of you're are following crowds and not choosing your own path please stop and choose\make your own path don't go in rat race .

I see you're source of someone's happiness so don't make them worry about you . You're not sleeping well huh ? Y'all get a good sleep since you've gotten what you wanted now it's time relax and rewind .

Leave the worries behind if anything's bothering you share it with your close people they're gonna listen to you and help you with it ✨

if you're struggling with something universe is helping you with it opening positive paths for you having success, happiness. It's all there.

Live in those small moments, cherish the present,find balance in your life don't go to extremes of everything it leads to burn out most of the times , be calm.

random messages: make vision boards ,watch self development videos , do meditation, take good care of yourself!,talk to your elders , meet your grandparents,go in nature,get some sleep ,if you can't share anything that's been bothering with people around you just write it somewhere blurt it out , get some sunlight,get yourself that bedding so that you can have good sleep , talk with your Friends if you've haven't for long ,put your feet in warm water

that's all for now lemme know if you loved it or not 💛 I'm grateful if you read the reading 🫂💗 take this reading lightly don't take it as set on stone as nothing's permanent if the reading didn't resonate there were no messages for you through this reading! <3 loads of love !

November mood board:

[k-hippie]

RAVENWOOD ( LIFE & DEATH ) K-303 & K-606 BASEGAME ( ALMOST ) MANDATORY K-505 UPDATE

Hello people :)

Halloween has arrived, and with it, the Life & Death expansion ! We’ve been working hard to make sure Ravenwood is a hauntingly beautiful place for your Sims to visit … or haunt, depending on their mood. Here’s what’s new :

For once, we are going to make 2 posts related to the new town of Life & Death expansion : Ravenwood ...

Of course, this not the first time maxis includes base game stuff in expansions worlds, but this time, it's not about stuff but it's all about terrains ;)

So, except the Afterlife side of Ravenwood which has its own dark rocks, Ravenwood countryside is made of its own cliffs and ... Oasis Spring Rocks/Mountains ( a desert town, just as a reminder ) ... Why Oasis Spring ? it would be more logical to create specific new rocks or at least, choose the more grayish rocks from Willow Creek but well ... ea / maxis / logic <- not the best combo :D

So, after some tests, we decided to modify the rocks/mountains of Oasis Spring, which is only based on a choice of our own. Curiously, now they are not orange anymore, they give a less flat aspect to the town ...

Then, we modified "small" things & stuff of the base game we should have done a long time ago, but not mandatory such as the stone street planter and public lavatories. They are all over Ravenwood now, and their original look seems more ugly than before :D so, we modified them ;) idem with the base short stone fence ... ( yes we know, we have to make more fences )

-> Well, you see the point ;)

Related to the other k-303, the ones included in Ravenwood ( both sides ) we made few ones in order to get a similar look & feel than the k-505 urban :) And we modified a bit the debug town banners ( mostly sharpening, colour ) and streetlamps ... well, you'll discover it, or not :D your choice of course :)

The k-303 isn’t mandatory, but it adds just the right touch to elevate Ravenwood’s atmosphere. Here’s what’s been updated:

Gravesites – Some of the graves in Ravenwood had a mix of grass and dirt that didn’t quite fit the mood. We’ve refreshed these textures to blend seamlessly with the k-505 for that true cemetery feel.

Portal & Soul Bowl – Over in the Netherworld, the portal and soul bowl were looking a little… underwhelming. Now, with enhanced textures, they bring just the right level of mystique and “cool” factor to the other side.

Solicitor Rug – Our lovely public service solicitor has a new set of rugs that better reflect the status and vibe of Ravenwood. A touch of style for the gentleman who offers advice to all ( living or dead )

Street Decor – The town square banners, street lamps, and other decorative touches around Ravenwood have gotten a glow-up.

So, dive into and see how these textures and additions bring new life ( or un-life ) to this chilling town.

About the k-606 : roofs and foundation + 3 series of fences are re-made :) One is still under work and will be released very soon.

Ravenwood has so many fences we couldn’t just leave them plain and un-haunted. These additions help set the mood perfectly for any mysterious, eerie Sim wandering through town ;)

Because the large part of grass included in some other graves, we included them directly into the Ravenwood k-505 mod :)

And now, the links !

Download here the k-505 Basegame UPDATE

Download here the k-606 for Ravenwood

Download here the k-303 Ravenwood replacements

PLEASE, do not forget : delete the existing k-505 BASEGAME files and replace them with these new ones ( date : 11112024 ). Do not panic, the grassy and groundy parts are still dated 08082024 because untouched since this time :)

-> NEXT POST : RAVENWOOD K-505 MOD

...

[daily-airimomoi-vitamins]

[Oh my god]

[oh my. god.]

[Those photos]

[The photos on the ground. Who knows how long ago. The first time you came to the back]

[The names you didn't know you did]

[Those faces, filling you with painful nostalgia]

[Those people]

"Min...ori.."

[You choked on your own tears. Tears? nono why were you crying?? no no stop that]

"oh..ohh my god.."

[Those eyes]

[The pharmacist's eyes]

...

[your tears stopped]

You..remember, don't you?

[you were shaking]

[you coward]

[in an attempt to spare yourself, you've hurt the people who needed you the most]

[you selfish coward]

"y-you...h..her.."

I must say, I'm quite envious of you. Being able to remember your origins...where you came from..

[the pharmacist trailed her fingers along the bar table]

..why you're here.

...It was never meant to be like this. You were never meant to remember but you were and so was I and I don't know what I'm remembering but it hurts and..gaah...

..damnit this hurts.

[She covered her face with her hands, running her fingers and pulling through her hair]

[Her hands were shaking]

[...but you're a coward.]

[you can't do anything]

[....you're feet slowly stepped backwards towards the door, your breathing heavy.]

[you hadn't taken into account just how big things were. Because of you, you selfish prick.]

[Minori was dead. More More Jump could've stayed together, no..]

[you could be surrounded with the people you love]

[stop please I don't want to think about this right now stop stop stop]

[you left them]

[you wouldn't know love if it were standing right in front of you.]

[just...just out of reach. On the edge of death you let your love dance and still she it is gone.]

"You...k..kept me..here..? To...'help'..me? Y..you.."

[...you didn't have the guts to face her. Not anymore. The real you is gone. She's dead...gone. You killed her...]

[...You killed her when you met Atoji Higan. When you told her your name and she gave you a new one.]

[..When you considered the unthinkable and let her take your place.]

...Coward.

[huh?]

If you're gonna leave, do it. Run, like you always do. Don't be so caught up in this, so cowardly that you can't run, even if you wanted to.

[She approached you, eyes dim, narrowed]

You. You would rather stay here and die, wouldn't you? That's what got you into all of this in the first place. You wanted to stop your feelings, shy away from your responsibilities as an idol, as a friend.

[Her voice started to break, her finger pointing towards you]

You left them. You ruined everything. You couldn't even be a coward properly! You chose this life and you couldn't even keep it.

I-Its your fault, Peachy- No no fuck!

[The pharmacist grabbed at her hair, gritting her teeth, her arms practically shaking]

s-stop it shh..shut up..shhut up..fuckk gah-!!

..Y-...You ruined everything.

nono you didn't peachy, I'm sorry, please don't go

if you had just stayed.

please don't leave me

if you hadn't had been so.. selfish..!

I did this all for you, was this not enough?

then maybe you'd still have a chance to live! But nooo, you had to throw it away...how ungrateful are you!?

...you...you've done it..you've gotten what you wanted..

Are you happy now? Hm?

"I-I'm n-"

This took more out of everyone else then what it did for you.

In an attempt to rid yourself of a burden, you provided everyone around you with tenfold.

..

[Clap. Clap. Clap]

Congratulations.

[Clap. Clap. Clap.]

[The door was right there, why didn't you run?]

[...because you were scared.]

[what would you even do then..? After all this damage you've caused, wouldn't it be inappropriate for you to go back? It'd be better for you stay and hide here. For everyone, right?]

[What...what were you even planning to do, when you figured this all out? Who on earth were you planning to tell?]

[...you want to move on.]

....

[you need to move on]

[The door was right there.]

[Now that you've decided to be a coward, you only have two options left for yourself. You feel like you weren't even choosing for yourself. A puppet controlled by the hands you made for yourself...maybe it was you, the entire time...]

[The death of your personification of grief, should she be considered as once a living thing as well?]

[...her.]

[and yourself.]

[...so you did know how to fight, huh? Just in all the wrong ways.]

[lynn-tged-posting]

tged webtoon ep 166 spoilers and thoughts that are late again sorry about that it's starting to get really cold and my hands are freezing but it's fine below cut

.

.

.

ALICIA AT THE END OF THIS EP SHES SO. PRETTY SO SO PRETTY HELP OH MY GOD IM . HEL P . HELPPPP YUOR MAJESTY UR TOO GORGOEUS

committing to the fake dating / fake engagement bit is CRAZY HELP ?? ??? HJELP ???? ? ??? WHAT IS HAPPENING

back to the top of the insanity

genuinely i am so glad that we r getting snippets of javier and alicia interacting i know its really brief but this episode rlly cemented in my mind that they're besties . they talk shit and poke fun at lloyd but also they both rlly just want him to fucking live . the besties ever

they're gonna beat the SHIT out of lloyd with so much love and faith and care and genuine hope for him and they're both gonna team up for it and lloyd cannot escape. JAVIER AND ALICIA TEAM UP IS CRAZY. I LOVE IT

also speaking of lloyd HES GOING. THRU IT GOD FUCKING DAMMIT WAAAHHHHH

losing my mind at the untouched food bc i figure he's absolutely taking it just to ease the minds of his family/friends who are bringing the food to him but he cant even bring himself to actually eat it to sustain himself this fucking hruts to look at . even when he's at his lowest he doesnt want to worry people (which kind of failed but damn did he try) IM GONNA EAT MY HAND

it was really REALLY sweet to see his summons and the system message box trying to get him to get up, to live again,,, is today's ep the like tagteam episode or smth they keep teaming up on lloyd . good i need that mf to LIVE

also sorry saying again but gghghh this moment too where even when lloyd doesnt feel like eating or living, he'll do whatever he can to make those around him happy . he keeps doing that, the things he chooses to do always end up being for somebody else, not just him. it's never just for him. he doesn't really admit or realize that though god he's the most selfless bastard ive seen in my fucking life I WANT YOU TO WANT TO LIVE

AND THEN THE FUCKING. COUNT AND COUNTESS ADMITTING THAT THEY KNEW JAVIER WAS LYING GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I SHOULDVE KNOWN JAVIER REALLY IS A TERRIBLE LIAR OF COURSE THEYD FUCKING NOTICE

and at that we FINALLY see a panel of lloyd that shows at least one eye . now he knows that they know,,,,,,,

i really really like whenever the illustrator pulls stuff off like this, where we dont really See them until really hardhitting moments . for the entire time before this panel it was as if lloyd was just,,, shut down. barely even there. not being able to see his face cemented that, and then lloyd hearing the count and countess talk,,, it's like a flip of a switch, both for him and for the reader, and i really REALLY like that. god my HEARTTT GHHH

especially when the count n countess choose to believe in him anyway. to wait for the truth ghghalsdkjflahsdf their patience and their willingness to . listen for the truth my heart my heart i cant .

AND LLOYDS REACTION TO THAT I . GOD THERE HE GOES AGAIN LIVING FOR OTHERS JESUS CHRIST LLOYD GOD FUCK. EITHER WAY HE'S GOING TO LIVE HE'S GONNA LIVE HE WANTS TO LIVE HE WANTS TO LIVE AAAAAAAAAAH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

i need u guys to understand i started fucking shaking when i saw this

the difference in lighting and framing in these panels compared two the other shots we've had of him i feel INSANEEE WWWHWHHHH

like the one on the left god it's so SO bright now . the fact that the count and countess are waiting for him, are being so patient with him, they want the truth from him so he needs to live to give them the truth and that's just like a window being open to let the stale air out and new fresh life fresh air inside im gonna . feel sick

and the panel on the right he still looks a bit worse for wear but theres that determined look in his eyes again, they're solid and bright and warm and they're not shaking or blank and i feel so so fucking happy HES GONNA LIVE EVERYBODY HES WANTS TO LIVE HE WANTS TO LIVE

taking things one step at a time, ,,,, even when its hard he's so fucking determined god ohhhhghhh my heart you can do it lloyd u can beat it!!! the summons are so sweet too they look just as determined to help him get to his feet again i feel so sick

OVERCOME!!! OVERCOME!!!! OVERCOME!!!! LLOYD!!!!!!

AND THEN WHEN. ALICIA ARRIVES. ALL OF THEIR REACTIONS HONESTLY ME FUCKING TOO I WAS SO FUCKING SHOCKED

im so so happy though im so glad things are looking up and the sillies are back lloyd lloyd lloyd you can do this alicia and javier will help you!!!! the count and countess will help you!!!!!!

step one lloyd back to himself, step two beat the shit out of fate, step three ??????, step four PROFIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IM SO EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THEY GO WITH THIS IM SO EXCITED javier what do u have to say for urself. alicia u too. whose idea was this

anyway that's all from me rn i think if i get more brainworms ill add onto this post lol, sorry its not a lot! ill see yall next week (aka tmrw) (this is late lol)

[call-me-rucy]

ELENA IS HERE! My girl, how have you been!! She's cut her hair, I love that!!

The Vorkosigang is back assembled! (Except for Ivan, poor Ivan).

And Mayhew!!! And Tung!!! Wow the team is really back together!! I'm so happy that I just know this won't last a chapter.

Plan A (...) was to flee at once to the Ariel, now on picket-station, and declare the revolution.

This sounds so Miles idk if Tung has rubbed off on Miles or the other way around.

"To bang his commander's wife?" Elena's eyes sparked. "Anyone's wife? I knew then he wasn't level. If my oaths meant nothing to him, how little did his own?"

SAY IT!! Although this feels very Barrayaran, for all of Elena's hate to her home planet.

Right, Gregor is hearing all this for the first time. I guess he heard a censored version at the end of TWA but he must be amazed at the notion that Miles really did have a fleet as his command.

If anyone could point me to an essay and/or paper and/or tumblr post about the naismith/vorkosigan identity crisis Miles has, I'd be very grateful.

"I think . . . should you become refugees on Our behalf," (Elena, Miles saw, heard that official capital O too, as Tung and Mayhew of course could not)

I love the writing I love the writing I love the writing

I loved her once. Who is she now? Could one choose not to fall in love all over again with this new person?

I LOVE THE WRITING!

Elena being so quick on her reasoning that this will just end up as another treason charge for Miles. I hope that our old friend Greg can help if (when) that time comes.

Mercenary Gregor. Now that's an AU if I've ever seen one. I've tried searching for it on AO3 but all I've found is an alarming frequent use of the tag "Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies".

"I hear their new second officer is a Barrayaran. You might be able to swing some help, there."

This is plot. I'm sure. But Idk how. It's not gonna be help so what is it. Ungari's people?

OH CAVILO IS WITH THE RANGERS OKAY. They're so gonna run into them.

"Strange," said Gregor, looking at Elena—at the new Elena, guessed—"to think you've had more combat experience than either of us." "Than both of you," Elena corrected dryly.

YES!! TELL THEM!!! Elena is not my favourite character only because Cordelia exists, I think.

"Your friend can pass as a fleet soldier," Tung told Miles. "For you, I found a box."

Miles deserves a hug too.

Almost over, says Miles, in page 230 of a 400 page book.

Aaaaaand, here's the trouble.

Cavilo is the elf lady?!?!?

METZOV?!?!?!?! METZOV??!??! I'm sorry, Metzov?!?! Works for Cavilo?????

I HAD SPENT THE LAST FOURTH OF THE BOOK WONDERING WHAT NARRATIVE PURPOSE THE FIRST FOURTH OF THE BOOK SERVED AND OMG HERE IT IS. How could I not see it. This is. I have no words. I love Lois McMaster Bujold.

[nadas-dirthalen]

I Chose the Wrong Romance in a Game About Regret, and It Made the Game Better

A love letter to BioWare about Dragon Age: the Veilguard.

I don't have the thoughts in me for a formal review of all the aspects of gameplay at this time, nor do I have the brainpower for dissecting my every theory just yet.

But tonight, I want to write to you about the thing that stuck with me the most about Dragon Age: the Veilguard. And that is... I chose the wrong romance for my Rook, and it made the game unforgettable.

Veilguard endgame spoilers below the cut.

(I just liked this tiny screencap, okay. This specific dialogue isn't what I want to talk about.)

For a few days now, I've been trying to think of how to phrase what I want to say. The emotions I felt in the endgame of Veilguard were massive—to the tune I became dehydrated. To convey why that was, I think I have to start at the beginning.

This is the story of Winged Death: the party, the romance, and the headcanons that formed a nightmare combination to break me emotionally.

Meet my Rook: Thenera Sa'renan Aldwir, or Nera for short. A Veil Jumper who lost her mom to blight sickness when she was a teen; who tried to find the Wardens at Skyhold only to learn they'd been exiled; who joined the Veil Jumpers to protect people, but also honor her mother's memory. (Yes, all of this becomes relevant.)

Her name is taken from elven: Thenera from theneras (dream), and Sa'renan from sa (one; one more) and renan (voice). I used the patronymic system outlined in Project Elvhen: Sa'renan was her mother's name. I chose all this in late August, long before I'd really theorized anything substantive about Veilguard.

I did not know how much it would hurt.

All through the game, I got more and more into Nera's head. This was helped out a lot by how much footage I'd seen in September, how I knew Nera would be the "throw a chair while beating up an entire bar" Rook rather than try any attempt at diplomacy. How I knew she'd punch the First Warden without second thought, despite not knowing what the First Warden had done before Weisshaupt. She was always the "hit things with rocks to fix them" Veil Jumper to me, just like Bellara's dialogue references.

It also meant that I felt a lot of her insecurity in the early game: her doubt in her own intellect; her insecurity in her Dalish identity from being kicked out of her clan as a child and living in Wycome as a young adult; her acute awareness of her own trauma and fear around all things blight. To mirror my Inquisitor, who had Dirthamen vallaslin, I gave Nera Falon'Din vallaslin, to signify that she had seen too much death at far too young an age.

I even picked a party for her "default" group: Lucanis and Davrin. Because of Nera's Falon'Din vallaslin, Lucanis' demon wings, and Assan's battlefield presence, I gave my group a name: Winged Death.

And I loved them.

But just like I'd headcanoned a lot of Nera's backstory, I also hypothesized a lot about the Lucanis romance. And, to put it briefly... the game did not match what I expected, and the Lucanis romance was not to my enjoyment, personally. (If you like it, good! I'm glad you do! This post is about Nera, though.)

Right away, Lucanis asked about Nera's favourite drink. When she said tea and he made a disgusted noise and nothing else, I reloaded, choosing the "better" answer of liking the same coffee as him—something that prompted more dialogue. For me, in hindsight, this was the first moment I should have seen that for all Lucanis' charm, he would not fit my gruff, chair-throwing Veil Jumper. But I'd committed, and I was determined to see it through just once.

I didn't want Veilguard to be the story of an elf romancing an elf—for me, that was my Inquisitor's story. I wanted a new flavour.

Only... Lucanis' romance, for Nera, did not pick up much from there. Almost the entirety of act 2 was silent—and that was after saving Treviso. Lucanis seemed to care more for Neve and Minrathous than he did for Rook, in my perception. By then, I'd sunk into Nera's headspace, and I could feel her feeling neglected. I could feel her insecurities rearing their ugly heads: was she too blunt? Not intelligent enough? Somehow too elven, even for a Crow, whose organization is made up of so many elves?

You know who she constantly found acceptance in, though? Whose approval triggered almost every time Nera answered a question honestly, in the stern way that she was predisposed to do?

Davrin. The other half of Winged Death. The one who, now, was bickering with Lucanis almost nonstop in party banter, each constantly jabbing the other about how death would come for them, death would claim all they'd known, their choices would bury them.

Lucanis had precious few opportunities to discuss Nera being an elf; an elf Rook facing down their own gods. But Davrin? Davrin talked about it so much, he would know the horror of being called Da'len by Elgar'nan.

Together, they survived the Cauldron. And where did they shelter? In the ribcage of a slain archdemon. But not just any archdemon.

Zazikel. Who has been confirmed now, in a Veilguard codex, as Falon'Din's archdemon.

And where were the griffons allowed to go, at the end? Arlathan.

I could never have foreseen those parallels, and yet? There they were, piling up too late. I'd already made Nera's choices for her, and I'm not someone who would normally attempt a love triangle.

(She's so pleased with their shenanigans. Just look at that totally carefree and happy face.)

Lucanis' content dried up for Nera, but stayed pretty consistent for Neve—to the point that she had begun to feel sincerely cast aside. I began playing her with that mindset: as if she'd been set adrift, even as she locked in Lucanis' romance.

Around 45 hours into my ~60 hour playthrough, I found myself thinking... maybe I try the Davrinmance next game. Maybe I reroll Nera, even as a Veil Jumper again, to see those griffons in Arlathan. To see two Dalish elves haunted by the same ghosts, and see how they grow. I talked to friends about it. I even headcanoned some more, trying to see how Nera's narrative and personality might slot in with Davrin's questline.

In my head, that looked a little like Nera realizing she felt stronger kinship and connection with Davrin, but denying that to herself. She was, after all, locked in with someone else.

I let myself laugh at this, taking more screenshots of Nera and Davrin than of Nera and Lucanis, right up until the beginning of act 3.

And that's how BioWare got me.

If you're here, you know what comes next. I didn't.

I thought I needed Harding to potentially face down Solas, thanks to her line about wanting to look him in the eye after one of Solas' memories. I thought, maybe, some dialogue would unlock by having Harding in the party during any potential final confrontation.

This was the second time I went against Nera's own character: I chose to keep Harding at Nera's side, rather than Davrin. I did it for my Inquisitor.

And at first, I thought Davrin was surviving my choice.

I even felt happy—proud—that I freed him during the Ghilan'nain fight. I thought if I delayed too long, he might die to the fight's mechanics. But he survived that, too.

Then, the worst played out before my eyes: Lucanis going to take the shot at Ghilan'nain. Being caught. Davrin, racing in to defend. Being impaled. Lucanis hitting Ghilan'nain, only to appear suddenly dead—dead, somehow, how could he be dead, I'd just seen him?—seconds later.

Because of Arlathan, I'd thought this was just another Elgar'nan trick. Solas would come to save us soon. He had to. This was just fake-Solas, conjured by Elgar'nan to make Rook lash out or feel lost. Right?

It didn't hit me until I was in the Fade, and Solas was gone. Until Neve's statues were everywhere, because Nera had chosen Neve to risk that dangerous magic. Neve, who was her very antithesis; who was human enough and sophisticated enough and eloquent enough in ways my spellblade had struggled with reconciling since her teen years.

Saying it was my fault, that my Rook chose this for her—and she had. Her decision was motivated by her favour for Bellara.

I think this is when my Rook stopped denying things to herself. Right here.

This was the person she was closest with in her own party. This was the person who shared her feelings on both her culture and the blight. This was the person who brought joy to her days, with more meaningful dialogues (in Nera's opinion!) than Lucanis had had since act 1.

It is hard to put into words how hard this moment hit me. She had chosen wrong—and I had chosen for her. I was reminded of Taash's line from after Memory #2: "There was stuff he wanted to tell her. But he waited too long. And then she was dead."

And then she was dead.

My Rook knew why Fade Jail held her so well, in that moment. Even before the Varric reveal that had my tear ducts begging for mercy.

The game's mechanics had done that to her. Locked her into a romance with Lucanis (my choice, hellbent on seeing it through), didn't let her leave, didn't allow for her to say anything akin to, 'Hey, Davrin, not in this worldstate... but how about the next one?' (and all of those, for the record, are 100% understandable, and just the nature of video games!)

Lucanis continued to have little in the way of content that fit Nera, and was First Talon, to boot. Nothing in the game could change that; games aren't designed that way. He was destined for a life she was never going to enjoy, locked in to that choice—and she, and I, should've figured it out sooner.

We didn't. Varric was dead. Everything had been a lie. We'd been duped; played. We were never smart enough; together, we were doomed all along.

Every insecurity I'd imagined for Nera came crashing down. And all of them, I'd gleaned from hints in Companions Week. From the footage that released on September 19, showing Rook's backstory choices. From the overall tone of the promotional material we saw, and the strong emphasis on companions, and the declaration of the theme of regret.

And it culminated in me crying harder than I have at any piece of media.

Ever.

Ever.

BioWare gave me every hint I needed to make a fitting Rook, and every single choice they showed me I could make was a weapon. That's why I not only accept, but appreciate the 'spoilers' that we got from Bioware beforehand. That's why I am so far from jaded about the Lucanismance. I could not denounce this experience if I tried, and you know why?

Because through Lucanis' continued flirtatious banter with Neve, the way he stays continually animated so close to her, and the way he gives the same mid-combat praise to Neve as to Rook, my Rook felt like a woman scorned. And it made the game BETTER.

I wouldn't have cried so hard, for so long, if Nera was allowed to be happy. I wouldn't have been shaken to my core as a Solavellan, wondering if there really could be a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

The game wouldn't have hit me like it did if Lucanis hadn't come to Rook to declare his feelings only after she had spent time mourning Davrin and Assan. It wouldn't have hurt so good if Lucanis' dialogue afterward never mentioned his worry for exclusively Neve, and not the loss of Davrin—who he'd travelled with all game long.

But Solas had done it: he had molded Nera into a creature of pure regret.

And I, through my determination to try a romance that turned out not to fit my Rook, had let him.

The way it was structured, Lucanis' every sweet word rang hollow after Nera was freed from the Fade, and it made Davrin's, Varric's, and (what I thought was) Neve's deaths hurt that much worse.

There was nothing that could fix the pain in Nera's heart, the pain of her wrong choices not just in failing to romance Davrin, but failing to question Solas, failing to notice peculiarities about "Varric" in the Lighthouse. She felt like she failed, and she had. Undeniably. Because no matter where the conclusion of the game would take us, she'd never end up happy. She'd never want the life of a First Talon's spouse.

Every piece of her character lined up with regret, all at once. It all clicked into place, all in two soul-crushing hours.

Her name is Thenera Sa'renan Aldwir—and she was the victim of a dream of just one voice. She wears Falon'Din vallaslin, and was given a moment to spend time alone with the many, many dead.

Falon'Din: friend of the dead. That was what Nera had become, wasn't it? Because her closest party member—and what might have been her truer love—would not be coming back. Because I could feel that a part of her did not want to leave Fade Jail, and that Emmrich really did have to pull her out.

Winged Death destroyed her.

She rained down fire and lightning all through parts 13 and 14. She became Wrath and Thunder. I let her hit enemies harder than she had to, wasting her mana at every opportunity. Let her vent her every frustration. All I could think of, through the hurt, was this codex.

Elgar'nan, Wrath and Thunder, Give us glory. Give us victory, over the Earth that shakes our cities. Strike the usurpers with your lightning. Burn the ground under your gaze. Bring Winged Death against those who throw down our work.

Nera became all that was left of Winged Death, having let Lucanis fight with the Crows, taking Taash and Harding instead.

Elgar'nan was resistant to all her magic in that final fight. She was weakest at the end, and I didn't want to change her specialization to avoid that fact. She was broken, deep down. Solas' happy ending did not fix what the game had done to Nera's heart.

She, the other half to my Inquisitor, ended up with the opposite fate. Where my Inquisitor's journey on the din'anshiral was ending (or at least, was no longer alone), Nera had thought she had the companionship she wanted, only to wind up on the din'anshiral alone, with no way of recovering Davrin.

Which brings me to her last parallel: Solas' devotion to Mythal. Saying that if he did not tear down the Veil, then "I—she would have died for nothing."

To love someone and say nothing; it twisted them both up inside. Rook and Solas, always intended to be mirrors. One death, enough for each of them to bring the Eldest of the Sun to his knees. To change the elven pantheon forever.

I don't know how I managed to stumble upon this level of pain, but I could not be gladder that I did.

So, at the end of this extremely long post, here is my praise for BioWare. You mad geniuses, if any of you ever, ever see this... you wove regret into this game so well, so deeply, that my own passing thoughts about romance beats and game mechanics wound up stabbing me an additional time in Fade Jail, just as deep as the wound of Varric's death.

So well was this narrative constructed that I found my Rook in every corner of this story, even its tiniest references twining with every headcanon I had made.

Veilguard is so good, so profound, that a romance that did not work for me made the game better. That, to me, is the mark of a kickass narrative: one that fits almost any headcanon while still delivering on a deep, resonant theme.

BioWare couldn't have known that my party would be "Winged Death." Couldn't have known Nera, or her position as a Veil Jumper, or her doubt in her own intellect and her own ability to love. Yet, that is the beauty of Veilguard and of Dragon Age in general: they don't have to know. The writing is brilliant enough that it fits as much as one single story can in terms of possibility, while still hitting home with the same theme for everyone.

So thank you, BioWare. Thank you to every writer, to every animator, to every amazing, talented human whose hands and minds touched this game.

I needed the cry after a hard year, and you all delivered in the best way. I'm doing the Davrinmance now—because I think it's right to try it, and I think Nera deserves it—but this run will always hold the dearest place in my heart. The one where the regret bloomed, in part, because of jokes and headcanons I had made in the middle of a romance I did not enjoy, wishing for a different second playthrough.

The one where it all stabbed me, all at once. You bastards. (affectionate)

[knightprincess]

Magic Medic (Part 1 of 3) - The 501st

Words: 2.2k Requested by: @rexmeshlasblog Note: She/her pronouns and Y/N are used. The second part will also include an OC (Iseult)—it was originally meant to be a one-shot but became a mini-series instead.

The war was brutal, even for the bravest of people, even for the troopers who had been created to fight for the republic tirelessly. Often with no reward or gratitude for the battles won and sacrifices made. There is no time to truly mourn and grieve the loss of their brothers who perished on the many battlefields spread across the wartorn galaxy.

Despite the never-ending stream of battlefields and warzones, some troopers had found something to help them keep fighting even when they wanted nothing more than to live a normal life, to be free and be able to choose what they wanted rather than someone deciding it for them. Rex was one of those lucky few. His reason for fighting outside of loyalty to what he believed in and his brothers and friends was a medic—specifically, the civvi medic assigned to the 501st.

She was beautiful, an angel in the eyes of many. Gentle, kind, and innocent, even with a contagious laugh that could get even the grumpiest men to smile. (Y/N) Devitt was her name. She comes from a small, peaceful island on an outer rim world, so out of the way, it hadn't been touched by the war and was almost as unknown as Kamino.

She would speak of her family on the odd occasion, but only when asked. Her parents had passed on when she was just a little girl, too young to truly remember them, so her uncle had taken her and her three siblings in and raised them as if they were his own. All three of (Y/N)'s siblings had applied for the GAR, too, when the republic announced they were hiring civilians. One of her brothers was a mechanic assigned to the 212th, and the other was a cryptographer stowed away in the military base on Coruscant. Finally, her sister was a medic, and she was often on rotation. She'd be wherever she was needed. As was typical for civvi medics, there weren't enough for each legion to have their own.

"Do you think Rex knows?" asked Jesse, looking to the datapad in hand; on it was the personnel file of the civvi medic identified as CM-1916. As was customary for the files of civvi personnel, there was a picture and a few personal details, such as last name, homeworld, gender, and age, but that was it. "Our angel is set to be transferred to the 104th," added Jesse as he handed the datapad to Fives and Echo.

Kix stood in the corner, still trying to process his feelings. (Y/N) was the most helpful medic they'd had so far. She had been with them twice throughout her rotations; the first time, she'd not been afraid to speak her mind or have a laugh with the boys. This second time, she'd been calmer, less sarcastic, but still brought light to their dark days.

"She never mentioned she worked with the commandoes before," worded Fives, astonishment flooding his voice as curiosity began to take over. (Y/N) wasn't any stranger to telling stories of her time with other legions, and on the occasions she was back on Coruscant. But she never stated she'd been assigned to Foxtrot and the unorthodox Clone Force 99.

"(Y/N)'s too gentle and innocent to be around Gregor," voiced Kix, almost storming over to the trio of Jesse and the Domino Twins, ignoring Hardcase's mischievous-filled chuckle coming from the stack of crates nearby. Almost as if he was privy to something no one else knew of.

"Rex," called Hardcase when the Captain appeared. There was little doubt he'd come looking for them upon noticing they were absent from the barracks again. There were few places to hide on board a Jedi Cruiser, so Rex only had to eliminate each hiding spot or guess from the small number to find them. "Did you know our precious (Y/N) is being reassigned? The 104th."

"Nobody told me," replied Rex, a smirk appearing across his lips in seconds as his eyes lit up ever so slightly. He managed to stifle his chuckle before it rumbled too loudly. More about what he remembered about (Y/N) and the hidden truth the boys in blue, even General Skywalker, had yet to learn. "(Y/N) just told me she will be staying with us for another rotation," announced Rex, watching as the confusion spread from one brother to the next until it circled back around to where it started.

Fives soon looked back at the datapad, intrigue beginning to paint itself across his features. He was curious. Was there a miscommunication somewhere? Or had the personnel file yet to be updated? Echo soon seemed perplexed. How was it MC-1916, their (Y/N) was to be assigned to the 104th and remained with them simultaneously? They all knew she was a talented medic, but even she couldn't be in two places at once.

Echo soon handed Rex the medical personnel file. A deep chuckle escaped him as he shook his head when his golden eyes landed on the screen. However, the captain didn't elaborate or speak of what had tickled him. Instead, he just grinned as he left the cargo hold, leaving the five troopers known for mischief-making confused in his wake.

"I get the feeling he knows something we don't," Jesse said, his golden eyes locked on the door Rex had chuckled through a few seconds earlier.

"You think," replied Echo, so fast it was as if the Arc Trooper had the words resting on the tip of his tongue. Once again, Hardcase laughed, louder this time, but again, he didn't elaborate or shed light on the theory he was sure held truth to it. After all, in a drunken haze the month prior, he was sure he'd seen two of (Y/N) at the bar of 79's letting loose while on shore leave. He never said anything about it nor asked her, instead believing he'd been so drunk his vision and mind were playing tricks on him.

"Hardcase," called Kix, turning his attention to the hyperactive brother, who seemed lost in thought but smirked like he was waiting for chaos to unfold. Bouncing in his seated position as if he vibrated from all the energy coursing through him. "What do you know?" cautiously asked the medic as he tried to decipher if Hardcase knew anything or was ribbing them again.

"Nothing," replied Hardcase, between his chuckles and sniggers. "Just something I think I saw last month and what Comet said a while back," he added innocently as if he was a cadet again on Kamino being punished for purposely winding up the bounty hunter in charge of training.

"Something you think you saw?" repeated Jesse. His interest was piqued, although he was unsure if it was because of Rex's earlier reaction or the mystery that seemed to unfold before them now. "Do tell."

"At 79's before we were deployed to Seleucami," began Hardcase, thinking back to the fun night again. "I was drunk, seen two of (Y/N), both of them were at the bar, one talking to Cody and Howzer, the other appeared to be playing games with the Bad Batch," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck as if to buff away the embarrassment. The two versions had been identical next to each other, yet no one else seemed to notice there were two versions of (Y/N).

"Two (Y/N)'s," spoke Kix, hearing Fives and Echo sniggering between themselves, almost as if they were in disbelief. Jesse was no better, practically stunned into silence—no doubt questioning how they wouldn't have noticed two versions of their angel. "I love her, but I can't handle two. Be like those two but worse," he commented, throwing a limp hand toward Fives and Echo.

"At least we'd know how she feels dealing with us," replied Fives, ignoring the previous comment, even when Echo pretended to be offended by it. "Makes you wonder what the 104th think is going on; Wolffe's not exactly one for mishaps," added the Arc Trooper, recalling Rex saying the battle-worn commander only seemed to like one of the civvi medics to pass through. Sarcastic, loud, and strong-willed, his eye hadn't bothered her, nor had his growls when she dragged him to her medbay.

"I don't think he'll care as long as the civvi medic knows what they're doing," replied Echo, looking up when the door to the cargo hold swooshed open. Rex returned behind (Y/N), now dressed in ordinary civvi clothes. Hyperspace was her off-duty time, or at least that's what they liked to say. (Y/N) however, always said medics didn't have the luxury of being off duty. Someone always needed their help.

"(Y/N)," called Jesse, confusion still written across his lips. "Why didn't you tell us about your ability to be in two places at once?" he asked, hearing (Y/N) sweetly chuckle, her eyes lighting up in amusement.

"I thought you boys already knew I could teleport," replied (Y/N), as another small giggle escaped her. Even more so as she witnessed the small group trying to figure out if she was serious or not. Although she'd admit she found it amusing, they hadn't seen the truth yet, even when all the clues were before them. "My ma was a witch from Dathomir; she taught me a trick or two," she added, her smile brightening just slightly as mischief began to lace through it.

"Neat trick, even if confusing when first seeing it," added Rex, refusing to admit he knew the truth. He was happy to keep it a secret for a little longer, if only to get some overdue payback on the five brothers gathered in the hold. "I don't think General Skywalker or Commander Tano quite wrapped their heads around it yet either," laughed the captain, throwing the two Jedi into the conversation for good measure.

"Do tell," called Kix, his brows sown together as if he suspected something wasn't quite what it seemed. Echo seemed to share his suspicion, although it was unclear if they were on the same trail.

"First date of all times," answered (Y/N), recalling that it had been an accident. Thankfully, Rex understood after it had been explained to him thrice. "Got a little distracted while waiting for Rex to return from the refresher, accidentally teleported to the bar," she explained, another sweet giggle escaping her lips. "Poor Comet, he didn't know what to do."

"Nah, the first time I noticed it was at the base," corrected the great Captain. Recalling the event, even now, it still drew a chuckle out of him, especially when he'd not been the only one to witness the unusual event or be bewildered by it. "You and Fox walked past me, Cody, and Wolffe. We saw you again with Clone Force 99 when we rounded the corner," recalled Rex.

"What …" Jesse called out in utter bewilderment. "How … What … I don't get it … What?"

"So you can teleport and pester more than one of us at a time?" questioned Fives, "Please teach me, please, please, please," he begged, his mischievous glint returning although tainted with confusion. He'd never met a civvi who could teleport, let alone cause so much chaos by helping people.

"What do you need to teleport for? You got Echo," called Hardcase, laughing at himself when he fell off the crates he'd previously been perched on. "You two switch so much; it's a game called Guess the Domino."

"Should we tell them?" asked (Y/N), looking down at the personnel file on the datapad. Her smile only seemed to widen when she did. Even more so when she knew all the clues to the truth were in front of the troopers, especially if they looked close enough.

"Nope," simply replied Rex.

"Tell us what?" called Kix, curious now more than ever. "Rex, (Y/N), tell us what?"

"I still owe you a caf date, right?" asked Rex, recalling when he had to take a rain check. He'd skipped the date to ensure General Skywalker's secret stayed as such.

"Yup," voiced (Y/N), popping the p. While taking the hint to draw out the torment of the collection of boys in blue.

"Rex corrupted our angel," Echo said playfully, accusing their captain. "Wait, don't medics outrank everyone?'

"You boys are smart; you'll work it out," called Rex as he led (Y/N) back through the door. He intended to take her to the mess hall for the caf, if only so the pair could laugh about it a little bit more. "Eventually."

"Game on," voiced Fives, accepting the challenge to figure out the truth. "I'll wager we'll have it figured by the time we get back to Coruscant," he called, acting far more confident than he felt. How were they going to figure out what was going on? What Rex and (Y/N) were hiding from them.

"You're not gonna let them live this down, are you?" asked (Y/N) as the two walked toward the lift.

"Nope," replied Rex with a mischievous grin of his own now. "Although I have a few ideas on how to prolong it," he added. "It involves Iseult," he whispered when close enough to ensure no one else heard the whispered name or learned about the secret weapon of mischief.

Part 2 - Part 3

Knight Princess Masterlist

[aesops-boy]

Yeah, no kidding it’s not healthy. The idea that others want you to die or just don’t care is incredibly depressing. Depressing is not healthy.

Truthfully, I don’t actually think most people want me to die. The point of this post is to get out/explain those icky emotions, those feelings.

But what’s hard is to be met with seeming callousness. What’s hard is to be met with sentiments again and again that a person would rather “make a point” than care about the real, living, breathing people around them. The idea that someone would be complicit in othering the people like you or even people not at all like you but who do face the threat of losing everything.

Those are what hurt.

And I already know a lot of it is social media. Like I said, it’s probably the algorithm pushing stuff to me to make me feel bad. That’s what it does. But that doesn’t stop the feelings. Acknowledging that helps to do things to prevent those posts that elicit those feelings, actual actions that I can think about rather than just be stuck feeling, like blocking accounts or interacting more with the stuff I do like.

And I’m lucky enough that I can literally go outside and touch grass all I want.

It doesn’t change the fact that I have to come back inside eventually to family and friends (now ex-friends, thankfully) that actually do feel how I described. Who don’t give a shit except to “make a point” and have actively chosen again and again to vote for people who say the absolute worst about others, including the people like me.

And no, they probably don’t actually want me to die. But there’s something about saying one thing but doing another that really makes a person feel that maybe that’s not true, feel hurt and betrayed and unsafe.

And I’m sure there are people who would say the same about me. They have the freedom to say what they want. They can feel just as hurt. I hated all the major candidates because it felt like no matter what, ideologically, I’d be hurting good people with a vote. And not voting didn’t feel better.

It’s not a happy situation. Of course social media doesn’t help. My physical situation doesn’t help.

It’s worse when people are nice about it. “No, I don’t want people like you to die. I just think your inherent existence is deviant and a threat to children and unhealthy, and I’m going to pretend that you’re not like that so that I can reconcile the fact that otherwise I’d be saying and thinking all those things about you. I refuse to acknowledge that treating you this way is killing you except when I feel too guilty about it and then call you overdramatic and tell you that of course I don’t think you’re like that. Then, I’m going to change absolutely nothing about how I choose to think or act.” That is an explicitly spelled out version of the thoughts of people I can’t escape by touching grass, at least not right now. Some of it has been told directly to me, and the rest is the obvious unspoken.

So it’s a good thing my original post was about how things feel rather than how things may or may not actually be. I really hope that things are as you say, and that people really don’t want people like me to die. That’s just not how it feels to me.

I will hurt now. I will act to change my situation when I can.

(Also, if you think I complain too much and need to go touch grass, I kindly suggest that you block my blog. I do a lot of complaining and expressing hurt that doesn’t make sense or line up all the time. It’s what my blog is for. And usually, touching grass doesn’t help.)

Everyone has probably already said and read all there is to say about the US election, but I need to get some things off my chest, so here we go:

I’ve seen a lot of blame from blue toward people who voted green. We knew it would split the party… is what blue would normally say. But this time, it really looks like it didn’t. Jill Stein hasn’t gotten any significant portion (read: not even 1%) of the vote in any given area, except apparently one place in Michigan? (As of writing this, at least.)

And to their credit, I’ve seen a lot of blue actually point this out, too. A lot of blue have acknowledged that as easy as it normally would be to blame a third party splitting the blue vote, it simply does not add up here.

However, I’m a bit disappointed with green. Maybe it’s just my algorithm, which would make sense given that social media gets a lot of success from trying to make you upset and therefore engage, but the responses from green have been troubling. It seems like every one that I see is… celebrating? That they made the “right” choice? The “ethical” choice? That they didn’t vote for genocide?

I mean, sure, I guess technically they didn’t vote “for” genocide… but… there is simply no world where an individual could reasonably believe that for this election specifically, all those blue votes were going to flip green. In fact, it might have even required red votes to flip green.

And it hurts because in deciding to vote to… ease their conscience? No, they didn’t split the vote per se, but it still hurts. “I decided to toss my vote! And I’m glad that blue didn’t get elected because it shows that voters will not stand for blue not supporting Palestine!” is what it sounds like. And what are the Palestinians supposed to do in the next four years with someone who is Hell-bent and has explicitly stated that he wants to wipe them out?

And I don’t want to make everything about me or about people in this country who clearly are not being bombed. But it also hurts personally because you can basically substitute Palestinians for any given minority in that sentence, and it will ring true.

No, green didn’t split the vote. But… can green only act morally superior because blue didn’t win? It feels like some weird version of “owning the libs.” Would it have been different if blue had won? What would it be then? Would green double down on claiming that blue voted for genocide? Would green claim that at least blue realized to not vote red or that even red saw the light and flipped? I don’t know.

And again, it hurts because for every celebratory video I see, every call that claims that green showed blue that they were serious about not voting for genocide and that they will organize and try to get green elected next time…

I hear, “I didn’t care about throwing Palestine under more bombs if it meant I could keep people from voting blue. I didn’t care about Project 2025 if it meant I could keep people from voting blue.”

And no, it’s not fair to blame green for how things turned out. But this is why I at least get so damn hurt seeing these celebrations from green.

I want green to organize. I want green to put a third party that could actually win on the ballot. I want green to put in the work on a large scale between these big elections to get the electoral votes. And I want green to put in the work at the local level to get a third party in from the ground up. I want a third party. I want to never be in this situation again.

As usual, the blame lies with the blue party, red party, and red voters.

The blue politicians alienated their voters. As much as green’s celebrations hurt, what I heard from the blue party was, “We’re willing to compromise with red by giving in to them and getting nothing in return. We’re willing to try to appeal to voters who will never vote for us. We know they won’t. But we’re still going to do this anyway.” Of course I know most of the blue politicians don’t give a damn about me or people I care about. But I was hoping they at least wanted power. This is such an extreme alienation, too; are they really so confident that they can retain their status as the only other option? Maybe. Maybe that’s exactly it. I don’t know. But I know it hurts, too.

And of course, red. Oh, red. Where do I even begin? Red politicians… repulsive. They say the absolute worst about people, especially those who are vulnerable to them. Red voters… I don’t understand. I must assume they truly hate people like me, or at the very least, they simply truly do not care what happens. When their neighbors disappear, when the blood runs in the streets, it will be fine to them. Maybe that extreme makes some of them uncomfortable, so they simply do not believe it will happen.

“Blue is oppressing us!” they say. So they vote for people who have promised to oppress blue harder. But those people are not just oppressing blue. They’re oppressing red who look like blue, who come from the same place, who aren’t the type of red they want.

“I just want things to be normal and prices to be cheaper,” says “more reasonable” red. Then why vote for the ones with an entire plan, a manifesto, laid out on exactly how they’ll make everything very un-normal? The prices won’t be cheaper when you’re unprotected. The big money would rather see people die than live so long as they can make money, so long as they can keep costs to themselves low, so long as they can make prices high. What makes you think they’ll see you as any different?

But I guess if more people like me (and many more who are not like me in the slightest) die, then gas will be cheaper. Certainly less demand.

I guess if more people like me (and many more who are not like me in the slightest) die, then that’s just divine justice for not voting green.

I guess if more people like me (and many more who are not like me in the slightest) die, then that’s just even fewer people blue politicians have to pretend to care about.

Enjoy those eggs.

[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.

[sparkly-nicole]

😮‍💨

Okay. So most of what I posted was sort of an affirmation. I was NOT OK on election night and I just started lashing out at anyone I talked to. Dad, Sister, Her Boyfriend Etc. I have (probably pretty) advanced anxiety, and BP so when I start spiraling I’ve learned to try and breathe and tell myself positive things and not the absolute worst scenario. That is was I wrote. Is it actually how the world is? No. But it helps calm me down. I actually do have some problems (somehow a person with a VERY large issue of dealing with others, and multiple hospitalizations, I have difficulty finding a job. S H O C K I N G, also no healthcare, because America. I’m fortunate enough to have a solid support system, otherwise, I would live on the streets or be dead. Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes I’ve been technically homeless (luckily I have a strong support system who helped me. I may sleep on a couch or floor, but at least I’m protected from the elements)(I have had to rely on food banks, or juggle different bills. Water or Electric? Who knows, just choose and you’re probably be fine. Honestly I do mean lucky, I have the best type of support system to make sure I have at least a roof to sleep under.) Reading through some of these posts on TUMBLR, I’ve come to realize that the government, comes in second. I’m going to volunteer with free childcare at a local church. That is what I can do, at least for now. You may not be able to rely on the government, but you can rely on your community, your lifeline. If you are fortunate enough, that will be enough to help you carry on, and help others. Please help food banks, any sort of community volunteer organizations, and just, day by day, live and help others live as best as they can. I try not to use social media often because somehow people take things very differently from what I actually mean (again shocking)(WHO?), but I have been reading other posts about people supporting each other. Not the government, the people. Just please do what you can, a few donations to a food bank, or a little bit of money towards a community charity can help. There is something you can do to help, so please, if you can, support those around you. The government may not be able (or willing) to help, but you probably can. (Also, calling my Dad a POS was a bit far, I was upset most of election night, and lashed out in anger, but there was one (proposition?) to vote for that mentioned same sex and interracial marriage (interracial? Really? Roe vs. Wade is not enough, but now Loving vs. Virginia, is in question?) And that made him think. Hopefully most people are open enough to consider others. (Seriously though, someone is not a monolith, talk with them, and they might start to consider different issues. Just scream down their throat, and they’ll just shut down and double down on their believes.) If you (author) actually read the whole rambling speech, then thank, you. I’m not great with people, so if you know a way that I can help then please tell me. Mean and negative sniping never helps anyone, so if you truly want to help the USA, then tell me how. Don’t make a passive aggressive comment on how I’m wrong, or too privileged too care or understand current events. If you care, and if you can actually help. Don’t just twist around some mostly benign post.

F*ing hell. Sometimes I hate people, myself, everyone else, everything. Because of the USA Presidental election tonight, I got into a screaming match with most of my family (mostly my Dad & Bless His Heart in the best and worst way right now), and realized life shouldn’t be like this. Politics shouldn’t be a battleground that can divide families and honestly the whole country. But right now it is, and honestly that makes me really sad. This country was founded upon the idea that one Person cannot and should not control the fate of an entire country. (If you disagree with the (wording?) that’s cool, but please just be polite about it because tonight has been a frickin’ trip for me.) But returning to the issue, just please be calm. Breathe everyone, because as a group of people, one person cannot bring us down. They WILL not. Exercise your rights, protest peacefully, start petitions, contact state representatives. This is a moment. It will pass. With will, the USA WILL try to live up to the reputation of a country of freedom. People united are one, and people united can cause change and defend themselves. Keep the faith everyone, we WILL survive. We WILL prevail. (Looking back this sounds pretentious and rambly, but I am drunk now. Only way to make it through the night)

[malewifehenrycooldown]

Re-reading Bleach’s Arrancar arc, and… god I want to give Orihime a shoulder to lean on and cry on. Just… gosh the poor girl… she can’t catch a break :’(

The moment she has self doubts about her own abilities (a very understandable and normal teenaged thing!) she has an even more stronger insistence to be stronger, and just when she’s about to get a tremendous improvement in her abilites, the bad guys show up (specifically Ul//quiorra) and basically coerces her to join the arrancar because the value her abilities. That refusal would lead to the deaths of her friends, and as a pacifist who doesn’t like violence and wants to keep her friends safe, it’s understandable that such an offer is VERY HARD for her to decline.

May I remind people that Orihime at this point in Bleach is a teenaged girl attending high school. Who just a few months ago almost saw her best friend die (they’re okay but they’re not the same person anymore), had a near death experience herself, and also saw the person she has a crush on be violently defeated in a battle he wasn’t prepared for.

Arrancar arc is really just… Orihime and the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day :(

[pepprs]

my dad might have fucking covid. about to jump off a bridge