#best things to do in ukraine

[brw]

"but hamas is getting funded by extremist islamic hate groups!" do you think the U.S. government and military giving funding for israeli's war efforts against palestinians is a morally neutral and inherently righteous body that had no influence in the politics of southwest asia as a global colonial superpower. do you really think anything you can say about the people resisting oppression can't be said about the oppressors.

[rogueddie]

You know, it's heart shattering that war in Ukraine is almost 2 years and there is no single repost in your blog on that matter...

And the problem is that ordinary citizens of other countries are not aware of the horrors of the war and the real numbers of Ukrainian casualties. The overall figures are based on UN reports, which are far from reality. They do not contain horror stories about the torture of the civilian population, the rape of not only women, but newborn children, not to mention the murders that the Russians carry with them. And there are tens of thousands of such stories if not more...

You know, and now almost every family, even in regions far from the war, feels pain and are suffering, because someone's father, someone's husband or someone's son were killed, whom without being military, went to defend their country.

And for those who say that Ukraine is to blame or that the problem arose because of the EU and NATO, it is not so. Because as we can see, as of today, Ukraine still does not have the opportunity or potential to be a member of these organizations.

So why did I write all this? Because I really love your work, but I can't understand: how is it to condemn the war in one country, but not notice it in another?

The people of Gaza, and Palestinians in general, are not at war. They are being murdered in an ethnic cleansing and my country, and many others, are not only supporting that but providing them the funding they need to commit said genocide against civillians and children.

The horrors happening in Ukraine are awful. It definitely deserves more attention. But you don't need to entirely dismiss the atrocities happening in Gaza to do so.

You are also ignoring vital context; Ukraine has been reported on, spoken on, for the entire war. They've recieved military support. Monetary aid. Everyone is for them and I've never needed to tell my countries governement to support Ukraine, they already are.

But the political powers, right now, are supporting Isreal. They are supporting genocide. And the only times they aren't able to send that support? It is because we, the people, are stopping them from doing so. It is extremely vital in this case, with Gaza, to keep speaking on it and keep people informed. To keep people motivated.

More than 11,000 people have been murdered in Gaza. The UN has called it "a childrens graveyard". There are Isrealis who sit and watch the bombing of Gaza like it's a fireworks display.

I haven't seen anyone blame Ukraine, and I don't doubt that there are people saying that, but I have seen plenty of people blame Gaza. I've seen plenty of people blame Islam. I've seen plenty of people say that they feel nothing for the children being murdered.

Also, if you love my work so much then you probably should have noticed by now that I haven't really spoken about things that could be considered political that much before this. I spoke about things like the Queen dying and the missile that landed in Poliand, during the Russia - Ukraine war.

It's not because I'm ignoring any of it. It's because this is my dumb little fandom blog where I smash Stranger Things characters together like they're my Barbie dolls. It's a way to talk about my hyperfixation without annoying people irl, who I annoy enough by talking about politics, constantly.

But the horrors happening in Gaza, to Palestinians, is so horrible, so beyond unforgivable, that I feel like I have to talk about it. And I have a platform now- reblogging things about Palestine will bring more attention to it and, who knows, maybe one person will feel motivated to do something. I can only hope.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

"Two years. We are all here 🇺🇦"

[radioactive-cloud]

those past few days are really testing my patience with some of the takes and opinions i've seen on the internet and i'm so fucking done with all of this i just want to delete all my accounts from everywhere and live somewhere in the woods (as far away from russia as i can) and to never come in contact with another human being again

[kyouka-supremacy]

Tbh the most surprising unprecedented and groundbreaking event of this year's esc is that all my favorite songs made it pass the first semifinals. That's never going to happen again btw

[renaissance35]

Personally I think everyone that goes on the enternet religiously, should really take this to mind and heart....

Because you could make a big mistake that you could regret. Ya know?

Holy Sunday on The right thing..

Ahh another reason why we love Jesus Christ, he makes it plane and simple, but with so much meaning. We've all been there, where we did or seen something we really wish we'd hadn't. For study's tonight I dare you guys to read the entire chapter 9 of Mark. 

Anyway have a great and blessed rest of the week. See you next Sunday☺️😄

Hey guys I appreciate all the likes and reblogs, but it would be nice if you'd give a tip. We're all going through it. ya know?🥺🙏

[medicinemane]

Man... the vast majority of people just uh... do not get geopolitical stuff at all

[thesearchforbluejello]

The best thing about this time of year is that Spotify doesn't count binges towards the next year's Wrapped, because I don't even know how many times I've listened to the OG version of Shum over the last week

[uglyandtraveling]

Ukrainian Festival 2024 - Toronto Canada (Urdu/ Hindi Vlog)

n this vlog you will see North America's largest Ukrainian Festival, right here in Toronto, Canada! Now in its 28th year, this vibrant celebration of Ukrainian culture takes over Bloor West Village every year, bringing together people from all walks of life to experience the rich traditions, food, music, and dance of Ukraine.

Whether you're looking to explore authentic Ukrainian cuisine, enjoy lively folk performances, or shop for unique artisanal crafts, this festival is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the Ukrainian spirit.

In my vlog you will witness the joyous occasion, celebrating the beauty of Ukrainian heritage in Canada at one of the biggest cultural festivals in North America!

Whether you're a local or a visitor, my vlogs offer a fresh perspective on Toronto's vibrant urban landscape. Therefore, subscribe my channel for more exciting travel vlogs showcasing the best of Toronto and beyond.

And if you enjoyed watching this video, please don't forget to like and comment leave your feedback. Thanks for watching! 🌷🌆🚶‍♂️

[purgaytorysupremacy]

as the grandchild of survivors of the Second World War on both sides, this has been a really hard thing for me to internalize. none of my grandparents (nor my parents) talked about WWII much. I don’t actually know that much about what my families were doing, only that it was bad. I have an entire branch of my family tree that’s just gone and (supposedly) no one knows why. where I grew up in Canada had a lot of Holocaust survivors because we had large Dutch and German communities already, and every year until I graduated high school, we were fortunate enough to hear firsthand stories from survivors.

the one thing my grandparents would say and those survivors would repeat in their talks, over and over, until it was seared in my brain: “Never look away. You can’t let this happen again. The least you can do is never look away.”

I took this lesson very seriously. I was plugged in to the news all the time. I felt so helpless and useless and hopeless, but I wasn’t going to do the people suffering through it the disservice of looking away. I donated my money and my time and hoped to get into international aid, even joined the military because Canada is the nation of peacekeepers (Listen, I was a kid lol) and Gen. Roméo Dallaire, the Canadian who led the peacekeeping mission in Rwanda, was my hero. (Even as it ruined his life.)

I don’t know if anyone reading this had this same experience. I don’t know many people IRL who had this message drilled in so completely. (Being a white first-generation Canadian as a millennial is like that sometimes.) And I ended up breaking. I just couldn’t keep watching everything and being utterly unable to do a damn thing about it. It made me feel like a bad person and like I failed not only my grandparents but all those who shared their stories, so few of them who are still alive to do so.

Thing is, my grandparents got their news from film reels and this new thing called radio. The photos and documentation they saw from the time, both now and contemporaneously, was sparse and edited and targeted, for better or worse. None thought we would someday live in a world where individual people can upload hours of no-context atrocities from anywhere at any time.

Obviously, the “Never Again” and “Don’t look away” aren’t literal, but the way we pay attention now is different than they would’ve in the 1940’s or 1970’s. No one taught me how to stay true to something that has become a core value while not collapsing into compassion and empathy fatigue to the point where I have to look away.

I don’t have an answer on that balance yet, but just understanding that there does need to be one has been incredibly helpful. That doomscrolling isn’t helping anyone. That paying attention doesn’t mean knowing everything about everything at all times. We have more information by orders of magnitude than even existed in my grandparents’ lifetimes. We have to choose what “not looking away” looks like for each of us in the cultural and activism environments we live in. No one is more virtuous or caring because they’ve exposed themselves to more trauma than someone else. It’s not sustainable. You’ve gotta keep your oxygen mask on.

A video that was really helpful in me noodling this out—it’s been a lifelong project, and I’m sure it will continue to be—was Hank Green’s vlog on Webs of Care.

None of us can do everything, but all of us can do anything.

Hi. Things are bleak, I know that. I know that we paid for Trump's last term with blood and it is likely the price will be blood again.

But listen to me. LISTEN.

You do not have to force yourself to witness horrors as an act of activism. It is not a form of activism. You can put your phone down, you can block that horrific video. We cannot win if you cannot fight and you will not be able to fight if you are hopeless.

Do not let them guilt you into this. People who are exhausted are easier to walk over. Take care of yourself, find community where you find joy.

[miraphoenix]

Trying to figure out what the fresh hell is going on right now is very difficult when two of the largest claims being made are, according to the major news sources I can find, unverified.

Link at the Forward about claims of rape (discusses claims made by other outlets as well; contains graphic detail of claims made) Link at CNN about beheadings

(If you click through those links, there will be graphic discussion. No pictures of the dead.)

If folks have links to verify things, let me know; all I'm getting are citation circles, which aren't exactly helpful in circumstances like these. Update: Have gotten some clarifying sources on the latter.

[short-wooloo]

Now that the trailer is out, it's probably best that I get this out of the way before acolyte releases

The Jedi are right about the Force and the dark side

The Jedi did not lose their way

The Jedi were not corrupted

The genocide of the Jedi was not their fault

The Jedi are not wrong for being part of the Republic, it is in fact a good thing

The Jedi are not arrogant for thinking the sith are gone

and while we're at it the sith are evil, always, end of discussion

The Jedi do not steal children

If someone wants to leave the Jedi, that's allowed, no one will stop them

The Jedi are right about attachment

Attachment is not love (SW uses the Buddhist definition because Lucas is a Buddhist and the Jedi are based off Buddhist monks, Buddhism defines attachment as being possessive or unwilling to let go of people or things)

The Jedi do not forbid emotions, they forbid being controlled by your emotions, you must control them

The Jedi are not forbidden from loving people, nor are they celibate, they just can't get married (big whup) because their duties must come first

Being peacekeepers doesn't preclude the Jedi from fighting in war, sometimes to keep the peace you have to fight back, especially when its against tyranny, see WWII (or Ukraine today)

Gray jedi are not a thing

The Jedi are not slavers or complicit in slavery

Oh and of course, the Jedi are not elitists for not training non Force sensitives, (Han voice) that's not how the Force works, dave filoni broke the rules so he could shoehorn sabine into a Jedi (to give the benefit of the doubt, I do believe sabine's role as ahsoka's apprentice was meant for an original character but things got condensed by executives, so maybe filoni isn't entirely to blame here)

(Edit)

The Jedi are not cops

The Jedi are not the government/the rulers of the Republic/galaxy

The Jedi do not persecute other Force groups

Padawans are not child soldiers

Feel free to add anything I forgot

Do not, DO NOT!! add anything Jedi critical, I'm done with it and won't hear it, don't have something nice to say? Then go away, I will block on sight, either reblog without comment (either in the reblog or the notes) or don't interact at all

[read-marx-and-lenin]

I'm asking this in good faith, but this is something I'm genuinely confused about. Regarding the Holodomor, or the Soviet famine of 1930 in general, why does it matter if it was a genocide or not? At best it seems to be a natural famine exacerbated by poor decision making, and while that is far different from a genocide, I don't understand why that specification matters, because it was still made worse by Soviet intervention, unless I'm getting the facts wrong which I probably am.

It matters to the Western propagandists who were insistent for decades despite zero evidence that the famine was used to commit atrocities against the people of Ukraine. The refrain the whole time was that once the Soviet archives were made public, they'd finally have the proof they needed. The archives are eventually opened, and surprise surprise, there's not only no evidence of the deliberate withholding of grain, there's evidence of significant amounts of food aid being sent to help alleviate the famine. The myth of a Ukrainian genocide began as Nazi propaganda and was adopted as part of the "double genocide" narrative by Western reactionaries after WW2 to downplay the crimes of the Nazis and to maintain a narrative about liberal opposition to "authoritarianism", painting Western capitalists as the "free world" fighting against both fascism and communism. (Don't ask them why they stopped fighting fascism after WW2 though.)

As for the human elements of the famine, it is also part of the typical Western narrative, even among those who admit the Holodomor was not a targeted anti-Ukrainian genocide and who admit that there were environmental factors, to try and put substantial amounts of blame on the Soviet collectivization of agriculture. I am not going to lie and say collectivization went smoothly with no issues, but you cannot ignore the factors of reactionary sabotage by kulaks (including the destruction of animals and grain and the outright murder of party officials) and the effects of Western sanctions and sabotage on the economic development of the USSR.

While some have argued that there was a complete "gold blockade" on the USSR during the famine and so the Soviet Union was forced to export grain to facilitate international trade, the blockade was never enforced by all Western nations at the same time and the Soviets were still able to export gold and silver at various times throughout the 1920s. It is true, however, that gold reserves were stretched thin at the time and the Soviets simply didn't have enough gold to cover their international debts. Soviet gold mines had never been extraordinarily productive and the rest of the Soviet economy was still developing at the time, so grain was one of the few things that they expected to have in surplus. In addition, there were various other sanctions in place by 1930 that did limit who they could trade with and what they could trade with, but the export of grain was almost never restricted. The famine caught them off guard at a very bad time.

While international grain exports were restricted during the famine as grain was diverted to famine-stricken regions of the country (and grain imports were increased as well), the problems with hoarding only worsened as in the panic of the famine, kulaks sought to exploit the people and create a profitable black market on grain. A struggle against the kulaks coincided with worsening environmental effects and the spread of disease among both crops and humans.

The famine was not man-made, it was not entirely natural, and it was not the inevitable outcome of collectivization. It was a perfect storm of a variety of factors. Stalin was not some heartless monster condemning millions of Ukrainians to death for daring to defy the glorious Soviet Union. He was not some idiot who had no idea what he was doing, plunging the nation into famine out of ineptitude. He was not a stubborn maniac who refused to abandon failing economic policies even at the cost of human lives. He was a human being, one of many in charge of the Soviet Union, dealing with concurrent disasters as best as they could.

[du-buk]

Hi! I appreciate the nice comments and support, especially on 8/11 day! 🦭💙 this is the 3rd, or 4th year of its release. (I should know this lol). However, I still wish to make some statements ⬇️

Thank you to everyone who support one guys work; ME! 8:11 is a huge passion project for me, and while I’m shy and never know how to react to compliments; just know that I appreciate all the support! The amount of fanart, fanworks, positivity, and support given towards me warms my heart. 💙🦭

I am often asked if the series will continue; it will, I am just a bit slow on the progress admittedly^^; financially it’s difficult to make time for it, and I’m working through a lot of my trauma in therapy at the moment. It’s what helps me create works for 8:11, like shown here!

(I also have to keep my eye in good health. Safety comes first!) however, I would appreciate if people listened to my mods+I when we ask people to refrain from breaking rules or being rude to my mods.

Please be patient with my mods and I.

I understand speaking in English can be difficult for some. I try to be accommodating for everyone, but excessively arguing with my mods about it stresses the team out. And we just want to have fun! Let’s all hold hands okay?

I want to create a fun environment for all 811 fans, even those across oceans and mountains. Let’s be kind to each other and if you see any nice fanworks, leave positive comments to encourage artists/creatives!

Thank you for all the support thus far again. And to make it clear; 🗣️ I hate p*dos, zoos, inc*st!!

🗣️Block and look away from those things. Don’t engage internet battles guys. I cannot control what some people create fanart of 8:11, I’m just one guy, and it’s best to just ignore what you don’t like seeing online.

🗣️ I stand with palest1ne, Ukraine, Sudan, human rights, and the environment!!!! Especially our earth and creatures that cannot vocalize their needs!!!!

[danyasblogsblog]

MA MEILLEURE ENNEMIE SIMON RILEY

based of the ‘lovers to rivals’ storyline of jinx and ekko from the series ‘arcane’ if you are HELL BENT on no spoilers for arcane, dont read!!

warnings : mentions of suicide, lovers to rivals trope, reader is a traitor to tf141, angst, beating, killing yk obvi

- you and your once-lover, simon ‘ghost’ riley, re-unite, but not in the way either of you had ever hoped.

the rival between you two was famous between the opposing teams.

the look of pure love and admiration once in both your eyes when you looked at eachother, now replaced with a cold, agitated glare.

but the way your body tensed up when you heard the name, simon riley, was what really got everyone going.

makarov’s shadow stretched upon the walls as his hands lingered over the paintings that scattered around the room. the glass of them reflected off the dim, cheap light in the meeting room, that flickered every few minutes. “the history.. you two have. is it still of any use?” his voice was slow, and you knew what makarov was trying to get you to agree too.

“i wouldnt want to talk to him. its a waste of time, this meeting, sir. captain price could tell him the same thing and he wouldnt agree.” you said, a sharp exhale leaving your mouth. “very well.” makarov’s voice was pointed, and you could tell he wasnt exactly pleased with your answer. not that you could care though- in your eyes, simon wasnt worth your time. but was it the same in your heart?

you stood up and went, the floorboards creaking under your weight as you got up. the dim lights in the meeting room captured your legs’ movements as a looming shadow whilst you turned the door handle and closed it behind you.

your mind flashed to the image of your once- lover. his brown eyes softer when he saw you. the way he would fumble on the battle field when he heard your voice on the comms. the way, sometimes. you missed him.

you remembered the way the task force would tease you two when you had been lovers.

“simon, shes your missus. dont be shy.”

the cheers of the boys’ agreement to price’s statement echoed in the empty safe house. continuous hours had been spent here in this room, joking and shitting around because there was quiet literally, nothing better to do. simon’s eyes, the only visible part of his scarred face, rolled. your quiet giggles as the commotion continued were heavenly sounds to simon.

chuckles escaped everyone’s lips as he grumbled, standing up to give you a kiss on the crown of your forehead. roars of laughter and cheers bounced off the walls. they were all like a family to you.

the family you once had.

they didnt know you were a traitor at that moment.

the memories plagued the back of your head as you walked to your barracks. the next mission you had was extra special- and you knew it was no coincidence that makarov had chosen you for this mission.

you had to sneak into the task force’s safe house over the border of georgia and ukraine. it was a difficult mission- practically suicidal to go through with due to the high stakes, travelling, and of course, task force 141. but you knew only the best, most trusted soliders of makarov’s would be chosen for this task. you knew this was a big deal, and you werent gonna give this opportunity up.

you sat on your thin mattress, your palms digging into your thighs as you thought of how you were slowly forgetting simon’s voice. the deep, gruff voice that soothed you to sleep so many times when nightmares embedded themselves into your head. almost forgotten.

your cracked lips parted as you thought about johnny, kyle and price. how they would kid around with you, treating you like your younger sister. the friendship you had with them was something special- but you couldnt let it happen. after all, it was your destiny to be a traitor.

your eyes scanned the room. the familiar scent of it was nothing new to you. the small cracks in the walls where the ceiling met the wallboards had paint barely clinging to it, and they just waiting for an opportunity to fall. your eyes landed on your sneakers, and old pair, from years before. they still fit, so you decided to just keep using the pair. but that wasnt the only reason.

the fairy lights shone in the dark sky, an embracing contrast. the slow french song blared from the speakers, drowning out most noise. most noise.

simon’s lips tickled your ear as he leaned into your scent, his mask lifted just above his mouth. his face showing was something only you and the task force could see, even if it was only the bottom half, and the scars that littered his jaw were something that truly showed his vulnerability around the people he trusted. you knew simon wouldnt just let anyone see the most sacred parts of his face, but he could trust you. or thats what he thought.

your heart thumped against your chest as you laughed at the cheesey, not at all funny jokes he whispered in your ear. over his shoulder, simon could see johnny and price drunkly giggling at kyle chugging whiskey. ouch. that would definitely come back to bite his ass tomorrow.

your sneakers stepped on his feet as you adjusted to the dance, mumbling a ‘sorry’ as you moved yourself away a bit. simon’s arms, which were wrapped around your waist, allowed themselves to squeeze tighter around your figure, trying to keep you as close to him as possible. “stay close to me.”

the moment felt long lasting, and the feeling of simon gently swaying you to the music made your heart thump harder around your chest. you were lost in your thoughts and love for him until…

“get a room!”

johnny’s voice boomed over the speaker just loud enough so you and simon could hear him. the cackle leaving your lips left your cheeks hurting, as you threw your head back in joy. simon chuckled, his lips curling up slightly. but his eyes werent on johnny, and it wasnt his annoying joke that made him laugh. the look of you genuinely enjoying yourself made him pleased. as if, all the pains he’d been through were worth this moment.

╰ ─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─ ╯

the safe house was cold and damp, and the chilly winter air snipped at your nose. you and your team had decided to split up, and your gun was clenched tightly in your hand, the sweat on your palm rubbing uncomfortably against the cold metal. you slowly let yourself creep around the walls of the desolate, but large, building. the large, glass-shattered paintings looked glossy as the moonlight shone against them. the peeling wallpaper were, most definitely, years old. your free hand rubbed against your jaw, the anxiety of the situation clear as your gut twisted every step you took.

then suddenly, you heard it.

a voice, sharing their bold opinions.

a voice, so familiar.

a voice that, once guided you through painful losses.

the voice of your once-lover.

you tip toed slowly to the direction of the melodic phonics leaving simon’s mouth, your gear shuffling against your vest every time your foot gently touched the ground. your breath hitched as the sound got louder the closer you got the furthest door. your eyebrows knitted and furrowed, as the voice you had once almost forgotten, was now in your ear. you could hear other voices in the background aswell, familiar too. the scottish accent and the voices of your father-figure and best friend let themselves revel in your head as you gently pressed your ear against the door. could it really be them?

then it all stopped.

you could hear a clatter coming from the other side of the house, echoing through the ripped wallpaper and cracked walls. you could hear a meek voice on your comms from your teammate, announcing that you guys had to run.

your footsteps guided you backwards slowly, until you were full on running, sprinting out of the house. suddenly, the long corridor to the exit seemed so far, and the paintings of people laughing and sipping wine taunted you as your feet picked up the pace, pounding against the ground.

you knew the task force had heard it, because if you could, theres no way that they couldnt. you reached the end of the corridor, but the door was locked. you fumbled with the knob, pulling and twisting until it damn near came off. you could barely hear anything over your wild panting, and you could only think of who was going to open that door. would it be price, the man you thought of as your father? could it be kyle, the man who trained you and gave you all the jokes you had now? or would it be your once-lover, simon, the man you once talked about marriage and children with?

you wiped your still-sweaty palms on your clothed thighs, before trying to jiggle the knob again, your desperation seeping through your, usually, stone cold appearance. you swapped your gun to your other hand, using it to try and pull the door open.

your pants and quiet pleads were pathetic, honestly. you kicked the bottom of the door, praying that the wood was moulded and would be easy to kick open. but you remembered that life wasnt so easy.

over the sounds of your heavy breathing, you could hear the faint sound of the door on the opposite side of you open with a slow ‘creeeeaaaakkkk!’

you could feel your heart practically sink.

you slowly turned around, your eyes laced shut, not ready to see who was standing before you on the other side of the hall. you could barely hear anything over the sound of your heart thumping against your sternum, as if it was trying to escape.

your eyes opened.

the tall, broad man with brown eyes was the harsh welcome you were met with. simon’s eyes, once so kind and forgiving to you, were empty and glaring.

a small laugh escaped your lips, realising the gravity of the situation. you got caught. it was the first time simon had seen you since you disappeared.

you remembered leaving in the middle the night for makarov’s helicopter when you found out there was written evidence supporting the fact you were a traitor. nobody could risk you being tortured, especially since you were such an asset to makarov.

your eyes creased as you let your lips curl upwards, pressing into the sides of your face.

“my best enemy,” you chuckled. “im here to greet you!”

your words were cruelty said, and the tone of amusement masked how nervous you truly were. a snicker pulled itself out of your mouth, reverberating at the back of your throat.

“why’d you do it?”

simon’s voice was no longer the sweet, melodic thing it used to be. now, it was harsh, unforgiving and unwelcoming. jeez, you thought, is this even simon?

“you know what they say,” you took a step forward, a chuckle leaving your lips. “keep your enemies close.” a wicked grin cast itself upon your face.

simon lunged towards you, but not in the way someone would a hug.

the wild look in his eyes. you knew he wasnt fucking around.

he tackled you to the ground, practically flying onto you. his, already battered, fists landed themselves onto your face, smashing themselves into your cheeks and mouth, wiping the crooked smile of your face.

the face he once kissed.

the face he once loved, so dearly. trusted so much, when everything seemed so impossible. the face he took pride in showing off, flaunting you practically everywhere.

the smile he once loved, was replaced with the smirk of a devil.

simon looked down onto your, already bloody, face. the crimson leaked from your busted lip and your nose. your mouth was like a mirror of the glass-shattered paintings on the walls, but instead of a little smile, you had an afraid wince casted upon your features.

the look of fear in your eyes was almost impossible to ignore. you let simon’s deep brown eyes meet yours, and the hateful, malicious look on his face softened so quickly into one of hesitation and regret.

he watched the blood trickle down your chin as you whispered a ‘please’ with the strength you still barely had in the moment. after all, simon’s punches werent some shit to giggle at.

his eyes met yours, and he practically melted. the memories flooded back to him, you could tell.

but he didnt know about how your gun was still in your hand, and how it was basically lingering behind his back.

the worst to both of you, was, indeed, you and i.

ma meilleure ennemie.

[myebi]

art vs artist 2024 ✨ can't believe we're here!

i've been thinking about this year a little bit these past few days, with the holidays being under special circumstances for me. the past month passed quickly but very gently, which I'm grateful for all things considered. i think it's now safe to say that after some reflecting 2024 was one of - if not the - best year of my life. I've never experienced such a whirlwind of gratifying experiences in the span of twelve months: i met so many new and nice people, had my first con experiences in amazing settings and my first job opportunities in a field i wanted an experience in for a long time, traveled the world somehow, got 10x more attached to my characters than i already was - and I'm quitting the year with just as many projects as i did when i entered it. granted, new problems came up and still persist, but with every year that passes i get one step to catching up with the anxiety and fears that hold me back, and it's that one step that each time allows me to surpass fear and welcome something new. every leap of faith partially led to the beautiful things i experienced throughout the year like a ripple effect (partially). it's gratifying and humbling in equal measure. so cool!!

art wise, i'm a lot more satisfied with the direction my art is taking than i used to be in the past two years. i came up with brush settings that shifted my line dynamic and i discovered a new rendering technique i really enjoy that allows me to balance time-efficient with textured together. i think my art has been getting a lot more expressive and while sometimes it makes me feel like I'm straying away from a more sanitized, thought through illustrative style, maybe it's worth it for the feelings to be conveyed the way i want them to. i haven't gotten to a point where i'm experimenting with my shapes, compositions and palettes in a way that shakes up my habits in a good way, but I'll get there.

I've also come to realize while making the meme that i actually have very few finalized personal works to show this year! i made most of my personal work posts on a time rush (they usually were made for specific days). I've been working on a set of drawings that required some tweaking and a few days to sketch properly, but the result is worth it, I'm so proud of them!! i wanted to get them out before the NY but it convinced me that rendering had to take its time as well, i don't always want to rush things nowadays. being on a time limit and taking all the time necessary are both good drawing exercises nonetheless.

lots of rambling, but i had lots of thoughts. I'm so grateful that some people are still in my life as we inch toward the new year. to my moulin squad, to my tol staw, to all the new friends i made this year, to my kitty, to my family. i love you like the world. and of course, to all the people who follow my work from up close or from afar, thank you so much. to know i bring a bit of inspiration, thought and color into your day has a lot more worth to me than you can imagine. thank you for manifesting your interest and your support whenever you do!! 🙏

i hope you all have safe and healthy holidays 💛 drive safely and tell your loved ones you love them. my thoughts are with Ukraine and the people of Palestine.