#but also SIGNS ARE THERE FOR YOU TO READ AND LEARN

[macromoss]

the president is racist. he’s putting poc in camps. he’s also transphobic. what do you think happens next???

this is why prison reform is so crucial. when civil rights get violated in a prison, that’s a telltale sign that the people in charge don’t give a shit about minorities.

did we learn nothing from orange is the new black?! remember how hard the black trans lady had to fight just be be treated the same as everyone else? how much of a fuss she had to make just to get to be imprisoned with the other women??? even though she had transitioned and passed????

the main character is a white woman. who voluntarily turns herself in for drugs. she quickly learns how big a mistake that was. the writers of that show chose to tell a story about systemic oppression from the perspective of a privileged person to make a point. about intersectionality.

if you’re reading this, please practice your critical thinking skills. watch content about people who are different than you. and remember that Everyone is a Biased Source.

I don't know if people genuinely aren't putting 2 and 2 together

But when Trump is arguing that native americans "don't have birthright to live here" and is trying to "deport them"

It means we go in the same camps immigrants are going in

Mexico and other countries aren't taking the immigrants the US is "trying" to send back, he's going to kill us

The US is making death camps, and they are taking everyone they find undesirable to send there

Natives count as the undesirables too.

[leonkennedybreedingkink]

BREATHPLAY

ex!leon kennedy x fem!reader

notes: this year has been a lot so far LOL but part of this fic is based on my meditations after a breakup from a long term relationship so enjoy. descriptions of a rocky relationship, maybe a makeup? drunk sex (both lol), sub!leon and dom!reader, some religious tones. also shoutout to @vaaaaaiolet for safe when i fall i think i got inspired by that one :).

Leon and you never really meshed. Rough edges against other rough edges doesn’t mean sanding down so you’ll fit together nicely.

He’s uniquely good at pissing you off. He leaves the toilet seat up (you put it down), he doesn’t like cooking (“I have cereal,” he says, but muscles like those in his arms don’t live off cereal), he refuses to leave his shoes by the door and tracks in mud/dirt/snow/slush/leaves on the floor and your heart (no matter how many times you make him mop up his mess), he’s contrarian for the sake of having something to argue about (read: talk about).

Sheepish schoolboy through and through, no matter how old or grizzled he gets.

The one thing you two could agree on was always the bedroom, he was much easier to bear when he just shut the fuck up for once and put his mouth to better uses. He was always happy to worship at your altar, anyway.

You, oh, you. Leon loves you to bits, you’re his favorite mule. On one hand, stubbornness got you almost everything you wanted, him included. On the other, you’re almost impossible to deal with when you get in a certain way.

Leon likes to feel manly every once in a while, you know?

You also don’t tell him when you’re pissed, you just shut the hell up and shut him out until you’re ready to talk to him, practically scrubbing the dishes until the nonstick coating comes off.

Something you two implicitly agreed on was to hang on—and, boy, was that a mistake. People always say that you should stick it out, a rough patch is just that, you’ll come out stronger together.

What they don’t tell you is that some things are past the salvageable point and it’s better to know when to quit.

There was a lot of yelling that night before Leon packed up his shit and finally left.

You’d had a while of peace, it felt good, organic even, to get Leon out of your system in all the ways that could be meant.

Story of your fucking life that nobody else could get you off the way Leon can. It doesn’t even come down to skill, it just comes down to good old capacity to give a shit—but that’s what you get when you fuck a guy or three after your ex, who you were with for a handful of years, who had the opportunity to learn what makes you break open.

To you, this breakup felt like swimming to the surface after a few years under water.

Leon had the opposite sort of idea. He didn’t want to touch anyone else, he didn’t want to look at any other woman but you. He deleted your nudes off his phone in a drunken haze, so it’s only memories that get him off when he’s drunk—that is, if whiskey dick hasn’t struck him yet again.

(Another one of your complaints.)

Every time you said you’d go to your friends, they discouraged you from ever talking to him again. They went so far as to take your phone and change the contact name to DON’T EVER FUCKING CALL, changing the profile picture from Leon giving you bunny ears in a mirror selfie to a red stop sign.

You kinda miss Leon the way you miss a bruise, pressing on it a little longer for the hurt and for it to stay. Oh, the love was there too, and you two still yelled at one another or gave the silent treatment until someone (him) broke, walking to you on his knees.

Half a year goes by without you thinking about Leon as much as you could perhaps be. You came real close to breaking after about month two without freshly mopped floors because someone was so excited to be home with you that he forgot to take off his shoes, your friends saved you at the last second.

Month seven is when things get a little rocky. Spring’s coming again, even if the ground’s a little frosty still. Leon texts you first around eleven-fifty at night, when you’re scrolling on your phone in bed.

Hey.

What the fuck? You have to stare at the screen unseeingly for a moment, then blink, squeezing your eyes shut and opening them again to a simple greeting. You can almost imagine the tone he’s taking—he takes that one with you after he starts an argument with you just to talk to you about something.

God, back. Get a fucking hold of yourself.

Oh, hell. He’s texting.

I miss you.

Fuck.

Sluggish thumbs pause and hover over the screen.

Do you?

Like a limb. Is his immediate response. The next, a blurry pic of him raking his hand through his hair, gold chain glinting in the flash.

Christ on a cracker.

You can almost feel the chain in your hand the longer you look at it. The pleasantly surprised look on Leon’s face when you first grabbed the chain to carefully tug him closer is still burned in your mind, that’s what gets you off some days. Well, that and the other things you two did.

Come over? Startles you out of your reverie. Baby Christ in the manger with the sheep. Is this really you? Are you the type of bitch to go back to your ex, even for a night? Would future you be disappointed?

Yeah. Be there in ten. Future you is gonna be well-dicked, if and when she beats you up about this.

All Leon sends is his address as you kick off the covers and dress hurriedly, practically running out of your apartment.

You got there in seven. You take care to look nonchalant as you get out of your car, shutting it with a hip and locking it. You shove your keys into your pocket and scope out the apartment numbers as you get up onto the curb, then the sidewalk.

Your foot skids on a stair and you curse, glad you had a hand on the railing as you pause before continuing your ascension.

You barely finish knocking before the door opens, Lazarus fresh from the tomb in all his disheveled glory before you. Your heart’s in your throat. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Leon twists to the side, allowing you in.

Talk about a bachelor pad. You scope out the place as you toe off your shoes, leaned halfway against the wall.

TV’s on, he’s watching something. There’s vodka bottles littering the coffee table and only one light on in a corner of the room.

The door latches behind you and Leon stifles a hiccup into a fist. “You got here quick.” He says, sidestepping you fluidly and going over to the couch. He sits back down, swallowing some more vodka.

Your face goes hot. “I was overcompensating to not fall asleep at the wheel.” You shrug off your jacket, revealing your baggy shirt. There’s nowhere to hang it, so you drop it on the floor and walk over to the couch, plopping down. Ew, it’s pleather.

Leon snorts into his drink and you try not to gawk at his biceps. “Right.” He agrees solemnly, swallowing a little more vodka before he gets up, getting you a tumbler. He looks fucking delicious. “One or two.”

You hate straight vodka. “One.” Why the fuck not? That’s the flinch, isn’t it?

Leon pours you a shot and clinks your glasses together, passing it to you with his finger inside the rim.

You down it without tasting it, and so does he. You lean forward and pour another, swallowing it down with a burn lingering in your nose. When you have about four shots in your system, Leon speaks up.

“You know, people were right when they said that love is not enough.” He muses, swirling his glass around. Some sloshes over his hand and he slurps it up loudly. “Wasn’t for us.”

Your tongue feels heavy. Despite that, you don’t disagree.

When you’re silent for a little while, buzzed mind attempting to work, he scoffs. “Stop clamming up. It’s me.”

“That’s why I’m clamming up.” You snap after a moment, offense cutting through your buzz. “Because it’s you.”

Leon looks a little less pleased, pink mouth twisting and dipping at the corners. He downs a shot and pours another. You follow, plucking at your shirt to cool down as you sit back against the pleather upholstery.

“We were good, though, right?”

You watch the light play off his face, the blue light and shadows sharpening his features. “Sometimes.” You muster after a while, looking down at your shot glass. “When it was bad, it was bad.”

“Rough patches.” Leon mutters back, though he doesn’t seem to really agree. He sets his empty shot glass on the coffee table and sits back, lacing his fingers together behind his head as he watches the muted TV.

That v-line, he always made such pretty noises when you got to that. “Seems like the patches were the relationship.” You take another shot.

Leon shrugs without looking at you. Prick.

Another shot, more silence before you break it, feeling hot all over. “Did you call me over just to drink?”

Leon’s eyes flick over to you, skating over your features. He loved you, maybe. Loves? “Not really.”

Right. You always come when called.

“I just needed you close to me. Even for a moment.” He admits, eyes dropping from the TV to the coffee table.

He stinks of vodka and sweat when you crawl into his lap, ultraviolet eyes flashing wide for a moment before his hands settle on your hips, thumbs swiping over your bunny pajama pants. Muscle memory.

“You know what they say.” You lean in, eyes flicking between his eyes and his mouth, “Drunk words—“

“Are sober thoughts.” Leon finishes for you, chin tipping up as his eyes lid halfway. “You really are a broken record.”

“Fuck you.”

“You will.” Leon tastes like vodka and iron when he closes the distance between you, his lips slightly chapped. Nervous habit of his, he bites his lips.

It’s a little like being able to breathe. Maybe. It just feels really fucking good.

Leon pulls off your pants somehow, landing a smack to your ass to see the offended look you give him. You scratch him a little in return when you tug down his pants, he turns redder than his alcohol flush and dick jumping behind his boxers.

“Missed these most, fuckin’ hell.” Leon squeezes your tits when he gets your shirt off, leaving a kiss on the right side.

“Did mommy not breastfeed you?” You mock him as you tug his boxers down, rising up on your knees as he leaves you to struggle with his clothes. That vodka left you a little wetter than usual, it seems.

Leon leaves a half-gentle bite and you hiss, digging your nails into his thigh. “Dunno—“ You cut him off with a slow descent, back straightening as you hold in what could be a very incriminating noise. “You wanna try?” He says behind gritted teeth, eyes falling shut with a relieved expression.

You give a strained scoff, digging your nose into his cheek as you lace your arms around his neck, rolling your hips against his.

Leon whines behind a closed mouth, pressing his cheek against yours as his hands wander up and down your sides. You get to watch his eyes roll back when you lace your fingers in his hair and tug. His blunt nails dig into your skin, another louder whine leaving him.

Hitting all his weak spots coupled with the first time with you in a few months has him hurtling over the edge sooner than expected. Honestly, you too.

“In?” Leon pants, eyes opening behind his sweaty bangs, hips jumping to meet yours midway. “Out? How do you want me?”

Thank God, your thighs are beginning to burn. “In.” You leave a wet kiss on his cheek, reaching down with your other hand to fumble with your clit.

He comes right before you do, a pathetic sounding whine leaving him as he spills inside you. You collapse against him, panting for breath and sated in a way you haven’t been for a while.

While you collect yourselves and your dignity, Leon’s hands keep moving up and down your back and sides, soft puffs of breath blowing your hair.

It’s dead silent in the apartment, save only for your breaths. Sweat sticks you two together, you grimace as you peel yourself off him, flopping off to his side and making a mess (what a waste).

Silence reigns for a while longer as you pick at Leon’s fake leather upholstery, a million and one things on your mind. “We can’t be friends.” You mutter after a while.

Leon watches you, sweaty hair sticking up at every angle. “No.” He agrees after a silent moment, not bothering to slap your hand away as you keep picking at his fake leather couch. “I don’t think we ever could be.”

You shake your head, eyes on the patchy upholstery. “And we aren’t lovers.”

Leon shoves his hand beneath yours and holds it so you stop picking at the upholstery. “We could be.”

“Maybe.” But you know him and his soft heart. Beneath it, your heart’s soft too. “We’ll fight, though.”

Leon’s finger runs across your palm. “I like our fights.”

You close and open your hand around his finger. “And we only ever seem to communicate when you’re inside me.”

Leon shrugs. “We should just be physical.”

Round and round in circles we go.

[onceinamillionposter]

Yandere!L&D band headcannons

a/n : i literally just felt silly so I mean why not

Lead Vocalists : Rafayel

Drums: Sylus

Guitarist : Zayne

Guitarist : Xavier

Lead rapper : Caleb

With you as the manager !

Right off the bat, it was hell. You got fired from your last gig because your last managing job didn’t quite work out with a whole money laundering scheme being run behind the scenes and you having no idea, you were broke to say the least.

That was before you got that DM, the old manager of the L&D boys is retiring , and apparently you would be a good fit- although your face was all over the news. You practically jumped to the opportunity, signing your life away as you knew it.

You got situated slowly, being introduced to the members - Caleb and you hit it right off the bat , as well as Xavier and Rafayel but Zayne and Sylus were quite distant.

You learnt about them, Caleb would often pick on the others , Rafayel would be trouble just for the fun of it , Zayne was busy reading books and sketching new designs for the band and Sylus was often talking to two twins? You never pried and he never told. Xavier would always be asleep on the common room couch but would wake up when you were desperate for things done.

You had gotten used to the routine, managing accounts would have Rafayel sitting scrolling on his phone in your office often asking ,”Do your eyes not get tired looking at the screen? Why don’t we just go out!” Often you were able to get him to stop bothering you but sometimes he would drag you out regardless making it a bit too intimate.

When it was spring cleaning day , you and Zayne often bonded in silence, sometimes you asked the him about his interests, learning he’s a fan of medicine and drawing anatomy which garnered your attention so you would discuss about what you knew.

Sylus and you would work out at the gym, turning into a competition sometimes. He would help you box and you would show him pilates which he never (openly) struggled with. Sometimes you guys would go on morning runs - very early runs just so people don’t get the wrong idea.

Caleb, and you would bond over board games - monopoly, uno, hell even chess! Anything to keep the day moving. Also investing in the newest consoles (he has the bank of a billionaire he just wanted to tease) , and surprising you with them became normal. Just dance was an interesting time!

And finally Xavier, you and him watched movies and shows together and it was so fun - for you - often enough Xavier just fell asleep but when he woke up, you would cook together or at least try. He burnt more than cooked but that way okay, cause in the end the cupcakes were edible- sure they weren’t the best but they were consumable (when you look past the dark crust)!

You usually had to help them get things set up, stages, events and outfits. Everytime the tailor came in you figured that you would be sitting in a different room but for some reason or the other, everyone - minus Zayne - found a reason for you to be taking their measurements. Shirtless , might I add.

Rafayel claimed the tailor was incompetent - as if a novice like yourself would be any better , Caleb said that the tailor kept scratching at him - you took a peak at the nails and they were the dullest acrylic’s you had ever seen , Xavier said they made him uncomfortable but they had a squeaky clean record last time you checked and Sylus - ever honest - simply said “I hate them.” (you had to make them sign a non disclosure agreement after all of this)

One way or another you slowly were apart of their daily routines. But then the stranger things came, the weird lack of dating claims, back before you became manager there was tons of women that were accused of being with them but suddenly it was quiet. Too quiet, and then the first leak of you came with you and Sylus in an uncomfortably ,weirdly, intimate position. Slowly the media turned heads, it was strange it had been awhile since they had been in. any romantic spectacles and the media love drama.

Another time was Rafayel holding your hand and you holding his plushies he won at the arcade, him dragging you to the next stand. At the time it was anything but romantic but now it looked like a common date? To say the media blew up was a surprise, you had to practically beg Rafayel to make a video clarifying it was just getting him new stuff for his room.

Again a stupid photo really, Caleb holding your clip board so high you had to get on your tippy toes, it was backstage so you had to guess it was the people backstage who were working that took that awfully blurry photo- a pain it was really.

You and Zayne- to your surprise- also got a photo! Hooray! You took him out to satisfy his sweet tooth, he insisted he couldn’t work without it - (he just wanted you to himself) - maybe it was the setting? It being a kitty cafe but you know what - you still don’t know but it garnered attention , another tweet to the main profile for the boys.

But the worst, Xavier resting his head on your shoulder after a long day at the studio. He was so close, too close for you to even make an excuse at the time. But either way the criticism rolled in,

“L&D boys pass around,” “Manager managing all 5 boys”, “Common whore?” It frustrated you so deeply you wished to quit the job as much as you were payed , deciding it wasn’t worth it. But you didn’t know , they weren’t giving you up like that. Not when they slowly loved you, not yet.

[nellasbookplanet]

What with cr3 ending and me having semi-recently read dungeon meshi and currently replaying mass effect, I find myself pondering characters coming back from the dead and the nature of (happy) endings.

The thing is, I generally prefer a happy ending, and I don’t really agree with takes that they're boring. I do, however, want my happy endings to feel earned, and not in a 'the characters went through a lot of hardships and deserve it' way but in a 'this is narratively satisfying' kind of way. Dungeon meshi (which I'm about to massively spoil) ends in an incredibly happy way, with virtually no one dying, and a huge cast of characters coming together to resurrect the lead's dead loved one. However, the plot throughout also massively focuses on the inevitability of death and of how to handle mourning and moving on. It features a character who, like Keyleth, has a very long lifespan and is desperately seeking a way to save herself the suffering of seeing loved ones die, even as they repeatedly tell her they don’t want the 'solutions' she’s offering. In the end, she does come to terms with things, and before attempting the resurrection admits she’s no longer as scared of the possibility of it failing or losing people in general because now she knows how to move on and find new happiness. When the resurrections succeeds, it doesn’t feel like a cop out or her backsliding in her growth, but rather as immensly satisfying. The nature of the happy ending is also overall tempered by very real consequences from the adventure that will never go away, rather than everything being saccharine.

In mass effect (which I'm also about to massively spoil), the player character comes back from having spent 2 years dead in the second game, and has the chance to try to rekindle a romance from the first game (assuming you romanced that particular character to begin with). Except, she doesn’t take you back. She has spent 2 years mourning and building herself up as a new person, and she’s terrified of losing you again to a looming galactic war and having to do it all over again. She can’t just pick up where you left off. Of course, you can still convince her with the right choices, but it’s made clear it isn't easy, and she does have to come to terms with that it’s not only possible but likely that she’ll lose you again (and indeed, by the end of the trilogy she does). You know by the end of it that she has grown.

I'm not opposed to Vax coming back, especially not with the overhanging consequences both of him and Keyleth having inherently changed as people and therefore having to build something new rather than pick up where they left off, and of him still being beholden to his duty as a champion first. Having a character cursed to outlive everyone she loves find a partner who's kind of undead and won’t die is kind of neat actually. The problem is, Keyleth shows little sign that she has learned the lesson so beautifully portrayed in dungeon meshi and mass effect. She still can’t move on from losing a loved one, still can’t accept both the inevitability of loss and how she, as an incredibly long lived person, will have to experience it over and over again. She explicitly asks Vax if he would come back to her if the Raven Queen died/was killed, all but implying she’d support this end if he said yes (he didn’t). At no point does she accept that he is truly dead. And while I'm happy she has Vax back, I'm also saddened it didn’t happen in a way that conveyed true growth of character.

[fatfemmefreaquency]

i’m seeing a lot of people shocked by child marriage in the US—so here are some quick sources and resources to give a sense of the magnitude of the problem and also what various nonprofit organizations and activists are doing to combat it

Unchained at Last (an organization that specifically works to end child marriage and forced marriage in the US) did a comprehensive study & lit review back in 2021. you can read a summary of it and get a link to the full article and its findings here:

Equality Now has a simple (quick read) write up on some of the legal loopholes that allow for child marriage and protect sexual predators from rape charges if they are married to their victims:

if listening to a podcast or recording is more accessible to you than reading, then PBS’ Frontline did an audio documentary on child marriage that is both comprehensive and involves interviews with survivors, people involved in the justice system, and activists who are involved in the fight to end child marriage in the US (this link has both a link to the recording and to a transcript):

Freedom United (a nonprofit that opposes modern slavery) has a primer on child marriage in the US which discusses some of the growing momentum to end child marriage in the US and ways in which they are intervening—it also has some relevant sources linked in the footnotes:

finally, and perhaps most importantly, last year (in 2024) a child marriage prevention act was introduced in Congress—the future of this bill is very much up in the air under the current administration. Here’s a write-up on it from Tahirih Justice Center (an nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence and forced marriage)

if you are an american citizen, please consider contacting your representatives to voice support of this act

China really did hit us with a cultural revolution by doing literally nothing. Seeing regular people from two geopolitical rivals do something as unprecedented as simply talk to each other is one of the few things giving me hope right now.

[lost-rxverie]

study tips: early signs of burnout

you're mid-way through the semester and everything is going great. you're keeping up with your classes, you're learning new things, you're happy and productive and motivated. and then, out of the blue, it all falls apart.

sound familiar? when you're busy, it's easy to ignore the gradual build-up of stress and exhaustion that leads to burnout. here are some ways i keep tabs on myself to recognize when i need a break – and do it BEFORE things get out of hand.

getting easily distracted

it's important to take breaks while you're studying, but i know i'm approaching my burnout threshold when i'm taking breaks by accident instead of purposefully setting aside time to give my brain a rest. these inadvertent breaks might look like scrolling on social media for 30 minutes when you only wanted to find that one video or watching a TV show you're not even enjoying just to procrastinate on an assignment. this might mean your body needs more down time than you're giving it, and that's a signal to adjust before things get worse.

not keeping up with self-care

this one's easiest in conjunction with my habit tracker, but you don't need anything quite so regimented to notice when some of your self-care habits are falling by the wayside. some weeks i'll find that while i'm doing fine staying on top of schoolwork, i'm having trouble finding the extra time to get enough sleep or practice piano or read for fun. this is fine in the short term, but it's an early warning sign that i'm not taking great care of myself.

that extra cup of coffee

i love an iced latte as much as the next studyblr blogger, but when i'm reaching for a cup of coffee every morning and some afternoons, i know it's a sign that my natural energy levels aren't keeping up with my workload. usually, some extra rest on the weekend helps me reset.

loss of structure and routine

do you ever get the feeling that every day is just blending into the next, with no clear sense of how fast time is passing? it's one of my least favorite feelings and also an indication that the routines that help differentiate my days aren't working for me. this usually means i need to ease up a bit and work on putting intention back into my day-to-day activities.

remember: your brain and body will tell you when you need to rest, and it's okay to take that break. the worst thing you can do for your productivity is force yourself to be productive 24/7.

what are some things you do to keep tabs on your stress levels?

[honey-bitch]

୨⎯ Ceres in the Houses ⎯୧

Ceres named after the roman goddess ceres (persephone's mother). She represents the harvest the bearer of fruits and In the birth chart she represents how you were nurtured and how you nurture others. This is the continuation of my previous post Ceres in the Signs.

Ceres in the 1st house : With Ceres here, nurturing is practically built into your personality. You're naturally caring, and people probably gravitate towards you for support. You're also good at taking care of yourself – which is super important!

Ceres in the 2nd house: Here, Ceres connects nurturing with the things you value. Security, both financial and material, is important to you. You might show your care by providing for others' needs in a tangible way.

Ceres in the 3rd house: Communication is key for you. Sharing ideas, knowledge, and just connecting with others feeds your soul. You probably nurture through words and by being a good listener.

Ceres in the 4th house :Home and family – that's where your heart is. You likely have a strong connection to your roots and love creating a cozy, nurturing environment for the people you love.

Ceres in the 5th house: Fun, creativity, and self-expression are your jam! You nurture yourself and others through play, hobbies, and all things that bring joy. If you have kids, you're probably a very involved and loving parent.

Ceres in the 6th house: Health and well-being are a big deal for you. You might show your care through acts of service, helping others with their daily routines, or focusing on health and wellness. You probably find comfort in routines.

Ceres in the 7th house:Relationships are where it's at for you. You nurture through companionship, support, and building strong connections with others, especially partners.

Ceres in the 8th house: You're drawn to deep emotions and transformation. You might nurture others by helping them through tough times or sharing intimate experiences. You're not afraid of vulnerability.

Ceres in the 9th house: You're a seeker! Learning, exploring, and expanding your horizons are essential for your growth. You probably nurture others by sharing your wisdom and different perspectives on the world.

Ceres in the 10th house: Your career or public life might be a place where you express your nurturing side. You might be a natural leader, or find fulfillment in helping others achieve their goals.

Ceres in the 11h house: Community matters to you. You probably find joy in connecting with like-minded people and contributing to something bigger than yourself. You might be involved in humanitarian efforts or group activities.

Ceres in the 12th house: This is a more introspective placement. You might be deeply connected to your inner world and find peace in solitude and spiritual practices. You probably nurture others through compassion and empathy, often in quiet or behind-the-scenes ways.

©️ 2024 honey-bitch All Rights Reserved

DISCLAIMER: this post is a great generalisation and may not resonate with you. I would recommend buying a reading from a professional astrologer to get more insight

[wolftarotcrafts]

Hello everyone, This was suggested by @miraclekay97. Thank you!

If you want to leave a suggestion, you can go to this post and leave a comment there.

On my Ko-fi I currently have two free readings on there if you would like to check them out.

Pile One:

Pile one for your future spouse. I think they are in a pretty good place, actually. I think they don't have too many worries, and I think money-wise they have a pretty good, stable income, and I think they're pretty grounded. I think they also have some hobbies that keep them grounded. I also see them just having fun and spending time with friends and dating around. I don’t see anything too crazy going on. Overall, I would say your future spouse is doing really well.

Extra: 4, 16, 19, 20, 26, 444, Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo, Money, Love, Songs, coffee shop, tea cups, cozy, warm, Golden, stability, stable, safe keeping, pastries, Europe, French, black hair, long hair, bold hair colors, manifestation, visualization, meeting, winning in life.

Pile Two:

Hello, pile 2. I see that your future spouse may currently be in a little bit of a rut. And something is causing them a little bit of distress, but I think they're going to get out of it pretty soon. I don't see this as being like a huge, big, scary thing. This is the type of problem that they'll laugh at in a year. I see money-wise they're doing pretty good, just like pile 1. They're very stable with money, and I think right now they're just focusing on their creative pursuits. Some of them might be into music or in that realm, but I think they are just focusing on their own hobbies, and they're doing pretty good. They just have a lot of creativity flowing through them right now, and they're doing pretty good.

Extra: 17, 19, 41, 49, 888, Canadian, songs, tall, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, water signs, fire signs, earth, swan, archery, friend, divine masculine, June, soulmate, pale skin, straight hair, solo time, writing, lucky, Apollo.

Pile Three:

Pile three I think your future spouse's life is maybe a little bit hectic at the moment. I think they may be going to school or something, maybe deciding what they want to do or just taking up a class. I see something about karmic, like some karmic debt. I don't see them struggling too much, but I do see them learning lessons, and I think those lessons are going to make them stumble a little bit, but they'll be able to get back up soon, and I think these life lessons are really important for them to learn so they will be able to grow. I think these lessons will really shape them into a better person, because I see there's a little bit of ego death too.

Extra: 17, 23, 35, 36, 666, J, B, Scorpio, Libra, life lessons, black hair, Arcane, Karmic, Money, decisions, Feb, Ego, yellow, colorful, Brazilian, Hawaii, out of state, classes, learning, studying, focus.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for the support, and I hope you enjoyed the reading.

[imaluvsj7]

💌 ─── DISCUSSION AND OPINIONS

Hi everyone I was very hesitant to post about the whole situation but considering I'm pro-pal and pro-boycotter along with it I have used my account on twitter to always advocate and learn about pal and zionism I didn't wanted to stay silent on blr and give my opinions and discuss about the matter. So before anyone says let it go or just discuss in dms or anything — this is about artists associated with zionism which shouldn't be taken lightly at all and we all should learn and educate rather than sweeping everything under the rug. Before you read my opinion, I want to remind you this doesn't mean we can throw hate at any of them, holding people accountable and educating them is different than dragging them.

For context :: @cupidhoons aka liz, she posted one of her works with ‘Lana Del Rey’ — who is an American singer along with a proud zionist and because of that post Liz received comments and criticism.

About Lana Del Rey and her association with zionism :: she signed a letter thanking biden while he was funding the gaza genocide and also stated “We all want freedom for Israelis and Palestinians” which makes a neutral statement and before anyone says she has taken stand for Palestine — she clearly stated in her statement thanking Biden who is a zionist himself and only Hamas being blamed for the genocide in Palestine where she never once mentioned that Israel is doing ethenic cleansing and slaughtering people of Palestine and gaza, as soon as she supported Biden that was it!!

Now, About @cupidhoons or lizs’ statement along with the provided screenshos ::

WHEN she replied to one of the anons regarding the ‘separating art from artists’, it sounded very dismissive and ignorant towards the whole situation also if you're using a zionists’ song that have chances of some of the viewers will visit the song and give it a listen although I do understand it wasn't exactly ‘promoting a zionist song’ but it still derives the narrative in other manner but as @cupidhoons said she wasn't aware of Lana being a zionist so I'm not going to blame her or accuse her of being a zionist or zionism supporter. Since I believe there should have been a better approach to explain it to Liz but that doesn't justify I find Lizs’ posts and replies to be correct for the Zionism factor.

plus the fact she used her friends or mutuals statement about the definition of zionism (along with it she did use other resources which i appreciate) it was very misleading because

1. It's their opinion and definition of zionism — it's misleading because it's a public platform and this can change peoples’ perspective and actual meaning behind zionism although they did mention at first about the ethnic cleansing but later on moved to the part where they speak about ‘is you have to ask them as a muslim’:: you're not Palestinians or you're not suffering through genocide so being muslim doesn't mean you can change the term in any way or form if you have a different perspective then it shouldn't be used on public platform IT IS VERY MISLEADING no matter if you say that ‘I said my opinion’ it's a public platform people read and learn ESPECIALLY since you're a writer then you should edify and supervise your words.

2. They (liz and other writers) have used the fact that ‘as muslims’ — ‘killing muslims in benefit of ethnic cleansing' is again a very misleading sentence because Palestine is a land with different religions. There are Christians, Muslims and many people with different religions being slaughtered and it's about their land. “Glory to the resistance and glory to the martyrs” speaks for the resistance of Palestinians for their land, it's a fight against occupation and till liberation. So if you're not Palestinians or you're not using any useful resources for your words then it's dismissive and ignorant and also changes the narratives. And they have used it SEVERAL TIMES!!! (EDITED: i checked rn @theothernads have edited their statements but regardless, the narrative they used before matters here)

SO the fact they have that they, along with their friends and mutuals, believe it's killing of muslims is misleading and it's made me feel very indigent. Although they have used few correct definitions, meaning and resources which is appreciated. But the whole time liz did try to justify that being muslim has things to do with genocide sounded very ignorant and dismissive because occupation and apartheid has nothing to do with religion!! I hope she along with her friends or mutuals understand that being muslim doesn't give you the right to justify anything or even make your definition or statements.

Now moving to the part where they have spoken about enhypen and several kpop / pop artists :: let me tell you about ‘MONETARY HYBE BOYCOTT’ that started by ‘Army4Palestine’ a year ago! Which led a lot of different kpop fandoms to make their own account and educate their respective fandom regarding the Zionism association of their own respective kpop idols’ labels or company.

HYBE MONETARY BOYCOTT :: It was started by ‘Army4Palestine’ after Zionist Scooter Braun became the CEO of HYBE America and soon which lead to hybe associate themselves with zionism and they introduced alot of zionist producers who worked for several hybe artists such as BTS, TXT, ENHYPEN, ILLIT etc etc. Not only that but HYBE has signed 10 years contract with UMG — the CEO of UMG ‘Lucian Grainge’ is a zionist. So there is actually a monetary boycott of hybe going on and along with that a PRIORITY LIST was provided by them which we had to follow regarding the boycott. Which follows with we shouldn't stream any hybe artists music because it will provide revenue to HYBE which is now a zionist label and hence we are funding zionist label. I have more things to discuss regarding the hybe boycott which i will post very soon with evidences how hybe a zionist label and also how we can participate in monetary HYBE boycott. Aso I will talk about how disrespectful was hybe in the leaked report regarding Jake speaking up for starbucks boycott. So please wait for the post.

Although there are people who are boycotting all the labels or big 3 and others because there are some artists who aren't under any label associated with zionist but the labels have worked with zionist producers and JYP IS A ZIONIST TOO!!

So there is no room for argument about kpop or pop artists boycott because if your artist is under a zionist label — let me tell you there are alot of artists under umg and other zionist labels — then you should try to not stream their song rather choose alternatives as gdrive and apps or sites that doesn't give streams which again I will post and provide with my post related to hybe association with zionism and possibly including jyp. But but let me make this clear, ‘Army4Palestine’ is focused on hybe and BTS and the admins are Palestinians. But there are several accounts for other fandoms too as for enhypen there are ‘Engene4Pal’ and ‘Connect4pal’. And to add, the Boycott isn't focused on any artists before you assume it's the label since they are associated with zionism. But as the labels are associated with zionism we should participate in the monetary boycott of labels and hence which means we shouldn't stream our favs song too. ALONG WITH IT — HYBE MISTREAT THEIR GROUPS which again i will inform and advocate in my post so PLEASE WAIT FOR THE POST.

Now I'm assuming that Liz and other writers don't know about it, which I personally don't think they don't know but again I'm not friends with them so I cannot make any conclusions for what they support or what they are aware of so I'm not accusing them of anything. I do not mean to spread any hate to them, I hope and I genuinely want them to learn and educate themselves. I believe we all make mistakes and we should learn to accept it and educate from them. So please it's a request from my side to @cupidhoons @pshbites @theothernads @kairoot @ourhees @fluviorss @nshmuras @elysianiki (some of them rebloged so I'm tagging them) reflect on your statement and educate I'm not saying any of you are supporting zionism or are being zionist but all I want is to please look after the Muslim part and educate yourself. Because if being muslim did make us pro-pal then the the Arab countries who were silent through the genocide and neve gave any aid to Palestinians or didn't help them have muslim leaders. Along with it so many muslim aren't boycotting brands such as Coke, McD, Kfc, etc which are under the targeted list of BDS movement and also so many muslims are neutralist along with it so many Jewish have attended protest in different countries to support Palestine so it was never about the religion or religious justification.

Now to the part of being called zionist :: I'm confused about if @okwonyo aka ‘Jiah’ called the artist zionist and not Liz but if she did then Jiah should understand that it's a very strong term to use for anyone and shouldn't be overlooked or thrown around so she should learn and educate.

Now, About @okwonyo or jiahs’ statement along with the provided screenshos ::

I DO agree with @okwonyo where she said in the replies of anon @cupidhoons sounded dismissive and ignorant and she also justified the ‘separating art from artists’ statment which I hope @cupidhoons take under consideration and learn that art is nothing without an artist and if an artist is given a platform — that platform inspires youth and people look forward how is the artist using their platform and what are they supporting so the narrative is utter nonsense (directed towards the statement not person) so I hope she learns.

@cupidhoons has stated that she has learnt about Palestine for a long time and has joined several protest yet she used her friends words and statment for zionism which was questioning from my side because certainly if you have learnt from a long time then you might have educated yourself regarding the meaning behind the protest.

From the text you can see @okwonyo did inform her how using her song will provide streams which will provide revenue to Lana and @cupidhoons justified the statement by saying she isn't popular which sounded dismissive to the point which was raised by @okwonyo.

Now, @cupidhoons did say in her text that she felt accused of being a zionist which as I said I'm confused if @okwonyo directed it towards the artist because she did apologize and cleared in her post but again regardless @okwonyo should have made it clear in the dms itself that she wasn't accusing @cupidhoons of being a zionist. Regardless I really hope jiah understands that zionism is very strong term and it cannot be thrown here and there because people who are zionist justify ethnic cleansing and mass killing of people so I she educates herself about the term and also I was not a big fan of how Jiah responded to Liz regarding the whole situation although I do appreciate the fact she held liz accountable and tried her to educate of Lana being a zionist but maybe few evidence and reason along with a different terminology would have been made things better when she approached but that doesn't dismiss her valid reason to raise her point.

In the last Liz has said ‘this is Tumblr and I have life and education outside’ — I'm not more why this statement was used but liz needs to understand that Tumblr is also a public space especially knowing so many people have used it to advocate about zionism and Palestine so it sounded incomprehensive because again liz could have asked the reason or how is Lana a zionist of anything and also jiah should have added this along but both of them were somehow lack of enlightenment. Also @pshbites (i assume kaia is them if not then I'm sorry I tagged the wrong person) again used the justification of being muslim here was very much wrong and dismissive.

Now to the Ariana Grande part :: Ariana Grande has posted about Scooter Braun and he is a zionist and also she is under UMG which makes us not stream her songs too. And her supporting Palestine only has few things while she has thanked a zionist Scooter Braun for the role and shown open support to him along with an emotional message for him and also there are alot of infos provided by @ZionistsinFilm about her being under and connected to zionist so streaming or listening to her songs gives revenue and funds zionism too!!

Again here I'm not sure if @okwonyo is aware of not but adding to the point that whatever Jiah has stated regarding streams counts for every artist but she did say she has stopped listening to bp official songs but it counts for every artist so she looks out for her fav artist too. So there were a few moments where Jiahs’ approach and different use of wordings would have been better.

Now Personal feelings and thoughts :: Also I did send @cupidhoons anon messages where I did educate her regarding ‘separating art from artists’ but she didn't reply maybe she didn't see or she just ignored and also i replied in the replies to @ourhees about the same thing guess they have either blocked me or just ignored which is actually weirded me out since they are complaining about the part where @okwonyo didn't try to educate them but when I tried they both ignored which i didn't screenshot I'm sorry since I didn't know they might ignore AND AND let me add how do many people in the replies of @cupidhoons and @ourhees post are saying ‘clock it’ or ‘tell them’ etc etc out of which so many of them are writers and still none of them questioned the defination or Muslim part because how come are pro-pal but not once you overlooked the fact there are some incorrect wordings and statements because if you're pro-pal then have you never searched for the meaning of zionism or read the resources and if you have then why is there 'ohh clock it and tell them' but none of you have looked at the stances where you tried to educate them regarding their statements. And to the fact @kairoot and @ourhees sounded very ignorant in their posts and replies but I'm not accusing any of them of being a zionist but just sharing my feelings which doens't mean they are zionist or support zionism. And @cupidhoons has again used the Muslim factor.

At the end :: Both of them could have been less aggressive and maybe should have discussed with calmness while educating each other. I don't want to accuse anyone of being zionist or supporting zionism but the statements and points along with the approach could have been better. Acknowledgment and being conscious about the whole situation and acceptance of mistakes could have treated things differently but regardless since so many of you have said you stand for Palestine so I hope you learn and improve it's about educating yourself rather than being dismissive. I don't want anyone to step back or derive any narrative but rather erase and add a few things any of you didn't know about or can help to improve what you guys already know.

tagging moots: @boyfhees @boyfhee @cupidhoons @okwonyo

[duckprintspress]

Pre-Order “Missed Fortunes” by Tris Lawrence!

Duck Prints Press is excited to open pre-orders on our next novel! Missed Fortunes by Tris Lawrence is the middle book of the Twinned trilogy, a very queer series of books set at the fictional Pine Hills University in upstate New York, focused on the lives of a group of college students trying to navigate all the usual challenges of university while also juggling their individual magical Talents and, oh, maybe sort of kinda the risk of the world ending. Book 1, Commit to the Kick, has been available for sometime, and we are working on editing book 3 for a summer Kickstarter launch with merch and more. Now is the perfect time to grab book 1 if you don’t already have it, pre-order book 2, and get both books read before book 3 goes to print!

The only way to pre-order this book is via the Duck Prints Press webstore!

For this campaign, we are offering both Commit to the Kick and Missed Fortunes in e-book and/or trade paperback formats, and we’re also offering a set of short stories including our published Welcome to Pine Hills University short stories. Make sure to check out the discounted campaign bundles to save money on your books, and note that backers will get a campaign-exclusive bookplate signed by Tris Lawrence!

The only merchandise we’re offering this campaign is our Patreon-exclusive, a postcard of the Missed Fortunes cover art! All pre-order buyers who also support our Patreon at the $10/month or $25/month level will get the postcard as a freebie. But don’t worry – our future Kickstarter will have more Welcome to PHU merch – you can follow that campaign’s pre-launch page right now to be sure you’re notified when it goes live.

We encourage you to check out Commit to the Kick if you haven’t already, and if you have, well, here’s the blurb for book 2…

To solve the problem of now… Remember what lies behind… Pass through your hopes and fears… …to the final outcome. Carolyn knows the Emergence brought her a new community, but it also revealed the existence of people with magical Talent to the scrutiny of the world. Her high school life ended on a tumultuous note, but now that she’s a junior at Pine Hills University, her life has become stable. She has her twin Kit. She has her sorority sisters. She has her Talent and her Tarot cards. But when the Tower appears in a reading, the world shatters and changes. Kit has left his predictive Talent behind, and Carolyn’s own predictive Talent is changing decidedly unpredictably. She’s seeing visions of fire and destruction, of Shadows moving in the darkness and intruding into the light. And her sorority sister Drea and Drea’s brother Alaric have returned from winter break, warning of looming dangers and the risk of Clan going to war. Carolyn shouldn’t get involved—doesn’t want to get involved—but with the world crumbling around her and her predictions hinting at worse to come, she can’t imagine not doing what she can. To make matters worse, the only way forward is to reconcile with her past, but Carolyn isn’t sure how to do that nor why it seems so important to the world that she does.

Learn more about this campaign today!

This campaign will end at 8 a.m. Eastern time on March 1st 2025.

[oldnetreasures]

Hey, pals!

I wanted to let you guys know that I have been compiling all the videos and doing audio recordings when he is verbally abusive towards me. They're in a secure folder on my Dropbox account.

When I originally confronted him back in December, he was threatening to kick me out. I told my landlord what was going on to try and understand what rights I did and did not have. Him and his wife had a talk and both agreed that they would happily sign the lease over to me if we could convince my boyfriend to take himself off. When my boyfriend and I originally had that talk where he promised to stop cheating on me, Etc, he refused but agreed to put me on the lease with him.

Then we were falling behind on rent, so I reached out to my landlord to ask him if he'd be willing to allow us to use one of the programs offered to low income families to pay the rest of our rent. Well, it turns out one of our neighbors did that, and It ultimately screwed him over, so he is hesitant about using that program now. Which sparked my landlord to remind me he accepted Section 8, and one of our neighbors is already on it as a single gentleman. He told me, "If you and Sora were on the lease, then there is no doubt we would be able to receive Section 8". I read that too my boyfriend, and he reluctantly finally agreed to remove himself, so now the apartment is mine.

At this point, I'm working on learning to drive so I can get my license to be able to become fully independent for myself and Sora.

I wanted to reassure you all who left me kind words and support that I am preparing for the day I may have to remove him from our life. Also, I can't thank you guys enough for all the support, I didn't expect any of that whatsoever. I'm so thankful for the community I have built on here, and I love you all so much.

[guujikaroko]

So, here's the promised post about the Chrysos Heirs' speech patterns in Japanese! Be aware that this is all based on what we've seen throughout 3.0 alone, so we might make new discoveries next patch! Here we go:

Aglaea

Her first person pronoun is 私. Normally, it's read as watashi, but Aglaea uses it as watakushi instead, a more noble and feminine form. Her second pronoun is the polite and standard 貴方 (anata), and she usually uses the gendered 彼/kare (he/him) or 彼女/kanojo (she/her) for third person. That last thing might not sound special, but Japanese has a myriad of ways of addressing people without referring to gender, so it's a sign she goes the extra mile to sound more formal.

Talking more about her speech patterns, she's very polite and formal in a distinctively feminine way. There is a form of Japanese known as 敬語 (keigo), which is pretty much "Polite Japanese" and the form a non-native speaker would learn first because it's what you'd use the most. The interesting thing is that Aglaea always speak in keigo, regardless of who the other person is; she never defers to a more informal speech.

In fact, the only times her speech seems to change is when she adopts an outright reverent tone. I talked a little about this before, but Aglaea addresses the Tribios by 我が師 (waga shi). This word choice by her is particularly interesting for two reasons:

1.) The use of 我が (waga), an ultra reverent way of saying "my/mine". It makes use of the pronoun 我 (ware), which is really archaic and not part of modern conversation except for a few expressions such as 我ながら (if I say so myself).

2.) The use of 師 (shi) for "teacher". Usually you'd see the common 先生 (sensei) around, or maybe even 師匠 (shishou), which carries the extra connotation of "master", but Aglaea uses only the first kanji of 師匠. That makes the whole thing sound beyond reverent.

Aglaea also addresses everyone by name properly, even the ones who usually go by nicknames like Mydei.

Tribios

The three speak the same way, the only difference is each one says things according to their personalities.

Their pronouns would be あたし (atashi), a feminine and more informal form of watashi, but as they refer to themselves in plural, it becomes あたしたち (atashi-tachi). They don't actually refer to other people in second person or third person pronouns that much, preferring to use names (or nicknames) instead. It would sound weird in English, but it's a perfectly normal way of addressing people in Japanese, even more so if you're a kid.

Talking about kids, as you'd expect, the Tribios speak exactly how a very excitable Japanese little girl would. The nicknames are a part of it, but it also doubles to highlight their importance in Okhema (you're allowed to be a little more informal if you "rank higher" than the other person in Japanese). The only time they break away from their pattern is when they're reciting the chants to borrow the power of the Three Titans of Fate. There, they adopt the reverent tone you see with Aglaea.

As an addendum, the suffix ちゃん (-chan) the Tribios attach to nicknames is supposed to be used for people younger/less experienced than you or someone you find cute, especially kids, but it's generally more accepted for girls. With a boy, it's more common to use くん (-kun), but the Tribios use -chan regardless of gender.

In short, the Tribios are kids who treat everyone else like kids.

Phainon

His first person pronoun is the masculine 僕 (boku). It's not very formal but it's still on the polite side, and it's commonly used by young men. His second person pronoun is 君 (kimi), which usually denotes familiarity, but he uses it regularly regardless of who he talks to. As for third person, he uses kare and kanojo depending on gender, but also can use アイツ/aitsu (that person) if he wants to be less informal.

In general, he speaks like a cheerful young man of this time would, but since he's Amphorean, it also gets mixed with the prose-filled speech you can see in pretty much all the characters. You can see him attach a more modern suffix to words like っぽい/-ppoi (-ish) and then address the Trailblazer by 我が友/waga tomo (my friend) not much later.

On the topic of 我が友, you might have realized this already but it works on the same principle as Aglaea's 我が師: using the reverent pronoun 我 followed by a single kanji, this time 友 (which is the first kanji of 友達/tomodachi). It kind of speaks volumes about Phainon's appreciation for the Trailblazer.

Interestingly enough, he addresses the Tribios by sensei and Castorice with the suffix さん (-san), but he simply calls Aglaea by name alone.

Castorice

Just like Aglaea, her first and second person pronouns are watakushi and anata, and she uses gendered pronouns for third person. The only difference is sometimes she addresses people by 方 (kata), which is remarkably polite of her.

Yes, she's polite. Very polite. No, I kid you not, she's the most polite character I've seen in years. I talked a little about keigo with Aglaea, but it seems Castorice speaks in 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) specifically, which is just Japanese Customer Service Voice™ . As a result, her sentences are at the very least twice as long as anyone else's would. The only time she breaks character is while translating Oronyx's words (which was hilarious because Oronyx was being ultra condescending the whole time).

Castorice makes ample use of honorifics. In fact, I can't remember a single time she didn't address someone by -san or 様 (-sama). She's incredibly consistent in that regard.

Mydei

First person pronoun is 俺 (ore): masculine and rude as hell. Second person is お前 (omae), which is also rude as hell. Third person is コイツ/koitsu (this person) and アイツ/aitsu (that person), which are gender-neutral and incredibly casual. As you can see, he doesn't give a fuck about consideration.

Despite the pronouns, Mydei can actually be formal and even flowery in his speech, as expected of an Amphorean. He's very much not polite at all, though. His speech is also very masculine and gives the overall vibe of a very arrogant royal (almost like a certain golden king of a certain franchise, huh). Sometimes he gets a little... Indulgent, I'd say, and that's when he's on something like a good mood.

He did the 我が thing at least once too; in his case, it was with Chrysos Leo, who he called 我が師匠/waga shishou (my master). Note that he used 師匠 normally, unlike Aglaea who only used 師.

He rarely addresses people by name. Usually, it's either titles (like with the Tribios and Phainon), or a rude-ass "you".

And that's all for now! Corrections and additions are welcomed, as I am not a leading expert in Japanese or anything like that.

[clownboy-yeehonk]

.

[sp0o0kylights]

Grass is green, water is wet, and Jonathan Byers does not like Steve Harrington.

These are known facts in the universe.

Computers were going to take over the world, a “mobile” phone was being invented, and Steve Harrington had lost most of his hearing.

These were unknown facts--rumors even, if you will. Eddie had never seen even a grain of truth to support any of them. 

(Well, maybe the computer thing, but only because Grant and Dustin both had made a couple of convincing arguments.) 

So he doesn’t think about it, when his freshman gang up on him. 

Doesn’t even factor the “can’t hear well” thing in, when he was tasked (demanded, whined, bitched and moaned at) with helping them explain to Steve why going to the release party of the new D&D box set, located at a hobby store only a mere 2 hour drive away, was important.

Eddie’s not even sure how the little shits got him to agree to do it until he’s standing in the parking lot in front of the former King himself. 

“The store’s leading up to the release with a handful of one-shots.” He’s explaining, unsure whether to pull out the bored act or play up his court jester persona, and thus mixing and matching on the fly. 

He does not care if Harrington doesn’t know what a one-shot is. 

“They’re releasing the set at midnight. You have to be there to get it though, you can’t have someone else pick it up for you because they only got a certain amount in.” 

Harrington’s frowning (no surprise) but it’s not until Eddie is well into his spiel about how his van is already full with the elder members of Hellfire, and thus has no room for the freshmen, that he realizes Steve isn’t quite looking at him. 

Is in fact, looking over his shoulder.

Eddie stops. Follows Harrington’s gaze.

Parked across from Steve’s Beemer, is Jonathan Byer’s barely working clunker car. 

A handful of steps in front of it, and thus nearly right behind Eddie, is the man himself.

His hands are still moving, mouth shaping words silent as he goes, his gaze locked not on Eddie or the kids--but on Steve. 

Who turns back around as Harrington’s eyes slide right back to him. 

“And this is taking place next Friday?” He says, in that sort of annoyed but resigned way parents aim at their children. “After school?” 

“I’d like to go during  school, but the freshmen insist you wouldn’t let them ditch out.” Eddie tells him. “They had two separate arguments about it.” 

Loud ones, that had interrupted the game and given Eddie a migraine. 

Once again Steve’s eyes slide away from him, to Jonathan. 

“They’re not skipping school.” He says suddenly, a glare forming and Jonathan makes an annoyed noise. 

“They argued about skipping, they’re not going to.” He says aloud, and finally steps up so that he’s next to Eddie instead of behind him. 

“Munson slow down, I can’t sign as fast as you’re talking.” He adds, in the hang-dog grumble he’s notorious for. 

Eddie stares at him. 

“Can he seriously not hear me?” 

“No.” Steve and Jonathan answer together. 

“I can kind of still hear,” Steve adds, gaze returning to Eddie’s face. “But its more loud music or noises. I can lip read, but you’re also talking too fast for that.” 

Without pausing, he turns back to Jonathan and says; “Why can’t you take them?”

“It’s Friday.” Byers deadpans. 

Eddie’s not an expert on sign language, but his hands somehow looked deadpan too. 

He’s not sure how Jonathan did that. 

“So?” Steve snarks back. 

What follows is an argument that Eddie is not, at all involved in, mostly because he’s too busy handling the fact that Jonathan Byers has learned sign language, for Steve Harrington, apparently, and given the tone the argument is taking they still don’t even like each other.  

Eventually the argument ends, Steve throwing his hands in the air and demanding that Jonathan owes him. 

(Eventually Eddie will corner the ever so quiet Will Byers and ask why the hell his brother learned sign language for someone he clearly fucking hates.

“Oh they don’t hate each other.” Baby Byers would say, in that shy, quiet way of his. “I think they’re actually friends now?” 

“You think?”

“Well--you’ve seen them.” Will shrugs. “I think being mean to each other is kinda their thing.” 

‘What the hell.’ Eddie would think, right up until he stumbled across one of the kids sign language books. 

Byers the Elder, he decides, isn’t the only person who should learn sign language to chew out Harrington properly.

The pay off is immediate. 

Or at least, the pay off of watching Steve’s shocked face the first time Eddie signs something vulgar at him is, anyway.)

[originalartblog]

Apparently much-needed reminder that reposting artists' art (by saving the images or screenshotting them and reuploading them yourself) on other platforms without the artists' expressed permission and without credit is theft and an insult to their passion and craft. You are profiting (in views, in attention, in feedback) from someone else's work and ideas, who do not get that feedback for sharing their creation.

If you are an art reposter, you are a thief and I have no respect for you.

[sophieinwonderland]

I think you're being silly about the tag. I tagged it as AI art to let people know it was made by AI. Something which was requested when I posted the picture originally.

As for AI using people's art without permission... yeah... that's a problem. But solutions for that problem are complicated.

The fact is that AI is ultimately just looking at art and using that to learn how to make art similar to how artists do. Using pictures as reference is also a common practice among artists. I could look at an image you made, draw a different character in a similar pose based on that, then sell that picture and profit off of it... and it's completely legal.

And there's not really much that can be done about this issue.

Maybe you make consumer protections so that all generative AI companies in the US need to get the permission of the artists for their training data. Great! But all those pictures are still freely available on the internet, and there will be some countries that won't have those restrictions. It's the same reason pirating shows and movies is still possible despite hosting those sites being illegal in the US. Could we start banning all of those foreign services that won't have our restrictions? Sure. Although I don't personally like the idea of further restricting internet access. (For the same reason, I strongly dislike the TikTok ban.)

But even if we did that, have you considered how that's going to go?

Companies are going to get artists to sign away the rights to their art anyway!

It would be expensive for AI companies to pay every single artist whose art they use for training data. So they won't. They'll instead go to websites like Tumblr and Twitter and Facebook and DeviantArt, and they'll offer those companies money for their data. Then those companies will update their terms of service to let users know that their data will be used as training data. And most people will click the checkbox without even reading the terms and conditions, signing away their art the same way they've signed away their privacy on social media sites already.

Yes, AI companies would have to buy their training data in this universe where these restrictions are passed. But it's not the artists that will see profit from it. It's the social media companies.

Artists will fight tooth and nail to not have their art taken to be used as training data. They'll get this "win" that will be treated as a huge success for artists. And the end result is that the social media companies where the art is posted will be the only ones to turn a profit from their effort. And after that "success," I expect a lot of the anti-AI sentiment will dissipate because the corporations who have been pushing it in the media will have gotten their slice of the AI pie.

Maybe this attitude seems defeatist...

My opinion is that it sucks that generative imagery is probably going to put a lot of actual artists out of business.

But I also don't think there's a realistic solution to the problem that actually protects artists in the long term. I think this is a battle that's already been lost. Fighting it is, at best, delaying the inevitable. It will be like fighting against the invention of the printing press, the loom, the automobile, or the internet itself.

Finally, generating images on free image creators doesn't support AI financially. If anything, it drains money from the AI companies that do this.

As long as you never pay for anything and just stick with the free samples, you're really just robbing them.

Side ramble about AI art.

Someone asked on the other blog if there's an image was AI generated.

It is.

And that is terrifying.

Because yeah, you can tell that this is AI. It just has that type of look. But when I was writing the prompt on Bing's AI generator, I didn't expect it to work.

It was an experiment that I was almost certain would fail.

In the past, when I have seen artificial intelligence write text, it's usually in the wrong order. You will get letters that are arranged seemingly randomly.

I had no idea it was currently possible to type in specific text and then have it create that. And not just create it, but to follow the prompt that asked specifically for that text to be "scratched into stone walls" of a ruined church.