#but it was very good to make that progress

[crazy-pages]

Thinking on this a bit more, and you know what? I know this isn't just a conservative thing but it makes so much since this is so endemic among conservative voters. Because ultimately this is what conservative politics seeks to establish: the validty of trust in authority.

Obviously outcomes matter to conservatives (with some exceptions for particularly evangelical "worldly outcomes aren't important, not covorting with sin is what matters" strains*). But as its primary mechanism of securing support, conservatism doesn't try to establish trust in the process** (liberalism) or the outcomes of collective action (progressivism). Obviously those all play a part, but conservatism's bread and butter is establishing the legitimacy of handing over power and control of your life to An Authority. That authority can be an institution, an individual, a hierarchy, whatever. But the point is establishing that it is a good thing to trust authority.

And that's what the whole Shirly Exception is based on. The idea that surely the authority is trustworthy, because they are an authority. Maybe conservatives will recognize there can be illegitimate authorities (liberals, progressives, [insert prejudicial category here]) who must have obtained their position through illegitimate means, and therefore their intent cannot be trusted, but the intentions of their valid conservative authorities can of course be trusted because that's just how legitimate authority works. Legitimate authority can be trusted, that's what legitimate authority is!

The idea that authority might not justly apply exceptions to the word of the law is straight up a violation of the fundamental tenets of the conservative political base. Hell, that's why they're conservative! Because they don't trust the legal process and its pernicious legal technicalities, and they don't trust the will of the mob. The idea that we need a trusted legitimate authority to protect us is the bedrock of conservatism.

*Obviously this is very present among some progressives too. These ideas are present everywhere, simply the focus of conservatism.

**Liberals are also susceptible to the Shirley Assumption of course; they might assume the process can't create truly unjust outcomes. I think this is a bit more susceptible to being shown the practical text and outcomes of a law however.

The Shirley Exception

[tourettesdog]

Beta Reading and Fanfiction

I’ve been writing for a long time myself, but it’s only been very recently that I’ve immersed myself in communities online for it. I’ve been having so much fun really diving into Danny Phantom and DPxDC fanfic, and I’ve met so many great friends doing so.

I mostly do my own writing, but I’ve really enjoyed doing some beta reading as well, especially for friends! There’s something so fun about getting to dive into a work in progress and help where you can.

But I do feel like some people might really struggle to understand how to beta read, or what makes a good beta reader— especially where fanfiction is concerned. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have wonderful beta readers, but I’ve had some friends frustrated with the beta reading they’ve in turn received, or otherwise feeling uncomfortable in asking for a beta reader since they don’t know what to expect.

So, how should beta reading work? How do you do a good job?

Above all, the most important thing about beta reading is communication with your author. You are not in their WIP to prove how good of a writer you are, or to hammer their work into what you would personally be proud to present online. You are there to help, in whatever way the author has asked or communicated they're comfortable with.

Before you beta read anything it is vital to ask what the author is looking for in a beta reader. There are a number of things you can ask in particular, including:

What are you looking for help with?

Do you just want me to look for typos or confusing sentences?

Do you want suggestions for things to add?

Do you want suggestions on grammar, or other more in-depth writing suggestions?

Do you need help with characterization, or even the plot?

Depending on who you are beta reading for, you might have someone who only wants a very light beta touch. They might just want you to look for glaring mistakes, or for confirmation that a plot beat makes sense. 

Other authors might want something much more involved! They might be trying to improve their grammar, or perhaps they're not very familiar with writing a new character and they would like suggestions for how to better capture their voice.

Regardless of what an author wants in a beta reader, you won't know unless you ask them! It's possible that you simply might not be compatible as beta reader and author, depending on their answer, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's okay to step back and say "I personally like to beta read things more in depth than this, so I might not be the best person to give it a look."

Otherwise, getting an answer about your author's preferences can help you figure out how to help them. Perhaps you would normally make more suggestions, but if an author has specified that they're not comfortable with that, then it's not your job as their beta reader to do so. If you are capable of sticking to the help they've asked for, then you will ultimately be fulfilling your role as their beta reader admirably.

"But I'm just trying to help. Their work has a lot of places it could improve!"

Again, beta reading is not about shaping a story into something you would personally present as your writing. It is about helping the author produce a story they're comfortable with and proud of.

It's not about being right, or heavily criticizing their writing and grammar abilities (unless this is what the author has explicitly requested!)

Especially while writing fanfiction, the work presented is not something that will ever see publishing, or that needs to have flawless grammar and syntax. This is work done for free, and it is done for fun.

And that's something very vital to beta reading—

A beta reader needs to preserve the fun.

It's very daunting, putting your work out there for others. It's especially daunting putting your work up for analysis of any kind. You're accepting that people might not understand your vision, or may judge you for what you've written.

It's all too easy to compare yourself to other creatives online, and to overthink and overanalyze your talents. Too often, it’s easy to get discouraged and feel like your work isn’t good enough.

Beta reading should never be done in a way that will discourage writing. Even if an author has asked for a lot of help, it’s important to pick your battles with what you choose to analyze, and to check in with them if you feel like you might be crossing boundaries or covering their work in too much metaphorical red ink.

When people are trying to improve their writing, you don’t always have to mark every little suggestion you think of. Unless the author is a friend you know well, or has explicitly asked for Extreme measures of help, it might be best to ignore some smaller writing issues and focus instead on bigger things. 

If you’ve already marked a lot of issues in one paragraph, but have more things you could say, consider if the additional suggestions are vital or if it might be better to leave them be. After all, if your author is looking to improve, and if you are planning to beta read for them again in the future, then helping them with more glaring issues now will help them in a way that is not overwhelming, and will open the door for other kinds of suggestions to be better understood and absorbed. 

You can always check in with your author if you’re unsure, too. Ask them if they appreciate the amount of suggestions you’ve given them, or if it’s been too much. Your author might be uncomfortable with telling you that they’re overwhelmed, and checking in is a good way to ensure that you’re both on the same page.

All that being said, though, it is also important to not always focus on things to fix and improve. You’re not just editing the story, you’re reading it. Part of keeping beta reading fun is engaging in that story as any reader would. It both helps morale, and helps let the author know what they’re doing right, when you take the time to tell them what you enjoy about the work you’re beta reading!

There are so many ways you can express positive things about an author’s writing. Consider:

“I love how you phrased this sentence here.”

“This body language feels natural and very in character!”

“I love this word choice here.”

“This part was really funny and had me laughing.”

“I’m excited to see where this goes!”

You’re reading a story, and you must have thoughts and feelings on it outside of suggestions. Let your author know! People thrive on positive feedback, and there’s just as much to be gained in marking Positive attributes to a story as there is in noting places to improve.

The last major thing I feel is vital to beta reading is respecting that it is your author’s work, and that your suggestions (however clever or helpful you feel they are) may be rejected. And that that is okay. 

Suggestions are just that— suggestions.

What you might like in creative writing might not necessarily be what your author wants to express. You might love to use ellipses, or lots of different dialogue tags, while your author might prefer dashes and more standard dialogue tags. You might like to use more colorful descriptions of scenery and atmosphere, while your author might want to focus much more on the character body language and dialogue. You might like to use a lot of exclamation points and next to no italics, while your author might like a lot of italics and very little exclamation points. 

You’re ultimately two different people, with two different ideas of what is an ideal way to tell a story. And while you can give many different suggestions on just about anything the author might add, remove, or change, it’s ultimately the author’s choice whether or not they accept those changes.

It’s not your job as a beta reader to double down and insist that they accept a specific suggestion. It’s not your job to make a case for why you think they need to change something. If an author has denied a suggestion— it’s best to let it go. Especially if you don’t know them well, and don’t have a very good rapport with them, pushing the issue will only serve to make you both uncomfortable.

It’s not just about picking your battles, but also about mutual respect. You’re not a teacher, nor an editor looking to make their work prime for publishing. You have to respect their decisions for their own story, even if that means they decide not to take a suggestion you felt would be impactful. 

It’s also always important to keep in mind that writing style, particularly where creative writing is concerned, can vary wildly. The strict rules that you learn in school were made to be broken. You learn them to figure out how to break them and, particularly when writing for fun, it doesn’t even matter if you’re breaking those rules in a perfect way. It’s fanfiction. It’s freeform, it’s fun. If someone wants to make a habit out of going buckwild with their writing style, there’s really no reason to try and corral their writing into a box labeled “High School English 101”. 

You can’t force someone to write their fanfiction like it’s going to go to a letter grade, nor should you try to unless they’re looking for that level of editing. 

Be willing to listen, and pay attention to what is and isn’t working. It’s good to take note of suggestions that your author has already commented on. Have they thanked you for pointing out something in particular? Have they expressed they feel weak with something in their writing?

Is there a type of suggestion that you keep making that they have rejected multiple times?

Work with their strengths and with their style. Focus on suggestions that have been received well, and consider letting go of ones that the author clearly has no interest in, or that might conflict with their style.

Communicate and respect each other, above all else.

Beta reading is such a helpful and wonderful thing someone can do for an author. I’ve been so thankful to have it done for my own work, and I try my best to be helpful and considerate when I’ve beta read myself. 

Having my work beta read has really helped me find things to improve upon in my writing, and has helped me feel more confident in the stories I’ve posted, just having another eye look over them before they hit the internet. I don’t always take all of their suggestions, and might disagree from time to time with the direction they want something to go in, but I’ve been thankful to have understanding, kind betas that work with me well. 

And that’s one more point I want to touch on too, is that I hope that, as a beta reader, you find yourself with authors that show you mutual respect in turn. That they thank you for the work you’ve put in to help them succeed, and have made the experience positive for you as well.

It always makes me happy to see beta readers credited on posted works. It’s a kind thing for writers to show appreciation, and to acknowledge that someone helped shape the words you see on the page. 

This got much longer than I intended it to, but I just hope that this post might help some people in some way. Either to understand beta reading and the purpose of it, or how to potentially go about it themselves. 

I really recommend giving beta reading a try if you’re comfortable with it, especially if you have friends that write fanfiction! Even just an extra pair of eyes looking for typos can be a godsend for someone who has spent hours upon hours staring at a long fic and editing it.

[squidpedia]

I would really like to see all the designs for all Of the seven souls You know the seven human souls

Oh good timing! I made a lot of progress on their profiles last night and have aimee, jackie, devin (their name has changed since), and jade. Still debating if i want to add clover, and then also maybe frisk and chara to the profiles, but may scrap them if it ends up taking too long. I can offer the initial concept sketches i posted of all of them previously but all their designs have shifted around. Also they all use they/them

Lineup from the last time i attempted making a ref sheet of them a few months ago i think? I didnt like it enough to get very far sadly

[cuntbreeder]

This post is a really good example of what I mean when I say the trans community has become very very intolerant and played more of a role in the creation of an environment where we're not speaking freely than it has in protecting freedom in the progressive manner it thinks it does.

In this post my 20 years of transition are equivalent in weight to sexual experimentation in college and I'm not allowed to have feelings or criticism of any part of that experience that are any stronger than "oh well it wasn't for me! :)" lest a tumblr user decide I have "inexorable ties to (western) fascist movements". I do not live and do not aspire to live in a western country.

You're allowed to explore your identity, but I'm not allowed to have complex feelings about decisions I made as a kid? You can explore your identity but I can't explore the way my identity was constructed by psychologists, criminologists, american insurance companies, and american politicians, then used in service to imperialism, and decide I'm uncomfortable with it? You can create entire genres of art, music, animation, in narcissistic reflection of your born-in, sacred personal identities and I have to bow out of it like a graceful loser?

With how many of you voted for a genocider not even two weeks ago and have been making the rest of the world sit through your group therapy session because she lost, maybe worry about your own shit if you're looking for fascists instead of going after us.

"I identified as trans for a time but realized It probably didn't fit me" <- completely fine! Exploring your identity is absolutely okay!

"I am a detransitioner" <- you are using a specific identity with inexorable ties to fascist movements. You are functionally the same as calling somebody who experimented in college "ex-gay".

[mercy-misrule]

mouthwashing spoilers, discussion of fictional sexual assault, fictional abuse of a disabled person, references to real life injury

This is a weird rambling thing, informed by my own experiences. I am a sexual assault survivor, but I am also a survivor of life threatening accident that left me entirely physically dependent on medical staff with a long recovery time. I am aware that this is not a pov a lot of people have, and it means I'm thinking about things a little differently.

If you haven't experienced the healing process from a life threatening injury, its hard to explain. But here are some thoughts.

So one of the things that I think is interesting about the fandom reaction to Curly is an odd thing I've seen. A fanwork thing where people write Curly as a victim of sexual assault by Jimmy where the result is that Curly is a more sympathetic victim, a 'real victim'.

This isn't all fiction exploring this, and this isn't stated in their texts, nevertheless, it's impossible to read otherwise.

And I get it, I get why people are exploring that as an option, as a concept. Maybe its revenge, maybe its more relatable, maybe it's simply because that's a fictional concept that they want to write. And that's a creator's prerogative. This isn't me criticising what people want to explore.

What bewilders me is that it makes me feel like people missed the hugely sexual implications of Jimmy's assault and continued violation of Curly's bodily autonomy. It's like, folks are you reading this right?

So Mouthwashing has textual sexual assault, it's right there, Anya is the victim of Jimmy's violence. He attempts to take away her life by crashing the ship, he attempts to remove any choice she has in what happens to her body after she reveals she is pregnant.

He does not care about her, it is pointed what a non-person she is in his eyes. He only cares about his reputation, his control over the situation, what people say about him. His job, his prospects, all of which are dependent on Curly.

And Mouthwashing has textual violation of a disabled person's bodily autonomy. Jimmy hurts Curly when forcing him to take his meds, beating him at one point, where in the end Curly is weeping.

A man who wants nothing but control, couldn't control Anya or Swansea or Daisuke despite his best(worst) efforts, but he has absolute control over everything with Curly. Curly is moved without his consent, touched without his consent, treated like an object, like food, tortured, and finally 'saved'...without his consent.

Without a voice other than cries of pain, or hissing laughter, Jimmy has the control he needs.

And look how his attitude changes towards Curly the more control he has over his body. When Anya is still around, he's swearing at him, beating him into needless submission. As the game progresses, Jimmy starts to hold Curly up as this object of salvation, as this vessel through which all of Jimmy's faults and guilt are washed away.

This focus, this obsession, the alternating between berating and violence and idolisation is subtextual in its sexuality. But it's there. Even when you move past the obvious mirror of violence of Jimmy standing over a helpless Curly in bed, hurting him, putting his hands on him.

We already know that Jimmy assaulted Anya while in her bed, she tells Curly this implicitly when she asks about the lack of locks on bedrooms.

What I find interesting about this all is that we do not see the violence Jimmy inflicted on Anya. We see the aftermath, we hear his words, and we see her reactions, but we do not see the act.

And its a very good and frank piece of storytelling, about the mundane horror of day-to-day life living with your abuser. We don't need to see the instigating act, the central piece of violence, because we are seeing everything else.

Whereas, this game is all about witnessing exactly the violence Jimmy inflicts on Curly, and contrasting it with the absolute indifference he has for Anya, his other victim. He fixates on Curly, he's got nothing in his head but Curly, and any other thought that tries to creep in, we watch turn into nightmares that he's desperate to run away from.

It's almost like watching Curly be brutalised is a stand in for the brutality that Anya experiences. Not as a revenge or anything, but as a story beat reminding you that this is happening, has happened, will happen again. Jimmy will always be hurting someone.

But what I think is fascinating is that there is this (I am not talking about shipping. This is not meta about shipping) almost romantic displacement of affection from Jimmy to Curly, shocking in its intensity to the same level of his disdain and apathy towards Anya.

It's a mirror of how Jimmy feels about himself. He views Anya as a failure, not competent, and that's how he is in reality. He puts all his failings on her, he lashes out at her, blames her for Curly's suffering, for his potential punishment.

He praises and berates Curly because he wants to be what Curly was. A respected captain, a person that people are happy to be around. But he berates Curly because Curly isn't what he views as his ideal self. Curly doesn't throw his weight around like Jimmy wants to, Curly is passive and a people pleaser. Jimmy doesn't respect him, even as he wants to be him. He doesn't respect Curly because of the the way Curly gives into him, supports him.

There are so many moments of desperate horror in this story but I keep being drawn back into the unending nightmare of Curly being dependant on people disintegrating around him

Anya withholds treatment, not maliciously, but she does, because it's too triggering for her. And then Jimmy steps in and it's always bad, even when he's not trying to make it so.

Curly lays there and sees the ramifications of his inaction, his cowardice and then is revictimised over and over, humiliated over and over.

The best chance of care he's got is a woman he fundamentally failed, harmed in unbelievable ways and is now being terrorised by the man who hurts them both and she keeps asking Jimmy to hurt him.

And he has to sit there as she does, as she eats the only things that are making his existence survivable, and he's responsible for it! He gets to watch the consequences of his inaction, he gets to lay there and watch a woman die and he doesn't get to do anything else except exist until Jimmy appears again , which is worst of all.

You don't get to pick your carers, at some point. Sometimes it's people you feel a burden too, or people you've hurt, in a hundred different ways. And sometimes it's people who've hurt you and still tell you how much you mean to them, how important you are to them, how much they love you. And they don't stop hurting you or other people and you. Cannot. Stop. Them.

[bonefall]

my system has had to help a very loud.. very aggressive alter.. well, calm down. he’s still very loud, but he just enjoys screaming!! he’s learned to be less mean to headmates/herself/others!! i honestly think it would be interesting if instead of them.. like.. eradicating the “evil voice”(????) they just!! yaknow!! talk!!!! communication between headmates is very important!! it’s how we make sure things run smoothly and get someone out of front if they can’t handle it!!! moonpaw and voice friendship..

Daring to hope that maybe we can see something like this play out. It would be fresh and interesting for this arc to feature a lot of self-reflection and communication-- in fact, I feel like that was missing from the last one. A lack of Sunbeam or Nightheart actually introspecting about their issues, neither identifying nor truly working through them, just progressing as characters when the plot needed them to.

I'm loving the story of Moonie that's being "woven" by systems coming into the inbox. Most pwDID seem to agree that conflict between Headpaw/Starpaw and Moonpaw isn't the problematic part, it's the "villainization" of the voice. The "vibe" is the desire to see Headpaw/Starpaw being treated as a person within the narrative, not just as a malicious "entity."

Even without this being about representation (tho that is still important), isn't that just... refreshing?

Aren't we tired of Evil Spirit influencing the cats to do bad stuff, while Good Spirit influences them to do good stuff? Do we really need another Ashfur so soon? Wouldn't it be nice if there was some narrative, textual nuance to the situation for once?

[junos-jrabbles]

How would baking with the mercs go?

Authors note sorry it's all short and possibly unreadable I might do some more of the fellas another time :) I'm am so cold and eepy

Pyro, Sniper, and Scout :)

Pyro

Spectacularly, believe me, it’d go so well, definitely no burning around here! No sir!

Jokes aside, it’d go pretty well!

You guys would bake some cupcakes, maybe some sugar cookies, as they’d probably love all things sweet in the kitchen, and you’d both be covered in flour, eggs, sugar, and god knows what in no time.

You’d get walked in on while jousting with rolling pins, and have to try and make it seem like you were being normal. Impossible.

Pyro would be sat, cross legged on the floor in front of the oven, watching the baked goods through the window.

Only some of the confectionaries would come out burnt, mostly due to you two getting distracted flipping through the recipe book and gawking at all the pretty treats.

You'd point like an excited ape at a towering cake, and Pyro would excitedly drum their hands on the paper and teeter on their heels, squeaking out muffled, joyous sounds under the mask as the cycle continued.

You guys would FEAST on your delicacies in Pyro's room, and have a little picnic/tea party with some old cartoons in the background :)

~~~

Sniper

It’d be a pretty peaceful activity, I’d imagine, an hour or so spent kneading, rolling and cutting pre bought cookie dough before you set it in the oven for as long as it says on the tin while you go spoon in his bed.

He probably wouldn’t have the ingredients for baking (or much fancy cooking) in the camper, and when you guys snuck into the base’s pantry, Lieutenant Bites was paws shoulders deep in the sugar, so.

The cookies would come out pretty perfectly, a little misshapen, (Sniper definitely tried to turn one into a heart, or an animal of some sort, and it came out as a funny blob) but really good!

He'd make sure you were both there ready the second they started turning a yummy golden brown around the edges.

He'd pull out the tray trying not to laugh, “Promise you won't laugh… the dog's gone blobby—” And almost drop everything.

You guys would cook up a batch, put half in a nice big baggy and eat the other half with him on the sofa with a board game in progress on the coffee table in front of you.

~~~

Scout

He's throwing the eggs between his hands like that one cooking mama mini game, and is NARROWLY avoiding splattering them absolutely fucking EVERYWHERE.

He'd absolutely go try and steal one from Archimedes if he dropped one

There's a crumpled sheet of paper with his ma's Boston cream pie recipe on the counter, and flour covering every single surface.

“Look, I don't know what’cha mean by ‘It won't work’— Are you sayin’ my ma ain't a world star chef? Nuh— Nuh-uh, I ain't listenin!”

He's asking you to make it tiered like a wedding cake, and he's adamant that not only is it possible, but that you definitely know how to do it.

He's got his fingers in his ears when you try telling him you don't think you can do that, and only starts listening again when you offer him the whisk to lick when you're done stirring the base cake mix.

The cake comes out okay, you manage to get just about everything put together, though, you guys definitely ate a bit too much of the cream while you were waiting, and only had a small layer to put in by the end.

It's yummy, at least! And when anyone comes into the kitchen wondering why it smells vaguely like burning and moreso like cake, you two link up like a defensive wall in front of it, looking around very inconspicuously, of course.

“What cake? Where? Someone's got cake?” Sloooowly hiding it behind your backs.

[quantomeno]

There is a long (long) list of wacky and corrupt Australian politicians (not always both, but often)

I kept adding more to this list so I'm putting it under the break

Prime Ministers:

Alfred Deakin, our second prime minister, who returned to office twice later, was "a mystic and spiritualist who was obsessed with signs and prophecies ... Put simply, Deakin believed he had a divine destiny to create a nation for whites only." (source) His spiritualism wasn't widely known at the time though. He was also one of the chief architects of the White Australia Policy which limited immigration of non-British people to Australia (and was only fully repealed in 1973!!!) and he also really believed Aboriginal Australians would die out and wanted that to happen.

Billy Hughes, another racist but let's focus instead on his wackiness: he famously changed party while PM to join the opposition. After he ended his time as PM, he was expelled from that party and then expelled from the party he joined after that (twice). A famous story goes "Prime Minister Robert Menzies remarked that at one time or another, Hughes had been a member of every party. 'Not the Country Party!' interjected Arthur Fadden, that party’s leader. 'No,' replied Hughes, 'I had to draw the line somewhere.'" The joke being that the Country Party were c.... you get the idea.

It's more an oddity than anything else, but Harold Holt famously disappeared while going for a swim down at Point Nepean (if you've seen a map of greater Melbourne, it's the tip of the right peninsula, he swam on the ocean side). His body was never found which led to a bunch of conspiracy theories (including, but not limited to, him being kidnapped by a Japanese submarine). Obligatory 'they named a pool after him after he died' (he was a famously big fan of swimming and the pool was in his electorate so it made sense it's not that they were trying to be darkly humorous).

Gough Whitlam: I'm a big fan of the guy. He bought Pollocks' 'Blue Poles' for the national gallery and was ridiculed for this, but it's now worth 100-350 times the price he bought it. His real wackiness though came from the fact he was fired by the Governor General. This is notable because this has never happened before or since and the GG is otherwise a pretty boring and forgettable person. There are rumours (only rumours, mind you, and a lot of academic debate) that Queen Elizabeth II was in on it. Also maybe the CIA. Whitlam was a big reformist and had a lot of progressive policies that ruffled feathers to say the least.

Bob Hawke. I want to say he is the Australian version of Bill Clinton except better. He set a world record for skolling a yard of ale while he was at Oxford. He was a womaniser and later divorced his wife and remarried (this was a big scandal at the time). When an Australian yacht won the America's Cup for the first time, he famously declared “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum.” He was a great Prime Minister and I am very fond of him. They don't make PMs like they used to.

Paul Keating! The only PM to have a musical written about him, fitting for the man known as the Placido Domingo of Australian politics. A master of epic put-downs. When asked by the opposition leader John Hewson why he wouldn't call an early election, he replied 'because I wanna do you slowly'. He also called Hewson "a feral abacus". He called Liberal party treasurer Peter Costello "all tip and no iceberg" and had previously responded to an attack by Costello as "like being flogged with a warm lettuce". He called John Howard "The little desiccated coconut" and (on a separate occasion) "the greatest job and investment destroyer since the bubonic plague". He called the senate "unrepresentative swill". He was also a really good PM but he was probably a tad too intellectual for the average Australian. Also there was the 'recession we had to have' quote that didn't win him any favours.

Little Johnnie Howard. He will forever be known as having the bushiest eyebrows of any Australian PM, possibly of any world leader, of all time. Howard has a lot of little weird things so I'll be quick and say the time he claimed it "was not his experience" that Australia was a racist country. Also the time he refused to let a freighter carrying hundreds of refugees to enter Australian waters. He then claimed the people on the boat were throwing children overboard in a bid to force the government to rescue them (there was as much evidence of this as there was of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Howard was also the PM who got us to follow the US into Iraq, by the way).

Tony Abbott. The most gaffe-prone Australian PM ever. Unless you include acting PMs but we won't (yes I'm referring to Barnaby; yes I'll get to him later). He once ate a raw onion skin and all while visiting an onion farm. He claimed he would 'shirtfront' Putin over the MH17 disaster and to this day no one knows what exactly he meant by that. He had a penchant for wearing red budgie smugglers and it was not easy on the eyes to say the least. He got Prince Phillip an Australian knighthood. When an Australian soldier died in Afghanistan, he commented 'shit happens' and when later asked about this comment by a reporter he nodded blankly in complete silence for 28 seconds while the reporter tried to ask him questions ("you're not saying anything Tony"). He called the British colonisation of Australia "a form of foreign investment by the British government". He once said that "no one is the suppository of all wisdom" (if you don't get the blunder, look up what a suppository is). There was also the weird influence his chief of staff Peta Credlin had over him (this irritated his colleagues more than anyone else). Abbott was an unpleasant man and a shambling PM. Oh I forgot the budget!!!!!!!! The Abbott government's first budget! I'll save that for Joe Hockey's entry. He also was a massive proponent of offshore processing of refugees which was so great that Rishi Sunak decided to copy it with his plan to send refugees to Rwanda (it is still a blight on this nation but I digress). Oh yeah and he also made himself minister for women.

Scott Morrison: oh. oh... was he worse than Abbott? is it possible? At least Abbott had a vision, even if it was a bad one, Morrison just bumbled along and if we hadn't had a pandemic I don't think he'd rate a mention. The rumours he cacked his dacks in a Maccas in Engadine are (apparently) false. He does have a weird love of curries, but I like curry too so who am I to throw stones. There was the time he told protesters they should be grateful they don't live in a country where protesters get shot at. During the 2019-2020 bushfires he was found to have snuck off to Hawaii on holiday and rushed back to try to do some damage control. He then said "I don't hold a hose, mate", which went down poorly. He then visited victims and tried to shake their hands but had to forcefully take their hands and shake them. After he was booted out of office he was found to have secretly appointed himself to five ministerial positions during the pandemic without telling anyone except the governor general. He only used this power one time to override the resource minister. It was weird and no one quite knew what to make of it but the consensus we reached was it was bad. There was also the time he tackled a child while playing a friendly game of soccer during his attempted re-election campaign. I mean like full on knocked him to the ground. He also really loved sticking his thumbs up and tried to act like a loveable, daggy dad but in reality he was not so friendly to say the least. Oh and he was the guy who approved the 'Where the bloody hell are you?' ad when he was head of Tourism Australia, leading to him losing his job (this was before he became PM and it's why he's called Scotty from Marketing).

Non-PMs:

Joh Bjelke-Petersen: a really corrupt Queensland premier from the late 60s to late 80s. He was authoritarian, racist, homophobic, anti-environment (he supported oil drilling on the Great Barrier Reef), moralistic, anti-abortion, anti-union, anti-taxation... etc. He was in many, many respects like the current US president-elect. He also had a role in the Whitlam Dismissal. When people protested the South African rugby team playing in Brisbane (because of the apartheid), he declared a state of emergency and sent in the police who attacked the protesters. He is a very strong contender for my least favourite politician in Australian history.

Joe Hockey: Abbott's treasurer. In an attempt to cut down on debt, the Abbott government announced a very, very austere budget in 2014. Cruelly austere. Hockey was then spotted smoking cigars with the finance minister in 'celebration' of a successful budget. This was not good for his reputation as he was living it up while poor Australians were struggling. He went on to eventually become our ambassador to the US during their administration of 2016-2020 and I think that was actually a good job for him considering the guy in charge of the US at the time.

Pauline Hanson: From humble beginnings running a fish and chip shop in Ipswich, Hanson rose to become one of Australia's most hated and most controversial politicians. She is famous for her maiden speech in 1996 when she said Australia was at risk of being "swamped by Asians", her speech 20 years later when she said we were at risk of being "swamped by Muslims", the time she went into parliament wearing a burqa as some sort of stunt, the time she walked out of parliament during the Welcome to Country, the time she climbed Uluru after it was announced climbing it was going to be prohibited (out of respect for the Indigenous people who regard it as sacred) and later she claimed she was 'indigenous' to the land because she was born in Australia, the time she blamed Indigenous Australians for their own problems, and, most famously, the time a reporter asked her if she was xenophobic and she replied 'please explain'. She is a remarkably poor orator and has a tendency to waffle. She's also homophobic and anti-renewable energy and so on and so forth.

Sam Dastyari: he took bribes from Chinese companies with links to the Chinese government and was essentially working for China and advocating their interests. I'm not sure he was that 'weird' but he was definitely corrupt.

Bob Katter: The crazy independent member of parliament from Far North Queensland. He is the current Father of the House, being as he is the longest current serving member of parliament. He has an obsession with crocodiles (he wants to cull them) and has floated the idea of giving rifles to all children. He once promised to walk "backwards from Bourke" if homosexuals made up so much as 0.001% of the population of North Queensland (claiming that there were none there). He didn't want to waste time talking about same-sex marriage because the crocodiles killing people in Queensland was more important. He's also rather racist.

George Christensen: Sex holidays in the Philippines. He was in Manila more often than he was in Parliament House. He's also Islamophobic, doesn't believe in climate change, and believes in other conspiracy theories particularly those around COVID-19.

Fraser Anning: this guy is kind of a Nazi and I do not throw that term around lightly. He used the phrase 'final solution' with reference to 'the immigration problem' (i.e. the 'swamping by Asians/Muslims' Hanson was going on about. Oh yeah, forgot to say he was a member her party but then defected to Katter's party). Even Pauline Hanson said it was 'straight from Goebbels' handbook'. Later, a boy famously hit an egg onto his head. He then slapped the boy on the face twice. This boy (William Connolly) became known as Egg Boy and was a national hero for a brief time.

Stuart Robert: this guy was the minister involved in Robodebt: the government implemented this automated debt collection thing which incorrectly calculated a lot of people's debts for government payments (e.g. for unemployment, disability etc). Essentially the government was robbing the poor and suffering in the name of tackling 'dole bludgers'. There were a number of other corruption allegations against him too.

Richard Colbeck: Aged care minister during the pandemic.... oh did he stuff it up big time. Just general incompetency during a time when elderly Australians were most vulnerable (the pandemic). It was appalling.

Michaelia Cash: famous for her marching, her odd enunciation, her oddly high intensity and her hairstyle. There was also the time she threatened "name every young woman" in the opposition who was the subject of rumours. This came off the back of when she sent the police to raid union offices. Then after the threats she hid behind a whiteboard to avoid having to talk to the press. There was also the time she got Scott Cam (host of the reality TV show 'The Block') to be 'National Careers Ambassador', for which he was paid almost $350,000 AUD and he didn't do much in that role.

Bridget McKenzie: colour-coded spreadsheets! Sports rorts! Sorry, this was a big event at the time. Essentially the government was found to have funded sports grants in marginal seats to try to help win the election, and in doing so they ignored other, more worthwhile, requests for funding. Bridget was left holding the can for this. There were found to be spreadsheets colour-coded by who held what electorate to decide which marginal seats should be targeted. She also was found to have given funds to help a rifle shooting club she was a member of.

Angus Taylor: this guy just seems to make things up a lot. He once presented a document detailing the Lord Mayor of Melbourne's air travel to try to paint her as a hypocrite on environmentalist issues. But the documents were complete bunkum and to this day no one knows where they came from. He also claimed in his maiden speech to have argued with Naomi Wolf about Christmas trees (it was a political correctness thing) while they were at Oxford together. Naomi Wolf was not actually at Oxford at the time in question.

Clive Palmer: he is a mining magnate who is trying to rebuild the titanic. He has a theme park filled with replica dinosaurs at a resort he owns. He made a political party called the Palmer United Party which was rather disunited (more on that later). He ended up losing at the following election but then spent $123 million AUD on election spending (all those ugly yellow signs.....) and won one (1) seat in the senate (for a member of his party, not himself). He also once likened himself to Gandhi.

Craig Kelly: ugh….. him… a former Coalition member, he defected and joined up with Clive Palmer on his attempted return to Australian politics. He was a big believer of COVID conspiracy theories and the like.

Jaquie Lambie: the senator from Tasmania who tells it like it is. Jaquie was originally a Palmer United member until she split from the party and became and independent. She was incredibly Islamophobic and anti-refugee. Then she went on a TV show where they got famous people to see what it's like to be in the shoes of refugees and she had a change of heart. She is famously foul mouthed. Almost any sentence she says will have the word bloody in it. She also got found out to be a dual citizen and so lost her seat and then had to regain it. The time in the wilderness only sharpened her. I actually think I like her now. She fights for the little guy, but in an honest and actually good way, not like just channelling their rage (though she does definitely do that, I mean it in the sense doesn't just use it to feather her own nest). She's proof politicians can become better people.

Barnaby Joyce: I've saved one of the bests till last. Where to start? He tried to euthanise Johnny Depp's dogs, he lived rent-free in the house of a millionaire, he was found to be (unbeknownst to literally everyone including apparently himself) a New Zealand citizen and thus ineligible for parliament (he got re-elected after he renounced the NZ citizenship), he got a $40,000 award from the richest person in Australia for being a 'champion of industry', he had an affair with a staffer which led to the PM of the time creating what became known as the 'Bonk Ban'. He also looks like a tomato when he gets angry. He also cannot string two words together. He once said a massive flood was a 'once-in-3,500-year event'. He was also our deputy prime minister for an embarrassingly long stretch. Which meant that when the PM was out of the country, he was acting PM. Which is just... yeah

I’m from the US and I have a few friends here from India and recently one of them told me “You know, we also have corrupt politicians in India but they’re not nearly as wacky as the ones you have here.”

[wigglermansblog]

Down to the Cybertron

Synopsis : Join Orion Pax and his friends unraveling the secrets of Cybertron and the Primes. But what lies beneath is better to be left undiscovered.

Prologue II >>

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

Prologue I

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

"Hey! Get back here at once!"

Two guards are chasing after a blue and red bot, who is laughing to himself as he takes sharp turns in  order to escape the guards. He runs through the crowd causing the guards to lose sight of the cogless miner.

Orion Pax quickly gets onto the train that would lead him back to the mines, he grins to himself and pops a few energon cubes into his mouth.

"Easy peasy~" he grins as he leans on the wall.

What a day, he couldn't wait to tell D-16 about his research at the Archives. There's a lot of things he wants to talk about and there's might be a chance for them to find the Matrix of Leadership.

As soon the train reaches the mines, he steps out and goes straight to find his friend, D-16.

His optics spots D-16 pushing a cart full of energon, he grins and starts calling out to the bot. "Hey, D!" he calls out as the grey mech turns his helm and glares at the red blue bot "Orion, where were you?!" he hiss. "You've been missing for hours!".

"It's only like one hour! I was quick, don't worry" assure Orion.

"Quick?! You've missed half the day's shift! If anything happens, I ain't helping you with your workload!" D-16 says in exasperation, unloading the energon into the crate. He clearly dislikes his friend breaking the protocols. Always get himself in trouble and he won't be there to save him if gets himself caught by those guards.

"Oh—" Orion's optic widens in realization, he didn't know he was gone for THAT long. "Well, uhh...heh heh...I'll get to work then" the bot rubs the back of his neck. Guess he has to start his shift before Darkwing or Elita finds out he's been snitching work.

D-16 rolls his optics as he loads the last energon into the crate and he will be done for the day. It was tiring and his body felt sore, the workload has been increasing day by day. They barely get any rest, if they do, they only get a few minutes or so.

He closes the crate and watches it get taken away.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Is this all it?" Sentinel says in disbelief, holding a data pad in his hands. He slams the data pad on the table causing everything on the table to be knocked over. He received the news of the mining progression and it wasn't good at all.

Their energon source is depleting and it won't be enough for everyone, let alone... for THEM! The Quintesson.

He has to find a way.

"Argh! There has to be a way!" he vents angrily. His optics turn to Arachnid, "Ready the troops for another expedition, now" he said as the femme nods and exit the office. Once he is alone, he turns around and calls out.

"Zephyrstrike! You told me that everything is going smoothly!" he said, coming out from the shadows is a slim mech in copper and black pallets.

"My master, please. Be patient, my team and I are doing our best to find it" Zephyrstrike said in a calm and soothing tone. "Patience! Patience that's all you said—" Sentinel growls, stomping over to the shorter mech. "I will be doomed once the Quintesson finds out that I barely provide energon for them!" he said.

"I know, master but finding the Matrix isn't easy. SteelHazard is trying his best to locate it, he hasn't had enough sleep for the pass cycles...." the mech said. "Also— I bear good news, master. We have found a new mining area within the deepest caves of Cybertron. It will give us enough supplies for the next 3 moon cycles" Zephyrstrike assures the 'Prime'.

Sentinel quirk a brow at the news, a new mining area means more energon and more energon means more work for the cogless miners. The 'Prime' fixes his structure, "Very well, tell the mining operators about it and make sure everything goes well. Understand?" he said.

Zephyrstrike smiles and bows, "I understand, master" he said before disappearing into the shadows, back where he came from while Sentinel turns and leaves for another expedition.

.

.

.

"Listen up, all of you miners!" Darkwing's voice boom, causing all the miners to stop whatever they are doing. "The exploration team has discovered a new cave system. You know the drill! We call out your names, get your equipment and start digging!" he said. Some of the miners weren't so happy with the news they have received, another cave to mine and they have to work more than usual.

Their superiors start to call out each bots names and surprise that both Orion and D-16 were included.

Orion let out a groan, "Ugh, really? We barely finish with this cave and now we have another?" he said. "Come on, Orion. We are doing this for the good of Cybertron, for everyone and Sentinel Prime" D-16 said, picking up his mining equipment. "Yeah, I know" Orion smiles as he does the same. Both of them went to the station and were ready to be transported to the new cave.

"Hey, at least we get to see something new" D-16 smiles, nudging his friend. "Who knows if we will find the Matrix in that cave" he said. "Hm, you're right! But—I'm going to miss going to the Archives now" he pouts. "Well, at least now I don't have to cover your aft anymore" D-16 said.

"Are you sure about that?" Orion grins as they board the train as it takes them to the new mining section.

.

.

.

(End of Prologue I )

[orxinus]

Bill Cipher wipes off the sweat off his shape and takes a step back to look at their progress. The triangle marvels on his unfinished painting of his lord, his muse. It was getting along well, just a few more hours of rendering left and it's good to go!

He studies the facial features painted of Ford, something no Euclidean can even begin to comprehend. A separate eye and mouth, a 'nose', and other orifices he can't bother to recall at the moment as he stares and stares.

...

An impulsive urge brings him closer to the canvas. Bill looks left, right, then up for extra measure. Good enough, his studio is clear of any shape or 3 dimensional beings in sight. He silently curses at no one in particular before bringing his eyelips close to the canvas.

Bill kisses the painting of his beloved muse. Just a small peck.

He instantly regrets doing so, scolding himself at how stupid of a decision that was. Why in the flat lands of Euclydia did he do that?! Sometimes impulsive thoughts leads you to the weirdest places. Bill closes his eyes, exhales, and—

Oh no.

—

"Pixelated eyestrains..!" Bill curses to himself as he storms out of his studio. He needs to get home quickly. Before any shape sees him in such a state—

"What's the rush, painter?" Ford asks, his spiritual body floating just above him.

Bill immediately puts a hand over his eyes. "I thought you had some business to do?!"

"Yes, I was busy but I got it down quick. I hope you're not questioning my efficiency to get tasks done."

"Of course not, I was just-"

"Put your hands down, Cipher." Ford closes some distance to poke the triangle's side. "You can't fool a god. We both know you're not the shy type."

Bill hesitates. He can make a run for it and come up with an explanation later. Maybe he can excuse himself, say he has pink eye and he doesn't want to risk infecting his muse. Who was he kidding? Gods probably don't even get diseases! Possible excuses pile up Bill's little head but he ends up sighing, obeying his muse as he takes his hands off his face. Ford holds back a snort.

"Why do you have paint on your eyelids..?"

The triangle just stares at him with a deadpan expression.

"Oh Cipher, did you accidentally eat paint again?"

"How do you.. Uh- Yes I did. You got me there, Muse!" Bill awkwardly chuckles, not very convincing but it was enough to make Ford chuckle himself.

"Come to our space, I'll help you with that."

[lavellane]

very still, without reaching

(ashara lavellan x solas. 2250 words. post-solavellan ending. hurt/comfort. major veilguard spoilers. read on ao3)

The nature of her own regrets become apparent soon enough. Mostly, as they appear to her in the fade, they relate to her regretting so very little.

There are exceptions, of course. She and Solas pass them sometimes on long, silent walks together; small, ugly things carved into barren rock, almost impossible to catch in the shadow of Solas's own towering monuments of despair. But they are there, and Ashara can always sense them before she sees them. Her least favorite recurrence pertains to a rock she threw at some shemlen farmers when she was a girl. They had returned later in the day, but they could not distinguish the difference between Dalish vallaslin , and so chose to take out their vengeance on the whole of her clan, instead. 

They had never truly forgiven her. Of all the statues of contrition this place has manifested over the months they've been here, this is the one she can't yet bring herself to face.

But there are, unexpectedly, great works of beauty here, too. Oftentimes she sees herself and Solas carved into the cliff faces, or jutting out of canyons. Old echoes of embraces, stolen kisses, intertwined fingers. She suspects their prison doesn't quite know what to do with these complicated memories, but it does its best to use them against her even so. She had regretted those moments once, after all. Or at least she thought she had. Her time in this place offers an alternative school of thought; that she had never truly regretted the choices leading her down this dinan'shiral of theirs, but rather the heart of her shame is more that she could never truly bring herself to regret them at all.

Once the fade understood this, it course-corrected. Now if she sees those statues at all, it is because she wants to.

Solas has made little progress. It is harder for him, with his regrets so numerous and so at odds with his ego. On a good day he makes her worst mistakes look infinitesimal by comparison. Sometimes he disappears for days on end, wandering aimlessly, pulled one way or another by the compass of his guilt alone. When he returns, as he always does, he says nothing, only holds her very tightly and does not let go.

In all the months (or perhaps even longer) that they've been here, they have spoken very little. More time is needed before either one of them is ready to face that looming conversation. For now, quiet comfort takes priority. For now, sex suffices. For now they sit on the edge of yawning chasms for hours on end, watching the shifting rocks, the starless skies, the shadows in mournful, flittering dance at the edge of their vision, and find solace through a tender silence in which no words are yet necessary. And when he begins to get it in his head that perhaps they are necessary, she stops him with a long, languid kiss until she feels those worries melt away between them.

It is a terrible place he's built, but it is not so terrible facing it together.

And it gets easier still. The nature of the Evanuris' prison was always to contain the regrets of beings who thought themselves gods, but she is not a god, and neither is he. Her regrets are not so insurmountable to overcome, given time, and soon, slowly, she finds the world around her starts to mirror the world inside her. At first, a singular star in the sky. Then, below it, a wisp of elfroot growing between the crack of a barren rock. The fade cannot be mapped by mere cartography or magic, but a learned mage can always find their way with enough discipline. And Ashara was, before stepping through that final rift, a very learned mage.

When Solas departs on his lonely journeys, she cultivates the place in secret. She was never one for dishonesty, and so it's the only real secret she has. She shapes the space sporadically over many months in the image of her late mother's patch of camp among their clan. With some . . . creative liberties here and there. The tent is warm and green like her mother's was, but with all the ample space and utility (and — admittedly — luxury) she had grown accustomed to over her many years as the Inquisitor. Some ugly shemlen cottage wouldn't do, and she never had a full night sleep in her Skyhold quarters, anyway.

She dreams up the smell of incense, and many multicolored rugs, and a bed that's warm but not too soft. Books; a table with two chairs; a big bathtub to share. The small fire pit in the centre might have burned the whole tent down around her were it abiding by the laws of the physical world, but it does not. It abides her.

The hardest part was the damned trees. Several times she nearly lost everything, locked in a seemingly endless standoff against the will of the very prison itself. But Solas made this place to contain monsters, and Ashara need only remind herself that she is not one. She never was. Whether the magic of this place recognises that — or if she truly did best the fade by sheer audacity alone — she couldn't really say. All she knows is that one day the trees stood tall — leafless but very much alive — as if they'd been there all along, and her impossible little clearing was all but complete.

"I've found a place I think you ought to see," she tells Solas soon after, reunited in their usual spot after several long days apart.

He seems especially exhausted this time around. He buries his face in the crook of her neck and breathes deeply. "Then I am yours to guide, as you see fit." 

He clings tightly to her hand as she leads them on, aided by the lonely light of her beloved star. Samahl , as she's come to calling it — named after her nephew. Solas would see Samahl too if he ever looked up, but he keeps his eyes defiantly low, avoiding the overhead statues of a handsome, crumbling man with Mythal's vallaslin , whose wounded gaze seem to follow Solas wherever he goes.

He will find it in himself to meet those eyes one day, a long time from now. In the meantime she lifts her head to the sky for both of them, and presses onward through the gloom.

He stops short when he sees the clearing of trees in the distance, bordered by infinite wasteland. Ashara squeezes his fingers with her own and urges him forward. "Come."

"That . . . cannot be."

"It is. Come."

Soon the cracked earth beneath their feet sprouts small, unassuming blades of grass. The riverbed they pass remains as dry as bone, but carries the unmistakable smell of wet earth after recent rain. Closest to the centre of the clearing, Ashara herself notes leaves on trees that were not there the day before. 

Solas's brow furrows, and he makes a strange noise when they reach the point where the grass is most concentrated. As it exists now, the grass is too patchy to be called a meadow, and yet it grows strongest and greenest in a perfect circle around her little tent as if it were the sun itself, nourishing by proximity. 

The tent glows faintly, lit up by the hearth and candlelight within. But it is a strange glow, which seems to extend to the whole of the outer clearing, cutting through the endless mist and shadow. For months her world has been a haze of muted gray and monochromes. This space, by comparison, bears a subtle vibrancy she might've missed if she hadn't grown so used to its absence.

The violets of his eyes are clearly visible for the first time since they arrived, shining as they scan about the clearing. "How can it be that I feel you so vividly in this place?" he finally whispers, incredulous.

"I made it," she says. "It's mine. Will you come with me a little further? I didn't bring us here to watch grass grow."

She had hoped he might at last be baited into a smile, or a sultry retort, but he only frowns at her with those same sad, uncertain eyes, and takes her hand once more. 

"It's much larger inside," she says. "Come."

"As you say."

He has to duck his head to slip inside the tarp, but the interior is as large and spacious as promised. Her fire bathes the walls in bright flickering hues of yellow and orange, and Ashara watches him give an involuntary shiver of pleasure as its warmth passes over and through him. It's a nice sight. Her pyromancy has inspired no shortage of pain and terror over the years, but in truth, it was always watching the relief of her companions faces when she warmed their soup in midwinter that had made her feel the most accomplished. 

Maybe she could dream up soup next? There are several potted plants next to her little bed. Elfroot and crystal grace, and some others even she doesn't recognise. Not quite right for soup, and yet . . . Had she put those there? Or has this dream of hers now taken a life of its own? She ponders as much, settling in amid her thick fur blankets, waiting for Solas to compose himself.

"I made this place for you as well," she tells him when he makes no move to join her.

He shakes his head despairingly. "No."

"What?" Ashara scowls. " Yes ."

"No."

" Yes ."

"This cannot be, Ashara," he snaps. "The very will of this domain is such that —"

"I don't know what to tell you. I outwilled it."

He scoffs. "The greatest tyrants of the Evanuris could not outwill it."

"I am not the Evanuris. Neither was your little bird friend, and she flew free."

"That is different. Rook had —" 

He stops himself. For a moment he looks briefly shocked, as if struck. And then his features settle. Lips pressed tight, eyes down. He seems impossibly small inside this place, and not just because it's bigger on the inside. The light doesn't touch him quite so eagerly as it touches everything else. His very presence in her room casts a long, misshapen shadow which seems to crawl unnaturally across the floor, cutting through the glow of her fire until it's very nearly pooled at her feet. 

A chill follows. 

" Varric ." Ashara holds his gaze in silence until he looks at her. "Deiadre had Varric ."

Beside her, a candle flickers. "Yes."

Ashara reminds herself: his regrets made this place. They unmade Skyhold, and nearly the world itself. They will do worse to them both now, if she allows it. 

"She had Varric, Solas."

Even in the rapidly dimming light, she can make out the unsteady rise of his chest. "She had Varric," he echoes.

"And you have me."

Solas's face falls. But then the room brighten. A little. 

He lets out a long, unsteady breath and closes the distance between them. Her little wooden bed creaks under his weight. She shifts the blankets to better drape over his broad shoulders, and he reaches out in turn, hesitating before resting his hand on her thigh. He leans down to press a kiss to the gooseflesh raised on her clavicle, courtesy of the lingering chill.

"That you would offer such a thing at all is more a testament to you than any clemency I've not earned," he murmurs against her collar. He tilts his head up as if to look upon the room, though his gaze remains soft and steadily focused on her. "This is a gift, asha'era. I did not mean to undermine your efforts, or the feat of having made this. It is perfect, just as you are. But it may not survive my presence."

"Why not? I did." 

Now Solas looks away. She cringes; inhabiting the fade has done nothing to improve her eloquence. Quickly she continues, "But even so; if it does not, we'll just have to get over it and bring it back come morning."

"And do you think you'll feel the same a dozen centuries from now? Perpetually warring with my regret?"

"I know which side I'd place my bets in a fight between regret and love."

If he has a retort for that, he's wise enough to keep it to himself.

Time in the fade passes imperceptibly. Surely their kiss lasts days, and what comes after even longer. The candles are less a gauge for the passing minutes but instead the strength of her resolve when his own doubts creep in. When the light flickers, when the incense sours, when the wind outside picks up to a roaring howl; then she focuses her efforts. Her fingers scraping down his chest, a well timed roll of the hips, a kiss with enough tongue to remind him how much he used to enjoy using his own. And still does, apparently.

In the morning — or what, at least, finally feels like morning — the trees have dried up and grass outside their tent is dead. But the tent itself is warm as ever and the air outside feels crisp and fresh and, above her, if she squints, she can make out the faint but ever-present glint of her Samahl in the sky. 

The grass will grow back. She will see to it . . .

. . . Tomorrow. This morning, she would sooner crawl back into bed and see to other things.

[arcane-ish]

I think I was mostly surprised with how firm they were on making it joyless. Like considering how ready people are to misunderstand it, it probably was a good choice.

I know it's just a me thing, but to me it's always been very obvious that League!Vi likes being an enforcer. Like I can basically not look at Vi without having her obnoxious, ear-wormy "Piltover Enforcer, on the scene!" playing in my head.

So I kind of expected the show to show elements of how seductive it can be, to be part of team, to be in power, the esprit the corps. Especially for somebody like Vi, I just figure it must be tempting to be offered a spot in something.

I guess the closest is during the Memorial Attack when the various strike team members do action-y stuff and Vi and Caitlyn coordinate.

But I expected at least something, like I dunno, a locker room scene where they rib Vi about the uniform fitting her. Or a scene where one of the strike team members talks about why they joined. Or them celebrating some progress.

Just something that would show more about why Vi would be drawn to that life, something other than "She has few moral qualms, she likes punching things and being an enforcer gives her a licence to do that".

(I still think she seemed happiest teaming up with Jayce)

Arcane season 2 episode 3 intro: War crimes "Hellfire" by FEVER 333

[cityofmeliora]

What does terzology know about the overthrow of Papa III? Do we have a hypothesis about the reasons for it?

very topical question. i was just thinking about this, actually.

as we know, Terzo was dragged off the stage while singing 'Monstrance Clock' at his final concert on September 30, 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

it's tempting to think Sister Imperator simply hated Terzo and couldn't wait to get rid of him so she could put Cardi in charge, which i think is at least a tiny bit true, but not entirely true.

i watched the Era 3 lore video series 'The Summoning' with some friends the a while ago, and it was the first time they'd watched it. one of them remarked they were surprised that Sister Imperator seemed to be genuinely hyping up Terzo.

this is true! Sister Imperator did actually hype up Terzo during his first year as Papa. at the beginning of Era 3, she was deeply disappointed with the Nameless Ghouls and The Ghost Project's failure to make significant progress in their mission to convert the world to their cult. she was initially very excited for Terzo's reign and believed that he would be extremely successful.

SISTER IMPERATOR: Brothers and Sisters, you know why you are here tonight. This Ministry is now seven years into The Ghost Project. Seven long years of work. Two Papas, two albums, one gold. These are indeed some respectable numbers, but let me give you some others. Churches opened: zero. Governments toppled: zero. World leaders converted to the cause: zero. You call yourselves salesmen? Masterminds? You have done shit! And don't blame the music. The music is the very manifestation of His Dark Majesty. And don't blame this fine merchandise! It's a disgrace! Papa 2 has been let go. He is a miserable, wounded, and bitter old man, and he is washed up! But let's look forward now. This is a new piece of music. And these are your new masks. And this is Papa 2's brother. He is a full 3 months younger. This man will take the band further than any of us could ever have imagined. I present to you now… Papa Emeritus III! The Summoning (part 1) (May 20, 2015)

Terzo did end up being very successful, even before Meliora released.

SISTER IMPERATOR: It has arrived! Some of you did not believe the new Papa would be able to cast a shadow as wide and as far as his great predecessor. Your faithlessness is now dust in my mouth. You should be on your knees humbling yourselves before what has been accomplished here! All you need to do is look outside. Look at the graffiti on the walls, look at the lights illuminated at night, where once there was only darkness. The Summoning IV: The Arrival || Unholy / Unplugged - Los Angeles, California, USA (August 21, 2015)

Sister Imperator felt she was right to have faith in Terzo. she continued to preach about Terzo's power and demanded that others respect him.

SISTER IMPERATOR: Welcome! Welcome, my faithful brothers and sisters! Your presence here is proof of your commitment. If you are unsure, cast off your doubts now. There is no turning back. The rite you're about to witness is but one small but essential movement in our spiritual revolution. We prayed, and he has arrived! But! But! He will demand more of you! He will need to hear from the abyss of your hearts that you are ready. His is a voice of the pit and the pinnacle! His Nameless Ghouls are the music of the [UNINTELLIGIBLE], but your holy noise is the key! You must cry out his name! Say it with me now: Papa Emeritus! Again! Again! Again! Very good. Shh! Shh! Shhhhhh! Listen. Do you hear it? Do you? It's the terrible sound of the ignorant– the mistrust and anger of the masses. The world is unstable and they have lost their balance. But we, here together, are the new foundation. We are the shape of things to come! There's not much time. We won't be able to do the required incantation. We must let the music do the summoning. My brethren, my brethren, bow your heads and raise your horns to pierce the veil of heaven, so the skies will be torn asunder! And Papa may fall into our midst! Now is the moment. Now, there is no other. Papa Emeritus III! Ghost! Ghost is here! Los Angeles, CA, USA (October 26, 2015)

so what was the turning point? the 2016 Grammy win.

listen. Sister Imperator hated that Grammy so fucking much. this seems weird because she wanted the band to be successful, but here's the thing: Sister Imperator is a zealot. a real religious freak. as shown by her words in The Summoning part 1, she fully believes that the true mission and purpose of The Ghost Project is to serve satan and convert the world to his church. she was happy that Ghost's success meant more people were hearing their message, but she was very, very mad that Terzo and the Nameless Ghouls seemed to be enjoying their success a little too much. she felt like they had lost focus, forgetting their mission for satan and instead focusing on their commercial success. and to her, the Grammy was representative of the establishment / mainstream society, something they should avoid as the leaders of satan's flock of black sheep.

SISTER IMPERATOR: The industry has noted our good works with their trinket. And as a result, our message is carried further and wider. But do we take such trinkets as sacrament and the measure of true accomplishment? No! We don't need their approval. The truth of our work is not measured by awards and nods from the establishment. [...] I have here letters from your followers, demanding that we explain why nothing has changed. They have made their own sacrifices. But what have you done? How will you answer them? By holding up your golden gramophone? Is this the change you promised? Is this the sign of a new age? It is nothing! It is another false idol. The Summoning V: The Square And Hammer (September 13, 2016)

notably, she never said anything negative about Terzo while verbally abusing the Ghouls. she still demanded respect for him and his position.

SISTER IMPERATOR: You are supposed to lead. It is your task. Your task! To lead! I think you're afraid of real change. Let's take a breath. I think I understand the problem. You think Papa's words should be enough. But then you misunderstand the nature of true power. Papa is not a mouthpiece for the Dark Divinity. He is not a pawn. He is a mediator. He is the path. His way is the truth and the darkness! And you– you are his apostles. And yet, you deny, you deny! The Summoning VI: The Proceedings Intensify (Oct 17, 2016)

... but that doesn't mean she wasn't also mad at him, too. we just didn't see it.

Terzo was very proud of his Grammy, and he did like to brag about it a little bit. Sister Imperator would have definitely been mad about that.

PAPA EMERITUS III: Alright! How are you feeling now? Quite good, right? Yeah! Alright, I know you like your hard-rocking shit here in Skåne, right? Enough of those ballads– award-winning ballad, actually. AUDIENCE: [APPLAUSE] PAPA EMERITUS III: Oh, thank you. Malmö, Sweden (February 25, 2016)

PAPA EMERITUS III: Yes! A Grammy award winning song! Right here, right now! That doesn't happen every day. Acoustic performance at 93X Radio - Minneapolis, Minnesota (July 28, 2016)

Sister Imperator had respect for Terzo's position as Papa, but she didn't respect him.

it's not like Terzo didn't care! Terzo is actually described as "less rebellious". and we know from the words of Bishop Necropolitus Cracoviensis II that Terzo had always been very dedicated to his church and the people in it. Terzo was a believer in the dark lord, and he was a very hard worker. the problem is that Terzo genuinely wanted a better and brighter future for the world, while Sister hoped to hasten its demise. (don't forget the original explicitly stated mission statement of Ghost was to promote the apocalypse + human extinction). i think they both knew his vision for the future of the church / the world was not in alignment with hers. i think Sister Imperator turned on Terzo when he started acting too confident in himself.

Sister Imperator started making plans to replace Terzo as early as November 2016, almost an entire year before he was dragged off the stage at his last concert. while i do think Sister Imperator disliked Terzo and was happy to get rid of him, i don't think she felt her decision had anything to do with her personal feelings. Sister Imperator talks directly to satan (as shown in Chapter 5) and receives visions (as stated in The Summoning part 5 and part 7). she had a vision that indicated it would soon be time to replace Papa 3 with Papa 4. she started making arrangements accordingly, and Nihil went along with it.

SISTER IMPERATOR: Despite your weakness, and your cowardliness, your failures, I still believe in you. And I believe in you because I have seen the future! I have already been witness to three transfigurations, and each time I can see that we are closer to the final glory, and I have seen you rise to the occasion each time. So can you do it again? [...] After all we have been through in these past few days, all the shames laid bare, are you ready to start anew? The new coming is about to begin. Will you take up your instruments? Will you be able to commit to the utter annihilation of all this is false? All that is greed? All that is staid and conformist and empty? Hm? Then rise. RISE!!!! Now! I give you another chance at transformation. But you must beg. You must demand to be sacrificed! You must prostrate your hearts while you stand tall in the dark, for the fourth incarnation of Papa will guide us. The Summoning VII: Believe This (Nov 14, 2016)

i don't know why Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil decided Terzo's reign would end on September 30th, 2017. and i can't fully explain why they chose to humiliate him by having him dragged off the stage. (even Secondo, who they thought was terrible at his job, was allowed a dignified ending.) and i can't explain why they desecrated his body by using his severed head as a prop for a photoshoot. but idk, it kinda seems like maybe they just hated him.

TLDR: Sister Imperator genuinely believed in Terzo, but she turned on him when he started acting in a way she didn't like. Terzo died as he lived– being used and betrayed by the people he dedicated his life to.

[lemotmo]

Thoughts and ruminations on 911 8x07

I just finished the episode.

So… before writing my thoughts down I took a quick look at my ask box to see what people said about the episode and I have to admit I was quite surprised to see so many people disliked it.

Because I have to admit… I really kinda liked this episode.🫣 Was it a filler episode? Yes. But I still liked it.🤷‍♀️ Sorry not sorry.

Athena’s storyline is interesting, because she is getting older and it might be a very interesting story for her to move on to the next phase in her career. I love how she finally realised that being a lone wolf might not be a good thing for her anymore.

I love how she used all of her instincts and clocked that rookie right from the start. I also really liked the actor playing the rookie. He did a great job there. I started out the episode liking him and as the story progressed, I slowly started realising (together with Athena) that this kid might just be bad news. It’s the way the story was set up and the way he reacted that made me suspicious about him. It was a great storyline for Athena in my opinion.

That Athena & Hen scene? *chef’s kiss*

And let’s be real here… Angela is such a wonderful actress. She pulled me right into that story. For once it wasn’t Athena going all lone wolf and breaking the rules, but she actually followed the rules this time. Which was very refreshing.

Then we have the hotshots storyline. Again… I liked it a lot. I laughed out loud a couple of times during the episode. It was fun. The whole Gerrard thing was funny. I mean… no, I don’t like the way they are absolving Gerrard of all his past wrongs, but it’s obviously the road they’ve chosen, so we have no choice but to go with it.🙄

As for Brad? He is one strange very volatile character, but Callum plays him so well. I’m looking forward to him riding along with the 118. Bobby will go nuts! I do wonder where they are going with the whole Brad thing. Why is he still there? There has to be a reason. 🤔

That scene with Bobby standing up to Brad. I mean, seriously… that was kinda hot. Bobby’s still got it. When Athena sees that video, she’ll break out the handcuffs, no doubt.😌

That brings us to Buck. His heart has been broken. He is allowed to suffer a little over that. We might not have liked Tommy and we all know that Tommy wasn't right for him, but that doesn't change the fact that Buck cared for him, so he will be sad about it. It's normal.

But the man obviously doesn’t have a clue who he really is. I hope they’ll explore his bisexuality a bit better during the next episodes. They need to do something with this.

The stress-baking was hilarious. So much food!😆 The whole Madney/Buck convo about the universe bringing that special person made me go all 👀👀👀👀👀👀. Maddie knows what’s up with Buck. She has known since season 7 and the whole Eddie & Tommy mix up. She knows! 😋

Buck got to experience some happiness as well, which was fun. The pregnancy announcement and his little moment with Jee were so cute. Loved that.

I also loved the whole Eddie taking Buck's phone, actively preventing him from texting Tommy.😏 This is the guy who told Buck to call Tommy last season and now he’s taking away his phone. I love it! It’s so symbolic. It also shows us a more playful Eddie who is trying to find his joy. That scene was so good.

We knew that Eddie was going to react differently to the break up, because Ryan mentioned it in an interview. This might be part of that. He knows what Buck needs as well. The man doesn't need pampering, he needs someone to take action, so Eddie took action. I love seeing Eddie so happy! Happy Eddie makes me happy!

That last Buck/Hen/Eddie scene was so good. I shows us a more happy Buck, a clear sign of him moving on, so I don't think we'll get any more 'calling Tommy' mentions next week. That scene also shows us a happy carefree Eddie, which was lovely to see!

I didn’t expect much progress in the whole Buck and Eddie story this episode, so I’m glad with what we got. I’m expecting some more Eddie next episode though. I think they want to really set up the narrative of him finding ‘joy’ again. It started in 7 and I think he’ll get more focus in 8.🤞🤞🤞

I know I talk about Eddie, Buck and Buddie a lot, because they are so important to me. But I don’t exclusively watch this show for them. I watch it for every character and I love all of these characters so much. 911 is my comfort show. I love it so much.

That being said though, let's focus on the Buddie front for a minute.�� They recycled two more of the greatest Buddie NDE’s in this episode: the lightning strike (Buck) and the shooting (Eddie). Next week seems to have a drowning scene, which is something both Buck and Eddie went through. Buck with the tsunami and Eddie when he was buried alive. This has me sitting up for real! They are cooking up something big for Buddie. I can smell it in the air.

Okay, so overall conclusion?

Was it a filler episode? Yes, it was. But you know what? It was a good one. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 🤷‍♀️😁

Now off to answer some asks! 😋

[samandcolbyownme]

Warnings: swearing, sexting, fluff

Enjoy!

꒷꒦꒷︶˚︶︶꒷꒦˚꒦꒷︶˚︶︶꒷꒦˚︶˚︶︶꒷꒦꒷

Chris would start off your day with a cute little snap

You looked up at the building, dreading this work day that was arriving in just a few minutes. Your phone lit up with a notification - a snapchat notification, from Chris. You smiled as you clicked on it, knowing it’ll make your day go somewhat better.

He would try and keep your mood up when you told him you were stuck in meetings all day, bored out of your mind.

This meetings is going to be the death of me I swear to god, you type out onto the snap of your shoes and the floor. You lock your phone, resting your chin in your hand. You zone out until you feel the vibration from your phone on your lap, unlocking it to see a snap from Chris that makes you fight back smiling like an idiot in front of everyone in the room.

He would fill you in on his day, but also not take away from yours.

You leaned back in your chair, letting out a quiet sigh as your thumbs tapped the screen. You made sure to glance up every so often to make it seem like you’re somewhat interested in what is being said, I’m literally going to rip my hair out. I’m sooooo bored

He would be very good at distracting you to help the time pass, but he would also feel bad about possibly getting you in trouble.

I know a way you can help me, something that’ll help pass the time AND make me more exited to see you.., you bite your lip, glancing around to make sure the people sitting around you aren’t being nosey. Your heart starts to race as you know what can of worms you’re opening in the middle of a meeting, but that was the fun in it, right?

Once he got the official go, he wouldn’t hesitate.

No, Baby. I won’t get in trouble. I promise, You gently bounce your leg, jotting down some words as you waited the first snap of the session. Once your phone vibrated, you moved in towards the table more, leaning back to look at the screen. You raised a brow at his snap, clearing your throat as you looked up from reading it. You shifted around in your seat, looking around and nodding like you were paying attention before going back to responding, I bet I could do a lot more than that lollipop could, baby.

His snaps would progressively get more sexual the more he aches for you - just like you ached for him.

Your thighs squeeze together as you tap the screen slowly, you have no idea how bad I want the picture of you in between my legs to come to life right now, you laid your phone face down in your lap. You brought your hand up to cover your lips as you couldn’t fight back the smirk the notification brought on, but once you opened his snap, you couldn’t hide it.

He would purposely say things that he knows would get your cheeks to flush into that cute shade of pink that he loves so much.

You felt your cheeks heat up. You reached up to brush a strand of hair from your face as you lean over next to the lady beside you, “I’ll be right back. I need to run to the restroom.” She gives you a nod and you hurry out of the meeting room. You bite your lip as you tap the screen, one upping him, I just had to leave the room, fuck I want this day to be over with. I want you so fucking bad, baby.

He control himself after a while, totally forgetting that you were, in fact, still at work and not at home.

Your eyes widen at the purple block that appears under his name, mentally cursing yourself for getting into this. You roll your chair forward, making sure your volume is all the way down, along with your brightness, before tapping the video.

Chris is laying in his bed, his hand pulling up his shirt before teasingly sliding down his sweats. He doesn’t show anything - yet - but it was enough to have the walls of your pussy clenching around nothing. You take a quick snap and bite down on your lip as you type quickly, you fucking tease, keep doing that and I’ll have you watch as I get off without your help.

By the end of the day, you were ready for him, and he was ready for you.

Practically ran to my car. I’m on my way, you send the snap and immediately start your car, starting your drive to finally finished what was started.

꒷꒦꒷︶˚︶︶꒷꒦˚꒦꒷︶˚︶︶꒷꒦˚︶˚︶︶꒷꒦꒷

Slacked towards the end, but it’s something I wanted to get out. Thank you for reading! I love you so much!

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[beef-brisket]

((It's been a hot second since I've seen the description of what the Adarians look like- so please forgive me if I'm way off the mark 😂))

Lucifer and Adam stood to the side as the nine Adarians sat at a table listening to Charlie. This was their third lesson in their training.

Charlie: Alright! So, today, we'll be discussing what people with mental illnesses need to cope and heal! Okay lets start-

Adam snickered when the tallest one raised her hand. Myrna had short brown hair and Lucifer's red eyes. She had short black horns and dark red skin.

She was the most like Adam. Within a few hours of her being fully grown, she forced Adam to get her a tailored suit.

Charlie: Uh- yes, Myrna?

Myrna: At what point do we consider the humans at our hotel to be lost causes?

Charlie: L-Lost causes?

Myrna: Yes. Surely, there will be a point where if they are not making any progress or show any determination to change we will force them to leave.

Saivth: She's right. Humans aren't eternal, not like sinners. There will have to be a point where we cut the sick leaves so the green ones thrive. And also free up rooms.

Charlie: I... we... aren't kicking anyone out. It'll be like the Hazbin. All are welcome!

Aata sticks his hand up. He has blonde hair and pale red skin, with long, thin white horns.

Charlie sighs: Yes?

Aata: That sounds a detrimental, doesn't it?

Charlie: Detrimental? How?

Aata: We are only as good as our patients. They have to work with us, not against us. We can't take resources away from patients who are making progress to focus on one that are only there for a free feed and a place to sleep. That'll be causing harm to those who are trying and not only need our help but are basically screaming for it.

Myrna: We shouldn't waste time on humans who aren't trying.

Charlie: ...okay- I see your point but-

Rawiri, the tallest male, scoffs: "But" what? They've made good points. Come on, princess, even you have to agree with some of the things my siblings have said.

Lucifer turns to Adam. He's starting to get a bit agitated: I feel like their ganging up on her-.

Adam: Their not ganging up on her, love. This is a debate. And it's good. They need this. They need to reach a conclusion they all can agree on. But we'll mediate. Just keep in mind that these are good questions.

Lucifer nodded: They kept interrupting her. She can't share her thoughts! That's not fair.

Adam nodded: Everyone! Please keep this civil, and give Princess Charlotte a chance to answer your concerns. This is her project. Try to be fair and responsible, please.

They siblings nod, and Charlie gives him a smile.

Charlie: T-Thank you, Adam.

Adam: You're very welcome, my dear.

Lowkey want an au where Adam has Alastors' powers.

The tentacles

The eyes

The changing size

The shadows

The sass

The deal making

Him owning Husk and Nifty

The musical numbers

The radio control

The tentacles- have I mentioned that before?

The rivalry with Lucifer

Maybe he replaces Alastor entirely. No Alastor. Only Adam. It's always been Adam.

Thanks for coming to my tedtalk.

Only Adam lol This is good! His Husk and Nifty could be Lute and Peter.

He doesn't have to smile all the time does he?

Yessss, and he plays rock instead of jazz lol And yes of course there is a rivalry lol