#completely ENDED all sense of modern life in certain other nations

[sarasa-cat]

The concern about “removing the books” turning next into “removing the people” is already starting to rev up with one of the most vulnerable tiny minorities: the trans community. Trust me, if these ultra-regressives have their way, they aren’t going to stop with bully transfolks. They’re going to keep on steamrolling and I am certain of that.

[zerogate]

Many mystics, even in modern times, claim to be familiar with such an invisible network we humans can tap into. In his Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda recalls a curious and inspiring incident, which occurred as he made a bet with his brother in India (see Yogananda, 2003, pp. 93-101). After his brother Ananta scolded him for being foolish pursuing spiritual goals without backing up his life financially (‘Money first, God can come later!’), the yogi accepted the challenge of completing a journey without taking a single rupee with him, only relying on the Invisible Hand to provide for food and shelter. The brother stated the rules: no begging, no revealing of the situation to anyone, but if he can arrive without ever going without a meal or becoming stranded, he would become his disciple. Paramahansa Yogananda completed the challenge famously, proving for his family that he can sense and use a connection to all-there-is: a connection which sustains his life, helps him to survive and guides his way.

I came across my first suggestive evidence that humans may indeed use an invisible network on a larger scale, while doing research in South Africa. The topic of the thesis I worked on at that time was legal anthropology and as such unrelated, but a human rights lawyer I interviewed told me something unexpected. He was working together with the Sān (or Bushmen) people (the indigenous hunter-gatherers of Southern Africa) on a close, intensive basis. One day the Sān took him on a hunt, during which – the lawyer observed – they always knew in what bush or behind which tree an animal was hiding, even if it wasn’t visible. Their predictions were so accurate that he started asking them about it. The Sān revealed that they felt a vibration in-between their eyebrows when the prey was nearby.

In his book The Lost World of the Kalahari, Laurens van der Post tells of a similar experience he had while hunting with the Bushmen. During this hunt, the Bushmen killed an eland, which was cause for great celebration. They said that the others who stayed behind at the camp will know about the kill by the time they return, because within the tribe they have an inbuilt, natural ‘wire’ (like the telegraph of the white man), which invisibly connects its members. Van der Post describes it as a humbling experience as they marched back and from afar in the dark, long before they were visible to the people home, they could already hear the people home singing the errand song (van der Post, 1962, pp. 236-237).

Other anthropologists who have studied the Sān with an open mind, similarly discovered that for this people, invisible ‘energies’ which convey information and/or power, are a normal part of their socially accepted reality. Anthropologist Bradford Keenly describes how Bushmen believe that there is a ‘silver stream of energy’ extending between them which allows for sending and receiving telepathic messages (Keenly cited by Mauro, 2015, p. 66). Lewis-Williams and Pearce (2004, pp. 104-105), who have done extensive work on San rock art correlating to certain altered states of consciousness, point out that those rock art images are not simply ‘pictures’ to be looked at and admired. They are deposits of a type of energy or power, which a ‘good person’ can access by placing his or her hand on the image.

Anecdotal evidence such as this can be found in abundance, not only with the San people. Loren McIntyre, the iconic National Geographic explorer and writer recalls an incident when he was lost in the Amazon region and ended up living with an uncontacted tribe for months. Even though they could not speak each other’s languages, he became so immersed in their – entirely different – culture that he found access to their ‘second language,’ a type of telepathy which he referred to as beaming (Popescu, 1991). Biologist Rupert Sheldrake has collected over five thousand case histories to illustrate this type of instinctual, telepathic communication. He thinks of this as part of our evolutionary heritage, which used to aid our survival and therefore works best in life-and-death, emergency or distress situations involving intense emotions (Sheldrake, 2004).

-- Jack Hunter (ed.), Greening the Paranormal: Exploring the Ecology of Extraordinary Experience

[gemsofgreece]

https://www.lifo.gr/culture/vivlio/rontrik-mpiton-i-ennoia-toy-ellinismoy-itan-pantote-reysti-kai-eyelikti

Found this article and i am curious about this British professor. He has knowledge of Greece's history and politics in detail, but the theme he presented he Hellenism confused me a bit.

What i mean is, is he one of those who believe that Hellenism is not bound only with ethnicity but woth how many people speak it? Could be wrong but he dragged too much about the expansion of greek language and the ways.

I read his interview and an older one with great interest. I agree with him to some considerable degree but not in everything. He says that an ethnicity is a human concept, which is technically true, both for Greeks as well as all other ethnicities. He clarifies that he believes the same for all ethnicities including his own, so it's fair enough.

It is not the same DNA or an exact same ancestral place of origin but the presumption that one has that this is the case and that a certain culture is part of their identity. This is the widely accepted definition of ethnicity, so it's not Beaton's idea.

Given how much Greeks spread their cultural influence and how seamlessly they incorporated foreign cultural elements to their own identity, it makes it twice as hard to create borders / gatekeep hellenism on a historical level. I mean, Greeks were an extroverted people: travelling, sailing, migrating, communicating their culture. Thus Roderick Beaton means the hellenized people of the Alexandrian, the Roman and the Byzantine Empires and all places of Greek influence. Maybe even the Ottoman empire, for some of the Christian Orthodox populations only. The Greek element was primary in the first three and considerable in some parts of the fourth, thus hellenizing some people from originally non-ethnic Greek families. In short, Beaton considers all the heavily hellenized people of those empires - the Greek speakers - as Greeks, who enjoyed access but also contributed to the Greek heritage. The hellenism as a strict definition of the Greek nation living or coming from the modern Greek state's borders is a very new concept after all. 

Besides, Greeks have gone through so much that it is true that there is nothing more robust to rely on for their self-identification than the Greek language. Many things have changed but the language hasn’t (by comparison) and it is unique to the people who identify as Greek. Beaton is right in my opinion to use the language as the axis of his study.

Of course, Beaton does not mean people who learned a word or two or Greek is their fifth language or read Hades and Persephone fanfiction as Greeks. He means people for whom Hellenism had a pivotal presence and (positive) impact on their entire life, shaping of character and perhaps sense of identity, regardless of the origin of their ancestors. Then again, he almost calls himself a Greek and basically says "we" at some point when he refers to Greeks lol, but oh well he's an academic who has spent all his life studying the Greek language and complete history, and he comes here every year or something. So... he might as well feel like that, I guess? Not as a Greek by descent obviously but as a participant in the heritage, who has earned this right to the participation with a lifetime's dedication to it.

Having said that, I haven't read his book so I can't be entirely sure he doesn't fall into the trap of appropriation. It's interesting though that his book is one of the very first now that span 3000 years: the book starts from the Bronze Age and ends with coronavirus! Some more sceptical reviews in Goodreads say that he didn't avoid the typical Western decline of historiographic quality once he moves from Roman to Byzantine era and onwards (weird, given that he is a Byzantinologist), however for a westerner it's still very novel to explore Hellenism through a unifying perspective and without picking out his favourite type of Greeks, and for this alone I have this book in my wishlist. It might not be perfect but it is a start.

Imagine if the point of the book is: "Modern Greeks are Greeks because we are all Greeks anyway" XD eh hopefully not!

[randomrainman]

FreeDOOM

I previously wrote about what could spell the potential end for America, and its effects do not bode well for the future.

A tattered Old Glory, Chalmette, LA. Photo: me

Like many others, I grew up a proud American.  While at school, I recited the Pledge of Allegiance with a certain vigour, blissfully oblivious to its meaning or why I repeated it before classes.  Having been born and raised in New Orleans, I was privy to certain issues that plague Black America on a surface level, but that knowledge was overshadowed by the cloak of evangelical Christian indoctrination.  According to what I learned, any suffering I endured was a necessity and part of God’s plan, and I should be proud to be here, as America is the freest nation on the planet and, thus, the pinnacle of human civilisation.

I joined the Army in 2005.  Although I did not enlist for patriotic reasons, there was a sense of pride in my nation that surged through me as I toiled through training and deployment.  Even as I completed my service and embarked on a career as a contractor, this perception of duty to my country never departed me.  Though I retain the desire for my country to be the best of which it is capable, the combination of my experience living in and travelling to other nations and observing behaviours among my fellow American citizens has left me with a rather fatalistic outlook on the future of the place I call home.

We're not nearly as free as we think we are, and it's getting worse

In order to fully understand what I am attempting to convey, one should ask themselves rhetorically: “In an unequal society, is everyone truly free?” (The answer is “no”, of course, in case you're confused.)

For starters, many an American possesses a peculiar and often paradoxical agglomeration of rugged hyperindividualism, an adherence to conformism and faith, and a somewhat justified distrust in government institutions. Modern Americana is characterised by a love affair with the Second Amendment, the American flag, its colours, and the ideals it is interpreted to represent, namely, the concept of freedom.  It is also, perhaps not so coincidentally, the theme of many a T-shirt.

Loosely interpreted, a “free person” can act, speak, or think unfettered. However, freedom is a somewhat nebulous and subjective idea, and is by no means absolute: it is, at its core, a responsibility of sorts.  In fact, should one breach the laws of a particular society, one can very likely lose said freedom ... or even your ability to breathe.

Thomas Jefferson, in the Preamble to our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, famously scribed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This, of course, occurred during a time period during which Black individuals were not considered human and women could not vote. Oh, and Jefferson himself owned 600 slaves, and further, FDR authored the Four Freedoms speech while Black Americans still did not have equal rights under United States law.

It is for these reasons that the modern conservative co-opting of the words freedom and liberty is thoroughly unsurprising. After all, freedom in America has traditionally been reserved for straight, white, and Christian males, and the extension of that freedom to other people groups has historically been more of an afterthought, regardless of the words enshrined in the Declaration.

While overall progress has been made in terms of protection and acceptance of marginalised groups, emotional consciousness, and other similar progressive social issues, things such as divisive rhetoric, hypermasculinity, and the weaponisation of key offices in favour of hardcore conservatism (e.g., SCOTUS) have threatened, and in some ways, succeeded, in turning back the clock on any forward advances in freedoms and a better society. A certain tangerine-coloured, wispy-haired megalomaniac managed to galvanise the far right and nearly transformed my nation into a dictatorship, which, last I verified, is the total opposite of freedom. (Update: he's back in for 2025. Yikes.)

Our inexplicable adulation of people who are famous or who we perceive to be extremely wealthy has enabled such a scenario to occur; we almost unequivocally defer to the dollar sign as a determination of intellect or success, which it is not. Speaking of which:

Our sole standard. Photo by me.

We're really, really, really obsessed with money: late-stage capitalism

In my city, it is not a strange sight to see hustlers looking for a rapid road to riches and to put on the ritz roam the streets proudly. It isn't too different across America: egos abound, and many possess an inflated sense of self-worth and envision themselves as the next Bill Gates or Pablo Escobar, some even willing to resort to crime to get those elusive wads of green bills. As a budding entrepreneur myself, I highly encourage other enterprising individuals to maximise their gifts and, if possible, earn from them. Good news for you: if the circumstances are right, an individual has approximately a 1 in 32 chance of becoming a millionaire. The bad news is that you have about a 1 in 578,508 chance of breaking a billion, so you are roughly 38 times more likely to be struck by a bolt of lightning.

In this ultracapitalistic sphere of existence in which obtaining obscene amounts of duckets has become the proverbial golden calf, not only do few have the characteristics or the means to push beyond the status quo, but even fewer acknowledge the statistical unlikelihood of reaching those lofty milestones. While few would shun access to boundless material resources to be able to pursue their wildest dreams, the vast majority of humans would at least be content to be able to make a decent living without needing to struggle for every penny. In America, the opportunity to do so dwindles as the gulf between wealth and dearth further separates us.

I have met my fair share of genuine, sympathetic, and well-meaning Americans, and I am privileged to call some of them my associates or friends.  However, society at large does not reflect this, and this extreme level of individualism will be one of the main contributing factors to the destruction of America. We really can't society good.

Society, loosely defined, is a collective effort toward a common purpose. There are certain things to which we adhere to avoid catastrophic results for those around us: for example, it is frowned upon to barrel through a busy school zone at 80 mph or to dump hazardous waste in low-income or minority neighbourhoods. While there has never been nor will there ever be a perfect society, the general rule is to create an environment that is best for as many people as possible. Our efforts to do such a thing, despite near-limitless resources at our disposal, are underwhelming at best.

Pedestrians and cyclists commute, Kamakura, Japan, December 8, 2015. Photo by me.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, our lack of preparedness, coupled with a lackluster response effort and an overall callousness and unwillingness of the public to not quite so literally come together to stem the spread ("oh, they would have died anyway") has caused, to date, over 1 million deaths. That number approaches the number of deaths in the entire European Union, and is nearly one-sixth of the deaths which have occurred thus far in the entire world. By comparison, Korea, a nation of over 51 million which bore the immediate impact of the outbreak, has only recorded over 26,000 deaths.

Some sense of self-sufficiency is a positive trait: overwhelming numbers of people unwilling (but not unable) to perform basic societal functions do indeed contribute negatively to overall welfare.  On the other hand, in the American sphere of thought, an individual’s fortune (or misfortune) is almost solely attributed to that person’s actions, rather than any external contributing factors. If you failed miserably, it's completely your fault; if you have accumulated obscene amounts of wealth, it's because you're simply smarter and more diligent than everyone else. Duh.

One can reasonably acknowledge that some individual choices can contribute negatively to upward mobility, but it is also important to note that external factors, such as environment and dire situations, greatly influence an individual’s choices. Those with not much to lose and plenty to gain tend to take drastic and reckless measures to achieve upward mobility, which can often lead to dire consequences. On the other hand, those with lots of resources, particularly capital, allow individuals exponentially more flexibility and significant cushion in the event of failure. In turn, those people look down on others and perceive them as inferior, further reinforcing the caste system in a society that is already rapidly heading at breakneck speeds into oligarchy.

A woman walks in the Guryong Village slums, Gangnam, Seoul, Korea, December 30, 2015. Photo by me.

A utopian society may be out of reach, but what we can do as a country is attempt to understand the roots, however deep, of problems in order to formulate solutions rather than metaphorically placing a tourniquet around the issues and expecting everything to work out perfectly via divine providence. We can listen to and show empathy toward people who are different; we can be helpful to others; we can be slow to judge. To me, to do so within a societal framework which has elevated impenitence and apathy to the level of necessity for survival would be real freedom.

|the kid|

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Magic Tuber String Band

Photo by Kristin Karch

The core of the Magic Tuber String Band consists of Courtney Werner on fiddle, Evan Morgan on guitar and banjo and both on occasional vocals and other acoustic instruments. Their approach involves combining traditional Appalachian instrumentation with the experimentalism of composers such as Henry Flynt, Harry Parch, and Pauline Oliveros. Field recordings and drones add texture to many of their tracks, and Werner and Morgan as well as their collaborators are formidable players. The arrangements are complex but not cluttered, with tunes often veering in unexpected directions. In his review for Dusted, Jim Marks described the band’s latest, Needlefall, as “the most satisfying in a five-year run of outstanding albums.”

Evan Morgan

Alan Clarke — Penda's Fen

I found out about this film (made for a BBC anthology series) from Rob Young’s book on British folk, Electric Eden. It is one of those immediately captivating films, almost perfectly made (and visually reminiscent of Tarkovsky's Nostalghia at times). The whole film builds towards a view of folk tradition and local history as an antidote to reactionary nationalism, all within the space of a coming-of-age story. We watched this for the first time recently and coincidentally were just asked to play before a screening of the film in Brattleboro this coming August for Epsilon Spires.

Alice Rohrwacher — La chimera

Alice Rohrwacher is really homing in on a kind of filmmaking that is related to the dialects of those films from the past we now think of as great films — but it is also something entirely her own. It's patient but also immediately spellbinding which feels like a rare quality these days. La chimera picks up the theme of a modern relationship to old ways that points towards communal culture as a way out of an increasingly privatized world. But it is also a lot more than that. It's both an obvious folktale and a dense dream. Would make a great double feature with Penda's Fen.

Mario Vargas Llosa — The War of the End of the World

I was completely blown away by this novel. I found it at a used bookstore last summer and waited until December to pick it up because of its intimidating length. It is an onslaught of character portraits, nearly everyone vividly rendered and memorable despite the book’s length and the pace of events, time rolling back, jumping ahead, and standing still. The story of the War of Canudos, one of a heavily armed state attacking the most disenfranchised members of its land in the name of democracy, makes TWOTEOTW a very timely read.

Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band — Dancing on the Edge

Easily my most listened to record of 2023 and still on heavy rotation on into 2024. We got to see Ryan & the Roadhouse Band play this material live in Athens a few weeks ago which was absolutely transcendent.

John Francis Flynn — Look Over the Wall, See the Sky

We have been living in Augusta, GA since December of last year and there’s something about this record that really clicks with the architecture and layout of the city. I go for walks with my dog every day on a trail that runs between the canal and the Savannah river. To the south, the trail leads towards a long-abandoned, late 19th-century textile mill; to the north, past the hidden ruins of an old fish camp squat and the (often) roaring stone headgates. This record builds a sense of place and that place is intended to be Dublin. But its transposable nature hints at a deep connection between certain places that have not entirely lost visible monuments to their past industry and daily life. I especially like the version on here of Ewan MacColl's “Dirty Old Town.”

Courtney Werner

Chaz Knapp and Mariel Roberts — Setting Fire to These Dark Times

Chaz Knapp invited me to improvise with him throughout the Ozarks in 2022 using fiddle, dulcimer, voice, tape loops and natural sounds. I’m inspired by his attention to space and the sound of landscapes. He and cellist Mariel Roberts released this incredible album in 2023.

Tatiana Hargreaves — Soledad

I saw Tatiana perform the Soledad compositions at a residency in Durham, NC in 2018 and it was one of the most influential live music experiences of my life. They blend elements of old-time and contemporary classical styles with extended techniques to create captivating solo fiddle pieces that inspired me to want to compose myself.

Rafael Toral — Spectral Evolution

One of my favorite albums of this year so far.

Zoh Amba — Bhakti

An incredible record full of life and heart.

Evan Parker — Evan Parker with Birds

One of my favorite examples of pushing an instrument to be an animal, and duetting with natural sounds.

[rllymilerlly]

hii i just recently started getting into taang and i love them but i havent seen much fics where they’re like. not the background couple to zutara? i mean i do love them a lot too but i’d rather the story be taang centered. so i was wondering if maybe uh. you could do a fic rec 🥺👉🏼👈🏼

Oooo okay I think it’s time I post my unfinished Taang Fic Rec list this doesn’t even come close to all the fics I like so stay tuned Bc I have more:

Multi Chapter Fics

The Slow Path: I’m pretty sure every Taang fan has accepted this as The Taang fic. A must read. Essentially Aang comes back after being gone for a few years and now the Gaang has to come back together to take down a new enemy force. And along the way they find love

The Long Game: UNDERRATED SEQUEL. Yes okay- It’s not finished and that might be why. But it’s a fantastic follow up to The Slow Path. Zuko’s Fire lord status is questioned, Toph is having night terrors, Katara is adjusting to become Fire lady, and Suki is dealing with PTSD. It has great GAang interactions and lots of T e n d e r Taang moments what more could you want? This is more of Gaang fic but Taang is still very front and center.

Practice Makes Perfect: Toph goes up to Aang and say ‘What if we practiced kissing each other haha jk... unless?’ and Aang replies with ‘That is a crazy idea hahahahaha....unless?’

Roommates: ..And they were roommates. Oh my god they were roommates

Entranced: Do you know Aladdin? It’s like the first few minutes of Aladdin but with its own twists and turns. There’s no genie but there IS poverty.

Fall of the White Lotus: A long ass really fleshed out fic. It’s centered around Zutara, but there is a really well developed Taang plotline that connects to it and it involves Koh soo you know it’s a good one. There’s so much that happens it’s hard to like pin this one down. But like you should read

The Princess and the Badger-Cat: This is just such a fun fic that has the whole Gaang in it and has really good friendship moments in it. Sokka is turned into a Badger-Cat, Pirates kidnap Katara, Zuko and Aang vibe. It’s just a good time. (There’s sweet Toph and Aang moments in it as well obviously but it’s not the center)

Operation Zutara: This is a Modern au and there’s so much that goes on in this fic but imma try to boil it down: Toph and Aang try to come up with elaborate schemes to get Zuko and Katara together, but they get side tracked by the sudden realization of their own feelings for each other. Lots of shenanigans in this story. Also getting Revamped currently and I’m super stoked about it! And despite its name it’s very Taang centric

Heartbeat: Currently in the making. Your soulmates name is written on your wrist. It’s canon verse and I’m a sucker for soulmate AU’s

Whisper Into the Sky: Tophs been traveling around with Aang for years and loving life. Until her parents want her to get married. Toph fights her way through suitors for her freedom

Ya’aburnee: ‘you bury me’ A declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person, because of how difficult it would be to live without them. Avatars aren’t meant to belong – that’s as much as Aang can fathom.

Book 3: Fire: A completely different version of season 3. I believe they completed it before season 3 was even released, so it’s completely original and captivating. Aang gets help opening his chakras, Katara is a badass, and Zuko is moody. There is A LOT that happens in this fic and is so fun to read from start to finish. (Sweet Taang moments in between)

Between Heaven and Earth: Everyday I curse the fact that this isn’t finished, but its still 100% worth your time reading. Follows the journey of Toph and Aang (and the rest of the Gaang) after the war.

Listless Afternoons: Aang has some stuff to work out and Zuko forces him on a vacation. While ‘Vacationing’ in the fire nation Aang runs into a certain someone that’s looking for an escape too.

The Avatar’s Lover: Unfinished, but so good. Rumor has it that the Avatar’s Lover has great power and a certain spirit wants to harness it for themself

Past Mistakes: Unfinished 😪. Lao requests the Avatar to help his daughters plaguing nightmares

One Shots that just HIT different

As It Should Be: Toph asks Aang a shocking question in the middle of the night

Rhythms: Toph hears her child’s heartbeat and contemplates about life

Rose Garden: Aang promises Toph a ~R o s e G a r d e n~

When in Rome: THIS ONE IS SPICY but Toph and Katara run away to Rome

Lessons in Disasters: Aang and Toph go out on a date and obviously it ends up in a bar fight

Meet Me Under the Table: Aang and Toph have a wide collection of tablecloths as a personal inside joke shared between them

Etched in Earth: Toph knows the foot patterns of all her friends, but one particularly stands out

Feels like Home to Me: Aangs is insecure and Toph snaps some sense into him

2Am: Katara is pissed off at whoever set the fire alarm off at 2am.

I have a lot more now and a lot more newer fics to add this is an old list I started awhile ago so if you guys want me to I’ll make a big list and keep it updated 😤

[dweemeister]

Best Animated Short Film Nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards (2021, listed in order of appearance in the shorts package)

NOTE: For viewers in the United States (continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawai’i) who would like to watch the Oscar-nominated short film packages, click here. For virtual cinemas, you can purchase the packages individually or all three at once. You can find info about reopened theaters that are playing the packages in that link. Because moviegoing carries risks at this time, please remember to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by your local, regional, and national health officials.

Continuing with one of my favorite Oscar-time traditions, here is an omnibus review of this year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Animated Short Film. This is an older category than many might believe to be, with some of the first nominees and winner including ‘30s and ‘40s fixtures: Disney’s Silly Symphonies, Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes, MGM’s Tom and Jerry and Happy Harmonies. These days, the category tends to be more democratic (perhaps not so much this year), but certainly more experimental. Here are the nominees, as they appeared in the order of how they appeared in the short film packages released to theaters and virtual cinemas in the United States:

Burrow (2020)

Burrow, directed by Madeline Sharafian (story artist on 2017’s Coco, writer on Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears), is the eighth in Pixar’s SparkShorts series, in which Pixar’s junior animators craft a short film on a limited budget and timeframe. This is the film that played in front of Soul for those lucky enough to view that film theatrically. This dialogue-free, hand-drawn film stars a young rabbit, looking to dig out and furnish her own home – complete with a bathroom-disco (or something like that). Her best-laid plans, however, seem dashed when she keeps digging and running into other animals’ underground abodes in this area. Not that these animals seem to mind the intrusions too much. The rabbit, so anxiety-driven in her eagerness to project a picture of self-assuredness, soon realizes that these nearby animals she fears to have disturbed are all neighbors, a community ready to lend a paw for the newcomer.

Sharafian credits her sense of impostors’ syndrome when first working at Pixar as the film’s primary thematic inspiration. With only a bare number of lines, the rabbit expresses a vast array of emotions, endearing the audience to her self-dramatization and youthful insecurity. Drawn flatly but nevertheless suggesting some depth, the cutaway animation depicting the burrow neighborhood recalls Richard Scarry’s books and other such colorful ensemble illustrations found in children’s picture books. Burrow is a worthy addition to Disney/Pixar’s animated short film legacy, despite the lack of innovation and obvious low-budget appeal (it uses the third movement of Mozart’s Oboe Concerto as its soundtrack), and seems like something that could have been made during the heyday of Silly Symphonies or Warner Bros.’ Merrie Melodies.

My rating: 7/10

Genius Loci (2020, France)

From the Latin term meaning “the spirit of a place”, Adrien Mérigeau’s Genius Loci is the most difficult, abstract film of this year’s slate of nominees. Genius Loci stars a young black woman named Reine (Nadia Moussa), a solitary soul who embarks upon, while walking the streets of Paris at night, an existential revelation. Reine, who is supposed to be babysitting her nephew that evening, decides to have a small adventure instead. She will find this experience and this Parisian neighborhood disorienting and chaotic, in many of the ways that life in a sprawling metropolis can be. The film’s sound mix clangs, whispers, vibrates, and echoes into Reine’s soul, injecting feelings of harmony, but mostly those of displacement. The distant rumbling of traffic is subliminal here, crescendoing and decrescendoing to control the film’s tension. Throughout, Mérigeau provides a fragmented narrative (do not fixate on the plot) and the protagonist’s intangible, occasionally abstruse, narration. Spiritual and existential loss colors Reine’s ambling, as well as a sense of modern France’s racial otherizing that makes the city feel unwelcoming, if not antagonistic.

Mérigeau (background cleanup on 2009’s The Secret of Kells, art director on 2014’s Song of the Sea) collaborated with Belgian comic illustrator Brecht Evens (production designer on the excellent Marona’s Fantastic Tale from 2019) for the film’s dumbfounding backgrounds, as well as storyboarding the changes in aesthetic as Reine continues her journey through Paris. Marona’s influence is felt keenly throughout Genius Loci – from the lack of recognizably human figures among strangers to Reine and the ever-changing color scheme. Unlike Marona, Genius Loci commits to watercolors (or computerized animation meant to resemble watercolor paints) during the film’s entirety. The watercolor animation serves to loosen the character animation and the backgrounds’ definition, and serves as a paragon of expressionist animation. Genius Loci will bewilder audiences, challenging them to understand Reine’s painful attempt to find belonging and solace in a place that disallows such reflection.

My rating: 8.5/10

Opera (2020, South Korea)

Opera, directed by Erick Oh (an animator at Berkeley-based Tonko House, which crafted the 2014 nominee The Dam Keeper), is an independent South Korean/American production that owes more to Sandro Botticelli and Hieronymus Bosch than anything ever seen in animated cinema. This is a cinematic fresco teeming with activity, intended more as interactive art than for a movie theater. The setting is a pyramid filled with souls living, laboring, luxuriating, dying. As the camera pans downward from the godlike or prophet-like figures occupying the top, it later zooms outward, all timed alongside a day-night cycle. Opera’s story is that of human history, distilled in eight minutes of repetitive activity. The design of Oh’s film is as a museum installation – projected on a wall or the ground (the only instance Opera has been screened as such was at the Ars Electronica Animation Festival in Linz, Austria) – that loops continuously, and, if one looks closely enough at the pyramid’s sections, there are loops within the film’s loops. If viewed in a museum, Opera does not pan selectively as it does if projected in a theater or a home media screen.

Pieced together in between Oh’s other film projects over four years and a pandemic, Oh and his animators (some of whom participated voluntarily, without pay) concentrated on different sections of the pyramid at a time, synchronizing the action in a specific section to match the surrounding areas – and, ultimately, the film as a whole. Opera contains intricacies impossible to realize on first, second, third viewings. Even in its limited, virtual cinema form, it engulfs the viewer in its hierarchical animation, the intentionally simplistic character animation serving to universalize the drama of its beings’ existence. It is rapturous art, the sort that defies description, and undoubtedly will echo across Oh’s subsequent films.

My rating: 8.5/10

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)

For some American viewers, I imagine that this title alone has already spoiled the film’s content even without seeing any footage. A Netflix production directed by Will McCormack (co-writer on 2019’s Toy Story 4) and Michael Govier (bit roles in American television), If Anything Happens I Love You is the only nominee in this category directed by individuals with no background in directing animation. McCormack and Govier met at acting school; acting remains their primary profession. Without dialogue, the film opens with two parents eating dinner at opposite ends of the table. They seem aloof, their minds elsewhere. The background is spare, with only a jumble of pencil sketches making sense of any barriers enclosing them. Flexible, animated silhouettes appear from their bodies – sometimes arguing vigorously with each other, at times shadowing the person and attempting to call their attention. Grief overhangs their household, expressed through a largely monotone palette, minimalistic designs and backgrounds. The background artists exclude any detail unnecessary to the story.

Written and crafted in collaboration with (so as to not spoil the film, I am about to opaquely write about this film’s intentions) a prominent, deep-pocketed political non-profit so as to shear the film of any thematic excess, If Anything Happens I Love You has, unlike its fellow nominees, broad support among certain prominent actors in Hollywood. Laura Dern is the executive producer and various actors – including Chelsea Handler, Rashida Jones, and Lesley Ann Warren, among others – have openly contributed or advocated for this movie. The visualization of the parents’ pain, even without dialogue, brings the viewer into a space unfathomable to most, unbearable for those who know too well. The use of the King Princess song “1950” meshes awkwardly with what is being portrayed on-screen at the time. But the character animation – McCormack and Govier’s experience as actors endows the couple with indelible humanity – and its visual discipline carry the film to its heartbreaking conclusion.

My rating: 8/10

Yes-People (2020, Iceland)

Icelandic film Já-Fólkið (Yes-People) is the epitome of cheap European computer-generated animation. Directed by Gísli Darri Halldórsson (a former Cartoon Network Studios character animator), Yes-People – the Best Icelandic Short winner at the 2020 Reykjavik International Film Festival and the Children’s Choice Award winner at 2020’s Nordisk Panorama – is a largely aimless movie following the zany lives of the people who live in an apartment complex. That is all I have to say about the film’s narrative. The sketches it draws in each character’s life always feel disjointed and disconnected from all the others – save one scene of the elderly couple fornicating loud enough for their downstairs neighbors to hear. Halldórsson describes his film as a mosaic of personalities, but even a mosaic has a thematic consistency that unifies its disparate parts.

The desaturated colors of Yes-People are meant to resemble old photographs. As much as I respect what Halldórsson is aiming for, the results make the film look muddy, half-rendered – like a knockoff Pixar short from the early 1990s. Inspired when Halldórsson described to some of his Irish friends about the different tonal meanings of the word “Já” (“hello” in Icelandic), Yes-People only has one repeated word of dialogue throughout: “Já”. Is this supposed to be funny? Philosophical? I am not sure; and I am not sure the film knows it either. Reading some of Halldórsson’s interviews following his Academy Award nomination, he mentions that the film’s positive response from Iceland and Scandinavia might be culturally specific, as opposed to other parts of the world. As to what those cultural differences might be that prevented me from liking this film, I hardly have a clue.

My rating: 6/10

^ All ratings based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

Three other films played in this package as honorable mentions: Kapaemahu (2020; 7.5/10), The Snail and the Whale (2019; 6.5/10), and To: Gerard (2020; 6.5/10).

From previous years: 85th Academy Awards (2013), 87th (2015), 88th (2016), 89th (2017), 90th (2018), 91st (2019), 92nd (2020).

[reallunargift]

sisididis said: For some reason, I see Francis having hoarder tendencies. Whether it’s due to his past with the barricades (and the benefits of having extra furniture at hand) or just storing his old belongings in a closet, I think he’d still cling to those, to remember.    Strangely enough, I also feel like Francis might be one of those people who associate certain events with the clothes they were wearing at the time. “Ah, these cufflinks! I wore them at Marie Antoinette’s trial ! What a time 😅.”

I never thought about that hahaha, but now that you mention it, it makes sense. You’re right, he does seem like the type to remember visuals! Someone will ask him “what were this king’s last words” and he’ll be like “oh I don’t remember that, but I can tell you he was wearing the most dreadful chemise!”

sisididis said: Whereas I see Port leaning towards a more auditory memory. 👀 If only because he loves (as in, it might be among his top 10 favorite) to return the words of those who have mocked him or crossed him.  When the tables have turned.

“Auditory memory”, I like that way to put it! I do agree that unlike Francis, Port’s much more likely to remember your words (especially if they weren’t that flattering to himself) over what you were wearing/what you looked like. And he’s petty enough to throw them back at you once he has the chance (even if it’s been like...500 years)

sisididis said: And when I think about Port in comparison to the other Romance nations, he’s more stoic and pensive than what most would expect. Which throws people off completely. I don’t see him having a volcanic temperament. Perhaps he had a couple of memorable outbursts in his long life, after being goaded past endurance. Yet, I I think he’s more of a slow simmer. And he might not be the most confrontational person, really. In order to avoid it all, I think he’s prone to ghosting people.

I agree, Port is much more subdued than the other romance nations (though I admittedly don’t know enough about Romania to include him here). He is dramatic though, just not in public (I think he cares more about how he’s perceived than he lets on). I think he was a lot more explosive when he was younger (pre-kingdom) but eventually realised that never yielded good results, and learnt to keep his temper in check.

As for confrontations, yeah he doesn’t have a hair trigger temper, and he avoids them for as long as he can.

sisididis said: And would it be fair to say that Port is that type of person who silently pities himself for being lonely, yet at the same time, he makes no effort to maintain close relationships? Even with Spain, I sense that he’d go through certain “phases” in which he’d either write daily or not at all for months on end. Which, again, is so infuriating and so confusing. But he’s complicated like that.

I personally wouldn’t say he pities himself for it, actually (in fact I think he kind of romanticises loneliness and actively seeks it out). But I do agree that he doesn’t make much effort to maintain relationships, he just expects them to... remain static. It’s not like these people will suddenly disappear, especially with modern politics. Kind of like “I haven’t spoken to you in 30 years, but our circumstances haven’t changed much, so our relationship should be the same too.”

Sorry, who are you referring to when you say “he” goes through phases, Spain or Port? I’m not sure and don’t want to assume haha

[ms-interpretation]

Going through the screenshots I’ve taken I realized that Lee Gon literally meets a different version of each of his parents in episode 14 & 15. When he travels back to the Night of Treason there’s this moment of him kneeling down taking in the sight of his dead father, even closing the former King’s eyes. This takes place right after he has saved his younger self and ambushed Lee Lim and the other traitors (which ensured that they didn’t get hold of the piece of the Manpasikjeok his young self was hiding). The ensuing emotional beat of Lee Gon’s grief is something the drama quietly let’s play out. There’s no big dramatic scene of the dying King talking to him while dying in his arms or a meaningful inner monologue of Lee Gon reflecting on this moment (while spelling out what he feels). No, there’s only the still emptiness of loss as the snow keeps falling over them. Not to be all poetic about it but that calm emptiness is fitting, since Lee Gon was left an orphan by this event and his life has therefore been marred by absence. It becomes more and more clear to me the more I think about it why young Lee Gon would naturally start to obsess about the ID-card left by his mysterious savior. He has since grown up as an orphan and thus seeing his father like this now must be akin to seeing a ghost (insert Hamlet reference here). We already know from the flashback in episode four that his father’s death left an emotional scar, as the room had been left empty and untouched until that moment when Lee Gon decided to return to retrieve the Four Tiger Sword to embrace his destiny (while clearly still grieving, remembering his father, as he did so). After traveling through time and managing to return to the present and being reunited with Jeong Tae-eul he then meets his doppelganger’s (Lee Ji-hun’s) mother. 

Their encounter is strangely moving. They are both incredibly affected by simply only seeing each other, which is not that strange given that they are each in essence looking at the ghost of a loved one. Lee Gon is seeing whom his mother could have been had she not passed away due to illness and Song Jeong-hye is seeing what her son would have looked like had he been allowed to grow up. Ghosts in literature have been metaphors and/or symbols for different things throughout the years. Sometimes they are regrets, at other times memories, or they might even be the physical manifestation of trauma (this occurs in ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’, the ghost of the protagonist’s ex-boyfriend who died in such a way to traumatize her literally ‘haunts’ her for the first few episodes). In this scene and in TKEM the doppelgangers are essentially and paradoxically living ‘ghosts’. Jeong Tae-eul even went looking for her mother’s counterpart in episode six, hoping that things were different enough in the Kingdom so as to mean that she was alive and well. Doppelgangers become ghosts for the ‘world-crossers’ since they are nearly quite literally the physical manifestation of ‘what could have been’ if the world-crosser’s loved one was still there. 

I’m no expert on grief nor loss but I know that a defining aspect of losing someone is of course the experience of the fact that they - to be literal - are not there anymore. The living are left with only the memories and this horrible heartbreaking emptiness i.e. the experience of the lack of that person. I would actually also argue (and contradict myself) and say that the living may also be left with the love of that person. We see this in how Lee Gon remembers and embraces his destiny by remembering his father in episode four. There is of course still that emptiness of loss left behind. Lee Gon and Song Jeong-hye are however suddenly each in turn confronted by a ‘living ghost’, by the living doppelganger of whom they’ve lost. It is regret and the horrible sight of what could have been, what should have been, for Jeong-hye and a physical reminder for Lee Gon of the absence he has grown up with (as he is confronted with the parental grief of someone who deeply loves their child, who is a different version of him). At this point Lee Gon has not only lost his parents but also his uncle Prince Buyeong, whom Lee Lim killed precisely because he wanted to break his orphaned nephew’s spirit. Both these characters, Lee Gon and Song Jeong-hye, have in common how Lee Lim almost completely wrecked their lives one fateful night. They have both suffered terribly due to his greed and have both had to live with that trauma for the last 25 years. Lee Gon, being the hero of this narrative, being currently in the process of confronting and stopping him, once and for all. They also have in common how they are haunted by the fact that there was that one person they couldn’t save. For Lee Gon it is his parent(s) and for Song Jeong-hye it is her son. And it is strange that in a way, the people they’ve lost is suddenly right there, in front of them. They are confronted with a living, breathing, thinking person who in some ways actually is the person they have lost. We don’t know much about Lee Gon’s mother, but we do know that he takes after her by being scientifically inclined and being someone with faith (episode 12). We do know from seeing Song Jeong-hye that she is also someone with faith (being Catholic) and we can determine from watching her that she is open-minded and curious as she takes the time to listen to FateKid, exhibiting the traits which probably made her counterpart become a scientist. Lee Gon thus have in common with Song Jeong-hye the traits he inherited from his mother, which are his only remaining link to her.

The doppelgangers of the TKEM universe are intimately connected, they are not simply random people with the same faces. We see this (as previously stated) in how Song Jeong-hye is, as Lee Gon’s mother was, a Catholic and in how several of Jeong Tae-eul’s work colleagues are police officers in both universes (beliefs, values and certain choices remaining the same between the two worlds). After Lee Gon resets the universes we meet a grown-up Lee Ji-hun who is in the military. Like Lee Gon he chooses to be someone who puts himself forward to protect people/the nation and very likely certain ideals. We see this brave impulse in them both early on when they are each in turn confronted by Lee Lim. Perhaps in the case of Lee Ji-hun it is also a consequence of growing up in an abusive household. Of course there’s Luna who is seemingly very different from Jeong Tae-eul, but similarly to our heroine she does actually have a good grasp on right and wrong. She is shown believing in the concept, not being amoral and she keeps herself to a sort of moral code. She knows that what’s she’s doing is wrong. Talking to Fate/FluteKid she expects to be punished for what she’s about to do (infiltrating Tae-eul’s life and possibly killing Lee Gon) and while she feels like she has been dealt an unfair hand she doesn’t (I think) ever claim that what’s she’s doing is right. Does that make her a good person? No, no it doesn’t, since she still chooses to do horrific things to innocent people. But it reveals that she is more similar to Tae-eul then what the hardened criminal/righteous police detective contrast might at first suggest. This makes the meeting of Lee Gon and Song Jeong-hye more tragic in a way, because they are almost family. The “details” of life however do, in the end, make all the difference. Our circumstances, choices and relationships play a huge part in who we become. Neither Lee Gon nor Song Jeong-hye however did tragically get to spend much time with their loved one, and therefore the people they miss do actually come closer to being each other than what one might at first think. They both miss a person, who in a sense, never existed (a Lee Ji-hun and doppelganger of Song Jeong-hye who survived). Not to become too philosophical but an identity defining difference between Lee Gon and Lee Ji-hun is the fact that the latter didn’t grow up while the former did. Similarly a defining difference between Song Jeong-hye and Lee Gon’s mother is that the latter died due to illness. There are other incredibly important differences as well, they are importantly of course separate people with different relationships and histories, which is why Lee Gon and Jeong-hye end up being closer but not close enough to what the other person is missing. I do however believe that it is good to when confronted with characters and scenes like these to truly reflect and question what it is that makes us who we are - which is what the very concept of doppelgangers invites us to do. 

Song Jeong-hye’s grief is almost palpable in this scene and Lee Gon, the survivor confronted with his dead counterpart’s grieving mother, is also unsurprisingly deeply affected. He is clearly broken up about her fate, but is stopped when he tries to apologise. It is absolutely heartbreaking when Jeong-hye unfairly blames him for Ji-hun’s death. I do however believe that her parting words “I’m not your mother” and emphasis that he should not die for her reveals that parental love, as in the case of the romantic love between Lee Gon and Jeong Tae-eul, can also extend across universes. She could have been apathetic to his fate and she clearly isn’t. Lee Gon is later also quietly devastated by her death. This being a modern fairytale the story will end with Lee Gon doing what seems impossible, saving Lee Ji-hun and Song Jeong-hye. He rights the wrongs his uncle’s greed have caused and is partially able to do so thanks to Song Jeong-hye’s love for her son, which extends just enough as to move her to help Lee Gon. Love ends up conquering greed by extending beyond the latter’s reach through one mother who lost her son choosing to help a ‘stranger’. This after Lee Lim has been using doppelgangers’ love (or lack thereof in the case of Luna) for their families against them. 

The fact that this meeting takes place now, so soon after Lee Gon has re-lived his father’s murder is absolutely soul-crushing. It also creates a dark and tragic context for what comes next. Lee Gon comes to believe that the only way to end it all is to travel back in time, once again but this time risk his past self dying to make sure that Lee Lim is finally stopped. That is a very drastic and dark plan, but because we have these scenes of Lee Gon with Song Jeong-hye and him literally revisiting his trauma (taking in the sight of his dead father) we can easily believe why Lee Gon is so sure that this is how it has to play out. That and the fact that he has grown up as a King in a monarchy where the monarch’s chief responsibility is to ensure the safety of their people. We can tell that he suffers badly from survivor’s guilt as he sneaks away to travel back on his own, only bringing Jo Yeong when the latter intercepts him and insists, as Lee Gon hesitates, that he will accompany him. Then when they are back in time Lee Gon’s new plan consists of Yeong being back-up, making sure that Lee Lim is stopped if he himself would fail to do so. Even then, he chooses to rather risk himself than putting his friend in danger. Unsurprisingly however Jo Yeong pales when he understands Lee Gon’s plan and simply refuses to abide by his King’s request, choosing instead to prioritize saving the young Lee Gon. 

At some point I need to make a post about how all the protagonists’ heroism takes form in the choices they make and in how they are either/both saved and/or moved by the love of others’. I do hope people don’t mistake my emphasis on Lee Gon as an orphan as me invalidating his familial relationships with Prince Buyeong and Lady Noh. Lee Gon is an orphan in that he lost both of his loving parents who cared for him, not because he lost his parents-by-blood. There is also this guilt of Lee Gon’s towards Prince Buyeong because the latter had to choose between taking care of young Lee Gon or being with his immediate family. It doesn’t strain their relationship but it does in the case of Lee Gon make his remaining familial relationship heavier. In the case of Lady Noh he also feels indebted to her, as she is someone who remained in the Kingdom to look after him rather than trying to get back to her world (or simply choosing to leave the palace) after his father’s violent death. It is important to point out that of course these characters’ all freely choose to do what they do, it is part of what makes them feel truly human and heroic. Lee Gon is not to blame but of course he is still thankful and understandably, given his trauma, he still experiences some guilt. Love makes us do things for each other and as the fragile human beings that we are we might at times not feel deserving of it. Lee Gon, on his way to quite possibly sacrificing his life for everyone else, describes himself as selfish when taking leave of Lady Noh. This because he didn’t immediately return her to the Republic when he found out that that is where she’s from, being scared that she would leave. Lady Noh, unsurprisingly is not at all bothered by this revelation (and given that Lee Gon earlier asked her to ask him where he went definitely knows that he would eventually tell her) and is only concerned that he won’t be able to come back. The scene reminds me of when Lee Gon said that he won’t let Jeong Tae-eul leave, which they both knew he didn’t actually mean even for a moment. It was simply him admitting to and expressing his loneliness and fear. The consequences of Lee Gon’s trauma, being afraid to be abandoned and experiencing survivor’s guilt, is thus shown through these kinds of emotional beats and helps inform us of as to why he acts like he does. Thankfully Lee Gon is in the end able to save the two worlds, is saved himself and can even save young Lee Ji-hun and Song Jeong-hye. This due to the courage and love which moves him, Jeong Tae-eul, Jo Yeong, Kang Shin-jae and Song Jeong-hye, and which in the end causes them to prevail against the darkness Lee Lim unleashed in their worlds and in their lives. 

[the-last-cuddlebender]

hi! if youre still taking requests could you do the gaang doing dumbassery because they are all dumbasses? (if you want) anyways ur cool have a nice day

Aw, thanks, Anon🥰 I’ll raise you one better and give you Christmas-themed-Modern!AU dumbassery (feat. Zuko, Sokka, and Aang)

Words: 973

******************************

Zuko approached the house with a slack jaw and a firm questioning of...well, of everything. He blinked three times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, and he immediately wanted to walk away when he realized he wasn’t imagining things. He had developed a sixth sense for knowing when he needed to have plausible deniability, and his instincts were screaming at him to get away from there.

Why. And why today. He was too tired for this.

“What…” Zuko struggled to find the ability to string his thoughts together. ‘Confused’ wasn’t a strong enough word to describe what he was feeling. He was concerned, for certain, and for many reasons. Some of it was for his own sake, but most of it was for his dwindling hope that humanity, as a collective, would be able to evolve forwards ever again. “...What is he doing?”

Sokka shrugged and didn’t look away from the warning-label-in-the-making wandering around on the roof. He lifted the lower half of his face out of his powder-coated jacket and accepted his fiancé’s greeting-gift of hot cocoa—extra marshmallows and a little gingerbread-man on top because being extra had its perks when Zuko got in trouble.

“He’s trying,” Sokka said between sips.

Zuko stared at the roof and the confused monk on top of it. And as he watched Aang gamble his life amongst the snowy shingles, he couldn’t help but have the same feeling of watching a documentary on National Geographic where he knew the baby deer was going to be killed and couldn’t do anything about it.

“But what is he trying?”

Sokka shrugged again. “‘Dunno. I’m just here to keep him company and to catch him when he falls off the roof again.”

��Again?”

Sokka spared him the same half-lidded gaze he had been giving their tattooed brother (in all but blood). “You were his teacher, Zuko. You should know he can be a pretty slow learner, sometimes.”

Zuko rubbed his growing headache and fought the urge to pound his head into the nearest tree. Aang was on the highest point of the roof and tangled in what had to be forty or so feet of Christmas lights. Thankfully, he had stopped waddling in a circle in his vain search for freedom and plopped into a seat in the snow. If the inevitable two-story fall didn’t kill him, then hypothermia definitely would. Born and raised in the mountains or not, he had no business wearing only jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with the damn sleeves rolled up to his elbows (the shirt was reindeer themed and had ‘Naughty List Advocate’ printed across the chest).

Sokka sipped his hot cocoa. Zuko contemplated his place in the universe. “...She’s going to kill us for letting him do this,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry.” Sokka slung an arm around Zuko’s shoulders and tugged them together. He gestured with his cup of cocoa towards the arrowed human hazard. “Katara won’t spill blood around the holidays. She’s too much of a goodie-goodie. Besides, this is Aang’s first Christmas. She wouldn’t dare mess it up for him.”

Zuko scowled but looked thoughtful. “I guess it is, technically, his first Christmas. Has he really only been here for less than a year?”

“Eight months. Feels a lot longer than that. And don’t worry too much about him falling from the roof. He pretty much lived up there for the first few weeks he moved in.”

“...Why?”

“He missed the altitude.”

“Ah.”

A small avalanche slid off the roof and plopped into a heap in front of them. The Christmas lights were all somehow turned on and probably an electrical hazard with how taut they were pulled, and Aang paused for breath from trying to free himself of his cocoon of pretty colors. He moped—nearly pouting—in a way that made them fight the urge to hug him and donate to an ASPCA commercial.

“Has he even seen Christmas lights before?”

Sokka smiled from ear to ear. “Nooooope,” he said, suspiciously happy.

“And you didn’t bother correcting him on…,” Zuko gestured to Aang’s creative stringing of lights, “...whatever that is?”

“He knows what Google is. He can look it up if he wants to.”

“Does he, though? Does he really?” Zuko shook his head. “Someone has to tell him.”

“I think it’s cute. Let him figure out what it means to him all on his own.”

“Hey, Sokka!” Aang shouted from two sheer stories above them. “Are all of the lights working—Oh, hey, Zuko!” The overgrown golden retriever disguised as their best friend smiled down at them with a floodlight’s intensity. He flailed his freed arm like one of those inflatable things in front of car dealerships. “What do you think? Pretty cool, right? I’ve been working on it all day!”

“Yeah, I can see that!” Zuko said. Sokka cackled, and Zuko elbowed him. “It looks...It looks very nice, Aang! Just be careful, okay?”

“I am, don’t worry! I’ve fallen from higher places back at the Temple!”

Zuko gave Sokka a pointed look. “You still think he’s going to learn?”

“Point taken.” Sokka passed Zuko his hot cocoa so he could cup his hands over his mouth. “Hey, Aang! I think that’s enough! It looks really good, but you don’t wanna overdo it! It’ll be too bright!”

“But...But I still have so much left to do!”

“Can’t you finish it later?” Zuko yelled. “You’ll catch your death out here if you don’t put on a jacket!”

Aang ignored that last part. “I can’t stop! Katara is going to be home in a few hours, and I have to have the lights up before she gets here! It’s a surprise!”

Sokka cupped Zuko’s mouth with one hand and projected his voice with the other. “Okay, that’s fine, then! Just be careful, okay? We’ll be right here if you need us!”

Aang nodded so fast that his head threatened to come off his shoulders. “I will! Thanks, guys!”

Sokka released Zuko’s mouth, and Zuko mumbled through his forced smile so Aang couldn’t see him talking. “You do realize that if he gets so much as a scratch, then our lives are forfeit, right?”

Sokka laughed a little, shrugged yet again, and sipped his cocoa some more.

Zuko rolled his eyes so hard that it was a miracle he didn’t go blind. “Do you have to have a deathwish for Christmas?”

“Eh, it’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Right on cue, Aang appeared as if he had been summoned—first as a startled yelp, then as a snowballing cocoon of lights, and then as a projectile.

Luckily, Zuko caught him.

Not so luckily, Zuko hadn’t meant to catch him.

...Zuko’s broken arm throbbed just as badly as his headache, and Aang—lying in the hospital bed right next to him and admiring the little Christmas wreaths and snowflakes Katara drew on his leg’s cast (she even colored a blue line to show where his tattoo wound down his leg)—wasn’t exactly helping him.

He was way, way too tired for this.

Zuko made the mistake of looking at his companion-in-cast. Aang’s puppy-dog eyes were internationally ranked, and they disabled Zuko’s ability to say ‘no’ when he asked if he could pretty please make up for breaking his arm by decorating his cast for him.

(‘Creative’ wasn’t a strong enough word to describe the end result...But Zuko really did like the pair of red and green dragons. They had antlers and snowy-white beards, and the fire they breathed looked like Christmas lights thrown into a blender. It made the nauseating amount of permanent-marker-smell completely worth it.)

Every few hours, Sokka brought them greeting-gifts of hot cocoa and fruit cakes—extra marshmallows and moonpeach-flavored gooey centers because being extra had its perks when Katara was contemplating her allowance of her brother’s and her future brother-in-law’s continued existences.

Aang meekly showed Katara the little drawing he made of what he intended their roof to look like.

She kissed his frown away and practically lived on the roof for the next two days to make it happen.

Once the lights were lit, a small crowd gathered around their house like how people did when they saw a car accident.

But Aang couldn’t have been happier, and, when he slung his arms around their shoulders and thanked them for making his first Christmas that much brighter, Zuko and Sokka couldn’t not smile along with their brother (in all but blood) if they tried.

[heatherfield]

More than you could ever possibly want to know

I had a bunch of these to answer in my drafts and realized most of them were so similar so I combined them into one massive post. Given the sheer amount of questions I won’t tag anybody but feel free to answer any of these and let me know your responses!!

Tagged by the lovely @storyinmyeyes, @cartoon-heart, @thatdamnokie, @honestly-wilde, @bookwormchocaholic, @heterocosmica, @notations, @apictureofspace, @panalegs27, @swanfireouat and @queenofglassbeliever. Thank you!

rules: answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better

name: Heather

nicknames: none

zodiac sign: Aquarius

height: 4′11″

nationality: Canadian

Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff

fave fruit: peaches

fave scent: lavender

fave animal: cats

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: coffee first, but I love all three

last movie i saw: “The King”

last thing i thing i googled: actress Sarah Macrae

fave musician: Umm.... hard to pick one, but Mandy Moore is a serious top contender!

song stuck in my head: “Right on Time” by Dawes

other blogs: nothing active at the moment

following: 1186 (I’m sure many are inactive lol)

do i get asks: every now and then but not often

amount of sleep: probably average 6 hours

lucky number: Hmm—13, or maybe 26?

what am i wearing: t-shirt and sweat pants

dream job: I think I’d still love to do something with design and books (or magazines)

dream trip: easy—England and Scotland

fave food: pasta <3

instruments: a bit of piano, and I used to play clarinet in school

languages: English (and the teeniest bit of French)

fave songs: I have so many and my mind is going blank!

random fact: aside from university dorm rooms/etc. I have lived in the same house my entire life

aesthetic: 19th century English cottage with some modern elements for balance

relationship status: single

favourite colour: purple

top three ships: Red Cricket (Ruby and Archie) from “Once Upon a Time”, Anne and Gilbert from “Anne of Green Gables”, Abby and Connor from “Primeval”

fave fictional characters: too many

fave book: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

lipstick or chapstick: chapstick

last song: “Spanish Eyes” by Clanadonia

when blog was created: 2011, I think, but I didn’t started really using it until about 2015

why blog was created: I followed people over from Livejournal and then really started using this blog when my love for “Once Upon a Time” was revived between seasons 4 and 5

meaning behind URL: I thought it was a pretty/poetic/floral take on my name and it sounded like “Netherfield” aka Jane and Bingley from “Pride and Prejudice”.

fave candy: gummy bears

fave holiday: probably Christmas :)

fave season: summer

fave flower: lavender

cat or dog person: I love both but cats are my super favourite <3

number of blankets you sleep with: 1 big duvet

ever had a poem or song written about you? don’t think so, unless my ex wrote a poem at one point *shrugs*

last time you played air guitar: can’t remember, but I got my little brother to play it in the car a few months ago which was awesome!

celebrity crush: Raphael Sbarge <3

sound you hate and sound you love: I hate ticking clocks and I love the patter of rain on the windows or roof

believe in ghosts: no

believe in aliens: no

do you drive: yes

ever crashed: no, thank goodness

last book: “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens—which I recommend :)

currently reading: the complete works of Shakespeare and “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” by Diana Gabaldon

last TV show: “The Home Edit” on Netflix

currently craving: chicken fingers haha

do you like the smell of gasoline: um... sometimes a bit (so weird but it reminds me of some family members and activities I think?) but not really

worst injury: I’m pretty careful so I can’t remember... although I banged my chin pretty bad when I was about 7 or 8

current obsession: well I’m reading through all of Shakespeare’s plays so that’s been fun, especially tracking down as many adaptations and stage versions I can get my hands on

do you hold grudges? I’d like to say no but I’m realizing it can be hard to let go of the emotions that came with certain hurts/betrayals even if I don’t necessarily hold grudges...

sweet, spicy, or savoury: savoury

* * *

Tagged by the lovely @bookwormchocaholic and @mariequitecontrarie. Thanks!

How old are you: 32.

Surgeries: yup, quite a few

Tattoos: none, but it appeals to me more and more

Ever hit a deer: no, thank goodness

Sang karaoke: I don’t think officially...

Ice skated: Yeah—I’d love to do more 

Ridden a motorcycle: nope and I can’t say I want to

Ridden in an ambulance: yes

Skipped school: yeah, probably when I wasn’t truly sick

Stayed in the hospital: yes

Broken bone: nope! I’m too much of a fraidy cat so I’m always super careful (and not particularly sporty)

Last phone call: my mom, I’m sure

Last text from: my mom

Watched someone die: My pets.

Pepsi or coke: Coke.

Favourite pie: I worked at a farm/farmer’s market baking (frozen) pies for yeeeeears—my fave was “bumbleberry” which was actually just a mix of apple, raspberry, blueberry, and rhubarb I think it was, ‘cause why choose just one flavour?

Favourite pizza: margherita or hawaiian

Received a ticket: Nope.

Sunset or sunrise: Either, both are beautiful.

Favourite Christmas song: "O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by Pentatonix

Cupcakes or cookies: um, cupcakes!

* * * 

Tagged by the lovely @bookwormchocaholic. Thank you! Turns out I filled this out and kept in my drafts ‘cause I’m just crazy.

1. Are you named after someone? No, my parents just liked the name. (My middle name is after my paternal grandmother, though.)

2. When was the last time you cried? Probably a week or two ago, lol.

3. Do you have kids? No.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not often, but sometimes.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? How kind they are.

6. What’s your eye color? Brown.

7. Scary movie or happy ending? Definitely happy endings.

8. Any special talents? Writing, graphic design, singing.

9. Where were you born? Canada.

10. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, sometimes crafts like knitting and card-making…

11. Do you have any pets? I used to have a cat for over 20 years, but we had to put her down 2 3 years ago. My mom and I would love to get another cat, but my dad doesn’t want a pet right now. Plus, I just miss my cat a lot…

12. What sports do you play? Nothing.

13. How tall are you? 4′11″.

14. Favourite subject in school? English.

15. Dream job? Honestly, I’d love to be a graphic designer for books and be involved in putting them together and then do writing as a hobby to take the pressure off. I think it would balance out the creative aspects if that makes sense. (I was so close to getting my dream job, too!)

[iturbide]

In Affectionately Yours (and bunch of you other fics actually), you really build more upon Pelgian culture. Were there any specific things you took inspiration from when doing so? Sorry if this is something you've gone over before. I'm tired and could have very well missed it. Also, if you don't mind me asking, any interesting things you'd like to share about Future Built?

Developing Plegian culture is definitely one of my favorite parts of Awakening fic, it’s true. ❤ I tend to draw bits of inspiration from all kinds of sources, though it’s less for “this is an exact replica of something our world,” more “this has a real-world precedent.”  Even though Plegia’s official roots are probably drawn from ancient Egypt, I completely abandon that because let’s face it: Plegia as a nation has little to no resemblance to Egypt outside of certain stylistic choices like the eye design in the Heart of Grima. 

I’ve actually drawn a lot of inspiration from Judaism, since I see a lot of parallels between existing there.  Aspects like the lunar calendar, date transitions at sunset rather than sunrise, even the Day of Remembrance, all have real-world analogues in the Hebrew faith; meanwhile, Grima’s Night -- specifically the Grimleal celebration, not the Ylissean children’s festival that more resembles the modern-day celebration of Halloween -- takes inspiration from the Mexican Day of the Dead.  Other aspects like food staples, cuisine, and even technology for survival in the desert I drew from Iran: whereas Egypt flourished because of the Nile River, Iran engineered their own water sources called qanats, digging underground channels from the mountains to their homes in arid locations (which provided not only a water source, but a means for indoor cooling).

Also I never mind questions about Future Built, it remains one of my absolute favorite projects (and one I keep mulling over going back to, I just need to get in the right headspace for it):

Chrom is going to get the magistery clerks in line so they stop foisting their jobs off onto Robin and stressing him toward a breakdown.  This gives Robin significantly more free time, which he ends up spending in a variety of ways, including chats with Panne, a book club with Sumia and her ladies-in-waiting, and training with Sully (something he did not ask for but got roped into anyway).

Robin ends up becoming the Ylissean ambassador to Regna Ferox sometime late in that first year of stability, once he and Chrom have started reining in the nobles on the council and instated new members from among the commoners.  This makes sense, given how well he knows the social mores, but everybody ends up missing each other terribly -- enough that within the first week of his absence, Sumia writes him a letter; despite having no love for writing, Chrom writes his own along with her, and they send them together.  It’s a seemingly simple gesture, but a moving one to Robin who still harbors some deep-rooted doubts about his place within the royal family.

In her earliest years, Lucina is equally comfortable with Sumia, Chrom, and Robin -- because all three of them take are extremely attentive parents and take an active role in her care.  Chrom brings her to council meetings with him, Sumia takes her through the gardens out toward the stables where they keep the pegasi, and Robin brings her to the library while he works.  She’s held often, talked to almost constantly while she’s awake, and the instant she starts to fuss she has someone checking on her to see what’s wrong.  It’s rare for her to get to the point of crying while any one of them is present.

Lucina’s birth is what really starts helping Robin keep better track of time, and in doing so take better care of himself.  Especially when he’s acting as her primary caretaker (in cases where Chrom and Sumia are called somewhere while Robin remains in Ylisstol with the baby), he stops getting endlessly distracted because he has important matters to tend, like ensuring that Lucina gets fed on a proper schedule while he’s watching her; that regularity makes it much easier for people to get him to stop and have a meal, too, and often enough when he goes to meet the nurse there’s a lavish spread waiting for him, too.  It’s the first time he starts getting toward a healthy weight.

Whenever possible, Lucina always has at least one of her primary guardians with her in those first years of life.  When Chrom and Sumia have duties they need to tend where they can’t bring the baby, Robin stays behind with her; when there’s a diplomatic matter demanding Chrom and Robin’s attention outside Ylisstol, Sumia stays back with her to keep things running; and when there’s any kind of unrest where the Shepherds need major back-up in the form of Robin and Sumia, Chrom will hold the palace to ensure his daughter’s safety.  Once she’s a little older they will sometimes all leave together -- but whenever possible, they’d rather bring Lucina with them.

[tanookikiss]

This is a bonus mini chapter to my main story, “Starstruck.”

It is a fantasy prompt requested by the lovely @cosmicrealmofkissteria

Rating: 18+ NSFW

...

Tommy knew two things for certain:

First, he had been hypnotized against his will.

Second, he had LOVED it!

In fact, it was all agent Thayer ever thought about these days. He longed for that euphoric empty-headed feeling of sinking into a warm, comfortable trance, obeying his powerful and sexy master. It had only been a day since his infamous phone call with Starchild, but Tommy hoped the hypnotist would call him again soon. Tommy craved that hypnotic feeling much like a drug addict craved their daily fix. He would often zone out at work, lost in thought of the beautiful Starchild mesmerizing him with those enticing purple spirals and that perfect body! Tommy’s eyes would roll back into his head while he drooled like a dog. A couple of hard smacks across his face would bring the spaced-out spaceman back to reality. In any other situation, this would be quite comical but, unfortunately, these little daydreams happened far too often for Demon’s taste. 

He hated that one of his top agents was reduced to the state of a blissful bubble head. Transferring him to another department clearly proved to be ineffective. Tommy was too much of a risk. Demon had no other choice but to give him an ultimatum. Tommy had one day to snap out of it for good or he would be fired.

Tommy couldn’t bear the thought of leaving K.I.S.S. He had spent years training his ass off in the Jendallian Army for it all to blow up in his face! Not wanting to lose his coveted job, Tommy decided to go see Ankh. Ankh was the most powerful wizard working in K.I.S.S. If he couldn’t help him then who could? On his way to see Ankh, Tommy noticed a peculiar purple business card sticking out of his office mailbox door.

Curious, Tommy pulled it out carefully. A delicate lavender scent wafted off the card. In bold black letters it read:

Dr. Stanley – Licensed Hypnotherapist

On the back was a number and address.

Did someone leave this card for him? What a coincidence. Tommy smiled at the card. Of course, why didn’t he think of this! A professional hypnotherapist could combat a hypnotist! Maybe this Dr. Stanley could help him regain control. Well…it was worth a shot. What did he have to lose after all? In a heartbeat, Tommy pulled out his cellphone and dialed the number, setting up the first available appointment. As luck would have it, Dr. Stanley had an availability that afternoon.

…

The address on the card lead Tommy to an upscale building in Downtown KISSteria City. The waiting room was as posh as one would expect. Pompous modern art décor was proudly displayed on the pristine white walls. After signing in, Tommy took a seat on a leather couch next to a group of extremely attractive ladies. They were squealing and gushing over how much they adored their sessions with Dr. Stanley! Apparently, he had helped them get over their ex-boyfriend troubles and seemed to help them all find a greater purpose in life. Tommy listened to them intently. It seemed like Dr. Stanley was the best in town.

“Mr. Thayer, Dr. Stanley is ready to see you,” cooed the receptionist.

Tommy stepped inside a glass elevator that took him to the very top floor. He watched as KISSteria City became smaller as he ascended higher. Once the elevator door opened, Tommy felt like he was in a completely different building. The dark purple walls and candlelit pathway gave the top floor a more mysterious gothic feel. An overwhelming scent of lavender invaded Tommy’s senses, rendering him a bit dizzy. Tommy shook off the feeling as he followed the candlelight pathway into a room at the very end of the hallway.

The room was quite dark as the drapes were drawn closed. Tommy could see what he presumed to be his therapist’s silhouette sitting atop his desk with his legs crossed. The sun cast shadows off the window strategically covered most of his face. The only part visible was his plump red lips that smirked as Tommy walked into the room.

“Ah…Mr. Thayer. Please come in and relaxxxx,” his voice purred, sending goosebumps down Tommy’s spine.

“Please call me, Tommy,” Tommy said shyly, taking a seat on a plush futon directly across from the mysterious therapist, craning his neck trying to get a get look at his therapist’s face. He wondered if this man was just as hot as he sounded!

“Well then, Tommy” the therapist giggled cutely, shifting a little on his desk to avoid Tommy from getting a good look at his face. “What seems to be troubling you?”

Tommy’s eyes were busy drinking in the sublime form of this man before him. His eyes slowly ran up those rhinestone clad boots, up those long lusciously long legs bound by tight leather pants that left little to the imagination in the crotch area. Tommy blushed hotly, noticing the therapist wore a white low-cut blouse, exposing his beautiful, dark, curly chest hair. A beautiful sparkling diamond necklace nestled amongst the chest hair fluff.

“Well...I’ve been having problems focusing at work.” Tommy’s mouth felt dry; His eyes finally resting on the therapist’s eyes.

Dr. Stanley smiled lustfully but gently at Tommy. He noticed how his patient’s eyes were instinctively drawn to his.

“Trouble you say…how so?”

Tommy felt like he was immediately lost in the deep pools of brown power that were his therapist’s eyes. They were framed in almost poodle poof cloud of curly black hair. Tommy couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something strange about this situation. This therapist was acting odd and his eyes seemed to have some sort of magnetic hold over him. His agent instincts went into play, knowing he had to be careful and not reveal he worked for K.I.S.S or too much about his case.

“Well…I met this very attractive guy who is really into hypnosis, you could say. He put me under a hypnotic spell, and I…can’t seem to think about anything else but falling under his spell and obeying his every command.”

Dr. Stanley licked his lips causing Tommy to gulp nervously. “You seem to like serving a powerful man. There’s no shame in embracing your desire to submit, Tommy. Hypnosis is a wonderful erotic fantasy…it’s a nice way to calm the soul and quiet the busy mind. It’s quite euphoric to let someone else do all the thinking for you, isn’t it, my sweet pet?”

Those words should have alarmed Tommy but there was something about that voice. It was so compelling yet so soft and gentle.

“Yes,” Tommy sighed. It was getting difficult for him to think straight. “But… it’s interfering with my work and… I need it to stop.”

“And what is it that you do exactly?”

He was running his long slender fingers along the collar of his open blouse. On each finger was a different beautiful colored gem ring that sparkled brightly and brilliantly in the small light coming from the window. Dr. Stanley ran his ringed fingers slowly up and down the center of his chest, wrapping around the strands of dark chest hair curls.

Tommy gasped. He found his eyes being drawn to those sensual fingers as they moved up and down so rhythmically as he spoke. “I…uhhh…file archives for KISS…the KISSteria City National Library.”

“Awwww. It must be sooooo exhausting, crunching away at those numbers all day and night. I bet it makes you so, so sleepy having to always be on the alert too. When was the last time you gave into pleasure, Tommy?”

“I…uhh…it’s been years,” Tommy blinked a couple of times. From a tender young age, Tommy’s whole life had been planned for him. His entire family served in the Jendellian Army, and Tommy was expected to enlist as well. Being a K.I.S.S agent was just as exhausting. Demon had him on call 24-7 with the rise in cases; it seemed as though the agent never got a break. His vision was becoming a bit unfocused as Dr. Stanley’s voice and hypnotic rhythm of his fingers began to have an effect.

“Bet you wish you could just leave your responsibilities behind and run away with an incredibly sexy man.”

“Yes…” Tommy whispered. It was true. Deep down he was a miserable workaholic. He had no time for relationships outside of K.I.S.S. His life was a constant whirlwind of fighting bad guys and meaningless office work.

“Mmm…I bet you fantasize about kissing sweet lips such as mine,” Dr. Stanley whispered before puckering his juicy lips into a kiss. “Or caressing your fingers up and down a perfectly chiseled chest such as mine,” the therapist moaned, rubbing his fingers in teasing circles around his hardened nipples for emphasis. “Or to just let go and bury your face into powerful toned thighs such as mine,” With a husky breath, he unraveled his crossed legs, spreading them wide apart on the desk, showing off his rather large bulge straining in those leather pants.

Tommy’s breathing was shallow and rapid as his face flushed red. Breathing a husky “yes” as a response. Dr. Stanley noticed a dark wet spot growing over the stiff bulge in the other man’s pants.

“Then have a nice long look at my eyes.” Those dark brown eyes morphed into captivating purple spirals. “Soon you will be unable to look away. You may try to avert your attention, but you will find it hard, so very hard…just like all those times before, agent Thayer.”

A part of Tommy screamed helplessly for him to shield his eyes, but he wanted to keep listening to this man’s sexy voice and watch those beautiful spirals go around in a never-ending loop, pulling him in deeper and deeper.

“Look closer…it’s okay to surrender…give in completely…It is so pleasurable…so relaxing…You cannot resist falling under my deep hypnotic spell,” Dr. Stanley droned on in his deeply relaxing silky voice, getting off the desk to get closer and closer to Tommy’s face.

Tommy’s vision was able to make out the star outline around his therapist’s right eye. Unfortunately, Tommy’s mind was a bit too hazy to realize he had fallen into another trap, but a growing repressed part of his mind had known all along and desperately wanted this to happen.

“You like the idea of being dominated by me, of having no choice but to serve my will.”

“Yes…but I need….to stop...Starchild,” Tommy’s voice trailed off. He felt incredibly relaxed.

“Shhhh…You need to stop resisting. Every breath you take fills you with relaxation and as you exhale, the tension in your muscles sink into the futon as you begin to slip into a terrific, sexy dream,” Starchild cooed, stroking Tommy’s hair lovingly.

Tommy was struggling to keep eyes open.

“And now close your sleepy, sleepy eyes and fall into a deep, deep hypnosis, deeper than you have ever imagined.”

Tommy’s eyes closed as his head fell forward.

Starchild smirked, climbing on top of Tommy in his vulnerable position. “You are in a terrific state of hypnosis now, Tommy, you’ve never felt anything as delicious, as relaxing, have you?”

“No…”

“No, I didn’t think so. This relaxing state was made possible by your trust in me. Trusting me entirely feels soooo good, doesn’t it, Tommy?”

“Yes…”

Starchild leaned in to whisper in Tommy’s ear. “Give yourself to me, Tommy. I can set you free. I can take you to the deepest level of trance and fulfill all of your naughty fantasies.”

“I...I can’t,” Tommy resisted.

Starchild was actually taken aback. He could tell the agent was deep under, but he was still resisting somehow. He figured it must be the lingering effect from years of intense militant training. Damn those Jendallians were good! Starchild thought for a minute. If he was going to fully ensnare Tommy, he would need to fulfill his deepest sexual fantasy…

“Tommy, you can trust me. I want to make you feel incredible...even more incredible than you’re feeling right now. What is your ultimate fantasy? When do you feel relaxed?”

“…At the beach. I feel relaxed at the beach. I’ve always wanted to be alone at the beach with a hot guy.”

“Very good, Tommy. You are now at the beach. You have just gotten out of the serene water from a long day of swimming. The warm sun rays comfort your cool, wet body. As you inhale the fresh salty beach air, you feel alive and terrific.”

Tommy smirked. Gone was the therapist office. He was on a gorgeous tropical beach. Nothing but soft, white sand and bright blue waters for miles. The sound of waves crashing on shore with a few screeching seagulls echoed in the distance as Tommy stepped out of the cold ocean water. The only other person at the beach was a very attractive man, sitting off in the distance, beckoning Tommy to come hither with a finger.

“You want to stretch out on the soft sand with your lover as the sea breeze envelops your body. You can hear my voice in your mind. You are at peace.”

Tommy absentmindedly walked over to the mysterious man and sprawled out on the towel next to him. Tommy closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the fresh air and warm sun.

“Let the sun warm you…Let the fresh breeze relax you… Let my voice fill your mind as the sun and sea breeze are doing. My voice, the sun and sea breeze are giving you pleasure, Tommy…so much pleasure.”

Tommy felt a pair of soft lips meet his. He smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around his lover. He was starting to feel hot.

“All this pleasure is making you very hot, Tommy. My voice, especially is turning you on. You are intensely aroused right now, Tommy. We’re all alone on this beautiful beach, and you are so, so horny.”

Tommy gasped; his loins were on fire! The mysterious man, who turned out to be Starchild, merely smirked while rubbing his hand over Tommy’s crotch, eliciting a sharp moan out of the aroused man.

“Yes…you are so turned on by me, by my voice, by the hypnosis. You want to touch yourself…you need to release your sexual tension. Go ahead and pleasure yourself, Tommy. Give in to my voice, give into your erotic fantasy…”

Tommy moaned as he gripped the base of his hardened shaft. Starchild’s hand guided his hand, controlling how fast and hard he jerked. These agonizing strokes were causing Tommy to lose his mind.

“That’s it, Tommy…let my voice guide you into a sweet, erotic trance. So sexual…so terrific…You know what feels best…you need to release…but don’t you dare release until I say your trigger word, do you understand?”

“Oh! Oh! God! Yes! Yes!” Tommy panted as his hand increased the pace with his hips bucking in rhythm.

Tommy’s eyes snapped open to see himself back in the therapist office with Starchild jacking him off and then collapsed back into his erotic fantasy on the beach with Starchild. His mind was teeter tottering between the cusp of reality and fantasy.

And with a wicked smile, Starchild uttered the word, “Starstruck.”

Tommy had a glorious, explosive orgasm before Starchild deepened his trance even further. His mind was now silly putty, ready to be shaped and molded into a new form. A form perfect for Starchild. Tommy would embrace his submissive, hypnosis addicted side. His devotion to K.I.S.S would be replaced with an obsession to serve Starchild, to be forever hypnotized by Starchild.

[goldenrulesofhabit]

6 Effective Leadership Traits That You Can Develop

Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, and many others come to mind when thinking about successful leaders. However, these leaders weren’t born with effective leadership traits; they cultivated them. Leadership traits are essential when one is in charge of a family, an organization, or a nation. Let’s have a look into the traits of successful leaders that you can develop in yourself.

Vision

Effective leaders are visionaries; successful leaders such as Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi shared their visions in public with complete confidence, unafraid of judgment or failure. They invited others to join them on their journey and lead by example. You don’t need to have a vision of your own; you can just follow one and dedicate your resources to achieve that end goal. Fifty years after Martin Luther King’s death, people still stand up to fight against racial injustice.

Adaptability

Influential leaders can think on their feet and quickly change gears when an unfavorable situation arises. Companies like Netflix and Instagram are prime examples of embracing adaptability without fear or shame. In the modern era of rapid innovation and unstable economic conditions, aspiring leaders need to be able to make difficult choices without losing sight of their vision.

Resilience

Fearless leaders are adamant when following their vision. Only resilient leaders can persist and prevail over tough times. They can push through pressure with undying optimism and bounce back from any setbacks. Aspiring leaders can cultivate resilience by showing patience during difficult situations. Show up and give your best to prove your commitment to the cause.

Discipline

Discipline is a set of rules and standards set by a governing body or individual. It allows a person to have structure and stability in their life by adhering to their roles and responsibilities. Leaders practice discipline in their daily lives to command respect and expect a certain level of performance from their peers and followers. Aspiring leaders can cultivate self-discipline in themselves by developing good habits like eating healthy and going to bed early.

Accountability

Leaders are the last line of defense and therefore have to be accountable for their decisions. They should be able to apologize sincerely, take responsibility, and fix damages done. All humans make mistakes and leaders are no different. A true leader embraces humility and works hard to regain the trust lost. You can be accountable for your actions by taking responsibility and ensuring history doesn’t repeat.

Empathetic Communication

Effective leadership comprises many technical traits, although there is more to effective leadership than hustle and grind. Successful leaders can connect with people on an empathetic level. They can comprehend their viewpoints and understand their emotions. Empathetic communication allows leaders to have a loyal following, setting them up for success. You can develop empathetic communication skills by listening to your close family and friends. Knowing that you can be there for them in their happy and sad times provides them a sense of assurance.

Golden Rules of Habit has a clear-cut vision to empower power to live a fulfilling life. We teach life-changing habits that can improve your life and write informative and inspiring pieces on various topics from nutrition advice to business improvements. Head to our lifestyle category for more tips for becoming a better leader.

[workersolidarity]

You had this post about the villification of socialism and the Soviet Union vs how fascism is becoming more acceptable and you mention something about Stalin not being guilty of murdering millions. I'm studying gcse history, and in our Cold War unit it talked about the purges, gulags etc. I understand there is going to be some western bias but I thought that the purges and deaths caused by Stalin were pretty much undeniable truths? I'm not trying to be malicious, just actually curious.

Actually, there's no evidence Stalin ever committed anything remotely close to a war crime.

First off, most people can't wrap their heads around one very simple but important fact. Stalin was not even close to a dictator and never had powers anywhere near what even the US President has. Barack Obama launched a secret CIA Drone strike without Congressional Authorization in a country we not only weren't at war with, but that wasn't even recognized as having open hostilities with the US.

Everything Stalin did had to go through the Politburo and the Communist Party Leadership. The Western lies about the Governing structure of the Soviet Union not only ignores the countless Beaurocratic hurtles there were before the Secretary General of the Soviet Union could engage any major Policy changes, but it negates and ignores the tens of millions of Soviet Citizens who fought to the death to install the Communist Party to power, and paid the price of seven years of Western Interference leading and arming Nationalists and Fascists to fight a Civil War within the Soviet Union.

The Red Army was nothing but a motley crew of peasants with dated rifles and pitchforks fighting for what they believed in, fighting for the right for their families to live halfway decent lives without Aristocratic landowners taxing away the fruits of their labor.

The Peasants and Proletariat won the Civil War because the Communist Party had won the hearts and minds of the Soviet Citizenry. A Citizenry that gave their lives for Socialism. It was those Soviet Citizens who were responsible for installing Lenin followed by Stalin to power and they trusted him to lead the Communist Party.

That doesn't, however, mean he could snap his fingers and have anything done. And in nearly every single case of some kind of mass trials or murders of dissidents, these cases were approved by the entire Communist Party leadership. The NKVD was given their powers to investigate and make mass arrests, not for no reason at all, but because the Western Colonial Powers, at the height of the Western Capitalist international order, were CONSTANTLY interfering with the affairs of the Soviet Union.

They never stopped supporting with money and arms Ukranian and Russian Nationalist Groups that were responsible for terrorist acts throughout the first decades of the CCCP's founding.

In one famous case, Nikolai Bukharin was speaking to the Communist Party leadership, where he suggesting that the Party forgive the Anarchist groups responsible for terrorist acts across the country. He was hoping that by making peace with the Left-Wing and Anarchist Organizations fighting the Communists they would have an easier time fighting the far more dangerous, Western backed Right-Wing Nationalists that were far more prevelant and dangerous to the young Socialist Republic.

In the middle of Bukharin's speech, an Anarchist group bombed the Meeting of the Party leadership. This wasn't some peaceful situation with evil dictator Stalin murdering his own people for the fun of it! That would make no sense whatsoever!

Instead this was a consistent problem in the early years with Terrorism unlike anything Al Qaeda or ISIS could have ever hoped to accomplish. These were highly organized Terrorist groups made up of Western Backed Paramilitary Organizations, mostly made up of Right-Wing Nationalists and the Capitalists who lost their Industries, Land, and other Property when the Communists Nationalized industry. These were ruthless Kulaks that, although they were offered compensation for the loss of their land, preferred to burn millions of acres of crops and kill millions of Farm Animals rather than see Stalin's Agricultural Co-Ops succeed.

In fact the Kulaks were responsible for the vast majority of the loss in crops during the early 1930's when Western History books tell us Stalin for some reason out-of-the-blue just randomly decided to starve Ukranians and Russian Peasants responsible for putting him in Power in the first place.

The entire Western Narrative of Stalin as brutal dictator is completely absurd. Millions of people across Soviet Union mourned Stalin's death and still celebrate his memory in the streets of Moscow every year. Does that sound like a horrible evil dictator to you?

From beginning to end, the stories were told about Stalin are completely and are in fact varifiably false. Like when they claim Stalin felt threatened by Bukharin and so he was "tortured" and "forced to plead guilty" to the crimes he was put to death for. Uh... yeah no.

Actually Bukharin had a perfectly normal trial, which like today's largest high profile trials in the US were made public. It was maticulously investigated, and Bukharin pled guilty to some but (importantly) NOT ALL of the Charges he was on trial for. If Bukharin was "tortured" and "forced" to plead guilty, why would he plead guilty to charges he knew he was going to put to death for, yet still ademently deny the other charges???

Again, that would make no sense whatsoever.

In fact, in the decades following Stalin's death, many of the lies that are STILL taught as fact about Stalin in Western Schools, were traced to Trotsky in letters released by his children after his own death. In many cases Trotsky's either admits privately to making up stories for the Western Media to help his own position, or he directly contradicts privately the things he was stating publicly that were reported as fact in the Western Media and are STILL treated as such in Western History books.

Another example: the famous quote supposedly from Stalin about one death is a tragedy but a million deaths are a statistic. Actually comes from a FICTIONAL book written by a Russian dissident which was then (once again) quoted as fact by Western Media outlets until it became a fact in the Western History books.

This kind of thing goes on and on and on throughout Stalin's time in leadership. The Western History books of try to depict (conveniently without listing sources) Stalin as a common dictator who was stealing from the Soviet Citizenry, just hustling the Public.

Which is awfully funny for a guy who spent his entire time as Leader of the Soviet Union sharing a Dacha with Chekov, another famous Soviet era Leader. Kind of a curious way to live if you just want power and wealth, don't you think?

Professor Grover Furr, who's spent more time than any other researcher in History studying Stalin and the early years of the Soviet Union, has not found, in any of the Soviet Archives or anywhere else, any example of even a SINGLE CASE where Stalin gave an order to have someone killed. In fact he's hasn't found ANY evidence of even a single case of gross Human Rights Violations, War Crimes or ANYTHING we could classify as a crime. Not one.

And he had written about the results of his research in countless books documenting his work. The Purges: a demand of the Communist Party at large, the Holomodor famine: completely discredited by the late 1930's yet is written about as fact to this day despite the fact that the only newspaper that claimed to have direct source evidence of this "horrible famine" that supposedly killed millions was a newspaper owned by notorious American Fascist William Randolph Hearst who paid shady writers to get dirt on Soviet Society, and also paid Mussolini the equivalent today of $40 million US Dollars to write Fascist Opinion articles in his Newspapers. And the only writer who actually claimed to have seen this famine in person? Went to prison a couple years later for defrauding banks and the US Government and during his trial admitted to making up the stories while he was under oath. It's been completely and utterly discredited. Yet it's in every History book as if it were fact.

I could literally go on and on all day about this. I've done my own research. And as soon as you start getting your information outside of Western sources of History, it's absolutely ASTOUNDING how quickly the veil falls away and the Emperor is standing there with no clothes. It's all bullshit. Top to bottom. When the Communist Party did away with an entire class of Elections that were important for some kind of accountability within the Communist Party, it was Stalin who fought tooth-and-nail with the Party leadership to reinstate public accountability elections and eventually had to come to a compromise with the Party that didn't quite return power to the Soviets but did reinstate certain levels of Public Elections and also gave suffrage to women and opened up Party Elections to women as well.

Stalin was a true believer in Socialist Principles. He fought his whole life to give power to the Working Class. Was he perfect? Of course not. Did he make mistakes? Obviously.

Two things you must keep in mind.

One: this was the world's first attempt at true actually existing Socialism. It's nothing short of amazing how much the Soviet Union, especially at it's peak under Stalin, managed to accomplish in such an incredibly short period of time without a single example in History to follow. In a few short years the Soviet Union went from a backwards, third-world country of extreme poverty made up mostly by peasant Farmers, of whom only a couple percent owned ANY kind of tractors or modern farm equipment at the time. To becoming a behemoth of an Industrial Superpower. Accomplishing what took the US and Britain over 100 years to accomplish in only two decades. Stalin literally installed Farm Equipment depots with all kinds of modern machinery at the time, including tractors, where Farmers could walk right up, take what equipment they needed free of charge, and return it when they were finished.

Rent in the Soviet Union averaged between 2-4% of income. Rent averages between 25-50% of income right now in the US.

Between the early 1930's and 1989, inflation within the Soviet Union was exactly 0%. Prices never changed from the time Stalin stabilized the Economy until perestroika began in 1989.

Literacy was 100% by the time Stalin died. Education was mandatory and college free along with Healthcare.

It's unquestionable that life improved DRAMATICALLY for the vast vast majority of Soviet Citizens. 99% of the 100 million people within the Union saw MASSIVE improvements in public services, Economic stability and growth, income growth, lifespans, huge drops in mortality rates, and in every single measurable way, life improved rapidly on a scale unseen in world history.

Maybe, just maybe, for once we should begin judging the Stalin Era based on the facts and not Capitalist Fiction.