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mostlysignssomeportents · 8 months ago

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Harpercollins wants authors to sign away AI training rights

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/18/rights-without-power/#careful-what-you-wish-for

Rights don't give you power. People with power can claim rights. Giving a "right" to someone powerless just transfers it to someone more powerful than them. Nowhere is this more visible than in copyright fights, where creative workers are given new rights that are immediately hoovered up by their bosses.

It's not clear whether copyright gives anyone the right to control whether their work is used to train an AI model. It's very common for people (including high ranking officials in entertainment companies, and practicing lawyers who don't practice IP law) to overestimate their understanding of copyright in general, and their knowledge of fair use in particular.

Here's a hint: any time someone says "X can never be fair use," they are wrong and don't know what they're talking about (same goes for "X is always fair use"). Likewise, anyone who says, "Fair use is assessed solely by considering the 'four factors.'" That is your iron-clad sign that the speaker does not understand fair use:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/06/27/nuke-first/#ask-questions-never

But let's say for the sake of argument that training a model on someone's work is a copyright violation, and so training is a licensable activity, and AI companies must get permission from rightsholders before they use their copyrighted works to train a model.

Even if that's not how copyright works today, it's how things could work. No one came down off a mountain with two stone tablets bearing the text of 17 USC chiseled in very, very tiny writing. We totally overhauled copyright in 1976, and again in 1998. There've been several smaller alterations since.

We could easily write a new law that requires licensing for AI training, and it's not hard to imagine that happening, given the current confluence of interests among creative workers (who are worried about AI pitchmen's proclaimed intention to destroy their livelihoods) and entertainment companies (who are suing many AI companies).

Creative workers are an essential element of that coalition. Without those workers as moral standard-bearers, it's hard to imagine the cause getting much traction. No one seriously believes that entertainment execs like Warner CEO David Zaslav actually cares about creative works – this is a guy who happily deletes every copy of an unreleased major film that had superb early notices because it would be worth infinitesimally more as a tax-break than as a work of art:

https://collider.com/coyote-vs-acme-david-zaslav-never-seen/

The activists in this coalition commonly call it "anti AI." But is it? Does David Zaslav – or any of the entertainment execs who are suing AI companies – want to prevent gen AI models from being used in the production of their products? No way – these guys love AI. Zaslav and his fellow movie execs held out against screenwriters demanding control over AI in the writers' room for 148 days, and locked out their actors for another 118 days over the use of AI to replace actors. Studio execs forfeited at least $5 billion in a bid to insist on their right to use AI against workers:

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mje/2023/12/06/a-deep-dive-into-the-economic-ripples-of-the-hollywood-strike/

Entertainment businesses love the idea of replacing their workers with AI. Now, that doesn't mean that AI can replace workers: just because your boss can be sold an AI to do your job, it doesn't mean that the AI he buys can actually do your job:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/25/accountability-sinks/#work-harder-not-smarter

So if we get the right to refuse to allow our work to be used to train a model, the "anti AI" coalition will fracture. Workers will (broadly) want to exercise that right to prevent AI models from being trained at all, while our bosses will want to exercise that right to be sure that they're paid for AI training, and that they can steer production of the resulting model to maximize the number of workers than can fire after it's done.

Hypothetically, creative workers could simply say to our bosses, "We will not sell you this right to authorize or refuse AI training that Congress just gave us." But our bosses will then say, "Fine, you're fired. We won't hire you for this movie, or record your album, or publish your book."

Given that there are only five major publishers, four major studios, three major labels, two ad-tech companies and one company that controls the whole ebook and audiobook market, a refusal to deal on the part of a small handful of firms effectively dooms you to obscurity.

As Rebecca Giblin and I write in our 2022 book Chokepoint Capitalism, giving more rights to a creative worker who has no bargaining power is like giving your bullied schoolkid more lunch money. No matter how much lunch money you give that kid, the bullies will take it and your kid will remain hungry. To get your kid lunch, you have to clear the bullies away from the gate. You need to make a structural change:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

Or, put another way: people with power can claim rights. But giving powerless people more rights doesn't make them powerful – it just transfers those rights to the people they bargain against.

Or, put a third way: "just because you're on their side, it doesn't follow that they're on your side" (h/t Teresa Nielsen Hayden):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/19/gander-sauce/#just-because-youre-on-their-side-it-doesnt-mean-theyre-on-your-side

Last month, Penguin Random House, the largest publisher in the history of human civilization, started including a copyright notice in its books advising all comers that they would not permit AI training with the material between the covers:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/19/gander-sauce/#just-because-youre-on-their-side-it-doesnt-mean-theyre-on-your-side

At the time, people who don't like AI were very excited about this, even though it was – at the utmost – a purely theatrical gesture. After all, if AI training isn't fair use, then you don't need a notice to turn it into a copyright infringement. If AI training is fair use, it remains fair use even if you add some text to the copyright notice.

But far more important was the fact that the less that Penguin Random House pays its authors, the more it can pay its shareholders and executives. PRH didn't say it wouldn't sell the right to train a model to an AI company – they only said that an AI company that wanted to train a model on its books would have to pay PRH first. In other words, just because you're on their side, it doesn't follow that they're on your side.

When I wrote about PRH and its AI warning, I mentioned that I had personally seen one of the big five publishers hold up a book because a creator demanded a clause in their contract saying their work wouldn't be used to train an AI.

There's a good reason you'd want this in your contract; the standard contracting language contains bizarrely overreaching language seeking "rights in all media now know and yet to be devised throughout the universe":

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/19/reasonable-agreement/

But the publisher flat-out refused, and the creator fought and fought, and in the end, it became clear that this was a take-it-or-leave-it situation: the publisher would not include a "no AI training" clause in the contract.

One of the big five publishers is Rupert Murdoch's Harpercollins. Murdoch is famously of the opinion that any kind of indexing or archiving of the work he publishes must require a license. He even demanded to be paid to have his newspapers indexed by search engines:

https://www.inquisitr.com/46786/epic-win-news-corp-likely-to-remove-content-from-google

No surprise, then, that Murdoch sued an AI company over training on Newscorp content:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/unjust-threat-murdoch-and-artists-align-in-fight-over-ai-content-scraping

But Rupert Murdoch doesn't oppose the material he publishes from being used in AI training, nor is he opposed to the creation and use of models. Murdoch's Harpercollins is now pressuring its authors to sign away their rights to have their works used to train an AI model:

https://bsky.app/profile/kibblesmith.com/post/3laz4ryav3k2w

The deal is not negotiable, and the email demanding that authors opt into it warns that AI might make writers obsolete (remember, even if AI can't do your job, an AI salesman can convince Rupert Murdoch – who is insatiably horny for not paying writers – that an AI is capable of doing your job):

https://www.avclub.com/harpercollins-selling-books-to-ai-language-training

And it's not hard to see why an AI company might want this; after all, if they can lock in an exclusive deal to train a model on Harpercollins' back catalog, their products will exclusively enjoy whatever advantage is to be had in that corpus.

In just a month, we've gone from "publishers won't promise not to train a model on your work" to "publishers are letting an AI company train a model on your work, but will pay you a nonnegotiable pittance for your work." The next step is likely to be, "publishers require you to sign away the right to train a model on your work."

The right to decide who can train a model on your work does you no good unless it comes with the power to exercise that right.

Rather than campaigning for the right to decide who can train a model on our work, we should be campaigning for the power to decide what terms we contract under. The Writers Guild spent 148 days on the picket line, a remarkable show of solidarity.

But the Guild's real achievement was in securing the right to unionize at all – to create a sectoral bargaining unit that could represent all the writers, writing for all the studios. The achievements of our labor forebears, in the teeth of ruthless armed resistance, resulted in the legalization and formalization of unions. Never forget that the unions that exist today were criminal enterprises once upon a time, and the only reason they exist is because people risked prison, violence and murder to organize when doing so was a crime:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/11/rip-jane-mcalevey/#organize

The fights were worth fighting. The screenwriters comprehensively won the right to control AI in the writers' room, because they had power:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/01/how-the-writers-guild-sunk-ais-ship/

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

Eva Rinaldi (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rupert_Murdoch_-_Flickr_-_Eva_Rinaldi_Celebrity_and_Live_Music_Photographer.jpg

CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #harpercollins #newscorp #rupert murdoch #chokepoint capitalism #publishing #books #big publishing #ai #copyright #copyfight

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cultofcola · 3 months ago

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shifting in italy.

note: italy in this reality is full of bigots. so, it's like a romanticised version .... so script out those things if you want the movie-like experience. and no global warming…. i’ll make a list at the end.

italy is a peninsula, except for sardinia and sicily. so, your experience will be different depending on which part you are. you are not only italian, but you are also your region... the most important thing, dare i say? south and north despise each other, while the centre is chilling because no one ever remembers them (which is hilarious, because the capital is there). this is going to be very detailed.

act i, location. where do you live?

NORTH-WEST ...

valle d'aosta. smallest region of italy, where you are living the heidi lifestyle. you are near some of the highest mountains ever: monte bianco, cervino, monte rosa, gran paradiso. so, pretty cold. you have christmas full of snow, and while driving you will probably meet some goats and their shepherd. they always have something profound to say. if you like hiking, it's perfect for you. imagine drinking hot chocolate while the old people of your small town talk about their experiences of when they were young.

liguria. near the sea; the tarquoise waters are the wet dream of the fishermen. you are still surrounded by cliffs and your small towns are an ode to love. this vibe is mainly created by the sunsets and the wine, which you are probably drinking because they don't really care about your age. drinking some kind of alcohol while snacking (sometimes smoking) and laughing with your friends is culture.

lombardia. perfect for pretentious people... just kidding. if you are a fan of big cities, there's milan. city of fashion, chic, and aspiring famous people. everyone is in rush, the trains are never on time, taxis stop every three seconds. everyone has shopping bags in the hands and the bars are always full of people. if you like something more romantic, lakes como and garda are perfect. with the alpine breeze, eating risotto ... paradise on earth.

piemonte. castles everywhere. and wine (are you noticing a pattern here?). turin is full of story and art, and everything looks like a medieval revival. an ice cream shop can be in a 600 years old home, and your school definitely has the name of some historical figure who changed history in some way. the baroque streets are full of people yapping to their friends or family, and you will feel like an noble if you dress up.

NORTH-EST ...

trentino-alto adige. the fresh mountain air, crystal clear lakes, alpine villages. guardian of a remarkable cultural heritage of confluence between latin and nordic worlds. also unique wines (are we alcoholics?) are shaped by the alpine landscape, tended to by experienced wine-growers, and prized throughout the world.

veneto. the canals of venice are the definition of romance. gondolas gliding under ancient bridges, region of romeo and juliet. full of secret alleys who lead god-knows-where. the carnival is known world-wide and probably the best thing that ever happened to mankind... after wine. (did i mention that people here love alcohol?)

friuli-venezia giulia. beautiful sandy and pebble beaches where you can read a book. cultural excursions (schools always go there for excursions) historic towns, castles, fine wines and cuisine, unspoiled nature. very underrated and often forgotten by everyone in italy (or is it just me...?) but a GEM.

emilia-romagna. prosciutto. pasta. what a dream. the medieval towers rise as beautiful as they once were, the scent of the typical italian food hangs in the air like an invitation. its nickname is indeed the food valley of europe. ancient shops, and the art??? ugh!!!! it's also the home of the communists.... if you are interested;)

CENTRE...

toscana. endless vineyards, rustic farmhouses, hills where you can sit and watch the sunrise. art is everywhere. you BREATHE art. florence is literally the city of architecture. having long conversations under cypress trees. lies along the tyrrhenian and ligurian seas. what do you want more (the wine is probably the best one you'll ever have the pleasure to taste).

umbria. the green heart of italy. located right in the centre of the state. rich in art, history and culture, this region is also famous for its wine and olive oil tradition.... because yes wine is everywhere. also the porchetta. what a pleasure is to eat something as tasty as the porchetta from umbria.

marche. no one seems to remember them. but, it's a gem. reinassance towns and streets, and the adriatic coastline right next to them. the countryside is full of olive groves. the resteraunts?? a blessing. olive all'ascolana ... i dream about them every night.

lazio. rome, the eternal city, is here. and this says everything. stories have been written for millennia. filled with passion, art, and culture. and food. the food is so good.

SOUTH...

abruzzo. from the apennine mountains, to ancient villages, people eating porchetta, to unspoiled beaches. well known for its landscapes and natural environment, parks and nature reserves, characteristic hillside areas rich in vineyards and olive groves.

molise. the long-running joke is that it doesn't actually exist. everyone always forgets about them. quiet, small towns, nature.

campania. dear amalfi coast, you are heaven. pastel houses will catch your breath, alongside the food....... dear lord. naples is full of people who do the most weird thing, but isn't that just so beautiful?? sun-drenched shores, and the remains of the historical event of the vulcano vesuvio.

puglia. the heel of italy's boot. golden beaches and crystal-clear waters, intense flavours and fascinating destinations: castel del monte, the trulli, the islands passing through towns kissed by a unique and unforgettable light.

calabria. the toe of the italian boot. the sea, the riace bronzes, reggio calabria and capo vaticano, a captivating mix of history and beauty. warning; the beaches??? spectacular.

basilicata. a land made special by its small silent villages rich in history, its many unspoilt places and enchanting beaches. a unique variety of landscapes including expanses of land, national parks, forests and beautiful lunar-looking landscapes and then the legendary sassi di matera.

ISLANDS...

sicilia. landmarks like the valley of temples and mount etna, its heavenly sandy beaches, delicious wine, and.... mafia origins, so script that out. beside that, it's pure adventure-land. from ancient temples when it was dominated by the greeks, to wines.

sardegna. known the world over for its emerald sea and white beaches, even though the heart of its territory is predominantly mountainous. a land of contrasts, superb nature and millenary traditions.

act ii, education. where do you study?

you will be assigned a section (a, b, c...) and have a class of usually 20 / 24 students. different levels = different schools, so everytime you finish a level you will go to another school, different section, different teachers, different classmates. teachers go in between classes, you only stay in one. usually they let you decorate it. if you fail the year you have to repeat it, saying goodbye to your class and having lessons with the ones younger than you.

level i , primary school: from age 6 to 11.

level ii , secondary school: a.k.a middle school. from age 11 to 14. after the three years you have to make a school leaving exam to see if you can proceed.

level iii , upper secondary school: high school. from age 14 to 19. now this is different from anything else. at the end of middle school you have to choose what kind of school you want to take based on career goals and interests. ( note : all of them have the main important subjects like math and history and italian etc etc, but each focus is different + some of them have different 'main' subjects based on the school. so, this means that the subjects of focus of the school will take more hours than others. you will have to take 10 / 13 classes)

1. liceo ( academic-focused ). they are more theoretical and you will need to proceed to higher education. people say they are the difficult ones....... i kinda lost my mind so i have to agree.

liceo linguistico. foreign languages. you will at least have to take three languages ( italian is not one of them ) and study them in depth.

liceo delle scienze umane. psychology, sociology, pedagogy, and humanities. and philosophy from year three. this was mine!!!!

liceo classico. latin, ancient greek, philosophy, humanities.

liceo artistico. visual arts, architecture, design, artistic techniques.

liceo scientifico. mathematics, physics, science + latin and philosophy.

2. istituti tecnici. provides both general education and technical professions.

tecnologico. mechanism, economics, IT, construction, chemistry, and environmental studies.

economico. business administration, finance, marketing, tourism.

3. istituti professionali. more job-oriented.

hospitality and tourism.

fashion and design.

agriculture.

mathematics and electronics.

health and social services.

school starts on september 15 and ends in early june..... schools day are from monday to satuday ( 8:30 am, at 10:00 am you have 15 minutes to eat your snack, school ends at 1:30 pm ).

GRADING. is based on a scale between zero and ten, with six being the pass..... and yes, they can actually give zero. trust me. (sigh). you have to take regular school exams throughout the year. basically, and for EACH SUBJECT, with each exams you have a number and at the end of the year they sum your number and divide it with how many numbers they gave you. like.... you got a 5 + 8 + 7 + 6? it's 26. there are four numbers so 26:4, and you have 6.5. congrats you passed !!

- oral exams: teacher call students to answer questions about recent lessons. sounds like hell because it is. if the teacher is nice you can see with your classmates which one goes in which lesson so you are prepared. it can be any subject.

- written exams: scheduled. it can be any subject. for italian you have to make essays, usually. latin exams are HELL ON EARTH.

i used to take four exams weekly, so don't script that. please. script that teachers care about you. your mental health will suck because those little shits are awful. the stress is insane. because.... dare i say it...... you don't have to check a box. that's why i envy americans. no, we have to give full answers. you read the question, see the blank space, and if you don't know it you're fucked. and if they don't like it they will mark it as mistake (i am looking at you, ex psychology teacher. I hate you). you have to learn everything word for word like the textbook. but twist the words because "you sound like a parrot"

the core subjects everyone has to take: italian literature, math, history and geography, english, science (biology, chemistry, physics), physical education, religion (optional). as i said, each school will have different core subjects.

THE FINAL EXAM: a.k.a maturità. at the end of the fifth year of high school, you have to take the national diploma. they take place in june (i know. it's torture. the beach is there but you have to study) and they end the first two weeks of july.

first written exam. an italian essay on literature, history, or society.

second written exam. a subject-specific test based on the type of school (e.g., latin/greek for liceo classico).

oral exam. students discuss their final-year project (tesina) and answer questions on different subjects. you have to make this project connect to every subject, everything correlated to each other. teachers can ask everything they want. (this is the same 4middle school).

note: if you fail your fifth year you can't do the final exams and you have to repeat the year. if you fail one or two subjects you have to take summer school, and at the end of summer take an exam to see if you're ready. you fail the exam? you have to repeat the year. if you failed three subjects you OR take summer school (depends on the teacher and depends on your final vote) or you just repeat the year without summer school.

SCHOOL TRIPS.

usually organized once or twice a year. they can range from one-day excursions to multi-day trips in italy or abroad. teachers are the one accompanying the students.

day trips. visits to museums, historical sites, theaters, nature reserves, same city or region.

multi-day trips. last 2-5 days and are often to major italian cities (rome, florence, venice) or european destinations (paris, berlin, barcelona).

from the third high school year, some school offer study trips to the UK, france, or spain. then there’s erasmus, usually in america.

SCHOOL TRADITIONS.

you’d be lucky to see students in class in june. everyone is a little bit more chill…. so the teachers aren’t really mad at you skipping school (only if you have too many absences. in fact, students try to not be absent many times during the year to skip days in june). it’s too hot to be in class, so they will probably make lessons outside. some classes can organise trips to the beach (only if they are near).

the last day of school, maturity (fifth year) students wear white shirts that classmates sign with markers.

100 giorni. this is 100 days before the final exams. many go on a trip or do something "lucky," like visiting a church or making a wish, or just have parties. in school you are going to wear something fancy and usually drink champagne with your teacher (the majority of students are already 18).

some schools have fake strikes where students "protest" just to skip class…… but high schoolers often participate in protests about politics, school reforms, or climate change. at least they say so, they usually just go to the bar. if there's a national student protest, many use it as an excuse to skip school. yes, we like to skips school.

student assemblies. twice a year, students can attend a general assembly instead of class. some schools use this time for serious debates, while others turn it into an excuse to relax. for example, we used to go to the cinema LOL.

class assemblies. when it’s really necessary, students have the right to ask for a teacher their hours to talk about important issues with the class, and then the head of the class will refer the teachers.

school festival day. some schools have an annual festival with sports tournaments, talent shows, and music.

on christmas you can have a little tree in the class!

la notte prima degli esami (night before exams). inspired by the song, many maturandi (fifth year student) stay up late, listening to music, and stressing out together. someone will probably start sobbing. some gather in a park or square to talk about their fears and share good luck rituals.

things about italian school:

you can’t choose your subjects, just the high school (except religion, you can choose to not take that. you’ll spend the time in the hallway chilling).

lockers are not a thing, so you have to carry everything in your bag. also, you have to buy textbooks….. and that’s why you are going to spend 400/500 every year for that. it’s tragic. i know.

you will have a relationship with your teachers; not in the weird sense…. but from the strict one to sweet one, you will spend so much time together that it’s kind of inevitable. you will see them more than you’ll see your parents, basically.

lunch break is not a thing, you eat at home.

classmates…… you spend basically all day with them. so, they are like your siblings; you hate or love them, you still have to spend time with them. don’t date a classmate. trust me… it’s going to be awkward.

uniform? what’s that?? but teachers are going to be pissed if you reveal your shoulders. AND for girls (🙄) you can’t wear shorts, skirts, and anything different than sneakers. nothing ‘revealing’ basically.

act iii, social life. ( script that. )

script that the homework won’t consume your life, because we want to live the life. so, where do you hangout?

bars & café. in italy bars aren’t for alcohol. it’s usually for coffee (that’s why you’ll always see grandmas and grandpas hanging out there) and eating something. if you are outside you can smoke (smoking and italy go hand in hand) and no matter your age, no one will tell you anything. i saw way too many 12-years-old smoking there. also, there’s alcohol from afternoons. so it’s the usual ‘ape in centro’ that means aperitivo (drinking spritz, usually) in the town square, where the bars are. usually with your group of friends, they give you alcohol and free snacks. you can stay there for hours and they aren’t going to tell you anything, sometimes playing with cards (or reading tarots if you are cool) and talking shit about people you hate.

piazza (town square). typical hangout spot. near you there’s probably going to be a park or gelato shop…. and if you are with your friends you are going to eat and drink. it’s culture.

discos. it usually starts when you are 14 / 15, and it’s reserved for the saturday nights. the alternative can be house parties.

friendship. that’s the main kind of relationship, the one your family will encourage you to have. kids, adults, teenagers. old people spend time with their friends in bars and gossiping with each other. this is the kind of relationship the media will enforce on you. it’s honestly one of the most important thing for social life.

hookup culture. sigh. what do you think happens in discos?

families. usually very close. people stay with their parents in their 20s. your nonna will make you the best thing you have ever eaten in the sunday lunches.

driving. public transportation is everything. you don’t usually have a car before 18, but at 14 you can drive a small scooter (motorino), and at 16 a micro car (but the majority of people find that cringe).

unwritten general life rules that will save your life.

don’t ever, EVER, call a teacher by their first name. not even surname. it’s prof, or professore / professoressa.

teachers can call on you randomly, so even if you didn’t study, pretend you’re flipping through your notes like you were prepared. don’t make eye contact, but seem secure of yourself.

if you ask for homework, you just jumped on your own grave. if the teacher forgets to assign homework, stay silent. shhhhhhhhhhhhh.

sciopero ( strike ) is skip day. if you still decide to go to school your classmates will make fun of you behind your back.

school trip is a mini vacation. don’t take it very seriously. teachers know students care more about fun than museums. there’s always a mix of sightseeing, partying, and barely sleeping. for example, me and my classmates met in one’s room and we started playing charlie-charlie. the fake ouja we did started moving and the teachers heard us screaming, but they just closed an eye (or hear…). also, if you are in high school you can smoke if it’s the correct place. they don’t really care and won’t tell your parents.

don’t snitch.

hanging out is not usually planned. you just walk around the town or sit at a café. completely normal. or even walking around in the shopping centre.

no coffee after 5pm, unless you’re an insomniac. iced coffee is not a thing….. and only tourists drink cappuccino after lunch.

dress well. only roadmen wear nike tracksuits, and for the love of god don’t wear pyjamas if you are not in your house.

always greet everyone when you arrive. a small gathering, or even a family lunch, say hello to each person with a handshake (formal) or a cheek kiss. if you don’t, you have ‘a broom up your ass’

don’t break the pasta. why are you wasting food? about food: i won’t explain every single thing people outside of italy do wrong. ketchup on pasta???????? girl. ananas on pizza? fuck off.

don’t get super drunk. it’s not cool. tipsy? hell yeah….. but drunk… no one wants to be that person.

if you’re at a house party, expect to stay out until morning.

clubs have a strict dress code—no sneakers, no sportswear, and guys need a collared shirt.

curfews depend on your parents, and how much you can negotiate. make sure you have a friend they trust…. if your friend is there, they’ll make you go. if its a small town, it’s not unusual to go out when it’s night.

your mom will call you 100 times if you don’t answer. good luck with that.

dinner is around 8pm.

we only use the “military clock” but we just call it clock. the day is 24 hours. we learn it in primary school.

we hate the french because they stole our monnalisa. but if someone outside of europe insults them we will defend the french.

they don’t usually marry young (at least, not lately). sex is not a taboo thing and teenagers are encouraged to find their boundaries; talked about them by their parents and sometimes even teachers.

italian culture.

food. it’s not just about eating, it’s about living. it’s the experience. it’s the tradition behind it. every meal is an event…. and if you are eating in company? that’s basically an ancient roman theatre come outside your history textbook. it’s like a romance novel. every bite is heavenly.

gestures. hands are basically part of your language. forget about just speaking…. gesturing is where the magic happens. its about the secrets. your friends know exactly what each of your gesture means. your hands never stay still — and yes, universal gestures exist. but the secret handshake? the way your fingers move to signal to your best friend that someone you don’t like is there? a quick flick of the chin can indicate everything from “whatever” to “you’re about to get a lecture.” and when you know the person, you know exactly which one is the correct answer.

fashion. it’s a lifestyle. the nonnas will rock a scarf like it’s haute couture. you might be walking down the street in your sneakers and jeans, but there’s a good chance someone will be casually strolling by in designer shoes. you’ll probably feel underdressed even if you're wearing the fanciest outfit you own. style is just... natural.

drama. passionate arguments that escalate quickly over something small. disagreements over who is the best football player are so intense, you’d think it was a national emergency. the gossips????? why do you think hangouts are for? no matter the age. the old ladies of the villages will ask you the latest news, or if you are dating someone. your mother will come in your room and tell you with a grin that your least favourite aunt is in a scandal. even the teachers will interrupt their lesson is something is juicy.

language. swearing it’s a second nature…. and every region has their dialect, which sounds like a whole new language. you’ll never catch someone from milan understanding what someone from naples is saying. some people they’re a shakespeare in the making, though. conversations can go from serious to funny in the blink of an eye, and don’t even try to keep up unless you’re fluent in rapid-fire speech and strategic pauses for dramatic effect. or someone blowing the smoke on your face.

things to script out: corrupted government, mafia, misogyny, homophobia, racism, bigitory in general, global warming, classism, poverty, school is not stressful, it’s easy to find jobs, no one makes fun of you for your interests and style. for any question, my ask are open!!

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inexplicifics · 4 months ago

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A confluence of events (reading one too many Jamie Lannister/Brienne of Tarth fic + seeing that art of a 'large' warrior woman washing in a river on tumbler + my work mate trying to persuade me to buy this admittedly lovely but strapless dress she thought would suit me) has caused a Warlord AU scene to pop into my head.

The first new female Witcher is in fact a Bear of all things; her father was a blacksmith or dockhand while her mother was a cartwoman maybe? Basicaly her genetics said 'how big' and the Bear mutigens said 'yes'.

When she hits puberty she makes a case to be taken to Skellige to get armour because, unlike her female cousins who are muscular but slim (and flat), she requires 'buttressing'. This causes the Bear trainer/Head of School to test their 'not blushing' training/mutigen mix while everyone else falls about laughing.

I adore her. Enormous terrifying Bear woman yes. She is going to be magnificent.

#questions answered #accidental warlord au

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fanfic-obsessed · 1 year ago

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For the Republic

Here’s an order 66 fix it that is the confluence of several coincidental misunderstandings. Also why outsourcing your brainwashing is overall a bad idea.

Let's set the stage, ok?

The first misunderstanding is relatively simple, near the beginning of the war. A case of similar words causing confusions that is never cleared up. In this case a series of conversations between various clones and their Jedi about the Jedi’s relationship with the Republic. These conversations leave the Clones, all of them, convinced that the Jedi Order belongs to the Republic, instead of being part of the Republic. You know, in the same way that the Clones belong to the Republic (No matter which side you argue is true, this was not what the Jedi meant). This confusion is so deep that when Slick betrays them all to Ventress, his rants are specifically toward the Republic, and do not mention the Jedi Order at all.

The second misunderstanding is a bit more complex. It starts with the earliest flash training for the clones, the basics that are pushed so deep that none of the clones have any conscious memory of them, but are buried in the subconscious. Along with the Orders that would be enforced by the chips, there was the phrase ‘Jedi have Power’. There are other trainings that get layered on top of it, but in the deepest part of the Clone psyche the most basic definition that they have for Jedi is ‘Jedi have Power’. But Power, as a term, is an abstract that can mean so many things. And though they never realized it, the Trainers and Jango Fett and the Kaminoans taught the Clones a very specific definition of Power. Power cannot be had by someone who belongs to the Republic and Power only belongs to those who use it (specifically those who use it to abuse others).

By that definition their Generals and their Padawan Commanders and what is known as the Jedi Order are not Jedi. Instead the Clones view these beings as brothers (having very little grasp of gender) of a higher rank. Again this knowledge is buried so deep the Clones do not realize they think this. It is instinct. Frankly the distinction is somewhat subtle, and is closer to how the Jedi wish to be treated (without the higher rank part) so no one notices the shift.

When Umbara happens the anger that the clones feel toward Krell is not the disbelieving anger of an idol's pedestal crumbling, but the same anger felt for Slick’s betrayal.

When Order 66 happens, the Jedi become traitors. Except…the people that Palpatine intended to be killed were not considered to be Jedi. For Jedi had to have Power, and Power only belonged to those who were free, and only those who showed their Power.

The way that many of the Natborn officers did.

So the Clones immediately turned their weapons on the Naval officers who had been abusive, primarily to Clones or Jedi, but also some instances of civilian abuse as well.

On Coruscant, Anakin begins to lead the 501st to march on the temple. Only, as soon as they realized where they were headed, they stopped their general, confused. There are no Jedi there, they say. Anakin says something about Palpatine having the Power to save Padme. This leads Appo to the conclusion that Palpatine is a Jedi Traitor, who has done something to their General (which yes, but also no). The 501st stuns Anakin, with some taking him to the temple for deprogramming, or whatever needs to be done to counteract whatever the Jedi Traitors did.

The rest march back into the Rotunda to hunt the Jedi Traitor Palpatine. They are met by Fox, who shrugs and goes with them (with his own platoon of CG) without argument when Appo says that Palpatine is a Jedi. The active chips do muffle the Clones in the Force, a deliberate feature that Palpatine never thought could be used against him.

So Palpatine, the shiny new Emperor, is Emperor for about 20 minutes before he is shot through with so many bolts that he is basically left a goo on the floor. This bypasses every single one of his backup plans, many of which could not be fully put in place until he was Emperor, so there is no ‘Palpatine returns’.

At the temple roughly a dozen members of the 501st enter the Healing Halls, carrying a stunned Anakin Skywalker. Even stunned the healers can tell he is in some kind of mental breakdown. The healers (who do filter out anything that is not helpful o figuring out what is wrong with their patients, so ignore the whole ‘Palpatine the Jedi traitor’ thing) take from what the troopers have to say that they believe that Anakin may be possessed by something and that he is worrying about Padme Amidala’s health, both of which are causing the breakdown.

So Padme is collected by the rest of the 501st and brought to the healing halls, and it is decided that Anakin will be kept unconscious until his former Master, Obi WAn, is back on planet (if he is possessed then having his loved ones there is the best bet for breaking through and of Anakin’s loved one Obi wan would be the best equipped to not be killed). The healers, upon seeing Padme’s pregnancy, insist on a full exam. During this exam it is discovered that, due to a growth on her pelvic bone, a natural birth would likely be fatal to her and possibly the children (I do love the idea that Palpatine was feeding Anakin those visions, or that the visions were caused by Palpatine or Anakin causing Padme’s death, but it is also interesting to think that the visions were legitimate and the cause was something natural). Padme is scolded for not seeking out proper prenatal care, which would have noted the problem. The healers schedule her for an induced c section closer to her due date and ask that she check in daily (or sooner if she starts feeling anything weird) to make sure there is nothing else.

The Coruscant Guard continues to hunt through the Senate for ‘Jedi’, of which there is less than you would think. Yes a couple of hundred who meet the clone definition, but that is out of more that 100,000 beings in the building at any one time (with almost 25,000 systems represented, if assume an average of 2 senators per system, that is 50,000 senators. With a retinue of aids, guards, interns, and others that easily clears into 100,000).

And there is just…so much confusion (I find that I love pairing ‘Order 66 happened differently’ with ‘and everyone is confused’, it gives me great joy).

From the point of view of the Jedi, between on moment and the next the clones decided it was time to mutiny and the only explanation that is given is ‘The Jedi are traitors, we must kill the traitors’ as the clones continuously fail to shoot any Jedi (Like even the stormtroopers of canon do not fail to hit their stated targets this badly), though the clones have shot many people.

From the point of view of the Senate, between one moment and the next the Clones chose high treason with no explanation (Because no one conscious on Coruscant knew that Palpatine was a Sith and the beings that knew about the chips and Order 66 ended up pretty high on the ‘Traitor Jedi’ list and killed).

In the Force, and the Manda, respectively, Palpatine and Jango Fett were watching this happening with their own confusion. This was not the plan.

The Generals do eventually get an order to the clones to capture instead of kill the ‘Jedi traitors’. By this point the Coruscant Guard had cleared the Senate and were just starting to descend levels of Coruscant in search of Jedi traitors. It is not too long after this that Mace Windu is found and brought back to the Temple, near death. They also figure out why the Clones do not consider the Jedi, Jedi. It is decided that they cannot correct the Jedi definition issue until they figure out the ‘shoot the Jedi’ issue.

In this version the chips do not do anything to the personalities or memories of the clones, they simply reinforce the flash training for the Orders and remove any ability to disobey.

With the 212th, Obi Wan had spent a decent amount of time over the course of the war finding excuses to get rid of nat born officers that treated the clones as less than sentient. With his mindset of ‘a certain point of view’ he was pretty successful. There were still a handful in the higher command (the higher the officer was in the command structure, the harder it was to get rid of them) but none of the natborn officers that would be on the ground, or even in communication with the forces on Utapau. Though the activation of the chips and the death that followed caused a bit of a shiver in the Force, it was not the screaming darkness of Canon and was lost in the madness of battle.

So it was not until they were being transported back to the Resolute that Cody, quite proudly, announced that the Jedi traitors had been routed from the 212th. Obi Wan had questions. Cody answered with things that explained nothing

Obi Wan: Jedi…Traitors?

Cody (nodding): The Jedi have been discovered as traitors to the Republic, Sir, a kill on sight order is now in effect.

Obi Wan: I don’t remember anyone trying to kill me?

Boil (Visibly offended, even through his bucket): You’re no Jedi, general.

Obi Wan: I’m…I’m not?

Every Trooper on the ship in unison: Jedi have Power.

Obi Wan (Internally):What does that mean? WHAT DOES that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Cody (Now looking a little concerned): Sir, you've gone really pale. Do you need a medic?

They head back for Coruscant. On the way Obi Wan receives a series of messages. First, there are no high council members currently conscious on Coruscant. There should have been five. Anakin had been stunned by his own trooper, is possibly possessed, and is being held unconscious just in case. Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto have simply vanished. Mace Windu had been missing but was found and is now in Bacta with extensive injuries sans one hand.

No one had been told that those four members had been going to confront Palpatine and as soon as Palpatine had been killed (in a hallway), his office had been automatically locked down. So no one knows that behind the shielding are the bodies of three Jedi Masters.

Second, not only was the 212th not the only battalion to commit some form of mutiny, the 501st and the Coruscant Guard had apparently abruptly decided that high treason was a reasonable action. All the while claiming that they are hunting Jedi Traitors (with not a single person they shot being a Jedi). The senate had also apparently realized that without the Coruscant Guard, there is not enough manpower to stop the Clones from killing whomever they wished (Much of the Senate had been so proud of the cost cutting measure of reducing the non clone security forces).

Third, since the remaining members of the council were spread throughout the galaxy (with Obi Wan being the closest), as soon as he arrived on Coruscant Obi Wan would be in charge of figuring out what was going on with the Clones, before the Senate found enough people to capture them. Then deal with the political clusterfuck of mutiny and high treason (as the Clones were considered part of the Order). Find time to help Anakin.

Killing Grievous was supposed to give Obi Wan less to do, not more. With the knowledge that there is something wrong with the Clones, he cannot even flirt with Cody (They had an understanding about exploring a romantic relationship after the war ended, but as stress relief both would flirt back and forth and see how explicit they can get before someone called them on it-The only reason no one had yet is because the 212th had a bet going on CodyWan admitting they are together and no one wants to be disqualified by influencing the results).

It should be made clear, Obi Wan still does not know at this point that Palpatine is the Sith. He does not know that there are chips in the clones. He has no idea that Anakin had chosen to fall (though it did not really go anywhere) and is likely going to wake up half willing to slaughter everyone. He doesn’t even really know that Padme is a week away from being induced (still early but the healers do not want to wait any longer).

So even as he is contemplating everything on his plate, Obi Wan does not even know the half of it.

By the time Shaak Ti, who had to corral Kamino (in which roughly half the Kaminoans in Tipoca city and a third of the remaining trainers were accused of being Jedi by both the battalion stationed there and the cadets), is back in contact, the bodies of the missing Masters were found. She is the one to float the idea of a malfunction to the chips (the report about Tup and Fives was still in the ‘to be reviewed’ queue for the Jedi Council-The Council is about 12-18 months behind on reviewing mission reports).

The news of the chips…does not make things better.

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #star wars au #obi wan kenobi #fanfiction prompt #anakin skywalker #codywan #sheev palpatine #bamf obi wan #anidala #order 66 #order 66 happened differently #Palpatine dies #Coruscant Guard

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emcapi-gaming · 3 days ago

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Ardwin and Arkose accidentally discover, fairly early on, that there is one extremely inconvenient side effect to being each others' shards.

Which is that if they teleport at the exact same time, they have a chance of coming out the other end body-swapped.

Sadly they do not get to fuck nasty about this because A. they discover this during the early phase when Ardwin is very insistent about taking things slow in terms of any romantic relationship, and B. even if that wasn't the case, they are both too busy freaking out about it.

They both aren't too concerned immediately, beyond going "huh, well that's weird," but start getting worried after they try to teleport again, twice, and that doesn't fix it.

Ardwin's next idea is waiting for a while and seeing if it reverses on its own, which she thinks is possible, given that the Zenos incident had a very limited timespan. So they decide to go find somewhere to hang out for a few hours and see if anything happens.

It should be noted that Arkose, at this point, has only been consistently staying out of the dome for a few weeks. They're still dealing with some levinsickness symptoms during the cooldown periods between Ardwin being able to siphon off some of the imbalance.

So, inevitably, Ardwin (in Arkose's body) trips, because she can barely feel her feet and she's not used to compensating for that (plus Arkose wasn't wearing their braces that day, because they were too happy about not strictly needing them for a change.)

And, just as inevitably, Arkose (in Ardwin's body) tries to catch her - and nearly crushes her wrist doing so. Ardwin's baseline physical strength is significantly above normal levels (roughly on par with MCU Captain America), and Arkose is used to going all-in with grip force because theirs is still weak even on a good day. Bad combination, to say the least.

This is approximately the point when they both start freaking out.

It is a very long and very miserable several hours. Ardwin absolutely hates feeling helpless, and she is extremely stressed by being in a situation where she can't adequately fight if something happens. Arkose is still upset about hurting her on accident (fortunately, they had already started training with nouliths, and were still able to use them to heal the resulting bruises/sprains) and is afraid to even move because they feel like a bull in a china shop. Not to mention that the longer both of them go with nothing changing, the more anxious they are that they might be stuck like this for the foreseeable future.

With absolutely no change after a few hours, they both try teleporting a few more times, still with no success. Then Ardwin has the idea for one of them to cast Return, and the other to do a regular teleport at the same time, on the theory that Return should have a stronger and more accurate pull.

Fortunately, this works. (The only other idea Ardwin had was going to Sharlayan to try and get help from Kytte and the other Confluence teleportation researchers. Which, considering the violent aethersickness from the last experiment, Ardwin did not especially want to subject either of them to unless they really had no other option.)

Overall, even though neither of them would consider it a particularly fun experience, it did help them understand each other a little better. Ardwin hadn't realized that Arkose was still having nerve pain most days, because they were operating on the Chronic Pain Scale and not letting on since they were objectively doing great compared to their previous baseline. On the other hand, Arkose realized that Ardwin really wasn't kidding when they previously had the big "stop fucking treating me like glass" argument, and she had said that she was used to treating nearly everyone like glass by comparison. (She did ultimately acknowledge that she might have been worse about it with Arkose, and asked them to call her out on it.)

Since then, they've managed to avoid a repeat incident by making sure to have at least ten seconds between their teleports. But perhaps someday in the future, they will do it again on purpose to fuck nasty about it.

#arkose tag #arkose lore #ardwin tag #ardwin lore #arkose distorted chronic pain scale 🤝 ardwin distorted acute pain scale

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quirkconsulting · 2 years ago

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Real-Life Agile Project Management Examples That Inspire

In the ever-evolving landscape of Australian business, the Agile approach to project management has gained remarkable prominence. Agile methodologies, with their emphasis on adaptability, collaboration, and customer satisfaction, have enabled businesses to achieve remarkable outcomes. At Quirk Consulting, we believe in the power of real-life examples to inspire and demonstrate the transformative potential of Agile coach training & project management. In this article, we'll explore real-life Agile project management examples from Australia that serve as beacons of success and innovation.

1. Atlassian: Pioneering Agile in Australia

One of the most prominent success stories of Agile project management in Australia comes from none other than Atlassian, the software giant headquartered in Sydney. Atlassian is the creator of popular project management tools like Jira and Trello, which are widely used by Agile teams worldwide.

Atlassian's Agile journey started internally, with the company implementing Agile methodologies across its various teams. This shift enabled Atlassian to accelerate product development, increase transparency, and enhance collaboration. As a result, the company experienced significant growth and became a global leader in the software development space.

Key Takeaway: Atlassian's success illustrates how embracing Agile methodologies can drive innovation and transform not only products but also entire organisations.

2. MYOB: Delivering Customer-Centric Solutions

MYOB, a leading Australian accounting software provider, adopted Agile project management to enhance its product development processes. By transitioning to Agile, MYOB aimed to become more customer-centric and responsive to market demands.

One of the notable outcomes of MYOB's Agile transformation was the development of MYOB Essentials, a cloud-based accounting solution. Agile methodologies allowed MYOB to release frequent updates and improvements based on customer feedback. This customer-centric approach resulted in higher customer satisfaction and retention.

Key Takeaway: MYOB's success showcases how Agile methodologies can enable Australian businesses to deliver products that closely align with customer needs and expectations.

3. REA Group: Agile for Continuous Improvement

REA Group, the owner of the popular Australian property website realestate.com.au, adopted Agile project management to streamline its development processes. By implementing Agile, REA Group aimed to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

One of the notable initiatives at REA Group was the introduction of hackathons, where teams came together to work on innovative projects outside their regular work. These events encouraged creativity and experimentation, leading to the development of new features and services that improved the user experience on the website.

Key Takeaway: REA Group's Agile journey demonstrates how Agile methodologies can drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, resulting in enhanced customer experiences.

4. Suncorp Group: Agile in Banking

Suncorp Group, a major Australian financial services company, recognised the need for agility in the competitive banking sector. The company embarked on an Agile transformation to improve its project delivery and customer-focused initiatives.

One of the notable achievements of Suncorp Group's Agile transformation was the launch of its digital bank, called "Vero." Agile methodologies allowed Suncorp to develop and release the digital banking platform in record time. This responsive approach to customer needs helped Suncorp gain a competitive edge in the market.

Key Takeaway: Suncorp Group's Agile success demonstrates how Agile methodologies can enable Australian banks to innovate and deliver digital solutions that meet customer demands.

5. Telstra: Agile in Telecommunications

Telstra, one of Australia's largest telecommunications companies, embraced Agile project management to enhance its product development and customer service processes. Telstra's Agile transformation aimed to make the company more responsive to customer needs and market changes.

One of Telstra's successful Agile initiatives was the development of its "24x7" app, which provides customers with self-service options and real-time information. Agile methodologies allowed Telstra to iterate quickly, delivering updates and improvements based on customer feedback and changing market conditions.

Key Takeaway: Telstra's Agile journey highlights how Agile methodologies can empower Australian telecommunications companies to deliver customer-centric solutions and improve service offerings.

Inspiring Agile Success Stories in Australia

These real-life Agile project management examples from Australia demonstrate the transformative power of Agile methodologies in various industries, from software development to banking and telecommunications. By embracing Agile principles and practices, these organisations have achieved remarkable outcomes, including increased innovation, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage.

If you're considering implementing Agile project management in your Australian business, these success stories serve as powerful inspirations. Quirk Consulting is here to guide you on your Agile journey, helping you unlock the full potential of Agile methodologies and drive success in your organisation. Stay agile, stay innovative, and let these examples inspire your path to excellence.

#atlassian bitbucket training #atlassian training #certified enterprise coach #consultant #confluence training #consulting #atlassian classes #jira and confluence training #motivateyourself #atlassian jira training

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nilaniraj · 1 year ago

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#flutter course in madurai #full stack developer course #react js course in madurai #confluence training #android course in madurai #figma course in madurai #full stack course

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hannie-dul-set · 2 years ago

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— arranged by: member (eldest to youngest) | date (latest to oldest) | type (full-length to drabbles to blurbs) i don’t recommend reading my older works because they’re terrible. still putting them on here for the sake of bookkeeping | last updated: 23.12.18

BLUE HYDRANGEAS. wherein this time, it’s your breath that gets taken away and not the other way around.

PAIRING. lee taeyong x reader. GENRE. romance, humor, light angst, and of course the overall theme of the event — dumbassery (this time, by y/n), florist! taeyong, contract killer! reader. WARNINGS. murder, death i mean lol, violence, swearing, mentions of blood, knives, & guns. WORD COUNT. 2.2k.

MISSED TIMINGS. drabble game; “do i look like i’ve moved on?”

PAIRING. lee taeyong x reader. GENRE. post breakup! au, angst. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 887.

CAUGHT RED HANDED. all you wanted to do was take a picture of the handsome law student during your train ride home. you did not expect things to end up like this.

PAIRING. kim doyoung x reader. GENRE. fluff, humor. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 804.

A FOOL’S GAME. were you the fool for being blind to his intentions? or was it he who forgot what his intentions were in the first place?

PAIRING. jung jaehyun x reader. GENRE. royal! au, drama, romance, angst, slight comedy. WARNINGS. swearing, mentions of death. WORD COUNT. 27.4k.

CONTRARIETY & CONFLUENCE. there was not an instance in your life where your judgement was proven to be mistaken— especially with regards to infatuations outside of your own. after an unpredicted introduction with a far too remarkable farm boy, you took it upon yourself to find a suitable match for him, not realizing that perhaps this time; your usual correct judgements might have been incorrect.

PAIRING. jung jaehyun x reader. GENRE. emma! au, matchmaking! au, strangers to lovers! au, slowburn, period romance, humor, one suggestive scene, very very tiny angst. WARNINGS. implied and borderline smut. WORD COUNT. 16.9k.

[doctor! au] [richkid! au] [sugardaddy! au] [bf discourse] [bf discourse]

PUT A FINGER DOWN. wherein mark lee finds you drunk for the first time and promises to himself that he should make sure that you never get wasted ever again.

PAIRING. mark lee x reader. GENRE. college! au, humor, fluff, suggestive, drunken mistakes that would probably make you cry in real life. WARNINGS. swearing, alcohol consumption, mature content (sexual & explicit jokes about fingers and — u get the gist) please read at your own discretion. WORD COUNT. 1.6k.

BIBINGKA. legend says that if you finish all nine night masses of simbang gabi, your wish will be granted. mark only hopes that it’s actually true because that’s his last chance in getting you to notice him (but wait— shouldn’t his wish only come true after the nine days?)

PAIRING. mark lee x reader. GENRE. christmas! au, crush! au, lots of fluff, mark is a piner, mark is also very awkward, some filipino references and customs. WARNINGS. swearing, religious themes. WORD COUNT. 6.9k.

HOW TO GET THE GUY. drabble game; “why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

PAIRING. mark lee x reader. GENRE. college! au, friends to lovers! au, fluff, humor. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 1.2k.

IS IT BECAUSE YOU’RE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT ME? video call with your best friend, mark lee.

PAIRING. mark lee x reader. GENRE. long distance (not so relationship) relationship, mutual pining, angsty themes. WARNINGS. none. WORD COUNT. 428.

[hotsauce! au] [bf discourse] [bf discourse] [coworkers! au]

DO YOU WANT ME (DEAD)? murder and making out.

PAIRING. huang renjun x reader. GENRE. high school! au, suggestive. WARNINGS. attempted murder, mentions of blood and self injury, veryy descriptive kissing, mc has a few screws lost, swearing, depictions of unstable behavior. WORD COUNT. 1.8k.

[friends to lovers! au] [skater! au] [skater! au] [tough love! au] [mermaid! au] [tutor! au]

I (HAVE/HAD) A CRUSH ON YOU. running into a past crush at your best friend’s birthday party wouldn’t have been so bad if he wasn’t— well— all that.

PAIRING. lee jeno x reader GENRE. crush! jeno, college! au, rom-com, mildly suggestive moments. WARNINGS. swearing, smoking, mentions of dicks and balls (sorry), an awful amount of men and boys being boys. WORD COUNT. 5.8k

I’LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT AND NO ONE ELSE’S. maybe snooping through your friend’s phone wasn’t that much of a good idea. or maybe it was. either way, you didn’t regret it.

PAIRING. lee jeno x reader. GENRE. friends to something, fluff, lots of bickering. WARNINGS. swearing, invasion of privacy(?) lmao. WORD COUNT. 2.1k.

IT’S FOR YOU. all it took was the heavy rainfall from the sky to clear up your misunderstandings.

PAIRING. lee jeno x reader. GENRE. e2l (sort of), fluff. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 1.5k.

[ceo! au] [spacecore! aesthetic] [hotsauce! au] [bf discourse]

KATHANG ISIP. musings of the mind and heart are always dangerous— it’s easy to get carried away and get lost in your made up scenarios, rose colored wishes, and fleeting daydreams of what you thought would be. that is until reality hits you like the crashing of an ocean’s waves.

PAIRING. lee donghyuck x reader. GENRE. roommates! au, college! au, brief roadtrip! au, angst, fluff, humor. also let’s pretend hyuck cannot drive and that his hometown is elsewhere for the sake of plot, thanks. WARNINGS. swearing, alcohol consumption, one descriptive kissing scene, lots and lots of overthinking. WORD COUNT. 19.8k

DATING 101. drabble game; “you’re not very intimidating”.

PAIRING. lee donghyuck x reader. GENRE. highschool! au, fluff, slight suggestive, slight humore, wannabe badboy! haechan. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 678.

SHAMELESS. drabble game; “did you just— did you just kiss me?” “yeah” “do it again”.

PAIRING. lee donghyuck x reader. GENRE. enemies! au, fluff, humor, co-worker! haechan. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 997.

[grunge! aesthetic] [lipstick! au] [bf discourse]

CAN’T HANDLE THIS. how are you supposed to explain that you and na jaemin started dating just to prove each other wrong and ended up catching feelings.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. strangers to lovers, college! au, matchmaking! au, yet another richkid! au, jaemin is an asshole again, romance, humor. WARNINGS. excessive swearing, a near death experience, drinking and smoking, more than a handful of illegal shit, mentions of vomit, blood, violence, too much sexual tension it’s unhealthy, again jaemin is kind of a dick but he’s an attractive dick, jaemin also likes it when you tell him his personality is trash. WORD COUNT. 16k.

IT TAKES FOUR YEARS TO GROW A PEACH TREE. humans are fickle in nature— it takes a great deal of patience, fortitude, and devotion to have a heart that remains constant. that or having an absolute tolerance for all pain and torment that comes in exchange.

so when you are once again met by the ex-boyfriend that you’ve desperately avoided for four years after tearing up his heart, it becomes a test of how much you can endure, and how much more you’re willing to endure after realizing that you’re still in love with him when his love has already been weathered down.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader GENRE. exes to lovers! au, college! au, romance, angst, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, SLOW AS FUCK BURN, pining, lots of pushing and pulling, the “its always been you” trope, a modern retelling-ish of jane austen’s persuasion. WARNINGS. swearing, heartbreak, alcohol consumption, parental pressure, stress and anxiety, one scene with a nosebleed, jaemin is kind of a dick in the beginning, mentions of hospitals, one scene with a creep, one makeout scene, ghosting, breakup, a lot of me projecting. WORD COUNT. currently 54k.

ARAW-ARAW. mahiwaga— someone or something that you’ll choose every single day no matter the circumstance. and for you, that was na jaemin. even if time decides to set you apart.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. childhood friends to lovers! au, college! au, romance, slow-ish burn, fluff, humor, tiny angst, biology major jaemin and art major mc HEHE. WARNINGS. excessive swearing, insecurities, some sex jokes LMAO, i project a lot in this i’m sorry JSFJG. WORD COUNT. 14.5k.

US, AGAIN. they say history repeats itself, but you’d like to disagree. you had to disagree. history changes, even if you had to force it. but when all your attempts to twist fate were met by nothing but the flashing recurrences of the past, what were you supposed to do?

or, wherein you try everything in your power to have nothing to do with na jaemin, but na jaemin wants nothing but you.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. college! au, historical! au, soulmate! au, past lives, forbidden love stuff, reincarnation, romance, drama, humor, angst, fluff, looots of flashbacks, this is an entire kdrama, very loosely inspired by the webtoon “see you in my 19th life”. WARNINGS. (updated as the series goes on) character death/s, night terrors, murder, terminal illness, hospital mentions, gun mentions, inaccurate depictions of the joseon era for the sake of plot lmao. WORD COUNT. currently 4.9k.

TOP OF THE WORLD. things had always been the same in the world of na jaemin— him sitting on a throne above everyone else. that was the natural order. but the world as jaemin knew it began to shake after a few fated encounters with someone at the bottom of the food chain.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. private school! au, one sided e2l lmao, a dash of fake dating, romance, heavily suggestive themes, lots and lots of sexual tension and power dynamics. WARNINGS. bullying (lots of it), public humiliation, mildly nsfw, borderline smut, implied smut, swearing, jaemin being a literal asshole. WORD COUNT. 15.6k.

HOSTILITY. making out with the person you hate the most.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. suggestive, stageplay! au. WARNINGS. making out, swearing, reader tells jaem to k himself, reader spits on jaem’s face and he does something…questionable. WORD COUNT. 438.

DO IT AGAIN. maybe you should have paid more attention to your boyfriend. he isn’t always petty, but he has his limits.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. fluff, established relationship! au. WARNINGS. alcohol consumption, kissing. WORD COUNT. 576.

DON’T THINK, JUST DO. an overthinker, a piece of advice, a sudden confession, and a subtle meltdown.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. high school! au, f2l, fluff, humor. WARNINGS. swearing. WORD COUNT. 1.6k.

WHAT BEST FRIENDS DO. drabble game; “i need a hug”.

PAIRING. na jaemin x reader. GENRE. high school! au, maybe secret relationship! au, fluff, light humor. WARNINGS. swearing, mentions of food. WORD COUNT. 988.

[secret agents! au] [richkid! au] [boyfriend! au] [neighbor! au] [spiderman! au] [softcore! aesthetic] [racer! au] [vampire! au] [bf discourse] [bf discourse] [best friends to lovers! au] [reincarnation! au]

[johnny royal! au] [yuta punk! aesthetic] [yuta bf discourse] [kun richkid! au] [jungwoo royalcore! aesthetic] [jisung bf discourse]

#only a fourth of these are good btw #masterlist

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meirimerens · 3 months ago

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salut meiri! jvais visiter le sud-est de france en mai pour deux semaines et j'ai quelques questionnes si vous avez du temps :) je pratique mon français aussi donc c'est un peu mal desolé, j'espere que c'est compréhensible! jvais (en train depuis uh genoa italy) à nice/aix/montpellier et ses environs, je ne sais pas si vous savez beaucoup sur ce région? je vais après à lyon et paris (a bit worried ab paris safety, your thoughts?) tldr what are your coolest things in south-east of france :D

ok coucou bestieee ton français est très bon je vais essayer de pas utiliser trop d'argot pour que ce soit compréhensible

disclaimer j'ai quasiment jamais mis les pieds dans le sud-est + the things i find cool might not be what You find cool parce que je suis 🤓 <- ça quand même mais voyons voir:

Nice:

MUSÉE D'ARCHÉOLOGIE DE NICE-CIMIEZ ‼️ 1st to 3rd century AD roman stuff from one of the most prosperous roman province that was around Nice

Le Musée de Préhistoire de Terra Amata <- what it says on the tin. très centré autour de l'habitat préhistorique + construit sur le site des fouilles archéologiques qui ont livré les plus vieux foyers (feux apprivoisés) de l'histoire de l'humanité brings a tear to my eye

Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret what it says on the tin (fine arts museum + i think they also have some contemporary exhibitions)

Palais Lascaris: demeure Baroque et musée des instruments anciens

très belles églises baroques Sainte-Rita et Sainte-Réparate

Aix (je suppose en Provence)

la ville de Cézanne tu connais Cézanne. tu vas à Aix-en-Provence tu en manges du Cézanne.

Musée Granet: art museum with a wide span like multiple centuries of paintings And sculpture + Antique collections okayyy

Caumont Centre d'art: kind of an art museum (have a Niki de Saint-Phalle exhibition currently) but mostly from what i've heard a historical building + baroque/classical rooms, the gardens... more fucking Cézanne as well

si tu randonnes un peu : Carrières de Bibémus & Réserve Naturelle Sainte-Victoire (looks great for a picnic)

j'ai trouvé [this pamphlet] d'ailleurs tu peux lire voir si quelque chose t'intéresses

Montpellier

Musée Fabre : art museum cannot fault it. ils ont du Delacroix (you know Delacroix... made La Liberté Guidant le Peuple) du Courbet (you know Courbet... made l'Origine du Monde and The Desperate Man) ils ont apparemment l'Ange Déchu (everyone on tumblr knows l'Ange Déchu). Du Soulages aussi c'est plus récent.

Musée d'Art Brut : if you've had enough of the academic art of the elsewheres and you want something difference

Jardin des Plantes i'm always a suckerrrr for jardins des plants man Botanical Garden

promenade du Peyron avec sa statue équestre de Louis XIV + l'aqueduc

if you can spare a visit to Nîmes (basically halfway between Aix-en-Provence and Montpellier) LA MAISON CARRÉE ‼️ TEMPLE ROMAIN PRÉSERVÉ DU 1ER SIÈCLE AD!!! + L'ARÈNE ANTIQUE ‼️ + la Tour Magne et la Porte d'Auguste also if you fancy (all roman antiquity stuff)

Lyon

MUSÉE DES CONFLUENCES 🙏 natural history and anthropology museum

ils ont aussi un musée d'art contemporain si je ne m'abuse

MORE gallo-roman ruins for you to enjoy in the Vieux Lyon + Lugdunum Musée et théâtres romains

Paris

i doubt you need me to tell you to go to the Louvre. but you can go to Le Café des Chats it's a cat café. i like cat cafés. i haven't stepped foot in Paris in over 10 years so i cannot tell you what the safety rating is. one of my friends went last year and had a jolly time. the only thing that pissed her off was their numbskull truly braindead smooth-brained public transportation "zones" bullshit cursed be it. you have as much of a chance to get robbed anywhere else than in Paris man. surtout dans le sub, on a le sang chaud. but most people are just tryna live man. apparemment Paris a de plus en plus de pistes cyclables du coup tu vas pouvoir faire du vélo c'est toujours sympa.

+ à toutes les destinations va toujours vers la Vieille-Ville (au sud direction mer à Nice, nord du Granet à Aix, ouest du Musée Fabre) et marche dans les rues. même sans but sans rien. arrête-toi à des boulangeries et des cafés comme ça vient. au bistrot demande☝ un diabolo cassis. s'ils ont pas de cassis un diabolo grenadine (blackcurrant (or pomegranate) syrup + limonade [sparkling sweet lemon soda] instead of water) recette de chez moi ça. dans ces vieilles villes t'as aussi toujours au moins une belle vieille église même si je les ai pas mentionnées. lève le nez et repère un clocher.

AMUSE-TOI BIEN o7 QUELLE CHANCE je suis jalouuuux moi aussi je veux aller aux musées d'archéologie.... emporte de l'eau et de la crème solaire le soleil tape dur dans le sud au mois de mai

#allô (answers)#anonymous

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