#don’t vote against your own self interest

[avelera]

Ugh, sorry, one last political point because it’s the day for it and this is bugging me.

Democrats and people on the left in the US have got to knock it off with this whole, “All Trump voters are obviously stupid” thing.

I’m sure it’s satisfying to believe, but it is simply not true, and making assumptions about your opponents that aren’t true is how you lose elections.

Half of the voting population of this country is not stupid and it is ludicrous to insist on believing that. Trump voters include doctors, lawyers, business owners, people with PhDs and graduate degrees, and people who attend college courses for fun. They are, unfortunately for many of us including yours truly, our parents and relatives and I at least know for a fact in those cases that they are well educated, well traveled people.

Assuming these people are just stupid and uninformed is, in fact, stupid. It a simplistic view of the world that is going to make your platforms lose if you embrace it and refuse to look deeper.

In practice, people engage in politics because they want the greatest happiness and prosperity for the largest number of people that they care about.

Everything after that is just haggling over price.

For example, the Left/Democrats might believe that the great amount of happiness and prosperity is brought to the largest number of people they care about when an advanced degree is available to everyone without leaving them in crippling debt, when people can age with social services that allow them dignity, when billionaires and companies cannot exploit their workers, and when peace and just causes are allowed to flourish around the world, including the education and enfranchisement of women, and the long term health of our planet. I personally believe that brings long term prosperity to us all.

Left and Right wing voters right now both probably agree that everyone is happier and more prosperous if they can afford a house and have a job that covers their needs and then some. How to get to that is the sticking point that they disagree on.

Right wing voters also want prosperity for themselves and those they care for and what they disagree on with the Left is how to achieve that. I’m not going to go into their platforms here because the whole point of this post is not assuming things about your opponents.

Now in order to persuade people to hold more Left leaning views, you need to make the case for why what you care about is a thing that they should care about and, more importantly, how it enhances the happiness and prosperity of them and those they care about.

Otherwise, you are asking them to vote against their own interests, which no one engages in politics to do, at least not on purpose (even if it is the ultimate outcome in many cases).

If you don’t care about making this argument to opposite side, then fine, you’ve already lost and you deserve to keep losing elections.

You deserve to lose because you’re not making a case for why anyone should support your causes in order to gain happiness and prosperity for themselves and those they care about, including expanding the field of people they care about, and it is ludicrous to expect people to do that without being persuaded either intellectually or emotionally.

This is what finding common ground and building coalitions is about, even if you don’t agree on every point. And if you self isolate and stick to your purity, you deserve to lose because politics is about how we govern large groups of people towards a common goal that, ultimately, is best simplified as the goal of their greatest happiness and prosperity.

Good faith politics is negotiating over what that means. Because resources are finite we can’t all get everything we want all at once. And not everyone agrees on everything so you need to prioritize the best possible allotment of happiness and prosperity for the short and long term, and that’s when we get into the nitty gritty of all the horse trading that happens in politics etc etc.

And you get into things like billionaires having outsized ability to enact their own happiness and prosperity but here’s the thing, many people especially on the right go along with those views because they believe (rightfully or not) that those goals will increase their own happiness and prosperity as well and if you don’t agree you’ve got to explain to them intellectually or emotionally why that is and provide and alternate platform or path for them to gain it that is more effective by at least some measure of that value.

Anyway, at the risk of this becoming a political science thesis from someone who isn’t a political scientist, just an amateur academic, tl;dr please knock it off with assuming everyone who disagrees with you is stupid, it is a losing proposition and it doesn’t get us anywhere near the goals we want to achieve politically, ie, the greatest happiness and long term prosperity of the people we care about.

[1moreff-creator]

DRDT CH2 EP16 First Impressions

We’ve reached the end of the chapter! A bittersweet feeling, finally getting closure on this chapter while also ushering in a new hiatus. Still, congrats to dev for making it this far! Hope they enjoy their break, while we enjoy whatever they’ve cooked up for the ending!

Without further ado, let us enjoy peak.

Spoilers for the entirety of CH2 (hell yeah). CW: Execution, suicidal thoughts.

It’s Aceover.

ONE vote for Teruko! Do we think Ace voted for himself? Did the mystery voter from Trial 1 repeat their vote on Teruko? Or did they not, and the vote’s just Ace? {Hindsight: It’s CH1 Mystery Voter probs}

MonoTV: “You got it right!” IT’S ALL OVER.

Okay wait it’s actually kinda weird to see the new David sprites outside of the Trial. Like it’s trippy idk why. That’s crazy.

Eden: “Why her of all people?” Poor Eden, at least give her an answer! Even if it’s just “it was the easiest option” man.

Whit: “I really thought that no one would repeat what happened to Xander and Min.” Is this the very first piece of anti-Whit Time Loop theory evidence? Or is he just lying? I don’t believe the theory, so I’m passing that one to the defenders.

Ace: “I killed her. And if you can’t forgive me for that, then there’s nothing I can say.”

Hey remember when Nico said they didn’t see the point of saying sorry if they wouldn’t be forgiven anyways? Yeah.

The foils are foiling :O

Both Teruko and Eden blaming themselves in their own way (Eden mentioned it in Ep10 “just like Min!” and now Teruko’s bringing “misfortune” into the conversation), man we are in for some sad times with these two. And everyone else ig.

Hu: “How could you say it’s just misfortune?” And Hu is very against this idea, interesting.

“So we can’t blame ourselves for failing to prevent something like that.” Ah, there’s the ticket. She’s trying not to feel guilty about it, which is kinda fair, Arei’s death is 99% Ace’s fault.

Eden: “The Ace I met for the first time wasn’t a murderer.” Oof, Eden hitting us with the full highlight line. She’s so great for this honestly. Everything she says afterwards is also great for her character, I love her (and I don’t need to read her lines with suspicion!!! I’m free!!!)

Veronika. And she’s still smiling. Go worst girl! /affectionate

“The only thing anyone can do in this killing game is to shatter.” We are… getting worryingly close to secret quote wording here.

Rose: “Are you saying Ace was pushed into killing because of things like almost being killed?” (Paraphrased) Oh God she’s gonna feel guilty too because she let Nico get the turpentine! Even if that doesn’t work if Ace had already chosen to kill Eden, still! How much self-blame can we have this trial?

Teruko: “No.” Yeah thank you.

Ace: “Did you all get the Veronika virus or what?” God I’m gonna miss him so much actually.

[To Levi] “Shut up for the rest of your life and kill yourself!” Holy SHIT he’s going out with a bang. {Hindsight: I didn’t realize how accurate this would be}

David: “You still have it in you to throw stones in your glass house.” Did this motherfucker correctly use the idiom Ace fucked up earlier? He’s such a piece of shit /affectionate.

Ace: “I don’t care if it made me a hypocrite!” AGH-! New sprite and the voice acting continues the hot streak of being absolutely fucking stellar! Holy hell!

[To Levi] “I just needed a reason to stay mad at you!” Ouchie!

[The whole Levi v Ace thing] This is just fucking incredible. Levi still doesn’t understand, Ace just wanted to stay mad so he could live with his betrayal, just peak character writing all around. And peak VAing, of course.

Teruko: “I need you to do a favor for me. It might just save your life.” YOOO I CALLED THIS!!! Blackened Blaze of Glory let’s fucking goooo!!!! Thanks to shinycrows for asking me that!!!

“Kill MonoTV for me.” Alright so. Not the best plan ever, but then again, it’s not like any plan against the killing game will work on CH2. Also the way she said that was great.

MonoTV: “Yeah, more murder!” Why’s it so funny for?

Teruko: “Arei died because you’re a coward, Ace!” YO why’s she going so hard right now?! This entire scene is incredible, I don’t even have any words for this much peak. The emotion in her voice, holy fuck- Oh yeah because Arei’s crying reminded her of something! In the playground! So Teruko does have a small connection with Arei so she’d feel real bad (for more reason than just death of someone she knew)! I didn’t put that together till now.

[Ace punches MonoTV] PEAAAK! Oh shit it actually broke! That was so fucking awesome! Let’s fucking go Ace!!!!! Also MonoTV is definitely just coming back, right?

That broken MonoTV sprite though!

Eden: “Finally, it’s over—“ The lack of music is making this really impactful, even though we know it won’t work. Holy shit.

MonoTV: “A fatal error has been detected” We breaking out different fonts?

MonoTV: “Now loading the default XF-Ture personality drivers.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AND THE CROWD GOES FUCKING WILD!!!!

Now we have the question. Was MonoTV created by XF for the game? Or did XF just create the AI, and someone repurposed it for thre killing game?

Also what are these defaults going to be?

…Wait whose voice is this? Someone we know? Please tell me I’m bad at recognizing voices! {I think it’s still MonoTV’s VA, just doing a different act, but I’m not sure}

[MonoTV speech] Didn’t expect MonoTV of all damn characters to have a badass moment, but I guess this is the world we live in now.

“But there is no reason to punish Ace a second time.” UHHH Chat are we cooked?

The death of every participant? This is about rule 14, right? “All murderers must be held accountable”? The “everyone is responsible for Mai’s death and must be punished” theory seems to be gaining ground.

It’s also saying this is why it was created, so XF likely did have a direct hand in the killing game. Min MM not looking so implausible all of the sudden.

“I will pass the punishment…” chat we’re actually immensely cooked what.

“I will now proceed with the execution of Teruko Tawaki.” UHHH LUCK BETTER COME IN CLUTCH!!!

[Machine Gun] BRO?!?!?!

Charles: “That thing will surely kill you!” Even Charles is sounding extremely distressed here, damn! But I guess Teruko is relying on her luck maybe?

Whit: “Charles! Stop talking and cover your eyes!” I mean yeah good advice but you know- More pressing things atm

Teruko: “No :)” Why’s she so silly coded?

Teruko: “Killed? I doubt it. As if something so kind could happen to me.” AAAAAAH!!!! The suicidal tendencies return with a vengeance!!!

[Her speech] Holy fuck holy fuck this is crazy she’s actually doing the unhinged Lucky Student thing of relying on luck she’s going in I’m so terrified for what’s about to happen.

“I’ll show you all what it means to be the Ultimate Lucky Student.” Shit boutta go crazy.

[LEVI DOES THE THING] OF FUCKING COURSE!

Bro I was not ready for this. I wasn’t ready in the slightest. This motherfucker better survive against all odds or it’s all over.

Bro that sprite- He’s so cooked.

MonoTV: “His injuries are not fatal” Wait are we saved? Arturo look I know you’re not a doctor but for the love of God tell me you can do something about this holy shit. I wasn’t ready for this.

VERONIKA. Holy shit she’s actually insane.

Arturo: “He could live…” Please??? For me???

Wait now that I’m thinking about it. He hasn’t said his secret quote. We might be saved.

[Whit sprite] … Huh??? Bro what the fuck is happening this episode.

Ace: “Execute me right now!” Ough this shit insane!!! I can’t- I genuinely can’t react. I’m just overcome with emotion at this point.

“I’ll have a third death in my hands!” … Wait the math. Unless he’s counting himself… does he blame himself for Taylor’s death???

[The entire Arturo - Ace debacle] I…holy shit???? The genuine distress in Arturo’s voice when he says he can’t save Levi??? Ace clinging to the hope that he can??? Bro what the fuck??? This is insane???? I can’t- I can’t compute- This is actually insane. This is so much. Levi better not fucking die after this I swear to god-

Ace: “I don’t want to die…” Holy shit dev did it. I’m feeling just as bad for Ace as I felt for Min. Bra-fucking-vo. Holy fuck. No words.

[Thanatophobia]

(Fear of death right? Fits)

… Okay, so. I know someone brought up this term in relation to Ace. Genius, first.

Second, that might just be one of the greatest executions I’ve even seen, if not the best. I usually don’t care much about how good executions are, but this… this is incredibly good. The music was banging. The execution method was unique. It wasn’t related to his talent, but his character, which makes it better imo.

(Also are the “unexplained illnesses” related to Xander’s family?)

And even through all this… dev showed the corpse. When they didn’t show Min’s. Why would you allow me to cope even further? You drop XF and show a corpse- holy shit. I just can’t even process anything.

And he didn’t say his quote. He never said it I don’t think. Levi better survive.

VERONIKA. Holy shit she’s actually getting more and more unhinged by the second the hell-? Yeah remember when she looked unnerved by Min’s execution?!?! She ain’t looking unnerved no more!

Hu: “The elevator is open!” We’re just- gonna ignore- Alright, I guess it’s fair. Surely Levi survives right?

Rose please tell me you looked away. I know you saw Levi so it’s not looking great either way, but still.

Teruko: “Go on without me.” Is she going to talk to David maybe? About the secret?

“Everyone was gone.” Alright no, she’s just going to mourn or something?

[Teruko reflects on her similarities to Ace and Arei] I really like this moment, it’s nice of her to say what the audience was probably already thinking.

MonoTV: “I must convince everyone that I’m the villain.” And what does this mean MonoTV? Genuinely too burnt out to think about it any harder rn.

MonoTV: “That is the fate that I have, to make others suffer.” HOW ARE WE TYING MONO FUCKING TV TO THE THEME OF FATE?!?!?!WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FUCKING “TERUKO-MONOTV PARALLELS” WHAT THE FUCK?! DEV YOU SON OF A BITCH YOU DID IT AGAIN!!! /positive

[Teruko breaks down] Holy hell…

“I had known the answer…” AUGH- The character writing… it’s so good… fucking hell this is incredible…

Where do we even go from here? Teruko’s speed running the themes of trust and fate like they’re not the main themes of the series?!?! I’m going crazy.

… Are we seriously leaving it on a cliffhanger whether Levi is alive or not? Like, I know the “surviving students” thing counted him, so I’m guessing he’s alive, but… hot damn. This is an evil cliffhanger.

(Also I find it funny that David’s silhouette sprite did in fact change to what the dev said was his new default lol)

“Seems there’s something he’s not proud of” The nailbiting right.

-

General Thoughts

…

…

…

…

Bro how the fuck am I expected to even begin to summarize this shit?!?!

Okay, in… ascending order of crazy.

Did David just… not speak almost the entire episode? Did he even have any lines when Teruko was being executed? The fuck is going on with him? He didn’t even reveal Teruko’s secret???

Veronika was unhinged. Loved that for her. Hope she gets worse, it seems like CH3 will be a fun chapter for her (I hope that doesn’t mean she dies).

Whit officially gets his very own unhinged/breakdown sprite! We’ve completed the set! I mean, it’s not as crazy as others, but it matches Rose’s so…

Everyone endures further trauma, fun.

I even feel bad for Arturo! Poor guy did not ask for this shit! There’s fun foils here with Levi trying to protect the group as much as he can and Arturo being forced into the role…

Also. Of all ships. I did not expect Aceturo to get a dub here somehow.

I somehow called more or less predicted what Teruko was gonna do. Fun how that happened. And her little character reflection at the end was awesome, I loved it very much. Jesus fuck.

That’s gotta be the best execution I’ve ever seen, hands down. I don’t care that there wasn’t a single horse there. This is much better.

Also, no secret quote from Ace. So those are 100% not a good metric for defining who is at risk of death. Wonder if that means we’ll get a flashback with him?

XF-Ture Tech?!?!?! MonoTV character building kinda?!?!?!?! I’m going crazy?!?!?!

Levi??? This motherfucker better be alive. There’s no reason he should be dead, so I’m gonna assume he’s alive. But wow… I guess weightedblankettt was sorta right on the “final orbit” interpretation of Levi’s connection to Shoemaker-Levy 9, just… not in a way we expected. (If that meant nothing to you don’t worry about it).

And Ace… Hot damn. Just… an entire character arc at the eleventh minute, huh? How’s that for the people who were saying Ace wouldn’t be remembered, huh? Levi probably owes him his life, in a way. He broke MonoTV. He faced his thanatophobia to try to help Levi survive. Just… so fucking good. I said it in the reaction. I genuinely felt just as much grief for him as I did Min. And coming from me, that’s… a lot. Just incredible writing and voice acting and everything in between…

This cements it, btw. This is my favorite trial from anything DR related ever. It’s genuinely insane. I am going to make a more detailed, more coherent post analyzing the entirety of Part 2 of this chapter, because it deserves it. It deserves more thought than I’m able to give right now on account of feeling too many emotions. Stay tuned for that, I guess.

Props to the dev, the VAs, and anyone who might have laid a hand on this at some point. It’s genuinely incredible, this is an unforgettable experience. Holy shit.

I don’t- I don’t have the emotional energy to keep writing. Just… I think I need to calm down for a few hours. Genuinely loved every second of this. Thanks for reading, and see you when I gather my thoughts enough to trust myself to be coherent.

[abandonedpost]

My Highest Worldly Bliss: Chapter One

@electronix-arts @traumatizedartist @sock-man37 @confettiiz @poltergeist-bunn (just tagging everyone who expressed some interest in the teaser — thank you so much by the way, I really appreciate it!)

Hi everyone! I know the poll isn’t technically over yet, but most people thus far voted for me to upload chapter one to Tumblr today, and had I waited… well “today” would’ve been over lol.

Here’s chapter one of my very first fic! Haha i feel so self-indulgent. Feel free to let me know what you think and give some feedback. Excuse the formatting issues! I’m new to this 🥲 Read it under the cut 👇🏼👇🏼

Soft white eyes met a glimmering violet glow.

And he knew, in earnest then, that he would never be the same.

——

Dawn broke over the horizon of Copper-9. The nearby sound of drilling overpowered Khan’s senses as he blinked sleep out of his eyes. The day greeted him like any other, with a sly grin and slap to the face. A long day in the shafts lay ahead.

He was never fully content living a life of servitude. The human masters had made his kind to mine their exoplanets, so each day, they would dig their way further through the bedrock, dust and hot air hanging heavy around them until it clogged their sensors and slicked their hair back. Yet the drone always longed for more: a life of his own; freedom from the shackles that kept him bound to the colliery.

Such were the dreams of an ambitious man. Better yet, a foolish man. He knew not to articulate his fantasies of revolt, or he’d have caught his death for it by now.

But Khan was lucky, his bright mind and ingenuity had impressed the humans. During a shaft collapse a few months back, he’d taken the reigns and stabilized the structure long enough to evacuate all the workers. Having saved them a pretty penny, the humans rewarded him with a promotion to construction. Meaning no more physical labor.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” The worker drone grabbed his clipboard, scanning the text to find his assignment. He flipped the page to find it in big bold letters, coupled with a map.

Cabin Fever Labs

Ceiling collapse on basement floor, building integrity compromised.

“Huh,” he thought, “Never heard of that place.”

Grabbing the map, he set out on his mission.

——

“Stop it! Don’t touch me!”

“The more you squirm, the more it’ll hurt, 002.”

“Please, I’m sorry! I’ll be good, I swear!”

——

Khan didn’t expect the walk to take as long as it did. It felt like hours since he’d left the mines. His head was pounding, legs ached, and he contemplated giving up halfway.

“Screw the humans. They don’t deserve my help anyway.” He huffed, feeling the hot sun burn down on him.

Yet, against his better judgment, Khan persisted, wading through waist-high vegetation as he finally stumbled upon the Cabin Fever complex. It was at least ten stories high. Blacked-out windows lined the building in a grid-like pattern, and a large, metal door towered before the drone. It was locked, so he had no choice but to ring the bell.

A buzzer rang not long after. “State your name and the purpose of your visit,” came an annoyed voice on the other end.

“Uh, hello? I’m Khan. I-I’m here on behalf of JCJenson… to survey the ceiling collapse? I’m the Head of Construction at the copper mines.”

“Come in.” Another beep and Khan entered.

——

“Subject 002’s test results have been… alarming, to say the least.”

“What do you suppose we do?”

Purple eyes blinked open, and a blurry haze of white fluorescent light overwhelmed them. It took 002 a moment to realize where she was: the torture chamber, strapped to the patient bed. Everything hurt, and for a moment she cursed death for being too elusive a mercy for her. In the distance, she heard the voices of the Doctors.

Ever since that symbol had first plagued her processor they’d taken every opportunity to subject her to the latest “treatments”. Psychological torture, physical beatings, and solitary confinement had become staples of her daily routine.

“I think we ought to separate her and 048. It could be that two infected drones interacting is worsening the problem.”

This immediately set off alarms in 002’s mind. They couldn’t take 048 from her, she was the only good thing about this hellhole!

“I’ll inform Dr. Piers of the change. I’m sure we can accommodate 002 in 017’s room.”

Anger surged through her body. The mere thought of the Doctors taking the last good thing in her life away from her made 002 seethe. A thousand possibilities soared through her mind, until the symbol from her visions appeared in her hand once again.

“I said let me go!” A flash of violet light cut through the leather straps holding her down, and 002 fought back tears as she burst through the torture chamber door and down the hall.

——

Khan made his way to the basement of the labs, looking for the hall with the collapsed ceiling.

“There you are.” He whispered once he finally found his assignment. It was… a disturbing site to say the least. The ceiling tiles had been shattered beyond recognition, seemingly by force, and the wall nearby had been splattered with… oil? It sent a chill up his chassis.

He began surveying the damage when a female voice picked up behind him.

“So… they finally let someone see what goes on down here, huh? You some fresh meat or sumthin’?”

Khan was startled, jumping a bit before turning around, and then his shock turned to awe as he laid eyes on the most beautiful drone he’d ever seen. Her clothes were plain: a sleeveless grey dress, ID tag, gloves, and no shoes. Yet there was an undeniable fervor in her eyes, which were the most brilliant shade of purple-pink.

“Helloooo?” she asked, “Ya still in there or?” She tapped her fingers on his faceplate, effectively snapping him out of his trance.

“Uh— hi miss?” He tried to form a full sentence but was too taken aback, a vibrant white blush forming on his cheeks.

The woman played with the ends of her lavender hair and stifled a giggle, “I’ve never had a guy get flustered over me before. You sure you don’t belong down here with the rest of us defects?”

Embarrassed, Khan tried to reassert himself, “Ma’am, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m the Head of Construction, and I’m here to survey the ceiling collapse. Do you need help with something?”

——

Now that ticked 002 off. She couldn’t believe it! This… cute weird, weird man with a hard hat and too much audacity had the nerve to waltz into her home and ask her if she needed his help!

“Okay, nuance alert ‘ma’am,’” she said mockingly, “You’re in my neck of the woods right now! So how about we switch up the roles and ask if you need my help, hmm?” And to really get her point across, 002 held up three fingers, and the symbol appeared once more. In an instant, all the damage had been undone.

——

“Oh, uh. What was that?” It was a stupid question, but the construction worker couldn’t think of any other way to phrase it.

He watched as a deep, violet-pink blush covered the woman’s face. She crossed her arms and huffed, stepping backward “It’s uhm… it’s nothing. Just a virus I have,” Then her voice got quiet, “Bet it freaks you out, huh? Just like everyone else.”

Khan was about to say something to the contrary when heavy footsteps began racing down the hall. Humans. He watched as the purple lady’s eyes went hollow and she stepped back.

“I-I need to go,” she stammered, “I’m not even supposed to be talking to you.”

“Wait!” He shouted back, but it was too late. He caught a final glimpse of her light as the beautiful violet woman turned a corner and disappeared.

“I didn’t even get your name…”

[aetherdoesthings]

I really hope that one day suddenly one orphan child will be a friend with reader like arlecchino and clerve

would you like to be friends? (pt. 4)

forethoughts: while the votes are piling in as to if i'm writing smut (yeah i'm 100% writing smut), enjoy this little writing i wrote :)

notes: child!gn!reader, NOT AN X READER READER IS A CHILD!!!

Life as Father’s child was different from life in the House. 

Father had helped you move your belongings from the room in the House to her own private estate in a secret location you didn’t know.

Your room was twice the size of your room in the House, and you even had butlers and maids that would tend to your every need.

You no longer wore rags or worn out clothing; you always had the most pristine and luxurious clothing.

Even your nightwear was expensive. 

Everyday, you spent your breakfast, lunch, and dinner eating with Father, discussing various details or events you wanted to share with her. You treasured every moment you had your daily meals with Father. Father, the busy woman she is, never always had the time to be by your side every second of the day. But your meals? No, that was a must that you will spend your meals with her. You didn’t protest against it.

Father didn’t spoil you, of course. Father still made you do your chores and work like you were in the House again. She still found the time to play together with your new toys every once in a while.

Sometimes Father would bring you back to the House again when she wanted you near her. It was always a reluctant ‘yes Father’ whenever she asked you. While she worked you could go to the ‘playroom’ and play with your new toys, or just wander the halls until you find something interesting to bide your time.

It was one of those days when Father had something to do in the House, and wanted to bring you with her because the butlers and maids were on their break. Father was very kind, much to people’s thoughts. So while Father worked in her office, you wandered around the halls, making your way to the ‘playroom’ with your toys in your hand. 

Just as you opened the door, your muscles stiffened, grip on your blade tightening as you saw a tiny figure inside the room. 

A girl with magenta hair and sea green eyes with a white headband was standing in your spot, trying to lift a sword like you did on that fateful day. She was about your height, maybe taller, to your dismay. Your heart fluttered as you stared at her trying to do the same thing you did on that day, so lost in trying to swing the blade she didn’t even notice you standing there. 

You opted to stop the girl before she could hurt herself like you did after a while of watching her be by herself.

“You aren’t allowed in here.” You said with a steely voice as you closed the door behind you, turning on the light switch. The girl screamed, her eyes meeting yours as she dropped the sword. Thank the archons she didn’t hurt herself.

The girl quickly recomposed herself as you approached her, putting on a smile. “I-I… uh… was just… looking around.”

The girl dropped her tone, looking into your eyes, her eyebrows furrowing.

Crap.

“Hey, you look familiar.” The girl exclaimed, examining your body. Certainly she didn’t recognize you; your appearance practically changed the minute you became Father’s child. You had dyed your hair white and black like Father’s, and only wore black and white like Father. You were practically Father’s child self. 

“No I don’t.” You scoffed, moving the girl aside from your play area. 

“Yes, you do. You’re…” The girl let out a gasp. “You’re Y/N! You’re the one who got adopted by Father! Woah… that means you’re also the one who cut up Fredrick and Clint! You’re really popular, you know!”

You flinched at her tone, occupying yourself with setting up your playroom the way you liked it. “I didn’t cut them up. They cut themselves up.”

“Woah… you even look like Father.” The girl stared at you with her jaw glued to the floor. She shut her jaw, smiling widely at you. “I’m Cynthia! Nice to meet you!”

You glanced at Cynthia, before grabbing the second training dummy. “You’re not allowed in here. Only Father and I are.”

“Oh. I wasn’t aware of that. Sorry.”

“Just go. You’re disrupting my time.”

“Oh.” Cynthia frowned. Your heart churned at that frown, twisting into itself until you let out a sigh, facing Cynthia. 

“You can… stay… if you want.” You muttered begrudgingly. “I don’t care.” Cynthia smiled brightly, hugging you. “Yay! Thank you, Y/N!”

You let out a grunt of disapproval as she hugged you. Cynthia removed her hands around your body, dipping her head. “Sorry. Not a hugger, aren’t you?”

“Hmn.” You were a hugger. Only for Father’s hugs. Not some random kid.

You ran your usual training routine Father had taught you, while Cynthia watched from afar. You tried to put on your best performance; you were being watched by someone not Father after all. 

“Woah!” Cynthia clapped every single time you performed a standard move, watching you like you were some circus performer. You resisted the urge to tell her to pipe down and shut up. Well, it wasn’t that hard. Something about her constant cheering and support made your movements much more confident and eloquent, a small grin on your face when she would clap. 

“Is that how you hurt Fredrick and Clint?” Cynthia asked, as the two of you sat down in the ‘playroom’, eating your lunch next to each other. You watched Cynthia eat her plate of fried rice while you snacked on the wrap Father had packed for you, your blades put to the side. 

“No.” You responded.

“How did you then?”

You looked at Cynthia with a strange expression. “Why do you want to know?”

“I think it’s kinda cool you beat up the most popular kids.”

“Do you want to do the same?�� 

“...Kinda. They got too full of themselves, you know!”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Violence isn’t everything.” You repeated Father’s words.

“I guess.” Cynthia smiled, looking at you. “Your hair looks really pretty. Maybe… turn around!”

Reluctantly, you did. Cynthia placed her tiny hands into your hair, combing through the locks. She grabbed a few strands of your hair, and began playing with the strands. 

“What's it like being Father’s child?” Cynthia asked.

“It’s nice.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“How so?”

“Well… I live in a very big room in a very big house.”

“Woah! That sounds really nice!” “It is.” You smiled, as Cynthia let go of your hair, spinning you around. “There! You look really really pretty now!”

A drop of warmth filled your heart, adding to the flame inside you. “Y-You think?”

“Yeah!” Cynthia smiled. “Say.. Y/N.. would you like to be friends?”

Friends. 

Friends.

You never had friends.

No one ever asked to be your friend.

“You… want to be friends?” You repeated her sentence.

“Yeah! You seem like a really really cool person, and I’d love to be friends with you!” 

You looked into those sea green eyes that glimmered with energy and hope, unlike Father’s obsidian ones with red crosses in them that promised warmth and comfort. A friend. Your first friend.

“O-Okay.” You said, smiling.

“Yay!” Cynthia beamed, hugging you. She immediately retracted her arms, looking at you with an apologetic smile. “S-Sorry. I’m a big fan of hugs.”

“It’s…okay. You can hug me if you want.” You mumbled softly, hesitantly smiling at her.

“You have a really nice smile.” Cynthia giggled, placing two thumbs on either end of your mouth, pulling it upwards slightly. “You should smile more, grumpy pants!” You naturally smiled at that comment, the corners of your mouth exceeding Cynthia’s thumbs. 

“Sure.” You said. Suddenly, the door to the ‘playroom’ creaked open, revealing Father’s figure.

“Oh.. Y/N. And Cynthia. What are you doing here? This is a dangerous room.” Father said, walking towards you. She picked you up, before taking Cynthia’s hand.

“O-Oh.. uh… I was just looking around. Sorry, Father.” Cynthia mumbled, trying to come up with something. 

Father look at you, then at Cynthia, before letting out a sight. “Alright then. Off you go. The others will be missing you.” Father smiled at Cynthia, petting her head before sending her off. Cynthia waved her hand at you, flashing you one more smile before she ran off. The fluttering feeling in your heart faded away, the image of her smile imprinted into your head.

Father noticed that grin on your face as she carried you back to her office. “Perhaps we can visit the House more often then, dear.”

Your cheeks flushed red, burying your head in Father’s collarbone. Of course even Father knew. “F-Father!”

Father let out a laugh, ruffling your hair. “Don’t fret, my dear. It’s perfectly normal for a child your age to-”

“FATHER!”

[togetherness23]

TTTE Gay/Achillean Ships Poll Tournament!

The Bracket

Thank you all for your interest! I’m setting up the bracket and polls for the First Round, though I don’t have a date for the start of that yet. The bracket is here so that y’all can plan to make your points/strategize on voting in the meantime. These rules will also be stated for all ‘Round X’ posts but I’m going to go ahead and share them here for prep:

All polls will run for a week. This is a single elimination tournament, so all losers are out for good. There are five rounds- the First Round (16 polls), Second Round (8), Quarterfinals (4 polls), Semifinals (2 polls), and Finals (1 poll).

For the First Round, three ships go head to head in a 1v1v1, where only the most voted ship advances.

Mass voting with getting your fellow peers on board is all fine and dandy, but please— no bots!

Reblogs/replies with commentary on the respective polls are encouraged and I will reblog/share them as additions whenever I see them unless you explicitly state not to. You can bring up canonical material as well as personal headcanons. You can talk for or against ships, but keep it respectful among the fandom— for example, don’t insult shippers themselves for their taste or mention particular users that ‘ruined’ a ship.

You can @ me or come into my asks if you have ship propaganda posts so that I can share them. Ship art/stamps/fics/etc that aren’t yours should be linked/credited. Don’t worry about saying/sharing too much stuff to me as long as it’s not spamming the exact same thing.

Reblogging my own ship posts is fine but I’m not going to self-reblog them myself during the polls. Don’t ask me for my opinions on them either. I’m going to try to be as neutral as possible for the tournament!

List of ships (in order of appearance in the bracket, polls for the first round color-coded):

Diesel 10/Spencer

Dart/Den

Oliver/Percy

Porter/Salty

Oliver/Thomas

Diesel/Sonny

Duncan/Peter Sam

Oliver/Toad

Diesel/Diesel 10

Diesel/Duck

Duncan/Sir Handel

Rheneas/Stepney

BoCo/Gordon

Proteus/Stanley (RWS)

Charlie/Stanley

Ryan/Thomas

Neil/Skarloey

Douglas/Oliver

Harold/Percy

Arthur/Thomas

Connor/Spencer

Peter Sam/Rusty

Bertie/Thomas

Cranky/Salty

Diesel 10/Percy

Bear/Henry

Hiro/Spencer

Gordon/Sir Handel

Duck/Percy

Rusty/Stepney

Peter Sam/Sir Handel

Percy/Diesel

Glynn/Stephen

Duck/Oliver

James/Spencer

Arthur/Murdoch

Duck/Donald

Arthur/Ryan

Duke/Smudger

Connor/Gordon

City of Truro/The Flying Scotsman

Terence/Trevor

Duncan/Rusty

Henry/Hiro

BoCo/Edward

Gator/Percy

Murdoch/Neville

Edward/Toby

[democracyunderground]

The best article I have read on why the MAGA's are so hard to move.

RAWSTORY

The suffering of white Trump voters isn't going to change a thing

John Stoehr

April 10, 2025

Now that trillions of dollars have vanished as a consequence of the Trump tariffs, I see that some liberals who are sitting on high perches are talking about how the tide is turning against the president. They tell us that even Donald Trump’s voters are changing their minds.

It’s things like this that worry me. It tells me that liberals still operate according to certain articles of faith that are well beyond their expiration dates. It tells me that liberals grossly underestimate the power of corruption, greed, arrogance and stupidity, and grossly overestimate the inherent goodness of the American people.

For the last 25 years or so, liberals have complained about the fact that people who vote for Republicans always vote against their own economic self-interest. Yet at the same time, liberals believe deep in their bones that once they experience economic hardship, as a consequence of their vote, these same voters will change their minds.

Why would they do that? If they truly understood their own economic self-interest, they wouldn’t have voted against it in the first place. They don’t. Their vote is proof. So the question is: Why should we expect people who don’t understand what’s good for them to change their minds? Why should we expect people who don’t understand what’s good for them to see the value of the Democrats’ economic policies?

The common response is that their suffering will force them. Suffering, however, isn’t the same thing as changing your mind. It isn’t the same thing as accepting responsibility for choices made. It certainly is not the same thing as saying you should have voted for the Democrat.

Yes, they will complain. They will cry! But that’s not turning on Donald Trump. That’s being in the habit of being the center of attention safe in the belief that your suffering is the only suffering that really counts.

Why are they in that habit? That’s easy. It’s because they’re white. No other class of people can reasonably expect such deference. Anyone else is grandstanding or trying to get something they don’t deserve.

It’s cultural assumptions like this that have motivated a majority of white Americans to vote Republican since the late 1970s, even though GOP policies immiserate them. It’s cultural assumptions like this that are a stand-in for a social order in which white interests are the only legitimate interests. Liberals say such voters do not vote in their own interest, but they do. Those interests are just not especially economic.

It should come as no surprise that the liberals I’m talking about are not Black. White liberals are regularly shocked to see Trump voters killing themselves, sometimes literally, in the service of white power. This is so shocking as to be unbelievable, which is probably why so many don’t believe it. Instead, they go off in search of some other explanation for their behavior and, typically, what they conclude is they were duped.

Over the weekend, a highly placed pundit was stunned to see Trump “monetize the presidency” after markets crashed. “How dumb do you have to be to accept this?” he said. “Please don't come at me with talk of economic or cultural grievances. He's playing millions for fools.”

How dumb do you have to be? In that question is a degree of disbelief, as if no one can possibly be so dumb as to accept Trump “monetizing the presidency” while making life materially harder for everyone in America. The question I have is this: why is that so hard to believe?

Is it really so much easier to believe that Trump duped these people than it is to say that they wanted to be duped? We can spend all our time talking about “economic and cultural grievances” or we can save time by coming to a moral conclusion: You can’t cheat honest people but given that Trump is president, honest people are in short supply.

White liberals cling to their faith in the American people, because they believe that individuals facing economic hardship will understand their own experience on their own terms. In fact, most people do not do that. They see their experience through the lens of group identity, and if their group tells them they are not experiencing what they are in fact experiencing, individuals in that group probably won’t see it.

This is why white liberals who say things like “Trump can’t spin the economy” worry me so much. They suggest with those words that the work that needs to be done doesn’t really need to be done, because individuals can be trusted to figure out on their own that Trump is to blame for their suffering. If nothing else, the last election should have proven that the opposite is true. He can spin the economy now, just as he spun the economy then, and most of his voters will believe him.

White liberals seem naive about the current character of the American people, because most are living in the past. In the postwar era, there was a consensus about the government, that it should serve everyone, and from that arose all the rights movements. After four decades of rightwing propaganda, that consensus is gone. Yet white liberals still cling to a belief in the inherent goodness of the American people.

European liberals of the early 19th century had grave doubts about democracy. They thought it could turn any vice into a virtue by making it popular enough, and they were right about that. They did not believe individuals would willingly embrace liberal principles like free speech, religious freedom, habeas corpus and so on – individuals had to propagandized and won over – because they, like Black liberals today, had no illusions about corruption, greed, arrogance and stupidity.

I get why white liberals are so focused on the suffering of Trump voters. If they change their minds, there’s hope for the future. But there’s hope even if they don’t (and they won’t), because hope never came from people who succumbed to evil. It comes from people who can face evil squarely in the face and then make choices accordingly.

[askinnyblackman]

not to say “hurr trump supporters got what they deserve huhhhhhhhh” but I wonder how many of them are in government assistance programs and are now up the creek since the assistance pause. like these are working class people and my sympathies are with them in that sense but they really thought donald trump was gonna help them?? it really is like they’re in a cult 😬 he’s part of the class that is fucking them over and he’s scapegoating trans people and immigrants!!! and that shit is WORKING!!

the idea that poor white people are “voting against their interests” is eeeeehhhhh because they’re like “doesn’t matter how bad i have it, as long as (insert marginalized group) has it worse” and they don’t view it as a “vote against their interests” but rather as a sacrifice to protect their whiteness and their place in society as white people BUT is it POSSIBLE? POSSIBLE? that when they try to buy groceries for their families and find out at the cash register that their EBT card has no money, they will say “wait a minute. i might have been tricked!” or are they really willing to starve to death to own the libs? we saw it with covid so are we gonna see it again with a second trump presidency? probably!!

podcast i listened to yesterday discussed the very real social cost of changing your mind and i’d never thought of it that way but i was like yeah people will double/triple down on sunk-cost to the point of self-destruction before admitting they were wrong. unfortunately in this case it means going all-in on blaming marginalized people for why nobody can afford to be alive and that is going to have disastrous consequences

also to be clear-this is about genuinely ignorant/misguided working-class people, not actual nazis. nazis can die

[crazyintheeast]

If Chappell Roan who treated the election like some annoyance that was beneath her gets her skull cracked by a crazy homophobe emboldened by Trump , if some idiot trans teen who didn’t vote because they heard in Tik Tok that this will teach democrats a lesson and they have to earn your vote is near suicidal and complains in tears about how all trans healthcare and trans rights have been stripped to the bone , if some idiotic “activist “ who wrote Free Palestine on the ballot because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Kamala gets brutalised by the policed and ends up in jail for years as Trump cracks down on civil rights , if some Latino who didn’t think it was worth voting gets their citizens stripped and gets put into concentration camps and generally any leftists who couldn’t do the bare minimum and vote for Kamala coke here seeking sympathy the only thing they will get from me “ Serves you right you dumb piece of shit . You should have voted “

Yes you all deserve just as much sympathy as the moron republicans who constantly vote against their own self interests and I honestly hope that something truly terrible happens to all of you because you deserve it . “But everyone makes mistakes you say” . No absolutely not . This was not a mistake . There has never been a more clear and obvious choice and all of you knew exactly what you were doing . You were just too privileged and apathetic to do the bare minimum and cast a fucking vote

So yeah the Americans who did the bare minimum and voted for Kamala might get some sympathy but they are on a thin fucking ice . As for the rest of you pieces of shit you and your Republican “friends” who brought us four years of terror and misery I don’t give a shit if you die . Correction I will laugh and dance on your grave . Fuck your and I hope you die in a fire

If Yellowstone erupts tomorrow and wipes out USA the world will be e better place

[darkmaga-returns]

I am sick and tired of all the constant lies. The Biden Administration blames Trump for its $1.8 trillion deficit. The interest expenditures will be about $1 trillion alone. Now, if you just accept that at face value, you are part of the problem when the United States will crash and burn. This makes it sound like tax revenues have declined. In 2020, the last year of Trump’s presidency, the total tax revenues collected were $3.42 trillion. In 2023, the revenues taken in from taxes was $4.4 trillion. And the U.S. government now estimates its total revenue will be $5.49 trillion for fiscal year 2025.

According to Forbes, if we confiscated 100% of the top 10 wealthiest people, we would get $1.5 trillion, but that still will not eliminate the deficit. It would destroy all of those companies, create huge unemployment, and wipe out our countless pension funds. But hey, they are the problem. It is never the politicians who are off to rob others and hand it to you to buy your vote. It’s be honest. Socialism is corruption because the politicians have to promise you something to buy your vote. They no longer know how to run for office without promises to steal from one class TO HAND TO ANOTHER. There is no such thing as efficient and proper management because government is the answer to everything, even climate change. According to their top experts, the climate would never have changed if we had paid more taxes.

Since the war with Russia began in February 2022 during Biden’s Administration, he has pushed for a total of $175 billion to create more billionaires in Ukraine than in America. Interestingly, $106 billion directly aids the government of Ukraine, while the balance funds “various” U.S. activities associated with the war in Ukraine, namely overthrowing the Russian government and surrounding countries and ensuring the future of our politician’s investments will be profitable. This is never documented or fully explained.  Thus, Ukraine accounts for about 10% of Biden’s deficit. But that, too, is Trump’s fault.

Come on! It’s all Trump’s fault for not raising taxes back to 94% as they were for World War II, 91% for the Korean War, and 70% for the Vietnam War. If we look at the accumulative interest expenditures and war, about 80% of the national debt has been for playing policeman of the world. This has NEVER benefited the people. If you refuse to pay the taxes they impose WITHOUT representation, as it was in 1776 since they, too, represent only their own self-interest, you go to prison. This is freedom?

They always say to tax the rich. As I said, if you take ALL the assets of the top 10 billionaires, you would NOT eliminate this $1.8 trillion deficit. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. They changed the definition of who the rich are. Before World War II, the definition of the rich was $5 million, while a Cadillac was $600.  They began to raise it to $250,000 a year, but then it was clarified as “household” income.

So, if you and your wife combined were at $250,000, you were that horrible, evil, greedy rich person they need to shake upside down to get every penny in your pocket. Don’t worry. It’s for God and Country and the lifestyle of members of Congress who work so hard to figure out if there is something else they can tax.

Once upon a time, it was theorized that if the government borrowed, it would be less inflationary than printing. But those days are gone. That is when it was illegal to borrow against government debt. Today, debt is just money that pays interest the same as it was during the American Civil War.

If we add each year the total interest expenditures, you will see that generally, about 70% of the national debt is based on just interest, as we will reach $1 trillion this year. Guess what? China holds about 10% of the US national debt, so interest is going to China, but it does not stimulate the US domestic economy. We should stop borrowing, for it would be cheaper and less inflationary if we just printed to cover the deficit rather than borrow. Then, capital will lend to the private sector, and we will see a huge economic boom. Things have changed in economics – it is about time we recognize Keynesian Economics has failed.

[voidsuites]

okay, vent post here so buckle up. sorry if it’s too serious for this blog, but i needed to show it.

as a Ukrainian, i left my country when i was barely 11 and went to south america because the war started. i wasn’t old enough to understand the outcomes that could possibly lead to the war in actuality. we needed to leave for our own safety. we needed to leave because either way we were gonna die there eventually; most russians didn’t (don’t) care about our race, our opinions, our culture, our politics, our freedom. it’s been going for centuries, not years, so we and israel have something in common. to know how does it feel to be oppressed.

my mom used to say that everything will be okay, but with every day you DO lose hope when something like today happens — it’s been going on like this for us for decades; but i know i could not understand how does it feel to be in the minority in u.s.a and be seen like an existing, walking crime.

regardless, i do, i REALLY do, hope that this generation won’t let hatred take over themselves as it did with mine. i know being angry and a hater feels like the right decision —hell, i am being angry and hating on my ““brother”” county because they’re killing us— like something you’ve been building up for years and can finally let go on people —white, in my case— who ‘deserve’ this, but please, don’t let it get into your head. no one will feel safe if we’re gonna start hating each other. minorities, black, hispanic, white, NO ONE.

i feel for you americans. i’m not sure how everything will go from now on, but i am one hundred percent sure that it depends on us. don’t let the government and the ‘high grounds’ let your hopes down, because it won’t happen if people keep fighting. does su*cide looks tempting right now? very; it was always like that since COVID started (for me, personally). does it mean we should act on it, if OUR opinion and OUR actions can define how the country will keep running? no, absolutely not. i’m not telling to people who want to kill themselves to stop it —i am no professional by any means; it’s not my right to tell you what to do with your life— but if you CAN make change, why don’t you?

i love you all. i’m very happy that we met each other over tumblr, guys. everything will be okay

i love you too.

but my mere existence has become political. it has been political since i was born. i am a black, mexican, queer woman who lives in a blue state— but regardless of that, my existence has been political long before i even realized it. people who have no idea what i’ve been through and what life i’ve lived think it’s necessary to regulate my own body because they think i’m not capable of doing so. they think because i am non-white that i am not worthy of respect or equal treatment under the law. they think because of who i love that i am less-than-human.

i don’t have the luxury to not dislike someone who has voted for him. when they voted for him, they voted against ME— against everything i am, the fabric of my being, everything that makes me me. i wish i could say didn’t hate anyone who voted for that fucking felon, but i do. it’s the truth. they voted against basic human decency and fundamental human rights because neither of those were enough to overpower their selfish self-interest. i don’t wish to associate with anyone who voted for him, nor do i like them. they’ve clearly voiced that they’re okay with ignoring hate-based ideologies if it means they might “benefit” (they won’t)

he intends to strip away every little thing we can even do in terms of voicing our opinions— he’s been saying from the get go that this would be the last election EVER that we’d have to vote in— is that + the countless false bomb threats + russian interference + in-state interference with mail-in voting/ballot counting not proof enough that they don’t want to even consider what the people want anymore? and i’m not saying that this is reason to give up, but they intend to strip everyone of their autonomy in one way or another, and they will if we allow them to. and we’ve just given them the keys to fucking do it.

i just need to rant and be angry and be upset and be disappointed in the way we’ve let each other down here? because at the end of the day, people voted for that felon because they thought he was the better candidate. and that is appalling.

[yveni]

Is this my best writing? No. Is this the stupidest thing I have ever written? Also no.

Here’s Kipps vs. Doof for everyone’s enjoyment.

!!VOTE FOR KIPPS!!

It had been a slow walk away from his hour of defeat. His legs could hardly hold him, and though he knew his rapier was there at his hip, tapping against his thigh, he hardly registered it.

Quill felt shame and rage already beginning to torment his thoughts. Victory was right there, he had held it in his grasp.

But in the end, he wasn’t enough. In the end, the green sack of felt had overpowered him.

His chest heaved as he held back a desolate sob, dragging his weary feet slowly and painfully away from the sound of his foe still gloating over his pain.

How could he stand to face anyone again? He never thought he would feel more humiliated than when he had begun losing his talents, but here he was, brought to defeat by a frog.

God, even Cubbins is less pathetic than I am. He berated himself. Even-

His spiraling self-loathing was cut off by a voice in the distance. He looked up, and could barely make out a… man?

His groaning feet brought him closer. He could see a long, white coat, and yes, a man. He was shaking his fist at the sky, a scratchy voice shouting, “Curse you, Ingo!“

And then silence.

They both stood still as they registered one another. They could’ve been the same height, Quill wasn’t sure, the man was hunched. He wore a long white lab coat, but it was dirtied and tousled. This man had been in battle recently too. He looked far less broken and weary, obviously his fight hadn’t been as intense as Quill’s had been.

“Oh, hello.” The scratchy voice broke the silence, “I didn’t see you there. Come, sit down.”

He was beckoning Quill closer, towards an area that was furnished with a full dining set. “Forgive me, this isn’t my usual set up, I’m normally much more prepared for company. You see…”

The man’s words began to jumble in Quill’s mind. He needed to rest, and he didn’t have the energy or the will to be suspicious at all. He found himself settling into the closest seat, his body aching but singing at the relief. He allowed himself to refocus on the man. “- So, that’s why I’ve always wanted to have one of my own.”

Quill had completely missed whatever story had just been told, he stared at the man blankly. Suddenly remembering he had manners, Quill opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

“Say, that’s an interesting contraption you’ve got around your neck, what do you call it?”

Quill looked down at the Orpheus lenses that hung loosely at his throat. “Erm, I don’t call them anything in particular. They’re just my goggles.”

The man seemed disappointed, but shrugged, “I have a few contraptions of my own, for instance…” He pulled a remote with a single button out of his coat pocket. He smiled as he pressed it, and out of nowhere, Quill found his chest being pressed against the back of the chair, his ankles shoved to insides of the chair legs. The man let out a triumphant shout.

“What?” He struggled against the pressure, trying and failing to release himself from the metal bonds that now captured him. He couldn’t even reach his rapier.

The man threw his head back in a gleeful laugh, “I wasn’t sure if that one would work, you were a very easy target.” His tone remained conversational and light, only angering Kipps even more.

Angering him enough to make him want to fight again. He looked around desperately for some way to release himself from the binds as the man continued rambling on.

The remote with the button that had triggered the trap lay atop the table Quill sat at. Slowly, he managed to scoot and maneuver his chair as close as he could get to it. He waited until the man’s back was turned, and then thrust his head against the button, praying that it meant his release and not further entrapment.

The force of the impact rang in his brain, Quill instinctively raised his hand to the spot of the pressure.

Oh.

His hand was free. He was free.

He pounced up as quickly as he could, unsheathing his rapier, and pointing it toward his new enemy.

The man turned around, his friendly smile wavering into a look of startlement. “Hey, how did you get out?”

Quill found himself smiling, he was going to enjoy this.

-

@krash-and-co tagging you cause I know you’d enjoy this

@favcharacterpoll never did I ever think I’d write fic for a tumblr poll, but here we both are

[jewishbarbies]

I may not be a leftist anymore due to their fuckery but I'm still voting for Biden. I will never understand voting against your own interests, Leftists have become just like those right wingers who are poor but vote in ways that shoot themselves in the foot and make things even more difficult. Self sabotaging politics are some of the worst.

they’re so busy looking at other countries and the problems there instead of what’s happening right in front of them and i genuinely think at least some part of it is a trauma-like response.

we’re so terrified because it feels like it’s almost completely out of our control and rights/freedoms keep getting taken away, every day is another waking hell, and it’s just easier emotionally to avoid it as much as possible than to focus on it and freak out. so we cope by busying ourselves with other people’s problems, we say “all eyes on rafah” while republicans sneak anti abortion clauses into relatively normal bills, and we just avoid avoid avoid.

we refuse to vote for Biden because we think it’s the right thing to do for the thing we’ve been focusing on instead, unable to accept that our own reality hinders on this one election. everything we have left will be taken from us if trump wins. it’s another stressor, another sob in the bathroom at work, another reason why we dissociate all day, and our rage for other causes is our only safe way to engage in anything happening in the world right now. because if we look at what’s happening to us in our own country for too long, it all falls apart and the hopelessness takes us over completely.

that theory being said, there are obviously plenty of people who simply don’t care. there was a guy on tiktok who broke it down, i wish i could find it again so i could get the numbers, but basically the amount of people who simply don’t vote in elections is so high that you cannot say in good conscience say that voting doesn’t work because we’ve (democrats) never actually tried it. the times when democrats have actually shown up in full force (like the “red wave” that was supposed to happen that didn’t last midterms) has absolutely destroyed the idea that there’s no point in voting even with a 2 party system. it works. overwhelmingly. but so many people have this idea, like people who drive by a wreck and think “oh someone’s probably already called 911” and keep driving, that there’ll be enough people even if they personally don’t show up. if even half the internet activism we see today translated to votes, there’d never be another republican president ever again. it’s fear, ignorance, and sheer laziness.

[companion-showdown]

Who is your favourite companion?

ROUND 1 MASTERPOST

propaganda under the cut

Vicki Pallister

nobody does it like vicki, running around time and space causing chaos wherever she goes while her surrogate grandfather watches on in approval also her introduction has poisoned my brain, i can't think of a companion whos come from a shittier situation, i mean the man who murdered her father spends half his time playing dressup so he can terrorise her, and the other half pretending to be her only friend in the universe laid up in bed injured and ill so she'll wait on him had and foot. the only positive thing in her life is her pet sandy who barbara kills, and its just arrrrgghghghgh (@sandymybeloved )

Steven Taylor

Come take a walk with me boy. In my mind palace. Steven is technically the first solo companion bc of the serial “The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve,” which is a fantastic serial btw. For a 60s companion there are some serious story/character arc ideas put down for him in the show, namely survivors guilt and #HATING the doctor. He and the Doctor have such an interesting relationship too. They don’t get along but there’s some sort of gradual respect that grows over time. Steven is a bitch and cocky but also the best fucking guy in the universe. He’s a hotshot pilot he’s got a panda plushie he’s probably bisexual (READ THE EMPIRE OF GLASS. CAN ANYBODY FUCKING HEAR ME) he’s miserable he’s kind of a genius (listen to the cold equations he does physics on the FLY under PRESSURE with his HANDS FREEZING IN SPACE) everyone he cares about suffers some sort of agonizing fate ….. just like the Doctor …. hmmmmmm…. Anyways. Thanks for walking with me boy. Watch The Gunfighters. (@abominandus )

Dodo Chaplet

no propaganda submitted

Sara Kingdom

So tragic. So utterly Tragic was the Life of Sara Kingdom. Enlisted at the age of eight into the earth military under a fascist regime, fully indoctrinated. Joined the secret police at the age of 28 to fight in earths never ending wars with the Daleks as well as to enforce earth law against its own people. Brother gets kidnapped by Daleks never to be seen again looses the last of her warmth. Is told her brother is a traitor. Kills him on the orders of the Dictator of the solar system. Realises what she did was wrong. joins the Doctor more out of necessity than want, slowly grows closer to the Doctor and Steven as they go on the run from the Daleks. Redeems her self then dies in a pointless gesture to save someone who was in little or no danger. And her death was not a painless one. (anonymous)

[devout-of-the-elder-scrolls]

Akatosh Summoning Day

(Note: This isn't a canon holiday. It's one I made myself to celebrate Akatosh. | Banners by saradika-graphics.)

Akatosh’s summoning day is Morning Star 08th, or January 08th.

This post is a UPG post about what I perform for said summoning day. You can do whatever it is you like on this day.

⛤ ⚬ AKATOSH . . ,

Akatosh, Chief God of the Nine Divines, is the Dragon God, Dragon of Time, and Father of the Empire and Imperial Family. He is grand and regal, who expects much from His followers.

Akatosh is a kind God, brave and fierce. He is honorable, who treats all with respect, as long as they have earned it. He is protective like a loving father, but doesn't reject letting them learn the hard way.

Akatosh usually helps during hard times, supporting His followers. He helps soothe trauma, enduring the hard times and providing guidance during, as well as with other things like research of officials and engaging with the rest of the Nine Divines.

Anything below this point is primarily UPG.

⛤ ⚬ ASSOCIATIONS . . ,

Akatosh is most commonly associated with dragons, eagles, fire, hourglasses, crowns, the shield and bow, the sun, large lizards, and perennial plants.

⛤ ⚬ OFFERINGS . . ,

↘ natural ; 

gemstones, esp diamonds. *¹

pine needles

cedar leaves

perennial flowers

rain water

phlox flowers

eagle feathers

↘ foodstuff ; 

wine, the older the better

cheese

perennial fruits (apple, strawberry, etc)

perennial herbs (thyme, etc)

perennial vegetables (asparagus, rhubarb, etc)

↘ items ; 

fancy hourglasses

dragon statues or statuettes

art of dragons

crowns, even if small little decor-y ones

jewelry, prefers bracelets, rings, and necklaces; and ones with gems *¹

shield and bow figurines

↘ music ; 

folk-style

enya

↘ etc ; 

yellow candles, to represent the color of sand/gold

very, very old things. antiques, old music, etc

historical documentaries

dragon’s blood incense

knowledge about your government

just your time

lit candles

*¹ fake ones are valid, with the correct intent.

⛤ ⚬ DEVOTIONALS . . ,

use an hourglass to time a meditative session (digital count)

support those in your life

study the Nine Divines and actively welcome Them into your life

self care and rest well

study your interests, it doesn’t matter what it is

wear an amulet of His

engage in debates, even if about nothing big

tend to physical wounds and illness well

keep perennial plants and make sure they live a long time

tend to a bonsai plant

keep a journal

attend a self-defense class

tend to your community, friends, family, etc. 

study the law, even if you don’t care much for all of it

vote in elections

read up on your elected individuals, and the people running for elections

listen to Him and His voice often

add to your Book of Shadows about the Nine Divines

study the faith from Akatosh

invite Him to drink wine together (or any other drink)

spend your time wisely, perform tasks for a specifically set amount of time

ask Him to watch over you for a time

donate to lizard preservation or similar things

behave as a leader in your own life

make a plan for the future

use a planner

analyze the past

⛤ ⚬ FESTIVITIES . . ,

Akatosh's summoning day can be celebrated in many ways that include devotional acts, but here's some extra options:

obviously, summon Akatosh and make an offering/honoring

provide for your community

meditate for a while

engage with a media source with dragons

fight back against hardship and pains

do a self care ritual

⛤ ⚬ SUMMONING . . ,

This is a personal summoning ritual. Please feel free to make your own.

INGREDIENTS AND OTHER TOOLS &&° 

a dragon statue(tte) to represent Akatosh

a red candle or wax melt

an hourglass

a perennial flower, fake valid but not preferred

pine needles or cedar leaves

STEPS &&° 

Dress your candles/wax melt by putting pine needles/cedar leaves around the bottom.

Pray over the dragon statue(tte) and call for Akatosh.

Light the candle, or turn on the wax melt, and wait for the scent to appear properly.

Water the flower, while reciting, “With this, I let this plant continue to live through time.”

Flip over the hourglass.

Make your statement of what you want, and once the hourglass has run dry, snuff/blow out the candle or turn off the wax melt.

[vrystalius]

Bird Hashira anon again. Idk if I'm ever gonna post this story but I thought you might be interested in just some random fun tidbits I have about this character

Pre hashira

He is really good at hiding, like most of his kills involve demons who didn't even know he was there.

After a couple years in the corps OC basically just assigned himself the recon aspect of the hashiras roles. Just cause he was good at it

Kagaya noticed that he was pretty good at the whole information gathering aspect and just started officially sending him to do that shit. It really helped cut back on unnecessary deaths of lower ranked slayers.

Usually he just responds with a ‘yeah this one was p fucked. It's been dealt w ✌️’

Occasionally sends a ‘please send someone competent or I'm going to die 🙂’

This is how he has met a handful of present and future hashira.

When he met Giyuu, he realized that the man is as awkward as him (but in a different way) and declared him a friend. He does not care if Giyuu agrees to this.

Whilst both of them will just walk away from awkward/unwanted conversations the key difference is OC will just outright say ‘i don't like this conversation, goodbye!’

Giyuu is very stressed because OC likes to drop out of the sky like an actual bird except he can't actually fly???

Kagaya has given him a little cottage that attached to wherever unassigned (and Injured/sick crows) hang out. I call it the Avery.

He spends his free time hanging out and gossiping with the crows. He knows waaaaaay to much about the rest of the corps.

Post Hashira

He technically didn't kill the lower moon himself, the sunrise did. So there is some debate over whether or not that should count

It's a pretty even split on who is for and who is against.

Truly a bewildering moment to all present when Giyuu, Obanai and Sanemi were all on the no side of things. Those two have never agreed with Giyuu once in their life.

Later someone tells OC Giyuu voted no and he is like ‘lmao that's fair, our last joint mission was a complete disaster!’

Shinobu terrifies him but in like… a positive way. He thinks it's too bad that their fighting styles don't compliment each other very well.

By the time cannon starts he is the second shortest hashira (by like half an inch, it's truly devastating the day Muichiro surpasses him)

Also thinking about the Tanjiro incident and imagining Obanai and OC furiously competing for the one well placed tree. Because they can't both be in it??? ‘Im the BIRD Hashira! Go lie on a rock or something!!!’

He also has a tragic backstory ™ but like that's less fun than all of this tbh so I'll leave that be lmao

Oh I remember this! So sorry for not replying earlier, I overlooked somehow between all the other messages :,) apologies for the month-late reply

I love Giyu being friends with your OC except he wasn’t informed about it, basically he isn’t aware himself that he is his friend. I feel like the closest they have gotten to friendship activities is either silently eating soba noodles side by side and slaying demons together. Maybe it could be like a known thing that your OC sends a complaint every time they partner up with someone, but never sent one out about Giyu or Obanai (Obanai was the love interest, right? My memory is terrible XD)

Also, love the idea of Obanai and your OC arguing about who gets to sit in trees. Obanai would be very stubborn about giving his spot up and may need some persuasion, maybe trading good missions for a month for a month’s worth of tree-owning. Or the tree is treated like a child of a divorce, for one week, it’s in the OCs possession and in the other in Obanai’s. Although they don’t get to use those privileges often since it’s not every day that Kagaya gets the hashira together for a meeting.

Thank you for sharing this— I like reading about OCs people use! I’m not sure if this was a self-insert or just an OC, if you mentioned it before I probably forgot, but I like the idea of getting to know how people imagine themselves in their favourite media or work of fiction. I sometimes wonder what you all imagine when I write mine :P

[stephenjaymorrisblog]

Analyzing the Apathetic

Stephen Jay Morris

April 29, 2023

©Scientific Morality

            Here is a thought experiment: It’s a game I like to call, “What If?” Ok, here we go...what if I’d gotten a career and had a traditional family? Let’s say, I was in good health. I had two boys and a girl. Knowing myself, I would have focused on taking care of my family. I would have shared the chores with my wife. We’d take turns parenting our kids. Being a parent is a sacrifice of your life. No time to hang out with friends from the past, no time for voting, no time for anything. You try to keep up with current events, but you spend more time trying to work out the family budget. Your salary is not enough, so your wife gets a part-time job. Your kids are having trouble in school, so you have meetings with their teachers. You can’t afford a gardener, plumber, or painter, so, you have to do it all yourself. You fantasize about retirement. Every Sunday, you go to Church and listen to your pastor talk about how evil the world is and who you should vote for.

If I had a life like that, I would have committed suicide!

            I repeat here the shit I’ve said in the past: The traditional family is social engineering at its worst! As a parent, you are far too busy to rebel against the rich, the government, and organized religion. You are politically neutered. You are no threat to anyone in power. You are involuntarily apathetic.

Then, there are other types of apathetic. The swinging bachelor who is a hedonist, a playboy. He is self-centered. There is the God-centered—he doesn’t care for life, but is focused on the afterlife. There is the bastard who is money–centered, who thinks life is just about power and fun. Everybody has their own agenda in life. Oh—I almost forgot about this character—the seeker of inner truth, the New Age heathen. And let’s not forget the penniless Libertarian. These personalities are all voluntarily apathetic.

            Now, apathy can be either intentional or unintentional, but man, it pisses off both sides of the coin! The Left is displeased with the apathetic, and the Right is pissed at them. And to me? They are like kids lost at Disney World, terrified over why food and gas cost so much. A lot of them are eccentric and some are angry. They realize that the traditional family is a lie. There is family drama and there are family feuds. They don’t understand what the problem is.

Don’t think that your naive innocence will win you sympathy. To the world, you are just a sucker to be exploited. You’ve got an organic computer inside your head. You just need to learn how to access the information.

  ��         What both sides of the political spectrum know is that, if the apathetic got political, they could take over the USA. They are trying to appeal to this demographic by way of T.V. commercials. The Democrats talk about dinner table issues. Just listen to a President Biden speech. It’s chalk full of folksy rhetoric. Such as a mother who has breast cancer, but continues to cook dinner for her family. And there is Republican alarmism. Yep, some drag queen is going have your kids touch his dick. And—yes—both parties are the same! Not in their rhetoric, but in their intent. The same rich donors give money to both parties to protect their greedy interests.

            Sure, I worry that the USA will become some authoritarian nightmare. But it hasn’t happened yet. It’s because of apathy. What do I think or feel about the apathetic? I hate them, but I am grateful that they exist. They are a safety valve against Right wing authoritarianism and Left-wing totalitarianism.

That’s it!!