#don’t vote against your own self interest

[retroyoshi]

[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!”

[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

[eugenedebs1920]

Who else thinks that posting controversial, deceptive, instigating opinions and memes, like @prettynpink17 but not allowing comments shows a real lack of courage and integrity? You got some batsh*t things you want to put out in the world, but you don’t want to hear anything in response? That’s the entire Republican echo chamber though. They say some absurd falsity, claiming some outlandish sh*t, then put their fingers in their ears going,”lalalalalalalallalalalala” because they know what they’re saying is void of truth and they don’t give a sh*t. Why am I surprised though? For a party who has no moral compass, that has to suppress voter turnout, cheat at every moment, make up their own rules in contrast to the existing ones, a party where integrity or self respect is LONG gone, a party where sexual assault, meh, let’s victim shame instead, a party where, espionage and collision with our biggest adversary, ‘why is it bad to be friends with Putin?’ A party where a life time of fraud doesn’t disqualify you, where violating the Constitution simply doesn’t matter, a party when any time you point out their hypocrisy and flaws just answers, “TDS”. A Republican Party who voted against guaranteed paid overtime, and their followers went, ‘yea!!! Screw immigrants!!” A Republican Party who voted against raising the minimum wage and against paid family leave, and their supporters went “Yea!! It’s all them immigrants!!” A Republican Party who voted against funding FEMA when Hurricane Helene was brewing in the gulf and their supporters went “Yea! F the deep state!” notwithstanding that the majority of the states in the path of that hurricane, and most hurricanes, is directly through red states. How do you keep getting people to vote against their own interests like that? A couple ways. You give them someone to hate, a shared enemy, like immigrants, used to be black people. You keep them uniformed and uneducated, as getting rid of the department of education does as well as delegitimizing ALL news sources besides the ones that tell your propaganda. It’s an absolute disgrace and embarrassment what has happened to the “GOP”. It’s truly disheartening to see so many, so lost…

[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.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Fighting the privacy wars, state by state

In 2021, Apple updated its mobile OS so that users could opt out of app tracking with one click. More than 96% opted out, costing Facebook $10b in one year. The kicker? Even if you opted out, Apple continued to spy on you, just as invasively as Facebook had, as part of its competing targeted ad product:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

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/2023/02/23/state-of-play/#patchwork

The fact that Apple — a company that has blanketed the world with anti-surveillance billboards — engaged in deceptive, pervasive surveillance reveals the bankruptcy of “letting the market decide” what privacy protections you should have.

When you walk into a grocery store, you know that the FDA is on the job, making sure that the food you buy doesn’t kill you — but no one stops the grocery store from tracking literally every step you take, every eye movement you make (no, really!) and selling that to all comers:

https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/02/16/forget-milk-and-eggs-supermarkets-are-having-a-fire-sale-on-data-about-you

America’s decision to let the private sector self-regulate commercial surveillance is a grotesque failure of duty on the part of Congress, which has consistently failed to pass comprehensive privacy legislation. There are lots of reasons for this, but the most important is that American cops and spies are totally reliant on commercial surveillance brokers, and they fight like hell against any privacy legislation:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/13/public-interest-pharma/#axciom

The private sector’s unregulated privacy free-for-all means that cops don’t need to get warrants to spy on you — they can just buy the data on the open market for pennies:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/08/18/fifth-pig/#ppp

The last Congressional session almost passed a halfway decent (but still deeply flawed) federal privacy law, but then they didn’t. Basically, Congress only passes laws that can be sandwiched into 1,000-page must-pass bills and most of the good stuff that gets through only does so because some bought-and-paid-for Congressjerks are too busy complaining about “woke librarians” to read the bills before they come up for a vote.

The catastrophic failure to protect Americans’ privacy has sent human rights groups hunting for other means to accomplish the same end. On the federal level, there’s the newly reinvigorated FTC, under the visionary, muscular leadership of Lina Khan, the best Commission chair in a generation. She’s hard at work on rules to limit commercial surveillance:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/12/regulatory-uncapture/#conscious-uncoupling

But FTC regs take time to pass, and it can be hard for ordinary individuals to trigger their enforcement, which might leave you at the mercy of your local officials when your privacy is invaded. What we really need is a privacy law with a “private right of action” — the right to go to court on your own:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/01/you-should-have-right-sue-companies-violate-your-privacy

The business lobby hates private right of action, and they trick low-information voters into opposing them with lies about “ambulance chasers” who sue innocent fast-food outlets for millions because they serve coffee that’s too hot:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/12/hot-coffee/#mcgeico

With Congress deadlocked and privacy harms spiraling, pro-privacy groups have turned to the states, as Alfred Ng writes for Politico:

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/22/statehouses-privacy-law-cybersecurity-00083775

The best provisions of the failed federal privacy law have been introduced as state legislation in Massachusetts and Illinois, and there are amendments to Indiana’s existing state privacy law — 16 states in all are working on or have some kind of privacy law. This means businesses must live with the dread “patchwork of laws,” which serves the business lobby right: they must do business in potentially radically different ways in different states, and small missteps could cost them millions, in true fuck-around-and-find-out fashion.

As Ng writes, these laws don’t have to pass in every state. America’s historically contingent, lopsided state lines mean that some states are so populous that whatever rules they pass end up going nationwide (the ACLU’s Kade Crockford uses the example of California Prop 65 warnings showing up on canned goods in NY).

As Congress descends further into self-parody, the temptation to treat the federal government as damage and route around it only mounts. It’s a powerful, but imperfect strategy. On the negative side, it takes a lot of resources to introduce legislation into multiple states, and to win legislative fights in each.

Think of the incredible fuckery that the coalition of Apple, John Deere, Wahl, and other monopolists got up to defeat dozens of state Right to Repair laws, even snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in New York state, neutering the incredible state electronics repair law before it reached the governor’s desk:

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/17/more-details-on-how-tech-lobbyists-lobotomized-nys-right-to-repair-law-with-governor-kathy-hochuls-help/

Indeed, the business lobby loves lobbying statehouses, treating them as the Feds’ farm-leagues, filled with naive, easily hoodwinked rubes. Organizations like ALEC use their endless corporate funding to get state legislation that piles farce upon tragedy, like the laws banning municipal fiber networks:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/15/useful-idiotsuseful-idiots/#unrequited-love

The right has always had hooks in state legislatures, but they really opened up the sluice gates in the runup to the 2010 census, when a GOP strategist called Thomas Hofeller started pitching Republican operatives on a plan called REDMAP, to capture state legislatures in time for a post-2010 census mass-redistricting that would neutralize the votes of Black and brown people and deliver permanent rule by an openly white nationalist Republican party that could lose every popular vote and still hold power.

Of course, that’s not how they talked about it in public. Though the racial dimension of GOP gerrymandering were visible to anyone on the ground, Hofeller maintained a veneer of plausible deniability on the new REDMAP districts, leaving the racist intent of GOP redistricting as a he-said/she-said matter of conjecture:

https://www.klfy.com/national/late-gop-redistricting-gurus-files-hint-at-partisan-motives/

That is, until 2018, when Satan summoned Hofeller back to hell, leaving his personal effects in the hands of his estranged anarchist daughter, Stephanie, who dumped all her old man’s files online, including the powerpoint slides he delivered to his GOP colleagues where he basically said, “Hey kids, let’s do an illegal racism!”

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pked4v/the-anarchist-daughter-of-the-gops-gerrymandering-mastermind-just-dumped-all-his-maps-and-files-on-google-drive

Sometimes, laws that turn on intent are difficult to enforce because they require knowledge of the accused’s state of mind. But there are so many would-be supervillains who just can’t stop themselves from monologing, and worse, putting it in writing.

As bad as state politics can be, they’re still winnable battlefields. Last year saw a profound win on Right to Repair in Colorado, where a wheelchair repair bill, HB22–1031, made history:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/when-drm-comes-your-wheelchair

That win helped inspire Rebecca Giblin and I when we were writing Chokepoint Capitalism, our book about how Big Tech and Big Content rip off creative workers, and what to do about it.

https://chokepointcapitalism.com

Many readers have noted that the first half of the book — where were unpack the scams of streaming, news advertising, ebooks and audiobooks, and other creative fields — is incredibly enraging.

But if you find yourself struggling to concentrate on the book because of a persistent, high-pitched whining noise that you suspect might be a rage-induced incipient aneurysm, keep reading! The second half of the book is full of detailed, shovel-ready policy proposals to get artists paid, including a state legislative proposal that works from the same playbook as these state privacy laws.

If your creative work entitles you to receive royalties, your contract will typically include the right to audit your royalty statements. If you do audit your royalties, you will often find “discrepancies.” We cite one LA firm that has performed tens of thousands of record contract audits over decades, and in every instance except one, the errors they discovered were in the labels’ favor.

This is a hell of a head-scratcher. I can only assume that some kind of extremely vexing, highly localized probability storm has taken up permanent residence over the Big Three labels’ accounting departments, making life hell for their CPAs, and my heart goes out to them.

Anyway: if you find one of these errors and you tell your label or publisher or studio, “Hey, you stole my money, cough up!” they will pat you on the head and say, “Oh, you artists are adorable but you can’t do math. You’re mistaken, we don’t owe you anything. But because we’re good natured slobs, we’ll offer you, say, half of what you think we owe you, which is good, because you can’t afford to sue us. And all you need to do to get that money is to sign this non-disclosure agreement, meaning you can’t tell anyone else about the money we’re stealing from them.

“Oh, and one more thing: your accountant has to promise never to audit us again.” As Caldwell-Kelly said when we talked about this on Trashfuture, this is like the accused murderer telling the forensics team, “Dig anywhere you’d like in my garden, just not in that corner, I’m very sentimental about it.”

https://trashfuturepodcast.podbean.com/e/amazon-billing-amazon-for-amazon-feat-cory-doctorow-and-rebecca-giblin/

Now, contracts are a matter of state law, and nearly every entertainment industry contract is signed in one of four jurisdictions: NY, CA, TN (Nashville), and WA (games companies and Amazon). If we amended the state laws in one or more of these to say, “NDAs can’t be enforced when they pertain to wage theft arising from omissions or misstatements on royalties,” we could pour money into the pockets of creative workers all over the world.

Yes, the entertainment giants will fight like hell against this, and yes, they have a lot of juice in their state legislatures. But they’re also incredibly greedy and reckless, and prone to such breathtaking and brazen acts of wage theft that they lurch from crisis to crisis, and at each of these crises, there is a space to pass a law to address these very public failings.

For example, in 2022, the Writers Guild of America — one of the best, most principled, most solidaristic and unified unions in Hollywood — wrested $42 million from Netflix, which the company had stolen from its writers:

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/wga-wins-42-million-arbitration-netflix-1235333822/

Netflix isn’t alone in these massive acts of wage theft, and this is certainly not the only way Netflix is stealing from creative workers. There’s never just one ant: if Netflix cooked the books for writers, they’re definitely cooking it for other workers. That means there will be more scandals, and when they break, we can demand more than a bandaid fix for one crime — we can demand modest-but-critical legislative action to fix contracts and prevent this kind of wage-theft in the future.

The state legislatures aren’t an intrinsically better battlefield for just fights, but they are an alternative to Congress, and there is space to make things happen in just some of the 50 state houses that can ripple out over the whole country — for good and bad.

[Image ID: Blind justice, holding aloft a set of unbalanced scales; in the lower scale is a map of the USA showing the state lines; in the higher scale rests the capitol building.]

[thescaliforniagentleman]

Americans voting against their own self interests? Yeah, par for the course.

Unless you’re a multimillionaire or billionaire, you will do much worse under a fascist minority rule. When your inflation skyrockets driven by tariffs and you can’t pay your bills, don’t be surprised, hate-filled Americans.

I feel really bad for all the brave Ukrainians who have died fighting to defend their democracy from a fascist dictatorship. 😔And all of our former NATO allies who will be nervously looking east and wondering when they’ll be the next country to be invaded. It’s gonna suck for Americans to travel abroad when we’ll be seen as an autocracy governed by the worst among us.

Just try to remember, 2/3 of the American population did not vote for tRump.

SCalGentleman

[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