#i am a woman of science first and foremost

[ad0rechuu]

u don’t have to common sense to believe that the moon landing was real but when i don’t believe that the month you were born determines your entire being i’m the crazy one???

i HATE fucking astrology

[hadesoftheladies]

"you are killing a baby"

i am killing a fetus, not an infant. an egg is not a chicken. potential is not actuality.

"you are murdering an innocent."

it doesn't matter who is innocent. a hungry lion may be innocent in wanting to eat me only because it is hungry and may not have the cognitive capacities to exercise something like restraint or conscience. that does not mean i should not defend myself from harm. it is still self-defense. all animals are expected to protect themselves first and foremost. you are just so used to the idea that women (especially mothers) are supposed to sacrifice their lives for their children in order to be good people--like they aren't human beings with self-preservation instincts.

harm equals anything that threatens the life or health of a person and pregnancy does both.

"your body was meant/designed to do this"

miscarriages are as natural as pregnancies. why do you think the placenta exists? pregnancy sickness? the female body can grow a person, yet also has resistance mechanisms for a pregnancy.

also, just because i have genes that make me a good runner doesn't mean i have to become a marathoner. like think for a second.

"what will the father think?"

women don't owe men or society themselves. i know that's very hard for you to grasp but there's no time like the present to start. there is no ethical way to make a woman a commodity or government assigned asset for reproduction or sex.

"the baby is conscious"

so is the lion in the hypothetical. also, that's debatable. also, what are your thoughts on veganism? since you care so much about the suffering of conscious beings (that is beings with selves)

"but animals aren't humans. they don't deserve the same rights as humans because of their lower cognitive capacities"

great. now apply this ethic to babies and mentally disabled people and then try to explain to me why that has to be different without mentioning how you feel or your religion. :)

"a baby has more potential than an animal."

okay, and why does that potential automatically mean better or more valuable? higher cognitive capacities haven't stopped wars and mass murders have they? (and i would argue that bringing a child into a violent world increases their chance of becoming unhealthy or complicit persons, so you can almost know what the character of your child will be like for certain based on where you're raising them).

"a baby has a soul"

there are two kinds of dualisms within christianity: thomistic and cartesian. cartesian dualism has gone out of fashion even amongst christian theologians and philosophers.

Substance dualism, or Cartesian dualism, most famously defended by René Descartes, argues that there are two kinds of foundation: mental and physical. Descartes states that the mental can exist outside of the body, and the body cannot think.

'Thomistic substance dualism' (TSD) centers around two beliefs: 1) the rational soul is an immaterial substance, and 2) this immaterial substance is the human person.

aside from the fact that both of these philosophies are rife with problems, I think thomistic dualism is the stronger of the two. the rational soul is, in a way, a word for the self.

regardless, both of these describe a self as a soul. so i'm just going to define a self.

The psychology of self is the study of either the cognitive and affective representation of one's identity or the subject of experience. The earliest formulation of the self in modern psychology forms the distinction between two elements I and me. The self as I, is the subjective knower. While, the self as Me, is the subject that is known.

a self is a centralized consciousness with their own memories, introspection and reflections. we know through neuroscience, psychology, behavioural science and sociology that a person or self is formed via experiences (where memories and impressions are gathered, how people learn), language and socialization (economy, history, family, culture) and possibly some genetic expressions (although i think this is more about capacity than actualization).

this is why things like dementia or alzheimer's are so scary and difficult. when a person loses memories, they lose aspects of themselves. when a person changes their environment, they also become different people (even while maintaining some similarities with their past selves).

this is mirrored in popular media, characters that lose their memories lose versions of themselves. this is also why, when you look at stories that feature a multiverse, the same character becomes a different person in different lives. in short, you are not born a person. you become one, and although your self remains singular and centralized (even with age), that self still changes. both the self and the people around the self create the self.

this is also why socially isolated individuals devolve and become mindless or sick (and even have reduced lifespan). certain higher human capacities like "conscience" or "empathy" can be socialized out of a human being, as well. i'd even go so far as to say that children begin conceptualizing themselves as individuals only when they begin to sense the presence of other human beings. they cannot conceptualize their own identity without the presence of other people. they probably don't know they are a self until they recognize other people and then realize they themselves are also people, and people are individuals.

legally a person is:

. . . an entity that the law recognises as having its own distinct personality. This usually means one that is able to act in its own right, and capable of possessing legal rights and liabilities, including individuals (or "natural persons") and corporate organisations.

my point is, how can a fetus with virtually no experiences (which born animals have), no language or skill (learned) to introspect or reflect (or abstract), possibly have a self? when they are not exposed to the outside world? certainly they have the capacity to develop a self, but as established earlier on, potential is not actuality. so legally and psychologically, a fetus is very likely not a person.

but we do not need this to be true to justify abortion regardless, because an innocent person is still causing harm, whether directly or indirectly. so the woman/girl has every right to resist.

[the-blue-eyed-firebender]

Hi!

Have I ever told you this? (Probably! But I'll say it again, ha) It's been an absolute treat reading your Royai fics. Thank you for joining this fandom!

What are your inspirations? 😃 In terms of writing style, but also ideas, etc. Please indulge us all, and please do geek out about your writing process too!

I always love learning about how fan fic writers work and write!

Thank you, and I hope you have a lovely day~

Hey there!

You are so kind. It's hard to put into words how much it means to have had such a lovely reception from the FMA fandom. I used to write a lot when I was a kid, but eventually stopped due to some unfortunate and painful circumstances. Writing for this fandom over the last couple of months has been an incredible journey. It has healed some very intrinsic parts of me that I’d forgotten were wounded, and I have written more in the last few months than I have in 15+ years.

So, first and foremost, thank YOU.

Inspirations: I've always been a lover of fantasy and science fiction. My very first fandom was Star Wars, followed shortly thereafter by Avatar: The Last Airbender. Recently, I've become a huge Sarah J. Maas fan (I read ALL of her books in the year 2023 - minus the new one that came out in January). I've also enjoyed Suzanne Collins and Leigh Bardugo (particularly her Six of Crows duology).

But really, I just love stories. I love adventure, magic, and romance. I look for complex characters, vibrant worlds, strong magic systems, and rich backstories. My favorites always involve women who embody strength (mental, physical, and emotional), capable leadership, and femininity. Characters who are equal parts war-like and compassionate, fearsome yet soft.

But my very best inspiration comes from real-life: my sweet husband. It's going to sound silly, but I feel like I write about true love because I've experienced it. This guy was 100% written by a woman (lol). He's read everything I've written, and provides the most wonderful feedback and encouragement.

As far as style/process, I feel like I am still developing it? Haha! It's only been a minute since I got back into writing. But it usually starts with daydreaming to music (often songs without lyrics; Secession Studies is a favorite), typically while I'm in the car. With my first FMA fic, The Counteroffer, I was listening to "Beautiful Things" by Benson Boone on repeat. Something about the way he sings "Please stay / I want you, I need you, oh God" really set the tone for that story. That, combined with inspiration from the infamous Chapter 54 of A Court of Mist and Fury.

There's usually an moment or a line of dialogue that pops into my brain first (for The Counteroffer, it was Hawkeye lifting the discharge paperwork to find Mustang has also given her an unsigned marriage certificate). I write that bit, then the rest of the story sort of fills in around it. I write in disjointed fragments, adding chunks here and there and then connecting them together. Sometimes I shuffle things around, moving chunks to different locations in the story to see how it changes the flow.

Beginnings, endings, and titles are usually the hardest for me to come up with.

And here's a few of my own patterns that I've started to notice:

I love stories that read with a poetic beat to them (I think the best example of this in my own work is Hourglass).

I use line breaks for emphasis a lot.

I am intentional about keeping things concise but impactful. When it comes to word count, my personal rule is quality > quantity, always.

I try not to use "said/says" without other descriptive words.

If a portion of the story is dialogue driven, I'll read it aloud to make sure it actually flows like real conversation.

I often drop "and" from sentences when I feel like it messes with the poetic flow ("She became familiar with the space between heartbeats, the squeeze of the trigger, the wet sound of a bullet finding its mark." - Hourglass).

In the same vein, I use a sort of "rule of threes" quite a bit. I break sentences into three parts, offer three descriptions of a character's observation/sensation/emotion, repeat the same phrase three times, etc. (Oh look, I've done it again.)

I write in third person, present tense, always from the perspective of one character at a time. I feel like this puts myself and the reader right in the middle of the action, as it's happening. I dive deep into the primary character's thoughts and senses, both internal and external.

I re-read/re-watch the original content (i.e. FMAB, the manga) often, even if it's just in small parts. It keeps me grounded to who these characters are, and prevents me from going OOC. It's so easy to lose track of characterization if it's been too long since I watched an episode or read a chapter.

Hoo boy this got long. Thanks so much for the delightful ask! It was a lot of fun to dive into my own writing process and habits.

[ellie-the-oracle]

Freefalling From Great Heights - A Discussion & Analysis

Hey guys. So, I lied about getting off socials LOL I really need to go full on film theory here and talk about the fall. I do want to preface though and say that I am not a woman of science (I’m an art girlie), therefore I won’t be able to make any sort of proper calculations. Without further ado, I’m going to break down the whole fall and discuss how Tech could’ve and probably did survive. 

First and foremost, I want to go back and take a look at the most clear shot given to viewers of the height between the tram system and the perceived ground level. In this picture, we get a brief glimpse from Wrecker’s POV of how far down it is from the trams. 

While it looks quite high, considering they are practically in the clouds, it is important to note the amount of foliage this planet has; a vast amount large trees, specifically tall pine trees.

These types of trees are not uncommon in biomes that include bodies of water. Consider the images below.

 While it is not definitive, it can be safe to assume that there could have been a stream or body of water below in that valley. However, even if this was not the case, the trees are large enough that they can dampen a fall, even if it is from a great height. This leads me to my next point: 

How high of a fall can humans survive?

An NCBI article covers the case of a rock climber who had fallen from a total of 300 feet and survived. Though she suffered many severe injuries, she was able to recover after extensive medical care. According to this article, the way in which a person falls is imperative to survival. In particular, if a person is falling vertically, they can survive an average fall height of 23 feet and 7 inches (7.2 meters) with minor to moderate injury. Survivable injuries have a threshold of around 20-25 feet. Yet the rock climber was able to survive at even greater heights. That being said, according to an article by Arnold & Atkin Trial Lawyers, 20 feet and below can still prove to be fatal. Moreover, fatal falls usually are between 21 and 40 feet. Considering all the information thus far, it would seem that Tech is exceptionally fucked. But stay with me folks, I’m not done cooking yet.

While it is not common, humans have, in fact, survived free falls at extreme heights. Take for example Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant who holds the Guinness world record for surviving the highest freefall without a parachute: 33,330 feet (10,160 meters). She was in a coma for days and spent several months hospitalized. She suffered a fractured skull, three broken vertebrae, broken legs, broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis, leaving her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Despite all of this, she made a nearly complete recovery, only continuing to walk with a limp. 

In another case, Nicholas Alkemade, a British tail gunner of the Royal Air Force during World War II, survived a freefall of 18,000 feet (5, 490 meters). His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. 

While the first case can be safely considered as a miracle, it's the second case that is interesting. The pilot survived a freefall from a height he should’ve died from. Yet, due to the large trees and the snow on the floor, his fall was cushioned and allowed for him to survive. 

Now, taking what we discussed and applying it to the Star Wars universe, the chances of Tech surviving is definitely in our favour. Firstly, we know there is a lot of foliage (bushes, grass, etc.), and there are also massive trees. But we must remember that this isn’t just some random, unprepared person that is falling. This is Tech, a highly skilled, highly intelligent, and well equipped clone trooper. It is also important to mention that he is wearing a helmet and a chest plate, which provides protection to critical body parts. Knowing him, Tech could have very well put his gear to use and used a grappling hook to attach to a tree and create momentum from his fall to swing onto the ground. He could have also gotten into the falling tram and found a way to cushion his fall. But let’s say he does neither of these things (perhaps due to the speed at which he was falling), Tech can still survive if he falls vertically into the pine trees and foliage, which will cushion his fall, just like Nicholas Alkemade and the rock climber, respectively.

Furthermore, based on all that has been discussed and considered, the chances of survival of a freefall from that height, while seemingly impossible, is in fact, possible and likely. 

Sources:

[curiousb]

The Steele Family Album: Volume XI

Lucy might be an elder, but she’s still focused on becoming the foremost Criminal Mastermind in Merybury, and hence needs to keep up her fitness levels.

The gym is also a great place to schmooze. Fancy meeting the legendary Goopy GilsCarbo, and even getting to shake his hand!

Back home, Catherine and Miles have been enjoying a rather different form of exercise.

I think we all saw this coming.

And Miles’ response can be no surprise to anyone either.

Catherine’s dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheart might be crashing down around her, but she still has her dignity. If the relationship really is going nowhere, then it’s time to bring it to an end. For the first time in his life, Miles has been friend-zoned!

At least faithful kitty Tiberius loves her.

He does not, however, like upstart Meg usurping his favourite spot on the kitchen counter!

If it’s cold, put some clothes on, woman!

It’s also a certain handsome young man’s birthday!

Erasmus’ teen stats:

~ Aries 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 4

~ Brave / Cat Person / No Sense of Humour / Computer Whiz

~ OTH: Science

~ Favourite Colour(s): Lime Green

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Family

~ Turn-ons/off: +Alien / +Mechanical  / -Daydreamer

His birthday comes complete with the revelation that he and best friend Edward are starting to see each other as more than friends.

I’m very glad to see Edward having some fun for a change, rather than just bathing babies!

I am NOT however, glad to see this! Lucy and George have had a platonic friendship since they were at uni together, but the moment my back is turned, they’re suddenly smooching in the kitchen! Where on earth did that spring from?

[xhiel]

Finding Anastasia

She pushed open the doors to the Studium, finding who she sought by the signature red hair that hung well below her belt. Lia stood, talking, hushed emphatic tones on her voice. Xhiel stopped in her step, seeing who it was she spoke to.

The young woman had matched hair, pulled into a loose ponytail, cast slightly to one side as if it were made in haste. Her furrowed brow matched Lia's fiery demeanor, and the mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, told the story of who her sire was.

Anastasia, Xhiel's first born, her heir, her daughter, stood speaking with her wife, sharing the hushed tone.

"You need to speak with your Mother." Xhiel caught Lia's words, feeling the matronly admonishment in them, perhaps more than Anastasia did.

"Absolutely not. You two… the scions. You're ruining everything here for me." her daughter spoke through half grit teeth.

Xhiel took a breath, then, stepping forwards, arms folded in her robes, coming up next to Lia. "I have come at a bad time, then?"

Anastasia recoiled, shocked, staring wide-eyed at Xhiel. She was silent.

"Apologies for the lack of notice. And for our… missteps in your new home." Xhiel gave a cant of her head in acknowledgment.

"How…," Anastasia seemed unable to find words for a long moment. "How dare you?" she managed finally. "How dare you appear out of nowhere, no word, no warning, ruining my reputation and… and…."

"The reputation I ruin is my own. Sharlayan does not lay the sins of the parent upon their children." Xhiel's eyes went to the books in Anastasia's arms. "That is a collection of my published notes and papers."

"They keep several copies." Her daughter looked at her, speaking carefully, slowly, fighting the tears in her throat

"You continue your studies apace then." Xhiel said, nodding. "You will no doubt impress the staff here."

Anastasia didn't respond. She turned. She left.

Lia looked at her wife, then to the retreating Anastasia. "She's still tangled up…."

As was common for her age, Anastasia had come at odds with expectations set upon her. She was first born. An heir. She was a Lady… or was to be. She still might have been.

Xhiel had, as with all of her children, given Anastasia the choice. She could be Lady Anastasia White. Or she could abdicate, allow one of her sisters to take the title, and do as she pleased with her life.

The House of White might die then and there, if Xhiel were honest with herself. None of the girls seemed to be ones to head a house. And, contrary to what most might believe, Xhiel would be glad for it.

Lest they chose to take it up, trouble and all, she would rather her house vanish into history than force it upon her children.

Anastasia had not made the choice. She had run from it.

Several letters had been exchanged. Most of them an acquiesce on Xhiel's part for Sharlayan; supplies, secrecy, agreements. All so that Anastasia might live and study there. They had been small favors, in this mother's mind.

Now, meeting again, never a word exchanged between them for years, even between all the letters she had sent, Xhiel saw how her daughter had lived.

The name Xhiel White was known in scholarly circles, especially where alchemy and aetherology were concerned. Her work on Allagan technology was long published, as were several long papers on various aspects of Alchemy as a science. And, while she was never once foremost in the field, holding a summoner's soulstone made one a font of knowledge that scholars consulted.

Her name hung over her daughter's head.

Xhiel looked to Lia, then, "Our daughter needs her mother. And I cannot be that for her. Not while I am in bad standing with the Forum. Not while my name bears the weight of a crazed woman singing the end of days coupled with the weight of a woman whose footsteps she must follow in her studies."

"I'll find her… take her to The Last Stand, sit with her." Lia sighed, smiling sadly at her wife, "Children are my greatest joy."

***

Lia barely ate food. Her body required little else other than a constant supply of aether to sustain itself. And, given she was an aetherial conduit, she was never in short supply.

The oddity of being a homonculous, organic though she was, stood out in those small ways.

For others, she would have put on the show of enjoying the meal. For Annie? The lie would be insulting.

Still, the ice cream she had ordered for them both was undeniably delicious, and so she shared it with her daughter, sitting in silence for a time.

"You always get me ice cream when I'm upset." Annie said over the spoon in her mouth.

"Yeah. It works too." Lia laughed, sitting back in her chair. "Anything you wanna say?"

"No." Annie snapped. Lia looked at her, relaxed in her chair, returning none of that anger. She sighed. "Yes."

"She's nowhere within earshot. My collar is with her."

Annie eyed her mom a moment, eyes flicking to her neck, finding it barren. "Fine." She paused for a long moment, looking around trying to find where to start.

Lia, for her part, slid her spoon through the little mountain of ice cream, slipping the bite between her lips.

"I…," Annie looked towards Lia, patient eyes lacking admonishment there. "I'm sorry."

Lia blinked, shaking her head a little. "Ya know, not what I expected. But go on."

"I'm sorry I didn't… I'm sorry I just left. I'm sorry I made you do all that work. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She shut her eyes tight, fighting back tears.

Lia was quiet, still, and Annie looked up to see how she reacted. No anger, no matronly admonishment, nothing but understanding was in the sad little smile Lia wore.

Annie felt herself shake, then, teeth gritting. "You're supposed to be furious! You're supposed to wag your finger at me, tell me I'm too old for this! You're supposed to tell me it's time to make a decision, choose who I'm going to be!"

She slammed the table, drawing the attention of those who had not already started staring when she shouted. A stern look from Lia made those heads turn back away.

"If I were Xhiel, I might say something like, 'that would be unhelpful'. But I'm not… I'm your mom, not your mother. You… Annie," she caught herself in a little laugh, "You don't have to know those things, you know that, right? You're sixteen, sure. Old enough to be a Lady, if you choose. But old enough to not be a Lady."

Annie's shoulders shook as she sobbed, and Lia moved her chair, pulling her daughter into her arms. "I don't know," she whispered through her tears.

"You don't have to."

***

Harmonia fluffed the last of the pillows in the quarters the White family had been given in Sharlayan. Xhiel bade them come, made arrangements for them, when she had returned from the moon.

Knowing The Final Days were growing closer and closer, and that they might be boarding the Ark had put them all in a strange malaise.

And when Harmonia was stressed, she cleaned, made order out of chaos. Alexandria, the woman who had sewn her clothes since she was small, kept Lia company when Xhiel was away, had joined her. The two of them were easy friends in times like these, and the sheets still needed tucking, food still needed preparing, and someone had no doubt spilled something somewhere.

Gene sat in her chair, a stack of books next to her, peering through a telescope. All of them were her notes, started when her Mother had first been conscripted by the Scions. She watched the world carefully, wanting desperately to know if she could help. Now she watched the sky, poured over notes, looking for answers… anything that might make the difference.

Joan set a cup of tea down for her, not missing an opportunity to hug Gene before going back to managing her other sisters. Where Harmonia kept the house, Joan kept the peace.

Now, though, she gave comfort. Ruby and Angelica, normally at odds with one another, were quiet. Angelica laid in Ruby's lap, trying desperately to pretend to be asleep… but her breathing was too fast, Joan knew. She poured tea for them, too.

Laura sat with Alpha, the old War hound curled up as if to sleep. A ruse well trained into him, betrayed by how his ears sat back, and his tail flicked. Still, she laid on him, finding comfort in the big hound's fur against her skin. If she was with Alpha, she was safe.

Natasha looked at her sister curiously for a moment, waving a hand to get Laura's attention. "Does Laura want tea?" she signed, tilting her head to go with the question.

Laura looked at her silent sister a moment, and what was normally a very quiet girl, nearly as stone faced as her mother, shed a little tear, shaking her head.

Natasha's hands went to her face, miming shock where she could not gasp. "Natasha will stay with Laura." she signed, her movement emphatic, making a declaration, not asking a question as she sat with her sister, laying her head upon Laura's shoulder.

Anna paced. She paced and paced and paced. Kiki and Katarina watched her. She went between stomping her way across the room to tiptoeing. She was horrifically, unequivocally, bored. This city had nothing this excitable girl wanted to do. Books were something she could barely sit still to have read to her… unless she liked them, and this was a city full of books.

So she paced. And Kiki watched, puzzled and trying desperately to pay attention to her own busy work. She had brought a harp to try and learn to play, only to snap the strings several times. Of course, the Sharlayan musicians had been happy to help her with the repairs… the first three times. So now, she carefully tuned it, using her voice to find the notes for each string, despite the noise her sister made.

Katarina sat shyly with Kiki, watching her sister fiddle with her harp, anxiously watching as she tightened strings, holding her breath when she thought they might snap… but this time they didn't. The half attempts at music gave this a sense of home… something normal. She could help her sister with this, it was something she could hold onto.

Penny, for all of the heavy anxiety in their quarters, seemed not to notice. She was happily slapping her hands away at the paper Samantha had given her, guiding her, so much as she could, to learn to finger paint. She was the third youngest of them, and had taken to the new arrangement as if it were simply a visit to a far flung land they'd be returning from soon enough.

"That's… good." Samantha sighed, wiping the paint from her fingers, washing them, and retightening her braids. If it kept Penny distracted, kept her from asking too many hard questions, Samantha was happy to give her little sister some of her paints. Still… if she'd just use a brush… and not so much of them…. She could get more. She could get more. The schools here had supplies she could request.

The door swung open and all in the room flung their heads to look, as if waiting for those inevitable words.

Instead, Anastasia stood there, Luna in her arms, Rhie holding onto her hand. "I found these two wandering around in Labyrinthos…."

She was surrounded, suddenly, all her sisters crowding her. Harmonia and Alexandria gently took the twins, her sister not missing the opportunity to press a quick kiss into her cheek. Joan tugged girls into a controlled circle, guiding them to give their sister space.

Anastasia stood there, looking dumbfounded, hand going to where Harmonia had kissed her. They were as close to cribmates as could have been, given Harmonia was a year younger. Her first friend, her first sister. She… she didn't seem angry with her. Only happy to see her.

Those mismatched eyes looked around the circle of girls, seeing Harmonia, Alex, and Joan slip into it as they managed the chaos. Every face looked at her, smiles and tears.

"You're not…" Annie couldn't find the words.

Natasha was the one to speak, signing with wide arms, "We missed you. So much."

Anastasia felt her knees buckle, tears flowing freely, hands barely able to sign back, "I missed you too."

***

"Absolutely not." Xhiel's tone was as even as ever. "Where I go here, you cannot follow."

They stood at the very center of the reason Labyrinthos had been built, the gateway to the Aitascope.

"I can. I will." Anastasia looked her mother in the eyes, standing firm.

Those words were something Xhiel had said to her daughter many a time when she had been defiant, when she had insisted Xhiel could not reprimand her or punish her for something she'd done to her sisters.

"While I respect your newfound determination, you are no seasoned combatant. You are a scholar of sixteen winters, nearing the end of her studies." her mother eyed her daughter, "You cannot follow me down this path."

"Yes I can. Just like I followed you down the path of alchemy. Just like I followed you down the path of aetherology." Anastasia stood firm, still.

"Not at the eleventh hour." Xhiel met here there. "You are as stubborn as ever, and while that has served you in your studies, in your pursuit of ever refining your skill, grit and determination are on the gravestone of every well meaning soldier."

Anastasia's mask broke, then, voice raising as she shouted at her mother, "I'm supposed to watch then? Sit here and stand with Krile while you go off, deep into the aetherial sea… maybe never… never…."

Lia rested a hand on Annie's shoulder, "We've been through worse."

She threw her shoulder, casting Lia's hand off, "That's worse! You have to know that! That… that I could've…." She curled over into herself, shaking and sobbing.

Xhiel knelt next to her daughter, a hand gently taking her chin, turning her to meet her mother's gaze. Annie found only a gentle understanding there, where she thought she might have found more of that stone faced admonishment.

"We leave you not behind us, but with the hope that you might continue forwards, with or without us." Xhiel's voice was rare and gentle, forehead resting against Annie's.

"And we will do everything to be with you on that path." Lia said, taking Annie's hand. "That's our place."

***

In the rise of the commotion, she'd slipped away and into the lift. The mechanism was simple enough, and she tossed the lever.

Anastasia watched the observers' platform vanish from sight in an instant, the lift falling fast as she turned to watch it venture downwards. She'd been content to trust in her mothers. She'd let them go, things left unsaid, trusting they would be back.

Now, though, communication had been lost. The last she knew, their way was barred and they were trapped between shades of the past.

Anastasia was no summoner. She had studied how arcanists used their magicks on the battlefield… and never once had she used it in practice.

Still, the Carbuncle at her feet stood poised and ready, and so she mirrored it as the doors opened.

This place was… quiet. She had expected more. But the path before her was eerie and still, letting sounds of distant battle echo back towards her. She took her first steps and found her foot falls were like drums amongst the silence. But there was only one way for her, now. Forwards.

***

The twisted thing made even Xhiel unsteady. The minor shades, fizzling tumults of emotion, echoes of souls left without recourse, were a small trouble by comparison.

This thing, this horrible visage, wore her mother's and sister's faces, spinning in a whirl of anger and hatred, reaching out for her with arms made of chain.

Titan caught them, the links wrapping about his body, the demi-primal roaring as he struggled against them, bursting with aether only to vanish into nothing when they wrapped tighter around him.

Ifrit fared no better, clashing against this violent shade and bursting into nothing but waisted aether as it broke against that twisted form. Garuda was fragile, and snapped in twain when the chains whirled upon her, leaving Xhiel in their path.

They wrapped about her, pulling her in, dragging her toward that tumult of pain and anguish, unheard cries of violent anger surrounding her, clawing at her, consuming her.

Light surrounded her, the thing’s unhinged jaw stopped by the agis, and it threw her in its frustrations. She felt herself tumble into another, falling into a half controlled crumple on the floor of this place.

She fought the urge to let her eyes close, fought her way to her feet… and felt a hand grasp her own, pulling her up.

Anastasia was there, looking as if she had seen the dead, clasped tight to Xhiel's hand. Xhiel laughed, the sound coming unbidden as she watched her daughter a moment, "Too stubborn by half."

A shot rang out, the familiar ring of a magazine ejecting from Lia's rifle following as she loaded another, pulling herself off the ground where she had caught Xhiel. That violent shade roared in its frustration, rounding on them again as it recoiled from the blast.

"Quips later. Monster now."

Xhiel turned, pulling Anastasia to face that thing with her, "You have an older sister."

"I-", Annie looked at Xhiel, stunned until another demi-primal breaking against the twisted visage brought her back. "How?"

"She died a year before you were born," Lia shouted over the cries of that terrible thing. "She's the reason I'm here. The reason you're here."

Titan caught the chains again, this time pulling them against his arms, wrestling with the shade. "She gave her life for Lia's… in a time not unlike this one," Xhiel seemed to struggle with her demi-primal, the aetherial construct failing, shattering.

"We hoped to see her here, if only for a moment," Lia looked back at Annie, smiling sadly.

Those chains found Lia in her brief distraction, and Annie snapped towards her, pointing her Carbuncle just as she had when her mother had been dragged in. The shield of light wrapped Lia up, and the monster slammed her down in its frustration.

"Mommy!" Annie burst from her place, anything else forgotten, kneeling next to Lia a moment later, aether channeling into her wounds.

The beast rose above them, and Ifrit caught its terrible arms, roaring back at those twin faces of rage, Xhiel's voice rising with it.

The demi-primal broke, vanishing like it had before, small in the face of that twisted rage. And it bore down on Anastasia.

"Help me… please." the plea came from her lips, said to someone nameless, someone she never knew. In this place, where the dead came to rest, Annie might reach her.

The thunder of those chains crashed down around her, and Anastasia looked up to find a girl there, standing over her, the beast's chains clattering uselessly against her back.

Xhiel was there with them, then, gathering Lia up in her arms. "She will be fine, but this is well out of your studies." the woman pulled something from within her robes, pressing it into Anastasia's hand. "Listen close, feel the memories. Heed them."

Annie looked in her palm and saw the little green stone, a summoner's horn etched into its surface. She looked up, seeing that beast thrash, impotent rage crashing against the back of that nameless girl. She saw that girl's hand extend, and Anastasia took it.

Among what it's forebears had laid in that soulstone, she found Xhiel's memories. In them was a name, one she'd never heard before. One she wished she'd known.

"Nadia." She said quietly, and her sister smiled, a hand reaching out and tapping her nose.

The great cry of Phoenix cut through the clamorous rage of the beast, the demi-primal soaring above it, diving in and whirling through its chains. That twisted thing cried out, lashed it's chains at the Phoenix, and it could not catch it.

The demi-primal rose above them, Anastasia willing it higher and higher. It rounded, another great cry echoing over them all as it folded its wings, and Anastasia bid it end the misery of that horrific beast.

***

"I'm sorry," Annie sniffled softly, sitting with her mothers, head hung low, feeling shame wash over her finally.

The two women looked at each other, then at their daughter. Xhiel reached forwards, tilting Annie's head up to meet them both. Smiles, full of pride, met her. She lunged at them, sobbing and shaking, holding them close to her.

"I wanted…. I wanted so bad…." She fought with her words.

"You cannot." Xhiel interrupted her. "You cannot be me."

Annie looked up, hurt clear in her face.

"You are Anastasia White. You will never be the Lady Xhiel White. And you should never be." Xhiel paused, looking at her daughter, "Lady or not, you will be Anastasia. No one else. Let the knife of my name down from over your head."

She sat back, hands wiping the tears from her cheeks, still sobbing. "I… yes. I'll… be…"

Both of her mothers took her hands, lacing thier fingers with their own, and Annie nodded.

Something caught her eye, and she looked up. Nadia was there, standing and rocking on her feet, a little grin on her face. Her sister leaned down and laid a little kiss on Annie's forehead, and then turned to look at their parents.

Lia reached out, and Nadia took her hand, clasping it in both of her own. "I-," Lia started, but Nadia shook her head, looking to Annie. "Of course. I have so much left to do...."

Nadia smiled nodded, and then was suddenly hugging Lia tight where she sat. The young woman froze for a moment before embracing her daughter, shaking with her sobs.

The moment would have never lasted as long as Lia wanted. And Nadia was with Xhiel, holding both her sire's hands, leaning in and pressing a simple kiss to her cheek.

Xhiel's eyes closed, and a slow breath came, a tear falling down where her daughter's lips had pressed. "We won't be too long," Xhiel said, and Nadia laughed. That was a terrible Lie.

Nadia laid herself across her mothers' laps, curled up and yawning. They laid their hands upon her, embracing her as she blew a little kiss to Annie, gently fading into aether once more.

[junebugwriter]

Transition II

I am officially on estrogen.

What a fucking revelation. What a strange turn of events my life has taken. I was minding my own business, drifting aimless through my life... okay, that's a bit of an overstatement. I had direction. I was working, I was doing my PhD, I was getting things done -- and then boom, I realize for the first time in 35 years, I am not a man. I am a woman. And then I derailed for months, until I could get back to a place where I could function normally, and now 8 months later, I'm on fucking hormones.

WTF. I'm going to hack my biology with science! I am going to become the cybernetic future bitch that I always wished I could be!

I got into Ph.D. work focusing first and foremost on transhumanist philosophy. That was what really got me into this life track. I played games like Deus Ex and Metal Gear Solid, games that really interrogate the cyberpunk present/future and the role of technology and the human body. I read tons of Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov and watched movies and tv shows that questioned the nature of humanity in a world where technology begins to affect every aspect of our everyday lives. I wondered about the nature of the soul, and how tech develops and enhances the human body, and how the body and soul are not two things but one and the same, a unity that cannot be broken. That turned into a focus on disability advocacy, because disabled people wrestle with their embodied existence in a radical and evocative way, and shifted my focus. But I never lost my passion for transhumanism.

And now, I will be one. In understanding that I am transgender, that the very identity that belongs to me is in a transitional state, that to live up to the identity that I know myself to have I will have to transition from one presentation to another, to the extent that I will change my very biology in order to do so... that's a reality more powerful than anything I have ever accomplished before. This isn't theory for me, not anymore. And transhumanist scholars--the big-name ones, guys like Nick Bostrom and Ray Kurzweil--have no fucking clue. They're focused on AI, how we'll achieve superintelligence, or how we'll be romantic partners with robots when the real people on the front lines of the transhumanist vanguard are TRANS PEOPLE. We are using technology to enhance our lives, along with our bodies! Ask any trans person. They'll say that they'd rather die than detransition, because that's how much it means to live in a way that aligns with our identities.

So I'm on estrogen now, because that's the best path towards becoming the person I've always known I was, to living in a world in the way that I choose, to enhance my life through the tools at my disposal. I will become the cyborg trans girl I've always wanted to be.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Decolonisation of mathematics: It's 'liberal-minded cultural imperialism' | Prof Jane L Hutton

Andrew: Top academics have warned the government that new guidance for Universities risks "politicising" the subject of mathematics. For maths degrees, professors have to explain how they are presenting a "multicultural and decolonised" view of the subject. The academics sent a joint letter, seen by GBNews, that such guidance risks politicising the subject of mathematics and presenting a skewed perspective on its history, and infringes on the academic freedom of mathematicians to teach their subject according to their best professional judgement.

One of the dozen professors who put their name to the letter is Professor Jane Hutton from the Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick, and she joins me now.

Can I ask you first and foremost about this notion of decolonisation? Because I understand that this came in largely through the Humanities, English Literature, that kind of subject, the Social Sciences. But surely, mathematics and sciences, these things should be immune to those other culture war concerns.

Hutton: Well, yes, that's interesting. I mean, this time next week I'll be in Cameroon in Africa, at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences with 60 students from all over Africa, my eleventh time of going out to volunteer to teach that. And when I was there in January 2022, I watched something about Critical Race Theory set up by North American liberals, and frankly, the Africans were appalled. They're not interested in becoming a colony, succumbing to cultural imperialism from North American liberals. They want to learn mathematics. And those of us who are mathematicians are well aware of how international the subject is.

Andrew: Can I ask you, to what extent do mathematicians in this country feel under pressure to accommodate these palpably ideological ideas within their subject?

Hutton: Very much so. I am willing to speak out, but very few of my colleagues are, and they will send me emails and thank me for speaking out, but they will not allow themselves to be identified. I'm talking about colleagues, senior managers, professors, IT staff, cleaners, gardeners. They know I'll speak out, but they're appalled by this behaviour, and other issues coming from this whole North American liberal imperialism.

Andrew: Professor Hutton, can I ask you what specificially are they asking you to do, exactly? I've seen, for instance, people say that in engineering, for instance, when you're teaching about Isaac Newton you should discuss his problematic views on race, as that was in any way relevant to the law of motion. What are they specifically asking mathematicians to do in these courses?

Hutton: Well, they're not even actually asking mathematicians to cover an intelligent and intellectual discussion. They're asking us to propagate their ideas. For example, they will have particular views on, say, [Kanakanahalli] Ramachandra, or in statistics one of the things we teach is the Rao–Blackwell theorem. C.R. Rao is an Indian, David Blackwell was an African-American. But we don't spend our time focussing on that, we focus on the mathematics. And there's a time and place for everything, as Aristotle pointed out, you don't evaluate mathematics by the standards of poetry, or poetry by the standards of mathematics.

And what surprises me, you know, I'm not a historian, I'm not a philosopher, but it's the sheer ignorance of so much of what these people propose, and the reluctance -- it's intellectually lazy. So, you can't ask a question like "how come Critical Race Theory says that being white is an absolutely dreadful thing, you can't say you don't have these prejudices, you are irredeemably white, but if you're a man, you can become a woman just by saying so. Why are these two completely, thoroughly, genetically physically-centred properties treated so differently?” But I know perfectly well that I am likely to get a whole lot of abuse for even raising the question.

Andrew: But of course, identity politics has very little to do with mathematics. Surely, in mathematics the answer is either right or wrong? I don't have any expertise in this area, but you can correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Hutton: Yes, and that makes mathematics very unpopular. I've had to deal with people trying to teach us that in teaching, we must never tell a student they’ve got the right answer or the wrong answer. To which I say, you're a parasitical hypocrite. We wouldn't be talking to one another, using the equipment we're using, without a lot of people getting things very, very precisely right, in engineering and mathematics.

Andrew: So, is this quite commonplace, the idea that students should not be told that they are wrong? How can they possibly improve?

Hutton: Yes, I acted both training PhD students as teachers, and junior colleagues as teachers, and that used to be the standard rhetoric from the social sciences. "The mature learner knows that there's no right answer."

Andrew: But does this not patronise students needlessly? Aren't the students annoyed at being patronised in this way?

Hutton: Yes. Yes. I put up an article saying debate on gender dysphoria is being silenced. The equality officer stirred up a manager to sound of outrage and said, "you put it on a noticeboard where students might see it!" So, I asked the PhD students [..] what they thought of this and they said "thank you very much for talking, we are appalled that at the University of Warwick," which is not particularly bad, we have a very good Vice Chancellor, "at the University of Warwick, to discuss the topic which is subject of a public consultation, we have to go into an office and lock the doors and whisper." Why is this what the University of Warwick is offering us?

Andrew: Professor, that is at least reassuring that some of the students themselves are not putting up with this.

==

Time to decolonize the Hypothetical Humanities out of education and society itself. You might laugh, but this is literally colonization - ideological, cultural colonization.

[qnewsau]

20 years ago, Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea was founded

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/20-years-ago-gay-and-lesbian-kingdom-of-the-coral-sea-was-founded/

20 years ago, Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea was founded

In 2004, over 300 kilometres off the coast of Queensland, a new, all-gay nation was created: the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

That year was a tough one for queer people in Australia.

In May 2004, the Howard Government introduced an amendment bill redefining marriage replacing “marriage is a union between two people” with “the union of a man and woman to the exclusion of all others”.

The petty move was in response to two Aussie same-sex couples who went to court to get their overseas marriages recognised here. But the Howard government passed the amendment was passed. Marriage equality was banned.

For over a decade, the exclusionary phrase was read by celebrants at weddings all over Australia.

Fed-up activists board The Gayflower

In protest, a group of Queensland queer activists seceded. They formed the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

The group boarded a seaplane they’d christened The Gayflower. They flew to a tiny patch of sand and grass – Cato Island – in the Coral Sea islands off the Queensland coast.

In June 2004, Emperor Dale Parker Anderson I officially declared the existence of The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

The group laid a plaque that read, “On the 14th day of June 2004, at this highest point in the Coral Sea, Emperor Dale Parker Anderson raised the gay rainbow flag and claimed the islands of the Coral Sea in his name as homeland for the gay and lesbian peoples of the world. God Save our King!”

The new gay micronation was created, completely independent of homophobic Australia and proudly with marriage equality for all.

The Kingdom’s capital was Heaven, named for the gay nightclub. Its national flag was a rainbow and its coat of arms was the pink triangle. The Kingdom’s currency was the pink dollar, and Gloria Gaynor’s I Am What I Am was the national anthem.

The group picked the island because of an obscure law granting “the right to self-determination and self-government” to an oppressed people who occupy an External Overseas Territory, like the uninhabited Coral Sea islands.

‘We are people, first and foremost’

The Kingdom’s Declaration of Independence was written, explicitly referencing Australia’s “appalling laws against gay and lesbian people.”

“Homosexuality is not a behaviour to be regulated. It is an identity to be respected,” the Declaration read.

“We are people, first and foremost. We work, we have lives, we love and have relationships. We’re family.

“Homosexual people have honestly endeavoured everywhere to merge ourselves in the social life of our communities to be treated equally. We are not permitted to do so.

“In vain we are loyal patriots, our loyalty in some places running to extremes; in vain do we make the same sacrifices of life and property as our fellow citizens; in vain do we strive to increase the fame of our native land in science and art, or her wealth by trade and commerce.

“We are still cried down as strangers in countries where we have lived for centuries. In the world as it is now and for an indefinite period – we shall not be left in peace.”

They sent copies of the Kingdom’s Declaration of Independence to Prime Minister John Howard and then-Governor-General Michael Jeffery.

By September 2004, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom declared war on Australia over its stance on marriage equality.

‘The flag of a hostile nation’

Over ten years later, Liberal Senator Eric Abetz famously brought up the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom in a tongue-in-cheek exchange during a Senate Estimates hearing, during a homophobic crusade against a government department flying the rainbow flag.

“This particular flag, you will realise, is the flag of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, that declared war on Australia,” Senator Abetz said at the time.

“It is the flag of a hostile nation if we are to believe them.”

Later that year, Australia held its excruciating and completely unnecessary postal survey on same-sex marriage.

Politicians inked marriage equality into law back on the mainland. The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom was formally dissolved on November 17, 2017.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[rosiewitchescottage]

My dear. I neither say not think that trans people shouldn't have empathy.

We're both human beings, first and foremost.

We are clashing because of very different world views. And I really don't care if you see things in another way to me.

But I do care that you're expecting me to stop seeing what people have known and science has proven throughout human history.

Human beings come in two sexes Male and Female.

The world Man came about to describe the Adult Human Male, the word Woman came about to describe the Adult Human Female.

Gender Non Conformity is nothing new. But it's always meant fight back against those who want to enforce rigid gender roles.

A woman doesn't have to to feminine only Female.

man doesn't have to be masculine only Male.

This means that if a male needs to be seen as a woman or a female has to be seen as a man, then there has to be a solid reason for that.

Otherwise why wouldn't we see a feminine man or masculine woman? There's nothing wrong with that.

You can't change objective reality by just saying the 'right' words.

You can see yourself however you like. But Identity.works two ways, and other people need a good reason to see something other than what it is.

Do you see Man and Woman as 'Who' s person is?

Well I see see it as 'What' It's a physical reality determined by biological sex.

Who we are are within that framework can be infinite.

We're not going to agree. I know that.

But I can tell you that I have conservative leanings in parts of life.

No way am I a Radfem. We disagree about many things.

I believe that feminism lost its way some time ago.

I'm so done with "TERFs" being outed everywhere and excluded from groups we SHOULD NOT be excluded from. Everyone picks trans women over women who want the world to be a safe place for us. How ironic is that?

[asexual-juliet]

from the very little i know about roswell new mexico, it seems like they just. took all the good out of the original for no reason? so uh...

things they took out for rnm for no fucking reason:

1. The dumbshit teenage fun - You mean to tell me everyone is a boring adult?? - For real the dumb high school shenanigans were half of what made the original show so fucking good! - The Alex/Kyle gandarium cave scene... certified buddhist Kyle Valenti...drunk Max and Kyle during Blind Date... the New Year’s Eve episode... the gang going to Vegas... the gang going to PROM??? that’s the good shit!!!

2. On a similar note... nothing will ever top the intros Maria did in s2 - I am a simple woman. Maria Deluca stands in front of the chalkboard and I lose my fucking shit.

3. Everyone’s dad Jim Valenti - For real though I was considering watching the reboot and then I found out they killed off Valenti for no fucking reason and the anger consumed me.

4. The fucking power couple of a generation - Babes I love gay shit as much as the next bitch but who the fuck looked at Michael and Maria and said “nah that bitch is gay for Alex” ???  - I know they probably changed a ton of shit but the dynamic is still so weird to me holy shit. - I would’ve gone with Max/Kyle or Isabel/Tess to be quite fucking honest. - I miss my beloveds and their whole long, stupid story.

5. And speaking of Tess! where the fuck is my space princess? - You mean to tell me you rebooted Roswell and didn’t fix the best found family dynamic that’s ever existed?? you mean you didn’t even introduce it??? - Fuck that shit I believe in Tess Valenti supremacy!!! 

6. Oh fuck, I just realized that Michael/Alex also means they broke up Isabel and Alex, leaving only the more overrated couple in history still standing. - Liz Parker you are a little boring but overall fine. Max Evans you are a dumb little bitch boy (affectionate). Together you are fucking annoying. You motherfuckers simply cannot compete. - Don’t hmu I'm still thinking about “I loved you, Alex” “I’m pretty sure we both know that I loved you, too.”

7. Fuck, it also means that that scene where Alex fucking socks Michael in the face for treating Maria badly is impossible... - Malex shippers are wrong THIS was their best moment.

8. This isn't a big one but I heard they made Kyle a doctor and I can’t vibe with that because it’s important to me that he is the dumbest bitch alive. - “We were in the same remedial science class for three years.” “Houston Astros, left field.” “What do you suppose alien crystals are going for on eBay?” This bitch is so fucking stupid and I love him for it. - He is a dumbshit buddhist jock FIRST AND FOREMOST. No one understands him like me.

9. They made the Roswell tag and all the character tags fucking uninhabitable  - If you want me I'll be in the “Roswell 1999” tag

10. The sheer buck wild-ness of the Nasedo plotline - was literally the wildest shit. remember when he turned into Max and then got Max abducted and then fucking died and then got resurrected and then died again three episodes later? wild shit.

11. They’re not sponsored by Snapple :(

things rnm made better:

1. Alex Whitman Manes is alive and well god fucking bless

[naminethewriter]

Coffee shop AU, enemies to lovers, "Get out of the way before I murder you" <3

I’m done!!! Thank you so much for the request, this was a lot of fun 🥰

Also I tried not to make this Intrulogical but the sentence just fit Remus the best and then I couldn’t stop myself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, here it is:

Science Can Bring People Together

All heads turned as the door of the coffee shop burst open.

 “What the fuck did you do, Croft?!” Remus yelled as he stalked towards the counter where Logan, Roman and Remy were currently working. The people in line hurried out of his way except for one blond-haired woman.

 “You can’t just come in here and cut in line!” she exclaimed.

 “Get out of the way before I murder you!” The growl made even the Karen shrink in on herself and Remus passed her by without any more protests. When he finally reached his goal he hit his fist against the counter and pointed at Logan. “I want an explanation, Croft. Now.”

 “Remus, calm down, we’re working! Can’t this wait ‘till later?” Roman interjected, casting worried glances towards the other customers. Remy on the other hand, despite being their manager, watched the scene with interest. Logan raised an eyebrow before turning to his co-workers.

 “I will make the orders while I talk with Remus. Business will not be disturbed further. Step aside, Remus.” He received a growl instead of an answer but didn’t even flinch. “I will not tell you anything if you cannot act civil.” They stared at each other for a few seconds before Remus clicked his tongue and moved two steps to the left. “Thank you.”

 Roman, despite not seeming sure of the situation, went back to serving customers. He wrote the orders down and passed them to Logan who started the process of making a cappuccino to go before addressing Remus again.

 “What is it that you want from me?”

 “I want you to tell me why the fuck Mrs Linn called me into her office today to offer me a seat on the team for that stupid science contest!” Logan raised an eyebrow.

 “Adam’s parents will not allow him to participate because of his bad grades in English and Spanish. We were a teammate short so I recommended you. Did Mrs Linn not explain that to you?”

 “Of course she did! I wanna know why the hell you would do that? You hate me!” Logan held up a hand to pause their conversation while he called out the finished order.

 “For Sylas and Delilah!” A broad-shouldered man came to get the cups while Logan continued with the next coffees. He made quick eye contact with Remus before speaking. “I do not hate you, Remus. I certainly do not appreciate a lot of your… actions but I do believe you to be a very smart individual. When Mrs Linn informed us about Adam’s situation she asked if we knew anyone who could fill his spot and I felt that you are the best option we have.”

 “Why?” Remus still looked sceptical. Logan hummed, considering his next words while operating the coffee machine.

 “First and foremost, as I already stated, I find that you are an intelligent person. Second, you possess ingenuity that is heavily lacking in the rest of our team. And lastly, the theme of this year’s contest is ‘Deep Sea’ which I know to be a special interest of yours.”

 “Slow down! What makes you think I’m intelligent or ingenuitive? My grades are shit.”

 “I am aware. However, grades do not reflect a person’s intelligence but their ability to thrive in the school system. It takes more than just intelligence to do so. For Maddie!” He placed another cup on the counter before moving on to the next. “For example that Rube Goldberg machine you used for your prank on the football team last year was a very clever construction that not just anyone could have built. You have a talent for science but the environment of our school is unable to support you to explore it as such.” Remus just stared at him until Logan called out the next order. The line at the counter was thankfully getting shorter.

 “Thanks for acknowledging my undiscovered genius“ – Logan rolled his eyes – “but why would this science competition be any different than class? Mrs Linn doesn’t like me.”

 “I do not believe that to be true. She certainly is not a fan of yours but when I recommended you she was not that put off by the idea. Otherwise she wouldn’t have agreed, after all. But beside that, Mrs Linn is only our supervision, not our instructor. She prevents us from injuring ourselves. The topic of the project and how we approach it is entirely up to us. At least as long as it’s within the budget.”

 “What about the others then? It’s not just you and me, right?”

 “Of course not. But I will handle them, no need to worry.” Remus furrowed his brows.

 “The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

 “That I will ensure that they do not bother you.”

 “How?”

 “I have my ways.”

 “You’re starting to kinda creep me out, Croft.”

 “Good. I need you to take the project seriously if you should choose to participate. I will not tolerate you” – he stopped his coffee making for a second to pull out a stack of vocab cards out of his pockets and choosing one he showed to Remus – “’goofing off’ as they say. For Alex and Mason!”

 “And why should I trust that you will actually let me help? You could just invite me to get to the number of people you need to participate. I’m not going to be your lab assistant!”

 “Look Remus,” Logan stopped working on the coffee orders to give Remus his full attention, his eyes burning with a fire Remus had never seen before. “I want to win this competition. No, I need to win. I participated in this damn contest since my first year in middle school and never gotten past second place. Every year the judges say the same thing about my groups work being incredible but not inventive enough. It lacks ‘pazazz’” Logan actually used air quotes as he said ‘pazazz’ with an expression as if he had just bitten into a lemon. “This is my senior year; my last chance and I want those geezers to eat their words. So, Remus, I want you on the team because you think differently than the rest of us. You have that spark of creativity we lack. You can help us win or at least make a spectacle they won’t ever forget! I am done being waved off as a forgettable second place!” Remus was speechless, just staring at Logan how looked back with that glow in his eyes. Roman, who had taken over making the drinks because there were no new customers at the moment looked equally perplexed. After taking a deep breath, Logan continued.

 “I truly believe that you are a good choice as a teammate, Remus. However, I do not want you to agree to participate unless you are willing to give it your best. Everything you do during our project will reflect back onto me since I recommended you. I am trusting you with my reputation and I expect you to not betray that.” Now his eyes were a different kind of intense and Remus had to swallow hard. He had no idea how sexy the nerd could be before today. It took him a moment to find the words to respond (and get his flushed cheeks under control).

 “Fine. I’ll think about it. But don’t expect too much, Croft.”

 “I will await your response.” Logan placed a coffee cup on the counter between them and Remus eyes it with suspicion.

 “What’s in there?” Logan shrugged.

 “Whatever was within my reach. I didn’t really look, I just needed to empty out some containers.” A grin spread across Remus’ face.

 “I’m starting to like you, Croft.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again Remus burst the door open to talk to Logan, however this time it was the door to their shared hotel room for the science competition that had concluded earlier that day.

 “Well, Nerdy Wolverine,” he grinned, closing the door with his foot almost as forcefully as he had opened it and getting right into Logan’s personal space, “I gave you the win and the show so I think I deserve a price for my efforts, don’t I?”

 “I do agree,” Logan, who hadn’t even flinched, nodded. “You did remarkably well. I rather enjoyed the judges faces after out presentation.”

 “I think one of them was about to puke!” Remus happily jumped, still high on adrenaline.

 “That is a fair assumption. But they could not deny the brilliance of our work, so I am very willing to give you a prize as promised. What is it that I can do for you?”

 “Oh, I can think of a few things~” Logan stood firm even as Remus got even closer. Their noses might have touched if Logan wasn’t a few inches taller. Remus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Logan answered by rising one of his own.

 “If you cannot choose, I will offer something I think you might enjoy.” Before Remus could protest or react at all really, Logan leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss. Remus was stunned only for a second before he quickly threw his arms around the others neck, pulled him closer and reciprocated fiercely. With reckless abandon their first kiss turned into a make-out session and they only stopped after a few minutes passed.

 “If this is the reward every time I do stuff for you, I’ll happily do it all.” Logan chuckled.

 “There are a few things I can think of.”

 “Oh, really?”

 “Of course. For example, my parents insist I accompany them to a charity event in two weeks and those always tend to be rather boring. Having you as my date would serve to keep me entertained and make my parents reconsider forcing me along in the future.”

 “A chance to mess with snobby rich people? You know me so well.”

 “Of course. I wouldn’t go out with someone I don’t know well.” Remus grinned so wide his cheeks were starting to hurt but he couldn’t stop either.

 “So we’re going out now?” Only now Logan had the decency to blush.

 “If you want to, I will gladly consider you my boyfriend.” Remus couldn’t help but giggle at his shy expression.

 “You’re so hot when you blush like that.” This time he pulled Logan in for a kiss and dragged him over to the bed to get more comfortable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! And again thanks to @threecrowsinatrenchcoat for the request. Good thing you voted in favor of the epilogue because otherwise we wouldn’t even have gotten to the lovers part of enemies to lovers 😅

[hannalizad]

Hi! My name is Hanna Liza S. Datul, but you can call me Lyka for short. Living my best life at 17 in Larion Bajo Tuguegarao City. I am a jolly, friendly, a girl who appreciate little things and understanding person. I have 4 beautiful sisters and 4 handsome brothers which help me and made my childhood happy. My father’s name is Ben Datul while my mother’s name is Eva Datul.

Well, first and foremost I really love watching Korean dramas like Crash landing on you, Weightlifting fairy, Itaewon class, Scarlet heart and many more. I really love watching Korean dramas because I find myself enjoying every time I’m watching. Naturally, my favorite won’t be missed I am addicted to kpop music too, every time I’m listening some kpop songs it made me feel happy and my number one comfort zone. I also love having a quality time with my family and friends. Going out with my friends, chikahan here, chikahan there. I’m happy with my friends because they are always there if I’m not okay.

As well as my family, they help me when I have a problem and they serve as my strength, that’s why I love them so much throughout my life. To my dear parents, thank you for your tireless support. I was lucky because you were my parents. To my friends at church, they are also the ones who are always with me, ready to listen to my problems in life. I also love praising and worshipping God, because I am grateful for his blessings that have been given to me, as well as for guiding me and my family.

Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to where I’m leading to?

-The way I see myself ten years ahead of now is not something I often think about. There is a saying that time flies so fast without noticing it. To tell you the truth, it scares me a little to know that in one short decade I will be twenty-seven years old, and that my years of youth are coming to an end. One thing I’m certain of, is that if God gives me the opportunity to get that age, I will make the most of my years and put all my effort to become a successful, happy woman. Yes, my learning in SPUP will play a vital role on the place that I’m leading to. I know here at SPUP we still have a lot to learn, because I know we’ve just started but we still have more things to learn.

Was STEM the best choice after all?

-Yes, I choose STEM even though I know it’s hard. And I know that it is the best strand to help me get ready on my future course. I am also inquisitive and curious about the world, which means it a perfect strand for me. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

What course will you take in college and why?

-I will be taking medical technology (MedTech) as my course in college. I choose this course because I was influenced by it since I was young and it’s my interest and I know that when I became a successful medical technologist, I would play a vital role in my country and help the people in need of proper diagnosis.

[currentfandomkick]

So update on roles i think DP characters would play:

Ellie: often in diplomat training, absolutely an out and about Halfa and often a go-to for diplomatic missions. (Obsessions include: finding her own identity, travel, helping her fraid specifically, learning, trade as a concept and practice, medicine (as unstable) )

Danny: mostly helps the new metas ans new liminals with their powers. He’s emperor on a technicality and is technically a baby ghost posing as a severely ecto-contaminated human. He does tag along for some of Ellie, Tucker and Sam’s outings in politics but is usually not going to. He is thriving as Some Guy with a weirdly vast knowledge of power control for many meta abilities and is functionally a meta and liminal abilities coach and councilor, but does this casually. He finds someone struggling? Here’s a bunch if tips and tricks. Here’s a blog of him explaining the ThingTM. Otherwise he is an infinite realms expert but thinks he is not, as he only cares about the alien portions and the one resembling space. No he will not be responsible, and yes his obsession is largely centered on family, responsibility and finding his own joy (i love multiple obsessions for each ghost) and yes he does love to learn skills but not information and yes space is his longtime obsession from birth as a baby liminal no i am not taking criticism on this hc.

Valerie: likely helping others adapt to new environment, probably knows more about the shield tech than most thanks to her dad overseeing its standardization and installation, absolutely seen as someone on call for dangerous ghosts appearing in Gotham Principality (nicknamed Land of Gargoyles, Grit, and Goths)

Tucker: technically a reincarnated pharaoh expected to rule upon his death. Resident of Amity, often a diplomat to Atlantis with Ellie. Drags Danny along for future practice but mostly is there for technomancy while Ellie talks trade (Tucker helps her on nitty gritty details due to Pharaoh Memories of negotiations but isn’t into the big picture aspect). Local technomancer who helps and works with other technomancers in Amity, is liminal (and can use death magic) plus is probs an embodiment of the egyptian pantheon (usual dc headcannon following tucker that i love for him interacting with Wonder Woman and other amazons). Budding obsessions: technology, videogames, magic, politics and friendship.

Sam: daughter of the MAIN Diplomat (Jeremy) and a chief organizer and leader of the Council, (Pamela). She kickstarted this entire process and led the protests against the anti-ecto acts. Often a diplomat in Gotham, seen speaking to Poison Ivy for defensive purposes and environmental policy discussions… (and eco terrorism) and is learning from her parents. Sometimes accompanied by Tucker, but more often Ellie is there with her learning too. Does welcome a lot of magic users and is seen as a local community organizer with a focus on her budding obsessions (environmentalism, photography, politics, punk-goth).

Wes: absolutely here with detailed info on everyone trying to break into amity. Gotham has oracle. Amity has Wes doxing everyone guarding the border and finding blackmail solely out of spite. Does wes have the curse of cassandra? Yep. Does he know Danny is King of the IR via combat? Yes. Is he annoyed Danny isnt setting up a role in politics and trying to bully him into it? Big time. Is it failing on the convincing part? Yes, as Danny wants to be Some Guy.

Fenton Parents: terrifying inventors who are team Amity Park first and foremost. They love having Vlad act like their old friend at last and rubbing their inventions in the face of everyone who made fun of them in the past. Yes they are thriving. Obsessions are shared and focus on science (concentrated to anything ecto), inventing, their family and friends.

The Mansons: see post above. Obsessions boil down to family, their daughter, organization, rules, politeness and by proxy politics.

Jazz: a baby therapist who runs a dead clone rehab in the Infinite Realms with ghosts who’s obsession is helping others, psychology, and rehabilitation centric. Her baby obsessions are psychology, assisting others, family, and (surprisingly) baking.

Paulina: Vlad’s social media campaign manager. As she’s most of his social media team (Sam helps her but they refuse to admit it). Yes she is helping Amity and works with Pamela and Jeremy, no she is not overly involved. Yes she knows more than you, she works here, and here is where things happen. Budding obsessions: gossip/social information, popularity, social media, politics (fell into), fashion and its impact and influence on culture and vice versa. Cheerleading is her hobby, as is gymnastics. Great for self-defense.

Dash: joined “border” patrols but is mostly a jock. Yes he still kicks Danny’s butt as Fenton and adores Phantom. He vexes Wes. Dash’s obsessions are sports, hierarchy/being ‘on top’, safety and the town/Amity.

Vlad: billionaire bamboozling the USA, opportunist keeping Amity relevant and unintentionally the main “recruiter” for most that seek asylum or move to Amity due to meta, magic or being liminal. Helps the Fentons with inventions, works with the Mansons on politics, somehow in charge of border patrols as a result and debates taunting the idiots holding the line pointing weapons at the Amity and her border. Obsessions: family (Maddie and Danny mostly, includes Ellie), acceptance, ecto science, inventing (man has to be obsessed with it to be besties with Jack and Maddie in college), and Power (politics is often a means to this, as is money and buisness).

I will attempt more roles another time, but comment characters for me to use and expand on for “not today satan” residents, or residents of the Gotham Principality.

Also help me please, does Ra’s cult and various cities around lazarus pits make him a leader of many small city states or something of the sort? Or is he just like, a pirate king that the IR side eye but dont care enough about to shoo away? Legit stuck on this

*slams the door open, eyes manic* Sovereign State!

A Sovereign State: "International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined territory, a government not under another, and the capacity to interact with other sovereign states."

The USA already HAS several that exsist within its boarders? And there was that Gay Island of Australia (no really, look it up.) There is a LONG history of humanity going "well fuck you too then, I'm leaving. But also I refuse to leave. I am METAPHORICALLY leaving." *leaves your country and makes their own*

And??

Where's the FUCK were you? Mr. President? During that INVASION by Pariah Dark??

No, really. Social contracts, my dude. That is WHY you have AN ARMY. For INVADING FORCES.

You ALSO have declared us, your citizens, non-sentient and stripped of us our Constitutional Rights WITHOUT hearings, studies, or any due processes. Not to mention just desecrating the dead like it's NOT a well known religious and moral taboo. AND attacking out dead family members! The list goes on!

Why do we pay you taxes, if YOU are the active threat to us AND you offer us no social services?? You've all but cut Amity off anyway!

.......*Takes our ball and goes home* FUCK IT.

They are literally Limnals. It's a TOWN OF METAS. Can you honestly tell me that they WOULDN'T look at the Ecto-Acts and just think: "Yeeeeeah, how about No. Hard Pass."

You can have your INCREDIBLY stupid and offensive law. In OUR country, that's illegal. "We can't do that?" Yes. We can. We informed you in a Formal Document, which you received, you had the opportunity to STOP us, you did or could not, AND we got Regonized by another government.

It's a Ghost Goverment. We, the city state of Amity, were recognized by like... going on 23 at this point. We have a list. All Ghost Goverments, too. Sucks for you that you don't recognize those, they've decided not to recognize YOURS back until you do.

Politics, baby~

Aaaw D:> Does the Upset Baby wanna call, Superman? Boo Hoo. Somebody's forgetting the Justice League serves EARTH, not AMERICA. Suck on a lemon and die mad about it. Better not come back as a Ghost though! Your Goverment will declare you a lab specimen!

Now if you'll excuse us, WE have interplanetary trade routes. Because WE can use alien tech from our Ghost Buddies. And the Fenton Anti-Creep Barrier means you can't do SHIT. So *large crowd of teenagers making rude noises at frustrated government officials*

*Justice Leauge taking picture in the background* You're doing great sweeties! Aquaman is? So proud of the younger generation? They really are the future, you guys. Can he come in?

Oh of COURSE, your Majesty! *somehow ONLY Aquaman is able to get past the barrier, much to the impotent fury of the GIW and various officials*

@hdgnj @stealingyourbones

[theoldguard-recs]

Old Guard Comforting Fic Recs

So! *gestures at everything in 2020* This has all been stressful. But you know what’s been great? The Old Guard and the sheer joy of comfort fics. Myself (cactusdragon517) and @lightdescending​ have put together a small list of fics we think are comforting and we hope you enjoy! Some have been previously recommended on this blog; others are new.

(Under a cut for easier scrolling on the dashboard)

what never was is now by ionsquare

This is a story about friendship and forgiveness. And learning how to live through immortality.

Friendship, team as family, Booker and Nile bonding.

Nile-Centric | Gen | 2708 words

What I Loved: I love this fic that's all about the team as family, but especially Nile's relationship with Booker. In this fic, it's very much a brother-sister bond and ionsquare does a delightful job at making this fic warm and gentle. It's soothing, in a way! Team as family is one of my favorite tropes. @ionsquare is on Tumblr and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

Feed My Soul by AphroditesTummyRolls

   “You left me to wake up all alone in our bed.” He said, his voice a velvet-soft rumble into the still morning air.    “I was going to make you breakfast.” Nicky replied, a little breathless as he held up the meticulously trimmed basil cuttings in his hand, as if that could sway Yusuf’s mind.    His hair fell into his eyes, and Nico pushed it back with his free hand, letting it fall around his ears and frame his face down to his cheekbones. It was long— he hadn’t had it cut since long before the Merrick job, and ever since he had simply not bothered with it.    He looked like one of the angels of old poetry. He looked like the Renaissance muse he had once been— the reclined nude in that Florentine piazza, more pure than the marble under his feet, and more luxurious than the pillows under his head and body. He had gazed at him just as he was now, full of liquid heat and a gleam that told Yusuf with all but words how he wished to ravish him. He was unabashed under Yusuf’s brush, just miles of soft skin, and his long brown hair falling in his eyes.

Porn with feelings, Going Back To Malta, long-haired Nicky, hair-pulling, anal sex, anal fingering, tender and sweet loving Joe/Nicky | Explicit | 4,430 words What I Loved: Okay, so first and foremost, this is definitely just straight up porn. And it is legit my favorite kind - It's so full of love and care and the sheer dedication they show for each other makes this fic sing.  It's absolutely lyrical and poetic and so spot-on. There are so many moments that take my actual breath away, in so far as how this fic has been written and how much care is given to their love. I said, in my original review of this, that it's like the warmth of Malta infuses the whole fic. It is breath-taking. For all of these reasons and more, this is one of my favorite cheer-up fics. @aphroditestummyrolls is on Tumblr and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

War Games by AirGiodSLV

   “Speaking of keeping up,” Andy muses. “We need to start training you.”

   Training, Nile discovers, involves what Andy calls ‘retrieval missions’ and what Nile calls ‘capture the flag’.

Nile-Centric | Teen and up | Gen | 5367 words

Found family, team bonding

What I Loved: This fic fits in so perfectly with my headcanon that the team frequently plays games like capture the flag to learn how they fight together, especially once Nile joins. I love love love how Nile is exasperated but eager and how much fun the others have with her. This fic feels like a romp - Like, the most fun thing ever. It makes me want to play capture the flag and I suck at that game. This feels like a favorite movie, comforting and fun. AirGiodSLV is on AO3 and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

Artifacts by praycambrian

“When Andy does this, it is love,” Nicky says. “What you do is love also. Don’t stop, if you can help it.”

Ongoing collection of loosely connected snippets pre-, during, and post-canon.

Creator chose not to use archive warnings. Family, vignettes, ancient history, queer history, art history, food, music, love, immortality, families of choice, POV multiple.

Andy/Quynh, Nicky/Joe, Nile, and Booker | 3007; chapter length varies | General

What I loved: Hhhh what isn’t there to love! This author has a gorgeously poetic writing voice – every word deliberate, the diction impeccable, the writing style utterly lyrical and poignant and gorgeous. I can tell that the author has put so much research, time, care, and thought into every single one of these vignettes and I’m living for them! The historical and cultural elements included are so thoughtful, and the author includes links to learn more in the notes often. The author is on Tumblr as @praycambrian and has written other fic for The Old Guard!

Stalefish by Amiril

“Don’t look at it as a curse,” Joe had told her, a month earlier. “Think of it as an opportunity. What did you want to do that you were always too scared to try?”

No archive warnings apply. Social media, team bonding, extreme sports, getting together, team as family.

Nile / Andy and Nile-centric | ~2000 words | Teen and up  

What I loved: Nile adjusting to being immortal, learning how to skateboard, and flirting with Andy! God it’s so good. This is just a really sweet fic, and I love the banter. I feel like this author did a really great job exploring Nile’s POV, and this remains one of my top fics for the pairing so far. The author is on Tumblr as @runawaymarbles and has written other fic for the Old Guard!

On Their Side by ViridianPanther

Pam Marks is surprised and delighted when four young (looking) people make a big purchase at her Help the Refugees charity shop in suburban England. The political winds and the recession are catching up with her. She’s glad to know there are people on her side.

outsider POV | found family | teen | <5k

What I loved: the team helping in other ways; a really good OC POV! This fic feels like a warm hug. The author is on tumblr as @viridianpanther!

Full Fathoms Deep by sixthlight

It started on the midnight to eight shift, sometime before three, the witching hour even by ship standards.

Quỳnh-centric | ~9300 words | Teen

What I loved: This is the “How Quỳnh left the ocean” missing scene fanfic that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it. Quỳnh’s experience as a traumatized woman is treated with such care and respect, and I am utterly in love with the POV of the outsider through whom we engage with this story. It’s a love letter to marine science, an exploration of deep care and compassion making a difference when it’s needed most, and has moments that are deeply funny. The author is on Tumblr as @sixth-light and has written other fanfic for the Old Guard!

Stay safe, take care, and we hope these can help if you need them.

[nade2308]

There's that point of life again where I'm analyzing my own words and how they might sound to someone else, especially someone that either doesn't see the point or doesn't know me, and then I balk at just saying the thing because my whole life I'm being misunderstood because I do not fit any mold people want to put me in. I am not your typical kid or girl or woman, and I am definitely not going to conform myself to how other people see me. I will treat you with respect, but don't expect me to magically fit a label or to label myself because I won't. I have been burned by people before and badly, I still carry the trauma that it's not visible and I am not airing it out there like laundry. Sometimes I tell things to those who will get it and won't just tap me on the shoulder, but that have the guts to tell me that that person is not me and that I am better than just completely going back to being isolated.

I don't even know why I'm writing this other than I had something to get off my chest and I feel like I have to write it down so I don't lose myself in trying to justify it to myself first and foremost why I did what I did. And the most important thing is to recognize where I truly fucked up and where people think I fucked up and work on both of those moments accordingly.

It's not an exact science and I keep making mistakes, mundane ones at that. But I'm doing my best. And I have realized that words are also perceived in a way that your mood and your body language is and all I can think of is... just try not to read too much into something where something else is concerned or if you wish to, just ask and an explanation will be given to you. I cannot for the life of me figure out where I keep going wrong in miscommunicating things, but I have also realized that that is also based on the interpretation the other party has of what you said. And honestly, I should not be bothered by it, but I am because like I said, I've been burned before and it was because people assumed things about me that weren't true and that misinterpreted concept was what brought those burns. I do not like when people assume things about me that aren't true. It's true I don't care what people think of me other than maybe the people I love, but still that doesn't just make me indifferent to something that's not true about who I am.

Just, be a little more understanding and open, I am a work in progress. We all are.

Nade out.