#i am being strict this year i cannot have the same thing happen to me again xD

[rainingincale]

.

[honeytonedhottie]

trusting and betting on urself⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🫧

keep promises that u make to urself : just like how if u know someone who continuously makes promises to do something, yet they never act upon it, you won't trust that person or believe them if they promise u something else. this is also the same with urself. ur new years resolutions? ur goals that you've had for a while but never ever did? all those promises that you've made to yourself and the ones that you haven't followed up on will lessen trust with urself. do what u say you'll do. "stand on business" and if u know that u won't be able to deliver or do what u say you would, dont say it. dont tell urself promises that u won't be able to keep. once u start keeping ur own promises, you'll start to build trust within urself.

hold yourself accountable : just a quick disclaimer but when i say holding urself accountable i do NOT mean punishing urself!! when u find urself falling into old and fruitless patterns you need to hold urself accountable and make sure that u straighten up. the thing about our relationship with self is that a relationship needs BOUNDARIES. you need to set boundaries with urself. what will u or what will u not do? ur non-negotiables?

and when u find urself crossing boundaries within yourself take the BIGGEST step back. the key to forming a healthy relationship with urself is to balance being strict and gentle with urself. strict in the sense that ur the only one that can get u to where u wanna be, and gentle in the sense that ur best won't look the same every single day and u should also listen to urself and what u want, without having to compromise on ur boundaries. kind of finding that middle line is important, bcuz when we're too lenient with ourselves, we get too comfortable and that leads me into my next point...

where growth begins : u cannot expect to grow if ur too comfortable and honestly, this is why most people stay stagnant. its bcuz being comfortable FEELS GOOD. but growth will almost never happen when ur comfortable, on the contrary growth can only happen outside of ur comfort zone. if u want better things for urself, ur simply gonna have to DO BETTER.

the importance of ur self concept : even if ur not familiar with or u dont practice conscious manifesting/law of assumption, i think that working on ur self concept can still be such a fruitful thing to do. i say this because self concept is the way that u view urself in relation to ur desires/goals. its seeing urself as worthy and powerful, and truly grasping ur potential to do great things. a way to start with ur self concept is with affirmations! start telling urself about urself in a positive connotation. you're unstoppable <3

putting it into practice : start small, challenge urself a little bit every day. do one hard thing a day, doing so will build ur confidence bcuz u won't be so daunted by ur big goals when you've already done so many hard things. when u see something challenging instead of thinking "oh i can't do this" you'll have confidence in urself and what u are capable of. oftentimes when we have goals, we kick ourselves out of rooms before we've even tried to get in them bcuz we think "im not good enough" or "im not worthy" which isnt true at ALL. dont shoot urself in the foot. thats self sabotage. and thats not hot.

motivating urself : if u remind urself of your "why" then you'll have reason to stay consistent and truly try. i recommend asking urself the tougher questions, like "what do i want out of my life?" or "am i truly happy and if not what can i do to get there?" once you've decided what u want out of life make a VISION BOARD and actively pursue your dreams. u can't actively pursue something if u dont know what it is. so i advise u to remind urself whenever u feel that u need it of your "why", your driving cause. having that motivation, and actively pursuing and keeping the promises that u make to urself -> will then build ur confidence in yourself to the point where your betting on urself bcuz u know that no matter what cards you are dealt, you'll prosper.

so just to wrap things up, an overview ; start keeping ur promises -> be strict -> get comfy being uncomfy -> say ur self concept affirmations -> apply -> remind

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s4 episode 17 thoughts

hey guys. i need answers…. i need them.

but i have a strict “one episode a day” and “post the thoughts from last episode before starting the new one” rule and!!! i must follow the rules.

i wish this episode relied less on the assumption that the audience knows how planes work. but. i digress.

back to who i was before this episode....

a lot of you may know that it is scully and mulder time. 

ohhhh i’m reading the episode description and i see what is going on here… a two parter!!! well, i am prepared to handle this, yes i am. we have been due for a two parter, so i look forward to learning about this UFO.

let us open with a pretty shot of the sky… we are somewhere over upstate new york… a good place to be

in a plane. this guy seems drunk. i do not care for how he looked at this woman.

“you could fly every day for the next 26,000 years before you’d have an accident”, says drunk guy that will most certainly manifest a plane crash

shaggy redhead sitting next to drunk man seems very afraid of the dude on the back of the plane in a suit. uh oh! let me guess…. alien bounty hunter?

(author's note: nah. it was a good guess, though!)

suit man just locked himself in the bathroom and pulled out the spring in a pen to a dramatic flourish. is the pen spring supposed to indicate something to me? because i do not associate them with danger.

oh! he made a little gun out of pieces. huh. kinda neat. even if it is terrifying. just from a DIY perspective.

sometimes i forget that before 9/11 you could just do stuff on planes and no one really gave a damn

but now the plane is shaking. man with gun is watching all the screaming and jostling go down. redhead seems very scared while bright lights shine into the plane. oh! and then a window/door thing gets sucked outside??

deeply unfortunate.

(cue spooky intro)

WAIT! we are at a restaurant with mulder and scully and someone is bringing out a cake??? and they are singing happy birthday to her!!! oh my gosh, is it her birthday or is this a ploy by mulder to get free cake?

“I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY, SCULLY” <- JDHDJJDJD IS HE REALLY ABOUT GETTING THAT FREE CAKE LIFE????

no, no, it IS in fact dana scully's birthday, a remarkable occasion indeed. however. there is no funnier thing than faking a birthday to get cake at a restaurant. and maybe i need to write that fic someday.

oh my gosh, she says he has never once remembered her birthday, so he says something about it being the way he likes to celebrate them, every 4 years...... THIS IDIOT 😭😭

i cannot believe this man... he can remember any myth he read when he was 11, but he cannot keep his best friend's birthday in his head. and while that is a tragic flaw and indication of his ahab-ness, the fact that he knew scully was sick so he stepped it up still says a lot.

oh he brought a GIFT shut up!!!!!! and he pulls out a tiny little box... she says “oh you have GOT to be kidding me” and he jokes about turning the alien implants into earrings but it’s an apollo 11 keychain 😭😭😭 STOP this is so sweet!!!!! oh my gosh he wanted to make sure she knew she was loved 

(her birthday is in february so i’m not sure i see the connection to her and apollo 11 beyond her being a general nerd, and i think her birth and the moon landing happened in the same year, but i digress)

someone is talking to them! “oh promise me this isn’t leading to something embarrassing” she says <- HDHSJDHJE 

but no! this woman- sharon- confesses to have followed them there??? well that is very creepy. and that she was told to talk to them if something happened.

GIRL!!!! LET HER HAVE A NICE DINNER 😭

sharon says that her brother, max fenig, was bringing them something that night, but the plane he was on went down.

and how did he know where they were going to be? i am going to assume that he is simply a stalker and not that mulder arranged for a UFO information exchange on scully's birthday. no ma'am. i refuse.

(also, i was distracted by mulder chewing on something this whole scene. at first i thought it was a cigarette, but then clearly it wasn’t, so maybe a lollipop? looked too big to be a toothpick. oh god, don’t tell me he’s a toothpick guy)

anyway. plane crash time. let's go to the conference where the plane people discuss such news.

initial reports say no survivors. people are smoking in here which is crazy. i understand that this show takes place in the 90's, but sometimes i lowkey forget until i see stuff like that and go ohhhhh right right.

this has been a sad turn to date night!!!

they’re listening to the last audio recording from the plane, and the pilot is yelling “my god!” and “mayday!” which is not inspiring any warm and fuzzy feelings

so mulder asks if there was any evidence that the plane was intercepted, because we heard the voice say it was, but plane guy who is in charge of this meeting says hmm, nope, not that i know of.

(is the pilot saying that there was an interception.... not evidence... of an interception??)

mulder says well, there was a famous alien abductee on the plane. which gets the crowd giggling.

scully is watching like ohhh my god and when plane guy asks if this is an official FBI position he turns and looks to her and then says no. plane guy says he is trivializing this tragedy. WHICH I DISAGREE WITH!

IF there was a man claiming to be abducted by UFOs, and the plane he was on mysteriously went down, and the pilot said it was intercepted, but for some reason the fact that the pilot SAID THAT is being disregarded- i'm sorry, my red flags would be going off. for multiple different reasons. if i were plane guy i'd be thinking, gee, maybe this max character was a government target- i mean, if he got famous off of UFOs, who is to say he wasn't up to more shady activities? maybe he was planning a coup in the dominican republic, or smuggling government secrets of a nature that is still important but less outlandish than UFOs, or embezzling, etc. all i am saying, from my reasonable skeptic point of view, is i would think hmm, that's odd. we'll have to note that for our investigation, mr. mulder. maybe max was targeted for a specific reason, aliens or no aliens.

of course, this plane guy claims there WAS no max fenig on the plane, but it seemed pretty easy to lie pre-TSA

“sure know how to make a girl feel special on her birthday” HDHJSJDKSJDJDJDJDJ 

nooo... i feel bad for birthday scully :( why is he always up to some sort of alien shenanigans instead of cherishing her? :( i GET it, i get his life's mission, etc etc but cherishing your friends should be mandatory, especially when it is a friend as lovely as scully

at the crash site, things are looking very very very sad. many bodies are in bags. 

but where is the plane??

poor scully has to shout due to all the helicopter noises, which had to be a pain to film.

what would finding max fenig prove? mulder doesn’t know. but perhaps that 1 life was worth sacrificing 133 others. 

damn. that’s a downer. and we started on such a high note!!!!

the guy who had the DIY gun on the plane has been entirely cut in half. but one of the people from the IIC (and what the hell even IS the IIC?) took his gun!! it was the guy with the big mustache! and they’re spraying him with some stuff? that can’t be normal practice, can it?

scully sees a watch on a corpse’s arm :( mulder sees some glasses :(

they each find a watch!! and the watches from the victims say 8:01, but the time of the crash was listened as 7:52!!!! so… what is the truth??

“nine minutes, scully. do you remember the last time you were missing nine minutes?” <- is that a rhetorical question or a throwback to the pilot

mulder seems to think now that perhaps max was on the plane, but did not finish the journey with the rest of the passengers… hmm… like they shot him??? what do you mean, cryptic man???

oh! one of the people from the crash is alive!!! get a medic NOW!!!! scully is here!!!!! she is telling you what he is going to need and you had better get it quick!!!

now scully is waiting for a plane in the cold. what!!! she is cold!!!! get her inside!!!

she was waiting for sharon from before, who brought all of her letters from her brother max. scully says that they think she isn’t telling them everything, and that she had better do so. NOW. she is not messing around.

oh!!!! the man who was alive has burns that are associated with a high level of radiation!! see, i assumed he just was hit by a piece of flaming sky junk. that foreshadowing went right over my head. 

it was drunk man from before who was burnt!!! so is it whatever max had on him that was radioactive??? they confirm that it was max, he was just using a pen name, which he had a lot of. 

max worked at job with plutonium and uranium. well. maybe that could do it. not sure what he’d to do with all that or how it got on a plane. maybe it could have caused the crash.

mulder is launching into his “max HAD to have been abducted” theory and about how no one will ever believe him and it will go unsolved forever. scully keeps trying to cut him off…

max is back!!!! where from???

oh. he is dead. that is how they found him.

mulder still doesn’t think the crash is explained.

sigh. you just want to have a nice birthday dinner with the guy you've thought was cute for the last 4 years, and he never once remembered your birthday until now, but then he gets an alien call and slips into ahab mode. scully has truly suffered so much.

sharon is reading many many many letters when a flashing and shaking occurs!!! more aliens???? oh man. this is intense. 

CUT TO BLACK??? rude as hell. where did sharon go!!!

(i think i know where sharon went)

okay, now mulder is walking among the many bodies recovered from the crash scene. he finds max and unzips him. and in his pocket he had mulder’s business card!!! despite it being covered in blood, he puts it in his pocket, and seems very sad. it cannot be an easy thing to see. but still. blood-borne illnesses, man.

he is now unzipping more and more bodies. what do you think, you beautiful tortured man?

he is furious that the IIC is going to claim that they don’t know what went on. and i still don't know what the IIC is. maybe they don't even know about the alien stuff. not everyone has CSM levels of alien knowledge.

(side note... why do you think deep throat was snitching to mulder?? was it part of CSM's plan, or did the fight? was it toxic old man yaoi?)

back to the matter at hand. “mulder, why can’t you just accept the facts?” (with his hand on her back, walking her away) “because there are no facts, scully. what they’re telling you, what they’re going to report, they’re the opposite of facts- a claim to ignorance of the facts” oh man, he’s yapping! but he has a point.

“claimed steadfastly, ignorance becomes as acceptable as the truth” <- he’s lowkey right though… he ate with that one thing

still pissed he cannot remember birthdays.

he points out that all of the watches have been stolen that show the difference in 9 minutes between the reported and the actual crash time!!! and that somehow they need to figure out what happened in those 9 minutes. hmm. is this a possible task?

well, with a rental car, you can go anywhere, including to this military base.

oh no!!! someone already came and asked this military man (later revealed to be named louis frish) about the crash, the night it happened! oh no… someone else has a lead

hmm….. hmm…. some discrepancies in stories are occurring here. it must be CSM.

uh oh... the minute they leave, louis frish says to his buddy that he told them “what he was supposed to say”… there is STRANGENESS afoot!!! this other guy says if they come back, he’s gonna tell them the truth.

back to the motel…. well, sharon is no longer there!!! surely you recall the lights and the shaking, etc etc! the landlord seems to think that she trashed the room and dipped, and is telling our agents they MUST pay for it. she was making her 5 seconds of screen time COUNT.

“okay scully, hit me with your best shot, what do you think happened here?” (deep sigh) “i haven’t a clue” <- i love when they admit they don’t know wtf is going on. i think it’s very endearing.

plane guy shows up!!! mulder is being snippy with him about the lack of evidence, but he comes with evidence in hand!!! he won’t make an announcement though, because he’s afraid he’ll sound as crazy as mulder. woah… plane guy redemption arc??

the plane had wear and tear marks, but the gag is it was a brand new plane!!! and all of the cracks radiate from the door they think was blown off!!!

big shoutout to mulder for trusting his door launching instincts. 

back at the air force base….. the one guy who said he was gonna snitch has a bullet hole in his head!!! and three cars are rapidly approaching!!! including one with shady mustache man who was spraying drunk guy’s body!!!

louis frish is hiding on the roof. hmm. hope they don't climb up there to check.

mulder is rocking back and forth, listening to the audio from the flight. then he busts out a rotary phone and spins it with great determination. another forcible reminder of the 90's. also, him rocking back and forth was funny. it was giving old man on a porch energy.

he’s calling scully!! she sounds very sleepy and points out that they have been up for over 36 hours, but he asks if she can please come over, as he thinks he has heard this voice before

yayyy, they can say they know who the voice belongs to, and then fall asleep all cuddled up <3 and everyone lived happily ever after- the end!

NO!!! when she gets out of her room, someone GRABS HER!!! this guy is closing her mouth and saying not to scream, which really makes a person want to scream more, i can imagine.

it’s louis frish??? saying he caused the plane crash???

girl. i was ready for some snuggling.... gtfo with this nonsense.

ooooookay, so it was frish whose voice they heard on the recording! frish says he was ordered to lie about what happened to the flight…. and now he’s fessing up that he saw a second aircraft shadowing it, then an explosion, then the disappearance. 

plane guy is saying that this guy must be a liar. but mulder says there has to be a THIRD aircraft, shot down by the intercept aircraft, which caused this crash. so there has to be a second crash site.

man, i was still thinking about them cuddling, but sure. sure, we have 3 aircraft now. i'm getting lost but i'll just roll with it.

plane guy says that if there is a second crash site they need to find it. i cannot get a read on him. also, frish the whistleblower needs to be kept somewhere safe because the military is clearly gonna kill him.

time to head out…. but cars are approaching!!! can a man who hasn’t slept in 36 hours do a high speed chase? well, he sure can, but the question is more about the ethics than the actual possibility. 

mulder’s crazy idea is to drive straight into a landing plane which just BARELY works and scully straight up was looking death in the face. 

plane guy goes to the OG crash site and sees a UFO!!! it has a beam it is scanning down on the wreckage!!!! he seems entirely gagged and runs towards it, which is not what i would do in that situation. i would be hiding. and then it wooshes away!!!

NO!!!!! it is above him now!!!!!! the beam is shining upon him…. but it wooshes away again. phew. that was very close.

however, a woman is wailing in the trees. SHARON??? is that you??? plane guy is running toward the voice!!!! and it is sharon!!!

plane guy holds sharon as she sobs and begs him not to let them take her again…….. which is a lot of responsibility to place on a random guy, but clearly she has been through a lot.

mulder and scully and frish are trying to get on a plane now. but mulder says what if there IS no second crash site because the second aircraft never fell??

well, i was just getting used to the idea of there being a second crash site, and now it has been taken away from me!!! but i assume he is saying that the UFO must have gotten away fine???

(author's note: no! no, i assumed wrong, for he surmised correctly that it crashed underwater? again, was i supposed to be following that? because i wasn't)

scully does not want to take frish back to DC by herself, and who can blame her? that’s a long drive with a strange man! and surely now mulder is going to run off and engage in some sort of antics!! probably to get himself kidnapped and all that!!!!

aww, but he waves goodbye as their airplane takes off. and then he sets out into the night. 

he drives out to the lake where he thinks maybe the UFO got away, where some guy is telling him there is a hovering light flying over every now and then

scully brings this frish guy back to her HOUSE??? she says she needs to get some stuff before she talks to her agent in charge and i’m thinking no!!! what if he’s lying!?! you brought him into your house!!! what if he gets you?!?

he’s having a crisis of faith on if he’ll get arrested for lying about the plane crash, and i’m sorry to hear he has to live with that guilt, but let’s do this in a place where she doesn't live. 

she says she will do her best to tell his story to someone who can help him. which is very kind of her. but again. let us not bring strangers to our residence.

and he asks to make a phone call to his girlfriend and say he’s safe but i’m thinking noOooOoo why does it have to be on HER phone???? i don’t trust this man at all!!!!!

mulder is sailing out into the lake with this random guy. oh he’s gonna scuba dive. you see, that isn’t something you should do without experience, but here he is. that's the kinda crazy fox mulder brings to the table.

scully takes frish to a restaurant, and who is here but PENDRELL!!! yelling about her birthday. he tries to buy her a drink, and she points out she is with somebody. he laughs and says well let me buy him one too. good for him! 

BUT MUSTACHE MAN IS HERE. he is trying to SHOOT frish. and pendrell is bringing his drinks over and HE GETS SHOT as SCULLY SHOOTS MUSTACHE GUY.

oh my god. is she gonna watch PENDRELL DIE RIGHT THEN AND THERE???

well i thought he was a bit weird, but i didn’t want to see him BLEED OUT!!!

mulder is diving. into god knows what. i’m scared he’ll get the bends or something. or run out of air. or any other horrific scuba related phenomenon. 

but there is something down there!!! something big and metal. i’m scared some sort of evil creature is going to jump out. 

BAH! ALIEN!!!!

okay, he didn’t jump out, but he was unexpected. 

and the light is back!!!! it must be the UFO!!! come to get the alien and maybe the mulder in the process!

end scene.

woaugh…. 

we started with birthday dinner and ended with dead alien and dying pendrell. what a piece of TV.

honestly, the episode was good, don’t get me wrong. but there was so much happening so quickly that i was a little lost. can you blame me? first we had two aircraft and then three and then two crash sites and then one and then two but the other one was underwater. and it was going really fast. 

i firmly believe that in media like this when the world is always about to blow up, you need to take time to make me care about the characters living or dying. you can't replace character development with a ticking time bomb or blow after blow after blow and expect that to be compelling writing. and while i think in the past seasons there has been an excellent balance of character development to character torture or fighting the end of the world, this season has been very heavy handed on the character torture. and i want to make it clear: i am an angst enthusiast. but also, after a certain point, it's like, are we here to just watch these guys suffer? is that what brings us before the TV screen? you don't need an even ratio of character happy time to character sad time- a small amount of character happy time can go a long, long way, so i'm glad we started with some today- perhaps the first all season?

what i'm trying to say is that the opening is going to to get me through a lot of hard times. but still... mulder doesn’t remember birthdays………. this man... i want to shake him like a rag doll and knock some sense into his head.

oh pendrell... how i wonder where your story will go next!

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth / Creation of Heaven and Earth - 7

(Unproofread)

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[After school that same day, in the ES reception room.]

Keito: Now, I’ll summarize the issue at hand for Anzu, who probably doesn’t understand what is happening very well.

Keito: We, AKATSUKI, have been asked to host a long-running show ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’, that any history buff worth their salt knows about.

Kuro: By the way, little miss Anzu, have ya ever heard of ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’? Ya haven’t, right?

Keito: Quit trying to increase the number of your brethren in ignorance.

Souma: Fufu. You say you have yet to properly sit down and watch it, but you know of its name? Well, it does appear understandably difficult and complex to become invested in.

Souma: I too have beckoned for my younger brother to “come and watch” with me, but he does not spare a glance.

Kuro: Haha, wouldn’t it be more fun for a growin��� boy to move his body?

Keito: Back to what I was saying earlier. We’ve been entrusted with this major role, but a problem has cropped up.

Kuro: The issue is that I’m an idiot.

Keito: I’ve come up with a workaround for that bit, so it’s no longer an issue.

Souma: Hasumi-dono is far too strict in his refusal to retort with the simpler, “You aren’t an idiot,” phrase. ~♪

Keito: You’re being annoying. Also, Kiryu isn’t an idiot, generally speaking, he just can’t study. There’s a difference.

Keito: The problem I was referring to, of course, is the ‘Three Sages.’

Keito: These ‘Three Sages’ are authorities in the field for the countless historians that have supported ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ throughout the years. Without their cooperation, this show just wouldn’t work.

Souma: Umu. We are not academics, but ‘aidoru’, for which reason we so desperately require the assistance of such experts.

Keito: Exactly. However, for better or worse, these exalted scholars were quite unique—

Keito: They had their own set of conditions for us to follow. Though it seemed like they’d be cooperative if we fulfilled them,

Keito: All of these conditions are ill-matched, and in theory, it seems impossible to fulfill all of them.

Keito: Now, we need to figure out what to do. Do you understand now, Anzu?

Kuro: No really, what’re we supposed t’do…? Both Hideyoshi-sensei and Nobunaga-sensei said the same thing, come to think of it. Turns out ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ is a total landmine of a job after all.

Kuro: We’re just dumbasses that jumped for joy, and fell right into a trap.

Souma: Now Kiryu-dono, let us try and think of this the other way around. I believe that it may be precisely because we are without a proven record of accomplishments unlike the ‘beterans’ of our agency, that the responsibility of handling such a precarious case has been entrusted to us young people.

Keito: I agree with Kanzaki’s view on this.

Kuro: Why’re you two just freakishly in sync these days!? You ‘good at studyin’’ folks are conspirin’ together, aren’tcha? Little miss, you’re on my side though, right? Won’t ya come to the ‘can’t study for shit’ side…?

Keito: Don’t act like a baby to gain Anzu’s sympathy, Kiryu… But seriously, what side would you take, Anzu? I’ve always thought that you were sincere, and a hard worker, so your grades must be good, right?

Souma: Hmm. Anzu-dono is currently enrolled in the ‘purodyuusu’ course, so I cannot say for certain, however, the year prior, her grades were of a generally average nature. They were neither good nor bad.

Kuro: If ya studied super hard and still got an average grade, that must mean you must’ve been a pretty terrible student in the past.

Keito: Don’t try to recruit fellow bad students. Quit trying to run from reality, Kiryu. It’d be best if you tried to be reborn as a wiser version of yourself.

Kuro: Easy for you to say, but y’know… I can’t change that fast. I mean, I worked real hard to finally be reborn at the level I am right now.

Keito: Yes. I acknowledge your hard work.

Keito: Effort will never betray a person. People are only ever betrayed by people.

Souma: Those are meaningful words. Unfailingly, problems can be attributed to people.

Keito: That applies to our current predicament as well. What should we do, Anzu?

Keito: I would like to hear your opinion.

Kuro: Careful now, little miss. If ya answer with somethin’ strange, Hasumi’s gonna blow his lid.

Keito: Stop fooling around. If Anzu had been even a little less self-assertive of a person, she would’ve shriveled up by now.

Keito: —Hm, I see. Decide on what our priorities are, huh?

Keito: It’s better to be selective, and decide on what you want to accomplish, rather than try to accomplish everything and risk ending up with nothing.

Keito: That sounds fair. Nothing good comes from being greedy.

Keito: And naturally, what’s most important to us is the progress of AKATSUKI.

Kuro: As an idol, ya should’ve answered with somethin’ more like “the smiles of our fans.”

Keito: If we’re very successful and sparkle brightly, our fans will be pleased and smile anyways, right?

Keito: We would like to bolster our reputation by hosting ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth.’ However, in order for the show to be a success, we need the cooperation of the ‘Three Sages.’

Keito: However, in order to get them to cooperate with us, we have to meet their conditions—

Keito: …I’m just repeating myself. What I’m trying to say is that the order of priorities is (1) AKATSUKI’s progression, (2) Getting ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ approved, and (3) the feelings of the ‘Three Sages.

Keito: In the most extreme case, even if we are unable to achieve (2) or (3), accomplishing just (1) would be fine.

Keito: … Hm? What is it, Anzu?

Keito: If you have something to add, don’t be afraid to say it. That is why I called you here, after all.

Keito: I see… That sounds drastic, but I guess it’s technically possible.

Keito: It’s not like we’d be punished for trying. Oi Kiryu, Kanzaki—

Keito: Let’s prepare whatever documents and materials we’ll need by tomorrow.

Keito: As per Anzu’s suggestion, we’ll make a trial version of ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ on our own.

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[hologramcowboy]

https://www.tiktok.com/@justkelli0/video/7392766238180560174?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7360304169343403537

Notthe same anon, but here. Also to me it felt like he is playing it off as joke but it hurt him inside all (at least to me it felt like it)

Aslo don't know if you already knew about Jensen being bullied at middle schools so here is the link for that

https://www.tiktok.com/@justkelli0/video/7269752183250259246?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7360304169343403537

Thank you, anon. It does feel like Jensen experienced it a pretty bad way back then.

What I don't get about his parents is how they were strict about many things but then let Jensen basically marry a camgirl.

Being bullied is a commonality for a lot of people who later end up being famous. It usually means you have something that makes you stand out, makes you different and that ends up serving you later in life. I used to get bullied for having high grades and for being "beautiful". Sometimes envy gets the best of people and they can't accept seeing others accomplish what they cannot. I suspect it was the same with Jensen, he was modeling and his peers were probably jealous. I know a lot of people don't like to talk about this because they love playing the pretty privilege card but being considered beautiful is a two way sword. A lot of people end up hating you for being the way you are, you end up getting a ton of shit from people due to envy and jealousy and your value as a human often gets minimized to just your looks. So next time anyone feels like hating someone because they look good, take a moment and think about how much that happens to said person. Just to give an example, years back I applied for a job, the HR woman who was supposed to call me did so and we became friends though I turned the offer down. Years later she was finally open enough to tell me that when she saw my CV my picture it made her so envious she didn't want to call me but then she stopped and thought to herself "Who knows how many people do this to this woman?" and it helped her empathize so she ended up calling me. We're still friends and she's completely switched careers, she's a lovely human being but back then she just had a moment of visceral envy. Sorry for the really long response but I wanted to make my way to say this: it may seem like Jensen has the world at his feet and in some ways, he does, what he also has are people who objectify him, violate his sexual identity, full on hate him for his looks and success and, sadly, a wife that devalues him and the fact that he looks super exhausted at that con and telling depressing stories is yet another sign all is not well. Signs are there for those who truly look at the human, the soul. I am glad you are one of the people who chooses to see him as a human. 🧡

[loveerran]

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not

It is rumored that the LDS Church will soon implement a policy that bans the baptism of transgender children of record (generally children who are 8 years old) if those individuals have socially transitioned (a social transition means changing dress or grooming, or a name or pronouns, to present oneself as other than their assigned sex at birth).

I do not believe this will happen for several reasons (partially laid out below, but I didn’t suspect the infamous-and-since-retracted Policy of Exclusion would happen either).

If the church were to implement this policy, it would mean 8-year old children will be told they cannot come into the fold of God. That they cannot make a covenant with Jesus to (Mosiah 18:8-10):

Be numbered among his people

Bear the burdens of others that they may be light

Mourn with those that mourn

Comfort those that stand in need of comfort

Stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places that they are in

Serve Him and keep His commandments

In my opinion, no one should tell a little child they cannot come unto Jesus (Mark 10:13-14), regardless of the challenges that child is facing. In fact, I would suggest that children facing difficult challenges are most particularly in need of Jesus. Perhaps there are some who may think dressing or presenting oneself in a gender non-conforming way violates the “Keep His commandments” part of the covenant. But everyone sins and comes short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23 - and note: I am not at all certain that an 8-year old child who has socially transitioned is in a state of sin), and many adult sinners are baptized anyway.

We should also keep in mind there is no worthiness interview for 8-year old children of record in the LDS church (LDS General Handbook 31.2.3.1). Little children are without sin. All that is required for them is to have a desire to come unto Christ and a sufficient mental capacity to grasp the difference between right and wrong (those who do not have the mental capacity to understand right from wrong are exempt from baptism).

There are some sins considered serious enough they may prevent adults receiving permission to be baptized (LDS General Handbook 31.2.3.2 and 38.2.8.7). These include adults currently ‘living in sin’ (ie – having sexual relations while not in a legally married cishet union). That’s the entire list. The remainder (paying tithing, committing to go to church, obeying the word of wisdom) are mostly pledges of intention to obey and mirror future temple recommend interview questions (and most adult members do not hold an active temple recommend).

Additionally, certain particular past sins or crimes may be serious enough to require approval from the First Presidency (the church’s highest governing body) before the adult can be baptized. These include murder, sex crimes (rape, incest, CSA), other serious crimes involving jail time or where a person is currently on probation/parole, or adults involved with plural marriage (the church is very strict when it comes to polygamy).

Oh, and faithful transgender adults who transition (socially or medically) to live honestly and openly, as they identify, are also required to obtain First Presidency Approval before being baptized.

I personally don’t believe transgender adults who want to serve Jesus belong in the same section as murderers, rapists, child molesters and those convicted of serious crimes.

Do we really want to add 8-year old children to that same list?

[pompelon]

They are different

If you really think the two parties are the same, and you live in a blue state, move to a red state. here's some things that are happening in mine, or have happened:

Republicans are currently trying to trick voters into passing a constitutional amendment banning ranked choice voting - our best chance to chip away at the two-party system. Democrats are currently opposing it.

Republicans are, ironically, also trying to gerrymander the process of passing a constitutional amendment to give voters in red counties more weight - because voters passed amendments they didn't like. Democrats are opposing it.

Republicans wrote and instituted an extremely strict abortion ban immediately after roe v. wade was overturned. Democrats are trying to pass a constitutional amendment to make abortion legal again.

Republicans refused to pass medicaid expansion, and then refused to fund it even after it won an overwhelming majority in a ballot initiative. This led to tens of thousands of people (including me) having no access to healthcare. Democrats led the court battle that forced them to institute the law voters passed.

Republicans are currently defending child marriage; that sixteen-year-old girl who can't get an abortion should be "allowed" to marry the man who impregnated her, they say. Democrats are trying to raise the marriage age.

Republicans have deliberately defunded programs that dispense benefits, resulting in kids literally going hungry. Democrats are trying to fund them.

Republicans have already managed to ban some forms of trans health care and are attempting to ban more. Democrats are opposing it.

Republicans are trying to make it a sex crime to support a trans minor, meaning you could go to prison and be labeled a sex offender for life. They also are trying to make sex crimes against minors punishable by the death penalty. Democrats are opposing it.

Republicans are attempting to repeal environmental regulations to allow businesses more dumping of toxic chemicals into our water without consequences. Democrats are opposing it.

Republicans are oppposed to laws that regulate puppy mills, resulting in us being one of the worst states for this form of animal cruelty. Democrats would like to regulate them - though tbh this is not high on their list of priorities with everything else going on.

Republicans are attempting to relax child labor laws so that children's labor can be exploited more easily. Children are already being found working in chicken plants. Democrats are opposing it.

Republicans are leading the charge to ban LGBTQ+ books, book about the experience of being a racial minority, or basically anything that exposes children to the idea that being white, straight, and Christian isn't the only good type of person. Democrats are opposing the bans.

I am not fond of the Democratic party, my politics are far to the left of them, but here's the thing: They are not the same as the Republicans at all. They have not lost their fucking minds. They're centrists, not leftists, but there are real, meaningful differences between living under a centrist government and living under a fascist one.

Electing Republicans in 2024 isn't going to wake up the country and cause a revolution. My state has been under Republican control for way too long, and we have not fucking woken up. You don't understand how easy it is for ordinary, everyday people to compartmentalize the suffering of others.

I think that people are doing that a little bit too when they say "both parties are the same." The child that can't get an abortion, the parent who can't feed their children, the neighborhood with toxic chemicals in the creek - these are minor abstractions - distractions from the fact that both parties are fundamentally capitalist.

Come to me honestly and say that you cannot vote for Democrats because genocide is your red line, and I will talk to you about how I struggled with that too, and why I decided to vote for Democrats anyway. But if you say that both parties are the same, you are not engaging with the truth of that decision.

[maryellencarter]

since the current controversy at the top of the news cycle, i.e. the hugos ballot count fuckery, has nothing to do with plagiarism (and therefore the sorts of people who trawl the tunglrs looking for people to death-threat are mostly looking at other search terms), it seems as good a time as any to ask:

what *is* the Actual Adult Scholarly Official definition of plagiarism that everybody who attended postsecondary school is assumed to know, anyway?

because, as some of you know, my homeschool experience was Nonstandard, and usually the essays I was assigned to write were things like "Read this biography of a saint and then retell it in your own words", which I'm gathering is apparently The Plagiarism in higher levels of learning, but i don't exactly know where the cutoff is.

my postsecondary school experience... did not help. i had, i believe, one class that ever brought up plagiarism, and it was geology lab 101, being taught by an extremely over-earnest student TA who was (i can only guess) trying to impress the department head who was overseeing her by being As Strict As Possible. her definition was "you have to cite every single statement or it is plagiarism and you will get an F. you cannot assume anything is common knowledge, because this is a 101 class and therefore none of you know anything about geology already. also if you lift any phrase of 5 words in a row from any of your sources that is also plagiarism and you will get an F."

(small tortellini who had been actively studying geology for nearly two decades went to the coffee shop after class, cried a great deal, and then called my latin mass choir director who also happened to work as a 200-level english professor at the college. while still crying. she helped calm me down and suggested just citing the textbook for everything, which helped.)

(i took the choir director's english class later. i do not recall what she said about plagiarism, although i assume she must have addressed it. she did teach me to identify a reliable source, which i had never been able to find out before, and which... probably backfired when i reliable-sourced myself right out of the catholic views of gender and sexuality some years later. irrelevant.)

the same geo lab TA also threatened to mark us down a grade if we used... i forget if it was staples or paperclips, but only one of those options was acceptable to hold the pages of our essay together, and it was the one i didn't have, so i had to make a special expedition to the bookshop. still resent that.

anyway my point is. i'm... pretty sure the definition of plagiarism that Every Adult Should Know falls... somewhere between those two endpoints, probably? i know when hbomberguy did that video about the plagiarism guy that was big recently, everyone was saying that if you take an idea and just thesaurus it around, that is still The Plagiarism for reasons that I will frankly admit I don't have the basis to understand (that's why I'm asking), but how close does it come to "you have to cite that limestone is a rock"? and what if you have an original thought? do you have to mark it somehow to indicate that just because it isn't cited doesn't mean you plagiarized it, or am i taking ms paperclips too seriously

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

There's a handful of reasons I relate to Wylan so strongly, but one of them has to be the unique experience of being an illiterate adult.

A few years ago, right before the pandemic, I moved across the world to work in a country where I didn't speak the main language. None of the languages commonly spoken in my new home uses the Latin alphabet so attempting to read and pronounce any letters/words in an unfamiliar writing system has been difficult.

Just don't be ignorant, you might think. Learn the language! For the record, I did. Well, I started to, but then the pandemic hit. My language class stopped and strict quarantines limited opportunities to practice. Two years and two babies later the world opened back up. Work and my tiny dictators, I mean, toddlers have kept me too busy to throw myself into learning the language with the gusto I once had. But over the years I've learned enough to get by with basic pleasantries: hello, goodbye, thank you, yes, no. Numbers 1-10. And how to order food at a restaurant. "How are you?" "Good." Unfortunately, that’s the limited extent of my conversational abilities.

The alphabet still trips me up and I often feel like a kindergartner slowly stringing syllables together and incorrectly sounding out words. Plus, there's the bonus of pronouncing the words but still not knowing they actually mean.

So I relate to Wylan a little bit in having to navigate the world at a disadvantage, one he cannot fully understand. Luckily for Wylan he can speak even though he can’t read, which gives him more coping strategies than are available to me. But you don’t realize just how much is written, especially in the modern world, until you are unable to read it.

Being an illiterate adult is a humbling experience. I cannot emphasize that enough. Book Wylan is a teenager, but was thrown into the “real world” and left to fend for himself as if he were an adult. Show Wylan is an illiterate adult who was also more or less thrown into the wild world. And I’d like to imagine that he shares similar illiterate adult encounters and experiences with me.

There isn’t a moment that I forget that I can’t read the language around me. However, it’s very easy to tune out the writing. To be blind to it and not see signs or labels because my brain stops looking for them, unable to to understand them.

Getting lost. Knowing the name of the place, a building, an address, the street that I'm searching for, but not being able to locate it by sight even though it is right there.

Walking past shops and stores unable to read their name and wondering what’s inside. What do they sell? What business do they hold? There’s no way of knowing unless I go inside myself.

Shopping and buying items based on the image on the packaging. Trying to figure out if there’s any difference between two items. Occasionally guessing wrong, buying the wrong thing.

Need instructions? Written directions (like for cooking)? Lol, Guess I'm going to wing it and hope for the best.

Being unable to read a written menu and ordering something generic because the restaurant probably serves it.

Putting off chores that require using the skill I don't have.

Having to act overly polite to everyone (regardless of how I feel) because I am the inconvenience when everyone else is just living their normal life.

Being treated like a child because, in my inability to read, I have the skills of a child so people will treat me the same way they would a child. And worse, all the while still having to act so polite about it because again, I am the inconvenience, even though I am being spoken down to like a child.

Accidentally, unintentionally being rude because I can't follow the sign's directions.

Pretending that I can read (or speak). Sometimes nodding along and agreeing with without any context is easier than a admitting I don't have a clue what's happening.

And in the modern day... I rely heavily on my cell phone to translate the way Wylan would use speech to text features. And there are times when there's no cell service, the phone or app stop working correctly. The translations/transcriptions are imperfect and confusing. It's scary when those safety nets stop working.

So yeah, being an illiterate adult is quite the experience. It can be exhausting. I am incredibly lucky that in my case it's due to living in a multicultural world and that given the time and patience, I could became literate and fluent in another language. The entire experience gives quite the insight on the hurdles and experiences Wylan might face.

[shiroi---kumo]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ Life is weird now because he no longer does things alone. Life is weird now because he can't just go set on the roof of the Comodeen to cry his woes out when someone will surely find him. Revon is at his side at near all times and the prince of white had forgotten in all this time what it was like to have someone there at near every second of the day.

He never knew what loneliness was when he was a child because they were never allowed to meet but as adult it was his closest friend. So even with the man of green just beside him, he didn't quite know how to operate. His body tells him to lean so he does and unlike times of the past there is a strong arm raising to wrap around him to hold him close.

All he wants to do is cry right now and that must be obvious from the way Revon interjects into the silence.

"You may cry if you wish, My Liege."

A pause to let the weight of the words carry between them and the knight must still be able to read his mind as he always has when he sounds again.

"I will listen to anything you wish to tell me. My ears are yours as long as you need them, Valkoinen."

And Revon must be the only man alive that can get away with saying his first name so sweetly and not have the prince recoil upon the noise slipping into his ears. Revon must be the only man alive that can get away with saying his first name at all.

It sounds weird even coming from someone as close to him as Kain is.

But it still doesn't feel right to speak. He's been trained for over a decade to keep his mouth shut unless he had something of value to add to the conversation and to certainly never lead one. He's been trained for so long not to open his mouth unless spoken to and somehow even though he knows he has it, it still feels like he needs strict permission to speak.

Even if he knows Revon not only welcomes him doing but also encourages it.

"I know things have been difficult, My Liege. I also know that you are hiding a great deal out of respect for all that we have gone through. I know you still put us first."

The knight pauses again as the hand that rests at the prince's shoulder gives the younger a tight squeeze for a moment.

"But please hear me when I tell you this, and I mean no disrespect in doing so. Suffering in silence is not noble, Valkoinen. Shoving your pain down for the sake of others, is not noble or kind. You are being needlessly cruel to yourself and those around you. We cannot help with what we do not know. I know things have been difficult and your doctor friend described an awful situation when we found you but most importantly, from my own observations - I know something happened because of how efficiently you kill."

And the dam breaks. Tears rushing over porcelain cheeks like waterfalls as he leans into the larger body that is holding him close. Apologies flood the space between them as the prince struggling to find anything else to say.

"I'm sorry." He sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't. I know it's not a skill I should have but he - he made me - I didn't want to. That's not the point. I still did it. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want that thing to kill you. I know. I'm sorry. I'm a tenant breaker. Revon please don't hate me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I'm ugl-"

"My Liege you did what you had to do to survive and I am not going to judge you for that."

But still the prince weeps and so his prime bind withdrawal his mask to place a gentle kiss down into the fluffy white of the crying form.

"I could never hate you, My Liege. Minun poikani, look at me for a moment."

A hand under the prince's chin to slowly guide his gaze upward.

"You look to me the same boy as the day I lost you and never in all these years have I ever loved you any less."

As if he couldn't cry any harder now and he's an even bigger stammering mess. Looking deep into ruby pink for this long lingering moment is more than enough to have the new rain flooding all over again. He doesn't want to jerk his head away but at the same time he does. He can't take looking into a gaze that stares at him so lovingly. He was why it was so hard to look at Kain and Sielu and .... Cid.

Cid looks at him like this sometimes and he wonders for a moment if the mechanic ever notices when jade eyes do the same. Did his love get lost beneath the waves just like the rest of him? He's drown countless times only to be fished from the water later just so he can be thrown back in again and again.

But this time is different. Revon has his arms around him firm and he his holding him fast. He won't allow his prince to go under and if he does, then the Knight will dive right in to pull him from the waves himself.

So life is weird now because there is always someone at his. Life is weird now because he know won't go under. Life is weird now because for the first time in a very long time - he no longer feels alone.

[roleplayfinder]

Space adventures: 3.O

Hello ladies, gents and fellow rpers. After having to take an unexpected but necessary break from the wonderful world of rping I’m ready to dive back into the waters of writing and make some amazing new stories with some new partners. I’ve been in the writing game for over ten years at this point and consider myself to be fairly experienced when it comes to rping. That being said, I do not require you to have decades of writing experience in order to rp with me. In fact all I ask for anyone thinking of reaching out to me is that:

-You write in third person past tense and have decent spelling and grammar. I’m not going to be put off by the occasional bout of typonese, but I’m definitely going to be put off by writing that I cannot read at all or by noticeable mistakes that are left uncorrected.

-You are capable of writing at least three well fleshed out paragraphs per response (this might change depending on what is going on in the rp at the time) with at least seven or more lines. One liners are a very strict no go for me.

-You can respond at least once or more per day. I do not mind what time during the day that response happens as life comes before rp and I do not want you skipping over important things just to get it done.

-You are 18+. I’m in my twenties and not comfortable rping with minors as my role plays contain NSFW themes and other mature content. Your characters are also required to be 18+ as well.

-You are comfortable with rping against (but not necessarily as) alien characters that aren’t technically just humans from other planets.

-You are capable of bringing ideas to the table, love to world build, adore talking about our characters and aren’t afraid to throw in a plot twist every now and then.

-You will let me know if you have any problems with the rp and work through them with me as well as let me know if you need to take a break or might be busy. I will make sure to do the same.

-You are looking for a long term rp. I want this to be something that spans for months, maybe even years. Not just a couple days or weeks.

-You are comfortable with both MxM and FxM romances. I have no preference as to which one we do.

-You have discord.

I also ask for you to please not godmod, control my characters or spam me with hey/are you there/when are you going to reply/etc.

I AM NOT THE RPER FOR YOU IF:

-You are looking for a fast paced/rapid fire/one liner/short term rp. These types of rp’s just do not hold my interest.

-You are not comfortable with rping with non-humanoid looking aliens. That means anything that may have/has fur, scales, fangs, claws, tails, feathers, the ability to walk on walls or climb ceilings, multiple limbs, etc. If you are not comfortable with aliens that may have one or more of the above traits then please do not reach out to me.

-You are not looking for a slow burn romance or you fade to black when it comes to smut. Slow burn romances are a requirement for all of my rp’s and I feel that skipping out on the smut means we miss the chance to write about very important moments occurring between the characters. To put it simply, smut is important to me. Neither romance or smut will take over the main story of course.

-You are looking for someone to play as a female main character. I only play male main characters and cannot be persuaded to do otherwise.

-You cannot reply more than a couple of times a week. I tend to lose interest/motivation if I don’t get a reply at least every other day.

-You don’t have discord. I rp only on discord because I like making servers to keep things organised, other platforms just don’t work for me.

-You are not interested in doing a sci-fi rp. I’m not looking to do anything that isn’t sci-fi so please do not waste my time to message me and ask if I’m interested in other genres.

With that out of the way, let’s get onto the ideas! Down below are the ideas that I’ve been hoping to write with someone. I’m open to brainstorming or mixing them together to create something new. Nothing is set in stone and I’m hoping to keep whatever plot we decide to do/make mostly fluid or free flowing, meaning that the entire course of the story isn’t entirely planned out at the beginning and we let the actions of our characters determine what happens next whilst occasionally planning what they next major plot point of the story is when we decide it’s time to fill our characters lives with even more drama.

First contact:

Whenever someone read a headline that spoke of how it was possible that alien life forms could very well be not that far beyond the few solar systems that the humans had managed to claim for themselves, many scoffed at the notion that there would actually be any sentient aliens out there who’d even want to interact with humans in the first place and continued to believe that such creatures only existed within the realm of fiction rather than reality despite the few clues found by space explorers that suggested otherwise. Little did anybody know, their extraterrestrial neighbours were much closer than they thought and were not keen on the idea of ever welcoming humans into their little corner of the universe. When a human ship is sent crashing through space and the only survivor ends up being found by an alien, the two species must Learn to put aside their differences in order to stop a war that no one can win from happening.

(Important point of notice: I will be playing the alien, You will be playing the human survivor that they find.)

Taking over:

The lifespan of a captain could sometimes end up being tragically short. It was the captain who was supposed to be the first to jump into their starfighter and guide their crew to victory whenever their ship was under threat, It was the captain who was expected to always be able to know what decisions were the right ones to make in regards to the welfare of the crew and it was the captain who took an oath upon receiving the keys to their ship to never put their own life before someone else’s even when faced with the most difficult decision of all. When the much loved captain of the alliance ship Maelstrom loses their life after a mission gone wrong their second in command is the one who is chosen to take their place as the new captain despite the angry protests from some of the crew members. Will the new captain be able to follow in the footsteps of the one before them and lead the Maelstrom to success whilst earning the respect of the crew, or will the burden be too much to bear?

The kingdoms conquerer:

The right to wear a crown on one’s head without judgement was a birthright. The right to sit on a throne and command an army was something only blood could give. The right to a kingdom was something only a royal was supposed to have. Many had forgotten that the rights to ruling a kingdom could be earned by fighting until news of the old queen’s death spread through the fodrua quadrant like wildfire, with many fearing what the future would hold for them now that Malgor was under the control of an alien who had been deemed to be nothing but ruthless despite the fact that it was his right hand man who had dealt the final blow to ensure that there was no chance that the old queen would still be reigning by the time the fight was over. Whilst the few surviving members of the old royal family mourned their beloved queen a new king, who had been deemed to be a false king in the eyes of everyone but those who’d helped him, sat on his throne and laid his plans out for his future in front of him with the expectation that fate would not decide anything for him. Little did the new king know, fate had different plans that not even he could control.

(Important point of notice: I will be playing the new king’s right hand man. You can be a member of the old queen’s family, a knight, a commoner or someone else entirely.)

The mission:

Seven. Seven alliance ships had disappeared without a trace or been destroyed by unforeseen yet suspicious circumstances. Mining asteroid explosions, ambush attacks, ship failures, all unfortunate yet unpredictable occurrences that were happening far too frequently for anyone to be able to just comfortably sit back and go on with life. With tensions between the alien and human race at an all time high, the alliance itself was desperately trying to find a way to keep the peace without causing a panic. Eventually, a proposal was made. In an all time first since the end of the great alien/human wars, an alien would be chosen and sent to work onboard a human ship. This was considered to be a very large step given many planets were still hostile to one another and the rumours circulating about the missing ships were sparking some strong reactions from both sides but the alliance was desperate….and so was the alien they were planning to send onboard. For them, it was their last and only chance to start a new life and to put a difficult past behind them. Little did anyone know, the appearance of this newcomer was more than just the first step towards changing life as many knew it for the known galaxies.

(Important point of notice: I will be playing the new alien crew member who is sent to work aboard an alliance ship with a human captain and crew. You can play as anything from a regular crew member to the captain.)

Stowaway:

Life in the known galaxies was harder for some than it was for most. Whilst many people were able to live freely with little rules and regulations as to what they did, others were bound by law to follow a certain way of life. Most accepted their predetermined paths and did their best to stay out of trouble, whilst for others it was just that little bit harder to accept the way things were supposedly meant to be. Especially when things could go downhill very quickly if one happened to be on the wrong side of those laws. Whilst many people frowned upon ship jumping, the act of sneaking onboard a ship and hiding away from its occupants in order to travel, some people felt like it was the only way to reach their destinations when a fresh start to their life was in order. When a stowaway is caught trying to hijack a ship, will mercy be given? Or will they find themselves facing a new threat?

(Important point of notice: I will be playing the stowaway. You will be playing the ship’s captain.)

Future defenders:

To anyone who’d graduated from The supernova space and military academy, the feelings were shared between everyone. The promise of freedom and the satisfaction of having managed to not flunk on the final exams that saw them earn a position on the alliance ships themselves was one of the highest achievements a cadet could earn. Now they got to experience the real deal first hand, some getting accepted into the jobs they’d dreamed of since their first year at the academy whilst others were put in a position where there was the chance to move up and an equal risk of being unlucky enough to move down. The one thing everyone enjoyed was the fact that their life was now somewhat less restricting than it had been prior but now was not the time to get slack. Now was the time to show just exactly what it was they’d learned and put it to the test, a now or never situation where everything they did was under the watchful eyes of their captain and superiors. The newest members of the space force were due to be deployed upon the Galactica, one of the most famous ships the galaxy alliance owned and flew, and no one would’ve known it yet but beyond the stars was where it really all began.

Changing ways:

As a royal, one could always predict how their life would pan out. A royal didn’t need to worry about working to provide money, food, clothes and a house over their heads given they were almost always born into a family with unfathomable amounts of wealth and servants that catered to their every need. Many people hated the idea that some people got to eat off a golden plate whilst they had to clean it. As a result, royals were not favoured amongst most people that roamed the known galaxies. Both parties scoffed at the idea of a royal ever being put in a position where they had to work. When a new crew member arrives in the form of a prince/princess from one of the most important royal families within the known galaxies, many start to panic that they will be replaced. Can differences be put aside for the greater good of the galaxies? Or will old rivalries surface?

(Important point of notice: you will be playing the prince/princess. I will be playing a crew member or the captain depending on what we come up with.)

Where no one dares go:

Life in the known galaxies was once a peaceful experience. Aliens and humans alike peacefully lived their lives knowing that they were safe and mostly free from criminal encounters under the protection of the planetary leaders that formed the United worlds galactic alliance. Nowadays, such hope that any of those so-called leaders would look up from the desks that they were busy counting their money on was nonexistent. If you weren’t a criminal or someone who knew how to play their cards, life got pretty tough. Criminals ruled the roost with an iron fist, many species had gone back to the old ways of thinking less than highly of one another and most simply believed that perhaps this was the way things were meant to be. As a new threat slowly creeps over the horizon, it’s up to two unlikely heroes to team up and go further than anyone ever has before.

Runaway royalty:

The life of a Royal was simple yet complex at the same time. They were weighed on hand and foot and never had to lift a finger to do anything provided there was a maid or servant nearby willing to do whatever task the royal had for them, yet they were also expected to grow into decent and respectable leaders who could rule a planet fairly without any struggles. Many royals were more than content to follow this regularly repeating path of effortless “destiny” that their ancestors had set them on……All but one it seems. When a prince/princess decides that there is more to life than just having someone else live it for them and leaves the safety of the castle walls and their planet, they find out just exactly how hard life in the known galaxies can be in a place where their status means nothing to those have to do what is necessary to survive in a galaxy that is much crueller than anyone dares to acknowledge.

(Important point of notice: you will be playing the prince/princess. I’ll be playing the character they run into.)

The price for freedom:

The number one rule for any criminal, whether they were a fearsome pirate, a smuggler with a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later or a wannabe thief who had yet to go beyond attempting to steal someone’s sandwiches without anyone noticing, was to never let themselves be put in a position where their freedom was at risk of being taken from them. Freedom was a gift that was not given on a whim to those who’d found themselves on the wrong side of the law with no intention of changing their ways and it was not something that came without a price on the rare occasions that it was offered to someone who had been on the path to a life where such a thing would never be granted. When one of the galaxies most feared criminals is finally captured and the alliance ship they are imprisoned on crashes after being targeted by a unknown organisation that is intent on taking over the universe itself, they are forced to work together with the only surviving crew member under the promise that they will be exempt from the punishment they once faced for their help. Will the promise be kept, or will it be broken in the worst way possible?

(Important point of notice: I will be playing the criminal. You will be playing the only surviving crew member of the ship that captured them.)

Enslaved:

imagine living the life of one of the most successful people on the run that could exist. Galaxies trembled at your name. You and your crew swam in wealth and the going was good. Mutiny, sadly and sometimes not sadly, exists on its own accord. One person in particular reflected on this as they were forced to their feet. A collar attached to a chain and electromagnetic handcuffs prevented their escape as they stood for all those who cared to glance as they walked by in the market to see. No one wants to have their only life’s purpose be to serve another……only sometimes people don’t get that choice.

(Important point of notice: I’ll be playing the slave/servant. You’ll be the master/mistress.)

Invasion:

March 18th in the year 6000 was the day that the humans had invaded nexus seven, a planet known for being the home of thousands of species of aliens that came from many different planets. The humans had clearly been planning the invasion for some time as they had come prepared and easily took out nexus seven’s defence forces after decades of war that had seen the humans emerge victorious. No one knows exactly why the humans sought to take nexus seven for their own even after all the years that have passed since that fateful day, many aliens believing this had simply just been the first step to the humans conquering the known galaxies one planet and one solar system at a time despite the fact that the invaders have made little progress in doing so. Attempts by the people of nexus seven to contact their allies on the outer worlds had ended in failure and any hope of someone coming to their rescue had long been lost. Surely there was no one who could save them now….at least that was what they thought.

Betrothed:

Long before other planets had even been discovered, and for far longer than anyone could truly remember, there had always been arranged marriages. Arranged marriages, or betrothals as they were more often called, consisted of pairing two people together and making them get married regardless of how they felt about one another in order to secure ties to another land or another planet for what many hoped would be forever. Political marriages benefited everyone but the married pair it always seemed. After all, no one could possibly be happy being married to a complete and utter stranger, could they? How does one who is betrothed build a life of love and prosperity when the one who bears the rings of their union is not the one who also bears their heart?

Last chance:

Criminals, ranging from wannabe thieves to true crime lords, have been around long before anyone had even thought of the idea of building a spaceship and go where no one had ever been before. They’re often cunning, tricky to catch and more often than not are clever at disguising themselves whenever those wanted posters come up. It takes true talent to be on the wrong side of the laws that had been made by those long gone and get away with it. When a criminal that has been giving the alliance a run for their money has finally been captured, they are given a second chance to redeem themselves by having to work alongside the crew of the ship that captured them and even aid them to defend the ship if the need arises. Will this be enough to encourage a change of heart, or will it be the downfall of the crew and the alliance itself?

(Important point of notice: I’ll be playing the criminal, you will be playing as one of the crew members or even the captain of the ship.)

To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading! If you are interested in rping with me please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email (I do not rp through email but I’m more than happy for it to be where we first introduce ourselves to one another before moving to discord) or discord. Please note that I am in the eastern australian time zone so it might be a while before I respond/accept any requests you send my way due to possibly being asleep or busy depending on what time zone you are in. When you reach out to me please tell me what idea you liked, why you liked it and any ideas you may have. Please also include a little introduction and tell me what your favourite food is so that I know you’ve read the whole ad. My contact information is down below:

My discord: tiberionwars

My Gmail: lleo52560@gmail.com

Can’t wait to rp with anyone interested!

[adiabolikpastel]

Is it okay if I ask you for more information about the elite school you created for your AU?

I'm curious to know how the students live together, or if there are any special events or academic competitions. Can you imagine a tournament where the best representatives of each demon race face off?

The Wolves and Eagles would demonstrate their brute strength and agility and the Vampires and Víboras would demonstrate their intelligence and skill with magic.

Sorry if this is weird, I just love your ideas and always want to know more of the AU you've created for DL. :')

ahh~ stop Anon, you are too sweet. I am so glad that you find the world interesting! I work hard on it, and with ask like this one, it gives me the chance to add more to it - so thank you so much!

Let's see...

●・○・●・○・● | ●・○・●・○・● | ●・○・●・○・●

How the Students live together

There are a couple of different ways a student can board, again think of this much like Ouran Academy (Ouran High School Host Club). As a parent you have the option to allow your child to stay on campus, buy a housing unit for them, or have the commute each day.

Students who live on campus have dorms which are divided by age and class - so say you are a Primary Student in class 1-A, you would only be able to room with any other student in classes 1-A through 1-E. Similar if you were in class 2-A, you could only have a dorm mate that was in another similar class 2-A through 2-E.

Dorms are located closer to the school's main campuses, corresponding with the age group within them. Each dorm building is slightly different when it comes to being co-ed, while no room can have different sexes in the same room, the building itself may or may not. The size of rooms also vary, but each one is still luxurious. Singles are more like studio apartments, and there can be as many as four occupants in the larger rooms.

Students who decide to have their own housing have just that, their own housing it is just located on the schools campus. As we talked about before, similar to Mahora Academy (Negima! Magister Negi Magi), the school's campus is large enough to be considered a city. While staff members and those who work in the local businesses live around, there are designated housing units that are for student use. These are on a rent basis, and are restricted to the college level students.

Then of course anyone is able to return home each day if they so wish, and come back in the morning. Students who live in the dorms are encouraged to go home on the days they have off of school, so that deep cleaning can be done to the dorms each week. Housing students are free to come and go as they wish, and have cleaning services on call if they need.

●・○・●・○・●

Any Special Events or Academic Competitions

So this school does have a ranking system for their students, like a lot of other anime material out there. Think of any Isekai or second life anime where there is a ranking system based off your power, and you are given a crest or special something based on that - that kind of thing exist here.

If you think about Fumizuki Academy (Baka and Test) where your class letter reflects your rank, that happens in this Academy too - however, no one is given terrible classrooms like in Fumizuki. So, if you are powerful you are in the A classes, while the weaker ones are in E. Those ranking can change throughout the year depending on your performance - where there are quarterly exams.

I have also mentioned in a previous ask that the school does not have a strict advancement policy - meaning you could be a 'high school' student and have dropped out of math back in primary school. I searched my blog for the post that explained it - but sadly cannot find it to link, I apologize. If you want me to go into details on this I can.

As far as events go - like sports and cultural days - I'd like to say yes. I don't want it to be so bland that it's like any other anime that has those kinds of things, since this is the Makai not human world Japan. Off the top of my though I would say they would be similar.

If you went to school in America you might know something like 'Around the World Day' where each classroom would talk about a different country and you could go around the school and learn about them - this being in Elementary. I like to think that that younger kids have this kind of event, but instead of by class the school have a specific staff member that is that race's advisor or representative for the students. They help organize the students and create displays or activities for others to learn about one another. After all as the Demon World's elite future, they must know about one another.

There is also the quarterly exams in each grade level, to determine your class rankings. They are done on the power level only - not academic, since that is handled separate. Academics are done bi-yearly, but they are not done on a large public scale. While there is no school mandated or authorized competition of races - it is common among the students to create such stakes.

Venturing into spoiler-ish areas for the Tormented Reverie Another Daydream story - since the Vampires are the current Demon King race (as Shu sits as the demon king), they are seen as the top in terms of power. More is expected of the Bat clan, and those that come from it. That being said however, the big four kingdoms still reign over any other demons - those being Bat, Wolf, Snake (Vibora) & Eagle (Adler).

[thevillagequeer]

Please don't think just because Destiny's Children turned into a cult of personality, they didn't follow the typical counterculture talking points of that era. Spirituality, sexual freedom, civil rights, women's equality, definitely liberal drug use on the followers' part, and you better believe Dave wasn't the only one who heard Klaus' warnings about the Vietnam war -- he had those statistics right at the top of his head. Also keep in mind the first major protests didn't start until 1964.

Oh honey darling sweatheart, no no no, i am so sorry its your ask that is going to be on the recieving end of this onslaught you've just walked into the intersection of everything that makes my brain go brrrrrrr 

First of all, if we are going with the rule that klaus can't take part in things that hadn't at the time he was dropped into the past, he certainly cannot be starting a hippy dippy cult. Hell, he shouldn't be strutting around looking like a hippie either! 

If the beatles are still in liverpool, don't even think about the age of aquarius, you get what i'm saying?.  

Hippie culture was so heavily tied to the anti war movement for a multitude of reasons, you can't have the culture of one without the other. Its the same with music, its the same with the rise of cults in this era, it all ties back back to each other and none of these things were as we know them today until the mid to late 60s, certainly not prior to 1964 and definitely not 1960

So if its historically inaccurate to have Klaus fighting against the war in Vietnam in 1961, it's just as inaccurate for him to have started up a cult. 

But, for me at least, that doesn't matter one bit.  Because Klaus isn't a person of the 60s.  He was born nearly 3 decades after the fact. Everything he knows about this time, save for his ten months in the war itself, is how the rest of us learned.  Books, movies, music, the odd recollection from someone who lived through it, perhaps.

When you take someone with ideals influenced by a time or movement and put them into that time before those beliefs were created, it's nigh impossible to keep them from bringing those ideas in too early.

Its a common trope in time-travel fiction, but it's because characters are human. 

Most of them, at least, want to make the world a better place, and being put in the past feels like a key to that, because for once, you have a cheat sheet. No one knows what's going to happen in life, but now you do.  

Humans also love to impress.  They will play Chuck Berry at their parents prom years before it's released.  They will show someone the palm sized computer they can keep in their pocket that has more technology in it than what sent man to the moon.

And do we really think Klaus would be taking note of historical accuracy? The love of his life has less than a decade to live before dying tragically, he's just seen the world end, and for all he knows, he's the only one of his family who made it. If he knows there was a movement to stop the war, why the hell would he care if he joins it a couple years too early? 

Though, to be fair to the point, I will dive in a little bit to how the cults of the 60s functioned with the aesthetic Klaus and his followers adopted as well as with the anti war movement.

As you mentioned, all of this falls under what we now call the counterculture of the 1960s. It was called this because quite literally, it was *countering* the culture of the time.

the world the flower children of the 60s were born into was tight laced, kept up appearances, and abided by strict social rules.  they danced the foxtrot, they starched their shirts and sent their boys off to die.  

everything they did from then on was to fight against that. it was all an act of rebellion, an act of rejection. the status quo they were dying for needed to know they were not abiding

That's why the aesthetics of stereotypical cults and hippies were and honestly still often are used interchangeably, because a lot of cult leaders would use theseaesthetics and buzzwords to draw young, passionate folks in.

now, given how Klaus has an almost reverse view of all this, entering the decade with the knowledge of how it ends, this is how I can see him accidentally attracting a following by just bringing forth what the 60s were getting to, only sooner.

Because, honestly, if we are talking about cultural shifts and all that jazz and how that spurred these touchstones forward, if especially in line with season 2 of tua, the shift started when Kennedy was shot. That;s the turning point.

(As a history goof, i would argue that the real linchpin was the assassination of Robert Kennedy, not JFK, but we're not really talking about history history rn lol even though this is incredibly long already and I do apologize I just loveeeee this shit)

So, if Klaus wouldn't have been allowed to be an anti war activist prior to 1964, he couldn't be a cult leader in the way he was either. Because technically, historically, the true unrest of the 60s that spurred the attraction to cults, that got these social movements into unruly high gear, doesn't happen until the Hargreeves are all back together and Klaus has abandoned Destiny's Children. 

Charlie Manson wasn't getting shit into gear until around 1967 and the other well know American cult of the time that *did* run at the same time as Destiny's Children, the People's Temple (Jonestown ring any bells?) was specifically run as a Christian community under the guise of being marxist liberation. And they weren't even doing traditional cult shit until the mid-60s either. 

Now, onto Klaus. In s2, the cult is not much more than set dressing. It gives them a cool place to stay and a handful of characters to interact with. Either way you slice it, it was an underused aspect of the season.

But more importantly, what was the role the cult was supposed to fill in the story?

in my opinion it boils down to these points:

Klaus is a charismatic little bitch and he can attract all sorts of people to him with insane ease

Klaus is not good at dealing with things and instead throws his energy out to externalities, obsessions even

He needed to be infamous

Lets take stock of Klaus within the first days of arriving in Dallas, 1960

he is 59 years in the past with only his ghost brother 

they have just come an earth literal seconds away from total annihilation

days before his sibling ended the world, he was actually much closer to the time he is in now.  he's just spent 10 months in Vietnam, 1968

the last days in the war, he lost the love of his life to a gunshot wound to the chest.  he bled out in his arms.  

he's wearing bowling shoes

Literally, though, from Klaus' own words, we know he has never loved anyone like he loved Dave.  And now, he has nearly a decade to prevent his death.  

As viewers, we can see starting Destiny's Children as a distraction on Klaus' part, and that's understandable.  Who wouldn't want a lighthearted distraction to the tune of the summer of love? (which, again, wasn't until 1967 but..)

But, if we're to believe Klaus' goal of keeping Dave alive, shouldn't we also be inclined to think that maybe, even if it wasn't his intent, he was a bit too passionate about the cause to be read as anything but an anti war activist? That even if he tried to just blend in, he'd end up getting a little too heated in conversation? A little too pointed in what he said to kids debating on enlisting? Things that when overheard time and time again, would make certain people think he had a certain agenda?

Because really, what about Klaus in season 2 makes him a cult leader? The throngs of people? Fine, but why are they following him? The wild outfits? Sure, but that's just Klaus, isn't it? Even his followers seem to have taken more from him than he ever led them.  The whole time, it seems like Klaus attracted people with no intention of spreading shit.  He needed food and a place to stay, so he groveled.  It grew from there.  He got in over his head.  Because Klaus is smarter than he realizes.  Who the hell can accidentally start a cult? 

Anyway, its a disservice to the character.  because yes, its impressive, but what did it really do to further the character? we don't even get to see how it affected his relationship with substances! we are just told he's sober.  sober in the 1960s. in a supposedly hippie cult.  okkkkk. 

the plotline and concept on the whole just doesn't check any boxes and it doesn't add any depth.  that's why I am so critical of it.  I don't care if Klaus had a go at being an asshole cultist that he'd have to atone for, just if it's done well.  And it wasn't.  And I honestly do not believe it is in Klaus' character to act in that way.  That's why I think it would have made more sense for him to have ended up as an accidental activist rather than an accidental cult leader.  Because it'd be just as selfish– he'd be in it for one person and one person only. But maybe it wouldn't stay that way.  It'd lead to the same reach and infamy, without the blurriness and crude steterotyping and reliance on cheap humor.  

This got verryyyyy long and I bet it also makes 0 sense, but I do not have the braincells to try and make it more lucid, I'm sorry.  I just love both these topics very much sooooo a lot of words.  

If anyone ends up actually reading this you are amazing and I love you and we should probably be mutuals and talk 

[wroteonedad]

Pearl (2022)

I go onto my Letterboxd and I type in my silly little review about the horny grandma in X (2022), within minutes of posting the review I have one of my friends messaging me, insisting that I watch Pearl straight away. I couldn't bare to put myself through a movie double bill, but if I watch X again, I know I'll have to watch the two movies back to back.

Pearl is perhaps a movie that didn't really need to happen, but I am so glad it did. After watching this film, I think I understand why Pearl was the way she was in X (2022). The way in which the film is laid out is brilliant. X being chronologically the sequel to Pearl is about a 70s porno. The way in which the film is edited and shot very much suggests mid 70s. Pearl does exactly the same thing. As it's the first story in the trilogy, the film opens and closes exactly how an Audrey Hepburn movie would. The music, many of the credits at the beginning, the overbearing smile at the end; it all resembles that show girl aesthetic that women were dying to have during the War.

The storyline is also weirdly wonderful. Pearl is left with her German family working at their farm, waiting for the return of her husband Howard who is fighting in the war and dealing with life changes from both the war and the Spanish Influenza; the area is in lockdown and Pearl is left wearing a face mask every time she goes into town to run her errands. Her strict mother, the lockdown and her need to break free, to become her own woman gets the better of her and she starts to end up going a bit crazy. Her mother essentially becomes cruel towards Pearl, not allowing her to speak to people in town in fear of someone coming after them for their German heritage. Her father has had a stroke and is left needing 24 hour care.

Lusting for men, doing anything out of her power to ensure she's the star at the dance and ultimately killing the people who were looking out for her the most out of spite and jealousy, this movie makes for a remarkable modern horror. I am so for these forms of non conventional horror movies because there is nothing more boring than when you spend the whole film waiting for the jumpscare to happen and nobody to have any character development through the whole picture.

Pearl wants to be seen by everyone all the time. She wants to be the ladies in the dance films, and when everything becomes too overwhelming for her, she turns to the animals at the farm. Sometimes it's dancing on top of hay and performing with a pitchfork, other times its to impale them, to feed them to her best friend, an alligator which seemingly seems to reside pretty much at the end of the farm land. The story of Pearl follows how she went from lockdown insane to becoming a serial killer.

The way in which Pearl failed to achieve any of her dreams makes sense why the way she is the way she is in X (2022). Everything she does, everybody she kills seems to foreshadow exactly the way in which the story will pan out over 50 years later.

The colouring and setting of this film is very different to X. The outdoor shots of the farm and towards the town are bright, rich in colour. Like something out of a book, something like what you saw in the original Wizard of Oz movie. Inside on the other hand is dark and dingy, possibly reflecting how Pearl felt trapped, as if it was her parents who were holding her back from everything that she wanted to accomplish. Despite the grittiness of the movie and the relationships she both begins and ends, the actual death scenes themselves very much resemble something out of a dark comedy. I think it is perfect, I think that Mia Goth is the perfect person to be playing a character like Pearl and for that I cannot wait to see how the third movie will pan out in the X universe.

Pearl is currently not available on any streaming services. Legal ones anyway.

[letterstomymothershewontread]

Brother,

There is so much I want to say to you, yet I know and fear that it all falls on deaf ears. I cannot believe you're fourteen, it blows my mind honestly. To me you'll always be half my height and nine or ten years old. I think that's because I'm mentally stuck as someone who's nineteen or twenty. I'm sorry that I struggle to see you as the age and person you are rather than the age and person you were about five years ago. I realize now that's what sissy always did to me and it caused a huge rift between the two of us for about a year and a half.

I haven't really spoke to you in months now because last time we did you asked about what happened between mom and I, and not wanting to completely dive into that with you tried giving you the abridged version. In doing that I just seemed to upset you because of what I said about mom, about how one of the reasons I was and am still upset with her over is her homophobic microaggressions and tendencies. Rather than you listening to me and letting me explain my feelings like I wanted you to, you went on the defensive instantly. I honestly just gave up trying to explain anything at that point, it was clear to me that you were too far gone already. You've put mom on a pedestal and have made her out to be the 'good guy' or the 'good parent'. That is not to say she isn't or is the good one. In time I have learned, just as you will, that people are hardly ever just in the black and white. Life and people are nothing but grey areas, the sooner you learn that the less healing you'll have to do.

Mom is not the 'good parent' and dad is not the 'bad parent'. They are neither one or the other. They both have their strengths and weaknesses just like the rest of us. Dad for example is not good at handling conflict but, he is good at giving advice and he's good at helping you with any car or electronic need you have. Mom on the other hand is a little bit better with conflict but she still isn't great at handling it. On the flip side mom is good at giving hugs and she's great at car conversations.

I know they have tried three times over at being parents, and yet we all still turned out with some sort of unresolved parental trauma. The biggest reason I personally think we've got so much trauma is because of how we've painted mom and dad out to be strict black and white characters. That isn't our fault however, I think they both noticed and used that to what they thought was their advantage. In all honesty, all they ended up doing was help drive a rift between them and us, be it mom and I or you and dad. All that said, it was not okay and it still isn't okay. I hope you see all of this before it's too late and you want to cut one of them off but if that's what's needed, then I won't cast any stones.

I worry about you almost daily, brother. I worry that you're not eating enough or that you're not exercising enough, or if you're showering. I genuinely fear you'll turn into an incel, and that scares me. I can't tell you this though, you get mad anytime I express my concern and that may be on me frankly. I may not be expressing it properly but the intention is the same none the less. I also worry that you have no friends and I worry about what that will do to your mental health. I suppose the silver lining is at least I don't have to worry about you being killed in a school shooting since you're homeschooled. That does leave me to be worried about if you're actually getting an education.

I wish I could explain everything to you and I wish I could be there for you. I know you won't understand why I just cut everyone off, I just wish you would listen. I know if you would listen to me explain things, I think you would understand. I wish I could give you advice on how to handle things but I also fear all of that would go in one ear and out the other. I think about messaging you sometimes to check in on you but I stop myself every time.

I think at the end of the day why everything bothers me so much is because I see so much of my younger self in you. I see how depressed I was and how angry I still am to be honest. I hope you don't let it eat you up inside like it did me though. If I had one wish for you, that's what it would be. I'd wish that all the anger you carry wouldn't burn you from the inside out. Once it starts to, you start to spit fire at people and though you can't see it's effects, they're there and they're lasting. I hope that one day some of your sadness will melt away and your rain cloud will no longer hang over you but, instead you'll have maybe a little cloud or even a little sunshine. I wish I could say I remember when you were a happy little kid but if I'm honest, you've never really been a happy little kid. You had your moments of course, everyone does however, over all you've always seemed so melancholic. If you haven't considered it already, you should really take up the goth style, you'd suit it well.

Anyway I know you don't love music but I would appreciate if you'd listen to this song. That's where you and I are extremely different, I speak with music and you don't like music. I know it's not in english but I made sure the video has english lyrics with it.

[korphsblog]

Personal Philosophy on the Hospitality and Tourism Industry

I've made it to the home stretch! I am quite happy that I took this course, I have learned about so many careers and behind the scenes of tourism.

Let me begin with the first blog - Human Trafficking. I am so glad Professor Tuma began with this topic to make sure we understand that everything in this industry is not rainbows and happiness, there are some things that happen behind the scenes that are dangerous and illegal. I think this also helped a lot of people realize how easy it can be to fall into these traps, and to move throughout this industry with caution.

The agencies in HTM, especially the US embassy were something I was very ignorant of. The US embassy does its best to help US citizens traveling, but I was surprised that they can only help to a certain extent with medical emergencies or evacuating their citizens in cases of emergencies. I would think they can do much more when it comes to those two things. I am not surprised that they can not help much with legal troubles, especially if you are guilty, other countries have different laws, jurisdictions, and punishments, which is why it is also OUR job to make smart choices and do some research.

The impacts of HTM on the economy of other countries were surprising to learn about, not only are we making money and stimulating our economy, we're stimulating other country's economies! There are many risk factors; sometimes some industries cannot reach their goal and barely make any profit, but it is part of many jobs!

Spiritual pilgrimage and monetizing the industry go hand in hand. becoming a digital nomad and adventuring off on the coastline of Central America to end up in my final destination goal of Honduras for spiritual reasons sounds like a DREAM! I really hope that someday I can have the time and money to do some traveling and fulfill these dreams. I think they can go hand in hand really well, and I would hope that I can make some money by being a digital nomad (maybe at least 50k) to sustain my lifestyle and spiritual journey!

In the air and on the ocean... The aviation industry absolutely astonished me. The benefits that you can receive by being a flight attendant were almost too good to hear! I have seen many videos about the lives of flight attendants, and the many opportunities they get to travel and enjoy their time while working! I would definitely be interested in this if I could, but as a 4'10 woman, I do not think I could pass all of the final tests that have to be done! I heard about a woman who was turned away because she was too short, I have a feeling that would be a similar case for me... BUT! There is no height requirement to work on a cruise. The strict schedule of getting the ships prepared in between guests seems so stressful, but I think I would enjoy working on a ship for a year. The long hours of the workers seem worth it when they have some time off to enjoy their workplace.

The hotel industry also had some amazing benefits, to be able to have connections to the same hotel branch throughout the country can be super beneficial. I loved watching the movie about the Marigold Hotel, I actually rewatched it with my parents and they also enjoyed it! The hotel industry does not interest me much, but regardless I can tell it takes a lot of commitment to solve problems, meet needs, train employees, and also be an active part of the community.

The pandemic changed the meetings and events industry completely. I learned about the social media marketing aspect, and this really interested me. I like that it takes a creative to be able to advertise and make people want to attend your event. I think that many companies have realized that going virtual can be much easier, but others could not wait to go back to in-person because it provides a better connection or experience.

Food, I am EXTREMELY food motivated. I would absolutely love to try a lot more food box companies, they seem to have a very good variety that caters to whatever diet. It was astonishing to learn that the food industry was not really doing its best, to begin with, to provide its customers with healthier options, but it changed with COVID, like many other things.

The franchise industry is really what caught my attention. Being able to work a deal with an operating corporation or company while also being a mini businesswoman sounds so appealing to me. I think with the proper research and the money to invest, this industry can be open to anyone! I loved hearing about Professor Tuma's experience and how she had to make tough decisions which ended up working out, quite the business gal!

Finishing off with Courtney Stanley's amazing advice really motivated me to confide in myself. Almost every job you can go into will have people who think you do not know your worth, but if you are confident in your work and have a sense of self-empowerment you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. Her advice can really create young hustlers and hearing how she once was on the same level as me was comforting because she has done amazing things at such a young age, and I hope I can do the same.

I had a blast learning about the careers in HTM, there are so many diverse paths you can go down, and so many ladders you can climb. I think that there are many people who are okay with not being at the top, but if you want to progress HTM is an amazing industry to do just that!

Overall, even though I did not make a major or minor switch, I definitely learned about the many other options I can pick from. Who knows, perhaps I will go back and get a degree in HTM! It seems like an industry where you can never really get bored of what you do!