#i don't get enough votes on these to consider the results

[gamebunny-advance]

Random Question Time

[gffa]

Jedi culture & community fics, my beloved! They're a bit of a rare breed for what you're specifically looking for, specifically focusing on positive Jedi worldbuilding, so if anyone has genfic recs outside of the ones I know, please feel free to add them! But these should help scratch that itch for you, each of them has at least some focus on Jedi philosophy or how Jedi interact with each other or the lessons they teach! It's been awhile since I've read some of them, so there might be some that aren't quite as in-line with how I see the Jedi these days, but they're all ones I felt portrayed them pretty positively and they're all genfic (except one that I made an exception for) and all really lovely fics I remember enjoying for the Jedi worldbuilding aspects! And there are some that will make you absolutely melt with how much you love these characters and their beautiful culture, because by god if canon's not going to give us as much detail as we want, fandom will step up. And fandom made sure to not just focus on the disaster lineage--we love Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka, we always want more of them, please don't stop writing Jedi worldbuilding with them!--but also Mace and Yoda and Quinlan and Qui-Gon and even some Jedi OCs get some love in these fics, which makes me want to explode with joy to see! So, come cry about how much we love the Jedi with me, I WILL GIVE YOU A CRAPLOAD OF FIC TO READ. STAR WARS & JEDI CULTURE & WORLDBULDING RECS YOU'LL FIND HERE:

NOVEL AND NOVELLA LENGTH

MID-LENGTH

SHORT AND YET SO GOOD-LENGTH

NOVEL AND NOVELLA LENGTH: ✦ Remedial Jedi Theology by MarbleGlove, obi-wan & anakin & jedi & cast, 51.3k     Let us consider the fact that the Jedi Order is a monastic religious organization based out of a temple, with five basic tenets of faith. ✦ Festival of Light by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka, 8.7k     During his first year at the Jedi Temple, Anakin learns that even the Jedi celebrate holidays. ✦ Out with Lanterns by SkyeBean, ahsoka & mace & jedi & clones & cast, 312.5k     In another universe, Jedi Masters Plo Koon and Depa Billaba decide a Padawan could do Mace some good. It takes a while, but he eventually agrees. When he takes Ahsoka Tano as his Padawan, Mace knows that he's broken through a Shatterpoint and changed the course of a life. How, he doesn't know. ✦ eat well; be well by gingerbeer, rainsoaked_benevolence (oceans_bluem), obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & yoda & depa & shaak & quinlan & aayla & cast, 18.6k     Or, (almost) all of the Jedi High Councilors (plus Ahsoka) gather to eat dinner together. ✦ Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan Kenobi by stonefreak, obi-wan & anakin & padme & ahsoka & palpatine & yoda & quinlan & cody & cast, 126.3k wip     By an old Republic law, all members of the Jedi High Council are senators in the Galactic Senate, and can thus be voted in as chancellor. A Senator from a less prominent planet has had enough of Chancellor Palpatine's incompetence and calls for a Vote of No-Confidence and the installation of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. This one action becomes the catalyst that changes the direction of the galaxy. ✦ Pragmatics of the Jedi by aroacejoot, ghostwriterofthemachine, loosingletters, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & jedi, 31.3k     A series of fanfiction exploring the consequences and results of the Jedi having their own language, and speaking it still. ✦ light by loosingletters, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & mace & jedi, 56.1k     Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi and being a part of their Order means that he is protected and accepted. The war is over and the Republic has to recover from the crimes of the Sith Lord, the Jedi have to figure out what it means to be peacekeepers again and the Clones have to learn how to be more than expendable soldiers. ✦ When Darkness Seems to Hide This Place by IllyanaA, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & kanan & ocs & cast, 94.9k wip     After killing three of the Jedi Order's best and brightest, Palpatine's fight with Jedi Master Mace Windu goes shorter than expected. Afraid he's lost his chance at recruiting a new apprentice, Sidious unleashes Order 66 across the galaxy, but, per their programming, the Clone Army is not to harm Anakin Skywalker. After witnessing the most painful loss he's ever experienced and injured at the hands of his captors, Anakin is ready to die like the rest of the Jedi, though not before getting his vengeance.

✦ Knightrise by Deviant_Accumulation, obi-wan & yoda & satine & ahsoka & asajj & cast, 89.4k wip     "Strong enough to fight the Sith Lord, you are not.“ And just like that the fight drained out of Obi-Wan, the barely scraped together agitation running out of him like water from a broken glass. He looked at Yoda, the other Master already hobbling towards one of the back exits, his presence burning with focus, obviously expecting Obi-Wan to follow. ✦ Make a Brand New End by Batsutousai, obi-wan & anakin & feemor & qui-gon & yoda & mace & dooku & jedi, 118.6k     Feemor, Qui-Gon Jinn's first padawan, did not survive Order 66, but the Force granted him a boon: A chance to go back to days before Qui-Gon's death. He doesn't know why the Force picked him to remember that terrible future, but he's going to do what he can to change it. And if he can heal the rift fallen between himself and Qui-Gon, and finally get the chance to know Obi-Wan, well, he's not about to turn that down. ✦ Unexpected Awakening (The Rewrite) by Rhiw, obi-wan & qui-gon & bruck & feemor & cast, time travel, 135.1k wip     The life of General Kenobi is cut short at the hands of his Padawan, but the sight that greets his eyes upon awakening is not that of blinding light of the Force, but the Jedi Temple he knew when he was still a youth. As he struggles to understand the path laid out before him, Obi-Wan unwittingly captures the attention of a singularly unusual Temple Guard, and that of a reluctant Qui-Gon Jinn. ✦ No Rest for the Weary by orphan_account, obi-wan & anakin & jedi, 61k     Needing a break from life at the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, visit a Jedi AgriCorps settlement on the Midrim planet of Helia. There they encounter new friends, new enemies and have new adventures, all while attempting to navigate their sometimes turbulent relationship as Master and Padawan. ✦ The Moments That Time Remembered by CallToMuster, obi-wan & mace & vokara & bant & quinlan & garen & depa & jedi, 82.4k     Obi-Wan’s first memory was not his own. Rather, it was a vision steeped in darkness and flashes of red and choking heat and you were my brother and the harsh crash of lightsabers striking one another. He woke up sobbing in the arms of the crèchemaster, Master Kitaddik, who was hushing him and gently stroking the top of his head with her furry hands. Obi-Wan hid his face in the soft folds of her tunic and, still crying, fell back asleep. The first time Obi-Wan collapsed due to a vision was not long after that. [Or: in all the various iterations of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life, the Force spoke to him. But in this one, it never stopped.] ✦ Starrunner by orpheus_under_starlight, obi-wan & jedi & oc, 80.2k wip     In what would have been the year 17 BBY, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine is found slumped over his desk, dead to rights and emitting a foul odor. The coroners declare the body victim to a heart attack and the smell a result of a lack of a timely embalming—a bit of bowels humor, the head coroner says with a nervous laugh when interviewed by the Galactic Enquirer.

MID-LENGTH: ✦ 飽了嗎? | Have you eaten your fill? by virdant, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & qui-gon & quinlan & yoda & dooku & mace & bant & jedi, 13k     The Force is the first language that Obi-Wan learned to speak, the brush of one mind against another. But food is the second language that Obi-Wan learned to speak with, and he talks, he talks, he talks. A collection of fics about food and how food is an articulation of love. ✦ We Will Abide by naberiie, plo & shaak, 10.3k     Light. Dark. Balance. Beneath the Jedi Temple, far below the chaos of Coruscant's Galactic City, ancient halls and corridors sleep in silent darkness. Padawans Shaak Ti and Plo Koon are determined to explore them. ✦ What Is My Heritage? by Marnie, qui-gon & yoda, 7.7k     Qui-Gon, age 13, tries to find a place to belong. ✦ Coming Home by Marnie, qui-gon & yoda & dooku, 18.1k     A story telling how Qui-Gon comes to be Dooku's apprentice. ✦ Master by CJinn, obi-wan & anakin, 27.5k     Obi-Wan Kenobi had always wanted to become a Jedi Knight. What he didn't expect was to become a Master merely days after his own Master died. Adapting to his new role as the mentor and Master of the quite unusual Padawan Anakin Skywalker became a bumpy road.

✦ into the statue that breathes by spoonks, obi-wan & feemor & cin & cast, 8.5k     The night watch in the garden was supposed to be the calmest of them all. No mischievous Padawans “sneaking” in or out, or ne’er-do-well civilians conducting “business” around the lower-level entrances that they didn’t know existed. No the gardens was still, and it was like time was frozen in ice that slowly melted away with the rising of the sun. A slow drip, drip— Drip. Immediately Feemor turned towards the central waterfall. Someone was standing there. Whoever they were, they were small and moved through katas with their hands open like a greeting. ✦ The Cave by Ria Talla (ronia), anakin & ahsoka & cast, time travel, 10k     Ahsoka Tano, post-Star Wars Rebels/? And there was something else, more important, though Ahsoka found herself loath to do it. Her lightsabers drawn, deep in the labyrinth formed by the stone warriors and the crumbled temple. Yet the words broke certain into her mind. Your eyes can deceive you. Her heart pounded, as though warning her otherwise. But Ahsoka withdrew her sabers, and closed her eyes. Rather than her weapons, she let the Force be her light. ✦ A Candle in the Night by phoenixyfriend, anakin/luminara & obi-wan, time travel, 12k     In which Luminara finds a heavily injured Jedi, nurses him back to health, and falls in love. Then they get back to the real world, and she just can't figure him out... ✦ Found Clan by silvergryphon, boba & ocs & obi-wan & anakin & cast, 25.3k wip     After the Battle of Geonosis, a Jedi Healer discovers young Boba Fett mourning the loss of his father. Not about to leave a ten-year-old boy on his own, she promptly adopts him with the full collusion of her Padawan. ✦ the heart of kyber by outpastthemoat, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & depa & kanan & jedi, 32.7k     Tales of the Jedi: Stories about lightsabers, masters, and apprentices. ✦ Stars of Tatooine by Be_Right_Back, ahsoka & mace & kanan & obi-wan & rex & cast, 10.5k     After the end of the world, Ahsoka more or less kidnaps a child, has to air some old grievances, and tries to find whatever peace the universe can still offer. All paths in the Force lead home, eventually. ✦ The Uses of a Sandwich by Laura Kaye (laurakaye), obi-wan & qui-gon & yoda & cast, 17.6k     A few months after being taken as a Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi faces a challenge: meeting his Master's first apprentice. ✦ Familes Found by fyrefly, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & padme & mace & plo, 8.2k     In a universe where "The Wrong Jedi" never happened, the war ends under different circumstances and perhaps everyone will get a chance at a happy ending after all.

SHORT AND YET SO GOOD-LENGTH: ✦ The Mathematics of Repair by panharmonium, obi-wan & anakin & cast, 4.6k     For raw teachers and rough-edged students building in the rubble: tiny steps are enough, provided they carry you in the right direction. Immediately post TPM, in short snippets. ✦ The Living Force; Parables for Padawans by glorious_clio, obi-wan & cast, 6.1k     Since infancy, younglings are taught the Jedi Code, “Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.” Obi-Wan Kenobi learns these tenets backwards and forwards again. But even as a child, he is interested in nuance. And so his teachers tell him parables. ✦ A Jedi's Cloak ImperialKatwala, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & cody & rex, 6.4k Jedi cloaks are made for children. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a year and a half old when he first sees this principle in action. He is fourteen, twenty-five, twenty-nine, and thirty-six when he gets a reminder.     Or: Jedi cloaks are weird. Here's a series of events showing why they're made that way. ✦ the master, the padawan, the Force by skatzaa, kanan & depa. 1.4k     Caleb expects things to be different after Master Depa takes him as her padawan, but really, it feels like nothing really changes. ✦ For the Future of the Order by thetorontokid, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 3.9k     There are important lessons to be found in the Jedi Temple creche.

✦ Memories of Peace by Margan, obi-wan & clones, 2k     It's not quite flash training, but the Clones are used to learning fast. It helps that this is something that they actually look forward to learning, to putting into practice. Obi-Wan teaches the Clones how to make dumplings in the middle of war. ✦ Liberosis by Be_Right_Back, anakin & mace & yoda & jedi, 2.2k     The war is over, the Sith are gone, and there is now Anakin Skywalker's secret marriage to deal with. While love is a wonderful thing, some truths are hard to face, and letting go is the destiny of all Jedi. Or: the Council and Anakin clash. It doesn't go as terribly as it could have. ✦ Accepting Emotion by LazarusII, obi-wan & ahsoka, 1.1k     Dealing with the stress and anxiety of being a prospective Padawan, Ahsoka Tano struggles to manage her emotions. Obi-Wan Kenobi finds her practicing in the dojo, confidence in tatters. His words make all the difference. ✦ A Long, Long Time Ago by ruth baulding, dooku & qui-gon + qui-gon & obi-wan + obi-wan & anakin + anakin & ahsoka, 5.8k     A wisdom tale handed passed down through the generations poses troublesome questions for a line of masters and Padawans, from Dooku to Ahsoka Tano.

✦ Duet by Silver Sky 1138, oc & cin, 2.3k     Asha Scarsi, the Jedi Padawan who feels the Force through music, isn't half as good at lightsaber combat as she is at singing and mindtricks. So she's a little nervous when Battlemaster Cin Drallig calls her to the training room after class. ✦ The One Where Anakin Tries to Be Serious by GirlwithCurls98, anakin & ahsoka, 1k     Even though they're fighting a war, Anakin finds the time to lead his apprentice through one of the Jedi's sacred ceremonies. ✦ Obi-Wan and the Force by AwayOHumanChild, obi-wan & cast, ~1k     One of the first things Jedi Initiates learn is that everyone experiences the Force differently.

✦ Night Shift at the Temple by ReneeoftheStars, oc jedi & cast, 1.8k     A Jedi Temple Guard sees all, speaks to few, and has attachments to no one. One must be prepared for any threats that may arise, especially at night, while most of the Temple sleeps. ✦ The Orchards by Raven_Knight, obi-wan & qui-gon & cast, 3.6k     When young Obi-Wan Kenobi is injured on a previous mission, Qui-Gon Jinn refuses to accept further off-planet missions until his Padawan's recovery. Yoda assigns the pair an in-Temple mission of utmost importance while Obi-Wan heals. Master and Padawan welcome the change of pace. ✦ Tipping Point by Ria Talla (ronia), adi gallia & finis valorum & eeth koth, 3.3k     "I believe that if what's happening on Naboo is allowed to continue, the other member systems will wonder what they owe to a Republic that can no longer protect them." ✦ A Personal Touch by DragonHoardsBooks, obi-wan & anakin, 6.2k     New jedi padawan Anakin Skywalker realizes that there is more to being a jedi then he tought. Discovering a completely new culture will take time and effort, but maybe he'll make some friends along the way.

✦ Jedi Parables by Peppermint_Shamrock, jedi, 5.8k     Values are often passed down generation to generation through stories, parables, and fables. What stories might the Jedi teach their children? ✦ Songs for Little Jedi by soft_but_gremlin, mace & jedi, ~1k     The initiates are having nightmares, so Mace sings a lullaby to comfort them. ✦ a thin thread of hope by wrennette, shaak & clones, ~1k     Shaak Ti introduces some cadets to one of her favourite crafts, under the guise of training. ✦ rah kat by js71, obi-wan & anakin & aayla, 1.6k     "Aay’shee," Obi-Wan murmurs into her ear, rocking her gently, like when jaieh was off on a mission she couldn’t go on, so her jaieh-raheniel would take turns having her over at their apartments. ✦ Lessons on Attachment by Siri_Kenobi12, obi-wan & anakin/padme & cast, 2.7k     "Anakin once told me that a Jedi is actually encouraged to love." She said after Obi-Wan had settled. ✦ Straw Dogs by Cymbidia, obi-wan & jedi & cast, 2.9k     An old Jedi Master imparts some wisdom concerning Mercy, Balance, and the Will of the Force to young Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi and a gaggle of other younglings. It is a lesson that haunts Obi-wan for the rest of his life. ✦ Refractions of Light by Independence1776, ezra & kanan, 1.3k     Kanan celebrates a Jedi holiday with Ezra.

✦ The grand outing by Ingata, dooku & sifo-dyas & obi-wan & bant & garen & reeft & yoda & cast, 4.5k     Eight younglings and two Jedi masters on a field trip. What could possibly go wrong? ✦ A Short Break by Peppermint_Shamrock, luke & yoda, ~1k     Luke complains about his training, and asks about Jedi training of old. ✦ we are made of our longest days by bereft_of_frogs, obi-wan & anakin & cast, 4.4k     Two years after the events of The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan and his new apprentice are called to a remote moon to fetch a baby who’s showing signs of a rare, unique power. On their journey home, Obi-Wan reflects on the last child he brought to the Temple and catches a faint glimpse of three possibly entwining futures. ✦ yellow, you're a dreamer by nightdotlight, jocasta & anakin (& obi-wan), 2.6k     Normally, it wouldn’t be unusual, but— Jocasta did not earn her post without listening, and from where she stands in the aisle, gaze fixed upon the back of the young child’s shaking shoulders, she can hear a sniffle reverberate around the space. There’s a child curled up in the corner of the Archives— and they’re crying. ✦ once upon a time (a long, long time ago) by thebitterbeast, barriss & mace & shaak & ki-adi & bacara & trilla & cere, 2.3k     The Jedi love children. Children love stories. This changes some things. ✦ not the place that I was born in (doesn't mean it's not the place where I belong) by ghostwriterofthemachine, obi-wan & anakin, 5k     “What were you consulting Master Obi-Wan about?” “Tea!” says the other Padawan brightly. “I’m performing a tea ceremony for my Master, one that originates from her home world. It’ll be the first time I sit foveo with her!” She says that word— foveo— as if it should mean something to Anakin. It does not. ✦ A Friend Indeed by ExtraPenguin, plo & ahsoka, 3.3k     After their rescue of the colonists of Kiros, Ahsoka Tano's Master asks for her to be sent on a mission away from the front. She ends up being sent to the Deep Core with Master Plo Koon to investigate one of the first known locations of the Jedi Order, since abandoned. ✦ In which we burn bodies as bridges by GraceEliz, obi-wan & ahsoka & depa & kanan & ezra, 1.4k     Lineage mantras, and the processing of grief. ✦ Five Times Mace was There for Obi-Wan, and One Time Obi-Wan Returned the Favour by wrennette, obi-wan & mace, 4k     five of the many times Mace Windu offered Obi-Wan comfort over the years, and one of the many times Obi-Wan returned the favour

✦ as the dust settled around us by thebitterbeast, finn & jedi, 5.2k     Bravery has never been the absence of fear. Prompt: There is no emotion, there is peace. ✦ Adi Gallia, Master of the Order by Perspicacia, adi & jedi, 7.2k wip     Palpatine didn't expect it. It was too soon for that in his plans: which Jedi would have left the Temple under assault? But Adi had. Ashes in her heart, she had left the younglings and the elders and the wounded for her duty to the galaxy, choosing to stop the Sith instead of protecting her people. ✦ “The Padawan Chooses The Master” by lurkingcrow, obi-wan & anakin & cast, 3.6k     prompt: AU - The Jedi say “The Padawan Chooses The Master” Qui Gon lives, Obi Wan is very preoccupied, and Anakin is put into the creche as an Initiate to learn what he can until Qui Gon wakes up from his coma and gets yelled at by the Council. In the meantime, Anakin meets other Jedi Masters and when the Council asks him who he wants to be his teacher, his answer isn’t Qui Gon. Instead it’s *insert your fav Jedi here* ✦ The Only Home We Know by ReneeoftheStars, katooni & petro & ganodi & byph & gungi & zaft & cast, character death, child death, 2.4k     The Jedi Temple is under attack. Determined to fight for their home, younglings Katooni, Petro, Zatt, Ganodi, Byph, and Gungi make their way to aid the Jedi Masters in defense of the Temple. But the situation is far graver than they expected. ✦ Obi-Wan and the Force by AwayOHumanChild, obi-wan & cast, ~1k     One of the first things Jedi Initiates learn is that everyone experiences the Force differently. ✦ The One Where Anakin Tries to Be Serious by Mini_and_Might, anakin & ahsoka, 1k     Even though they're fighting a war, Anakin finds the time to lead his apprentice through one of the Jedi's sacred ceremonies. Might become part of a series of missing scenes from the Clone Wars. ✦ Markings by wabbajack, ahsoka & plo, 1.6k     In which it is revealed that Master Plo Koon has always had a difficult time putting his foot down when faced with his Little 'Soka. ✦ The First Trial by Raven_Knigh, obi-wan & qui-gon, 2k     Accompanied by his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, young Obi-Wan Kenobi undergoes his first trial and rite as a Padawan Learner on the frozen planet of Ilum.

✦ Arrival by CJinn, obi-wan & yoda & jedi, 2.6k     Little Obi-Wan was only a few days old when he was brought to the Jedi Temple. His arrival caused some confusion among the Jedi. ✦ The Spire by skatzaa, obi-wan & jedi, 2.4k     The galaxy was on the brink of war, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been assigned a new room. ✦ Room Arrangements by skatzaa, obi-wan & anakin, 2.2k     Anakin has some concerns about room arrangements at the Temple. Obi-Wan does his best to reassure him. ✦ Lineage by virdant, obi-wan & anakin & yoda & jedi, 1.5k     Anakin is new to the temple, and he does not yet understand that these are his brothers and sisters, his cousins, his uncles and aunts. He does not know yet, but he will learn, Obi-Wan thinks. ✦ A Discussion of Choices by Peppermint_Shamrock, luke & mace, 2k     Mace Windu has traveled the galaxy since the fall of the Republic, keeping out of the Empire's sight and teaching where he can. Upon the request of a ghost of an old friend, Mace finds himself instructing Luke Skywalker, who is still reeling from the truth of Vader's identity. ✦ Emotion is our Shared Tongue by virdant, obi-wan & anakin & qui-gon & quinlan & jedi, 2.1k     There are thousands of different species, with different languages and voices and hands, but what all Jedi have in common is the Force, and with the Force, they have language. ✦ To Know by Armin_05, obi-wan & anakin & shmi & kitster & fives & cast, 4.8k     Nearly all Jedi love learning. Anakin Skywalker is no different. Or, how Anakin found a love of learning and shared it with others. ✦ Shatterpoints and Students by soft_but_gremlin, mace & depa, ~1k     Depa always has shatterpoints hovering around her.

✦ Home-onym by virdant, jedi, 1.1k     Jedi younglings, like any other children, enjoy playing. Playing with lightsabers and playing with words. ✦ Threaded Lineage by Pandora151, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & kanan & ezra & luke & rey, 2.9k     The journey of a single river stone through many generations of Jedi, allowing the Jedi of the old and the Jedi of the future to be threaded together. ✦ the river and the rock by nightdotlight, anakin & luminara, 1.8k     Lightsabers clash, and Luminara Unduli holds her ground. She doesn’t move, doesn’t lock her muscles, just makes herself an immovable object and lets her opponent strain against the lock. ✦ Five Meditations of Jedi Depa Billaba by skatzaa, depa & mace & yoda & kanan & kit, 5.3k     What is says on the tin. (Plus one more, for good measure.)

[humusboii2thereturnoftheking]

Palestine is Ruining the Left

I've taken this from Reddit because I've found it an interesting read, I did not write this myself, a user named u/ u/TooLittleNuance did. Feel free to reply and engage in converation.

I'm an Israeli-American leftist who has been active in American and Israeli politics for a number of years now. I have always advocated for human rights, equity, and self-determination for Palestinians who are oppressed(to different extents) under Israel, a nation that commits itself to Jewish domination of institutions. I always voted and campaigned for progressive Democrats and I assisted with the Israeli Meretz party from abroad. This is why I think the current Palestinian-sympathetic movement is ruining the left:

Abandonment of Pragmatism - Just like the 2020 George Floyd protests("Defund the Police"), the Western left has completely embraced a suicidal strategy of idealistic radicalism. Many of those on the left insist the solution to the conflict is a one-state solution consisting of Palestine "from the River to the Sea". Unfortunately, they've appropriated the Palestinian mythology in their ambitions to magically destroy Israel and the ideology of Zionism by BDS somehow or supporting Palestinian "armed struggle". It doesn't take a lot of thought to see how both of those methods are incredibly ineffective and immoral to advocate for and implement. So, instead of a pragmatic approach, like empowering the Israeli left through donations and advocacy, supporting a reasonable solution(two-state or one-state under Israel), or calling for the ultimate humanitarian end to the war of a unilateral Hamas surrender, the Western left insists on a dream scenario that will never happen. This is the most egregious behavior of the left and it's their most common mistake(i.e. Vietnam). This is due to the fact that Palestinians, especially in Gaza, are suffering under disproportionate Israeli force with no Western movement to realistically end it. In fact, these Western leftists, due to these tactics, are assisting in empowering and legitimizing the far-right of Israel. They are the perfect strawman to turn people off to the left in Israel, which, in turn, results in a lengthened Palestinian suffering.

Maximalism - There's a tendency on the left to outcompete each other in radicalism. It's not catchy or sexy to say "The war tactics that Israel uses are disproportionate and don't consider enough of the humanitarian cost", it has to be "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing" in order to provoke an emotional reaction from uneducated Westerners. It's not "the security policy of Hafradah has resulted in reduced human rights of Palestinians compared to Israelis", it has to be "Apartheid"(with the only legal precedent being South Africa). These maximalist statements immeasurably hurt the movement for true progress on Palestinian human rights. It results in a boy-who-cried-wolf situation: If Israel decides to transfer the entire Gazan population to the Sinai, what is that called? A "genocide"? Due to the present labeling of the war, nobody will believe it. What if Israel permanently transfers or kills 100,000 Palestinian civilians? 200,000? 1 million? What will that be called? How can it get worse than "genocide"? This Maximalist rhetoric is not only inaccurate, but it's incredibly damaging to describe the proportionate extent of Palestinian suffering, which is vital to any movement that faithfully advocates for an upliftment of Palestinian life and identity.

Normalization of Bigotry - Explicit or latent Jew-Hatred is being increasingly embraced by radical sections of the Western left. Tropes such as "Zionist"(a euphemism for "Jew" for many) control of governments or blood libel. Wishing "Death to Zionists" or equating them with Nazis is, in most cases, latent Jew-Hatred. Regardless of your thoughts on the definition of Zionism(there is no definition, it is a meaningless term), it's clear that many believe that "Zionists" are just uppity Jews. Of course, this is genuinely believed by a small portion of the left. However, a substantial part of Western leftists has repeatedly failed to condemn this Jew-Hatred and to stop mirroring the language of these latent or explicit Jew-Haters. This is 1000x worse in the case of Israelis. For Western leftists, it's normal to call Israelis "colonizers", "demons", "rapists", and "child-murderers" on their social media without repercussion or introspective irony. As somebody belonging to the Israeli nationality, I have been desensitized to the insane amount of bigotry from those that I formerly respected. However, many Israelis or Jews aren't as depersonalized as I am, and they definitely take the bigotry to heart. What do you think results from that? Usually, a vote for Likud(Netanyahu's Party) or a donation to AIPAC. Thus, propagating a cycle of bigotry and continuing the suffering of Palestinians.

Propaganda - This war has sparked the largest disinformation campaigns in human history. Multiple state entities (Israel, U.S., Russia, Iran, Qatar) and numerous private entities are pumping out loads of propaganda in order to manipulate uneducated Westerners into supporting their interests. Since October 7th, known Russian disinformation propagator, Jackson Hinkle, has skyrocketed in followers due to his ability to mislead Western leftists on the war. I have seen an unfathomable amount of reposts from Al Jazeera and MiddleEastEye, known Qatari state propaganda and major propagates of misinformation. I have always appreciated the value of institutional skepticism that embodied many of the historical and academic leftist leaders. However, right now, those values are completely thrown out in favor of Russia or Iran's geopolitical advocacy of "everything the West does is bad". The previous three points of behavior are certainly emboldened by the paid disinformation and bots that propagate anti-Western sentiment to destabilize Western democracy. Meanwhile, the basic interests of Palestinian civilians are left unregarded while these state operatives kill their only lifeline.

Reactionary Resurgence - One of the main factors that attracted me to the left was its rejection of reactionary ideology(the establishment of traditional institutions from the past). For Israelis and Palestinians, reactionary rhetoric is normalized and encouraged in many cases. However, this reactionary ideology that has plagued those who share my nationality has spread to Western leftists in their advocacy for Palestine. Western leftists constantly appropriate the far-right and reactionary talking points that many radicalized Palestinians spout. An example would be the insistence on the exclusive indigeneity of Palestine from the River to the Sea, which abandons the progressive values of anti-nationalism and intersectionality. Another example would be the appropriation of Palestinian Martyrdom, in which many of them embraced the idea that human life can be inherently reduced to a political or national cause by their manner of death. This is a clear rejection of the values of individualism, secularism, and anti-nationalism.

Historical Negligence - Those who are even a little bit informed on the Israel-Palestinian Conflict understand that the conflict is too complex to be treated as a soccer match of Israelis vs. Palestinians. Many Israeli and Palestinian leaders set roadblocks to an equitable peace, while many others progressed the conflict to a more positive state. Even more than the historical complexity of this conflict, evaluating the moral complexity requires a graduate degree in a relevant field with hundreds of hours of research. I typically advise not to trust anybody's commentary of the conflict with any less credibility than the previous sentence. However, the Western left has instead decided to follow the historical and moral analysis of demagogues. There's constantly factually wrong or misleading historical information on many of these Palestinian-sympathetic accounts. An example is the map of a "disappearing Palestine" that millions have reposted, a blatantly misleading map meant to depict "Zionist colonization", meanwhile, neglecting the historical borders of the conflict. There are many other forms of historical negligence that they commonly employ that are extremely damaging for understanding the conflict.

In conclusion, Western leftists are keeping up with the Western traditions of white saviorism and interfering with this particular trendy foreign conflict. I could have written a few more grievances that I have of the Western left(including the embracement of far-right Islamist groups) but I wanted to keep the post relatively short. In several months, Western leftists will forget about the Gazans suffering under the disproportional force of the IDF. Nobody will self-criticize the ideas or tactics that they engaged in, meanwhile, the Israeli left-wing and reliable non-Hamas Palestinian advocacy organizations are left in the dust by an ineffective white-savior-esqe Western movement. Not only that but due to all of these factors making the left look like lunatics, Biden and the Democrats are being affected in the polling, which may result in Trump being elected, a terrible outcome for Palestinians.

[theminecraftbee]

for anyone wondering where i've been: i got... distracted... by a potential huge project. I was considering running a mcrp project/smp project, inspired by stuff like fan life series servers, with the rest of the sexyman team! but... a different one. a very specific one, even.

now, I'm aware there are probably outstanding questions, so if you're uncertain, please read more event/server details below the cut and see if it interests you!

I don't know anything about Survivor–what would this show even be like?

so if you know nothing about survivor, it's easy to think it's a show about surviving on a deserted island. it is that, but it's not mainly that. survivor, at its heart, is a social deception game, about making close alliances, betraying people, and social dynamics under pressure–hence why i suspect it would be a great fit for mcrp.

the way the show would be structured is this: a certain number of contestants would be placed on a (slightly modified) survival server, set up to be difficult to survive on. they are placed into two "tribes", the teams for the first half of the show. every episode, they would spend time with their tribes bonding, surviving, searching for secrets, and base building. then, they would compete in challenges. the tribe that loses the immunity challenge must go to tribal council, where they vote on which member to send home. this continues with the tribes eventually merging together into one tribe and immunity becoming individual before there are only two contestants left. at that time, they go in front a jury of their former fellow contestants, who will determine who the sole survivor is.

while challenge performance is one key to winning (as it prevents you from being a target in the first place), the other, bigger key, as you can likely see, is forming alliances and voting blocks strategically to get your opponents voted out and yourself kept in. this makes a great vehicle for social emergent storytelling, where narratives emerge about who is honest, who is a liar, who is good at the social game, who is bad at it, and what people will do in order to become sole survivor.

in other words: it's kind of like what current-day mcrp is ALREADY about. except its a gameshow also, and the very construction of the thing is designed to cause tensions by its very nature.

it's great! and you wouldn't be required to know anything about survivor–our host would explain to the audience all of the mechanics as they came up, as would production staff to the players.

You keep calling it "a show"–what do you mean by that?

the result of this project would be an edited youtube series, like survivor, of likely around twelve episodes. each episode would show footage from the game, as well as a lot of "confessionals" shots of the players explaining their opinions, before ending in tribal council! unlike most mcrp series, this would not be a multiple pov affair. it would be one tightly edited project. (this editing, for the record, is the largest overhead; we expect the amount of footage to go through to end up being in the hundreds of hours combined between all the players.)

it's possible that after the show's finale releases we'll release the players to make their own highlights from any footage they take. but the product we're hoping to make is just a single TV show's worth!

what exactly does applying to be a contestant require?

if we get enough interest, once we have enough of the required plugins and builds created and have a better sense of gameplay, we will put out a casting call form. while this will ask a number of questions to help us get to know you as a potential player, you're going to be REQUIRED to have the following things: a tumblr blog that you can link us to, the ability to record an audition tape in minecraft to send to us (so that we can get an idea of what audio we'd be working with, mostly), enough free time for us to be able to schedule recording sessions into, and a willingness to agree to some rules about keeping things secret until the finale airs and about rp etiquette. that's it! there are no other requirements–you don't have to know survivor, you don't have to already do mcyt or stream, you don't have to have friends, none of it, and while we'll ask you for those details, we're going to be looking for a large blend of people from across mcyt! anyone (who can send us mostly clean audio) can be considered!

EDIT: we would ALSO REQUIRE YOU BE AT LEAST 18. sorry i forgot this before! this is for a number of reasons i don't want to get into, but will be prominent on the actual applications.

what exactly would being a production staff member entail?

we're mainly looking for two things in production staff: a willingness to run replaymod for us and act as cameramen by following contestants around getting footage on the actual recording days, and a willingness to work with us on what's likely to be a fairly intense editing and "scripting" period during and after recording, during which we're going to have to scrub through massive amounts of footage and form it into a coherent narrative. we may, depending on how bad we realize we've bitten off more than we can chew, also end up looking for build team members for the production crew. if these things sound fun to you (they sound fun to me god help me), then go ahead and select this option! just know it's mutually exclusive with playing; no one in the production staff will be considered for the contestants. this includes my friends and myself who've already agreed to help me.

these applications would come out before the casting call, since even before casting call we're going to need to do playtests and dry runs and have things mostly ready. so keep an eye out!

will this be run on your blog?

nope we're going to make a new blog (and youtube channel) (and branding!) for this eventually, just want to interest check before we go through all the branding steps. (also, i've even gotten us a specific gmail for this that we will likely end up using for certain communications.)

for now that's all the FAQ i think that is required. let me know if you have more! and i hope you all are interested in this baby of a project that's taken over my mind for the past few weeks!

[tawaifeddiediaz]

you know, after watching day 3 of the democratic national convention, i need to say something, especially to other muslims like me.

most of the muslim communities that i'm a part of have chosen to vote uncommitted, or independent, or sometimes, even trump. they refuse to give their vote to kamala harris and tim walz, because of the way the us has handled the war in gaza, and how they have been careless with acknowledging palestinian lives lost, how it was american bombs and american tax money that went towards funding this genocide. it's fucked up, and it's wrong, and there shouldn't be any debate on that.

and i am 100% in support of that anger. i am 100% in support of forcing america to stop funding this genocide. no one wants to keep seeing palestinian lives suffer. no one is free until we're all free, and i believe that to my very core.

my only concern is that where this anger is being placed, from 1 year to 11 weeks before the presidential election, is so scary. because the reality of the situation is that america has a bipartisan outlook. whoever gets the presidency is either democrat or republican. and every vote that doesn't go towards democracy (i.e. voting for kamala harris) inadvertently goes towards trump's big plan of project 2025, which is basically dictatorship. Even voting uncommitted, even voting independent. we cannot afford to elect trump for a second term, and voting anything other than democrat draws that line way too close, especially in swing states like michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin, georgia.

yes, there are many issues that we wish joe biden would handle better. there are many ways that the democratic party has fucked up beyond repair. there are many ways the democratic party has refused to acknowledge the pain of people affected by their military people throughout the years, and we've been seeing it for years. this is not a new thing. this did not start on october 7th. we see it during pretty much every administration.

however, voting for your candidate should never be based on a singular issue. no political candidate is ever going to check every single box. and its so unfortunate that we have to always take the "lesser of two evils" approach when nominating our president, but that's the reality of the situation at this very moment. there are many other rights to be considered that are at stake this election, all of which trump is trying to remove. abortion bans, women's rights, healthcare, social security, climate change, to name a few.

(and, somehow, there's a belief that trump will lead to a ceasefire deal where biden-harris didn't? let me tell you that is never going to happen.)

does this mean we just stop protesting or pressuring? absolutely not. you NEVER stop, because if our votes are the ones that put the candidate in their position of power, then we expect results. we expect them to work towards what they promised. and we can't let up on reaching out to our local county offices and our state governors and escalating these issues further until someone takes notice and does something about them. we don't elect them and just leave them to do what they want. we keep them accountable. use that anger i was talking about.

but it also means not having tunnel vision. the election in november could very well mean the end of democracy if kamala harris doesn't win. this post is not me all giggly-happy over the democratic party, because trust me, i have my fair share of issues with them as well. this post isn't to tell you what to do, because i can't force you to vote blue. i can't force the community i'm in to change their minds about toss-up votes. but what i can do is put down plainly what's at stake this election. and that is, very simply, our right to choose everything.

so if you are eligible to vote and haven't registered, please do. if you haven't voted before because "what's the point", please see above what the point is. a handful of votes is enough to flip the outcome of an election, especially with the electoral college.

and if you're still on the fence on whether to vote for kamala or trump, hopefully this post gives a little bit more perspective in the most streamlined way i could manage without bogging you down with statistics and numbers.

the choice is yours.

[shaynawrites23]

Remus Lupin's Hands

i am having thoughts-

alright i bet Remus has really nice hands

he's got long fingers and his hands are really warm

and you just can't keep your eyes off the veins running from his arm to his hands

Remus knows this

but he doesn't know if you know he knows

it's not exactly a secret though

you hold his hand whenever you get the chance

all of Hogwarts can see you walking down the halls with your fingers entwined with his

or during class

your professors have made remarks about it many times

but you both always insist it helps you focus

its really not a lie

"Mr. Lupin, Ms. (y/l/n)! Trust me, you'll be much more capable in making potions if you have both hands free."

Remus looks up from the book he's holding open with his left hand, his right clasped in yours, and blinks innocently up at Slughorn. "But Professor, I do my best work with one hand-"

Professor Slughorn puts a hand in his coat pocket and glances between you and your boyfriend. You hide a smile by busying yourself arranging the ingredients by color, and you miss the miniscule upturn of your teacher's lips.

"Well, we'll see how your potion turns out. Mr. Black, perhaps you'd like to consider investing more attention in your potion instead of in your classmates' love life." With these remarks, he moves on to the next desk.

Sirius Black, ever the rebel, leans over and whispers conspiratorially with a smirk, "If you keep this up, you might even beat Marlene and Dorcas in being voted 'most likely to get marri-'"

He's cut off by Remus smacking him with the book in his left hand.

sometimes you also just use his hands as a heating pad

like when your own are cold

or when you're having period cramps

just grab your boyfriend's hands

he doesn't mind one bit

even if it sometimes results in... unexpected reactions

bonus though: it comes with cuddles

There's something about being snuggled up to your partner that eases the pain of periods. Maybe it's magic, maybe it's psychological... you don't know what it is, but when you're menstruating, Remus already knows he may be dragged over to hold you until you feel better.

That's how you find yourself in this position, sitting between your boyfriend's legs with his hands pressed to your belly, the warmth easing your discomfort just enough to have you sighing in content. Remus has his textbook open next to him, but turns his head every so often to press a kiss to your cheek where you rest your head against his shoulder.

"Moony, McGonagall said- woah! Lovebirds, get a room!" Sirius slaps a hand over his eyes the moment he sees how his friend's hands are up your shirt, a second too soon to notice said friend's deadpan glare.

"She's on her period, you twat. Get your head out of the gutter, Pads, what'd McGonagall say?"

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't. Or... anything Lily wouldn't." With a wink at the both of you, he's out the door again, ignoring Remus' deep sigh before he kisses you in apology.

another thing you love to do with his hands is kissing them when he least expects it

or anytime, really

just a soft kiss to his knuckles or his palm

you think its adorable how he gets flustered

no matter how many times you do it

he can never hide his grin

maybe you're a little in love with his hands

but he thinks he quite likes it

its cute to watch you tracing the scars over his hands

or to watch you playing with his fingers while you cuddle

so really

it works out quite well :)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I said I have OCD when I don't?

I (20X) don't have OCD. I do, however, have some of the symptoms, which is probably a comorbidity thing (ADHD diagnosis). The symptoms that are relevant here line up with contamination OCD.

I can be particular about "clean" things and "safe" spaces. I still live with my parents, and they're used to my habits. They know not to sit in my specific "clean" chair, to let me disinfect things with alcohol wipes before they get brought into the home, et cetera.

Right now my symptoms are relatively under control. There was a time when a brush against something I consider "contaminated" would result in me chucking any clothes that made contact in the laundry and washing any skin that it touched. I'm trying to avoid doing this when I feel like I can, to try and condition myself into being, for lack of a better word, normal. However, it still bothers me, especially when I'm feeling particularly anxious. And it really bothers me when we have guests over who don't know about my preferences and get their outside "contaminants" everywhere, which is where the problem arises.

We're going to have family over. They're flying in from a different country and will be staying in an Airbnb, but the main purpose of their trip is to visit us, so they'll be at our house frequently. This is mostly fine. My main "safe" space is my bedroom, and I would keep that door closed the whole time, and I think they would respect me enough to not enter. But I also have two "safe" furniture items in shared space -- a dining room chair and a couch (we have two in the living room).

Basically, I want to ask my family members to not sit on those two furniture items and say that I have OCD as a shorthand for "if you do this I will become genuinely distressed". I just feel like it's the only way for them to take me seriously and actually remember not to do it without me having to go into a whole explanation about my neuroses.

But at the same time, it feels shitty to lie about a having a disorder. And I'd also be doing this partially out of laziness, which I feel almost definitely makes me an asshole -- because in theory I could just keep disinfecting the chair and the couch between each visit for the couple weeks that they're going to come over for, but both of them are fabric, and it would be so much work to wash and dry them every single day. To be frank, I can't be bothered doing all that, and would rather they just didn't sit there at all. But it might also be an asshole move to tell them not to sit on one of our couches -- I mean, Christ, it's a fucking couch. It's meant to be sat on. (Even if I'd rather they didn't -- not because of them specifically, but because they'd be visiting in "outside clothes", which aren't clean. I also don't sit there if I'm not in clean clothes.)

So -- WIBTA? And if I am voted TA, any advice for how to proceed that doesn't involve having to steam-clean a couch every day would be appreciated.

[basuralindo]

I've been in and out of the ER and urgent care quite a bit over the past two weeks for a medical issue that I almost ignored, and it's had me thinking on the fact that the only reason I was even able to check it out in the first place is because I have free healthcare.

I never would have been able to afford the appointments it took to treat this even if I had insurance. I just don't have the income. The symptoms were vague enough that I would've just tried some ooc treatments and hoped that I could ignore it until it went away. There's a good chance it would've progressed into organ failure.

This is not the first time I've been saved by free healthcare. I have a lot of health problems, and many of them prevent me from earning enough to get above the poverty line. The reason I'm saying this is because that's one of the life threatening things trump is trying to change.

If republicans had their way, I would still be harboring an infection that was making its way towards my organs. I would never have been able to afford the medications keeping me safe right now. I would never have been able to get the surgeries that are allowing me any functional quality of life right now. I wouldn't even be getting treated for asthma.

The point is, if republicans come back into power, if even a small chunk of project 2025 gets implemented, I will not be able to continue treatments that are keeping me around. The inevitable next time something goes wrong with my health, I will not be able to get some vague symptoms checked out and resolved in time. I will not be able to afford intensive treatments or surgeries that would become necessary once the problem advances.

If republicans are given the chance to fuck with healthcare, people like me will very literally die as a direct result.

I don't care how exhausting this whole situation is. I don't care how evil the lesser evil is. I don't care how sick you are of only two choices. I don't care if this whole thing feels like a hostage situation disguised as a democracy. I want to live. So many of us are just desperate to live.

If you're considering not voting as a stance against the system, really ask yourself how many lives you think this stance is worth. Consider finding other ways to make your voice heard.

[nanamis-bigtie]

Round 3: Let's Meet

about, rules & navigation | previous round

Enough time has passed for you to consider a face to face meeting. With an exception of one unpleasant failure, all other candidates have managed to keep your attention and trust. There are only some finishing touches for you to finally make up your mind. And you're curious what they have to offer when it comes to a casual date…

Remember you vote for a character you don't want to advance further! The character with the biggest number of votes will be eliminated.

Profile One: Toji Fushiguro ELIMINATED

Profile Two

Except for the sudden few hours long break you've been texting for the entire day and a good part of night. As a result, you oversleep and miss the breakfast buffet. When you complain about it, blaming him for your empty stomach and extra cost you spent on a meal in a cafe, he spam-teases you with a photo session of his breakfast. Looking at the amount and quality of dishes on his table you realize you massively underestimated his wallet at the first glance. He must be stinking rich.

He offers to pay for your lunch if you agree to keep him company. It's tempting but you haven't yet made up your mind about seeing him face to face.

Around 2pm he disappears for his snorkeling again and the silence it leaves has you antsy. It's weird how quickly he got you used to his chirping and almost constant buzz of notifications. You almost pounce at your phone when he finally shows up again, filling the conversation with a photo session. It has your tum churn with envy; you would love to dive in tropical waters too, watch colorful fish and warm your feet in soft, pink-ish sand of the beach where the classes are taking place.

Of course, he has to tease you about it as well. He has quite a mean strike to him—not too mean but enough to prick a little. When you point it out, doing your best to not overdo either, he catches you with a quick:

"hey if youwant we cann go tmrw together? my treat"

Profile Three

It's really hard to get a photo out of him, you realize in the midst of the second day of intense texting. You don't ask outright but you know already he's smart and able to read between words without a problem—he had to understand your intentions but for some reason refused to let you know he did so. It only adds to the impression of him being camera-shy, but no matter what, you want to see a little more of him before you decide to meet him.

You don't want to sound too pushy, so you send a casual selfie first, hoping he won't avoid the memo this time. He doesn't. He makes you wait a little but eventually you get to see your treat. He's sitting by the table in what you judge to be a hotel bar by the pool, his shirt is half-open, revealing hair on his chest, and he tries to smile despite the nervous stiffness visible all over his expression. Nevertheless, he presents himself in a more appealing way than in his profile pictures.

His face and body are your main focus, but you still spot an interesting detail: a ticket pinned to the table by a frappe glass. Another bird watching trip? As always, you don't need to pry to get all the info you want—soon you learn he's going for a day-long cruise around the bay, with a stop on an uninhabited island nearby.

"Do you want to go together? They still had plenty of free seats when I booked mine."

Profile Four: Shiu Kong ELIMINATED

Profile Five

Food is a recurring topic between the two of you but with time you learn more and more about him. That it's his first vacation in a very long time and that he was simply forced to take a few weeks off. That he's abandoned his fruitless job and now helps his good friend and his sister to set up their own bakery. That cooking and baking are his secret hobbies he once hoped to do for living but his life had different plans for him. That he's fluent in three languages. And that yes, this is his natural hair color.

He even manages to surprise you when, after you've teased him asking if the carpet really matches the drapes, he shows you a little friskier photo, with his swimming shorts pulled down enough to show you the happy trail and a little glimpse of pubes. Nothing indecent but for him it feels almost scandalous.

He spends a lot of time on the beach, you realize, and the closeness of your hotels sticks at the back of your head whenever he mentions he's taking a walk or wading in the sea. He hasn't asked you about the name of your hotel yet but it's enough of torture that you know a way to his. Such opportunities don't happen often, and it'd be criminal to let it slip once it happened. You have it at the tip of your tongue but you're stubbornly waiting for him to do this step. And finally—

"There's a nice bar nearby my hotel with exquisite sunset views. Maybe you would like to meet for a drink tonight?"

Profile Six

Well, this escalated quite... quickly.

You send each other more and more selfies, each bolder than the other. It feels only a matter of time when one of you breaks and shows a full nude first but there seems to be an unspoken rule of not doing so, at least not before you get to see each other without the lenses of a phone camera. He keeps a very respective distance, too. At some point his compliments start leaning to the erotic side but they never sound vulgar. He has quite a poetic way of expressing himself if he wants to and you start getting a feeling, he's not an athlete, as you thought at first, but rather an academic or a writer.

He refuses to confirm nor to deny, wanting it to be a sweet mystery to be revealed, if you will ever want to meet face to face. Intriguing bastard.

That's the closest to a date proposal he's made and the topic dies for so long that you're suspecting he's waiting for your move. Who can't blame him with that intimidating appearance of his, he must have met enough refusals to think more now. Though, it's still surprising that, despite boldness in his voice and presence, he doesn't take any initiative in this one field.

You give him a little nudge, an innocent question about his plans for the next day.

"I don't have anything particular in mind. But I heard there's an interesting photography exhibition in the town's art gallery. There are a lot of good restaurants in that area, too, if you'd prefer a lunch?"

Profile Seven

Having his compliment accepted, he dares to step out of his shell bolder and bolder. Honestly, if he talked to you as he does now from the very beginning, he would make a much better impression on you. You're somewhat proud of yourself, for being able to encourage him to be himself around you.

You must admit—you love those unexpected fruits of your labor. He's becoming an open book in your hands and a puppy on your leash at the same time. You ask, you receive, no questions asked, except for that little expectation for the favor to be returned (that has more in common with looking at you pleadingly than demanding anything). You're dictating the pacing so you're shamelessly using the benefits of it. At some point you even dare to ask for a nude or at least a little friskier photo. You don't get it, but your eyes still nearly pop out at what you're offered.

It's a straight-out-of-the-pool mirror selfie, his hair wet and his swimming shorts clinging to his legs—and the view of his body forces you to sit down. You would never suspect he's going to be so ripped, not after the show of the divorced dad vibe in his gallery. If not for his face visible, you would be ready to assume he cheated and sent you someone else's photo. You still take an extra careful look, but the photo doesn't seem to be in any way edited.

Well, now you have to check if it's true. And luckily, you're soon offered an opportunity.

"I hope I'm not being too forward but—would you mind a casual stroll around the old town together?"

Profile Eight

Despite the pressing impression of falling into a tourist trap instead of finding company for a few steamy nights, you let the conversation unroll—and soon enough you realize he's not trying to advertise anything but not-so-smoothly tries to investigate what you would like to do. Your polite interest in everything must have confused his poor soul and, when out of options, he finally admits you've bet him in his own field, with a pouting emoji to go with it. What a cutie.

After this, the pacing of your messages eases a little and becomes more casual. He switches to sharing his favorite music with you, discussing movies and shows you both saw, spicing the casual conversation with a little bolder selfies. For a cute face he has his body is quite athletic, in a rather slim than buff way. He claims he doesn't do any particular sport but likes to be active. This season he's developed a liking for swimming in the sea, together with a group of new friends he met when exploring the cliffs.

He's talked about those cliffs before and you must admit it has stroked your curiosity the most. Having a better insight in his life and hobbies now, you realize it must have been his authentic passion that grasped your attention. You can't help but ask for more about them. What's so special about them? What can you do there? Can he guide you to the best viewing spot?

"can you swim? you can rent a boat but they look better when youre IN the water. dont worry about stamina if you can at least float i can get you there"

Profile Nine

Given his shy nature, you're preparing yourself to be the one who will propose a face-to-face meeting. He's not good with hints so trying to guide him in that direction would be a certain failure. You can either wait for his move—or do it yourself.

You don't have a problem with that—you're just still not sure if you really want to meet with him. You've chatted lots already but because of his nature you haven't gathered as much information as you would with a more open conversation partner. You need more time. And you have a feeling so does he.

The fact that his evenings and nights are busy (and that he sleeps past noon) goes against you as well. At least you're rewarded with some behind the scene shots and snippets from concerts held at his workplace. It looks like a really fun place, one you would gladly visit even without any Tinder schemes and dating intentions. It's clearly one of the establishments with an addictive vibe, pulling people close no matter what their music preferences are. Even those who aren't into live shows would have a good night there.

You don't say anything outright but he spots your interest and keeps feeding it. Entranced by his shyness you've managed to forget he's smart and attentive. No wonder his next move feels especially bold for him.

"i think tonight's show may interest you. if you want i can arrange a ticket? free ofc"

Profile Ten

The more you unpack about him, the more really unexpected surprises you dig out. As he keeps denying modeling accusations, you can't help but press the matter of his career until he caves and sends you a link to his workplace profile on Insta. Self-defense training? Now, that's not what you expected. He doesn't look like someone who knows how to throw fists.

He's on some of the demonstration videos—and once you see him in motion, you're taking everything back. He's fast and smooth, throwing his training partners—often big, heavy men—around as if they weighed nothing. Having now more comparison to other people around him, you also realize he's much bigger than he looked in his profile pictures.

But, overall, what has the biggest impression on you is his voice. It's a crime someone like him is teaching how to beat creeps instead of working with it. He should do audiobooks, radio, podcasts, audio dramas... Anything that could utilize his beautiful, smooth voice to its fullest. After the initial shock of seeing him in action, you pay more attention to the way he speaks, each sound crawling straight into your heart and pulling on all the right strings. From comments under the videos, you learn you're not the only one who's entranced.

Of course, you wouldn't be yourself if you wouldn't let him know about your new weakness. You're curious what he is going to do with such a powerful weapon in his hands.

"I would love to whisper something nice for your ear only, but maybe a cup of coffee first? I know a cozy and silent place, perfect for the first audio impression."

[the-shy-shade]

When I say favorite, I don't mean the best. I mean whichever vibes and gives the brainrot. For example, while I'm partial to original YGO I voted for GX because I like some of the tropes, plot beats, and especially the characters better even though YGO's plot overall was more solid and better executed without being so blantly rushed in parts.

(Also before anyone asks, I didn't add Go Rush!! as an option because a. It's still on-going and thus not fair to judge it in its entirety yet and b. I don't consider it different enough from Sevens to be a completely different series. Season 0 and Zexal 2 didn't get individual choices for the same reason.)

[onesidedradiostatic]

Considering the Alastor poll had more votes than the Husk one, I'd say the results are close enough

oh fuck I forgot about it LMAO

(husk poll)

(alastor poll)

it's hard to really determine the results when more people voted in the alastor poll than the husk poll (might've been a better idea to just put it in one poll)

but lemme get the numbers

Husk votes

total votes: 583 canon: 444.829 not canon: 138.171

Alastor votes

total votes: 720 canon: 475.92 not canon: 244.08

I would say that yeah generally more people voted not canon for alastor than for husk but it's not by a large enough margin for me to really complain LMAO and the different vote numbers kinda throws it off cause I can't really say how many voted not canon for alastor but canon for husk

maybe a better poll format would be polling combination of canonicity like

husk yes + alastor no husk no + alastor yes both canon both not canon

tbh if I did it again I may consider that one anon's suggestion of polling vaggie's lesbianism too, but my only thing with that like I said is I don't want to start a fight with lesbians or anything (cause I DO see her as a lesbian), I think out of the 3, vaggie is most commonly seen as canonically lesbian by virtue of her having a canon sapphic attraction even if there isn't really SOLID confirmation of her unattraction to men

arguably though, husk is the least canon of the 3 due to both vaggie and alastor having canon implications of their respective unattractions and husk having no indication of attraction or unattraction in canon yet

[foggyfanfic]

Did you guys hear Disneyland Cast Members voted to strike?

It was nearly unanimous too, 99% of the unionized cast members voted in favor of the strike. This doesn't necessarily mean they will strike, more that when the union rep shows up to the negotiation table on Monday they'll have that extra bit of leverage. Hopefully that'll be enough to win them living wages and such. I don't have anything intelligent to say, I just feel a kind of way about this subject, I'm going to put my opinions under the cut.

Ok, look, I love Disneyland. Love it with a passion. You know what reminded me this was happening and prompted me to look up the story? I was thinking of updating this card I made for one of the many games I've come up with to play in Disneyland because I have a weird variety of hyper-fixation when it comes to that park specifically.

So I am not speaking an ounce of hyperbole when I say Disneyland is my favorite place in the world.

But! Whoever the hell is making the big decisions around there needs to get their head out of their ass. I don't know if I should be blaming Bob Iger or Josh D'Amaro for the way the parks have been since the pandemic, but I'm going to blame both. I can deal with them experimenting with Genie Plus (I hate it but I'm used to capitalism), and I can sort of deal with the prices (I can't afford them easily but I'm saving up), but Disneyland has very clearly been trying to cut labor costs for a while now and it's incredibly baffling to watch. It feels like the parks are being run by somebody with a business degree from a sketchy "college" and zero experience with the real world.

They're cutting back on shows, overworking their existing staff, and skipping regular maintenance so they can operate the park with a smaller maintenance team. Overall it results in a worse experience for the customer, making it less likely that they'll convert new guests into returning fans like myself. While Disney World is a major tourist attraction that most people consider a once in a life time experience, Disneyland has always had a steady revenue from local Californians that return again and again. If you frequent forums about the parks you hear all about folks who live in SoCal that buy their annual pass (I know that's not what it's currently called, but that's what it is) and use it to get into the parks just to have dinner or rove around and maybe grab a churro. They might not be paying for Iger's next yacht, but those folks are providing a reliable revenue stream, and they go back again and again because for decades Disneyland has maintained a "magical" atmosphere.

And I feel like it's fairly obvious that the front line workers are the ones that make Disneyland what it is. Right? Like I'm not crazy, we all agree Disneyland would be nothing without the hard work of these cast members, right?

Why are they-? You need front line workers, why wouldn't you-? Do they not have years of research and experience backing up how beneficial a well paid staff is? I love the Incredicoaster but if all I wanted was thrill rides, Six Flags is an hour closer and a whole lot cheaper. I'm going for the complicated rides that require their own pit crew like Mickey's Runaway Railroad. Why are we even still having this conversation? I get that people like Bob Iger are a bit insulated from the rest of us, but the relationship between a happy staff and profit is well documented. Why wouldn't they just...? In the Disneyland subreddit a retired cast member post the Benefits Binder he got back when he worked for Disneyland and this thing was thick, it included health, retirement, and stock options. Somebody somewhere must have known that whittling down benefits while stagnating pay was not sustainable. Right?!

Like I said, I don't have anything intelligent to add to this conversation, but to be honest, I think everything intelligent to add has already been added. I'm just annoyed for my own sake and downright pissed for the sake of the cast members. I hope they get everything they ask for on Monday, and if they don't, I hope the strike knocks some sense into everybody it needs to.

[drunkenskunk]

So, despite knowing that it's probably futile, I called the office of my senator once again, in the vain hope that the staffer I talked to will pass on the message and get her to see reason in regards to KOSA.

Trouble is: how? Catherine Cortez-Masto is a cosponsor of the bill. I couldn't appeal to her sense of morality, as she's a politician; she had her ethics surgically removed before coming into office. I couldn't appeal to the stated goal of the bill, protecting kids, because if she had spoken to a single cybersecurity professional, she would know that the bill is dangerous to kids, adults, and anyone wanting to use the internet. I couldn't appeal to the Constitution, because if she actually gave a shit about the US Constitution or the Bill of Rights, she would already know its a blatant, flagrant violation of both the 1st and 4th amendments, and be trying to kill the bill, not cosponsor it. And I probably couldn't appeal to the fact that the bill was dreamed up by the same republican think-tank that dreamed up Project 2025, the plan to turn what little remains of our democracy into a theocratic dictatorship run by evangelical christians; she probably believes she's wealthy and influential enough that it will insulate her from the worst effects, assuming she isn't already in on it anyway.

It was a puzzler. And then I had an idea. This is what I said:

"Do you know who Steve Sisolak is? You do? Good. Do you want to know why he's the former Nevada state governor, and not the current one? It's because Sisolak was, without exaggeration, the most unpopular politician I've ever come across. No one liked him. Democrats hated him, republicans REALLY hated him, libertarians hated him, and even people like me, who have never felt represented by any of the major political parties in the state but still vote in every single election because we consider it our civic duty as American citizens, didn't like him either. I can't think of a single person who ever had anything positive to say about his tenure as governor, and as a result? The voter base in Nevada was willing to do anything and vote for anyone just to get him out of office.

"I tell you this, because if Senator Cortez-Masto does not change course, and continues to cosponsor and vote yes on the incredibly unpopular, incredibly dangerous, blatantly unconstitutional KOSA bill, then she will make Steve Sisolak's year, as he will no longer be the most reviled politician in the state of Nevada. If she does not reverse course, she will be committing political suicide on a scale hithertofore unknown to science. If she votes yes, then she might as well pull a Mitch McConnell and announce her retirement right now, because any of her political aspirations for the future, at least among the Nevada voter base, will be dead in the water.

"Now, I don't know how many phone calls you've gotten about KOSA. But I suspect it's not as many as you should. Most people in this state don't have time to call their senators. Most people are working two or three jobs to make ends meet with stagnant wages among the rising cost of living and landlords finding any excuse to increase our rent. Hell, I'm calling you on my lunchbreak right now. But despite all that... people here still find time to vote. And if there is one thing I've learned about voters in this state in the 18 years I've been able to? It's that if you piss us off, the people in this state will absolutely vote entirely out of spite, just to burn everything down. KOSA is so incredibly unpopular among the voter base of this state, that when she's next up for reelection? She will find herself out of a job, mark my words.

"Make sure you tell the Senator that, word for word. And if you can't remember, just play her this phone call that I already know is being recorded."

Will this do any good?

I don't know.

Probably not.

But it made me feel a bit better, at least.

[barracuda-shark-games]

Progress Update 9/16/24

First, I want to thank everyone here and, more recently, on CoG forums for their feedback! The response has exceeded my expectations, considering I haven't done much to promote this story. It warms my heart to see how active the IF games community is.

Known Issues:

There was an issue with the save files due to my own forgetfulness with the code. That issue has now been resolved, but it also unfortunately means that any save data you had with the game has likely been lost. The good news is that since only the prologue is out, it should be easy and short enough to play through it again so you can have a save file ready for when chapter 1 releases!

Planned Updates:

On CoG, it was suggested that I include an option for tone & stat indicators for players who want to know what stat will be impacted by their choices. I think this is a great idea, so I'm going to work on including an option and toggle for that. Implementing this update may also result in save filed being lost. For that reason, I recommend holding off on a replay for save file purposes until Chapter 1 is released, as it will also include the update which will affect the prologue file.

Reminder:

Don't forget to vote in the RO poll if you'd like a say in which RO gets a sneak peek on Friday!

I plan to release part 1 of chapter 1 by the end of October.

Thank you for reading!

-Janus

[rindecisions]

Stranger Tales Part 25

Read the rest on AO3

Steve beamed a little brighter than he'd intended at Eddie's comment, feeling his cheeks warm a bit.

That smile had Eddie entirely enchanted. It felt as if the universe herself had put a spotlight on Steve. He almost forgot he was holding his ice cream cone again and opted to put it in the tray with the others before he ended up dropping it for real.

With a slightly nervous lick of his lips, Steve cocked his grin unevenly. "If it's really not, not working..." He swallowed. "Do you think I could... possibly... get a number?"

Eddie was taken aback. Even if Steve had been messing around with flirting with a guy on a dare, making an actual move was unexpected. "Twenty-three," he said before he could reel in his shit-heel.

"What?" Steve squinted.

"You asked for a number, right? So, I gave you one." He shrugged. He'd already stuck his foot in his mouth. It'd be weirder if he tried to back down.

Steve scoffed a laugh and shook his head. "No. Your number," he clarified.

Eddie chewed on his lip. "That depends," he stated smoothly, meeting Steve's eyes with a little more confidence. "Do you plan on actually using it, or is it just proof that you managed your end of the deal?"

Strangely, Steve found it a little hard to look into Eddie's focused eyes. "I'm a little undecided, honestly," he answered with an awkward huff.

The slightly bashful expression on Steve's face made Eddie's heart thud. It almost felt like Steve was seriously considering it. "Can I think about it?" He picked up the tray of cones. "I need to get these to the guys before they melt."

"Yeah, no, of course," Steve replied quickly, and gestured for him to leave.

Eddie nodded and turned away.

A concern gripped Steve's chest, and he spoke before he could think it through. "Munson."

Eddie turned back around to look at him.

"You—you're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?"

Deep pity and sympathy washed over Eddie, and he let out a small sigh. "No, Steve. I wouldn't dream of it," he stated sincerely, and gave him another nod before leaving.

Eddie knew it was too good to be true. There was no way that Steve would ever be okay with dating a guy. He'd almost considered giving him his number too, but maybe he should just let things slide.

He met the guys out front of the comic shop, and everyone took their respective cone.

"What took you so long?" Jeff asked.

"Harrington was talking my ear off," Eddie chuckled.

༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒༒

Steve spent the rest of Robin's break waiting to see if Eddie would come back, and when he didn't, he felt his heart sink.

"How'd it go?" Robin asked, hanging up her bag in the back.

"Well, I did it," Steve sighed.

"By the weight of that sigh, I'm assuming it didn't go well."

"I think it went great, actually," Steve chuckled weakly.

"Then why the long face?"

"I think I blew it at the end. I was fucking stupid and—"

"No surprise there," Robin interjected with a pursed grin.

Steve looked at her flatly, unamused. "As I was saying," he grumbled. "I asked him not to tell anyone that I was flirting with him as he left," he admitted.

"Yeah. Okay. That was stupid of you."

Steve gave her a bitchy glare and sneer. "No shit."

"But hey, at least you did it," she stated congratulatorily. "I'd call that a win all on its own."

"When I asked for his number, he said he needed to think about it."

"Was that before or after you dropped the insecurity bomb on him?"

Steve groaned. "Before."

"Ouch." Robin cringed.

He sighed and rested his forehead against the cool freezer door.

"Gonna try to concuss yourself again?"

"Maybe if I hit it hard enough, I can stop being so fucking stupid."

"Not likely, but it'd be funny to watch, so don't let me stop you."

He glared at her and flipped her off.

Don't forget to vote ^-^

[shepherds-of-haven]

If there was a popularity contest for the ROs, who would win? I think the obvious answer is Blade, with Chase as a runner up, but I think 3rd place is a bit of a toss up. My moneys on Lavinet… for completely unbiased reasons

Do you mean a popularity contest among us, the readers and fans, or a popularity contest among the Shepherds themselves? 😂 If you meant the first part, we did hold a popularity bracket a few months ago (results are here: Blade took first, with Trouble second) and a poll about romance options here, though a bracket is probably not the best kind of way to determine second and third places, etc., due to the nature of the random pairups (like Lavinet might have made it farther if she hadn't been paired with Trouble right off the bat, etc.). So in the future we probably will hold an actual "who's your favorite" poll, just to see!

If you're talking about a popularity contest within the Order itself, I think the results might surprise you! Who's considered most "popular" among the recruits tends to be a combination of who actively socializes with and spends time with them the most (i.e. who's friendly towards the most rank and file), which definitively isn't Blade (I actually talk about their various fanclubs and popularity among their admirers here, and discuss why Blade and the others lost some here).

If the Shepherds were to hold a popularity contest right now (Chapter 9 or thereabouts) with people voting for their favorite Shepherd, it would probably shake out to:

Trouble (universally popular and well-liked among the recruits because he casually hangs out as one of them quite often)

Briony (friendly and cheerful, makes a real effort to connect with people, learn their names and details about their lives (she has amnesia so she doesn't have any preexisting relationships, she's trying to fill up her life with new friendships fast), plus she can show you how to choke someone out with your thighs and that's awesome)

Chase (the vast majority of the people voting for him are fans/admirers who are feral about him, even though he doesn't mingle all that much with the rank and file, though he tosses them a wink or makes playful conversation with them just enough to fuel their ardor)

Ayla (goes drinking with the recruits and socializes with them regularly, arm-wrestling with them and mingling with them easily, etc. Sometimes she randomly pulls away or gets snippy if you rub her the wrong way, though, which is why she lost some points)

Red (he would likely be much higher if he wasn't rushing around with his nose in a book muttering to himself all the time--he's much more popular with the Circle Mages than he is with recruits who have joined up recently, simply because he doesn't really take the time anymore to meet new people or make friends, he has enough of those and now he just wants to be left alone to work on his own projects 😂)

Tallys (her beauty and mystique make her very alluring, so she has a strong backing of admirers and fans, but not super close friends outside of the inner circle; many find her a bit intimidating or hard to approach, so they admire her from afar)

Halek (similarly to Tallys, his hotness and laidback demeanor (plus his quiet celebrity status as sol) earn him a lot of admirers and fans, even if he doesn't really interact directly with them. People are really into guys who don't bother them and just do their own thing... they read his lackadaisical attitude about his position in life as humility and it feels like a gift and a blessing when the Halek Prince drifts by and idly asks to bum a smoke off of you lmao)

Shery (she has an incredibly strong backing of quiet fans and admirers, though nowhere near as much as the people who love Trouble--a magically-augmented sniper who has a penchant for boxing shirtless in the courtyard and remaining totally oblivious to people who are sneaking a peek from a window--or Briony, who can punch through walls. Fans of Shery are like... the hipsters of the Order lol they pride themselves on recognizing her awesomeness when it'd be easy to be distracted by the flash and drama of the others!)

Blade (he is pretty much universally feared, respected, and admired by the people in the Order, almost to the level of awe and reverent hero-worship... but because he never directly interacts with like 95% of them and treats them as subordinates, I can't see that they would all vote for him as their "favorite" Shepherd in a contest like this, not when they interact with many of the others on a daily basis and are actual friends with some of them! He may have the biggest share of non-romantic fans and admirers just on a general level, but the ratio of the ones who would actually vote for him are quite low because he's so aloof that they sometimes wonder if he's even human lol. Also, sometimes he terrifies them, like how he chewed out the guards for slacking off on his second interlude. It'd be like asking you to vote in a popularity contest between your close personal friend, a bunch of coworkers, and then your boss lol)

Lavinet (as of Chapter 8ish, her popularity among the Shepherds is still quite low. She is the latest major companion to join the inner circle, and on top of that, many recruits dislike or distrust her due to her status as a noble, assuming that this is a kind of PR stunt and she's going to quit as soon as the work gets too hard for her pampered self, or they outright resent her because they don't like the nobility in general (hard to blame them). However, give her some time, because after she starts really proving herself to the ranks by diligently and uncomplainingly doing her work and pulling off some impressive missions, and with a healthy dose of her patented, effortless charm and social grace, and feelings towards her are going to shift to become more positive... Given enough time, I believe her popularity and admirers would eventually rival that of Chase, Briony, and Trouble's, easily putting her in the top 3!)

Riel (he makes absolutely no effort to interact with any recruit in a way that would make him popular, lol. The majority of them know him as "avoid him at all costs because he'll rope you into doing manual labor for him" or "by God, do not drop any crates near his office because you'll be able to see his scathing, baleful look of reproach through the walls" so yeah, it's hard to see many people voting for him except for the quiet handful who are crushing on him hard)

Mimir (most recruits: who? because she lives outside in her tent, the majority of people don't even realize that she's joined the Order--I don't think she's even like an official officer, I think she just lives there now and gets fed lmao)

However, also keep in mind that these results are for a "who would people cast a single vote for if forced to choose their favorite Shepherd" contest. It's not exactly the same as, say, "who has the most admirers, period" or "who receives the most anonymous love letters"? Those numbers shake out to be more even... One might even argue that remaining aloof from the rank and file would have an inverse effect, in that it's easier to secretly admire someone from afar in a way that develops into sappy love-letter-type feelings, because you can project a kind of fantasy onto them, rather than having to outright vote for them as your "favorite" (while admitting you have almost no direct interaction with them). So if the question is, "who receives the most love letters?" I would say it's:

Blade - Trouble - Tallys - Chase - Red - Briony - Lavinet

Shery - Ayla - Halek

Riel (and only because people who truly admire him and have any inkling of his personality are terrified that he'd be able to figure out who sent him a love letter based on, like, the quality of their ink or something like that)

Woof, sorry for the long, rambling, overdetailed explanation, lmao... Hopefully that all makes sense!