#i just donated $20 who wants to match my donation?

[shivroy]

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 Can you help Sarah and her family by sending a donation and sharing this post with a friend or family member? 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

Mohammed Almanasra, his wife Manal, his son Abdulrahman, and his daughters Sarah and Lynn are in urgent need of donations. 

They are living in a tent which does not protect them from heat or cold, and are without water, food, medical care, clothing, and bedding. Mohammed suffers from chronic asthma and cannot access and afford his medication. His wife has cancer which requires immediate medical attention. His children are subject to the heat, the cold, hunger, and insects. 

This family needs your support. @save-mohamed-family

only tagging you for reach, i hope it's no bother - i love and appreciate you all

@holycartoonwarrior @teomodo @georgeromerosanalcavity @spooksier @cott-creature

@feast-for-the-worms @ezrazone @sh5 @yourlocalxenomorph3 @gmaybe666

@wuntrum @selenevassos @ripclaudia @eastgaysian @transmutationisms

@louisironson @tomshivbaby @honeyfangzhive @fortnitezuko @meshimellow

@fat-fem-and-asian

[matan4il]

I wanna share with you a small cut from a 2010 documentary about events that began unfolding in 2008. The film (which was up for an Oscar nomination, but wasn't shortlisted), followed the story of a young kid called Muhammad. He was born with an immunity deficiency that killed two of his sisters. Three other siblings didn't have it, but also weren't a match to donate bone marrow to him. To even consider the donation procedure, Muhammad's family needed 55,000 dollars (over 80,000 dollars today), which they obviously didn't have. An Israeli journalist did a TV piece about Muhammad, asking for the money to be donated. An Israeli man, whose son was a soldier killed by Palestinian terrorists, decided to do exactly that.

While Muhammad was in the Israeli hospital, his mom Raida was by him, and here's an exchange she had with the Israeli journalist who helped the family get the money they needed to save their kid's life:

I'm not sharing this because I want to demonize Raida. I'm not sharing it because every Palestinian thinks this way. I'm sharing it because some Palestinians, certainly the ones related to Islamist terrorist organizations like Hamas, do believe that if their child dies as a shahid (a martyr), during an attempt to kill Jews, then the kid would be with Allah. And that will be as if their child never died, because what's better, an imperfect and short life on this earth, or an eternal life with every good thing imaginable by Allah's side? So yes, there are parents who want their kids to die in a confrontation with Israel. There are kids who were brought up with these beliefs. And kindness and humanitarian gestures might change it, but many times they just can't compare to the promise made by this way of thinking.

That's not every Palestinian, but it's enough people to have an impact on the forming and continuation of the Israeli-Arab conflict (much like how Amin al-Husseini was one Palestinian leader, but his antisemitism had a crucial influence on the conflict, and translated into the deaths of countless people, mainly Jews). There are currently at least 30 terrorist organizations in Gaza alone (at least 5 of them are big enough to be household names in Israel), and Hamas on its own includes at least 30,000 people who think this way.

No one can understand this conflict as long as they ignore that the widespread existence of this mentality plays a factor in it. No one can bring about peace here, without getting that this is a part of what threatens it. No one can solve a problem while turning a blind eye to some of its parts.

And if you still think Raida is an exception, here are some more vids reflecting the same mentality from over the years... (I'm not gonna get into how heartbreaking it is that entire generations of Palestinian kids never stood a chance, because I think that's obvious for anyone with a heart watching these clips)

Official Palestinian Authority TV interview with the mother of a shahid, Nov 28, 2003:

"Being with Allah is better." Hamas TV on Jul 21, 2014:

Mother of murderer of 3 Israeli teens: "He was honored with Martyrdom because Allah loved him." Oct 6, 2014:

Palestinian mothers explain why they make joyful noises when their kids get killed as shahids. Apr 7, 2015:

"Death is inevitable, so why not die as shahids?" Oct 28, 2019:

Palestinian father explains his choice to expose his son to danger by bringing him to the site of violent riots, by saying his 4.5 years old wants to go to paradise. Jun 20, 2021:

"My son had nothing called a funeral, rather it was a wedding..." Official Palestinian Authority TV, Sep 13, 2021:

Shahid's mother says her son is a role model for Palestinian kids. Dec 31, 2022:

Shahid's mother shares she instructed her son on how to be a proper shaid. Official Palestinian Authority TV, Feb 21, 2023:

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[paleprincessturtle]

harvey fic request! :) maybe they get in a spat about harvey getting jealous or a miscommunication but then they fix it and then super fluffy

Hiiii!!! Thank you so much for the request and I'm so so so so sorry it took so long for me to continue writing here. Life been tough but here I am. Enjoy❤️

The Greenest

When Harvey received a phone call from Mike, he was happy, to say the least. But upon hearing what he had to say, Harvey sighed. There was this charity in Seattle, and both Mike and Rachel invited him. Harvey dodged the question by saying that he had to ask his wife. It wasn't that Harvey didn't want to donate his money for a good cause, but he rarely spent time with his wife now. He just wanted to stay home and do absolutely nothing with his wife in his arms. He could just write a check for it and make up some excuse later.

Harvey got home to Pink Floyd blasted through the house. He couldn't help but hum along with the song. It would be useless, he thought, to call out for his wife. He found her in their bedroom, a few dresses draped on the bed as she stood in front of her kingdom of shoes. "Are we going somewhere?" Harvey asked casually as he took off his suit. She jumped at his voice, eyes wide. "You scared the living hell out of me," she said, reaching for her phone to turn down the volume of the speaker. "Well, I suggest you shouldn't give your husband a spare key, then." Harvey rolled up his sleeves as he observed the dresses. "We're going somewhere?" Harvey asked again. "Oh yes! Mike and Rachel invited us to this charity gala. It's for abused women and children. Can you imagine?" Harvey watched as his wife's face scrunched in sadness. He swore this woman wouldn't even hurt a fly. "It's in Seattle?" Harvey asked again as she earned an eager nod. Well played, Mike, Harvey thought. Going straight to his wife. Well played. "We sure can come, yes?" Harvey looked at his wife, knowing damn well it wasn't a question. He nodded and smiled. 

Harvey's favorite thing to do whenever he went out with his wife was to watch her get ready. He watched his wife put on matching underwear in black, all lacey. He stole a glance at his watch as his brain raced at the possibility of tempting his goddess of a wife for a little fun activity. "Don't think about it, Harvey." His wife scolded him as she watched him from the unreasonably huge mirror in their hotel room. "Think about what?" Harvey asked, pretending to be clueless. "Think about taking off my underwear, bending me over, having your way with me, being late, and what excuse should you give Mike for being late?" Harvey smirked at the sultry way his wife said it. "We've been in this dance before, Harvey. I will not fall for it again. Now, why won't you be a nice gentleman and zip my dress?"

"Jeez, Harvey. Didn't you arrive at the hotel yesterday? This whole thing started an hour ago!" Mike scolded Harvey, who gave him a knowing look. "Seriously?" Mike gave him a disgusted look, and not long after, his wife came along. Mike hugged her and thanked her for coming. He then managed to explain this charity he and Rachel are now part of. He also said it would be good for the charity to know two successful New York lawyers are here, siding with the charity. It just meant more money for the charity. Which was great.

Not long after, Rachel came, and she gave them brief hugs. She managed the whole event, so Rachel was running around as she made sure that nothing went awry. The three of them were having a good time. They talked about what was going on in their lives. Harvey probably would have to admit that this wasn't an entirely bad idea to come. Mike nudged Harvey, "There, that's the city attorney. Let's put that pretty face to good use." Harvey looked back at his wife, signaling for her to come along. "I need to go to pee; I'll look for you later." Harvey smiled at her as he followed Mike.

Harvey just realized that his wife was never to find him. It had been 20 minutes; surely she didn't need that long. Harvey tried to look around. He squinted his eyes at the sight of his wife, who happened to look way too comfortable with a man he had never seen before but was somewhat familiar. A man her age. Harvey frowned as he hurriedly excused himself. He made a beeline to where his wife stood but slowed down his pace when he was near. "Oh Jackson, you know how it is in New York," Harvey heard his wife laugh not long after. "Well, then maybe you should consider moving here." Before he could hear what his wife's reply would be, Harvey stood beside her, an arm wrapped around her hip. Harvey didn't miss the way this Jackson guy's eyes followed where Harvey's hand rested. "Won't you introduce us, sweetheart?" Harvey asked a rhetorical question. She sensed something wasn't quite right with Harvey's attitude. "Jackson, this is Harvey, my husband." Harvey extended his free hand. "Harvey, this is Jackson ...." Before she could finish her sentence, he jumped in. "I'm her ex-fiance," Jackson said, shaking Harvey's hand. Harvey gave him a curt smile. "Who would have thought that Harvey Specter is your husband?" Jackson said to her, but his eyes never left Harvey's. Again, before she could say anything, Harvey said, "What can I say, Jackson? I'm immaculate, and my wife has an immaculate taste." They looked at each other for quite some time, trapped in an uncomfortable silence as the two men tried to intimidate one another. Harvey then remembered that he once went against him in court. Harvey won, of course. "Well, it was nice to meet the two of you," he was about to leave when he stopped in front of her, "especially you; I'll give you a call when I visit New York." Before he left, he touched her bare arm. And Harvey was seething. Harvey took her hand to make them face-to-face. "What the fuck was that?" Harvey said, his jaw tightening. "What the fuck was that? What the fuck was what? I was just trying to get him to donate, Harvey!" Harvey scoffed, "By flirting with your ex-fiance, who suggested you move here?" She looked at him, exasperated. "We're going back to the hotel," Harvey said quietly. He took her elbow as he guided her out of the crowd. "Harvey, we are invited here to help them raise the donation," he said, shaking his head. "We're going back to the hotel." Harvey's voice left no room for argument. Before exiting the venue, she caught a glimpse of a confused Mike. She shook her head in silence before Mike became out of view. 

The two of them were silent during the ride back to the hotel. "We're back now at the hotel, happy?" she said sharply as she took off her heels. "We could've helped more if you weren't being so childish and being all jealous!" She raised her voice, both hands on her hips. She looked at Harvey's back, and he poured himself some scotch. "If you weren't flirting like a high school girl, we would still be there." Venom laced his voice. He turned to face his wife. "Do I need to pack your things and send them here so you can get back with Jackson?" His wife shook her head in disbelief at his words. He finished the glass in seconds, opened the door, and slammed it hard. She sighed and prepared herself a bubble bath. There is no use in arguing with him now.

She woke up with the curtain open. She squinted her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of Harvey sitting in a chair just beside the bed. "Hey, sunny," Harvey said softly. She didn't say anything or react; she just stared at him. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely, she could tell. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did; I'm really working on my issues. She nodded, she knew he tried. "Did I hurt you?" he asked as he took her hand in his. He did so as if he might break her, so gently. "You did," she answered quietly. "I'm really sorry," he kissed her hand softly. "It's okay, Harvey. Just try to work on yourself harder, okay? I'm here ready to help if you need anything, but no more lashing out," she said as she caressed his cheeks. Harvey leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" Without answering, she moved over and signed for Harvey to lay beside her. 

[refuse2analyze]

homeless, help needed - offering various commissions

i havent been in/active in the art community for a while, and to be honest my return is for selfish reasons. i had to unexpectedly pack up and leave my home due to my bad family situation becoming significantly worse in the beginning of this year. so, i’ve been homeless since march. i’ll add the TLDR of my story towards the bottom of this if anybody wants it, but for now i’ll cut to the chase :p

cashapp: $uluvrory / venmo: circusfool / ask for zelle (unfortunately my paypal got hacked and i simply do not have the mental capacity to deal with that rn)

because of my desperate situation, i’m doing name your price commissions, as low as $5. of course the quality of the art will match the amount paid, which is why i’ll do anything ranging from a traditional sketch to a digital painting.

if you’re a real kind heart i would greatly appreciate any kind of donations, though i’d feel guilty not repaying the favor with at least a doodle

i have a general idea of what prices will amount to what kind of art, so dm me what you’re willing to pay and we can discuss!

since im still setting up my tumblr again, more examples are on my instagram of the same username! not currently logged in, though -> my situation below

this is a very summarized story, and i’ll refrain much information for safety purposes. certain family i lived with was known to mistreat members of our family. her biggest punching bags have 1. died 2. left due to her treatment. so i became her biggest target

she was supportive of my lgbt identity, until i came out as trans. currently i find the most comfort being unlabeled in every aspect of my identity, but at the time, i came out as trans, and discovered that this was not a safe space anymore.

things worsened at home, and i was practically only there to sleep due to fear and anxiety. being out daily from sunrise to night was miserable, being put in very uncomfortable and unsafe situations, which would absolutely have been worse if i didnt have a place to sleep.

i was told i cannot be out of the house like that, and i had to stay indoors, not allowed to isolate from her, or i had to leave. given how unsafe i felt around her and in that house at all, the only answer i felt i had was to leave. i knew it was going to have to happen since i initially moved with her at 15, i just didn’t expect it to have to happen so fast (i was 19 at the time, now 20)

i moved in with a friend’s dad. but unfortunately he lived in a filthy house with black mold all over the walls and vents of each room, all kinds of bug infestations, floor covered with garbage, and about 20 people (give or take), many on drugs, with constant fighting and violence. on top of that, her dad is a very scary guy, who knows my dad, a very scary guy, both in gangs and unpredictable due to their drug usage.

while here each paycheck went to clothing since my stuff was stolen on the daily (including expensive things, like my nintendo switch. man.) i had to leave that place unexpectedly and so the only items i took with me were what i had on my person when i went to work, and i had to rebuy everything from scratch (clothing, hygiene items, underwear, socks…)

after that i was floating around and as of recently i’ve been staying at a youth shelter! ive made it so far on my own, but my savings is getting pretty dry, and my minimum wage work is only giving me 8-12 hours per week, which is very hard to live off of. im frantically looking for other jobs, but its been a month with very little luck

i hope this post doesnt come across as too pity-seeking. any kind of assistance is so appreciated!!

[museum-spaces]

Almost certainly a silly question but: is it weird to go to museums alone? I'm in my late 20s living in a big city with real museums for the first time. the only time I've ever been to one is on vacation with family as a teen and when visiting a partner in a europe. I don't really know anyone here yet but I really want to see some dinosaur bones and I'm not sure i want to wait around until I've made a friend to go look at them with.

Is it unusual to see an adult alone at a museum? Should I just go? Is it possible to make friends while looking at dinosaur bones? Is there museum etiquette about this? Is there other non-obvious museum etiquette someone who grew up in the wilds of northern Canada might not know???

Anon, no it is not weird at all.

In fact, you could go and make friends there totally either by talking to docents - the workers in the gallery space - or other guests because guess what, you ALL care about dinosaur bones.

Basic museum etiquette is this, and even these vary depending on where you are

Pay to enter - either buy a ticket or make a donation. if it is by donation and you don't have the funds, go in anyway.

match the volume of the museum - if it's quiet keep your voice to a conversational level, if its loud be loud if you want to.

DO NOT TOUCH unless it explicitly says you can touch, then go hog wild.

Do not get into conspiracy arguments even for fun with the staff - we have heard it all.

have fun.

AND THATS IT. Depending on the museum they may even have social meet-up events for young people or classes or lectures that you could attend with meet-and-greets afterwards for social interaction.

If its dinos I can guess at the museum/province. They'll love your enthusiasm even if it is quiet.

[lonniemachin]

URGENT: DONATE TO HELP A PALESTINIAN FAMILY ESCAPE GENOCIDE

Ahmed sent me this video to share of two of his children, his daughter Habiba (4) and his son Kareem (2), walking among the rubble of the destroyed city they’ve been displaced to. He tells me that each day is a new loss, and that he and his family are anxious with how slow his campaign has been moving. Indeed, he hasn’t received a donation in 16 HOURS.

With the potential for the Rafah crossing to open again soon, it’s as imperative as it’s always been to help them raise enough money to evacuate Gaza as soon as they get an opportunity to. Ahmed, his wife Maram, and their babies deserve to live safely — not just that, they deserve to live.

Please, if you have anything to spare, give to this family. Their short-term goal is €10,000, which they’ve been struggling to reach for days. They currently have €9,025. They are so, so close. With your help, they can achieve this in a day or two, with €975 to go.

I am planning to donate €20 later in hopes of starting a match chain to get them to €9,500 at the least by the end of the day. Who wants to join me?

€9,025/€10,000.

[aishangotome]

Alfons Sylvatica: [Mad Love] Chapter 21

Chapter 20

♡———♡

Rushed in by Roger and his men, Alfons was carried to the Crown Castle.

Emergency surgery began immediately.

A faint glow of dawn began to seep over the horizon, but the sky was still dark.

-

Kate: ...

I couldn't sleep, and I was sitting on the floor, hugging my knees, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement.

I was just praying with all my heart.

Kate: Alfons...

When I tightened my grip on my fists, I heard footsteps coming up from the basement and looked up in surprise.

Elbert: ...

It was Lord Elbert, who had disappeared into the basement after being called by Roger when Alfons' surgery began.

Kate: ... Lord Elbert, Alfons' condition is...?

Elbert: ... I don't know. It's still too early to say... Roger said.

His blue eyes slid over the basement, and I followed his gaze downstairs.

There was no sign of Roger coming out.

(The operation is still ongoing...)

As I stared at the closed door, Lord Elbert leaned against the wall.

Kate: Lord Elbert!

His face, which I peered into, was whiter than ever.

Kate: You look pale... are you okay?

Elbert: Ah. I just... gave some of my blood to Al.

Kate: Blood.... transfusion?

Elbert: Apparently, it's a technique called blood transfusion. It's to replenish some of the blood he lost.

(I've never heard of such a thing.)

Kate: ... So, that means he lost so much blood that he needed this kind of treatment, right?

Elbert: Ah. ... But there are blood types, and if they don't match, there's a chance he could die from the transfusion.

Kate: ...

Elbert: My blood might kill Alfons.

Elbert: But... I couldn't just let him die without doing anything.

Elbert: ... I'm sorry.

As he gasped, Lord Elbert's face contorted in anguish.

Kate: Why are you apologizing to me? ... Thank you for telling me.

(No matter how dangerous a gamble it is...)

(If there's a chance Alfons can be saved, I'm willing to do anything.)

I looked at the basement door again and then offered my hand to Lord Elbert.

Kate: It's dangerous for you to walk around alone after donating blood. I'll take you to your room.

Elbert: Thank you... But I want to stay here.

Kate: ... Are you sure you don't need to rest?

Elbert: Ah... I don't feel like resting...

(Ah... I'm not the only one.)

The same anxiety and fear that were burning in my chest must also be nesting in Lord Elbert.

Lord Elbert leaned against the wall and sat down, and I followed suit, hugging my knees like before.

Kate: ...

I needed to talk about something to keep myself from rushing down to the basement, so I searched for words.

Then I thought of something...

Kate: Why do you care so much about Alfons?

It was something I had always been curious about.

(When he met him, Alfons was a child of unknown origin who was helping the doctor.)

(He had taken Alfons in, given him a noble name, and kept him by his side.)

(Even a nobleman from a prestigious count's family had unwavering trust in a playboy with a dissolute lifestyle.)

He also felt strong emotions, enough to be angry with him for leaving with just leaving a note,

And now he was even taking on the responsibility of his life and death.

(I wonder why.)

Lord Elbert blinked slowly, as if remembering.

Elbert: ... When we met, Al gave me the words I needed.

His voice was slightly different from his usual melancholic tone, and there seemed to be a warmth in his exhaling breath.

Elbert: It was our first meeting. He shouldn't have known anything about my circumstances...

Elbert: But it was as if he understood my heart perfectly and gave me the words I needed.

Elbert: People who know what you need when you're in pain are people who have suffered a lot themselves.

Elbert: Al must have suffered a lot.

Elbert: He was smiling, but he looked sad. So...

Elbert: I didn't want him to be alone.

(Lord Elbert...)

When they met, maybe they were both carrying very similar wounds.

They were just two people huddled together in the darkness, with no one to protect them.

Such a scene came to mind.

Elbert: But sometimes Al... would try to disappear from my side.

Kate: Oh...

Elbert: I thought the day would never come when Al would no longer want to disappear alone...

Elbert: And I knew the day would never come when I could allow Al to disappear on his own.

A faint smile appeared on Lord Elbert's lips.

Elbert: I don't know if my blood will be compatible with Al's.

Elbert: ... If it is, I win. If it's not, I lose.

Lord Elbert gently rubbed his left arm, the one from which blood had been drawn.

His eyes were strained to the breaking point, and...

Kate: ... Me too...

I could see the way his heart was about to shatter like glass, and the words came pouring out as if to fill the void.

Kate: I made a bet with Alfons too. That when he woke up, we would love each other properly.

Elbert: ... Alfons made such a promise...?

Lord Elbert blinked in surprise.

Kate: I'm usually bad at gambling, but I'm good when it counts... so

Kate: I'm sure your blood will match.

Kate: Let's win together and make him say "I surrender"...

It was a crazy argument, but I just wanted to get rid of my anxiety.

My voice trembled as I spoke, trying to convince myself, but Lord Elbert gently caught my bluff and smiled softly.

Elbert: ... Ah

Elbert: To tell you the truth, I've never lost a bet with Al either.

-

Alfons' surgery was not over until after dawn.

I begged to be allowed to stay in the basement until Alfons woke up, but...

Roger stopped me, saying that it was "not allowed" considering the risk of infection and my fatigue.

So, I went back to my room and slept.

But even so, I rushed to the basement early the next morning.

And the day after that, and the day after that.

I woke up to check on Alfons' safety, and...

I spent every day returning to my room with a heart-wrenching feeling when night fell.

-

(Huh...? )

When I rushed into the basement at dawn as usual, it was empty.

The bed where Alfons had been was neatly made, as if it had never been used...

Kate: Ah, what...?

(Did he... wake up...? )

(But then, what's this...)

---Something is wrong.

(If he woke up, why didn't Roger tell me?)

(Could he have moved around as soon as he woke up?)

Overwhelmed by the incongruity of the empty bed, I dashed out of the basement, my anxiety mounting.

Eager to hear from someone who might know what was going on, I rushed into the dining hall, where there was a sign of life...

Roger: Well, well, you're up early as always, lil lady.

Ellis: Good morning, Lady Kate. What would you like for breakfast?

Roger and Ellis were having breakfast as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Kate: Oh, good morning... um, that's...

Roger: Hmm? What's wrong?

Roger, who should have been sleep-deprived from nursing Alfons, seemed to have a refreshed look on his face, which only heightened my anxiety.

Ellis: Oh, are you curious about the menu? Today's special is the egg muffin that Lady Kate said was delicious the other day.

(The egg muffins here are indeed delicious, but...)

(Right now, I'm more interested in something other than a delicious breakfast.)

Kate: Alfons is...?

Ellis: Huh...?

Roger: ...? What are you talking about?

I was met with confused faces, and my mind went blank.

Kate: Oh, um, um...?

(Could it be that they've... forgotten?)

(Did Alfons, who had woken up, use his ability on everyone again and go somewhere?)

(Or...)

"No memory left in anyone..."

When life ends, all memories fade away.

I remembered his fate, and a chill ran down my spine.

Kate: No way, it's a lie, but... such a thing...

(But then, why do I remember...? )

Kate: Um, do you really not know!? Where is Alfons...?

Ellis: Hmm...

Kate: Alfons, you know...!

Kate: The guy who loves going out at night and tells ten lies for every question you ask, the chatterbox!

Kate: The irresponsible and unethical one...!

Roger: That "Alfons" you're talking about... is standing behind you.

Kate: ……… Huh?

At that moment, a voice came from behind me - a voice I could not mistake.

Alfons: Hey, don't spoil the surprise.

Alfons: I wanted to see you freak out a little more.

Kate: Wh-wh-...?

I turned around and saw Alfons standing right behind me.

--CHOICES--

Are you a ghost?

Is this real?

Is this a hallucination?

--------------

Kate: Is this... real?

Alfons: Yes, it's real. Want to touch me?

Alfons: You can touch me anywhere you like, for free, just for today.

I stared at his face, suddenly appearing, in a daze.

Alfons: What a fool.

Ignoring my speechless state, he even went so far as to make a theatrical yawn.

Alfons: You couldn't even notice me hiding and holding my breath? You're not worth the effort to fool.

(Alfons... )

He was awake, standing here, and talking.

I stared at the familiar scene, speechless and blinking.

Alfons: Hey, don't just stand there. Check if I'm really your beloved Alfons.

Alfons: You have to make sure of every detail, don't you?

He lifted my hand, and my fingertips touched his chest, near his heart.

The moment the warmth of life reached my fingertips, I knew that the "reality" I had been seeking was there.

(He's really... Alfons)

His lips curled into a faint smile, his eyes looking ahead, his mischievous expression - everything in front of me was proof of his existence -

Kate: -!

I had so much to say, like "That's the worst prank ever!" or "Don't do such stupid things!", but it all got swallowed up by one single emotion.

Kate: Alfons...!

The moment an indescribable joy exploded in me, I hugged Alfons.

Alfons: Whoa...

As he caught me, he staggered back a few steps.

I was holding him against the wall, but I still couldn't let go.

Alfons: Hehe... I'm still recovering from my illness, so could you please go a little easier on me?

Kate: I won't!

Kate: You need to learn your lesson by feeling a little pain!

I tightened my grip on him.

Alfons: Ow...

His pained voice echoed in my ears.

I could hear his heartbeat from his chest against my ear.

I felt his warmth.

(… Alfons is still here, not gone)

Just that was enough to make me happier than anything else.

Kate: ... You remember our "bet" right?

Alfons: Bet?

Kate: You said that if you survived, we would love each other properly...

**flashback**

Alfons: …Then… shall we make a bet?

Kate: …A bet…?

Alfons: If I die, I win. Goodbye, have a good life.

Alfons: But if I survive… you win.

Alfons: As you wish, we’ll love each other properly—

Alfons: And I’ll tear your life to shreds.

**flashback over**

His etched voice still echoed clearly in my ears.

Kate: ... I won the bet.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Mad Love Chapter 21 His POV

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 4, Match 5: Shōta Aizawa vs. The Fix

Submitted kids:

Shōta Aizawa: Class 1-A, minus Mineta, plus Shinsou Hitoshi (total of 20 kids). Mainly Eri, Shinsou, and Midoriya

The Fix: Conrad Schintz, and then he adopted like, an whole orphanage, named Madam Loathings home for wayward interests

Propaganda under the cut! (Spoilers ahead!)

Shōta Aizawa:

1. “This grumpy teacher pretends not to care about his students, sleeps during his own classes and why talk when you can also make annoying children silent by (harmless) force? Yet he loves them and they love him while he doesn't show it all that often.”

2. “He didn't mean to adopt them yet he did and he is grumpy about it. If he goes "those are my kids, damn it" it's not to someone else, it's to himself, with the damn it being a "fuck, why". Yet he is so 100% willing to risk his life for them. Because they *are* his kids now.”

3. “Idk the man is so tired what can I say. Harsh as australias wildlife but bc he doesn’t want them to actually die in the field so he’s trying to make them give up on signing up to risk your lives every day. I just submitted kiryu and I think that kiryu, bruce, and aizawa are soul sisters. They are all very special to me”

4. “Oh he tries so hard to stay scary and detached, keeps threatening to expel students, keeps saying he hates kids, and look at him now. Missing several pieces and risked death multiple times to protect them, at least 3 classes of ~20 students each lowkey adoring him, and literally canonically (not said out loud but it's basically official come on, they live together) adopted a little girl that was found by the protagonist and saved from the mafia. Also personally took the matter in his own hands when another department's student (so not one of his) showed a desire to change course, so much that even if this kid has living and loving parents he's often Aizawa's adopted family in fanfiction.”

The Fix:

1. “Ok ok so. Spoilers for mentopolis: First some context that mentopolis is a show that takes place inside one guys brain, all the characters represent something in the brain, and the guy whos brain they are in, named Elias Hodge, is so so very sad.

Ok so, The Fix, the personification of hyper fixation, is like is someone who has spent most of his life working for people, where his job was to 'eliminate distractions' (He kills people, basically). Then one day he is told to eliminate a child. His name is Conrad Schintz (Or the Conscience, due to an accident that happened to the guys who's brain they are in when he was a child- Conrad stopped thing he was useful, aka Elias stopped using his conscience, so his conscience has not grown since the incident, leaving him a small child)

The Fix has never had to hurt a kid before, and he doesn't want to do that, so he instead goes into protecting Conrad. Conrad kind of hates himself though and also kind of thinks he deserves to die so that's not good.

The Fix gave this like, beautiful speech to Conrad once about how hes important, I wont give the whole thing but something along the lines of ""There is a butterfly who has a tail that is there for if a bird was to grab on to the tail, it would break off and the butterfly would escape. I don't think you are the tail of the butterfly, I think you are the butterfly."" (its better in the actual show). I cry. There is another speech about eagles he gives Conrad when Conrad offers himself, to basically die, but i don't remember it that well.

Other then Conrad though! So There is this orphanage, called Madama Loathings home for wayward interests. Basically its a bunch of kids that represent past interests of Elias. Its run by this women called Madam Loathing (represents Elias' self Loathing)(she is very mean to the kids). The Fix donates a lot of money to this place, and visits a lot, the kids there love him and think he is so so cool. There is this one kid named Ronnie Reptile. He loves reptiles, and The fix gives him reptile facts, its cute. In the first episode, The Fix tells Madam Loathing how any of those kids/interests could be rediscovered by Elias at any time, and madam loathing sort of taunts The Fix, sort of saying how ""Oh I'm sure I can tell the kids they will call be adopted by The Fix soon, but that would be kind of cruel, wouldn't it?"" Implying that that won't happen. (cause, The Fix is hyper fixation, and hyper fixation adopting an interest would be good, you know.).

Note that Conrad used to live at madam loathing's, because he was mis identified as just a simple interest and not Elias' whole sense of conscience, but Corad ran away with his best friend, a dog named Justin. He lived on the streets after that.

So a bit later on in the series The Fix and Conrad have to go to to madam loathing's together (and another character is with them but he isnt relevant for this). When they get there Madam Loathing asks The fix if he is here to drop of Conrad here, and The immediately is like "Absolutely not, shut the fuck up." (I think that's the direct quote). I just really like that scene.

At the end, end of the series. Some plot stuff happens. The Fix met a women named Pasha N (She represents Passon), and they are in love, The fix proposes to her, its sweet, but then madam Loathing, who got some like, character growth I won't really go into here, and she says to The Fix how, she needs to go on a trip to find herself, and then she offers the entire orphanage to The Fix and Pasha, which is accepted. So in the end of the show, The Fix has basically adopted, that entire orphanage, so thats a lot of kids, along with Pasha, but she isn't in the show as much so I wont submit them as a pair. I didnt mention it before but The Fix is known for knowing a lot of facts and saying "Did you know." before saying a fact, which a lot of the time, it is a fact that is truly terrifying but thats a lot, and The narration at the end of the shows, says how The Fix and Pasha spend their lives with kids around them, constantly saying "Did you know? Did you know?" and it is very sweet. Conrad sort of had his own ending away from The Fix, but I still head cannon that The Fix adopted him too and Conrad comes to the orphanage sometimes.”

2. “listen. i don't know if this really counts as propaganda but just saying, mr. the fix thinks you're not the tail of a swallowtail butterfly. you are the butterfly.”

[zvaigzdelasas]

“I don’t worry much about it,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate, told CNN in an exclusive interview in Kyiv.

Trump “is an experienced person. He has fallen many times and gotten back up again. And this is a very serious trait,” Budanov said of the former president[...]

“We are expecting a positive decision anyway,” Budanov said of the US debate over aid, “To say that [Trump] and the Republican Party are lovers of the Russian Federation is complete nonsense.”

“I’m confident that the United States will remain a staunch ally” no matter who wins, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview Wednesday during his dayslong visit to Washington.

The NATO chief is in town to make his pitch that supporting Ukraine and rearming NATO — issues that are inexorably intertwined — helps the U.S. in the Pacific and creates American jobs.

“I worked with former President Trump for the four years he was president,” Stoltenberg told POLITICO[...]

The NATO chief also pointed to the traditional bipartisan support for NATO in Congress, something he said he witnessed on Tuesday while meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Stoltenberg also noted that Trump’s criticism of NATO wasn’t really aimed at the alliance, but at individual countries that have failed to live up to the 2014 pledge to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense by 2024. “It’s important to listen,” he said, because the criticism from Trump “is not a criticism of NATO not investing enough in NATO.”

The comments came immediately after the NATO leader made a pitch to conservatives in Washington that supporting Ukraine and re-arming Europe is good for America.

“NATO is a good deal for the United States,” Stoltenberg said at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank closely aligned with Trump.[...]

The NATO leader didn’t just come to rebut critics, however. He also arrived with a story to tell.

“NATO creates a market for defense sales,” he said, noting that member states have purchased $120 billion worth of weapons from U.S. defense companies over the past two years, including 600 F-35 fighters by 2030.

“From Arizona to Virginia, Florida to Washington state, American jobs depend on American sales to defense markets in Europe and Canada,” he said.

That line of thinking is similar to the message being touted by the White House: supporting Ukraine is good for the American economy. U.S. manufacturers build weapons that are sent to European capitals, which are looking to restock after donating their machinery to Ukraine.[...]

“We must organize ourselves for enduring competition with China,” Stoltenberg said, adding that since Trump began pushing shifting U.S. priorities toward the Indo-Pacific in 2017, “NATO has gone a long way in helping European allies fully appreciate the challenge posed by China.”

31 Jan 24

Trump Calls on Europe To Shoulder ‘Equal’ Ukraine Burden - RealClearPolitics

Former President Trump does not sound like a man ready to abandon Ukraine as some fear. This week, he instead called on Europe to match dollar-for-dollar the amount of aid the U.S. has sent to counter Russian aggression. “I say pay, and they’ll pay too,” he said. “You have to equal it.”[...]

“Ukraine is an interesting case,” Trump said Tuesday at a Las Vegas rally. “People always want to know my feeling.”

“Number one, we’re in for $200 billion plus, and the European nations are in for $20 billion, and it’s more important for them,” he continued. “And don’t you think they should equalize?”[...]

When it comes to how the land war in Eastern Europe affects American politics, it isn’t a clear-cut case of dove vs hawk, however. While Trump regularly warns of the possibility of “World War III” and promises to negotiate a peace deal, he has left the door open to continued support for Ukraine.[...]

After calling on European allies to “retroactively” pay back the U.S. for support already rendered, Trump said that Ukraine ought to be told “that there will be little more money coming from us, UNLESS RUSSIA CONTINUES TO PROSECUTE THE WAR.”[...]

“I feel strongly if elected president, Trump would not abandon Ukraine,” said James Carafano, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation[...]

“The first step he would take would be to sit down with European allies and have a heart-to-heart talk,” added Carafano, who advised Trump’s presidential transition, “saying we all have to be realistic, step up to the plate, and do the sensible, responsible things we need to do, to end the suffering of the Ukrainian people, help them retain their freedom and look after our interests, and everyone needs to step to the plate and take this seriously. If you do, the U.S. will.”

A former senior White House official familiar with Trump’s thinking told RCP that he expected Trump to immediately make good, if elected, on his promise to reach out to Putin and Zelensky. If Russia rejects a peace deal, the official said he anticipates that Trump “would give Zelensky everything needed to complete the operation, which this administration has not done.”

2 Feb 24

[jacqueline-p-rose]

I’ve had a spate of good luck with op shops lately. I found the cutest corduroy blazer that perfectly matches my high-waist baggy corduroy trousers. I found a beautiful psychedelic floral pattern dress that I put back initially because I thought it wouldn’t fit (size 8, oof), but then came back weeks later and it was still there tempting me, so I tried it on and it actually fits!* I found this long black suede jacket for $20 that is very Gender in that way of like, remember in the late 80’s slash early 90’s when women’s clothes were emulate masculine? The shoulder pads, the boxy, square cut of everything, daggy blue jeans and button down business shirts, you know what I mean? But then the new millennium hits and women’s clothes are supposed to show off your curves (and everything else besides), so jackets were fitted in an hourglass shape again, shirts were cropped, and jeans were skinny and low slung. Well this jacket is somewhere in between there, it had half-arsed shoulder pads that I immediately pulled out, and it’s not square but not fitted either. It kind of looks like I’m wearing my boyfriends jacket, but if I had a boyfriend and he wore it, he’d get teased for being a metrosexual. It’s my new favourite thing.

All of that, though, pales in comparison to this: About a month ago I went to the op shop closest to my house, and along with my new favourite jacket, I also bought the first and third book of Hugh Howey’s Silo Saga, Wool and Dust. I have no idea why they would only have the first and third of a series, who is donating just those two and keeping the middle book? Or did they never have the middle book to begin with? They enjoyed the first book enough to want to know how the series ends but not enough to slog through the middle? I have this series as ebooks, so it’s not the end of the world (and honestly that could explain the missing middle, I have series where I own part as ebooks too), but it was just niggling at me. I asked the gorgeous woman working there if they had Shift (the middle book) as well, but she didn’t know and said she would hold it for me if she saw it. Great idea in theory, but I’m not particularly remarkable so it seems unlikely that she would remember. Besides, I got the impression that she was just script-reading without specific intention.

Fast forward to Tuesday just gone, I’m in an unaffiliated op shop over the other side of town with my partner, and I think you can see where this is going. They’re browsing books while I flick through the CDs, and I jokingly asked “Do they have Shift by Hugh Howey?” Could you imagine my surprise when, yeah, they did! And only Shift. Either someone only had the middle book not realizing, or this is the mythical missing book from the same person as before. Which begs the question, what kind of person has all three books of a trilogy to donate, but splits them up like that? One and Three to an op shop on this side of town, and Two to a totally unrelated op shop on the other side of town? I can’t imagine splitting them up like that accidentally, so I can only imagine it’s deliberate, out of pure spite or impish whimsy. Well jokes on you Hypothetical Guy, my op shop lucky streak has given me another win, and foiled your plans of entropic disruption.

My partner also found this adorable lucky cat, which might be the culmination of my good luck run, but I don’t know how partnership weighs into personal karma, so it might be unrelated.

*when I say “fits”, I mean it does up to below my boobs. I can zip it all the way up but it pancakes my C’s like standing on a water balloon. Fortunately, the zip is at the front, and it’s still cute and holds it’s shape with a cami underneath, so I call that a win.

[kyra45]

Guide to spotting donation scam accounts

I am aware there is multiple guides posted by other accounts but this one is my own based around my posts I’ve made over the months of running this blog. If you already know how to spot scams, then good! Someone else might not.

If you appreciate all the work I did to make this post accurate and easy to understand, feel free to share it and link it to anyone who might need info. If you want to show thanks in another way, I take pocket change by tips. My pinned post also has links to quick access posts that are about scams.

Not all blogs who ask for aid are scammers! Legitimate people do exist it’s just that scammers will take their information and use it as their own in order to get the money for themself. This post is most meant to be a through guide into finding these scam posts more easily at a glance.

So here is a guide to spotting donation scam accounts under a readmore as it is a long post.

Check how old the blog is by seeing if their archive is enabled. You can also guess this by scrolling the blog and seeing if the posts made are entirely random or seem to come from a certain trending tag. Also check the date of the reblogged post by turning on timestamps. Backdated posts are when a user reblogs a post then goes into post editor and tries to make their reblog look older then it actually is. A common mistake is the new date is even older then the post itself was made meaning the user has went and backdated the post to make their account look older than it is. If the archive is disabled, you may only find ~20 posts shared within seconds of the others.

If they sent you an ask to share their post, did it request you to answer privately? People who are requesting aid are generally wanting a public audience to share their post and would not generally tell someone to answer their ask privately unless their up to something suspicious. If your ask says to answer privately, try using tumblr search to see if it was sent to multiple users. An example of an ask is below.

(Image has alt text! But I will still copy/paste the ask below as well.)

“hi!! I hope you dont find this ask strange, weird or whatever you call it :( Just wanted to ask a favor if you could possibly check the post I pinned for my cats? It’s on this blog, please do check if you have a spare time and reblog/boost it. Im so sorry if I did bother you, just need some help. Please do send me a msg to reply or answer the ask privately, please 😭 🙏 🙏 🐈 “

These asks are known as scam asks, though most commonly sent by blogs that are using content stolen from a legitimate fundraiser for a pet that is needing veterinary care. They are sent to multiple users who have shared a popular or trending post and is sent regardless of it the user would share the post or not. As it stands so far, most accounts who send these asks are scams.

Another type of donation scam is when a user will save the medical photographs of someone’s fundraiser and repost them to say it’s theirs. These can be graphic hospital images stolen off Instagram/Facebook and used in a fabricated story claiming it’s the users grandparent or child of who needs help. Most often, though, there is multiple images used that may not match up with the story itself. Scammers may even fake a funeral fundraiser using a similar method of stolen content.

Above all, donation accounts also will steal Instagram photographs to impersonate people and give them made up names. There are cases where scammers have made fraudulent GoFundMe’s with stolen images and made up stories about sensitive topics in order to get money. It’s important to pay attention and see if the suspected scam account is answering questions about their situation or if their asks and messages are turned off. This is usually a sign they may not be legitimate and are avoiding any questions about their legitimacy.

You may also want to pay attention to the support links given that lead to methods of sending cast. If the local currency isn’t matching up with the given information, it may be sign of a scammer. The most common example is someone asking for $USD but the local currency would be something else and they don’t supply a currency conversion anywhere in their post or explain why it doesn’t match. However, this is just a common scam tactic.

In closing, there are other minor ways to spot donation scam accounts. Such as searching their username up in tumblr search or just asking them to send you more information that relates to their situation. Above all, one of the best things you can do is examine the askers blog closely and see if there’s anything suspicious and do your own research before asking around.

And remember, always report confirmed scam accounts for phishing like so:

Report -> Something else -> Illegal uses or Content -> Phishing

[servospawn]

✎┊Get to know me ⤫

Tagged by @thegloomiestwhim 🖤

1. What’s your favorite sims death? 

Blunt force trauma via vending machine. 

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match?

Maxis Mix &proud of it. 

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight?

Nope. They’ve been known to fluctuate their weight often. 

4. Do you use move objects?

Is that a serious question? 

5. Favorite mod? 

I’m not even sure anymore so I’ll just say everything from Nraas. 

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? 

Livin’ Large.

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing?

Alive.. anything else is weird.

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

I haven’t shown his sim form in YEARS.. but this answer will always be the same: Granger 

9. Have you made a simself?

I have. I still have her too. One day I’ll throw her back in my game so she can embarrass me some more. 

10. What sim traits do you give yourself?

Foodie, Perfectionist, Hates Children, Loner.

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color?

Black.. not that nasty blue/black. BLACK.

12. Favorite EA hair?

Idk.. probably that one TS3 hair that looked like uncooked ramen because Granger wore it forever. 

13. Favorite life stage?

YA.. but I’m learning to actually have my sims age for once. 

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

I only build unless I’m forced to, so.. gameplay.

15. Are you a CC creator?

A fake one.. sure. 

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad?

@x-virtualism-x, @fanaskher, & @touchmypixels have been with me from the beginning.. &a few others who are no longer here.

But really I’m including anyone who has witnessed this blog become complete &utter garbage. It’s been a ride.

17. What’s your favorite game?

Round of applause for The Sims 3.

18. Do you have any sims merch?

Lol.. chill.

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims?

Nah.

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing?

Sheesh.. a lot??? 

I guess I’ll say that my sim style has included more realism over time of being here. Seeing their portraits side by side (from left to right) as they’ve grown into how they look now is a little jarring for me because I’m not really sure if it’s consistent. If you look hard enough or you’ve followed me for a while you can tell that some of them are the same sim but others like Ben have gone through some serious overhauls. 

Mostly that reason is because in my eyes they’ll be forever wips. I’m always changing something about their background, story arcs or genetics &all that comes into play with their appearance. 

As far as my actual sim style is concerned.. IMO.. I’ve improved. When it comes to personal preference your own opinion is what should matter so please never let anyone else influence you on how your sims should look/behave. That goes for life in general too.

21. What’s your Origin ID?

Servospawn.

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator?

I can safely say that I have Sandy’s entire catalog &she’s the only one I’ve ever donated to, so.. AroundTheSims3/4.

23. How long have you had a simblr?

Est ‘13.

10 big ones.

24. How do you edit your pictures?

Photoshop. I’ve simplified my editing drastically over the years. I run my gameplay shots through a couple of actions &call it a day.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far?

For TS3.. University. TS4.. idk. I haven’t stuck with it consistently enough to form a well rounded thought on any of the recent packs. 

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next?

We not buying shit over here.

This was fun to do.. thank you. I tag @x-virtualism-x, @fanaskher, @touchmypixels, @wooldawn, @crsentfairy, @kazuaru, @pralinesims, @sims3melancholic, @vyxated, @birdietrait, @xldkx, @non-sims, @therichantsim​ &whoever else wants to do this. If you did already please disregard. 

[cinamun]

TAGGED by @simmerstellar ! Thanks friend!

Come get to know me y'all!

1. What’s your favorite sims death? I haven't had a sim die from anything other than old age in a HOT minute but I saw a LP and the murphy bed death seems so unecessarily violent lmfao.

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? BOTH! I consider my style Maxis Mix. We love a nice combo of both.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? Not anymore but at one point I had to. Let me explain: I don't know if it was a glitch but like after every meal with grannie's cookbook, Indya would gain weight instantly. Didn't happen with anyone else (although everyone else are athletes of some sort). She's always and forever thick but something was definitely up with the food mods I was using. Anyway, we're good now since I'm not playing her HH exclusively anymore.

4. Do you use move objects? Absolutely. Its too restrictive! Gotta play test when I do though because routing errors make me irrationally angry.

5. Favorite mod? Wickedwhims. I don't care! If I want my sims to get freak-nasty I have a blog for that and WW never fumbles. If I want them to do cute little intimate things, WW is there. If you don't like the smut, I feel bad for you son.

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? I've gotten pretty much ever iteration of this game except for almost all of the kits and the star wars pack.

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? ALIVE. I don't understand the other one honestly lol. We're going LIVE as soon as I press play so....

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Obvs Indya Drake!

9. Have you made a simself? Yes! But she needs help lol I'm not good at that at all so there's a resemblance but she doesn't really look like me. When I do gameplay with her I say she's my "sorta-kinda self sim" lol

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? gloomy, neat, loner, romantic

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? Black but like BLACK Black, not the BLUE Black lol.

12. Favorite EA hair? All of the afro textured ones.

13. Favorite life stage? Young adults.

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Gameplay mostly stories but I love to decorate!

15. Are you a CC creator? I will recolor the shit out of something! That's about it lol

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? All my mutuals and anyone who reads my story! #Squad

17. What’s your favorite game? The Sims 4 is the only game I play. Don't @ me.

18. Do you have any sims merch? Nope.

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I have been asked to make a channel and got that far at least. No videos lol.

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? If anything, less alpha and more maxis match.

21. What’s your Origin ID? [redacted]

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? All of the ones that do it for FREE and for the love of the game. I donate too because I understand its not easy, but also not worth a month long paywall or conveniently forgetting to publicly release something.

23. How long have you had a simblr? 2015 are my earliest posts I think.

24. How do you edit your pictures? Gshade and Photoshop Elements 2020

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? Cottage Living is the goat IMO even though I don't play it much anymore. I do very much enjoy Island Living and Growing Together will round out a nice top 3.

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? I haven't really thought about it. I just figure the sims 4 is nearing the end of its era and we're gonna start hearing about project rene more and more.

oh! tagging @shesthespinstersimmer @bridgeportbritt @iplaysims4 @beebeesiims @thegloomiestwhim @hazelminesims @therichantsim @omgkayplays @softerhaze @crsentfairy

please ignore if you don't do these or already did this!

[who-is-page]

I'm ✨~ pranking my partner ~ ✨ and YOU can help!

Disclaimer / TL;DR: This is, fundamentally, an extremely silly prank where I want to buy my partner a MtG deck he'll love, swap out his normal deck for his dream deck, challenge him to a match, and then watch his face light up in delight when he realizes.

(And then I want to watch his face fall into despair as I kick his ass in card games, revealing that I've also swapped out my normal deck for my dream deck! Surprise, motherfucker! Multi-part PRANK! ...but this Ko-Fi is specifically for raising money for his deck, not mine.)

My spouse's current hyperfixation is Magic the Gathering and, naturally, he's in the process of roping our whole polycule into all kinds of delighted card game mishaps and mayhem. His enthusiasm for the game is downright infectious, and I'm not saying that just because most of us are in love with him, either.

My partner and I lost our first Magic decks back when we were crossing the Florida peninsula to get away from Irma in 2017. He lost his Liliana deck; I lost my werewolf deck. We didn't end up buying any new physical cards for around five years, because... well, as corny as it sounds, it's really, really upsetting to lose a deck of cards you've bonded to and have had some really great times with! Hell, it still kind of makes my heart ache to think about, wondering where those cards could be. It's like the emotional equivalency of getting all your data on a game erased after hundreds of hours of playtime. Like, sure, you could replay it (or in this case, purchase new versions of the decks), but it really wouldn't be the same and might just feel like salt in the wound. We were also broke college kids at the time, so we couldn't afford to spend that much money frivolously-- the decks had skyrocketed in price, since it had been just long enough for them to be out of print, so the only people selling them had them at a huge mark-up. (And even now, I think his old Liliana deck is selling for like...$250+. Ouch. I think we splurged and spent like $20 on it when we first got it, for comparisons.)

We'd finally gotten some new decks in the last year, and we started playing on the Magic the Gathering Arena app. The new physical decks are honestly lovely, don't get me wrong, but none of them jive quite the same as our old decks did. My partner, recognizing this, drafted us both up our 🌟ideal decks 🌟 on the app, so we could have fun playing the physical game with the cards we've got AND could still have decks handmade for us that we've bonded to through trial and tribulation. It was super sweet and thoughtful of him to do, especially since none of the decks we physically own are any of my color combinations, and I sometimes get really frustrated playing them.

(For those of you familiar with Magic's color combos, I'm a red/green player who usually prefers werewolves, dinosaurs, and dragons. We have a blue/black fairy deck that I usually wind up with, and a white/blue spirit deck that I'll sometimes use. They're not bad decks by any means, but holy shit is it not my preferred play style.)

BUT THEN I HAD AN EPIPHANY.

I am no longer a homeless college student, having to manage every penny with sniper-like precision and having to make sure that I'm always able to carry my home on my back! I'm a settled adult, in a house with my polycule, with reliable income! If I really want to, I can purchase all the individual cards in our decks!

But here's the thing. My spouse is the king of pranks. We were best friends all throughout high school and when we first started dating and then living together, the jokes and shenanigans only intensified. (Living together with your partner is great because it's like an infinite sleep-over. I am so serious.) So I thought, wouldn't it be funny as hell if I buy his dream deck, swap it out with his normal deck without him noticing, challenge him to a card game, and then watch his face TOTALLY LIGHT UP when he realizes what I've done?

And wouldn't it be fucking hilarious if I also get my own dream deck--which normally kicks his ass in the app when we play together--sneak it into that match, and the totally demolish him??? CAN YOU IMAGINE HIS FACE????

(For background information, I lose a good 80% or more of our physical matches, because I am not a good blue player and he is an excellent vampire player. So this is also some minor catharsis for me.)

So, yeah: the Ko-Fi goal is what I'm hoping to raise to financially soften the blow of purchasing my partner's deck! I have no idea what the cost is going to look like for his, since I still need to sneak my way onto his app and download his decklist, but I'm hoping that $200 will be enough to cover his 100-card deck, since it looks like that's how much I'll need to squirrel away for my own.

[tigresslanzhu]

Another Thing No One Asked For…

Anyone who has seen the first Sing movie will notice that the film at least starts in April.

Which means Meena-Chan’s grandpa was born in April. Why do I bring this up? Because I want to explain why I’ve made Meena an April baby as well.

First of all, I didn’t just decide this on a whim. A couple of years back, I bought a birthday Oracle book from my local 2nd & Charles, which is a chain of used bookstores where people can donate any books or DVDs they don’t want anymore (although there are restrictions) for store credit.

And just last year, I decided to look through the entire book to headcanon some Sing birthdays, including some OC’s of mine. Of course, this involved me reading all 366 descriptions and comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of each one. The date that was on point with a character was the birthday I chose for each one. In Meena’s case, April 6th matched her perfectly!

But this was before I really looked through Sing 1 and noticed that any and all calendars were put up to April. Why would I continue to make two relatives have a birthday on the same month? Because if you ask me, it’s not too uncommon. In fact, my 2 year old nephew was born a day right before my 27th birthday!

I also began to look back to when I first saw the first Sing movie in theaters. We all know about Meena’s first scene, right? The one that encouraged Meena Slander? (Okay, I’ll even admit, when I first saw the trailer, I did think that was a little extra, but COME ON! That’s just how Tori Kelly sings Happy Birthday To You! There are a couple of videos on YouTube that you can check out if you want proof!)

So when I first saw the movie and heard Ojii-Chan (I REALLY appreciate Japanese culture) singing along, I thought to myself for a second, “What?!? So this is actually Meena’s birthday?!? Was what we saw in the trailer a deleted concept?” That’s when I heard that Ojii-Chan was singing to HIMSELF! I sort of chuckled to myself after that realization. Also, can we just appreciate that for the Japanese dub, we can hear it MUCH clearer? That just made me laugh all over again the first time!

Maybe that’s kind of the secret reason why I refuse to change my mind over this.

Speaking of which, because of the set-back, I decided to make it so that Meena was born 2 weeks before Ojii-Chan’s 50th birthday. In this case, April 19th. Yes, I headcanon her as having just turned 20 in the first film. According to the script, Meena had just lit 70 candles!

So yeah, I kind of apologize for dumping all this on my Tumblr friends. I just knew that if I didn’t get it off my chest, I’d let it consume me for days!

[imafrickinglion]

I have a stupid post to make because I have Thoughts about Christmas Movies and this seems to be the place we dump those so here goes

I don't care how much money you have, the likelihood of wasting it on 20 different scarves, hats, and pairs of mittens so that you can wear a new one seemingly every day that the movie was shot is VERY LOW ACTUALLY. like WTF PEOPLE

And BIG wtf to the props/wardrobe staff because where the hell are you getting all these hats, scarves, and mitts and why did you decide to spend your budget on that when one pair per person would have sufficed. Like what is going ON over there?

I do not want to see a new scarf and hat every single outdoor scene and I really don't want to see a new winter COAT, scarf and hat every single day. Maybe I'm just poor as shit but honestly who the hell gets up every day, decides to go outside, and opens their huge hall closet to go 'which seemingly hand knitted scarf am I feeling today, which of these hats is vibin' with me. Do I want the red coat, the brown one, or the white one? Well my SCARF better match so I can't wear THAT one....'

This probably a 'bitch eating crackers' moment but whatever. You only need 1 coat when the weather is all winter all the time for the next month. You only need one hat, one scarf, and one set of mittens (maybe 2 if you want a fingerless option and a whole hand). Like, you do not need 20 different kinds regardless. If you have a bunch of extras effing donate those