#if you feel isolated you won't search for community

[thelesbianpoirot]

I feel nothing for the false representations of community based on sexual identity. I feel nothing for the rainbow flag. I don't give a fuck about pride and parades. I don't care about modern "queer" songs, "queer" artists, "queer" literature. As a homosexual woman, the LGBT community has no meaning or value to me. The more and more I talk to quote unquote lgbt people in person, online, or read about the mainstream movement/activism, the more I have no love for it. Any of it. "It's lesbian appreciation week!" None of you have any kind of understanding of or respect for lesbians. "Straight people are coming for pride! It's in danger." Baby straight people have long infiltrated and dominated that big party event. Straight conservatives calling it gross and excessive are no worst than the straight people who attack lesbians who admit they won't want to fuck men. "The few gay bars are all we have." The few we have are for men, and even if they pretend to be all inclusive some of those same men are fucking women on testosterone or invading women's space on their own hormones. The excitement and anxiety of coming out and searching for community anywhere, has evolved into a jaded rejection of anything that masquerades being for or about my sexuality. Being a homosexual now has reverted to being that isolating alienating depraved feeling that only you experience. Soon I'll drop the word lesbian all together and let them have it, if the biggest representatives for the words argue about changing it to be more "inclusive". They seem to not be fond of homosexual so that's still safe to use, but I am not above adopting a word like invert.

[vickyvicarious]

Every scrap of paper was gone, and with it all my notes, my memoranda, relating to railways and travel, my letter of credit, in fact all that might be useful to me were I once outside the castle. I sat and pondered awhile, and then some thought occurred to me, and I made search of my portmanteau and in the wardrobe where I had placed my clothes.

The suit in which I had travelled was gone, and also my overcoat and rug; I could find no trace of them anywhere.

The items Dracula takes have some fun implications. Regardless of whether you think he rushed off to steal these things as soon as he locked Jonathan in the study last entry, or if you think he took them a few days later, he has two clear goals here: prevent Jonathan from writing, and more importantly prevent Jonathan from leaving. Both point to him having a fear of losing control of the situation.

Sure, this escalates the mental torture. But it also suggests that, after seeing Jonathan's shorthand letter, Dracula became aware that his guest is more resourceful than he expected. Jonathan has access to at least one kind of knowledge which Dracula does not. There could be others (in fact, there is the diary). So. He takes away his writing materials - he won't be able to write any more coded letters. But Jonathan does still have access to paper as long as he has access to the study. If he's very resourceful he could rip pages out of a few books, fold up notes, maybe craft a sort of envelope by folding paper. It's not nearly as likely but it isn't impossible. The other aspect of preventing Jonathan from getting a message out is probably to keep a closer eye on him, to isolate him further from the people around him.

But he's already tried to send one letter. He arrived in the castle weighed down with anti-vampire gifts. Whatever language barrier he has is obviously not enough to keep him from receiving aid from the locals should he get out somehow - and after the incident with him encountering the vampire ladies as well as this letter, Dracula is no longer just assuming Jonathan can never get out. He is taking precautions to ensure he won't get far when he does.

He won't be able to get money with his letter of credit. He won't have access to his notes about the surrounding area or the dictionary that helped him to communicate better. He won't know where to go or when to get on a train heading far away from here. And more than that - he won't have his travel clothes, he won't have his coat and rug (basically a travel blanket to keep you warm). This might make him less likely to try an escape, which is a bonus, but the focus is on ensuring Jonathan cannot get out of Dracula's reach. He will be slowed down enough - by weather, by difficulty communicating, by uncertainty about where to go - that Dracula can catch up to him and stop him.

If needed, of course. It's not to say that this will be needed, and certainly Dracula would prefer it not to be, because that would spell a firm end to this game. But he now feels the need to prepare for such an eventuality. It's not just about stepping up the encroachment on Jonathan's space/privacy/belongings. That's a bonus for sure! But taking these things also points to him feeling threatened to some degree.

And not just by Jonathan, either. If his control over the locals were as complete as he presents it, I don't think he would be this worried. But his actions here actually support the interpretation that he was bluffing when he implied that the man to whom Jonathan entrusted his letter sold him out. Or at the very least, Dracula doesn't have confidence that everyone would sell Jonathan out. He fears that they might take a message, so he has to steal his writing materials. He fears that Jonathan might find a way out of the castle, so he ensures he won't get far.

Implying that the Romani who work for him will never help Jonathan is intended to build a sense of isolation in Jonathan. He wants to erode trust, to make Jonathan feel like he cannot rely on anyone else (except his friend Dracula, who protects him from worse dangers). That means, even if they did want to help him, he will try to make Jonathan think no one is even interested in doing so. It means he will keep him separated from them as much as possible. It means that he will do anything to break down trust and ensure Jonathan cannot access a support system.

Because if he has no support system, then if (when) he tries to escape he will have to do so all alone. And without the things Dracula took from him today, it's not likely that he will get very far. Not before Dracula catches up to him, anyway.

.

A few more spoilery notes below the cut:

In the last entry Dracula tried to ensure Jonathan wouldn't seek help from the Romani. When he goes out in Jonathan's clothes to kill people, he is trying to ensure the local villagers will not offer him help. Both are aimed at isolating him, and when you think about it they imply Dracula is concerned that Jonathan would be able to get help if not for these measures. Later on the wolves escalate matters even further, adding yet another layer of difficulty aimed to ensure Jonathan doesn't try to just leave. Because Dracula no longer puts it past him to somehow manage to do that.

And yet, at the same time, he's enjoying his time with Jonathan too much to end it prematurely by stopping him permanently. Dracula is arrogant enough to believe he can control the situation long enough to have his cake and eat it too, basically. But in the end, he was wrong to not ensure that Jonathan was taken care of, because as soon as he knew there was no more time to play the waiting game, Jonathan acted. And yeah, he was indeed capable of getting out. He was capable of moving very quickly, even with the obstacles put in place by the missing belongings, and he was capable of finding people who were willing to be kind to him. Jonathan's timing was perfect in the end because he waited out Dracula who could and would have hunted him down. The vampire ladies either don't have the control, the range, or the interest to do so.

Dracula is forced to acknowledge that Jonathan is clever, but he refuses to see just how much. He insists on treating him merely as prey trying to escape, who just needs a better trap. But Jonathan isn't merely going to flee, he eventually becomes the predator himself. The knowledge he has is absolutely vital to defeating Dracula; he's aware that he is a threat to the Count from early on. And if Dracula had been willing to truly play it safe here, he would have killed Jonathan before leaving. But that would require treating him as a legitimate threat. That would require Dracula to stop indulging himself with Jonathan. And Jonathan is so good at playing along, so good at being fun to toy with, that Dracula really doesn't want to stop. Not to mention his arrogance and expectation that he can surely handle this one man. And he can - until he leaves his castle. Then Jonathan is finally free to act.

And sure, it's no immediate victory. It's certainly not a one-man crusade or dependent on Jonathan alone. But that was never the danger Jonathan represented anyway - his escape represents knowledge getting out, spreading freely. His escape represents people freeing themselves from Dracula's control, acting without his awareness. And it happens, and it leads to Dracula being killed once and for all. Because Jonathan plays along, and because Dracula enjoys it and doesn't want to admit to the threat.

[necrotic-nephilim]

For the ask game

How do you think the batclan and the league of assasins would react to a consensual rastim au where because of this tim becomes the heir therefore the next demon's head

for the ask game!

heir of Ra's!Tim my BELOVED. i don't care how realistic it is it's real in my heart. i love when they're consensually fucked up together.

i think it's fun if it's sort of a slow descent, for Tim. like he goes into this completely confident he's going to backstab Ra's and come out with clean hands, but he's falling deeper and deeper. Ra's is a far more complex man than everyone has told him, and the longer Tim is entrenched in the League, the more he's drinking the kool-aid. it doesn't help he's already in a grief spiral full of self-isolation and Ra's is showing him all kinds of attention. Tim can't say when it went from "i'm going to stop him in the back" to "huh Ra's' bedroom has more of my stuff than his" bc it was so slow and gradual. maybe the search for Bruce takes longer, maybe Tim finds Bruce but sticks with Ra's for a totally rational reason with a plan he definitely plans to follow through on, eventually. but he gets closer and closer to Ra's and his lack of identity without Robin makes it easy for him to latch onto all the ideas of grandeur Ra's gives him about building a better world. Tim isn't *completely* sold, but he's able to meet Ra's in the middle for most of it

on the side of the League, i think there are a lot of divided opinions. Tim is a hit with younger League members like Prudence, but the more senior members who've been with Ra's for decades are a tad incensed at getting so quickly outranked by a teenager who doesn't even believe in murder. a lot of what Tim believes goes against the very nature of the League but. at its core, the League is loyal to Ra's. any of them would die for him or his cause and they have wholehearted faith in his judgment. because he has a point, the kid is smart, a brilliant strategist, and with some more work, won't be too half-bad in a fight. when Ra's names Tim as his heir, everyone knows it's a very distant future thing (Ra's still has a few more centuries in him and he makes sure they know it) so there's still time to work out the kinks in Tim Drake. Ra's has gone so far as to share the Lazarus Pit with Tim, so *clearly* this isn't some ploy and Ra's is dedicated to him. there's pushback, and i do think there would be some schisms in the League, smaller groups fracturing off and attempting a few coups of the League. even if Tim goes over relatively smoothly, there will be some fights that break out. and Ra's leaves it to Tim to handle, proving a point. making it clear Tim is an equal leader to the League and is more than capable of handling conflict with brutal efficiency. that wins over the last bits of support for Tim, some through genuine respect, some through fear. either way, Ra's is quite proud his choice of partner and heir has proven himself.

the Batfamily on the other hand is a complete shitshow. i think the most positive reaction would be Jason, not necessarily because he approves, but because i think he'd find the ironic joy in watching Tim finally get out from Bruce's thumb and cause absolute chaos. in a way, Bruce really has no place to talk with his history with Talia, so it's not like Tim's completely ex-communicated. they're all constantly trying to get Tim back, trying to convince him how bad of an idea this is and how terrible of a person Ra's is. i think Tim would keep close to the Batfam, partly because he *does* still care about them. Dick, Helena, Cass, Bruce, are all still some kind of family, for Tim. but there would be a clear rift. obviously it'd be the worst for Cass, who has the strongest opinions on morals and was so close to Tim and has to deal with feeling deeply betrayed. i'd have a lot of long conversations between them, where Tim talks about how he's trying his best not to compromise his morals and he's really doing this for the greater good he believes in, while Cass tries to understand his point of view and cope with the betrayal. Steph would also feel pretty betrayed, even when they break up there's a deep love between Tim and Steph and this change for Tim feels out of nowhere. they're all constantly reaching out to Tim, sometimes for serious conversation but sometimes just inviting him to hang out, hoping to get through to him slowly. they still care about each other, but the trust is what's gone. especially from Damian, who never trusted or liked Tim in the first place and would be the most furious he's replaced as an heir by Tim of all people. it's messy, but it's complicated.

for the rest of Tim's social circle, the Titans and whatnot, it's a similar reaction. the more distant of Tim's hero friends have no issue cutting him out, but people like Cassie and Bart and Kon would try to talk to Tim about it because it feels so uncharacteristic of him. they've known Tim a while, sometimes in more personal ways than the Batfam, so this switch up is sudden. i think he'd feel the most guilty about hurting them, just because they're genuinely his oldest friends in the superhero world. but he sticks to his guns and makes it clear he's happy with Ra's, and he's doing this whole League thing, like it or not. they'd still come to Tim's aide if Tim needed it, and god help anyone who hurt Tim's friends bc he'll raise hell for them, but emotionally they're distant from him. it's hard for someone like Kon to reconcile a person willingly working with Ra's given Kon's own parentage. there's still love, but it's messy and complicated. i do think slowly though, Tim would try to get them on his side. it starts with innocuous side comments made about the state of the Justice League/Titans, him not holding them back from going too far in a fight the way he usually would, as sensible team leader. it'd take a slow, long while, but i do think Tim could slowly get at least a couple Titans to be his allies, even if they're not full League members.

all in all, Tim rlly does get to have his cake and eat it too. sure, trust is lost and people aren't as close as they used to be, but Tim loses very few people he genuinely cares about. either they love him too much to abandon him, or he slowly talks them into agreeing with his new moral code. because he's still anti-murder at the end of the day, and it's clear with him at the helm, the League is slightly shifting. even Ra's seems more agreeable these days, far more open to working with heroes without instantly stabbing them in the back like he usually would. Tim can't change who Ra's is and he honestly doesn't want to, but that's the fun of it. the way they're always so opposed and arguing half the time, yet still managing to make it work because they love the chase.

[aranarumei]

something there.

hello shiramiya fans. got inspired by ch 51 to write something. it is under the cut but you can also read it on ao3

—

On some level, Shirahama’s always been aware that he’s weak-willed. But this—this feels like something else. “Tashiro,” he says. “I'm going to slack off.”

“For the last time, I'm not—what?” Tashiro cuts his complaint short, turning to face Shirahama with a searching look.

Whatever this is, it sucks, that’s for sure. He grits his teeth. “I'm just—I have to dip out for a second.”

“Huh,” Tashiro says, the word suffused with both carelessness and judgement. His eyes flicker around their surroundings, and he adds, “Okay. It's not too busy, anyways… did you ask—”  

“I already asked Karasubara.”

“Then what are you still doing here?”

It’s a good question, but it’s not one that has an answer. It’s just—it probably isn’t anything serious, but Miyano hadn’t looked great, and what if it is serious? Even if his boyfriend’s taking care of him, it’ll be good for Miyano’s classmates to know how he’s doing. And that way he—they—won't worry.

“I don't know,” he says, and because he’s vindictive: “Why didn't you compete in the crossdressing contest this year? You seemed so pumped about it last time.”

Tashiro's hands stray to his hair, and he twirls a loose strand around his fingers. It vaguely strikes Shirahama that it’s not dissimilar to one of the sprites of the sporty basketball girl he’d romanced last week. “I didn't want to shave my leg hair,” he says, even though last year Miyano hadn’t shown a single inch of his leg.

Tashiro’s just non-committal like that, Shirahama supposes—even now, he likes to act as if his ping pong captaincy just “happened” like an accident. He's spent three long-suffering years on the basketball team—he knows the apathy Tashiro unintentionally or purposefully projects is deceptive.

“What are you waiting for?” Tashiro asks, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Go.”

It’s enough of a push, and crucially: it feels like enough of an excuse.

—

There are too many people inside this school. Shirahama can hear Tashiro's voice in his head still, the strange wry twist that he'd clearly picked up from someone else, paired with his evergreen bluntness—what did you think was going to happen at a cultural festival?

I wasn't thinking, he replies in his head, aware that it's a horribly strange conversation to be having, and the kind of shameless, setup-to-punchline answer he'd never give in real life. But when he'd thought about the decorations, he'd mostly thought about having something that would look nice, feel nice, and have their class at ease. He hadn't been thinking about all the other people that would be milling about.

If they're staring at him, he certainly isn't going to chance making eye contact. So he ducks his head and soldiers on towards the relatively isolated nurse’s office, and in a sudden fit of bravery pauses for only a moment before opening the door. That courage immediately leaves him when the door opens with a sharp creak and he startles, hold almost slipping from the doorknob, but it's the pathetic thought that counts. Or something.

As he's about to slip in and shut the door behind him, a rustle sounds from one of the beds. The breath leaves Shirahama's chest, and he watches as Miyano's boyfriend—Sasaki, that was his name—emerges from the curtains, hair wild in a way that reads more like “bedhead” than “artfully tousled”—not that he'd say it was ever artful, but he's got no place to be critiquing Miyano's boyfriend's hairstyle…

—and speaking of. Sasaki’s staring at him. He sure is tall—for a moment Shirahama wonders why he'd never played basketball, but it’s the kind of wonder that’s paired with utter relief at the nonexistent situation. Then he feels very strange about that thought until Sasaki, with the sedate aura of someone who’s just woken up, blinks at him as if to communicate something.

Shirahama stares back, caught like a deer in headlights.

“Close it quietly,” Sasaki says. Shirahama finally re-registers that his hand is hanging slack on the doorknob. “He's sleeping.” His voice is low, smooth, and deliberately softened to the point that Shirahama has to strain to hear it.

He wavers in the still-open entrance; his legs don't let him run away. The door closes with a soft click, but it may as well be a marching drum.

“I just… came to check in on him,” Shirahama says, too many beats late, careful to pitch his voice just above a whisper. He's not sure he manages. It's the “too many people” thing again, only concentrated—somehow, he’s the one out-of-place in a school he's attended for two and a half years.

Sasaki nods. “Thanks for looking out.”

“Oh… no problem.” He represses the urge to throw up his hands in a sign of “I come in peace,” but he doesn’t know what else to do with them, so they hang limply and indecisively in front of him. Miyano's boyfriend is—it would be rude to say that he's scary, because he's seen the way he acts around Miyano, who doesn't seem to think he’s anything close to intimidating, but he's also Miyano's boyfriend, a term that feels—he shouldn't say it's strange. It shouldn't be any stranger than Kuresawa's girlfriend—bad example, because Kuresawa’s so weird, and Shirahama’s suddenly, overwhelmingly relieved that Miyano doesn’t make hour-long professions of his love—but the thought rests uncomfortably in his head. It's like there's an itch he doesn't know how to scratch.

Sasaki takes the time to inspect him now, squinting at him with a look that’s not akin to judgement but does feel like some kind of thing, and Shirahama would be embarrassed about his inarticulacy if he wasn't already beyond embarrassed with himself. Though he's always hated the feeling of assessment, he does his best to not squirm under Sasaki’s gaze. What Sasaki's likely remembering is the strange hanger-on to Tashiro's high-five run and jump, but even if that's banal in comparison to, say, the date-spying—which is mortifying in retrospect and has given him an eternal respect towards Hanzawa, though he’ll never vocalize this to anyone for fear of the result—something about recognition is just sour.

“Ah,” Sasaki finally says, snapping a cord of tension in Shirahama's shoulders. “You're on the basketball team.”

A strange flush scatters across his neck. “You remembered that?” His voice cracks at the last word, and he tacks on a whispered “Sorry!” that Sasaki accepts without fanfare.

A light shrug. “Just happened to.”

Shirahama throws his memory back to the interaction. He remembers the stray basketball, for sure, but on review something clicks into place. “…Kagiura, right?” His voice settles. “You were looking for him.”

At that, Sasaki falls silent.

Shirahama almost offers to call up Kagiura, but they're not particularly close, and Sasaki's expression doesn't really read as “excited” or “pleased.” In fact it's kind of reading as “ticked off,” which doesn't bode well, because he's pretty sure that if he got into a fight with Miyano's boyfriend, he'd lose. Embarrassingly.

Then, delivered in an unsettlingly flat voice: “I don't know him.”

“What?”

“Kagiura,” Sasaki clarifies, who indeed does say his teammate's name like he's never said those syllables in that order before. Come to think of it, he had called Kagiura by some kind of nickname, hadn't he? “I just… knew of him. Was just curious,” he mumbles.

“He does always get a bunch of confessions on Valentine's day,” Shirahama grumbles on instinct. Then he realizes there's a lot of terrible implications to that routine complaint and backtracks. “Not that—”

“He's popular?”

He feels, suddenly—not actually suddenly but an ebbing and flowing always—wrong-footed. “…Yeah?”  Huh, Miyano's boyfriend is kind of a weird guy. Whether this thought puts Sasaki squarely in the space of “not scary” is debatable. But it is some kind of comfort.

There’s a rustling sound by the bed. The room falls silent in an instant, and Shirahama finds that he’s locked eyes with Sasaki. Something like meaning almost passes through there, but before Miyano's boyfriend can say something about needing him to be silent, or his unnecessary check-in, or his unwelcome presence, Shirahama tumbles out excuses in rush of whispers. “I’ve still got to help out with the festival—just thought I’d check—I’m sure you have it handled—I’m going to—I'll go.”

He stumbles out of the office, thankful he hadn’t even taken two steps past the entrance, and closes the door as quietly as he can. His mouth is so dry he’s not sure any of those words he'd said were audible. It’s entirely likely he stood there, gaping and sputtering like a dying fish, before running away.

No one's there to look at his expression and tell him. Shirahama's glad for it and the fact that there's no mirrors in the hallway—the last person he wants to look at is himself.

[the-entity-down-the-street]

I want to talk about suicide. Wish we could have more open discussion of suicidal ideation without getting shut down by goddamn search engines going "are sure you're okay??? Here's the suicide hotline!! Also we won't show you anything related to this search because it's triggering and might encourage you to self-harm!!"

Like no bitch I'm not trying to die, I'm trying to open a dialogue about suicide rates in the trans and autistic community you stupid fucking algorithm.

There's a societal squeamishness around suicide that definitely plays into why it's treated like this. Social media censors it, forcing sanitized language like "unalive yourself" because it's more ad-friendly.

Of course, hiding it doesn't discourage folks from attempting. All it does is add more stigma around suicidal thoughts, and that keeps people isolated.

There's also not enough discussion about what happens when you *recover* from suicidal ideation, and have to live with the lingering scars (psychological and physical) of it. Like, when we talk about recovery, it's always about how much better things are, how you get your life back, etc. And yes, that's important, but like most things, recovery is more nuanced as that. For me it feels like being haunted by my own ghost. It's eerie, and sad, and I'm angry about the childhood I lost to abuse and depression. It's a whole second phase of suicide recovery that I never see conversation about. Not to mention that my idea of "a future" getting stretched out by a few decades is disorienting.

We deserve to be able to talk about all this. Sorry a good chunk of my life experience isn't monetizable, or ad-friendly, or suitable for all ages. It's still worth talking about.

[f0xysthings]

Panthro x reader

language: English

Panthro is a serious man and when you joined the thundercats he was certainly the one who least trusted you, so much so that he would sometimes watch you while you were distracted in an attempt to find any sign that indicated his true intentions, the thundercats were already betrayed once and he won't allow it to happen again, fortunately he soon realized that you had no bad intentions and soon calmed down, he stopped observing and judging you from afar, but he still didn't trust you completely because you still has not proven that he deserves your trust. A few weeks later the thundercats went on a trip in search of supplies and new lands to explore, but unfortunately for Panthro, the thundertank had problems, Panthro spent hours trying to solve the thundertank's problem, but without success, seeing that it was getting worse.

increasingly stressed and frustrated, you decided to talk to him. You didn't exchange many words, you just asked what the problem was and he replied, saying that there had been a problem with the engine, you looked at him and went through your bag, handing him a chocolate bar, only to then leave without saying no more words leaving the general very confused and even a little less stressed, after all, he liked chocolate. At dusk on the same day, you found yourself awake at dawn wondering about your choices, until suddenly you heard heavy footsteps coming towards your tent, when you looked better you saw that it was Panthro, you remained silent staring at the huge cat in front of you waiting for him to speak, but nothing came out of his mouth, so you had to find the courage to ask him what he wanted, he looks at you for a few more seconds and says a simple thank you and turns his back to you and walks towards the thundertank. After a few weeks, the thundercats decided to stop in the middle of a forest to rest, while the thundercats were talking happily in the middle of the fire, you noticed Panthro a little distant from the others, and so you decided to try and talk to the old general. The beginning of the conversation was horrible, with just him answering your questions dryly, at that moment you thought about putting your head in a hole because of so much shame, after several failed attempts at communication you finally asked Panthro about the story of his scars and soon he He smiled and began to tell all the stories, without any exceptions. Every minute that passed, Panthro became more excited, finally having someone interested in his stories. When you asked him how he got the thundertank his ruby ​​eyes lit up like the eyes of a child who just saw a candy store, he excitedly and excitedly told you everything that happened the day he got the thundertank.

After that you and Panthro became a little closer, he started to respect you a lot, after all you were one of the only people who really listened to him when he wasn't feeling well, it didn't take long for him to realize that he fell in love with you. It took a while for him to finally accept this feeling, he already tried to ignore this feeling, but it was simply no use, you managed to win his heart like no one had ever done before, he had been slightly scared for years since the last time he fell in love with someone, so much so that he had forgotten how dominant and mesmerizing the feeling of love was. He spent months wondering whether or not to declare it to you, his heart ached for having to hide this feeling for so long, he believed he had no chance with you, after all he was getting old, it was obvious that you, someone young like you, wouldn't want someone like him.

After a lot of thinking, the general finally found the courage to talk to you, while the other thundercats were talking he called you to a more isolated place and here he told you everything he felt, everything, that was a real shock for you, you had never imagined that he had such deep feelings for you, you opened a nervous smile and through stutters you said that you also felt the same way about him, which left the old general in complete shock as well.

You then started dating, at first everything was a bit strange, you didn't know what to do and he didn't know what to do either, but as time went by he started to be more affectionate with you, sometimes giving you flowers when no one else He was looking, and sometimes exchanging caresses with you. When you finally told the thundercats that you were in a relationship, everyone was in complete shock, they didn't know what to say, they would never have imagined that old Panthro would date anyone. The thundercats took a while to accept your relationship, it was something very unexpected for all of them, but as time went by they began to accept it.

Headcannons!

Panthro is a closed man and reported saying what he feels, so sometimes you had to insist that he say what was wrong.

Panthro is a man who is romantic when he wants to, giving you flowers and small gifts.

At night he asks you to sleep with him, and when you accept, he sleeps cuddling with you all night.

After starting a relationship with you, it's clear that Panthro started to take better care of himself, he no longer stinks as much as he used to.

Panthro really likes it when you cuddle him and kiss his entire face, aah Panthro loves it when you kiss him, regardless of where, he loves it, the old general is simply unable to resist your touch.

He would do absolutely anything to save you, if he needed to he would even give his soul to the gods just so that you would have a better chance of living.

When he is very busy with his general duties, he always gives you a letter when no one is looking, sometimes this letter has a small demonstration of love, sometimes romantic poems and sometimes asking how you are.

If you are someone weak, who doesn't use a sword, doesn't know how to fight, doesn't know anything about battle strategy, know that he will make a point of teaching you everything he knows.

A fact that Panthro became a much more patient and less grumpy man after you met him, with you he had to have a lot of patience because you were a little younger than him so you will certainly do stupid things and he can't hurt you because of futile things, the best he can do is support and give advice.

[elwynten]

Sword Oritoria Chapter 8

Orario sewers in search of a way into the Dungeon

Iris, Kimmy, Cindy and I were in the sewers of Orario. I had 'heard' that Loki and some of her Familia were headed down into the sewers looking for a certain person named Barca although they don't know his name. Although they thought they had found an entrance to the Dungeon although it is really an entrance to Knossos. We are positioned a short ways from the entrance to Knossos waiting for Loki and company to arrive.

Our Companions were back at Hearthstone Manor. They didn't want to venture into the sewers with us and I didn't blame them. We wouldn't be down here if it wasn't for the Loki Familia searching the sewers in the first place.

We didn't have to wait very long before Loki, Riveria, Gareth, Finn and the others showed up.

"Who are you!" Gareth demanded when he was us.

I turned to look at Gareth. "You forgot about us so soon?" I asked grinning at him.

"You!" Finn said. "Why are you here?" He almost demanded.

"Is that how you treat people that saved your butts on the 50th floor and the 59th floor?" I replied to Finn.

"As for why we are here. We are here to give you a warning. Knossos, the area you are headed to, is a trap. The Ikalos Familia as well as Thanatos and his Familia are down there with Barca, a descendent of Daedalus. As well as Valletta and Levis and they have a large number of cursed weapons at their disposal." I informed them. "I have my own plans to deal with several members of the Ikalos Familia, so in a month or so over half of the Ikalos Familia will no longer be a problem. When I've done my part, I'll let you know so you can deal with Ikalos and the rest of his Familia. You should also know; they have a pedestal they can use to see everywhere in the Knossos labyrinth. Because of that they can open and close doors to trap you and to release monsters so they can attack you." I informed them.

Loki looked at me thoughtfully "You know an offal lot about what's goin' on in there." She stated suspiciously.

"If you're implying, I'm involved with Ikalos, Thanatos and Enyo. You would be one hundred and eighty degrees off. I'm just here to warn you that you're headed into a trap and if you go ahead and head on into it, you could lose several of your followers." I told Loki. "And you should also know, they have demi-spirits in there. Several of them infact." I added.

I created three Daedalus orbs and handed them to Loki. "These will help you out. They are Called Daedalus Orbs. They are keys that open and close the orichalcum doors. There are even a few of the doors set into the floor, they use as pit traps." I told Loki. "And for your information. If a 'god' dies in Knossos it will trigger an alter to release or create plant flesh to a degree it will fill all of Knossos in a matter of minutes, devouring everything organic in its way."

"How do you know all of this?" Finn asked me.

I grinned. Since I'm dealing with Loki the trickster… "I read it in a book." I replied.

I turned and looked towards the entrance of Knossos. "Isolation!" I said, putting Thanatos, Barca, Dax and Levis in isolation, which locks them in their own heads with no input of any kind. They do not hear, see, feel or taste anything and they cannot communicate in any way. "I just made it a little easier for you. I just put Thanatos, Barca, the creature Levis and Valletta out of commission for a few hours. Although I allowed them to hear what was going on, so they won't go insane." I told Loki as I motioned for my Team to follow me out of the sewers.

"W-what do you mean you made is easier for us? What are you talking about?" Loki called to my back as we walked away.

After walking a few feet, I stopped and turned around. "If any of your Familia happen to die in Knossos, which I hope does not happen, but if it does. They are mine." I told Loki, then I turned to the Loki party. "If you happen to find yourselves in a graveyard. Say hello to the caretaker for me. Her name is Dawn. And let her know I'll be seeing to her shortly." I said loud enough for everyone there to hear me. I turned back around and headed out of the sewers as I heard murmuring from those in the Loki battle party.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Loki called out from behind me.

I didn't reply, I just walked away.

==========

While we were in the sewers with the Loki Familia. I did a little searching of their minds. I wanted to find out all of the names of the people that would be going in with Leene. Once I had all the names in their party I went to Pern and gave the list to Dawn, the Spirit Grave tender so she could put their names on some of the tomb stones. That way if they are killed while in Knossos or anywhere else for that matter, they would find themselves healthy and whole in the graveyard in the front yard of my house on Pern. They will probably be confused, but that's better than being dead.

I also instructed Dawn to explain what happened to them if any of them did happen to show up, and where they can go to find any of the girls living in the house.

With what I had done by putting the leaders of the Evilus group in "Isolation". It would change what happens in Knossos, but I wanted to make sure any of the Loki Familia members that died in the Light Novels would be safe even with the changes I had made.

==========

Back on Pern

Things are starting to get interesting. After finding AVAIS everyone was wanting to go south to find out what was really happening at Landing or to help discover and rebuild the past.

My Hold was doing well. We had set up six minor holds for when people were ready to move south. They were all between Tel Aviv Hold and Billings Hold. It gave each Hold plenty of room and they were still fairly close to the main Hold, and within easy walking distance of each other.

Mercedes had finished putting together all the equipment for the radio station. I decided to set it up between Tel Aviv Hold and Billings Hold. That way it would be almost dead center of my holding. The main building for the radio station was set up and the equipment installed. While the radio tower was still waiting to be put up. We had all the parts, we just needed to install it, and it should be put up within the week.

We had finished setting up the shops at Landing in what I have named 'The Market'. The girls working at the restaurant and the shop aren't doing much business yet, although they were getting a few customers. I suggested they give out free samples of the food they're selling, so the people arriving at Landing and living there will know what they are making and selling and what it tastes like.

I've spent several weeks trying to decide who to give Companions to. I already knew I would give most of the Dragonriders Companions, to help them to not get Thread scored and to heal faster if they do happen to get Thread scored or hurt. But I needed to check out each person I wanted to give a Companion to, to make sure they wouldn't take advantage of the Companion's abilities and go rogue. Although I can give people Companions that do not have durability and/or regeneration. Or If I do give them durability and regeneration I can reduce their strength. Meaning the regeneration is 1/4th as fast and do the same for durability. I can also give Companions that don't have a breath weapon or magic and so on.

I want to be fair about who gets a Companion, but I also don't think everyone should get one. Or I could give Companions to people as gifts and for most of the dragonriders and Lord Holders I can give durability, Level 1 regeneration and Sustenance. That way Companions would be rare and only those that I believe deserve them would get one. That sounds like the best idea.

With AIVAS uncovered a lot was starting to happen. More people, as in Lord Holders and Craft Masters were showing up wanting to know what was going on and to hear the story of finding Pern.

It didn't take long before F'lar asked AIVAS how to eradicate Thread permanently. Right after that was when activity at Landing really picked up.

I suggested to Mercedes that she might like to help assemble the computer stations. With Mercedes helping with that project, they would have someone that knows what they are doing, other than AVAIS, that is.

==========

At the end of the week, I opened a portal so Welf, Cindy, Iris, Kimmy and I could go to Pern as usual. There was a difference this time when we arrived, because today there were two people standing in the graveyard talking to Dawn as we walked by.

"Hello Dawn. Who are your friends?" I asked, although I had an idea of who they might be.

The two people turned around to see who was talking. A male cat person glared at me and pointed a finger at me. "You! How did you bring us here. You said we would come here.!" He demanded.

"Hello Leena, Lloyd. How are y'all, and no I didn't say you would come here. I said if any of the Loki Familia going into Knossos that happened to die would come here. That means the two of you died in the Knossos dungeon." I started to explain.

"What do you mean we died!?" Leena demanded.

Welf gave his usual cheeky grin. "You can explain all of this to me later." Welf told me and headed to the front door of the house. My Team followed after Welf into the Hold.

"Ya, see you later." I replied to Welf and chuckled.

I turned back to Lloyd and Leena. "Just that. Y'all went into the Knossos dungeon and for some reason or another you were killed there. Am I correct?" I questioned Leena.

"Some crazy guy wearing goggles! He attacked Lloyd with a black spear. I tried to heal him but none of the cuts would close. Then he came at me…" Leena told me.

"That was Dax of the Ikalos Familia. He was using a cursed blade. Lloyd bled out, I'm guessing, and since you tried to heal him Dax went after you as well." I tried to explain. "I didn't think Dax would get involved. He tends to do his own thing going after intelligent monsters." The last I said more to myself than to Lloyd and Leena.

"Why are we here?" Lloyd asked. "Is this heaven?"

"What do you mean intelligent monsters?" Leena added.

"Well, that's kind of a difficult question to answer. You see, I had Dawn, here, put your names on two of the gravestones." I said and pointed to Dawn then to the gravestones with their names on them. "If your name is on one of these gravestones, when you die, you appear in front of your gravestone whole and healthy. It's not heaven from where you came from, but I think it's pretty close to heaven. It's called Pern and this is my home." I told them pointing to the house.

I turned to Leena. "Yes, intelligent monsters. For some unknown reason even to Ouranos, the Dungeon spawns' intelligent monsters from time to time. Right now, there are only thirty to forty intelligent monsters living in the Dungeon. They don't want to fight humans, but they do defend themselves if they are attacked by humans. Unfortunately for them, other monsters attack them as well. So, they have it twice as hard as normal monsters." I explained.

"That's not possible, there is no way there could be intelligent monsters!" Leena exclaimed.

I shrugged my shoulders. "As far as the two of you are concerned it doesn't matter any more." I told them.

"Speaking of which. I've neglected my duties." I said and turned to Dawn. "I've given everyone else in the Hold a Companion, but I didn't give you one." I apologized, and a small Titanium Dragon flew up to Dawn and landed on her shoulder.

Eabha/F (to live) Mythical - Titanium Dragon, Lizard/Golden Eagle Colors: Pink, light blue, peach, green Regeneration L2 Size L2 Sustenance L2 Intelligence L2 Durability L2 Flight Shapeshifting L1 (Forms: Eagle, Bearded Dragon, Horse, house cat) Agility L1 Magical L2 (Dancing Lights, Mending, Cleaning, servant,) Teleportation L1 Speed L1 Strength L1 Agility L1 Elemental attack L1 (Fire)

At seeing a dragon, Lloyd and Leena went into defensive mode getting ready to attack the dragon.

I stepped in between Lloyd, Leena and Eabha to stop them from attacking Eabha. "Eabha's not a monster to be killed. She's very friendly unless you attack her or Dawn or anyone else that lives here." I started to explain. "And you have to remember, you no longer have Loki's falna so your no stronger than any normal person."

"That's not possible!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"You died in Knossos. Other than not being reborn as a baby and not knowing about your past lives. What is not possible about you being here?" I asked.

Both Lloyd and Leena just stared at me with shocked expressions on their faces.

"How did we get here and what are we supposed to do if what you said is true?" Leena asked.

"Yes, what I have told you is 100% true. As I said, your names were put on the tomb stones so when you died you came here. That is how you got here. About what you're supposed to do. You can do just about anything you want to. I own the land we are on, so you could work for me if you want to. You could apprentice under Verdi and Heather and learn about raising cattle or you could apprentice under Snowdrop and Violet and learn about orchards and gardening. We also have a couple stores at a place called Landing you could work at. You don't have to stay here with me, but I would suggest you stick around for a while until you learn about your new home." I suggested.

"Can we go back to Orario?" Lloyd asked me, hopefully.

"You died there. They buried your bodies in the Adventurer's Cemetary. What do you think would happen if you turned up after your Familia put, you're bodies in the ground?" I countered.

"They burried us already? They think we're dead?" Leena inquired.

"You died in Orario so, yes you are dead there and they buried your bodies." I agreed.

"I don't know what they would think if we showed up, now." Leena said with shock and worry on her face.

"So, we're stuck here?" Lloyd said more then asked.

I chuckled. "I wouldn't put it quite that way, but yes, you are here for the rest of your lives." I informed them. "Just think of it as if you converted to a different Familia and now you are members of my Familia here on Pern." I tried to make it easier for them to adjust to being on Pern.

"That kind of makes since. We're just in a different Familia that's not in Orario." Leena said.

"I think I can go with that. It does kind of make since." Lloyd added.

"Where are we going to live then?" Leena looked at Lloyd and asked.

"I don't know." Lloyd answered her.

"As I said before, you can work for me for now. You'll get a place to stay, food and a little spending money. Although they don't use valis here, they use what they call Marks for money. I'll show you where your rooms are if you want to stick around. But I will warn you there are hazards here that can kill you if you don't know what to look out for." I offered.

Leena and Lloyd looked at each other for a few moments. "What do you think?" Leena asked Lloyd.

Lloyd made a face and shrugged his shoulders. "It's all we have for now." He admitted.

I turned to Dawn. "Before I show these two the house. I know a lot of what Eabha's abilities are you don't need, but they will help her. Plus, she does have some abilities I'm sure you can use. She can go to the theater and watch a show and you can see it through her eyes. And you can have a conversation with anyone through Eabha. It's not perfect, but at least you will get to see some shows and talk to people when they're not here with you."

Dawn gave me a big smile. "Thank you, lord Eilwyn. It was generous of you to give me Eabha. I'll cherish her for as long as I live." Dawn told me.

"You are more than welcome." I replied.

Turning back to Leena and Lloyd, I smiled. "Follow me." I said and gave them the fifty-cent tour of the house. Ending the tour, I showed then the Cafe, the Bakery and the apartment they could use.

I gave Lloyd Normalization. "I will let you know that outside my Hold. A Hold is what they call your house and/or land you own. So, a Hold can be hundreds of square miles. But, as I was saying, outside of my Hold there are no demi-humans. And so you know, this world is a lot different than back in Orario. There is no magic here, no potions for healing or anything else like that. Although with what the two of you did in Orario. I would say you are probably above average in strength, durability and agility. So, you have that going for you." I told them.

I turned to Taima. "Would you go find Kangee and let her know I want to see her, please?" I asked Taima.

Taima smiled. "I'm on it." She said and walked away.

As we waited for Kangee, I took them back to the Cafe. "Have a seat." I motioned with my hand for them to sit down then I took a seat myself. "As I said before, this is 'the Cafe'. You can come here and eat and it doesn't cost you anything. The same goes for 'the Bakery'." I told them as Cammie came out to the table.

"May I take your order?" Cammie asked us.

"Hello Cammie, how are you doing today?" I greeted Cammie.

"I'm good. How are you, lord Eilwyn?" She replied.

"I'm doing better now seeing your pretty face." I told Cammie.

Cammie blushed and smiled. "Thank you." She said as she looked at the table.

"I'll take a sweet tea." I told Cammie then looked at Lloyd and Leena. "Do you want anything?" I asked them.

Lloyd and Leena told Cammie what they wanted, and Cammie left to fill our orders.

Kangee walked into the Cafe. "Taima said you wanted me." She said as she walked over to me and gave me a hug.

I returned the hug. "Have a seat." I offered.

Kangee sat down beside me, and I told her what was happening with Lloyd and Leena. "I would appreciate it if you would help them out. You know, guide them in what they need to know about thread, the dragons and dangers. They can take, say, five days to get used to being here. After that they can decide what they want to do." I told Kangee.

Cammie brought our drinks out and put them on the table. Cammie looked at Kangee. "Can I get you anything, Kangee?" Cammie asked.

"No think you. I'm good for now." Kangee replied.

Cammie walked back to the kitchen.

I turned to Leena and Lloyd. "Kangee is in charge of security at my Hold. But, for now there's not much need for security. So, I'm putting you in her capable hands." I told them and made introductions all around. "Get them each a set of shifting clothes if you would. I'll take them to Landing tomorrow so they can see the stores and what's going on there. They can take the rest of today to get settled in." I told Kangee.

I looked at Lloyd and Leena. "Kangee will be your guide. She will let you know just about anything you need to know about Pern. You might ask her about the beach. It's out the back door. I didn't show you that." I suggested.

I turned to Kangee before she could lead the two off. "They can use The Apartment for now. You might want to take them there first so they know where they can sleep." I suggested.

Kangee nodded her head in understanding. "I'll do that." She said then Kangee gave me a hug and a kiss.

I returned the hug and kiss, then I released Kangee so she could do what I had asked her to do.

==========

The Next morning, I showed Lloyd and Leena how to use the port points and took them to Landing.

I told them a little of the history of Landing and about Landing being found after a very long time.

We stopped by The Market and my stores. "They don't make magic swords here but most everyone carries a knife for protection and/or for eating with. Sucki is our Hold's local black smith. She makes knives and other items to sell in one of our stores. And Willow makes jewelry to sell as well." I told Lloyd and Leena as we walked though the store.

"Hello Eilwyn." Willow said.

"Hi Willow." I said and walked over and kissed Willow on the cheek.

"Where's mine?" Yuki asked giving me a fake pout.

I chuckled and walked over to Yuki. I gave her a hug and a kiss of the cheek. "That better?" I asked.

"Much." Yuki replied with a smile on her face.

"Who are your friends?" Willow Asked.

"I'm sure you've seen them around the Hold. This is Leena and he's Lloyd." I introduced them.

"What Hold did you move from? Yuki asked them.

"We're not from a Hold. We're from Orario." Leena replied.

I looked around to make sure no one was close other than one of my girls. No one was in the store other then us at the moment. "I should let you know. It's not really a good thing to talk about where you came from. The people here other than those in my Hold, don't know about Orario. So you shouldn't go around talking about Loki, the Dungeon, monsters and Orario when your out and about, unless you make sure no one is around. You can talk about any of that when your back at the Hold." I suggested.

"Ok." "Gotcha." They replied.

I'm going to show them the restaurant, next." I told Willow and Yuki.

"See you back home then." Willow said as she walked over to me and gave me a hug.

After leaving 'The Forge', what we named the store where we sell the knives and jewelry, I took them to our restaurant at The Market. We are still working on what to name it. But then, on Pern they don't really give names to any of the shops, so we are starting a new trend with giving our stores names.

"We sell what the locals consider new foods here. Crystal and Robbie are working here today." I told them, then introduced Lloyd and Leena to Crystal and Robbie.

"How is business" I asked Crystal.

Crystal came over and gave me a hug. "We're doing pretty good. It hasn't been too busy but we have been getting several customers." Yuki told me.

I returned Crystal's hug, and I gave her a kiss. "That's good. We haven't' been open for very long and we are competing against the food tent where the workers can get free food. Once most of Landing has been excavated and more people come to take classes, we should start getting more customers." I assured Crystal and Robbie.

"I hope so. I want this place to make good money." Robbie said as she walked over to us.

Again, I made introduction.

"Why is it everyone you know are women?" Leena asked.

I chuckled. "That is kind of a long and complicated story. It wasn't planned but all the people that live at my Hold, other than myself, are girls. That's not counting Lloyd, here. He's the second male living at my Hold now." I replied. "I do know several men. Masterharper Robinton, Lord Holder Jaxom, Masterharper Sebil, Harper Journeyman Piemur and a few others." I added.

"Masterharper? Harper journeyman? What are they?" Lloyd asked.

"Pern works on craft halls and apprenticeships. The Harper Hall is a group that teaches by using songs. They also entertain and spread news. There is also the Smith Craft Hall, they make tools and about anything else a black smith would make. And the Healer Hall which of course works on healing people the natural way. As I told you before they don't have potions or spells to heal anybody here. Sucki is a Journeyman or Journeywoman in the Smith Craft Hall. So technically she is Journeywoman Sucki, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you just call her Sucki." I explained.

"As I said Kangee will fill you in on all of that, or she can get you a book or two about the terms they use here and how the planet is run and organized." I offered.

"Do you have a Tital?" Leena asked me.

"Since I own a very large Hold. My Tital is lord Eilwyn or lord Holder Eilwyn. I'm not big on people calling me by my Tital but there are some lord Holders that insist you use their totals. I told Leena. "I'll leave you in Kangee's capable hands and I'll see you back at Tel Aviv Hold. Tel Aviv is the name of my Hold. The smaller Holds on my land also have names, but you'll learn them with time." I finished and sent them on their way with Kangee.

==========

I ported back to Tel Aviv Hold and went to the Lab.

Welf and Mercedes where there are usual. "Hi Mercedes." I said as I walked into the Lab.

"Hello Eilwyn." Mercedes replied without even looking up.

I chuckled to myself. 'That's Mercedes.' I thought to myself and walked over to Welf.

"Hello Welf." I said to let Welf know I was there.

Welf looked up from the sword he was working on. "Hello Eilwyn. You here to explain why those two are here?" He asked.

I chuckled at Welf's bluntness. "If you can take a break, yes." I told Welf.

"Ya, I guess I could take a break." Welf said and put the sword he was working on by the forge and laid his hammer down and looked at me. "How'd they get here?" Welf asked.

I leaned back against a table and crossed my arms over my chest. "Before the Loki Familia went into the man-made Dungeon Knossos. I had Dawn put several of their member's names on the tomb stones, just in case." I started.

"Just in case of what?"

"Just in case any of them were to be killed while in Knossos. I had helped them out some in an attempt to prevent any deaths, but there was no telling what would happen, so I had Dawn put the names on the tomb stones so if any of them were to die, they would show up here in front of the tomb stone with their name on it whole and healthy." I explained.

"Why would you allow members of the Loki Familia to come here?" Welf asked confused.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Why not? They're not bad people in general. They were killed by a member of Evilus as they tried to check out Knossos. And because they were killed, they showed up here. Besides, they are no longer members of the Loki Familia. Their falna vanished when they died. I explained that to them and that they can't go back to Orario." I told Welf. I cocked my head to the side. "Weeelll, technically I could take them back, but I don't think that would be such a good idea. If word got around that People didn't really have to die, they would be clamoring all over me trying to get me to have their names put on the tomb stones here. And I definitely don't want that." I added.

Welf nodded his head in understanding. "Oh, ya, I can see how that would be a big problem. So, they are here permanently, and they are free of Loki's blessing?" Welf stated more then asked.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yes, they have no falna and they are here for the rest of their lives." I admitted.

"If they're going to be living here, who are they? I might as well know who they are."

"The male cat person is Lloyd, and the human girl is Leena. I'm not sure if they're going to stay here yet. I told them, they could take a few days to get adjusted to being here. After that, they could work for me or go to Landing and work there. We'll just have to see if they stay or not. Although, since they know me some or at least they've seen me and my Team around Orario, they'll probably stay here for a while. I told them they could apprentice under Verdi and Heather and learn about raising cattle or they could apprentice under Snowdrop and Violet and learn how to work the orchards and gardens. I also suggested they could work in our stores at Landing." I informed Welf.

Welf shrugged his shoulders. "It's not my place to tell you what to do here and I don't really see anything wrong with your thinking. But what do I know is I'm just a smith." Welf said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad it meets your approval." I replied with a grin. "I'll let you get back to your work." I said and turned to leave the Lab.

"Ya, get out of here. I have several orders to work on. I don't need you slowing me down." Welf said with his usual cheeky grin on his face.

==========

I left Leena and Lloyd to settle in and I went about the usual business of running my hold.

This week we would be putting up the tower for the radio station. Most of the equipment for the station was already set up inside the building at Midway Hold. Now we have to put up the tower and connect everything together to see if we can send the radio signal.

It was named Midway Hold because it is midway between Billings Hold and Tel Aviv Hold as well as midway from the east border and west border of my Hold. So, Midway Hold. Yes, I know, not very creative, but it works.

Crystal, Gina and Robbie volunteered to help me put up the tower.

Mercedes constructed a three-sided tower in twenty-foot sections, with the base being ten feet from pole to pole. Each section has a flat plate on each pole, The plates line up with the bottom plates of the next section and the two sections are bolted together. Even though there are not planes on Pern there is still a flashing light on the top of the tower so dragons and their riders can see where the tower is at night.

Crystal, Gina and Robbie were equipped with pouches to hold the nuts and bolts and two wrenches to tighten the nuts and bolts with. As well and safety harnesses for safety. Although if they did happen to fall they could just shapeshift into their dragon or bird forms and fly back up to the top of the tower. And each girl took a different pole on the tower to work on. While I will use my telekinesis to lift each section of the tower up and set and hold it in place so the girls can bolt the two sections together. I can also fly up as I lift each tower section up, so it will be easier to set the upper section to the lower section.

Putting all the sections of the tower together took six hours. It probably would have gone faster, but the girls were having too much fun bossing me around in what direction the upper section of tower needed to go to match up with the lower section.

The next two days Mercedes and I connected all the wiring so we could broadcast up to the spaceship the Yokohama above Landing, using the Yokohama as a satellite, and to also broadcast horizontally for local receivers. Although most people will receive the radio signals from our radio station via the Yokohama.

We will probably have to make a few satellites to bounce the radio signal off of to reach all of the Holds in the north. But that can wait for now.

==========

I met up with Leena and Lloyd in the Cafe after they had been at the Hold for four days. I wanted to see how they were settling in.

I walked into the Cafe and upon seeing Leena and Lloyd siting at one of the tables I walked over to them. "May I sit with you?" I asked.

"Sure." Lloyd said and motioned to an empty seat.

I sat down and smiled. "What do you think of the place so far?" I asked looking at both of them.

"It is a lot to get used to. I've lived so long in Orario, I'm not used to not having so many people and shops around all the time." Leena answered.

Lloyd nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, it's so strange to go out and not see anyone. It's kind of spooky. But it's also kind of nice to go out and actually see trees, bushes and animals instead of roads and buildings everywhere." He replied.

"Although there isn't any place to buy anything." Leena added.

I chuckled. "Yes, it's a lot different here, but it's nice here as well. As for shopping. There is the shop in the hall. The sign is over the door. They have just about anything you would want and then some. But if you're looking for local merchandise. I'll have to take you to one of the next Gathers they have here." I told them.

"Gathers? What's that?" Leena asked.

"They don't really have regular stores here other than at 'The Market' at Landing, and I came up with that idea and set it in motion. But, normally at a Hold they don't really have normal stores so when there is a rest day that no Thread is going to fall, they have a Gather. The local craft halls, bakeries, brewers and such gather at the local Hold square and set up booths so they can sell their merchandise. It's usually an all-day thing because small holders come in and might sell or buy animals. They'll also can buy other things they need. The local Harpers will usually play and sing to entertain the people and if there are enough Harpers they'll set up a dance square for dancing." I informed Leena and Lloyd. "The Gathers are somewhat different in each Hold. At Ruatha Hold lord Jaxom will usually have horse races. Although here on Pern they call horses runner beasts and cows are called heard beasts. At Benden Hold there is always a lot of music, singing and dancing because the Harper Hall is at Bendon Hold. So, they always have more than enough Harpers to entertain the people during a Gather." I added.

"That sounds nice. When is the next Gather?" Leena asked.

I'm not sure. Right now, almost everyone lives on the northern continent. So, I'd have to check thread fall for each major Hold to see when and where the next Gather will be. I'm sure several of the girls here would like to go to a gather as well." I replied.

"Have either of you figured out what you want to do here?" I asked, changing the subject.

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. "I'm so used to killing monsters in the Dungeon. I'm not sure what I want to do sense I can't do that, here." He admitted.

"That makes since. You might try doing different things for a couple weeks. That is, try working with the cattle for a couple weeks then working with the orchards for a couple weeks. Then work one of the stores for a couple weeks. That would give you an idea of what it would be like to do those jobs. If you still want to 'fight' I'm sure Kange and Kimmy would let you try out being a Hold guard. Although right now there's not much for them to do, since we don't have any real neighbors there's not really much of a need for protection right now, other than killing some of the big cats and wild wherries to keep them under control." I suggested.

Lloyd nodded his head. "That might work. What do those jobs pay?" He asked.

"Lloyd!" Leena exclaimed.

I chuckled. "That's all-right Leena. It's an honest question." I told Leena then I turned to answer Lloyd's question. "We're still working on what people earn here. But you're getting free room and board right now and I'll make sure you get a few marks for spending money. And for reference, an apprentice that has one or two marks is considered well off. Oh, and when you buy things here, be prepared to haggle over the price. The prices they put on products here are not firm, you have to haggle to try to get a better price. If you haven't haggled before, it can take a little time and practice to get good at haggling. Some of the girls here can teach you how to haggle if you want. They are quite good at it." I offered.

Lloyd frowned. "That doesn't sound like much money." He told me.

"I understand, but you're not in Orario so the money is different here. It's a rough conversion but add three zeros to the value on the mark and you have close to what the valis value is. So, one mark is worth little over 1,000 valis, probably closer to 1,500 valis, and a two-mark piece would be somewhere around 2,500 valis." I told them. "Plus, the value of things different between Pern and Orario. So, that makes a difference in the prices or value as well. For smaller denominations they have half marks, quarter marks and an eighth marks."

"It's going to be hard to figure all that out." Lloyd said.

I chuckled. "I'm still working on figuring it out, myself." I told Lloyd.

I turned to Leena. "Do you have any ideas of what you want to do here?" I asked her.

"I was a healer and mage. That's all I know what to do." Leena stated.

"As I told Lloyd, you could work at different jobs for a couple weeks each to see what you might like to do." I reiterated.

Leena looked thoughtful and brought her hand up and rubbed her chin for a few moments. "Could I see about working at one of the stores at The Market?" She asked.

I nodded my head in agreement. "That's not a problem. I'm sure Willow would love to show you how to make jewelry when there are no customers around." I replied. "How about starting tomorrow morning? That way Willow can take you with her to Landing and show you what to do." I offered.

Leena gave a quick nod of her head. "That sounds good. What time in the morning?" She replied.

"Be ready to leave here at eight in the morning. I'll let Willow know you'll be joining her." I told Leena.

Leena looked thoughtful for a moment. "I remember Willow. We met her at the store at Landing, right?" She asked.

"Yes, she was working at, The Forge. She has fairly long black hair. Can I tell her? Is she here at the, um, Hold?" Leena said.

I took a moment to do a mental search for Willow. I smiled when I found her. "I don't see why not. Willows in the Theater. It's the room with all the big conferrable chairs in it." I told her.

"I remember that room. I'll go talk to her now." Leena said and stood up to leave.

I turned to Lloyd. "If you haven't figured out what you want to do yet, I have an idea." I started.

Lloyd looked at me. "What would that be?" He asked.

"We just finished setting up the radio station. There are only a couple people that want to be DJ's so we could use more. You could try your hand at working at the radio station." I offered.

"Radio station? DJ's? what is all of that?" Lloyd asked.

"I was getting to that. DJ is short for Disc Jocky. Music and stories were recorded on special discs so they could be played any time you wanted to hear them. So, the people working the radio station were known as Dick Jocky's or DJs for short." I started to explain.

Lloyd had a slightly confused look on his face. "I think I understand that." He said.

"I can show you one of the discs later. The radio station is kind of like when Orario had the war game. If you remember the 'gods' put up magic mirrors so everyone could see what was happening during the war game." I said.

Lloyd nodded his head in understanding. "I remember that. I was rooting for your Familia." He put in.

"Thank you. We appreciate the support. But, the radio station is kind of like the magic mirrors, except it only sends out audio or sound no pictures. The DJ talks at the radio station into a microphone, the sound goes out to radios people can buy that pick up the sound and allows people to hear what the DJ says. And if the DJ plays a disc that does the same thing. That way people can hear the music, stories, news and weather wherever they are as long as they have a radio to listen to." I told Lloyd.

The confused look disappeared from Lloyd's face. "I think I understand. So, when do you use the radio station?"

"Since we just set it up, we haven't used it yet. I need to give it a trial run. But as for when we use the station. We are hoping to get enough DJ's to be able to run the radio station twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. Although right now we only have Gina and Amber that want to be Dj's. So, we'll only broadcast. That is what it is called when you are sending out the audio from the station to the individual radios, broadcast. We will only be able to broadcast the radio shows for eight to ten hours each day. That means Amber and Gina will work four to five hours on Air every day they work. So, the more Dj's we can get the longer we can broadcast each day. That means if you wanted to be a DJ, we could broadcast for twelve to fifteen hours per day." I explained.

Lloyd looked thoughtful but didn't say anything.

"How about we go to the radio station. That way you can have a look around and I can give the station a trial run." I suggested.

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I could take a look. I'm not doing anything else right now." He replied with a light chuckle.

"Taima, would you go tell Mercedes we need her at Midway Hold to give the radio station a test run." I asked.

"I'll let her know." Taima replied and headed off to do as I had asked.

As I stood up. "Let's go. We can have a look around before Mercedes shows up." I suggested.

"Ok." Lloyd replied and stood up as well.

I led the way to the port point to Midway Hold. Once at Midway Hold, I gave Lloyd a tour of the radio station. Mercedes walked into the control room as I was showing Lloyd around.

"I was in the middle of a project when Taima interrupted me about testing the radio station." Mercedes said in a huff.

"You're always in the middle of a project, Dear heart." I told Mercedes as I put my arms around her and gave her a hug and a kiss.

Mercedes put her arms around me and returned the hug. "I'll let it go this time." She teased.

I released Mercedes and took a step back. "Well, we need to see if everything is in working order." I stated.

Mercedes looked over at Lloyd. "Who's he?" She asked me.

"Mercedes, this is Lloyd. He is from Orario. Lloyd, this is Mercedes. She's our local tinkerer. She can build or repair almost anything she can think of." I made introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Lloyd said and gave Mercedes a bow.

"Yes, nice to meet you." Mercedes replied. "Shall we get to work." She continued as she headed towards the control room.

I looked at Lloyd with a grin. "That's just how Mercedes is. She prefers tinkering or building things than talking to people." I told Lloyd.

Lloyd nodded his head in understanding. "I see."

Mercedes took a seat at the radio station's control panel. She flipped a couple switches and moved some of the sliders. Then she put a disc into the player. Once everything was to her satisfaction, she turned in the chair.

"Get one of the radios and set it to our frequency, 100 on the dial. Take it to Tel Aviv Hold and see if you can hear anything." Mercedes told me.

I gave Mercedes a salute. "Yes, ma'am!" I replied somewhat formally.

Mercedes blushed and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry." She said just above a whisper.

"I'm teasing you, Mercedes. You're the boss over setting up the radio station and getting it running, so you should be giving orders and telling others what to do." I told Mercedes and put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to me, and I kissed her on the top of her head.

"Then get busy then." Mercedes told me with a smile on her face.

"Yes, Ma'am!" I said again with another salute. But this time Mercedes grinned and turned back to the control panel.

I turned to Lloyd. "Let's go. I'll get a radio from storage, and we can go back to Tel Aviv Hold and see if we can get a signal." I told him.

Lloyd looked around for a moment, then he looked at me. "Ya, sure." He replied.

I lead Lloyd out of the room and down the hall to a storage room. There were many radios the girls had built lining shelves along the wall. I walked over and picked one up then I turned to Lloyd.

"Back to Tel Aviv Hold." I said and headed out to the port point that would take us back home.

"It's a lot of walking back and forth." Lloyd stated.

I chuckled. "It can be, but at least we have the port points to make it easier. At least it's not Daedalus Street. And I'll tell you that only my Hold has port points. The rest of Pern doesn't know about port points, yet." I explained.

"Oh, ya, Daedalus Street. Don't bring that place up. It gives me nightmares just thinking of having to go there." Lloyd told me and shivered.

Once we were back at Tel Aviv Hold. I lead Lloyd through the house and to the gazebo out by the beach. I sat down and offered Lloyd a seat as well. Lloyd sat down across from me at one of the tables. I set the radio on the table between us and turned the dial to channel or frequency 100 and waited to see what would happen.

If this works, Mercedes will have to set up a relay on the Yokohama so we can broadcast up to the Yokohama and it can relay the signal back to the planet.

[We are ready, when you are.] I sent to Mercedes.

[What do you want to hear?] Mercedes asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders. Ya, I know she can't see me. [The Sound of Silence, Believe it or Not, some American Indian flute music or some Celtic hammered dulcimer music. Which every you have handy.] I replied.

[Let me see what I can find.] Mercedes told me.

After a minute or so. [Okay, I've got it. You should be hearing it any time now.] Mercedes announced.

As soon as Mercedes told me, I could hear it. The song "Sound of Silence" started playing.

Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone 'Neath the halo of a streetlamp I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more People talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing songs that voices never shared No one dared Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools", said I, "You do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you" But my words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made And the sign flashed out its warning In the words that it was forming And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls In tenement halls" And whispered in the sounds of silence

[We can hear it. It's coming in loud and clear. Good work Mercedes.] I sent to Mercedes congratulating her on a job well done.

Lloyd sat listening to the song with wide eye and an open mouth. "Th-that's coming from where Mercedes is?" He asked shocked and surprised.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Ya, that's coming from the radio station where Mercedes is. Now that it is up and running, we can start broadcasting songs, weather, news and whatever else we want to broadcast. Let's go back to Midway Hold and let Mercedes know it's working and the signal is loud and clear." I told Lloyd.

I left the radio on the table while Lloyd and I took the port point back to Midway Hold.

We walked into the control room of the Radio station. Or is that, the broadcast booth? I guess it really doesn't matter what we call it.

"It was loud and clear." I told Mercedes as we walked into the room.

"Ya, you told me. Now all we have to do is see if we can relay the signal off of the Yokohama and back to the planet. But until then we can broadcast to the Hold." Mercedes told me.

[strangecloud]

Things I wish I knew before I installed Linux

Flatpak. Flatpak is a software packaging and distribution solution, the main feature of which is containerization. What that means is if you install a Flatpak app, it is isolated from most of your filesystem and processes at runtime. The main advantage is enhanced privacy and security. The main disadvantage is that, if you would like your application to communicate with external apps (like Discord's rich presence) or if you want it to access an external filesystem, like a secondary drive, that's going to be a bit harder and require some workarounds.

Display/Audio servers. Depending on your distro, your server processes and daemons are going to be different. A normal user doesn't have to worry too much about stuff like PulseAudio unless they are already comfortable tinkering anyway, but Display is another matter. If you notice issues with tearing, stutter, or reduced performance, check whether your Desktop Environment uses X11 or Wayland. If one gives you trouble, switch over and try again. There's more advanced tinkering you can do to improve the display experience but I'm not comfortable telling people to root into their xorg.confs or whatever, so just search on the internet if you feel something's not working right.

Ext4. Ext4 is the preferred filesystem format for Linux OSes. There are exceptions but most distros are going to require this format. Importantly, Windows does not read ext4 out of the box. That means if you decide to back up some data onto a default Linux-formatted ext4 drive, you won't be able to access your files from a Windows PC. In this case, you'll need either some data recovery tool or a live Linux boot media to move your files back.

Mesa. Mesa is the open-source graphics library for AMD and Intel graphics adapters. If you use an AMD or Intel GPU (dedicated or not), you'll most likely want to use Mesa and not bother with proprietary drivers unless you are on a workstation use-case. While Linux has a reputation of being friendly to old tech, support for my Legacy GPUs have been mixed. On Debian, my AMD R7 260X does not play nice with RADV and requires a workaround to force AMDVLK. Your mileage may vary.

[synergysilhouette]

X-Men: Evolution (Season 5)

(REUPLOAD)

The finale is here! I hope you enjoy it. Maybe someday I'll make a sequel series. Lemme know what your favorite epsiodes of the remake are, and make sure to check out my other posts that remake the first four seasons.

The New Normal--Sees the remaining powered X-Men search for Magneto while Cyclops sinks into depression and Professor X and Mr. Sinister reach out to Moira MacTaggert, an old friend of Charles'. She reveals that she not only has a son (named Kevin), but that he is a mutant, with his powers giving him an insatiable craving for energy, as well as allowing him to possess others. Moira had kept him in isolation on Muir Island before he managed to escape following a surge in his powers and possesses a woman in a nearby town named Eva Bell, who was on a trip from Australia. Professor X realizes they are being followed by a depowered Polaris, who hopes Xavier can help her find Wanda to reverse the damage she's done. Deciding that Proteus is a bigger issue, Xavier communicates with the X-Men to come to Scotland. Meanwhile, the New Mutants continue going to school, but Cypher finds that Prodigy is frequently being bullied by students who believe he still has his powers due to his academic prowess. Warlock, who is partially fused to Cypher, scares the bullies off, not realizing that he may have inadvertently added fuel to the fire. Risty overhears that Magneto is missing, and while she appreciated his absense, she finds that following him going MIA, the Brotherhood has officially disbanded, having planned to do so following the battle against Dark Phoenix. Realizing she may need him to reinvigorate the team, she decides to find him herself. Meanwhile, Graydon makes friends with Josh Foley, a recent transfer student who also hates mutants. Graydon doesn't realize that Josh is also a mutant, known as Elixir of the Hellions. All the while, Cyclops has admitted himself to a mental hospital, having difficulty with no longer being a mutant as well as having lost the love of his life and his youngest brother, who he didn't have a lot of time with.

2. Proteus--Sees the X-Men arriving in Scotland, with Wolverine happening to pass Eva on the street. Realizing that Proteus has possessed her, the X-Men engage in a fight against him. After subduing Nightcrawler and Wolverine, Proteus attempts to possess Storm, but Moira successfully scares him off. Similar to the comics, he possesses his father's body, only to be defeated (but his father is injured, not killed), and Colossus punches his energy form, rendering him unconscious. Following the skirmish, Professor X offers asylum to Eva, who is a mutant. With negative feelings towards mutants slowly dying down, she is hesitant to take him up on his offer, but reconsiders when she realizes that the hatred against mutants won't go down significantly any time soon. When Proteus is contained once more, Sinister confronts Moira, revealing to Professor X that she too is a mutant. Back in New York, Cypher and Prodigy make friends with Fabio Medina, a transfer from San Diego. While curious as to why he transferred, Fabio runs away from them out of embarrassment and fear. Warlock warns Cypher of someone watching them, and he sees Wither, Penance, and Empath are on school grounds, watching them. Cypher realizes with horror that the Hellions have infiltrated Bayville High. Having heard that Emma Frost was AWOL, he wonders who is in charge of them now and what their game is.

3. Wither Away--Shows a flashback to when Kevin Ford first developed the power of disintegration (circa season 2). He killed his father, and when he was on the run, he befriended Kitty Pryde, who offered to let him join the X-Men. At first he accepted, only to be arrested for murdering his father. When Kitty (who doesn't even know his name) attempts to plead his case to the X-Men, Professor X states he didn't want to involve the X-Men with the authorities. Kitty goes to save him herself, but he feels betrayed by the X-Men, who he believed helped other mutants. She tries to get him to reconsider, but cannot reach him before Selene arrives who uses her telepathy to erase her mind of Kevin (though she vaguely recalls this encounter while hanging out with Lance and seeing Wither in one of her classes). Taking advantage of Kevin's vulnerability and pain, she creates illusions in his mind, making him believe that she is his mother and giving him the name Wither. She makes him an inside agent while joining the Hellions: Warbird (whose brother was one of the earlier X-Men who was killed during a mission), Penance (brainwashed against Emma Frost to hate the X-Men, making her embrace her red diamond form), and Elixir (taken in by Frost in exchange for her silence about his powers), as well as Empath and Firestar, who naturally made their way into the group. It's also shown that while the X-Men battle Proteus, Fitzroy, his assiant Bantam, and Shinobi manage to steal a technovirus from Sinister's labs for Selene. Shinobi notices Sinister's extensive catalogue of mutant DNA, but overlooks it when Fitzroy muses about being a part of Selene's schemes but never being invited into the Hellions by Emma. Together, they make a pact to kill Emma and the Hellions to curry favor from Selene--as well as get revenge on Emma, who not only ignored Fitzroy, but fled the Inferno Club.

4. Nevermore--Sees Emma Frost in hiding, having realized that Selene had slowly swayed her students out of her control shortly before the Phoenix Saga, and that this was done in case the Inferno Club had not been brought under Selene's control. Deciding to take a look inside Penance's mind, she finds that her brainwashing has been reversed by Selene, and that Penance is motivated by her own rage against Emma Frost. Seeing Elixir and Penance are against her while Warpath and Empath have flimsy allegiances, she realizes her only chance is to convince Firestar to become her ally in order to be an inside agent. Before she can enact her plan, she is approached by Magneto, who is a broken man, accompanied by Sabertooth. Magneto explains the cause of the the depowered mutants, which he calls the "scarlet evening", and that given the human's slow acceptance of remaining mutants (though most assume all of the mutants have lost her power), he has come to believe that is the best they will ever come to equality. Emma will not stand for this, and inquires about Wanda's location. Meanwhile, Risty attempts to weed Josh out of Graydon's life, only for him to expose her as a mutant. Graydon renounces her once more, and she tearfully leaves the school, vowing revenge against Elixir. She meets up with Destiny, who has been unsucessful with reforming the Brotherhood, given that there's only two members left, one of whom is romancing an X-Man. However, she notes that Toad has agreed to accompany them and find Wanda.

5. Regretful Actions--Sees Emma Frost once more inquiring about Wanda's whereabouts. Magneto simply taps his head, asking that if she reads his mind, that she leave her be. It's revealed that before the events of Asteroid M, Magneto bought an island known as Genosha where mutants could live peacefully. However, following the attack of the sentinels in New York, they decimated every mutant on the island. Wanda read his mind following the scarlet evening and learned about the island. Wanting to hurt him more, she took Pietro and fled to the otherwise uninhabited island. When Emma asks what makes the move so hurtful, Magneto suspects that Wanda knows he had a deep love for his children, albeit heavily misguided, and that he feared the day sentinels would return to the island and kill them. Emma is intrigued, revealing that after having read Penance's mind, she discovered Warpath and Elixir have lost their powers and hopes that if she restores their powers, then she will be able to convince them to join her against Selene. Sabertooth reminds her of Magneto's words, and that he still has his powers. He jokes that she won't want to end up like the other members of the Inferno Club, and she wonders if he knows what happened to Shinobi Shaw. The men say that they hunted down the other members following the events of Dark Phoenix, only to find them dead. Similarly, Mastermind also died following the event of the scarlet evening. They wondered if Emma would be next, as Magneto still had sympathy for mutants, especially one around the age as his daughters and with the same powers. Emma points out his favoritism resulted in his son's derailment and Wanda casting that spell. Silently, she sends a psychic message to Prodigy in order to convey the message to the X-Men. Cypher recalls Emma's friendliness when inviting him to Massachusetts Academy, but is weary of what her motives are. Emma states to Magneto and Sabertooth that she won't seek out Wanda, and that she needs to visit a friend.

6. Genosha--After bargaining with Emma for Wanda's location, the X-Men and Mr. Sinister come back to New York and create a small team led by Wolverine. Polaris volunteers to try and reach her sister, while Havok volunteers to go with her, a relationship starting to blossom with them. Emma joins as well, and to everyone's surprise, brings Scott back from the psychiatric hospital. He insists on coming with the team, revealing that since being admitted, Emma had disguised herself as one of his nurses and the two bonded. He states he wants to protect her and Emma claims Wanda will have some sympathy towards him, though Professor X is suspicious towards both of them. Finally, Magik pleads to come along, saying that when her power is restored, she could easily teleport them away in case something goes bad. Seeing that Kurt's abilities can only take them so far, Professor X concedes, much to Colossus' protests, but still agrees for Kurt to come along. The team departs for Genosha, and Storm wonders how Magneto will feel about this course of action. Destiny arrives, horrified that Professor X did not join the X-Men. Before she can explain, she is attacked by Legion, who has returned following hearing of the Phoenix's departure. However, seeing that Xavier is one of the depowered mutants, he decides to take Charles to Genosha so he can get his power back so they can fight and Legion can break him down psychologically. As they depart, Mystique stares at the injured Destiny in fear, her power slowly distorting her appearance. At the sight, Mr. Sinister disappears.

7. Nothing to Lose--Sees a wheelchair-bound Pietro tell Wanda about how beautiful Genosha is. She reluctantly agrees and asks him if she wants him to repair "them" yet, but he says "not yet." He asks her if she's feeling better, and she replies that she doesn't know what better feels like. They sit in silence for a while and are about to apologize to each other when Wanda senses someone is nearby. Upon investigating, she finds that Toad has made it to the island, proclaiming that he's come to bring her back home. She warns him to leave while Quicksilver questions how he got on the island. Toad replies that while he had plans on coming with Mystique and Destiny, he stowed away with the X-Men. Before the twins can respond, the X-Men appear, hoping to talk with Wanda. She is unreceptive, battling them with everything she has. Emma notes that the reality-changing spell she casted seems to have taken a toll on her, even weeks after casting it. As a result, the match is slightly more balanced. During the fight, Nightcrawler and Magik are in hiding. When the X-Men fall back, Magik reaches out to her, asking for her powers to protect her brother, and that if she restored them, she would take the X-Men and leave. Polaris, hoping not to enrage Wanda, agrees with Magik and doesn't ask for her powers back. Wanda slowly concedes, and begins the spell. However, while giving Magik her powers back, Wanda is mentally attacked by Legion, who hopes to "encourage" her to give Professor X his powers back. The two telepaths battle for supremacy, while Emma observes, revealing that she persuaded Cyclops to come and help because Wanda's powers could bring Jean back. While she wants to help Wanda and get on her good side, she doesn't want to turn Legion on her. Nightcrawler and Polaris attempt to reason with Pietro, who has grown depressed following his injuries. Emma telepathically tells him that Magneto regrets his actions, but Quicksilver turns a deaf ear, despite being hopeful. In the end, Wanda is still able to defeat Legion, knocking him unconscious and stripping away his telepathic abilities. Still angry, she turns her rage on the X-Men, with Magik using her powers to help them escape, albeit with a strange delay in her powers. The X-Men regroup at the Mansion, uncertain about what to do. Meanwhile, Cypher, Prodigy, Shadowcat, and Jubilee attempt to befriend Fabio, who has recently fell under the influence of the Hellions. Prodigy notes that they need to get Empath out of the picture, as his power manipulates other people's emotions.

8. Rerun--Sees Mojo kidnap Warpath, Penance, Wither, Multiple, Angel, and Rogue in order to bring some fresh faces into the program, noting that the mutants always seem to give him high ratings. At first they all reject the game, but Mojo promises to give the Hellions very interesting information if they happen to win against the X-Men, and if the X-Men win, they'll be told of a plot against them. Either way, the incentive will give good ratings! While they fight, Prodigy convinces Iceman and Pyro II to engage in PDA around a bored Empath at the mall, hoping that he'll be interested in trying to make them resent each other. Iceman protests, but Pyro II jokes that if he can overcome brainwashing once, he can do it again. They reluctantly concede to go through with the plan, and it works, with Empath delighting in causing the ice and fire users to resent each other. While distracted, Jubilee and Cypher try to convince Fabio that the X-Men are more trustworthy than the Hellions. Fabio just wants to lay low, but promises to think about it. Before they can convince him further, they are interrupted by Fitzroy, who steers Fabio away from them. While learning about Warpath, Rogue (still adjusting to having Gambit's powers) attempts to appeal to him by telling him how she didn't trust the X-Men at first either, and that she doesn't blame him. She sees Warpath has doubt in his mind, and invites him to join the X-Men. The whole time, Wither is observing, recalling his own distrust with the X-Men. However, Warpath declines her offer out of loyalty and friendship with the Hellions. Silently, Wither agrees with this, still brainwashed by Selene. Eventually the X-Men are defeated, and Mojo reveals to them Fitzroy and Shinobi's plans to kill them. They are enraged, but Wither convinces his teammates that Selene would never allow them to do that and they must have gone rogue. The Hellions swear revenge while everyone is taken back to their world (which includes Psylocke and Angel on a date). Mojo realizes to his horror and frustration that the show was second in the ratings to a re-run of the Dark Phoenix saga. When the Hellions return, they tell Fabio they wouldn't hold it against him if he didn't join them.

9. Those We Lost--Warpath hears rumors of his brother Thunderbird being sighted around his hometown in Arizona. While there, he indeed finds John Proudstar, though he is placed under a trance and does not recognize Warpath. When Warpath discovers that several more people in his tribe who had died were resurrected, he tracks it down to Selene, Fitzroy, Bantam, and Shinobi, who used the virus sample to bring people back to life. Remembering what Mojo showed the Hellions about their teammates' betrayal, Warpath engages in a fight with them, though he is no match for them. However, he grows enraged seeing Fitzroy drain the life from his people to fuel his time manipulation only to resurrect them once more and kills Bantam, allowing Fitzroy to only use his stasis abilities. When the Apache's gods turn on the trio, they turn the revived Apache people against Warpath in order to escape, but Warpath prevents them from reviving Batntam. He knows that Fitzroy will no longer time travel--a skill he wasn't confident about to begin with. When he returns to Bayville, he advises the team to disband, having confirmed that Selene is killing mutants and then resurrect them so that she can become a goddess. Firestar, Empath, and Elixir take his words seriously, while Wither is in disbelief and Penance decides to risk staying with the Hellions if it means she'll get revenge on Emma Frost. Meanwhile, Fabio makes friends with Eva, who recently transfered to Bayville High following joining the X-Men and goes by the codename Tempest. Having overheard the conversation between the Hellions, he decides to join the X-Men under the codename Egg. Meanwhile, Rogue works with Gambit in order to better control her powers and Emma tries to placate Cyclops and keep him from trying to visit Wanda again.

10. One Left--Takes place a month later, following the X-Men discovering the first human to develop mutant powers since the scarlet evening. A team made of Psylocke, Rictor, Storm, Magik, Nightcrawler, and Multiple accompany Professor X and Emma Frost to Alaska. They find the child has been kidnapped by an anti-mutant group known as the Purifiers. Rictor pretends to be a potential pledge in order to sneak into their base. Discovering that they have the baby, he attempts to rescue her, only to be forced to evade Mr. Sinister, who wishes to study her. Most of the X-Men face off against more sentinels while Magik and Nightcrawler rescue Rictor and Emma holds off Sinister (and reminds Sinister of his deal with Professor X, after having read Charles' mind). Rictor is concerned with Magik using her powers since they were restored while Wanda was being attacked and seems to be "glitchy." Magik tells him not to worry, but she accidentally teleports them to the mansion in front of Havok and Polaris. She tries to teleport them once again, this time bringing Havok and Polaris with them and accidentally leaving Rictor. This time, it becomes apparent that they've traveled into the future--a dystopian future. Magik tries again, only to realize to her horror that they are in Limbo, the in-between dimension she usually travels through. And if that wasn't bad enough, they left the child behind in the future. During this time, Cyclops, Beast, Gambit, and Wolverine are delivering Legion to Moira, who will help keep him under surveillance. Quietly, Moira speaks to Beast and Wolverine about a secret she's been keeping for a while.

11. Darkchilde--Starts with Magik attempting to teleport them back to the future, but her powers are uncooperative. Nightcrawler, recalling the limbo demons from "Shadow Dance," becomes unnerved and agitated, arguing for Magik to hurry. She screams and suffers a breakdown, sobbing. Nightcrawler apologizes, and a new figure appears, announcing himself as Azazel, a demon of Limbo. He offers to help Magik restore her powers, revealing himself as Nightcrawler's father. Nightcrawler is receptive to his father wanting to spend time with him, and Magik is eager to get her powers back. Polaris and Havok note that the two seem to have forgotten the severity of their current situation, only for Azazel to glance at them and they let go of their concerns. For what feels like a long while, Magik slowly gains her powers back, albeit taking on a demonic appearence and taking on the name Darkchilde at Azazel's suggestion. He also tells Kurt that when he was born, he wanted Mystique and Kurt to come to Limbo to live with him, but Mystique refused to believe Kurt was his son, as he appeared human in contrast to Kurt's elf-like characteristics. He explains that while he can't visit the human world often, he could peer into it, and observed Kurt growing up. When Polaris and Havok attempt to get through to Magik, Azazel has demons imprison them. Meanwhile, the X-Men barely escape the sentinels, with Rictor communicating with them from the Mansion about Magik's glitching powers. Mystique, her powers unresponsive following Destiny's death, hunts down Selene, posing as a cult follower in hopes of reviving her lover. Selene accepts this patronage.

12. King and Queen--Sees Azazel offer Magik the opportunity to become the Queen of Limbo. Kurt, semi-hypnotized by his father, tells her to accept, but she asks about Polaris and Havok. Azazel reveals he has helped them recover their powers, and that they now go as the Goblin King and Queen, going to Earth to help bring about Selene's plan, revealing they made a bargain to help her become a goddess and that they would reign over the Earth. Testing her, Azazel has Magik use her powers to send them back to Earth, and she obliges. Upon meeting Selene, she tells them they will "take Genosha by storm," revealing she plans to resurrect the mutants that died there, as well as killing Wanda and then infecting her with the virus to make her Selene's slave. Mystique carefully observes, having become Selene's assistant. She asks Selene about Shinobi and Fitzroy's whereabouts, to which she replies they are taking reprieve in a penthouse in New York, where the Hellions have been invited to a party. The four of them make it to Genosha undetected, taking advantage of Wanda's still weakened state and Pietro being a paraplegic. Havok easily captures Quicksilver while Wanda and Polaris fight each other, with Polaris blaming Wanda for all the misfortune that has occurred. Just when Wanda is about to win, she collapses, but Polaris hesitates to kill her, telling Havok that she escaped. Havok is the same with Pietro, simply knocking him unconscious, and they share a romantic moment before Selene to resurrect the mutants of Genosha. It's shown that Wanda and Pietro's bodies are thrown into the water surrounding the island.

13. No Survivors--Sees the Hellions (including Warpath) going to a party hosted by Shinobi Shaw and Trevor Fitzroy, hoping to kill them before the duo gets the chance to do so themselves. As the team looks for them, Fitzroy betrays Shinobi, drugging him and taking his father's ring, a symbol of power. He also reveals Selene had reprogrammed some sentinels for them, turning them on the Hellions. Hearing about the commotion, Shadowcat, Jubilee, Bezerker, Wolfsbane, and Sunspot attempt to help everyone evacuate (despite their lack of powers), but are overwhelmed by the amount of sentinels. Shadowcat attempts to reach out to any psychics around (similar to how she reached out to Professor X in the original version of "Rogue Recruit"), reaching Emma Frost, who is visiting Cyclops, who returned to the psychiatric hospital. She is mainly concerned with the Hellions, but understands saving the New Mutants will help the X-Men continue to trust her. However, she is horrified to find the members of both the teams dead, as the sentinels focus on her. Meanwhile in Limbo, it is revealed that despite his extensive powers, Azazel is unable to use his teleportation abilities and to permanently escape Limbo, and is fascinated that Magik's powers are unfazed by this, as she easily allows demons to cross into the real world to assist Selene in Genosha. He travels to Genosha, telling Magik that she was in charge of Limbo (she was the Queen, after all), and that he would visit occasionally. Nightcrawler is hurt to be left behind, but Azazel's lingering hypnosis makes him more compliant. Magik ponders if her powers are still glitching, as she feels she's opened a portal somewhere. At the end, the X-Men are shown investigating the rubble of where the mutants are, noting that Fitzroy is gone while Emma is comatose. But amidst the rubble, there are two people still alive. The first is a traumatized Elixir, while the second is someone who looks familiar, claiming her name is Hope Summers.

14. New Age (Part 1)--Starts with Mr. Sinister and Professor X on Krakoa with Egg, Tempest, Elixir, Hope, Magneto, and, to everyone's surprise, Moira and Proteus. Sinister asks if they should begin, and Professor X says yes, hoping that Destiny was right. Meanwhile, Selene has gathered enough souls around her to become a goddess, but demands her followers to get her even more souls. Mystique berates Azazel for his allegiance to Selene, though he states he planned on going back on his promise. Mystique isn't surprised, as Selene has not resurrected Destiny, and reveals that he left her after Nightcrawler was born, claiming that his children were linked to his dimension. He used this connection to Kurt (who was with Magik at the time) and guided him to Limbo. With Magik's limitless power, he was able to escape. It's shown at this time that Trevor is still alive and wearing Sebastian's ring, and Havok and Polaris are slowly becoming free of Azazel's brainwashing. The powered X-Men (with Cyclops manning the jet) arrive to Genosha, and Storm comes across Thunderbird. They engage in combat, and for a brief period, he seems to break free of Selene's control, telling Storm of the Ghost Dance, a ceremony that staves evil spirits and protect them from Selene. She thanks him, and knocks him unconscious. While she tells the X-Men, Nightcrawler and Magik are slowly coming out of their trances, deciding to go back to Earth. They (along with the X-Men) engage in an extensive fight against Selene and her followers, with Mystique, Havok, and Polaris defecting to the X-Men's side. Though Selene has the advantage, she is attacked by new arrival Hope Summers, a somehow repowered Magneto, Wanda, and, the most surprising of all, Jean Grey and Vulcan. All the while, Cyclops watches from the jet in shock.

15. Dawn (Part 2)--Starts with Magik banishing her demon powers and creates a large stepping stone that drags the demons back to Limbo, including Azazel, which causes Nightcrawler to give a tearful goodbye. He embraces Mystique, who comforts him for once. Meanwhile, the Ghost Dance protects the X-Men as they continue to fight Selene. As a final act of rebellion, Thunderbird stabs Selene in the chest with her own dagger. Her reign already over, she explodes in a ray of light, and the resurrected bodies collapse. Fitzroy surrenders, and as the dust settles, Cyclops jumps out of the jet and runs to Jean. It's revealed that during her fight against the sentinels Emma's psyche took sanctuary in his mind, allowing their bond to grow quickly, and Jean interrupts an intimate sequence going on in Cyclops' head. Deciding to compartmentalize, Jean shows the team to Krakoa, a living island Professor X has bonded with for the purpose of making a sovereign nation, albeit in a secret location, unlike Genosha. Using Sinister's DNA catalogue and the powers of Proteus, Egg, Tempus, Elixir, and Hope (confirmed to be the baby Magik accidentally left in the future), known as The Five, they are able to resurrect any mutants. Magneto, in his grief over hurting his children, was willing to kill himself to see if it would work. He found it not only worked, but also restored his abilities. Jean was the second mutant to be revived, and it's revealed that Destiny was the third, having predicted this years ago cryptically to Professor X. Wanda, still in turmoil over her feelings, is uncertain over joining a remorseful Magneto, but restores Quicksilver's powers (at his request) and offers to restore everyone she took powers from if they wanted to live on Krakoa. Toad, also on the island, attempts to smooth things over with Wanda, but she (lightly) rebuffs him. The Hellions, Thunderbird, and even Shinobi Shaw are revived, and many familiar characters join Krakoa, though Professor X reminds them that they are still expected to go to school. Finally, Professor X gives a speech about not giving up on mutant-human relationships, the rules of Krakoa, until finally: "To me, my X-Men."

I know I changed a lot, but I hope you enjoyed my interpretations! Originally I was gonna do the creation of Krakoa followed by a Necrosha storyline (inspired by Immortal X-Men #1). I also wanted to adapt the 2021 "Trial of Magneto" arc, but maybe another time! Unfortunately I couldn't fit as much filler as I would've liked, but maybe I'll come back and edit it!

[percyjacksonscookies]

being alive is fucking wild

idk who said this on this stupid blue website but someone once said that were all skyscrapers of information trying not to crash into each other

and the more I live the more I see just how fucking true that is

and then I think about the systems we have in place that brought us here

the ways that people with power exerted that power over others to try and make life feel like more than it is

like.... imagine if instead of Europeans killing off natives with their nasty ass habits and diseases, instead, a disease that native people had, killed off every European that made it to our shores

THEN how would human history have developed? without a continent dedicated to imperialism and exerting power over others??

I like to think that native teachings would have thrived

I like to think that maybe when we figured out how to take care of immediate danger, we would thrive

instead of developing a world where your emotions are suppressed and squashed due to the culture built off of suffering of the many for the luxury of a few, wouldn't it be nice to just...

live?

truly truly live

bills don't exist

you have clean water, food, shelter, electricity, and internet

the community takes care of you and you take care of your community when you can

and the rest is just.....

up to you

theres a reason why the cliché of "life is what you make of it" exists

so people would have the opportunities to pursue what makes themselves happy

or make a miserable lives for themselves, dealing with whatever consequences may come

but they'll be alive to make new decisions

they won't have to make mistakes from being worried sick about how to survive in a world where community is being strangled right before our eyes

idk

thats my utopia

everyone has their basic needs met

if people are assholes, they dont have the power to make other people's lives miserable with their own unhappiness

basically; my utopia is you get to hang out with whoever you want

if someone sucks you can just fuckin leave

they can't control your shelter, clean water, food, electricity, or internet

and if they find themselves alone with no one that wants to be around them, they need to do some haaaaaaard soul searching

I just wanna hang out for a living man

why is that so hard

it shouldn't be

but im hopeful, that one day it won't be hard

were at a point in human history we've never been at before

more connected than ever, yet more isolated because of systems before us out of our control

but

those systems were made by people

so why can't we change it?

[chaosnightmare]

heyyyy i had a post gain some traction a while ago where i listed some good advice for newbies on tumblr, but some of the information in that post is now either outdated or no longer helpful. here's a better, more accurate version.

advice for tumblr newbies (2.0)

so as i said before, deleting your post will not stop it from getting reblogs. tumblr reblogs work by saving a new version, a "snapshot" of your post, frozen in time, immune to any changes to its content you may make. as such, so long as a reblog of your post exists out there, simply deleting it will not solve the issue if you want people to stop reblogging. HOWEVER, since my last post there was a monumental new feature added to tumblr that allows you to disable reblogs universally across all existing versions of your post. this setting is called "Reblog Control", and can be changed even after a post has already been made. this is now no longer an issue.

deleting your blog or posts may cause oddities to occur on existing reblogs, such as empty OP, empty notes, and so on. if you notice these in the wild, that's what happened.

tumblr does have an algorithm, but its barely functional. you'll mostly have to curate your experience on here by yourself. follow blogs you want to see, block people you dislike, reblog posts you enjoy, and you'll find a community you like in no time.

reblogs are really the only way to boost attention for work somebody else has done. if you're not recieving any more attention on a post even though it has tons of likes, it's because you'd need reblogs for that. there is a new feature, called Blaze, where you can pay money to have your post shown to a certain amount of random users. this is never a good idea and nobody ever likes it

that last part is because tumblr is actually broken up into smaller subcommunities, who, due to the nature of the site, can stay extremely isolated from eachother. blazing a post will force people from outside your circle to see it, which can lead anywhere from confusion to hostility. on the other hand, this means that you'll rarely have to interact with people outside of your bubble.

posts don't generally become too old to reblog. if you see a post and hear it's from a long time ago, it's probably still okay to interact with. where this becomes iffy is when you start going though one specific person's old posts repeatedly, which isn't always appreciated. if you aren't sure, check the date.

tags are a very important tool for blog organization. they often work better than the content search function, and can help your original posts gain traction. if you aren't sure how to use tags on a post, take a look at other people's blogs and take note of how they use them for ideas. they do however serve another purpose, and that's to avoid adding a reblog comment.

reblog comments are where you add directly on to a post with something extra. generally, you should only do this if you're really certain that you're adding something of value to a post, or if the original post is one of your own. doing this if you don't have anything important to say is considered rude in most contexts. the workaround for this is simple: say whatever you wanted to say in the tags. character limits on tags are actually quite large, so you can add most anything you want to say. this ensures that what you want to say about the post shows up on YOUR blog, but won't necessarily transfer over to other reblogs, and it isn't considered an inept thing to do.

change your icon/pfp. change it. this website has lots of spam bot users (again, poor moderation) and while some of them do have icons, not changing yours is the easiest way to be mistaken for a bot. just change it to anything you want, but otherwise you run the risk of being reported for spam or blocked. if you're feeling up to it, tumblr gives you plenty of other blog customization options as well, such as headers and fonts and color schemes. if you're on desktop, you can even completely alter how the website looks when somebody visits your blog, but thats better to do when you already know your way around a bit.

xkit is your best friend if you're on desktop

[loominggaia]

What if Evan got lycanthrope lunacy?

Huh, that sounds like a good horror story prompt...

Evan does everything in his power to avoid lunacy. He drains the blood from meat before he eats it and refuses to eat it raw, even though he craves it. He constantly pushes away violent intrusive thoughts instead of indulging them. He carefully manages his anger. He refuses to indulge his lycanthrope paranoia as much as possible. He even shaves his face three times a day and keeps his hair shaved close to his head so he doesn't look like a lycanthrope.

The more one indulges their lycanthrope urges, the further their disease progresses. The paranoia becomes more intense. The violent thoughts become harder to ignore, and the bestial urges become harder to resist. Once it progresses far enough, a lycanthrope will suffer violent hallucinations and will be unable to control their bloodlust. Their ability to communicate breaks down. They become quick to anger. They'll eventually become cannibalistic and behave more like an animal than a person.

If Evan's lunacy did take over, I imagine it would be a long, slow process considering how hard he resists it. It would sneak up on him, and I think that would actually be worse than a sudden shift because it would go unnoticed until it passed the point of no return.

Evan is beloved by his community. His undying loyalty, acceptance towards others, and selfless kindness has earned him the trust of everyone around him. Even people who usually trust no one (Skel, Zeffer, Javaan...) trust him.

Between his angelic reputation and the slow progression of his disease, no one would suspect him when bad things started happening in the Hollow. He'd literally get away with murder for a long time.

I feel like Lukas would be his first victim, simply because of how much time they spend together. One minute they're hanging out at Lukas' house, and the next minute Evan is biting his throat out. It's a quick kill, and Evan spends the rest of the night devouring the evidence, bones and all.

Maybe he feels remorse, or maybe the disease has taken those feelings from him. Maybe his delusions are telling him this was for the best. It says, "You didn't kill Lukas, you just made him part of you. Now you'll be together forever! This is what he wanted! He's happier this way! :)"

But part of Evan is still resisting this disease, and though his mind is muddled, he still aware enough to know his community won't understand what he's done. He knows he has to hide this from them. When they notice Lukas is missing, he plays dumb and sends them all on a wild goose chase to "search" for him.

One by one, random villagers and crewmen meet the same fate over a period of months. Whoever Evan manages to isolate late at night gets chomped. There is no rhyme or reason to the kills, no patterns to follow. It seems completely random, which confuses the villagers. People are starting to freak out. They point their fingers at everyone except Evan as tensions grow.

I feel like Isaac would be the one to finally catch him in the act. One tiny shred of Evan's humanity is still rattling around inside him, and deep down he's relieved that he's been caught. Now his reign of terror is over. He says nothing to Isaac and keeps eating the corpse in front of him, and in that moment Isaac knows he can't be saved. Isaac uses the Divine Executioner to put him out of his misery like a rabid mongrel.

The end?

So...yeah, basically what I'm saying is, indulging his lycanthropy is the worst thing Evan could possibly do. Lunacy something he fears more than death itself, and it's easy to see why. It would only end in tragedy for himself and everyone he loves.

Contrary to popular belief, Lycanthropy isn't a cool disease to have. In the World of Looming Gaia, it's considered a terrifying curse.

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[shut-up-rabert]

That's my point. You've made it clear that you live in a place densely populated with Sikhs. Second to majority as you mentioned. I don't. Result is the only other sikh in my class wears a cap ALL. THE. TIME. INCLUDING INDOORS. Because since 2020, which saw a major spike in sikhophobia, kids think it's perfectly fine to call him a khalistani for no reason at all. This dude has never presented a political opinion, let alone an extreme separatist one. Literally I cannot see where they were coming from except for just the fact that he's a Sikh but it's genuinely devastating to see him cover his pagdi every single day without fail. I'm lucky I don't face the same cuz well I'm a woman and I don't look Sikh.

But ok that's an isolated incident, if I talk of why exactly this started happening in 2020 it's because that's the stuff those kids heard their parents say at home because that was the fucking response to the farmers' protest, something that had absolutely nothing to do with religion. Religion was dragged into the debate because a majority of those farmers were sikh and their demands that had NOTHING to do with a separatist movement got brushed off as khalistani terrorism. This was around the time when Modi made his visit to Punjab or attempted to (it was a pretty big deal, it was all over the news), his route had protestors on it and man the reaction supporters of the party had to it? Literally one Google search away. There's literal MLA's of the party talking of a repeat of the '84 genocide. MLAs. And it's these very people who call Sikhism a sect of Hinduism which is an entirely different load of horse crap. But it's just the fact that they have thee audacity to say that but then a moment a Sikh person says something they don't like (it doesn't even have to be related to religion, in fat bonus points if it ain't) that person becomes a khalistani.

This isn't woke, acknowledging that yes, a minority community does face marginalisation (big shocker) is basic fucking decency. Your reaction to this is exactly like the reaction of a white person being told that they might be racist. 'What?! I have black friends. They get treated equally.'

It's hard for people to hear that their community might be marginalising another, especially if they don't do it personally because it makes them feel attacked. But the matter of truth is that your reaction is absolutely not how a decent person responds to the idea of someone being oppressed. You usually wait to get educated on the topic before you form an opinion on it and especially before you mock someone else's pian over it. Also you need to realise for the future that if you don't see a certain problem in the society around you doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it could very well mean that you are just lucky enough to not encounter. This applies to all contexts.

I usually wouldn't pester a kid but I needed you to hear this because your opinion could potentially hurt someone and over the internet, they wouldn't know you're a kid (like I didn't when I sent the previous ask) and I would hate for someone to form a bad opinion of you over it. Everything I've told you isn't guaranteed to change your opinion over the matter, in fact I doubt it will, but atleast after this whatever opinion you hold, no matter how hurtful, will be an educated opinion and you ought to take responsibility for it because 14, no matter how young, is still enough age to tell right and wrong apart. That's all I have to say to you and I won't be sending asks again.

Firstly, the hat incident you refer to, as devastating as it is, was practically impossible for any Haryanvi/Punjabi to relate to, so please don’t blame me for not seeing what you were referring to. Its like being from Arkansas but then shouting at a Californian for not seeing the racism.

Secondly, where’s this incident happening? Maybe you’re right, its my lack of knowledge and education on the issue, so please tell me as to atleast what state this is so I can make a decent, dedicated post on the issue if I see the arising need. I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but can you give me the details so I know what I’m looking into here?

As of the farmer’s protest, I think you are forgetting a major, and I mean very major factor that lead to the issue being labeled as Khalistan: there were khalistanis involved. How it is that you managed to ignore the bit about how khalistani outfit sikhs for justice started propagating it for ulterior motives, another one made toolkit for it, or when Sikh extremists beheaded a lower caste Sikh over the disrespect of the book is beyond me.

How it is that you say that it doesn’t have seperatist influence is astounding. Religious influence of sikhism? Not. Khalistani influence? Totally.

Offcourse, I’m not saying that the issue WASN’T about farmer’s rights and all, most of it prolly was, but lets not act like it wasn’t hijacked for ulterior motives by various anti India groups. The toolkit leaking and the pro seperatism handles suddenly and simultaneously supporting the cause says it all.

I don’t think everyone involved, or for that matter everyone who wasn’t proven guilty deserved to be shunned as Khalistani, but the thing is, if there was a pro muslim movement going on that got hijacked by likes of the now gone PFI, no one would care how it started or what the beginning cause was. Or am I wrong?

That’s just how the it works, I’m not trying to sound ignorant, I’m trying to say this rationally so please think about this for once, but if one is leading a cause and sees it getting infested by some other reason, its only his/her job to make sure that same doesn’t get to represent the movement. The protesting farmers sat by and watched as a religious flag was put on in front of the red fort, what were people expecting? NOT being labelled religious fundamentalists? (Once again clearing the fact that I don’t believe the sikh community deserve a blame for this. Shitheads exist in every religion.)

The BJP MLA bit? Yeah, pretty sad if I’m being honest. I won’t equate it to being the same as persecution at a central level, because of my own experiences, but I’ve said once before on my main that I feel like BJP has the worst, And I mean THE WORST lot when it comes to local leaders. Leave Sikhophobia, I won’t even put Rape and Genocide supporting above them. They’ve even shit talked Budhhists and demanded Hindu women to be baby making machines.

Even a few CMs have proven to be mildly (albeit not anywhere NEAR as much of asshats as the MLAs) problematic if I remember. The only way I can sleep at night is knowing that people like these will never be in power, because they can only run their mouths, not the country. Even the Higher ups at NDA seem to be aware of that. Believe me, if someone like that ever comes to hold a prominent position, I’ll book both of us a one way ticket to the nopetopia.

All in all, while I feel like I can’t be blamed for not seeing the issue because actual headlines of Sikh persecution are unseen around here, because maybe its rather remote or unheard of on both national and local level for me, I’m always open to know more so that I know what kind of issues deserve light and to be brought to mainstream.

So please, do tell me more. I want to be aware of the whole cause and be of help if the situation is for real that dire.

PS I’m not a kid🗿

[monratarot]

Hello, here for free readings

I am E 11/11 two years ago, me and a classmate T 11/01, we had some misunderstandings, arguments and tensions that made me feel uncomfortable. I felt a range of emotions towards him, from attraction to frustration/hatred. The following year things changed, they had calmed down but my feelings were still there and I was still upset. Maybe he was trying to talk to me, to break the ice a bit but I was still angry and thought he was making fun of me, so I didn't take it seriously. We never clarified or talked about what happened, even though I wanted to, but I was afraid that he wouldn't take me seriously. This year everything went well, except towards a girl who seems attracted to her physically, I think he does it to attract attention, towards me he behaved in a somewhat ambiguous way, I don't know if wants to be kind or break the ice, communicate with me but can't? Let's say that there were some behaviors of hers that made me understand that she wanted something from me but I'm not sure. But school is over, we won't see each other again. I would like to understand what are his intentions towards me and if he will have them

Hello, dear @eeryy! Thank you for your request and being a part of my community. I hope that my reading will help you and bring clearance to your situation. 

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Count of questions/requests and answers 14/15.

Without wasting any time, let's get into your reading!˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

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Your energy is a little bit chaotic as you are feeling isolated. They must be losing faith when it comes to your connection. There is a fear over here that isn't managed correctly and maybe that's why they are having this behaviour towards you(I think that there can be a fear of interacting with you so they are searching for other ways to come closer to you). They feel abandoned, insecure, and have a huge lack of attention. They hope that things will get better but they let it on your shoulders as they aren't willing to have a proper discussion or reaction. Also, they are letting other life areas bleed on your connection or they think that you are focusing on work/career right now and don't have enough time for them. They are somehow sad that they don't have the same connection with you but they expect you to talk with them. You are the one who has the power in this connection and the one who can make things happen. As for the other person, they are using them to have your attention and they got closer to them because maybe they are more emotional than you. They feel that they can talk more easily to them but that doesn't mean that they are the person that they want. So if you want to have a connection with him you are the one who must make a move as they are somehow a coward. Things can sparkle between you two and a great opportunity for growth but they want a leader, they don't know how to deal with someone more powerful than them. And this is affecting their communication. So, my dear, they don't want to be away from you but they don't know how to deal with you. You need to be the leader in this situation if you want to get any evolution. Angel message: Life is a series of cycles and a time of rebirth is indicated for you. This may mean a new phase in a relationship, the germination of a fresh idea, or the development of qualities in you like laughter, light, or hope. It may herald a total change. Your angel guidance is to accept the new for it will be welcome when it arrives. Ask the angels to guide the new beginnings in your life safely to maturity.

Affirmation: I claim time and space for myself. I wish you only the best!🍀

Moni🧚‍♀️

[lovelylovelyartist]

OK, I'm road tripping to another convention on Thursday so I started thinking about it again (and procrastinating trip preparations) so here are "Max's Lonely Road Trip Tips"

(Disclaimer: I am not a long haul or professional driver. The most I've driven alone was about 12 hours.

Disclaimer 2: all of these tips come with an implied "as long as you are physically able to" and "as long as it is safe for you". I don't know your circumstances or physical limitations and I won't pretend to speak for you. Or environmental limitations- some of my tips may be moot if youre leaving with the clothes on your back or on a time crunch.)

BEFORE YOU GO

-Check your car fluids! Look up a YouTube video, ask a reputable friend/guardian/etc! You don't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere because you ran out of oil

- get yourself road trip snacks. Stuff tends to be more expensive when you're at a gas station (esp in an isolated area)

- buy yourself a case of water. Do it. Your body will thank you and you don't always know whether your destination has good potable drinking water.

- obviously you don't have to go this route if you want to, but I typically take an induction burner (I'm actually switching to an electric pot for this trip) and some dollar store cooking supplies. If you're staying in a hotel without a microwave, it is a godsend to be able to cook yourself some kind of hot meal. (And a bonus of not having to buy food every day as long as you pack it, and especially for someone with dietary restrictions that limit restaurants.)

- research your route before you go! Know approximately how long it will take, how many miles it will take, and approximately how often you will need to stop for gas. GasBuddy has a trip calculator for this, but if you're using Google maps that can also search along your route.

- especially relavent to POC, but relavent to "visibly queer" folk, learn the sundown towns (or sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns) on your route and plan accordingly. Don't assume that because you live in a blue state/are traveling in a blue state doesn't mean they don't exist there or that you risk passing through them. (Sundown towns referring to all white communities that still practice lynching/hate crime against POC. Think "dont be here after sunset") this is an interactive map I found, but if you have a more reliable map/list/etc, please feel free to add that as well.

- pack more underwear than you think you'll need. Just good practice.

- pack an extra day of meds. If something happens and you end up stranded somehow, having an extra days meds can be a lifesaver.

PACKING YOUR CAR

-first, and I do mean first: position your seat how you are sure you will be comfortable for the drive. Tempting as it may be, packing around yourself is just not worth it, especially for a long drive.

-Big stuff first, small stuff can fit around.

-stuff you want easily accessible should be close to a door, window, etc.

- when it is possible, keep line of sight of blindspots, mirrors and rear view mirror. If that's not possible, leave at minimum driver side blindspot and passenger mirror.

WHILE YOURE DRIVING

-OBEY THE RULES OF THE ROAD. your trip costs money. Don't make it cost more with a ticket, or God forbid with your life.

- take breaks! When you feel distracted, or fidgety, or sore, or you have to use the bathroom, take breaks! Stretch, breathe, explore a little (my favorite pastime is to walk around the unfamiliar gas station stores and look for neat regional drinks/snacks)

- oh yeah, make it a point to stretch. There's lots of YouTube videos for the best stretches to do on road trips, and your legs/body will thank you for it.

-listen to your brain and body. If you feel like you're tired, find a place to stop and have a nap. Tired driving has the same effect as driving drunk.

- to help the boredom, download media offline. If you lose cell reception for half your trip, you'll be quite bored. Audiobooks, music, podcasts of course. But what I've actually found helpful is to download the audio files for TV shows/movies that have a podcast feel. (Star Trek is very good for this. Murder She Wrote is also good. Something that is very dialogue heavy and relies on tell rather than show is very good for this)

- Stop for gas before you think you'll need it. (I usually fill up at a 1/4 tank, but if I'm already stopped for a break, I'll usually top off)

- actually stop for meal breaks. This is a sanity keeper for me personally. Even if you're packing a lunch, whatever, find a park or a point of interest to stop and enjoy the scenery. It helps to break up the journey a bit and not feel so long.

- keep someone updated on your trip plans/progress. A friend, a partner, a parent, someone. This way if something happens and you don't make it to your destination, someone has your last known location, and possibly where you could be.

- Stop at points of interest when they intrigue you. Life is about exploration. If you're on a time crunch, understandable to skip this, but if not- stop and enjoy the roses.

That's everything I can think of rn, but I'm sure I'll add more when I'm on the road and thinking about it lol please feel free to RB and add your own tips :)

[lunaprincipessa]

ENTRY FIFTY-FIVE

Find your voice!

Use your voice!

I think any of us that have been through shyness and insecurity, abuse and isolation, a mixture of those things, or anything in between, have heard those two phrases. Probably even heard them more than once huh? But what do they mean exactly? Is there a difference between them?

"Finding your voice means you know who you are at your core, devoid of outside influence. Using your voice means expressing yourself, having an opinion, vocalizing your thoughts, being heard and seen in your own authentic way."

Interesting! Although they are different, I think it takes courage to find and use your voice regardless of age, culture, income, upbringing, or preferred form of identity.

So how do we do this? How do we find our voice and how do we use it once it's found?

Knowing yourself at your core takes some serious introspection. Introspection is the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes. Though it is conscious level analysis, it can still help you get to know you! Remember, you can go about this however you choose to. You can go as light as personality quizzes or as deep as exploring the subconscious with a psychologist. The main goal here is seeing what makes you, you; "what makes you tick" as the old saying goes.

Now using your voice, I wanted to look that up. I came across "voice types." Kinda thought I hit a little goldmine there but it was about singing. lol Okay, so no different voice types but there are some critical skills to be considered and utilized while the searching and obtaining of said voice are under construction. They are as follows:

~ knowing when to speak up

~ knowing when to listen

~ being assertive and confident

~ effectively expressing yourself

~ being influential

~ collaborating successfully

Knowing when to speak up because ya gotta choose your battles! Sometimes, being safe and left in peace should be prioritized over being right. Knowing when to listen is vital as well. Listening helps us develop what we need for finding and using our voice by teaching us whatever it is we need to know in that particular moment.

Next, know the difference between being assertive and being aggressive! Know the difference between confidence and arrogance! Do not confuse the two!

Effectively expressing yourself means you're saying everything that needs to be said without insult. In addition, effective expression also goes without unnecessary or untrue information. You don't have to put a lot of thought into being influential by the way. Everything is a copy of a copy nowadays so in my view:

being your true self = being influential

And finally, collaborating successfully because sometimes you may need a helping hand from your support system, your tribe, your chosen family, your people! You need reliable people you can trust in your corner. That, and it builds a sense of community which is enriching to everyone.

So there it is! Find and use your voice! One thing I wanted to conclude with, because this has happened to me a million times being a survivor of (covert) narcissistic abuse and having frenemies at nearly every age...

Even if you feel no one will believe you, speak up for yourself anyway. Yes, choose your battles and know when to speak, but if it's one of those times to speak, trust me...

You will feel way worse not having said anything at all versus speaking up for yourself and no one believing you. You'll be glad you did, you'll be proud of yourself. It won't immediately change your environment, taking all the assholes out or something like that. But you will feel a little more strength and tolerance come out when you do. Best of luck to all of us out here.

More thoughts later.