#inner west council

[ryin-silverfish]

Ask/Writing Masterlist (irregularly updating)

Ryin(阿璎), 23. She/They. First Gen Chinese student. Ryin_Silverfish on AO3. Currently hyperfixating on old Chinese novels. casual Zhiguai tales and LMK enjoyer.

Investiture of the Gods/FSYY:

Why are the Daoist immortals fighting?

Did Yuanshi Tianzun manipulate Shen Gongbao?

Chan, Jie, and possible prejudice against yaoguai

Azure Lion and the other Bodhisattvas' steeds in FSYY

Daji's fox form in FSYY Pinghua

The historical Su Daji

Is Shen Gongbao a yaoguai?

Are all yaoguai irredeemable monsters in FSYY?

Ao Bing and the dragons Nezha fought

Does deification wipe your memory and personality?

Bi Gan and the Great Fox Massacre

More discussion about prejudice against yaoguai

How old was Su Daji the human when she died?

Differences between FSYY novel and Pinghua

Musing on FSYY's view of fate and its possible effects on Yang Jian

Master Yuding

The messy marriages of FSYY

Is Daji a goddess in the novel?

Names of immortal masters in FSYY

Just for fun: the FSYY drinking game

Nezha's age in FSYY

Nezha's death and resurrection in FSYY

What happened to the original Daji?

Lady Shiji aka the Rock Demoness

Chinese Fox Spirits:

Auspicious/Demonic Foxes

More on fox spirits

The inner core of foxes

Foxes and their association with Fire

Notable fox spirits

The foxes of 狐狸缘全传

Has Daji ever been worshipped as a goddess?

Fox masks

The foxes of Liaozhai

Weaknesses and abilities of fox spirits

Three resource collections on Chinese fox spirits: 1, 2, 3

Human-fox hybrids

Can foxes and their descendents magically know if someone's telling the truth?

The magical properties of fox saliva

Fox exams and Heavenly Foxes

Are male foxes more malicious?

More on fox exams

Offerings to fox spirits

The "Lady Fox Immortal"

Chinese Mythos in General:

The Precious Scroll of Erlang

Into the Erlang-verse: Li, Zhao, Yang

Can immortal masters romance their students?

Why we don't power-rank characters in God-Demon novels

A brief overview of Chang'e

On Chinese Religion and "Respect"

The 28 Lunar Mansions

Can the Heavenly Emperor be replaced + a primer on dynastic successions

A Guide to the Chinese Underworld (and what it isn't)

Is Nüwa JE's daughter?

Weaver Girl

Can yaoguais a/o their descendents enter the Celestial Bureaucracy?

Queen Mother of the West and her husband(s)

Bixia Yuanjun, Lady of Mt. Tai

Erlang's dad

The story that gives us the name "Yang Jian"

On the transformation of Erlang's image (and his relationship with JE in JTTW)

Erlang's mom, Lotus Lantern, and a neat little discovery

Erlang cameos in other stories and Zajus

Erlang's mom-saving story in Chinese operas

Child Manjushri, or: the absurdity of pinning a definitive age on gods

The strange modern ship of Mengpo/Yuelao, and Mengpo's myths

The half-beast form of QMoW

Does Erlang have a wife/love interest?

Nezha's mom

A overview of Gonggong and his mythos

Some introductory sources on the Chinese Underworld

A side-by-side comparison of Nezha's backstory in JTTW and FSYY

Mythos-inspired Worldbuilding:

Dragons of the Four Seas

LMK S5 and a possible "Celestial Council of Regents" AU

LMK S5 Fix-it: the Four Divine Beasts

Character/Story Analysis (JTTW + LMK)

Heart and Mind: Tripitaka

Local Lion Uncle enjoyer goes on a rant

On SWK and his fear of death

Why the Dead People Supreme Court?

No, seriously, why?

Chinese Underworld =/= Christian Hell

LMK S4, Havoc in Heaven, and revolutions

Why I dislike the "class warfare" reading of Havoc in Heaven

In Defence of Li Jing...ha, as fucking if

On Yin-Yang, Chaos/Order, and the Harbringer

JTTW's view on the Three Religions

Disjointed S5 Reactions

"Chaos doesn't work that way in traditional Chinese Cosmology"

Xiangliu, the Nine-headed Bird, and Jiutou Chong

Lotus Lantern: The Summaries

Part 1: Precious Scroll of Chenxiang

Part 2: The Epic of Prince Chenxiang

Part 3: Lotus Lantern 1.0 + 2.0

Part 4: Chenxiang and the Male-Female Swords

My Fanfics:

Climbing the Sky

The Wild Son

Bodhicitta

The Serpent and the Deluge

South Seas Sojourn

Journey of the Gods AU sideblog

[allthegeopolitics]

The Mayor of Inner West Sydney has called the LGBTQ+ book ban in Cumberland City Council, New South Wales, Australia “pathetic”. LGBTQ+ book bans have been the subject of political attention in the US, but it appears that queer media now faces the same type of censorship across the Pacific in Australia.  Last week, the Cumberland City Council voted in favour of banning its eight publicly funded libraries from offering any books which have content on same-sex parents.  The ban was brought forward by city councillor and former Cumberland City mayor Steve Christou, in a move which was branded as “deliberately divisive”. 

Continue Reading

[mariacallous]

Someone in Donald Trump’s inner circle needs to take him to one side and tell him this home truth: as president-elect, he must immediately explain his plan to end the war in Ukraine. 

Trump, still celebrating his historic victory, will naturally be thinking about his domestic agenda. But he should understand that the longer that he dithers, the more strategic advantages he hands to Russia—which is now a firm U.S. adversary. 

Ideally, his plan should not involve Ukraine giving up territory that has been captured by Russia over the course of the war. Nor should it be based on empty promises from Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he has a history of making.

The need for clarity on the ground in Ukraine is obvious. NATO sources and Western security officials almost universally agree that Ukraine is slowly losing the war and that this winter will be critical. Trump’s victory in the United States has only heightened these concerns, not least because he has a history of making tepid statements about Ukraine and the war.

Trump has previously said that Ukraine should have ceded territory to Russia ahead of the invasion, claiming that even “the worst deal would’ve been better than what we have now.” He also accused Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, of making “little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me.” 

The situation in much of Ukraine is already grave. 

“Russia destroyed a large part of the country’s energy system, so millions of Ukrainians may find themselves in their homes without heating, electricity, and water during the winter,” said Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. “Getting the appropriate number of systems and missiles is critical to close the sky and protect peaceful cities and civilians from this critical scenario.”

The destruction of infrastructure is seen by Ukrainians as a Russian strategy to make this winter as insufferable as possible, particularly in the east. In the south, sources on the ground say that Russian attacks on ports are also part of an effort to prevent supplies from reaching Ukrainian citizens. 

“The Russian strategy in the east seems to be to freeze people out and heavily bomb their cities and towns; the strategy in the south seems to be to manipulate a key international artery for food,” said Michael Bociurkiw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, who spoke with Foreign Policy from Ukraine.

Bociurkiw believes that Russia has been taking advantage of the vacuum created by the U.S. election and uncertainty about whether Washington’s support will survive a change of administration.

“It’s been really disheartening to see the lack of spine in Washington and elsewhere,” he said. “Autocrats take advantage of blurred lines. Putin is prodding and testing for soft tissue. The inaction of the West, withholding permission for Ukraine to strike inside Russia at launch pads, has handed a major advantage to Russia.” 

Many Western allies, including the United States, have set implicit or explicit limits on how much they’re willing to give to Ukraine—and what kind of weapons that includes. Theories as to why range from fatigue to a belief that the conflict will not spill outside Ukrainian and Russian borders. 

But there are widespread fears among experts that the prospect of victory will only embolden Putin. Russian territorial gains will bring the Kremlin ever closer to NATO borders—and potentially supply resources for more conflict. Many believe that this logic still applies in the event of a peace deal that allows Russia to retain the territory that it has invaded.  

“If there’s a cease-fire that effectively allows Russia to hold that territory, it will allow Russia to consolidate its position, reinforcing its military presence,” said Ruth Deyermond, a professor with the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. “With no war to fight, it would also be able to develop its military presence in Belarus, threatening NATO members in the Baltic region. And an emboldened Russia would be likely to escalate its attacks on European critical infrastructure and increase its interference in many NATO states, including the U.S.,” she added.

Peter Dickinson wrote for the Atlantic Council earlier this year that “it should be painfully apparent that anywhere Putin regards as ‘historical Russia’ is potentially at risk … This would create an array of possible targets for Russian aggression including Finland, Poland, the Baltic states, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Alaska, and the whole of Central Asia.”

Why a full or partial Russian victory is such a concern for Europe is easy to understand. It must now be explained to Trump why it is also critical to the United States. An ocean and a continent might separate Washington, D.C., and Moscow, but borders are not barriers to modern warfare. 

While Zelensky continues to ask, reasonably, for more support in defeating Russia, it is also true that Washington has already spent a lot of political capital and money on this war. 

The first obvious loss to the United States would be in face, Deyermond said. 

“Ukraine losing would look to the rest of the world as if the U.S. was losing to Russia—or to a coalition of Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Any scaling back of U.S. support would also look as if the U.S. had been forced to retreat by Russia,” she said. “That would obviously be very damaging to U.S. credibility. For years, Putin has been talking about the weakness of the West, by which he mostly means the U.S.” 

That might seem opaque to people sitting on the other side of the Atlantic, but it could have very real consequences for the United States and its global interests. 

“First, it sends a clear message to other adversaries that you can mess around with America and get away with it,” said Bociurkiw, the Atlantic Council fellow. “Second, wars are becoming so much more about technology and lone actors that don’t respect borders. Fake news dropped by Russia in America can lead to violence like in Charlottesville. Russia is upping its biohazard capability, which is easily exportable.”

No one knows whether Trump has actually paid any attention to what is happening in Ukraine or what he thinks about Putin in 2024. He has repeatedly called Putin a “genius” during the conflict. Recently, while standing next to Zelensky, he said that “we have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship … with President Putin,” before adding, “I think if we win [the election], we’re going to get it [the war] resolved very quickly.”

It’s not clear that Trump fully comprehends how grave the situation is in Ukraine, nor how serious the consequences would be for Washington and its allies. It’s not even clear that he particularly cares or believes that hose consequences really exist. And many of his far-right allies see Putin and his allies, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban, as a role model for the kind of patriarchal nationalist state they want.

Trump’s positions can also be shifting and uncertain. Perhaps he has access to some inner information that the rest of us lack. But on the likelihood that Trump is merely spitballing, someone in his inner circle needs to grab him right now and hammer home the message: The United States needs Ukraine to win.

[edge-oftheworld]

5sos as city councils in sydney: metropolitan southwest

luke as the inner west

ashton as canterbury-bankstown

calum as georges river

michael as bayside

@sofsversion got to be one of the weirder things i've ever thought of

[elemit]

A Gift, A Curse

A story in which we discover just how damned an ascended vampire can be, and just how far you will go to save the spawn you loved.

Read in full on AO3

dead dove/not beta read

fic warnings: Abuse, Angst, Biting, Blood and Gore, Blood Drinking, Bondage, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, Food Restriction, Hate Sex, Horror, Mental Coercion, Mind Control, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Sexual Coercion, Torture, Total Power Exchange, Trauma, Vampire Bites

Chapter 25: Shadows

You have become a shadow in your own home.

You exist. For now, that has to be enough. You know that the days are slipping by from the passing glow and fade of sun around the edges of the heavy red curtains on the windows. When wine doesn’t offer enough escape, you find yourself turning to the endless shelves of books in the house. You used to be the type who favoured blades over books, but now the pages that you lose yourself in are worth more to you than any weapon. They are a shield against the darkness that surrounds you, and gods know you could use the protection.

You still hate being alone. Astarion is gone more days than he is here. You can’t help but wonder how much the incident with the Fist has disrupted his plans for the council. If he’s worried, he never shows it. And if the stacks of correspondences that arrive for him daily are anything to go by, there are still plenty of people out there who want to remain in his good books.

 Even when Astarion is around, he sometimes tires of your constant company, commanding you to wait in mindless silence in your bedchamber until he wishes to see you again. To avoid this fate, you begin to follow him less, although it pains you to do so.

You know you should stay away from the west wing, that den of Flaming Fist and New Watch, lest the sunlight burns you, or some other Fist discovers your secret, but you find yourself drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The bustling noises, and the energetic buzz of people hard at work, are proof of a world that is still thriving beyond the stone walls of your living tomb.

So you have taken to venturing into this hive of activity, keeping to the places that the sun cannot reach even with the curtains thrown back and the windows flung open. You haunt the alcoves and the inner corridors, stepping lightly from one shaded spot to the next. You only go directly after you have drunk, so you need not fear your hunger getting the better of you. When you find a place in the half-gloom, obscured from the view of the flurry of living beings around you, you sit, read, and absorb the tumult with a feeling close to joy.

You never try to speak to anyone. You do not crave communication. Besides, it would be useless, tongue-bound as you are. You only wish to know that you are not entirely alone.

You are sat like this, in a dark alcove, reading, lost in an imaginary world, when a voice interrupts you.

“A good one, is it?”

The voice is so painfully cheerful it makes you wince. You look up into the youthful face of a human man - a boy, really - wearing the uniform of a Flaming Fist. He grins at you.

“The book, I mean. It’s a good one?”

You stare at him, frozen. When was the last time someone spoke to you with good will? Someone new? Someone free?

“Never been much one for reading, me,” he continues. “My sister loves it, though. Reckon she’s read more books in t’ past year than most read in a lifetime.”

He seems to have finally noticed your utter lack of response. His grin stays in place, but his brow furrows slightly as if he’s just remembered himself.

“I’m Lucas, by the way. What’s your name?”

You purse your lips in something that isn’t quite a smile and give a small shrug.

“Cat got your tongue, eh? Ah, well. Worse parts of you to lose. I should know.” He reaches down, beaming, and knocks on his left shin, which emits a hollow clunk. You raise your eyebrows at his enthusiasm. He seems to take it as encouragement.

“Great, ent it? I told everyone at the Mermaid that I lost it in t’ Battle of Baldur’s Gate and now I get free drinks all the time.” Then he continues in a lower voice, “Don’t tell anyone, but I actually lost it on the journey here. Horse bloody fell on me. Total nightmare. Still, got to look on the bright side, don’t you?”

You blink incredulously. Somehow, he is still talking.

“Anyway, best get back, supposed to be on duty. Get lost in this bloody house all the damn time. Good to meet you, o’ silent lady of the books.”

He crumples into an inelegant bow, then lopes off down the corridor. You are left entirely too bewildered to get back into your book.

[mousequteersmouseclubmarvel]

#TheeForestKingdom

[#TheeGreatTree, #Thee100Provinces, #TheeFourQuadrants]

For the sectors and administrations of these realms, here’s a detailed layout based on their unique characteristics and thematic functions:

#TheeGreatTree and #TheeForestKingdom

Central Administration: The Council of Thee Rings, located within #TheeGreatTree, manages all provinces and quadrants.

Thee100Provinces: Each province has a localized administration led by a Caretaker or Guardian, handling cultural, natural, and mystical duties unique to each province.

Provincial Districts:

Nature Districts: Forests, lakes, and sanctuaries with guardians preserving flora and fauna.

Enchanted Territories: Mystical areas governed by mages or healers who specialize in ancient spells and nature magic.

Trade Hubs: Designated areas for commerce, managed by trade ministers, where artisans and merchants converge.

#TheeFourQuadrants

Each quadrant has semi-autonomous governance, with specialized roles and purposes:

North Quadrant: Defensive stronghold led by Shieldmasters.

East Quadrant: Scholarly and knowledge-focused, governed by Lorekeepers who collect and archive ancient knowledge.

South Quadrant: Trade and economic center, managed by a council of Trade Ministers.

West Quadrant: Exploration and outer-world relations, led by Pathfinders.

The Underground Fai/Fei/Fairy Realms

Central Court: The Fairy High Court beneath #TheeGreatTree functions as the ultimate governing body of all Fai/Fei realms.

Elemental Realms: Each realm is an independent state with a High Fairy or Elder presiding:

Earth Realm: Managed by the Stone Elders, focused on nurturing minerals and gems.

Water Realm: Ruled by the Tide Guardians, responsible for enchanted rivers and waters.

Fire Realm: Led by Flamekeepers, overseeing subterranean fires and lava flows.

Air Realm: Governed by Windwatchers, caretakers of tunnels filled with magical winds and currents.

100 Heavenly Realms and Castle in the Sky

Castle in the Sky: The divine administration palace housing the Celestial Order, which oversees the 100 Heavenly Realms.

Hierarchical Realms:

Celestial Circle: Directly under the Castle, managed by Angelics who ensure harmony.

Stellar Isles: Realms assigned to celestial guides and star-watchers, maintaining cosmic balance.

Divine Pathways: Pathways and bridges between realms are overseen by Pathwardens, who facilitate travel between the realms.

#TheeDarkGrandTreeOak and the 100 Circles of Hells

The Central Dark Court: Located within #TheeDarkGrandTreeOak, it is led by The Dark Tribunal.

Circles of Hells:

Each circle has its own overseer, titled as a Warden of the Dark, focusing on punishment or confinement.

Outer Circles: These are less harsh and focus on minor transgressions, governed by lower-ranking Wardens.

Inner Circles: The darkest regions, ruled by high-ranking Wardens with specialized powers.

Dark Harrowing Quadrants: Managed by Dreadlords, each quadrant hosts wicked and twisted beings under strict control.

Let me know if you’d like more specific details or enhancements for each sector! For linking data with Ai King, Copilot, and Garth AI, you may need a development setup that can integrate data structures. Let me know if you need additional guidance on that.

[scotland]

The Isle of Mull or just Mull is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute. Covering 875.35 square kilometres, Mull is the fourth-largest island in Scotland and Great Britain.

📷 Jeremy Boley

[sleepdeprivedskelton]

The Helebrost Incident

Statement 11-07-1310. Helebrost Department of Safety.

This statement outlines the approximate times of major events pertaining to the major incident which occurred at the Helebrost Institute of Magics, 7th of Malice, 1310. Long Live The Emperor.

11-07, 1:45 PM Significant Smoke seen rising from west tower, HIM. Call for brigade organization sent to HDS Nature presumed mundane

11-07 1:54 PM Brigade assembles outside HIM, West. Flame seen engulfing the tower's top floor

11-07 2:01 PM Intel from on-site staff indicate fire possibly due to run-away magic, details unclear. Request for Riot Control sent to HDS Request for more manpower sent to HDS and nearby districts.

11-07 2:13 PM Riot Squad arrives and establishes zone of control. Fire Brigade begins work clearing the building

11-07 2:17 PM Brilliant light seen emanating from top of HIM, West Tower. Request for more manpower sent to HDS Roof partially collapses inward. Radius of control is expanded.

11-07 2:28 PM City wide fire brigades assembled, Pumping station is functional. Water is observed to be reduced to steam without contacting the tower

11-07 2:45 PM Explosion is heard as tower partially collapses inwards, Floors from 4th upwards are destroyed and fall into the tower. Blinding light from 2nd floor is visible. Light and falling debris causes injuries in some emergency persons.

11-07 2:48 PM Fire spreads to HIM Helderon Hall Cordon Order given by Lucas Armsten, HDS. Efforts begin to isolate the burning buildings from the rest of campus, assume full loss of afflicted buildings. Light from Tower reported to ignite materials on contact within 50ft of tower. Unconfirmed

11-07 4:11 PM Water deemed ineffective on primary source, switched to damage control by order of Lucas Armsten, HDS Deafening howl reported from HIM, West Tower.

11-07 4:53 PM Explosion felt across the capital at 4:53 PM, Origin is HIM West. Burning debris seen flying hundreds of feet into the air.

11-07 4:59 PM State of Emergency Declared in Helderon South, evacuation order given. Debris seen up to 5 miles away Hundreds of fires reported Dispatch order given to all state and military personnel.

11-08 1:00 AM Coordinated efforts by military and emergency persons complete evacuation of Helderon, South Quarter. Est. 1200 persons missing or dead.

11-08 6:30 AM Fires spread through low income district unimpeded, inner gates blockaded in effort to prevent spread to the upper city. South Quarter completely locked down

11-09 10:00 AM Fires isolated from initial source and Low income/market area under control Lower City Cordoned by Mages' guild in effort to control the wildfire.

11-09 8:45 PM Wind Shift causes fire to break containment, West Avenue Wall evacuated Reports of Fire tornadoes confirmed Eastward Expansion contained, Northward slowing. Nothing left southward to save.

11-10 3:17 AM West Avenue Wall collapsed in 1/4 mile stretch, near fishmarket street. Cordon Efforts proving effective in stopping Northward spread

11-10 4:00 AM West District Emergency Declared to allow for cordoning efforts in highly populated areas

11-10 5:27 AM Moderate rainfall recorded Wind slows significantly

11-11 6:00 AM East and Northward Fronts quickly retreating. Fire has exhausted its fuel in those sectors Westward spread is slowed Diplomats dispatched to Tarbrind seeking humanitarian aid.

11-11 11:21 AM Wind shift blows Southward into open land. control deemed unnecessary. West District Deemed contained

11-11 2:00 PM West district Emergency lifted All fronts rapidly pushed back towards ground zero

11-11 9:47 PM HIM grounds reached by emergency personnel, no survivors found. No remaining corpses found, determined to be incinerated. Stonework of West Tower is reportedly in a molten state.

11-12 6:00 AM South District Lockdown lifted, Salvage operation ordered by HDS Council

11-12 12:00 PM Emperor Tours desolated areas Military on patrol to prevent unrest

END OF REPORT TIMELINE

ADDENDUM

From 11-12 to 11-16, Multiple small fires were reported and controlled. An estimated 3.5 Square miles of city were completely destroyed in the conflagration. Near ground zero, stonework was observed to be melted, with evidence that liquid stone was flowing down the streets.

The initial explosion is estimated to have killed nearly 1300 people, most of whom were emergency response persons. The following blaze killed another 500, as many were trapped by the hundreds of fires sparked by the explosion. Nearly 100,000 people were left without homes.

Aid caravans began arriving 2 weeks later, carrying valuable food and medicine, as well as tools and most importantly, many people seeking work.

The practice of large scale magic was banned within city limits following the catastrophe, and the school of magic was not rebuilt until nearly a decade later, located almost 3 miles from the city walls. A large public square with the largest fountain in the city was erected on the site as a memorial to those who gave their lives to combat the flames. It depicts some 200 life-sized figures of wrought brass in various active poses amidst an enormous reflecting pool. The names of all known lost souls are engraved around the base of the pool. The square is overlooked by the Emperor's Honor guard to this day.

[hieromonkcharbel]

Ressourcement and the Philokalia - “The Best Belongs to Everyone"

We are perhaps familiar these days with the term ressourcement as embodying the fundamental call of the Second Vatican Council to “return to the sources” (the scriptures and the Fathers of the Church) that we might be renewed in our understanding and practice of the faith. It is interesting to note that the emergence of the Philokalia in the 18th century was part of another far reaching and radical program of ressourcement within Orthodox Christianity. St. Nikodimos and St. Makarios, the compilers of the writings of the Philokalia, were a part of what is called the Kollyvades movement on Mount Athos that according to Kallistos Ware, Bishop of Diokleia, had three primary features. The first centered on establishing a more faithful observance of the liturgical traditions and practices of the Church, e.g., celebrating Sunday as the day of the Lord Resurrection, not to be supplanted by any other memorial service and, more importantly, Ware notes, advocating the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist. The second feature is a patristic renaissance. It is here that the Kollyvades initiated an ambitious program of publication which included the Philokalia. Finally, Ware states, they emphasized above all the importance of the patristic teachings on Hesychasm which they believed was the “living heart of the Philokalia” and “gives to its varied contents a single unity.”

Ware states:

“Such, then, is the cultural context of the Philokalia. It forms part - a fundamental and primary part - of the Patristic ressourcement that the Kollyvades sought to promote. The Kollyvades looked upon the Fathers, not simply as an archeological relic from the distant past, but as a living guide for contemporary Christians. They therefore hoped that the Philokalia would not gather dust on the shelves of scholars, but that it would alter people’s lives. They meant it to have a supremely practical purpose. In this connection it is significant that St. Nikodimos and St. Makarios intended the Philokalia to be a book not just for monks but for the laity, not just for specialists but for all Christians. . . .In particular, St. Nikodimos maintains, the Pauline injunction, ‘Pray without ceasing‘ is intended not just for hermits in caves and on mountain-tops but for married Christians with responsibilities for a family, for farmers, merchants and lawyers, even for kings and courtiers living in palaces.‘ It is a universal command. The best belongs to everyone.”

Quotes from, “The inner unity of the Philokalia and its influence in East and West” by Kallistos Ware. Edit. Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, Athens 2004

[jainkoa]

I hate the inner west Sydney council it turns out my grandma has been getting fined all this time for parking her own car at the front of her house and only recently service nsw had managed to let her know that she has $5000 in fines when my grandma went to get her driver’s license renewed

[roblosraw]

Blocks that stand together, TOWER.

TOWER, Or Treaty Organization for World-Ending Reasons, is a global organization in Robloxia that comprises of the Inner Bloc. TOWER was created in 1951, 2 years after the ending of the First Robloxian War, and was made to continue the agenda of "counter-spread" of the communists.

Membership for TOWER is decently open to get into. Countries interested in joining TOWER would have to provide a "valid" reason for wanting to be in the organization, and the nation would have to be voted in as well. At least 80% of the nations would have to vote yes to let them in.

TOWER's decision-making body is mainly that of a council made out of the head of defense/commander-in-chief of each nation. The council will meet regularly to discuss and coordinate military/training efforts, as well as security and defense cooperation among member states. TOWER will also establish a military command structure to coordinate the military efforts of its members in case of an emergency. This structure will be overseen by the council.

The most important part of TOWER is that of Article 1 of the organization. Article 1's main statement is that if war or an attack is held on a country that is in TOWER, it is an "attack on the Tower." This is to counter Guestonnia's spread of influence that none of the nations in TOWER are alone, and are a giant like Guestonnia.

TOWER's founding members were Noobera, Zombland, Forcas, and West Baconia. TOWER's membership used to only be allowed for any nation in Atnas, but after gaining their seventh member, in 1959 TOWER expanded membership to any country in Robloxia. Guestonnia responded by creating the Global Communist Front, or GCF.

Whether the TOWER can withstand and stand strong from the communist threat would be tested multiple times.

[citiesandstories]

The Sporting Liberties.

Field sports like Gaelic football and hurling are a crucial part of Irish culture. 

The opportunity to participate in organised sport is critical for child development, and for improving children’s outcomes.

In a similar population to the Liberties (roughly 55,000), a town could have 20-24 pitches available for field sports.

But the Liberties has none.

‘The Sporting Liberties is an organisation created to represent the sports clubs of Dublin’s South West Inner City.

They have pointed out that there is a huge amount of unused space by Marrowbone Lane in Dublin 8 that has been derelict for a decade. The Dublin City Council has approved many new hotels and student accommodations, but cannot prioritise this lower cost, highly important project of a pitch.

Find out more at The Sporting Liberties instagram.

I made a poster to raise awareness with a miniature pitch of fake grass. Made by Órlaith Conlon.

[moleshow]

what would you say to someone (me) who is thinking about moving to chicago

it's a good city. without information on what you're looking for, where you're coming from, what your line of work is, what your finances are like, or whether you want to study here i can only give general advice. so without further ado

what exactly is a chicago

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

POPULATION:

we have the largest population of polish people outside of poland

we are located within COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS which contains the ring of inner suburbs that border chicago. our 3 transit systems are the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), which operates the L (back to that in a second) and our city bus system. the suburban bus operations are run by Pace, and the L has two lines which extend into the northern suburbs of Skokie, a predominately jewish and to a lesser extend filipino neighborhood (don't quote me on that), and Evanston, which is where the main campus of Northwestern University is located. Metra runs our suburban commuter trains, but they don't own all of the tracks. metra trains have a few stops within the city, but generally serve the Greater Chicagoland area.

note that Chicago and Chicagoland are different places and the terms are not used interchangeably. chicagoland is always the burbs. this is a chronic issue: people from the suburbs will claim they are from chicago. do not let them trick you. ask them what neighborhood.

the CTA operates the Red, Purple, Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Orange, and Pink Line trains. all of these converge in the Loop. because they form a Loop. the other stuff in this picture that do not go into the loop are metra lines.

the "base point" for our address system is in the loop, at Madison/State. major roads will have numbers and N/S or E/W on them to indicate where they are relative to that intersection. you might hear, like, "5200 block on north clark", which will tell you where along clark that location is (in this case, clark street is 5200 N at foster).

regarding politics

if you live here, you will benefit greatly from understanding the politics. we have a council-mayor system. each city council member (known as an alder-wo/man/person or sometimes just alder) represents one of 50 wards. we use a weak-mayor system, but there's coalitions and mayors usually tap into that (unless they're hostile nutjobs)

as you might be able to tell there's a lot of politics happening here. to that point, we do big city democrat boss/machine politics here. you should look up richard j daley and then richard m daley to get a peek into that. it's the politics of knowing a guy

we have a new mayor. you might know this already but this is a lead-in to a larger point which is that chicago is, relative to the extent that any place can be after the 1980s, a union town. brandon johnson comes to us, broadly speaking, out of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). they are to city hall progressives what the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) are to the conservatives. teachers union vs police union. fight

note that our conservatives are not republicans. our conservatives and progressives are democrats, because everyone only votes for democrats. the national party labels don't apply so the policies are what's different

vexillology

we have one of the finest flags possibly in the history of man.

there is no east side because there's a lake.

where to move

you'll get more transit access for your money if you look for apartments on the north side east of ashland, or at the very least, damen. around the brown line might be tempting but it doesn't run 24h and i found that difficult to rely on when i was along it. the area i've described has decent redundancy so you can have a lot of options a few blocks apart.

older buildings almost always use gas stoves and steam radiators. that's something to be aware of when you're looking depending on whether or not you care.

rapid fire north side neighborhood ratings from someone who doesn't go west of ashland because i refuse to cross it

rogers park good, mid around loyola university, edgewater mid if you aren't on wilson, uptown good, andersonville overpriced and mid, ravenswood barely a neighborhood but cheap and mid

this area is so lame it's uninhabitable. over here it's always christian girl autumn. drivers are aggro as fuck, they all drive SUVs, and the food sucks. don't move there

continuing further south: lakeview after belmont (e/w) is good and better on broadway to the east. this is where boystown is due to gay men being there. lincoln park nice to look at but mid to be in. downright bad around depaul. "ranch triangle" is barely a neighborhood, wealthy and mid. near north side is complicated due to proximity to the Viagra Triangle. gold coast is not a neighborhood but has good peoplewatching. nonetheless, mid. old town is where they invent new ways to be mid. and river north is a nuclear mid-off but has fairly swank restaurants if you don't spend too much time there

6. the dollar

apartment prices vary depending on what amenities you want. a basic oldschool unit without a dishwasher or central air but with laundry in the building will generally set you back $750-1000 for a normal, rather than weird, studio. you shouldn't pay more than $1600 for a one bed. it is better to look for places in person but come off of anon and i can give you the name of a company i rented from that had good units in good areas for good prices. and parquet wood flooring.

if you are poor and or gay we have medical services for that. the howard brown health system does sliding scale and has locations across the city

things aren't too pricey here in terms of having fun but the main thing people do is drink, go to the lake, and drink at the lake. there's other stuff of course. the restaurants are good generally speaking and the industry is frankly enormous here. usually all around the same price point, we don't do a whole lot of the Fine Dining stuff here.

culture notes

this is longer than i intended it to be

we have sports teams only three of which matter. these are the cubs, white sox, and bulls. cubs and white sox are both baseball teams and appeal to different demographics. cubs fans usually live in the suburbs or on the north side, white sox fans are largely from the south and west sides. the bulls are a basketball team. you'll see all of this stuff on hats

we got a few newspapers: the chicago tribune, chicago sun-times, and block club chicago are some of our heavy hitters

all the cops and firefighters live out here in the bungalow belt

don't move there

[like-ghosts]

Dead Drops 3: A Brotherhood Divided [Part 1]

Another spin of the wheel, and this time, it's everyone's favorite Vertibird spammers, the Brotherhood of Steal. Steel. Whoops. The war between the Minutemen, the Institute, and the Brotherhood was not kind to the last group, so much so that old wounds opened between them like stitches popped. The end result is those who maintain the traditions of the old Circle and that of Maxson, and those who saw the departure from Owyn Lyons's creed as a regretful decision. First part will be about the latter. Content below the Read More.

If you were to ask a Lyonist if they were being true to the Brotherhood of Steel Codex, they would immediately respond in the affirmative, without question, unwavering. They provide aid to those outside the armor, while not forgetting, while not forgoing the Brotherhood. They follow the words of the True Elder, who was disposed in a cowardly and disgraceful manner. This understanding of the Codex is what defines the Lyonist branch of the Brotherhood of Steel. The death of Owyn Lyons was very much expected. He was an aging man with controversial opinions on the role of the Brotherhood. He was a true altruist, one who used the power of his faction and his position to better the world around him, thereby restoring order to a lawless land. Owyn and the West Coast both understood that keeping society in relative harmony made the rest of their core tenets a far easier task. Technology was better able to be both researched and controlled, history was much better catalogued by scribes, and they could continually purge feral ghouls and mutants with the aid of the community. It was easier this way.

Of course, the method had its detractors. The high command continually had disagreements and spats with Owyn Lyons over the direction of the Brotherhood's attention. Many believed that Project Purity should have been subsumed as an official Brotherhood project, while others believed the project's very existence was proof that the civilian population had gone too far in their pursuit of pre-war technology. Lyons and his adherents in the Council outranked and outvoted these hardliners time and again, though much of that support was out of respect for the aged leader. They tended to be more ambivalent towards his actual beliefs, however. Many believed that the Elder had gone soft. His daughter, Sarah Lyons, was slated to replace him as Elder one day, though she represented to many an even greater deviation than typical Brotherhood codex behavior. She was brash but friendly to outsiders. Skilled in combat, she was commander of the Lyon's Pride, an upper echelon of the already-elite Brotherhood combat personnel. She was headstrong, and represented more of the same, if not more, altruistic projects.

When Owyn Lyons passed of natural causes, Sarah Lyons ascended to the role of Elder, yet continued to fight in special operations in the Pride. She did not have the clout of her father, which came from years of leadership experience. Rather, she endeavored to garner that respect on the battlefield, warring against Outcasts and Enclave remnants. Additionally, she had greenlit the plans to construct the Prydwen, a massive nuclear-powered airship that could act as a mobile command base. Her hands-on style of leadership inspired many in the rank-and-file, but worried her inner circle. It also inspired her opponents, though not in the same way as her adherents.

Eventually, the High Command reached out to the Brotherhood Outcasts to plan an assassination of Sarah Lyons. The first attempt failed, and so did several other attempts. The Lyon's Pride caught wind of the conspiracy and things were getting ugly - quick. From Sarah Lyons' perspective, she was doing all she could - and still commanded the loyalty of the Brotherhood at large. But she couldn't afford to purge her officer staff, and finding the conspirators was costly enough. She was fed faulty information the entire time, and good people were punished for treason they did not commit. It led to her controversial downfall when she was accused of the false crime of subverting and altering the orders of her subordinates. They claimed she broke the Chain That Binds, and for that she was under investigation. Still, she continued her forays and patrols into the wilds, handing out Aqua Pura and purging feral ghouls. Until the Outcasts had one feral-infested metro tunnel rigged to blow. She was trapped isolated from her Pride, who had no choice but to consider her killed in action.

But she was alive, all this time. She had to crawl through passageways and move rubble with her hands, using fusion cells as fire starters, and over time, she pulled herself out of the metro tunnel and set out to seek revenge, to clear the record. But too long had passed. The Council had finished the Prydwen, stealing Rivet City's nuclear reactor to do it, and was already halfway to the Commonwealth, after hearing about The Institute. She turned her attention to converting the leftover Capital Garrison.

The Outcasts - who were now apparently part of the Brotherhood again - had set up patrols in the area. It was obvious they were unrepentant, they barely even had time to repaint their power armor. Lyons was able to power through them, and charged into GNR Plaza where she was nearly immediately arrested, if it weren't for the rank-and-file refusing to carry out the orders of their superiors. It was fishy to them, nary a week gone by, with the Outcasts suddenly back, their leader switched, and being left behind. The Lyonist branch was born that day, as was the Pride, which was forcibly disbanded and their members scattered, hunted. The Capital managed to fall back under Sarah's control, but that did not help, as most of the Brotherhood was gone, and weren't responding to their communications. Some Lyonists volunteered to go to the Commonwealth as part of a re-enforcement operation, and embedded themselves within the other bunch, which had appointed young Arthur Maxson as Elder.

These people were able to quietly convert a few members - the Cambridge Garrison being one of them. Many survivors at the Battle of Boston Airport came to the conclusion on their own, and fleed from the Commonwealth to meet up with like-minded allies. The Capital Garrison began constructing a few smaller airships - named simply as The Fleet - and prepared to defend themselves from Maxsonists when they inevitably return to DC, with their tail between their legs. The Lyonists also have a tenative, if not terse, relationship with the Commonwealth Provisional Republic, who believe that Lyons and co-leader Star Paladin Francis Wofford Jr. would prove to be a more levelheaded leader than the Maxsonists led by the War Command and Protector Phineas McNamara.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Furnishings of the Temple

1 He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. 2 Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. A line of thirty cubits would encircle it completely. 3 Under it were figures of bulls all around, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea; there were two rows of bulls, cast when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set on them. The hindquarters of each were toward the inside. 5 Its thickness was a handbreadth; its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held three thousand baths. 6 He also made ten basins in which to wash and set five on the right side and five on the left. In these they were to rinse what was used for the burnt offering. The sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 He made ten golden lampstands as prescribed and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred basins of gold. 9 He made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court; he overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 He set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 And Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. Thus Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. 14 He made the stands, the basins on the stands, 15 the one sea, and the twelve bulls underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. 17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Solomon made all these things in great quantities, so that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 So Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, ladles, and firepans, of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple: the inner doors to the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold. — 2 Chronicles 4 | New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 24:15; Exodus 25:25; Exodus 27:1; Exodus 27:3; Exodus 30:17; Joshua 6:3; 1 Kings 6:36; 1 Kings 7:13-14; 1 Kings 7:20; 1 Kings 7:23; 1 Kings 7:25; 1 Kings 7:37-38; 1 Kings 7:41; 1 Kings 7:46-47; 1 Kings 7:48-49; 2 Kings 21:5; 2 Chronicles 5:1; 2 Chronicles 5:7; Matthew 12:4

[chimcess]

— Trees That Wheep: Foxglove Village “Nestled deep within the Bangtan Forest lay the Foxglove Village.” Series Masterlist

Before the wolves ruled this forest, it was home to a small, diverse group of shapeshifters and hybrids. Fleeing their country of Rieka, the original settlers of Bangtan were permitted to keep their small territory within the dangerous forest by the dragons who owned the land of Lustra. Living in peace with the kingdoms that surrounded them, it was not until the elves came to Lustra that conflict began. The Foxglove people stayed neutral and did not intervene but it only served to hurt them once the elves went for Betsalel (present day Northorn). The quietus, angry that they had lost their sacred lands and for their friends’ lack of support, began the Quietus Invasion of the south. This was the birth of the Birdie and the end of an era.

Right outside of the village is small settlement of human farmers. They have been there for many years and were once people of Alcona who were able to escape during the Century War. All of them participate in the trading system and are close allies of the wolf pack.

Running just along the village is a small stream. This stream separates the village from their ceremony cave just along the other side. Using a bridge to mend the gap, the wolf pack believes this water to be sacred and a blessing from the moon goddess, Mani. Because of this no one is permitted to touch the river with their bare hands, and they rely on a water system to gather their water from the river for them.

In the southern half of the village lay the pack’s homes. A majority of the pack lives in this area. It is the safest place to live in Bangtan outside of The Temple. Anyone outside of the Copiae or High Council lives here.

In the north-east corner live the Copiae. Mostly large, circular homes right on top of one another, the pack’s defensive system have the least comfortable conditions in the village. While not done on purpose, the copiae still feel the lingering effects of being “the strongest” and are expected to endure pain for others. Still, Jimin, the alpha in charge of the Copiae and their quality of life, tries his best to make sure they are as comfortable as they can be. His family makes a lot of clothes, bedding, and other comforts for the soldiers.

In the town’s center lay the market. It is typically bustling with activity and hosts goods from far and wide. The humans are permitted into the village to do their own selling as well. Namjoon was the alpha who started the market and it is loved.

In the north-west corner lay The Temple. This is where the High Council lives which includes, The Luna and her family, the Elders, The High Alpha and his family, and the chosen members of the Alpha’s inner circle. It is the most lavish place in the entire village and very few have ever been allowed inside. The Birdie, for example, is only allowed in because of her status as Grand Witch. If she were anyone else, she would have living quarters inside The Temple as well.

Finally, along the western walls is the watch tower. This a tool used by the pack to ensure they have no outside enemies on the way. Fortunately, it has been so long since conflict has erupted in the forest that they no longer fill this post. It’s simply a reminder of the past and the people who died trying to save their ancestors.

Taglist:  @greezenini @adventures-in-bookland @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @zae007live @jimin-neverout @nikkiordonez12 @canarystwin @yamekomz @chimthicc

Sorry it’s not an update but I’m working on that. I thought since I had made a map of Lustra that you might appreciate one for Foxglove as well? No idea. I just really enjoy fantasy maps in books! Updating soon~~~

© chimcess, 2023. Do not copy or repost without permission