#it’s that election year magic i guess
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pendragonsclotpole · 2 months ago
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why are all the big “insert name slash ship is canon” events always four years apart in november? like it’s only happened twice so far but twice is more than i expected
what’s on the slate for the end of the month in four years, a ten episode merlin series reboot with a merthur confirmation and reunification in the modern day??????
fuck, imagine if it’s hannibal season four. double fuck, what does that mean for the election??
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caffeinewitchcraft · 3 months ago
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WIBTA for going to my high school reunion even though the two witches I stripped of magic are going?
(Read for free on Patreon (X))
I (28 witch) was in a coven during high school. Not really even a coven. We weren’t recognized and there wasn’t a clear division of responsibilities. We did have a high priestess but she hadn’t Declared or been Initiated or whatever she believed. Looking back, her learning was all over the place (and a little problematic, honestly. I remember her calling a poppet a Voodoo doll before being called out by another member). Let’s call her Sarah.
Sarah was a year older than the rest of us (still the same grade though) and her mom was a witch so that made her the high priestess. She was the one who would organize all of our rituals and held the power of veto over any proposed spells. While you think that’d mean she’d provide the ingredients, she never did. She did tell us what to buy and, let me tell you, some of those things were expensive for a high schooler. We met in the park behind her house, and she demanded that at least one of us be in every one of her classes. If we weren’t, we’d be “cycled” out of the coven until our parents convinced the school to transfer us in.
Any alt kid knows what I’m talking about because they had a Sarah in their life. If she was angry, we had to be angry (and a little afraid of her). If she was sad, we were expected to ask why. If she was happy, we had to be even more happy. You get the picture.
The problem came when Sarah added Jess (fake name) to the Coven during the start of our junior year. It was the first time Sarah allowed someone else from a witch family to join. Jess was a transfer student from England. She told us all that that made her magic deeper and more powerful because she was a “daughter of the witches you could not burn.” When I pointed out that that statement is historically inaccurate, Jess called me a “pilgrim.” She tried to convince Sarah to blind me (take away my decision-making power in the coven), but I was the only one with reliable access to dried herbs (my mom’s a botanist and didn’t count her stores like Sarah’s mom did), so Sarah said no.
Jess’ dislike of me got worse when I actually did dress like a pilgrim for Halloween that year. And, if I’m honest, I did take it a little far. I was a hot-headed kid. I followed her around the entire day and had kids sign one of two petitions – “Burn” or “Not Burn.” When the Burn Petition won, I could tell I went too far (there were a LOT of signatures).  I tried to make it a joke and told her that now she really was a witch we couldn’t burn.
Jess and I got in our first physical fight. Sarah eventually broke it up, but not before Jess ripped out a good chunk of my hair, and I broke the tiger’s eye bracelet she wore.
 I later heard from another coven member that Jess tried to lay a curse on me that night. Unfortunately for her, I was pretty interested in defensive work and had a fresh witch’s jar buried under my window. Her curse got caught in it and rebounded. Apparently, that’s how Jess got pink eye, not from her younger sister.
We fought like cats and dogs. Any time Jess would talk about England, I’d make fun of her accent. When I brought up what spell I’d like to do, Jess would call me a juvenile pilgrim. Eventually, Jess got smart. She’d text me insults rather than say them to my face so that she’d have a chance to tattle to Sarah before I got the chance to hit back.
Sarah pulled me aside at least three times to “address” the fights. She basically said that I needed to respect Jess more because she came from a witch family, like her. She told me I could learn a lot from Jess if I stopped acting like a human. When I pointed out that we are humans, just humans who have elected to use magic, she got really mad.
And when Sarah got mad, she could make life really difficult.
My spell for luck on midterms got passed over for Jess’ jinx on our English teacher. The jinx worked and Ms. Edel tripped, but guess who still came to class with a broken leg? MS. EDEL. Guess who failed their midterm?
ALL SEVEN OF US.
Damn, I can’t believe I’m still upset by this petty high school drama. Therapy did not work.
So safe to say that Jess and I never became friends. I love magic now and loved it then, but she took it so seriously. I’ve always believed magic should be fun. All the spells she brought to the coven required a spirit element—blood, hair, sacrifice. One of the members was a strict green witch and had to drop out because of it. We missed two full moons until Sarah approved Eileen to rejoin after she woke up from her coma.
(And before anyone freaks out about the coma – we all ended up in comas here and there. We were a bunch of uneducated and untrained baby witches who all had different belief systems. The fact that there wasn’t anything worse than a coma is a miracle. She wasn’t traumatized by it any more than I was by mine.)
Jess and I mostly avoided each other for the rest of the year. We always voted against the other’s spell and I’m fairly certain she tried to trip jinx me in the hall as often as I tried to trip jinx her. Sarah never tried to diffuse the tension between us. She confided in Eileen that she was grateful we kept each other in check.
Things could have continued on that way until we all moved away for college (or repeated the year after failing all those midterms) if it weren’t for the vernal equinox. Or, as we inaccurately called it, the Spring Solstice.
The way it worked was that we all got to propose a ritual during equinoxes. They’re powerful magical events on their own and when you bring intent to the party? They were always our biggest, most successful workings.
Sarah always chose what we did on those days. She pretended like we got to vote, but we all knew she would never choose one of our rituals. My freshman year, she made us all do one for beauty. Because it was a “make real what is in the eye of the beholder” type, some of our transformations were a little…traumatizing. I’m only telling you this so you understand the power an equinox has, okay? I do not think this way anymore. Other members were just as extreme. Eileen went from a Wendy from Wendy’s to a Jessica Rabbit. And I…
Well.
I grew rabbit ears and teeth. That doesn’t make me a furry! Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was super influential on BOTH Eileen and me. I was a kid and didn’t understand my own concept of beauty. It took almost three months before I got the ears to go away entirely.
Suffice it to say, we were all excited and nervous for what ritual Sarah would pick, which is why it was a blow to find out that she had picked a ritual - Jess’ ritual.
A ritual for power.
I didn’t want to do it from day one, okay? My belief is that whatever magic comes to you naturally is what’s okay to take. I think if you rip magic up from the earth or the abyss, it’ll change you. Maybe even corrupt you or change your personality.
But I was a kid and didn’t know how to explain that. Jess and Sarah were both from witch families and they seemed to think it was okay. Even though I didn’t like Jess, I did see her as a more “authentic” witch because of that. I know better now, but as a kid seeing all of her grimoires, I gave her false authority.
Jess explained the ritual to us over the next month. She talked about how we were going to be “tested.” The ritual would pull our spiritual selves from our bodies, and depending on how long we chanted, we’d return to them with more or less magic than when we started. She said that everyone in her family did it when they turned 18.
It wasn’t until three days before the equinox that she told us what would happen if one of us were to be judged unworthy.
“Mostly nothing,” she said. I remember her exact words, how her black hair spun as she soared through the air on the swings. We stood in a half circle before her and Sarah as they swung higher and higher. An audience to their aerial court. She said, “Sometimes people lose some of their magic. When the ritual decides they don’t deserve it.”
Eileen asked, “When the ritual decides? It’s sentient?”
“There’s an overseer we’ll call on,” Sarah said. She’d been the only one allowed to read Jess’ grimoire. Her lip curled and she leaned forward so she could look down over Eileen like an avenging angel as she swung overhead. “An impartial entity.”
“I am not a deity witch,” I said. I had long ago committed that I would never call on a higher being in any ritual. Most of our spells had to be modified for me so that I could swear to the cardinal directions rather than to the Morrigan or Hecate. “You know that.”
“You’re not swearing to anyone,” Sarah said and rolled her eyes.
“Which means no one is swearing to us,” Eileen muttered under her breath. But I could tell she had given up by the slump of her shoulders.
“It’s only the unworthy who lose their magic,” Jess reassured. Her eyes flashed at me. “Scared you’re unworthy?”
Yes. I was scared. I know better now than to think lineage has any place in witchcraft. It’s about the magic, always just the magic. But months of hearing their rhetoric had worn at my self-esteem. It really felt like if I didn’t do the ritual, I was as good as admitting I wasn’t a witch. If I did do the ritual…
Well. Obviously, I did the ritual.
I was a hot-headed teen, okay? I felt challenged. I decided that I would wear extra protections. Tiger’s eye and quartz charged with intention. I picked out a silver locket my mother gave me, filled with belladonna. She told me it symbolized beauty and choice.
Now, here’s where I may be the asshole.
I can’t give you a play-by-play of the ritual. It was ten years ago, and calling on that much magic has a funny way of warping memory. But what I do remember is this:
We gathered in the park before sunrise. Seven of us in new colors – spring green, white, soft yellow and pink. Jess made us get rid of anything with a working on it – crystals, cards, and ladders. She collected them all in a linen bag and threw them into the woods. I couldn’t get away with my tiger’s eye or quartz, but she missed the pendant my mother gave me. It was a warm comfort against my chest as we began.
We lit the fire together, each of us frantically thumbing our lighter to make sure the sparks caught at the same time.
Jess brought the chalice. We all cut our palms and let seven drops fall into it. (No, we didn’t use a clean blade. My cut got infected as hell and it itches like a witch. I know better now!) She bade us drink, and we did.
“Now the magic will see us as equal,” Sarah said while Jess prepared the next step. She licked her lips as if savoring the blood. “It will only be our wills determining the outcome.”
Jess doused us with oil and herbs. It smelled sharp and uneasy. I had provided the herbs and knew all of them were either fresh or dried to perfection. But it was rancid. There was rot in the air, but I couldn’t place it then. I wrinkled my nose and took up the chanting with the others to distract myself from the smell.
If you’ve ever chanted before, you know the stages. First, you’re just talking. You say the words and they mean something, but you don’t feel them. Then your mouth gets tired. You start messing up the timing of the words. You stutter. You stumble. The words lose meaning. Most people stop there. They fall silent and sink into a shallow meditation with heads full of fog.
You’re only a witch if you can reach the next step. You keep saying the words. They become comfortable. You wear the words like clothes and feel your cadence curl through you like a companion. Your body goes on autopilot and your mind relaxes. The chant turns smooth as silk. Depending on the chant, you lose yourself to the sweetness of your coven singing. Sometimes, you sink into the earth with them. Other times, you ride the flow of the magic like waves.
This time, the words pulled us away from our bodies. Jess slowly introduced new words to our chant. Words of summoning.
We called upon the Overseer.
Pressure fell around me like a vice. I couldn’t breathe even as the ritual fell from my lips without breaking. Magic had, at that point, always given me control. This? This was a complete loss of it.
I felt myself compressing. Smaller and smaller in the face of the being that was rising in the middle of the flames. It was not an observer. The moment I “saw” it, its endless form writhing in the space between the smoke, I knew that. It was a judge and jury.
It was a spider.
We chanted. It grew. It pulled us from our bodies like spiderweb and spooled our essences onto its forelimbs. It was not what Jess described and, simultaneously, it was. We were being tested. Our psyches were being tested.
So long as we chanted, the being would be contained. However, the longer it was contained, the more of us it could take. If we let it go, what would it do? Would it return any part of our magic to us? Any part of who we were?
Or would it eat?
This wasn’t a test of magic. It was a test of faith. Faith in each other and faith in the ritual.
For those practitioners out there, you can see the problem. I didn’t enter the ritual with faith. My intent was flawed from the beginning. We’d had spells fail because of lack of belief. I had never been the person who didn’t believe.
Until then
My words wavered. The Overseer turned its eyes to me. I could see my magic like thread before it, shimmering against the backdrop of its maw.
Then another tremor. Eileen dropped a word. The Overseer split and looked at both of us. Someone else faltered. One of the coven – I couldn’t see them – fell and went silent.
The sky yawned overhead, empty and cold. The embers from the fire spun up into it and were lost. The Overseer rippled and I felt our coven shrink in the face of it.
I gasped around the chant and looked across the fire. The light licked Jess’ gleeful face. Her eyes hungered for my failure. I could see it. Through the connection of the Overseer, I could feel it.
Jess and Sarah changed the chant. To this day, I don’t remember if they taught it to the rest of us. There are so many parts of the ritual that I’ve left out or forgotten. But I remember them chanting different words. The circle grew discordant.
“I offer my magic so I may be unspun and woven anew,” they said. The words have imprinted themselves like bitters under my tongue. “I offer my magic so I may—”
Some of the other members tried to pick up the new chant. Their voices grew weaker and the Overseer’s limbs began to extend out towards each one of us.
I wouldn’t offer my magic to that thing. I wouldn’t be unspun.  Eileen was stuttering. I saw her fall to her knees. I was close behind.
I threw my necklace into the flames.
Belladonna. Beautiful and deadly. It has meant choice to many women and many of them have been from my own family. It's extreme and it’s final. An end that doesn’t always make room for a new beginning.
Pretty words that cover up what I meant when I threw it into the Overseer.
My intent was Death.
Entities never die. I’m sure the Overseer didn’t. It howled. The wind kicked up and brought the flames into a spiral ten feet tall. Its forelimbs shattered, and I reeled myself back together greedily.
Not all of us were safe from the Overseer’s desperate struggle against my death curse.
Sarah and Jess were alone in the third phase of the ritual. They had changed the chant. They had offered their magic and asked the entity to do with it what it will. They believed.
And because they believed, the Overseer took their magic with it.
I think it was the first coma Jess ever fell into. Her family certainly acted like it. They whisked her back to the East Coast before the end of the year. I heard from Eileen that she woke up shortly after I left for college.
Magicless.
Sarah too.
I fully own that I was responsible for the ritual failing. I panicked. I’ve gone through every excuse over the years. I didn’t know what the ritual really was. I was just a kid. I took magic too lightly. It was their fault for not letting us read the grimoire for ourselves. But, at the end of the day, the real reason the ritual failed was because I panicked and I let that panic break my belief.
I moved on to college and it felt like running away. I’ve never returned to my hometown. I’m happy with the life I’ve built. My magic summer camp gives me time to travel during the winter months, and I feel like I’m making a real difference in young witches’ lives.
Nowadays I teach young witches to never do a working without full intent. If they have doubts, they don’t do it. It’s a lesson I learned the hard way ten years ago. I tell them it can cost them more than their magic. It can cost them their lives.
Eileen is still back home and she says Sarah rarely comes out of her house. Sometimes she sees our former high priestess wandering the school grounds on nights of the full moon. I hear from other members of the coven that Jess’ family put out a bounty on me a few years ago. However, I never saw an assassin so I think that was just a rumor.
So, knowing that they’re still not over it, would I be the asshole for attending my high school reunion next month? I’ve been craving reconnection with my roots, but I’d be subjecting Sarah and Jess (though Jess marked Maybe on the RSVP) to my presence.
I know they must hold a grudge. If they were still witches, that would be a problem. I don’t think I’d be able to defend myself from one of their workings since I blame myself for what happened. But since they’re not, it’s not really a danger. That’s pretty asshole-ish, right? Ignoring their feelings because they don’t have the magic to back it up?
So WIBTA for attending my high school reunion even though the two girls I stripped of magic will be attending?
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Thanks for reading! It looks like I'll have quite a few updates for the anthology! I am still obsessed with this format and can't wait to share some of the updates over the next few weeks.
If you'd like to support me before the anthology, please consider supporting me on Patreon (X)! I post new stories every week and many of my patrons saw the above story a week early.
The current AITA story takes place in the same universe as our former Cryptid (X). About a poor, poor boy who is just proud to be a regional Nightmare. Why is everyone so mad at him?
See y'all next week!
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theconcealedweapon · 4 months ago
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Three years ago when I was suicidal, I experienced something that's very common for suicidal people, which is wishful thinking. I believed that if I just got a better paying job, or if I just moved out of my childhood home and got my own place, my pain would vanish. I eventually figured out the real reason I was suicidal. But before then, there were many wild guesses that I took that make no sense in hindsight.
And it's very easy for someone who's struggling to fall for wishful thinking. When you're in constant pain with no end in sight, it's easy to fantasize about a simple action that will cause the pain to vanish.
And that's why a lot of people are voting for Donald Trump. They're struggling to pay their bills, and they have no idea how to escape their struggle. There is a solution, which is to dismantle capitalism and create a new system in which the workers control the economy and in which people's lives are prioritized over profit. But that would take forever. It would also require constant activism, which they're too busy for because they're constantly working so they could survive.
Meanwhile, the other proposed solution is to elect Donald Trump and watch inflation just vanish. Everything will become cheaper with no need for activism. When given a choice between constant activism for decades versus a messiah quickly waving his magic wand and making their struggles disappear, they don't have the time to care which is actually true. It's much easier to convince themselves that the quick solution actually works.
And it's very easy for them to fall for wishful thinking, because that's what they've been doing this whole time. When they were able to afford their bills and saw that other people are not, they convinced themselves that they could never be in that situation because they work hard and financial struggles only happen to lazy people. And they don't want to admit that they've been wrong this whole time.
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mosneakers · 2 months ago
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Alex: [Smiles warmly] Hi Coraleye…
Coraleye: [Smiles back] Hi Alex…
Alex: Ready for one last take before we officially call it a wrap?
Coraleye: I guess so! Alex: So how’s life treating you now? You adjusting okay?
Coraleye: Oh… well it's been a whirlwind, to say the least, heh. But I’m finding my footing again. Finally finishing up school. Just barely keeping my head above water some days, but yeah, I’m getting by. Trying to find my new normal.
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Alex: [Nods thoughtfully] I want to talk about that a little bit. You’ve had to deal with the aftermath of everything that happened on election night. Do you remember when Cam and I came out to visit you in Brindleton Bay?
Coraleye: Mhm. I sure do. You interviewed some girls I went to school with.
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Alex: So, Mackenzie, Briella, Logan… I’m not sure how much you’re aware of, especially with how quickly the media coverage was shut down after election night. But I’ve gotta ask—have you reached out to Coraleye at all since then? Offered any kind of support?
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Logan: [Quickly glances at Mackenzie] I’m not sure if we got the chance to reach out yet, have we? Mackenzie:[Feigning innocence] She hasn't filled us in completely, but we’ve heard bits and pieces... Briella: We heard about her and her boyfriend. They broke up, right? [Big grin] Life has a cruel way of teaching us lessons!
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Mackenzie presses her lips together, appearing to hold back a laugh, but finally cracks as a sharp cackle spills out.
Mackenzie: Oh my mod, Briella, stop! You can't say that! I just love you. So sorry about her, she's so crazy. Anyways, yeah. We wish her the best. I hope it all works out for her, I really do.
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Cam: Well, I think that will probably do it for now, thank you ladies. Alex: Cam's right, thank you for your time. We'll be in touch. Have a happy Harvestfest.
Several weeks later, Britechester-
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Alex: Cam and I try not to get too involved with work matters, but I'll be honest, that interview was upsetting. I wonder if they'd still be snickering if they saw what you've been through in these past few months.
Coraleye: Nah, they're the least of my worries. Pretty sure I got the last laugh when it comes to them. [Mischievous grin]
Alex: I'm in awe of your optimism, Coraleye. After all this, you’re really not bitter? I mean, look at Tycho—he lied, tried to erase your memories. And you still take the high road?
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Coraleye: Oh no, please don’t get me wrong, Alex! I definitely went through—and sometimes still go through—my naughty phase, from time to time. Alex: [Leans in] You have my attention... Coraleye: Maybe it was for revenge, or a way to cope, or maybe deep down I was just really lonely and had a void to fill. Either way, it got me through some dark times. Perhaps you should book a follow-up interview with Briella, ask her if she found my panties in her boyfriend's room yet. [Waves at camera, winks, and mouths, ‘Hey, Pierce!’] Alex shakes his head amusedly and softly chuckles.
Alex: Damn! You really don't mess around. I'm guessing this doubles as punishment for Tycho as well?
Coraleye: Nope. Actually, his punishment is even better. I'm giving him exactly what he wants. After this documentary is over with, I'm erasing all of our shared memories together. He wanted to mess with my mind so badly, I'll do it for him. Alex: And how do you do that?
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Coraleye: Through a spell, of course. You didn't forget that I'm a spellcaster, did you? I'll put the memories in an amulet and give it to our sage of untamed magic. They'll perform a ritual to destroy the memories. Alex: Wow. Remind me to never break your heart... Coraleye: [Smiles] Oh, I will. Alex: [Sighs] Well... Last question we're asking everyone else: Is there any question that you have, after all of this, that still haunts you?
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Coraleye: [Tilts head, as she pauses to think] Hmm… I’ve still got to write that paper on my ten-year plan, and somehow I feel even more lost than before. I guess it’s time to start figuring that out now.
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Hii, I hope your day/night is going well! I don’t think you’ve ever been asked this from what I’ve seen; but do you have any idea how the NRC school system works? my pea brain I cannot figure it out for the life of me 😭 I know that they have magical subjects ofc (magical history, alchemy, etc.), and they also have the more practical ones like math (unfortunately), but they also mention having electives. I know Azul and Ace have mentioned sharing elective(s) with others, which just leaves me to wonder how many periods they have or if they rotate classes around each day if that makes sense? And on top of that, the lesson chat things of the characters (including upperclassman/people not in 1A with ADeuce?) saying they’ll go along with the schedule we [Yuu] have in mind for the day.
Sorry this got to be so long and you don’t even have to answer at all, just a question that’s been in my mind! :)
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As far as I'm aware, we are not told much about how class schedules work at Night Raven College. We don't know how many classes there are in a day, or if the students take the same classes every day or have them on rotation (for example, Magic History on Tuesdays and Thursdays only). We can, however, do our best to extrapolate from what we have!
We have a partial schedule shown in the Episode of Heartslabyul manga (volume 2, chapter 8). In it, we follow Adeuce, Yuuken, and Grim through the school day and right up until lunchtime. They seem to have 3 classes (Alchemy/Potionology, Magic History/History of Magic, and P.E.) and then a lunch break. In book 7 of the game, Ace is having lunch and mentions his "next class" being in the lab, though it's not said what course that is. That line (assuming the "lab class" is Alchemy/Potionology) could imply the schedule is shuffled around depending on the day, but it's at best an assumption.
We also have an idea about a decent chunk of Azul's class schedule, if you can believe that. In 3-7, we get to see his first three periods (Music, Animal Linguistics, and Potionology/Alchemy, in that order). He then goes to lunch. This would seem to imply that all students have three periods and then a lunch break. We don't know how many periods follow after lunch, but I think a safe guess would at least another 3.
In Jamil's Lab Wear vignettes, we learn that class 2-C (Azul and Jamil) take Alchemy/Potionology after Riddle's class, 2-E, does. This means Riddle and Jade take Alchemy/Potionology or some other labwork for second period. We additionally learn in Jade's P.E. vignette that he and Riddle have P.E. for fourth period, which must be after lunch. This implies that required courses are likely taken with students in one's grade level and maybe homeroom, as this is true of Jamil/Azul and Riddle/Jade combos. This doesn't appear to hold true for electives like Master Chef/Culinary Crucibles and Poison Making/Poison Refining, which receives a mix of students.
Classes at NRC appear to be back-to-back, with everyone sharing the same lunch period. This is because we often see many of the main cast in the lunchroom at the same time (book 1 when Yuu sees students from every dorm, book 7 when the first years chat about Mickey, etc.). There aren’t big breaks in the middle of the school day aside from lunch, as far as I’m aware.
I would be hesitant about treating Lessons as 100% canonical, as the gameplay elements of TWST sometimes contradicts the lore we are given in the story and voice lines. For example, you as the player are able to put first years, second years, and third years in the same Lessons when, in reality, this would not be feasible, especially not ALL the time or whenever you want them to be merge. Some courses would have prerequisites that the first years have yet to complete, and not everyone would realistically be choosing to take the exact same electives. Additionally, second years and third years would have to be taking different sections for some subjects which cover entirely different content than what is given to first years. (For example, students don't learn about the Righteous Judge until Magic History II, which you take in your second year. This is why the first years don't know who the figure is when asked about him in Glorious Masquerade.) It’s true that sometimes there are joint classes for PE and even lab classes, but you as the player would not reasonably be able to dictate when those joint classes happened or who else is in attendance.
I'm sure that some of the information dropped in Lessons are true (ie lines from the characters' Chats and the lines they drop during the actual Lessons/when they're gaining stars). However, the things directed at Yuu are dubiously true in my eyes since the pre-Lesson lines are directed as much at the player as they are to Yuu. They're lines meant to make the player themselves feel like they're forming friendships with the boys and participating in learning with them even though this (again) wouldn't make complete sense in-universe. Yuu can't use magic, so they wouldn't be able to participate in upper-level classes which require the use of magic. They wouldn't be following second and third years to those classes. It's also nonsensical to think that the school would allow for any student to just make up whatever schedule they feel like doing on the spot for the entire year. I believe the wording is like this ("Oh, I'll do whatever you want to do, Yuu!") for Lessons to, again, give the player a sense of freedom, and feel like they're taking initiative to bond with their favorite characters.
That being said, here's what else I could find regarding NRC's curriculum:
Crewel heads the Science department, Trein the Humanities, and Vargas Physical Education.
Students are not allowed to use UMs/signature spells during class. They are, however, allowed to use general magic if directed to by the instructors.
First year students focus more on concepts and theories. The older students have classes which involve more use of magic than theory.
There are sometimes joint lessons, or classes running concurrently with one another with students of different year levels involved.
History of Magic/Magic History seems to be a required course; its materials are divided up into different sections and taught based on your year in schooling. The Righteous Judge, for example, is covered in year 2.
Flight/Flying is described as an elective class; not many Pomefiore students take it.
Alchemy is another required course; it seems to provide the base knowledge for potion making before students qualify for other more complex science electives. For example, Crewel berates the first years for touching equipment in the manga and instead has them identify plants.
Potionology (or Magic Pharmaceuticals) seems to be a potions making class.
All students must take Physical Education.
Some students remark on sharing electives with others. For example, Ace and Sebek are in Enigmics/Magic Analysis together, Deuce and Epel are in the same Flight class, Vil and Cater and Lilia take Poison Making/Poison Refining, Silver and Kalim share Astrology and Practical Magic, Jamil and Azul have Potionology, etc.)
Though all 22 NRC students have/will have an Apprentice Chef card, we don't have confirmation that they all took the elective in the main story canon. The exception is Sebek, who has a line in book 7 stating that he's glad he took the Master Chef course.
NRC offers electives like (Visual) Art and Music/Musicology, which encourages and expands one's imagination. This is important because spellcasting is enhanced by having a strong imagination.
The TWST 4koma shows us that third years are able to infuse their artworks with magic, thus bringing them to life. It seems that first and second years do not attempt this magic yet.
There is an elective called Animal Languages/Animal Linguistics, but the name is broad and doesn't specify which animals you're learning to communicate with. This appears to be similar to a real-life foreign language course.
Practical Magic involves using spell formulas in order to achieve a practical goal, such as autocleaning. This is a required subject; failure to pass means you are held back one year.
Enchanting objects is described to be a "basic, rudimentary magic" that even first years are capable of performing.
Physical Training and Swimming seem to be P.E. electives.
Electives we don't have much information about: Protection/Defense Magic, Summoning/Conjuration, Biology.
Master Chef/Culinary Crucibles is an elective designed to give the students the practical skills to provide nutritious meals for themselves. This and P.E. are meant to help keep the mages healthy and in good shape to perform their magic.
Enigmics/Magic Analysis is a mathematics-based course. Ace describes it as solving logic questions using formulas.
Ancient Magic involves reading old texts and deciphering their meaning.
Astrology involves reading the stars and using them to make predictions.
Third years must choose between Poison Making/Refining and Changes & Comparisons of Abbreviated Spells in Ancient and Modern Magic History as an elective. The latter is a lot of writing and making chronological tables.
To graduate NRC, students must complete mandatory off-campus internships in their fourth and final year; this is a structure common among magic schools. Third years attend an orientation meeting in the springtime to prepare them for the application process.
Internships begin in September, around the same time classes start. There are three periods for the internship; students can choose to remain at the same site or take up to three different internships, each lasting 3 months.
A student's internship site options will vary depending on the individual's electives, class credits, and grades.
Some internships require special technical exams and/or interviews. It is also possible that some internship sites will scout desired students in advance. This was the case for Idia, who was given several internship offers after his presentation at a cultural fair.
Each quarter, fourth years must receive an evaluation of B or higher, as well as submit a written report about their experience. A student must receive credit in at least 2 out of 3 internships in order to qualify for graduation.
There is a final exam you need to pass for graduation.
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theinstagrahame · 2 months ago
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It's a bad day, and I've been dragging my heels on this. But, I got a bunch of neat new TTRPG stuff in October, so here's what landed in my mailbox.
Break!! - A few years ago, I stumbled on some art on Twitter. It was fun, it was vibrant, and it felt inviting. I wanted to know more, looked into the artist, and discovered it was spot art for an upcoming RPG called Break!! So, I kept an eye on it. The book is beautiful, well laid-out, and really cool, so maybe one good thing came from Twitter*.
The Electric State - Tales from the Loop and Things from the Flood have been pretty high on my "To Play" lists for years. A follow-up, set in a similar (or the same?) world was kind of an instant pickup. Not as interested in the movie, but the game seems pretty rad.
The Geologist's Primer - I picked up the Herbalist's Primer when it came out, and was really impressed with the quality and care that went into it, so when I saw "That but for rocks" was in the works, I was definitely already in. Also excited for the follow up "Mushrooms next time".
Starkhollow Hall - I accidentally fell into a Gothic Fiction kick over Spooky Month, so the timing of this was perfect. I don't know a ton about the GUMSHOE system, but I do feel like what I know about it makes it a perfect fit for the genre. Gothic heroines (and I guess heroes) are at their best when they know there's a dangerous mystery at the heart of what's happening around them, and go looking for it anyway.
Forsaken - Kyle Tam is, honestly, a designer to watch. I picked this up because it was part of an Afterthought Committee project, which is a team I've also really enjoyed work from (my game Water Landing is built off of their game Cast Away). Does a better job of establishing a sort of grimdark/Soulsbourne vibe than some stuff that explicitly tries to.
Iron Edda Reforged - The pitch for this caught me immediately: Cyberpunk Norse Mythology. Tracy Barnett is another Designer to Watch, and I really like all of their stuff--haven't played the original Iron Edda, but have heard it on Party of One and really dug it. Was really hyped to see this come into being.
Electrum Archive v2 - I went through a Weird Sci-Fi phase this year, and the original Electrum Archive was an early pick for it. I really loved the world, the way each class worked differently, and the magic/currency/MacGuffin that it used. Obviously I wanted more, because the second book is here.
Alice is Missing - Silent Falls - My friends and I have been talking about the prospect of another Alice is Missing game since playing the first one about two years ago. It was a really memorable experience, partly due to the game's really compelling design, and to some of the in-moment decisions we made (I played the facilitator character, who starts the game having returned after a long absence, and another player immediately got pissed at them for sorta abandoning the group. it created an interesting play dynamic for the whole session)
Kill Him Faster - I picked up a previous Kovidae Games book as a lark: a collection of exercise-based RPGs. I nearly ignored their other stuff, but this had a pretty compelling pitch: What if time-travel was invented mostly so people could speedrun murdering Hitler. Since Eat the Reich came out, I've thought a bit about Hitler Revenge Fantasy as a genre, and honestly, I'm kinda into it. He was a loser, and deserves to be reduced to a video game villain and killed over and over again; so, yeah. Let's kill him faster next time.
Splat (issue 5) - I'm not usually one for essays and interviews, but this is a zine featuring and by some folks I really like and respect, and this one is packed with thoughts about the state of the indie TTRPG scene and industry from a diverse and immensely talented group. It's honestly a must-read.
(Already getting a few things for the next edition, but also feeling too garbage after the Clusterfuck Election to think about doing anything else today...)
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footnote: * Technically, two good things came from Twitter. I also once expressed sorrow that I'd missed out on a limited T-shirt from a web comic artist that said "Sorry, Glenn, the only Beck I listen to has two turntables and a microphone", and the creator saw it and had an extra in my size.
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qqueenofhades · 1 year ago
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Do you think part of what makes people feel like voting isn’t worth it because things don’t get better under democrats is because we can’t see what would have happened? Like I see a lot of people saying “well biden hasn’t made america much better so there’s no point” but it’s like they don’t understand that under a republican they would actively do everything they could to cause more harm. It’s like they don’t understand that 1. The president can’t do much, and 2. IT WOULD BE WORSE. like they don’t understand the possibilities. Idk people just frustrate me
I'm sorry, as I know you're just relaying what these people think and not claiming so yourself, but the whole "things don't get better under Biden/Democrats" line to which we are subjected so very, miserably often is a lie!!! It is demonstrably a lie! It is peddled by people who deliberately live in their echo-chamber leftist misinformation bubbles and either don't read the news, don't accept anything less than the Magical Socialist Revolution Now, and don't think partial or incremental progress (aka the only kind of progress that exists) is valid. "Biden hasn't single-handedly fixed everything wrong with America and the world after the most damaging presidency ever to exist and 250+ years of flaws, while other countries actually are their own actors with agency making complex choices, so we shouldn't vote for him" is a bullshit lie and I'm tired of it!!!
(Again. Sorry. This is not directed at you. This is just my frustration with this entire ridiculous situation speaking.)
We have had multiple elections now where people voted for Democrats, which resulted in abortion protections, protections for LGBTQ people, the biggest climate legislation ever to pass Congress/be signed into law (the Inflation Reduction Act), vast improvements in the job market, executive actions both large and small, improvements in labor and the economy, a general democratic system, a defense of the rule of law, a warning against fascism, and everything else that Trump trampled on in 4 years and will finish the job of doing if this godforsaken country is either right-wing-zealot or left-wing-zealot enough to put him back into office. (Like, people. Google is free. You're welcome to look up the improvements Biden has actually made, but that would harm your Narrative.) So much of this misinformation is also peddled by people who are proud that they don't have a clue how the American government works and/or deliberately lie about it: see all the claims that it was Biden's fault for not magically stopping a Trump-stacked SCOTUS, selected for the express purpose of overturning Roe, from overturning Roe. Because the president could just unilaterally overturn the Supreme Court with no problems at all if He Really Wanted To, I guess. Even if that is literally not the way it has ever functioned in history.
All the noxious Republicans in state legislatures passing anti-trans/anti-abortion/anti-voting laws ARE NOT SOMETHING BIDEN CAN STOP. If you're going to criticize him for not doing something, for God's sake at least make it for something he can do (like not calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, though I would argue he's already taking a more nuanced approach than the entirety of the American establishment during the War on Terror). And then vote for him when/if he follows it up, not just throw your hands in the air and scream about how you Can't Possibly Sully Yourself (especially when there is some very selective support going on here and a deliberate white-washing of how many orders of magnitude worse absolutely everything else in America and the world would be under Trump. So.)
I'm tired of it. I'm really, really tired of it. I've been trying to cut back on my politics posting because my mental health is bad right now and I often feel like a broken record screaming into the void. But. Yeah. Anyway. Whoof.
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chemical-bunz · 1 month ago
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do you have any other mlp next gen’s?
Boy do I!
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This is Cupcake, her parents are Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. She’s a young teen and currently Going Through It bc she keeps having horrific nightmares caused by that freaky ghost thing that caused Nightmare Moon to happen.
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These two are Knifetrick and Quickhoof, Trixie and Starlight’s daughters. Knifetrick is carrying on momma’s business of being a magician, and Quickhoof…. Well, Quickhoof is a master of disguise who infiltrates wealthy social groups so she can dramatically rob them.
Their mothers love them equally. (Even if they keep trying to convince Quickhoof to come to the School of Friendship for a “quick visit” that is very clearly a front to force her into a redemption arc.)
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This one is going to take some explaining. Ok so you know how Stygian was in Limbo as the Pony of Shadows, and Tirek was in Tartarus? Well in my au, those dimensions are one and the same and the two of them had a… interesting relationship while in that shared space.
After Stygian was reformed, he was sad to discover his… “dear friend”… was still in Tartarus. He plead his case to give Tirek a shot at redemption.
After several years of trial and error, Tirek did, eventually, reform to a point where he was able to reenter society with his husband, and proceed to have FOUR children together, each a mix of pony and centaur.
(How? Magic🪄✨)
And now for the guys that aren’t canon to my au! (Yet)
Each of these are a batch of hypothetical children!
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The first are Twilight x Fluttershy kids! Prince Quizlet, Doctor Steadyhoof, Princess Elect Wallflower, and little Princess Bunnyhop.
Quizlet inherited all of his parents’ neuroticism. He constantly worries about literally everything, but he’s also deeply curious. His special talent is research.
Steadyhoof is a world-renowned surgeon who prides herself on her skill and… you guessed it, steady hoof. She doesn’t like attention unless she feels she’s earned it, and those shins the Princess title. She looks mean, but i promise she just has RBF.
Wallflower has a lot of the same anxieties as Quizlet, but has to keep them on the down-low. As Twilight’s chosen successor, she feels obliged to be the Normal One that everyone else can rely on. She’s calm under pressure, because pressure is all she’s ever known.
And Bunnyhop is literally just a baby.
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These three are Rainbow Dash x Rarity kids
Spectra Sash takes after Rarity’s sense of style and personality (being based on g3 Rainbow Dash), and is a pseudo-earthpony (unicorn and pegasus genes cancelled each other out, leaving her with cloudwalking and limited magical senses)
Starchaser is a unicorn who wants to be a Pegasus so, so bad. So badly that her hopeful-engineering-based cutiemark has gradually overtaken her entire body due to excess magic)
Aether is an exhausted older brother who helped raise his sisters. He holds a respectable position at the weather factory. He’s deeply competitive when you get to know him.
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And finally, the Fluttershy x Rainbow Dash kids
Cacus is a weather worker and a bit of a hothead. If you think you can outdo her, think again or prepare for trouble. She doesn’t take losing well.
Sparkleworks is a late bloomer and teen blankflank. Even though his talents are easily recognized, he isn’t quite ready to embrace any one of them. He jumps from project to project whenever he feels called to it.
Open Skies is a yoga instructor who buys into a bunch of weird spiritual practices vaguely based off non-equestrian religions.
Foxglove is an herbalist and witch doctor who is very autistic about plants. Her favorite bonding activity is infodumping.
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lizardsrunfast · 13 days ago
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2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup ✨
I was tagged by @hockeyspiral23 😃
1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?
54,629… all since October 30th 😆
2. How many fics did you complete this year?
Two one-shots: Turn on the Radio (my post-election venting piece) and Memories Consume (my Solstice Exchange fic for the incomparable @sarcasticmothwrites)
3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?
Only one: My multi-chapter rock band AU, Navarre Records Presents…
4. What was your favourite thing you wrote?
Oh man, this is so difficult. Even though, Navarre Records Presents… is my baby and first love, I absolutely adore my Solstice Exchange fic, Memories Consume. It was my first time writing in canon and I got to explore a few signet and venin theories as well as focus on two non-Riorgail ships (Imrrick and Brennaolin).
5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?
Definitely Memories Consume. Canon, Dragons, Magic, Smut… all of that was new for me when I wrote it 😁
6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?
Navarre Records Presents… It is the very first thing I ever published and I thought maybe five people would read it 😂
I also thought maybe it would have 10 chapters… but I just posted chapter 8 and these rock stars still have so much left to say 🥰
7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)
I don’t think so? I only have the three so far and some 🏴‍☠️ drabbles (IYKYK) that live only on the RQ discord server—come join us over there, it is so fun!
8. Who is an artist that inspired you?
@lunatrixart, @essjaywrites and @jmoonjones for Empyrean works. And a special shout out to @copperfirebird who has created fanfic inspired merch for several of us ❤️
9. Who is an author that inspired you?
There are too many and I am sure I am going to miss some of my favorites either here or in the next answer but here goes… I will read absolutely anything posted by these awesome writers: @suebswrites (I think Just Ask was one of the first fanfics I ever read), @yanny-77 (the undisputed Queen of Comedy), @skyfallscotland (I never thought an OC would be my thing, but damn I love Remi), @justallihere (Storm in the Quiet was a masterpiece), @ubiquitouslyme (I think Here for the Video Games was my first time reading M/M smut and 🥵), and @caeli0306 (castles crumbling is so fun and VSGTSAS was 🧑🏻‍🍳💋)
10. Who is a new author you discovered?
There are so many writers from the RQ discord that just started writing fanfic this year (like me!) and we have so much fun playing with the same source material in very different ways… I have really loved reading and learning from @saranova, @tegantales @thoughtsaboutshows and @overjoyedisland
@lovemedarkly29 also gets a very special shout out because she not only wrote me an AMAZING Sloane/Aaric fic for the Solstice Exchange (Rewritten), but she then took the back-up idea that she had for me and made it into an amazing Violet/Liam fic (Use Somebody).
11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?
I have not collaborated, but I do have a wonderful beta, @june-s-pumpkins, who has made my writing better and gives me so many great suggestions that have resulted in some of my favorite lines 🫶🏻
12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?
Hitting post on my first chapter of Navarre Records Presents…
I never thought of myself as a creative person (my husband has always been the creative one!) and I guess I just needed the right inspiration (thank you Rebecca Yarros for writing such inspiring source material!).
13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?
If you aren’t feeling inspired, go read or spitball silly things on discord or (for me at least) go for a run… inspiration will come and cannot be forced 🥰
14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?
Write what sparks joy and trust that if you love it, there is likely an audience for it!
15. What are your creative goals for 2025?
Finish Navarre Records Presents… I have the main events outlined and would like to see the story fully come to life 🎸🎤🥁
Other than that, I really want to write more in canon… depending on what Onyx Storm brings us, either alternate POVs or, if I am feeling really inspired at the end of it, my own continuation story 😳
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chaotictempleknight · 1 month ago
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UnderSulfur - Flowey and Sans
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Hello, I posted a sh_tpost drawing of Sans and it actually did well compared to everything else I post, so I guess UnderSulfur gets to see the light of day.
UnderSulfur
In the ancient past, demons once mingled with humans. It was a time of magic and wonder, but one day the demons vanished, taking with them their knowledge of the arcane. Humanity moved on, forgetting its past with demon-kind, with only remnants of this time surviving through the practices of a scant few magicians who study the grimoires and tomes of yore. One day, a human seeking knowledge and enlightenment fell down a great, bottomless hole. This hole was rumored to be a gateway to Inferno. Upon coming too, the lone magician discovers that he has ended up in the realm of demons with no way to return to his home. The Kingdoms of Inferno were fascinated to see a human again, but things are not as they seem in Inferno. A group of malcontent demons appear to be plotting something that could spell the downfall of humanity.
Sans and Flowey
Sans is an obscure Duke of Inferno, albeit one would never realize that given that he is rarely summoned by humans and does not act like a duke. Typically he stands guard near entrances to Inferno, making sure there is no trouble. Papyrus, a president and his brother, constantly gets on his case to get out there and make himself known to the humans. Naturally Sans says he will get on and then makes a joke at his brother's expense. Sans is not the most motivated as Inferno is much more preferable to the human realm. Most humans are petty and corrupt, but the odd few who either summon him or end up in Inferno fascinate him. They seem to have their heads on straight and actually want to learn.
Flowey is an abrasive mandrake who has been tempting humans into giving him their souls for ages. He would promise riches and glory only for the deal to backfire. Why Flowey is claiming souls is unclear, but King Asgore had finally had enough and instructed one of his underlings to deal with the nuisance. Sans stepped up and compelled the trouble making plant to be one of his familiars. Flowey is mad he cannot get away with his misdeeds, and Sans has loads of puns to yank his leaves and drive him nuts.
The lone human
The lone human is a boy named Aleister Archibald Craddock, a rebellious 11 year old who was reading books he should not have. And now he is stuck in Inferno. While not the realm of evil most paint it out to be, Inferno is no place for children or foolish mortals. Thankfully he was discovered by Sans and Toriel rather than some trouble making demon or earth spirit. Given that he is going to be in Inferno for the foreseeable future, Toriel has elected to take care of him. Papyrus is curious to see if the human has what it takes to join the psuedomonarchy of Inferno, something Toriel is not keen on.
Some notes about this AU:
I'll work on it whenever I can, as I have an ongoing project already.
This project will borrow a lot from ULTRAMagic Alternate. If I don't do a lore post for something in this AU, you may be able to find info about it in UMAE. UMAE started out as an Undertale AU before becoming what it is now, so haha.
Don't be surprised if my UMAE characters cameo in this project.
There will be demons from books like the Goetia, The Sworn Book, and The Infernal Dictionary showing up. Given that I have some adaptations of these demons in UMAE, it only makes sense.
I would have made a proper UnderSulfur logo, but my Chromebook can't add new fonts, Canva sucks, and I'm not using a logo generator. Someday we'll have a proper logo.
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sailtomarina · 1 year ago
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The Artist's Daughter
She was here again.
Draco Lucius Malfoy, First and Only Prince to the kingdom, stayed hidden in the stacks next to a row of tomes dictating the genealogies of the royal families dating back hundreds of years. He had his private tutor to thank for the tiresome task of locating the volume listing the exact ancestor Draco had failed to name correctly in his latest exam. The other day, he’d been here searching for a text that would answer which crops their kingdom specialized in for exports. Ridiculous, really. As if he wouldn’t some day have advisors to do all this research for him.
Then, just like today, he’d seen a girl wandering through the shelves. She hadn’t noticed him, of course. Draco was far too sneaky to be detected by some muggle, which she had to be given her unaware musings as she walked around with her nose buried in a book.
The first time, he’d remained hidden, even going so far as to cast a disillusionment spell on himself. As surprised as he was to see a stranger, he supposed that if they were to wander any of the handful of libraries in the castle, this was the most appropriate one. It was situated on the ground floor not too far from the entrance and ballroom. This is where most of the muggle texts were organized, along with an unfortunate number of historical texts currently pertinent to Draco’s education.
She’d struck him as pretty, albeit in a muggle sort of way. She’d worn a simple lady’s gown in a pale yellow that contrasted with the rich dark curls tumbling down her back. Freckles sprinkled generously across her pale skin, markings his cousins would have glamoured over from birth. If he guessed correctly, they weren’t too far apart in age, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. That was another indicator of her humble breeding—he didn’t recognize her, not from school or from the countless balls and feasts he’d attended growing up. She couldn’t be a noble.
Today, she wore a dress in a lovely sage green with tiny white flowers embroidered along the scoop neckline. Draco imagined her eyes to match the green, or to perhaps blink at him in a hazel hue. He needed to know.
“Who are you?” His voice came out much harsher than intended. 
He’d stepped out in front of her just as she was about to pass, causing her to come to an abrupt stop before crashing into him. Startled eyes, irises dark brown and glinting with a hint of gold, gazed up at him. He’d been wrong about the colors.
“Oh! I didn’t see you there. I’m Hermione Granger. And you are?” She stepped back to an appropriate distance from him, hugging a few books to her chest like armor.
“I’m Draco,” he said simply.
“The prince?” She didn’t sound too surprised, and eyed his unmistakable platinum hair.
“The very same. Why are you here in the library?” He’d finally tempered his tone to a more congenial one. 
“I was told I could read whatever I liked in here. My father is painting your Grand Ballroom.”
Ah. She was the daughter of the painter.
His mother made it a point to elect a new project as soon as the previous one was complete. Previous years had resulted in a reworked Imperial Garden, which boasted rose gardens with every imaginable variety, both magical and non-magical. A formidable greenhouse was added shortly after, and the caretaker they’d employed soon obtained and cultivated the rarest of specimens for use in medicine and potions. 
This year, Queen Narcissa turned her attention to the Grand Ballroom. She and his father adored hosting balls at every opportunity. What better way to display their love for art and beauty than to paint the entire ceiling and all its walls with depictions of magical beasts and figures from history. Circe. Merlin. Rasputin. Titania and Oberon.
Draco had assumed they’d hire a wizard, but he should have known that when it came to art, the king and queen saw no difference between magic or not. They simply wanted the best, and if that happened to be stationary art, then so be it.
“Find anything interesting?” He feigned interest, intent on keeping her talking. She was far more entertaining than pouring over volumes of ancestors alone.
She perked up at his question, and Draco could have sworn sections of her hair floated for just a brief moment.
Certainly not.
“I did! Did you know your castle is situated on top of the most powerful spot in the kingdom? All of the most prominent ley lines converge here underneath our feet!” She stomped one foot in emphasis. He wouldn’t be surprised if she went through several slippers a season if she always beat on them in that manner.
Wait.
Did she say “ley lines”?
“Are you a witch?” he blurted out, once again wincing at the gracelessness of his question. His mother would be mortified if she could hear him.
Hermione looked at him as if he was stupid. “Yes. Why else would your family let me wander around here by myself?”
“I don’t know, maybe because this is the one library of many where muggles are allowed? They do come here occasionally, muggle nobles, to garner favor with us,” he sputtered. He still couldn’t quite believe it. She was a witch. She was an unknown witch of his age. “Why don’t I know you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”
“My parents are muggles. I might have a squib ancestor somewhere, but as far as we know, I’m the only magic user in the Granger family. They sent me abroad for schooling since Hogwarts doesn’t currently accept muggle-borns.” She raised her eyebrows as if challenging him, but Draco couldn’t find it within himself to care about her background.
Hermione didn’t fawn on him like the other girls who had paraded themselves around him at school. She didn’t bat her eyelashes or titter behind a gloved hand. She didn’t wear gloves at all, her slender fingers wrapping around ancient texts as if relishing the touch of the worn covers. She probably thumbed the pages like his instructors told him never to do.
He would have thought that would annoy him, but he instead found himself intrigued in this muggle-born witch who liked reading, wore slippers instead of heels, and forewent glamours.
“Do you want to see the other libraries?”
His words were like a spell, as effective at getting her to brighten as a cheering draught.
“Oh, can I? The king and queen won’t mind?” She nearly vibrated in her excitement.
Her hair was definitely twice the size it was before.
“Not if you’re with me,” Draco said with a smirk, though that was partially a lie. If they’d wanted her in the other libraries, they would have explicitly told her. 
“Well, in that case, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” She made to dash away, but he caught her shoulder before she could do so.
“Allow me,” he said with a gesture towards the books still clutched to her chest.
“Oh, I can carry these.”
“Please, I insist.” It wouldn’t do if either of his parents not only caught him skiving off lessons with the girl, but allowing her to carry around books like some commoner. When she finally let go of her findings, he cast a featherweight charm and looked at her knowingly. She flushed an adorable shade of pink.
“They really weren’t very heavy, but thank you anyways.”
They spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring, only making it to two additional libraries. Hermione had only added to the pile of books floating behind Draco. He had to refresh the charm multiple times due to the sheer weight.
“You do realize you can’t remove these from the castle, don’t you?” He hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he’d see her, that she’d continue to visit along with her father for as long as there was work. “How long will it take your father to finish the ballroom?”
“To answer your first question, yes, I do understand that I’ll need to reserve these books to read later. I was hoping you could help with that.” He nodded his agreement, even as he inwardly danced with joy at the thought that he now had a reason to continue seeing the girl. “And to answer your second, it could take my father years.”
“Years?” Draco was aghast at the approximation.
“Years,” she repeated. “If you go take a look, you’ll see why. He’s not even working alone—he has an entire team helping with the moldings and scenery.”
Trust his mother to pick a project of such staggering proportions that it required multiple artists. On the bright side, that meant he’d have a long time to get to know Hermione, even if it was only during the holidays.
“It’s a shame you can’t attend Hogwarts.” It wasn’t until she tutted in agreement that he realized he’d said the words aloud. If she’d been like any other girl, she would have pounced on any hint of attachment on his part. She, however, did not.
“Well, if the king’s word is true, then I may soon. In exchange for my father’s work, yours agreed to update Hogwarts’ policies. I love Beauxbatons, but I can’t disagree that staying closer to home would make everything a lot easier on my family.”
“If you do,” Draco said the words slowly, hardly believing they were coming out of his mouth but needing her to know before it was too late, “then you should ask to be sorted into Slytherin.”
His heart sank at the way her nose wrinkled and lips turned downward in a grimace. “Isn’t that house renowned for pureblood ideology? I was leaning more towards Ravenclaw, myself.”
He nodded somewhat agreeably. “Books and cleverness…you could certainly do worse. They’re not a bad lot, if you ignore their tendency to disappear into their studies. Though…” he trailed off, reluctant to give away his feelings again without assistance.
“Though it might mean we don’t see each other? I wouldn’t let that happen outside of exams,” she said offhandedly. “I’ll keep in mind what you said. Snakes can be quite clever, in a sneaky kind of way.” The pointed look she sent Draco reminded him of how he’d approached her in the first place.
“Quite.”
A gentle melody played in the air, noting the top of the hour and finishing with eight long chimes.
“And that’s my cue. Hold on to those for me, would you?” Hermione leaned up onto her toes, laid the palms of her hands atop his shoulders, and pressed a kiss onto one cheek, then the other.
Draco could do nothing but stand still in shock at her forwardness. Then he remembered where she went to school and the strange habits the people of that land practiced. He cleared his throat to cover his awkward silence, but the crooked smirk she wore proved the attempt useless.
“When will I see you next?” He realized how needy that sounded as it came out, and hastily continued,“Just so I know when to have them ready?”
She flitted to the doors and didn’t respond until she was nearly through them, “I’m sure you’ll find me!”
And just like that, she was gone, leaving behind her stack of books, the echoes of her soft lips on his face, and the sweet scent of apple blossoms in the air. Draco wondered if she had perhaps cast some sort of love spell on him. How else could he explain his complete lack of reservation around her, or why her humble origins didn’t matter to him like he thought they should?
Queen Narcissa found him still in contemplation shortly after, and was impressed at the amount of reading material gathered around him.
“My dragon, there you are! Wilfred said he’d sent you to recover texts on our family history ages ago.”
“Mother, did you know the painter has a daughter?”
Narcissa blinked as she processed the odd question. “Master Granger? Of course. Hermione is a lovely, bright little thing. I told her she could read whatever she liked in our First Library. Why do you ask?”
Her son continued to stare at the wall, and she had half a mind to cast a homenum revelio.
“Draco?”
He came to with a shake and gave her one of his rare, full smiles. “No reason. I think we’ll be wonderful friends. You should make sure Hogwarts changes their acceptance rules before school starts again.”
Bewildered and bemused, she stroked a hand over his hair, so like his father’s. “I take it the two of you met?”
“We did. These are all hers.” He gestured towards the books once more.
“And here I thought you’d finally taken an interest in your studies.”
He snorted and she nearly pinched him on the arm for his cheek. She made do instead with a tickle to his side. He ducked away from her with a laugh, holding up his hands in surrender. “Mother, please! That isn’t fair! You know all my weak spots.”
She desisted in her attack with another indulgent smile. “And don’t you forget it. Just be careful with Hermione, dear.”
“What do you mean?” He tilted his head in confusion and she nearly sighed at his naivety. The young could be so oblivious, but she envied them their freedom.
She thought back on her own upbringing. The Blacks were more ancient and arrogant than even the royal family; her marriage to Lucius had been agreed upon at birth and as expected as the fact that clouds brought rain and Blacks were as pure as pure could be. She knew she was his from the beginning, and no amount of pining after others or imagining life in another place with a different name would change her fate.
Narcissa looked at her son, a near perfect replica of her husband aside from the softer grey eyes she’d bestowed upon him and his smile. He’d been so much like her at the start, but over the years he’d become more and more like his father. Now, today, he was like his younger self again.
She didn’t care what Lucius intended for his heir. She just wanted him to find happiness.
“True friends are difficult to come by, particularly for people of our station. I have a feeling that, if you nurture your relationship with Hermione, she’ll be someone worth keeping at your side.”
“What would father say?” he asked, caution and desire battling for domination on his face.
“He prizes power above all else.” This much was true. Lucius just happened to have a bit of a blind spot outside of magical families. “Apply yourself to your studies, help one another, and I’ll take care of Hogwarts and your father.”
Listening to his mother, Draco started to relax and let a bit of his earlier hope trickle back in. He wasn’t sure how Hermione had secured her approval, but she had. Greater deeds had been turned into ballads.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bit terrifying sometimes?”
Narcissa smirked, immediately reminding Draco of wild curls and a smattering of freckles. The two women looked wildly different, yet they gave off a similar air of confident capability.
“I have been told. Once or twice.”
He made a note to tread carefully around Hermione in the future. If she turned out anything like his mother, he never wanted to be on the opposite end of her ire.
Oh, the feats they would accomplish together.
WC 2606
DHRMonth Prompt: Week 4 - Alternate Universe, September 22 - Royal AU
Cross-posted to AO3
I have half a mind to write a full story in this setting, since it spiraled into something I want to know more about. I didn’t think I used to have a thing for royal AUs, but maybe I do???
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somethingusefulfromflorida · 3 months ago
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The first presidential election in which every state picked their electors via statewide popular vote was 1868. Before that, at least one state had the legislature pick the winner (South Carolina was the last holdout). Back then, only white men over 21 could vote, but the electorate saw significant boosts in 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment (white women) and 1972 following the civil rights movement (black men and women) and the passage of the 26th amendment (18 year olds).
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The total number of eligible voters grows with the overall population of the country, and looking at the data since 1972 we can predict that there will be about 244 million eligible voters this year.
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But eligibility is only half the equation. Actual voter turnout never even comes close to 100%. Since 1972, it has never gone above 66.6% (in 2020), averaging 57.2%
57.2% of 244 million voters would mean we'd see 140 million votes cast in November, but that's actually way lower than we would expect. Let's ignore turnout percentage (which fluctuates wildly between 50% and 60%) and look instead at the actual number of votes cast:
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There were over 158 million votes cast in 2020, and given that we saw record turnout of 66.6% due to a number of simultaneous crises, it makes perfect sense that the total number of votes cast in 2024 would fall, but not all the way down to 140 million. Between 1984 and 1988, the popular vote dropped by 1 million. Between 1992 and 1996, the popular vote dropped by 8 million. Between 2008 and 2012, the popular vote dropped by 2 million. No polls seem to indicate an 18 million dropoff in voter turnout this year; that would be unprecedented. According to the line of best fit, it is much more likely that we'll see ballpark 150 million votes cast, probably closer to 151 million. That would indicate a voter turnout of around 62%, which is higher than average but more realistic.
Since 1972, the two major parties combine to win an average of 95.5% of the popular vote per election. Third party candidates do well in waves, with considerable showings (over 5%) in 1980, 1992, 1996, and 2016. Since Kennedy dropped out of the race and neither the Libertarians nor the Greens are making waves as spoilers this year, we can assume that the Democrats and Republicans will have a better than average showing. Looking at the trend lines for major and third party percentages, it would show Kamala Harris receiving 51.7% of the vote (about 78 million), Donald Trump receiving 45.0% (about 68 million), and third party candidates combining for 3.3% (about 5 million).
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To scale:
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I do not believe that the actual final results will be anywhere close to this prediction. I think that these extrapolations show Kamala Harris overperforming by a considerable amount. She will almost certainly win the popular vote, I don't doubt that, but I think she will win a plurality instead of a majority (under 50%). Donald Trump is not wildly more or less popular than he was the last two times, in which he received 46.1% and 46.8% of the vote, so I do not think it is unreasonable to assume he will receive a minimum of 47% this year, given demographic shifts among suburban voters, black men and Hispanics. He may even perform better than that, but not better than Harris. I would bet my life on that fact. Democrats have won the popular vote in 7 of the last 8 elections, and polls do not show Trump magically coming up from behind on his third try.
When we exclude years with exceptionally high third party turnout, the major parties average 98.3% instead of 95.5% since 1972, but we can't just pick and choose what data to include. At this point, I'm deviating from the hard numbers and am operating more on vibes. Third party turnout will be lower than in 2016 (5.7%), but probably higher than in 2020 (1.8%). If we take the 3.3% figure from the trend lines, that would mean Harris and Trump would receive a combined 96.7% (146 million votes). If we assume Trump has a floor of 47% support (about 71 million votes), then the best Harris could do is 49.7% (about 75 million votes). There is no conceivable scenario where Trump wins the popular vote, so his ceiling (and Harris's floor) is something like 48.35% (73 million votes each).
The only president to win two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland, but he actually won the popular vote all three times he ran, 1884 (48.8%), 1888 (48.6%, lost the electoral college), and 1892 (46.0%). Trump is the exact opposite, having NEVER won the popular vote but still won the electoral college regardless. Franklin Roosevelt won four times in a row, 1932 (57.4%), 1936 (60.8%), 1940 (54.7%), and 1944 (53.4%). There was a major dropoff between his second and third bid, even though he was ridiculously popular. Trump is NOT ridiculously popular, but I don't think he's going to perform worse this time. Cleveland performed worse because there was a significant third party challenger, and FDR was the first sitting incumbent to run for a third term (at a time when WW2 was ramping up and voters were afraid of America joining). Trump does not have either of these disadvantages, so while it's possible he could perform worse than in 2020, I think Harris has so much baggage attached to her name (real and imaginary) that Trump will do better than he did against Clinton or Biden. A lot of voters are fed up with him, but that doesn't mean they will support Harris.
I have no real data to confirm these confidence intervals, but this what I would expect next month
47.0% to 48.3% for Trump (71 million to 73 million), I'd say 48.0% (72.5 million)
48.4% to 49.7% for Harris (73 million to 75 million), I'd say 48.7% (73.5 million)
Now, the electoral college is anybody's guess! Who fuckin knows?
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frauleinandry · 1 month ago
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guess who finished metaphor refantazio last night!! was the game perfect? no, i've definitely got my fair share of minor nitpicks. did it engross me more than any game has in years? yes!
very much a solid 8.5/10 experience, and worth playing for the art direction alone.
my full review is under the cut, and it is NOT spoiler-free, so don't click if you haven't finished the game!
gonna break this up into several segments, as it's Long!
story
the plot was a bit predictable at times, especially if you're familiar with other atlus games, but still enjoyable nonetheless! the sudden, if inevitable swerve from being a typical fantasy story into suddenly being a story about a medieval fantasy culture being magically forced into holding a democratic election was. extremely funny in all the best ways given how jarring it was in-universe.
i loved how atlus explored the unrest a huge, unexpected political system change like that would cause as opposed to making everyone just chill with it. the subtle criticism of modern democracy in general - specifically, the fact that in reality, elected leaders are almost always going to be people that are rich and powerful already because they're the ones that can market themselves the most - was also, uh, very poignant.
thematically, well, the game is very heavy-handed about its message. it wants to say something, and dear god it says it! at the same time, i enjoyed that, because, well, metaphor's message is really something that needs to be said. the world can be cruel, and there's no magical solution to all its problems waiting in place, but you can't give up hope. you have to keep on believing in a better future, while also doing what you can to ensure that happens, even if you can't do much. it's very much an anti-doomerism story at its heart, and in this day and age, that's extremely relevant.
at the same time, the story is definitely where most of my nitpicks are. specifically, the pacing of the altabury arc. it's is so, so rushed. there are back-to-back plot twists that each radically change the story, with levels of foreshadowing ranging some some to none, and absolutely no breathing space between them. louis is dead! oh wait, he wasn't the bad guy and forden was! oh wait, louis isn't dead after all and now forden is! rella is helping us! oh wait, she's evil and brainwashing people! except no, she's actually performing a thanatos gambit to help us!
like, good grief. there should have been at least a week between louis' death and his resurrection (and a LOT more foreshadowing about zorba's survival). the fact that you don't even fight forden also just sucks. space those events out, give us a small battle against forden before louis shanks him, and then have a mage academy dungeon (where you can possibly see the ruins of the real-life academia). there - that would have been much better.
i also thought while the worldbuilding in general was good, the sanctism religion was very weak, especially given the huge effect religious zealotry has on the plot. like, who is their god? what does he do? like, we get answers to the hatred towards elda and their pushing of igniters, but both of those things pre-reveal feel extremely disconnected from the idea of a faith.
characters
yeah i love these guys. the cast is fun, and i liked all of the followers/found them compelling, which is more than what i can say about persona social links at times. the OG team of will, strohl, gallica and hulkenburg is great, and i thought the vast majority of party members were also written really well.
basilio and eupha specifically feel like atlus saw all of the criticism about haru's introduction to persona 5, and addressed them when it came to the late-game party members. basilio is introduced in arc three and has a huge presence in arc four before he joins in altabury. eupha is introduced fairly late, however she's also integral to the story and feels like she's contributing.
in fact, the game was fairly good at balancing the party's screen time. strohl remains relevant due to being will's mouthpiece, hulkenburg isn't super important during brilehaven/eht ria, but returns to the spotlight once the game focuses on the prince, and junah's connections to rella and basilio keep her important.
... you might have noticed an absence from that list, namely, heismay. yeah - while atlus went out of their way to avoid a haru, they still added a yusuke to the plot. namely, an early-game character who has no personal connection to the lore or other major characters whatsoever. he's completely irrelevant post-martira, and his personal struggles lack cohesion with the story's overall plot. he could have been a follower and nothing would have changed.
i also think will is a really poor protagonist for this sort of game. while he's got a bit more character than most persona protags, he's still a borderline silent protagonist, and that doesn't work in a game where he's meant to be using his charisma and getting people onto his side via speeches. like, i just remember being astounded during the brilehaven arc once they present johanna as their bounty - will does nothing while strohl is the one to do all the talking, with occasional interjections from hulkenburg! if i was in the audience there, i'd want strohl as the king, not the dude who said like one line!
anyway, end rant, and back to the set of characters i haven't talked about yet, namely the antagonists. they're predominately good! forden and louis were both really fun takes on the SMT law/chaos alignments, especially louis. while forden could have done with more screentime, i have zero complaints about louis. he was sympathetic in a wretched way that excused none of his evil, and i liked that he genuinely believed he was doing what was right for the world, even though it clearly wasn't.
in terms of more borderline antagonists, i enjoyed fidelio and rella in particular a lot. rella was easily the character whose motives i had the most trouble placing, which made picking apart her actions extremely facinating, and fidelio's character growth was great. joanna (like the martira arc in general) was a bit weaker, and i thought the game cut her waaaaaay too much slack, but eh. it wasn't a big deal.
in the end, i think my favs were hulkenburg, rella, and strohl!
gameplay
first of all, the art direction is sublime. if it doesn't win that category at TGA, i'm gonna be disappointed. there was so much thought put into the game's construction in general, from the use of texture to enhance the storybook aesthetic to the use of esperanto in the visuals/music... like, there are so many references to culture and art history throughout the game, which make it that much richer.
the dungeon crawling is solid, even if it suffers a bit from the calendar system essentially forcing you to one-day the dungeons if you want to make the best use of your time. i'd say not quite as good as persona 5, but better than persona 3 reload. generally, i found the overworld combat a bit clunky - the lack of animation cancelling makes dodging feel laggy, which definitely annoyed me a handful of times. the squad battles are much better though, and really felt like fun puzzles to solve.
i generally enjoyed the archetype system, even if i found the class requirements a bit much at times. the customizability of the party members is refreshing compared to personas, and i like the fact that will isn't significantly more OP than everyone else to the point of making them redundant. what i enjoyed less though was the fact that you don't get a dedicated magic user until the final battle of arc three, essentially forcing will into becoming a mage... which bites you in the ass when his royal archetype turns out to be a mixed attacker which favours physical. oops.
like with persona games, i'm so/so on the calendar system. i like the resource management it introduces, but as mentioned above, i don't like how it forces you into charging through dungeons instead of exploring them at your own pace.
on the flip side, the follower system is far better than the social link one. having fewer ranks meant there weren't really any filler episodes, and the lack of hold-out visits was so refreshing. i also liked everyone's schedule not being constrained to days, but instead adjusting so you can't rank up someone back-to-back.
i think that's all i have to say, really! despite my criticisms, i really hope atlus takes certain things from this game into consideration for persona 6, and i think all the years they spent on this game paid off.
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benjjedi · 4 months ago
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Could someone, preferably anyone who's unbiased, PLEASE explain to me how the heck anyone could still support someone like Donald Trump after everything he's said and done??
I genuinely would love to know how he's considered "the best" compared to more qualified candidates. He took a good economy and absolutely TANKED it because he and his administration botched the handling of one of the worst pandemics of our time.
"BuT GaS prICes WeRe BEttER unDEr TRuMp!"
Only because people were hardly going anywhere due to the lockdowns. And guess what? The President doesn't have a hand in the gas prices. It's just greedy corporations who are price gouging at the pumps.
And then, he has the gall to brag about getting Roe V. Wade repealed thanks to his Far Right Wing picks for Supreme Court when he was in charge. Don't even get me started on Republicans' hypocrisy when Obama was in charge and they told him he couldn't fill an SC vacancy during an Election Year, but let Trump do so in 2020.
Guys, without going into full detail, this Election Year is WAY TOO IMPORTANT to sit out. The thought of a second Trump term genuinely fills me with dread. Remember how in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the big bad of the series, Lord Voldemort, took control of the Ministry of Magic from behind the curtain and turned it into a dictatorship that made pure-blood wizards and witches the superior race while making life for muggle-born wizards and witches a living hell? Or even countless films, books and video games where America becomes a dystopian country in which hardly anybody has any freedoms? I'm worried that will become our reality if Trump is ever re-elected. And we may never get a chance to vote again. Here's a list of policies and issues Kamala Harris plans to address and deal with, along with comparisons to how Trump would deal with them with Project 2025. I'm planning to vote blue from allowing Trump to ever hold a position of power again. And don't just vote blue on the Presidential level. Be sure to Vote Blue Up And Down The Ballot at the State and local level so we can deliver a Democratic majority to the Senate and House. If you aren't registered to vote, do that.
If you're not sure if you're already registered, check this site to see if you are or not. https://iwillvote.com/
If you can't make it to the polls ON Election Day, November 5th, sign up for absentee voting or a mail-in ballot.
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plushchimera · 2 months ago
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I am deleting veilguard spoilers tags from my blacklist, I am free!
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can't believe I actually guessed the twist x) I was fully prepared for it to be another byproduct of the unfortunate development hell this game went through
and as great the satisfaction of being right is, I have a hard pill to swallow: Varric was *like that* on purpose. Like every time he said something vaguely inspirational and meaningless at the same time, and it was pissing me off. I hate to admit that it makes sense, in the context of him being magically amplified memory of a guy you knew for 6 month who elected himself to be your life coach mentor after you were kicked out from your previous job for being a loose cannon.
You know, I did have fun. I think it's all more disappointing to me because I booted the game with 0 expectations, but then while playing I started to expect certain things. Like you can see all those interesting hooks and questions in front of you only for them to be quietly dropped or resolved instantly. man I'd really love to see regional\factions storylines to be expanded and given more time and care, while axing all those meaningless go-kill-stuff-get-a-chest side quests.
okay it's not even worth mentioning really and I attribute it to the development hell as well, but the really bizarre moment when the characters were short of looking straight into the camera, at the player (and I swear Isabela did at some point), saying almost in gaming terms "hey it's time to do our personal quests now!" And then they repeated it 2 or 3 times like I'm a 4 year old. That felt surreal x)
Also the ending crawl. Like please hold the shot for 1,5 seconds longer! It was so quick and abrupt can't even look at the art properly.
Loved companions overall. The codex notes about lighthouse were very cute and I loved them too! wish I've gotten the 3rd book club meeting note but alas.
Lucanis' romance was mostly implied but I can live with that x) I left Emmrich in my og save, I'll watch it on youtube probably.
I need a "do it for her" wall with pictures of Bellara
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cbk1000 · 1 year ago
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Not to keep belabouring this point, but as we are now in Election Year, this is your friendly reminder that I don't give a fuck what you think about Biden. I don't care how you feel about his administration's response to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. I don't care if you think he's too old, not progressive enough, etc. etc. etc.
The reality is that, unless something major changes, either Trump or Biden will be elected to the presidency in November. Our voting system is deeply flawed and deserving of criticism. But nothing magical is going to happen between now and November. There will absolutely, categorically, be no other viable choice, no third-party candidate, no perfect leftist wet dream that swoops in at the last minute to make you feel tingly in your moral purity. Unless one of them dies between now and then (and even if Biden does, guess what: the Dems aren't going to put up the Ideal Progressive as their candidate), you will get Biden, or you will get Trump. If you think you are Doing Something for the Palestinian cause by helping Trump to get elected--and that is what you are doing if you throw a tantrum and abstain from voting in a race that current polling indicates is going to be sphincter-clenching tight--I have a bridge to sell you very cheap.
However poorly you think Biden is doing, what do you think a second Trump term is going to do, domestically and abroad? Trump has consistently and regularly praised various dictators and authoritarian strongmen around the world. He admires them. He wants to be one of them. That is who we will have if Biden is not elected. You will actively harm not only vulnerable people in the U.S., but those outside this country who will be affected by the policies of Putin's biggest stan.
You need to hold your nose and vote. I am genuinely sorry that is the reality of our broken election system, but it IS the reality, and ignoring that will do far more harm than voting for Biden. Everywhere the Republicans hold power they are pushing anti-abortion legislation, they are banning books, they are trying to prevent teachers from talking about racism, they are denying trans people access to medical care. If you want to see that at the federal level, then go ahead, don't vote. And then shut your fucking whiny mouths about the Progressive Cause, because you don't even care enough about it to make the most basic effort to try and stop the people who are actively harming all those minority groups you only advocate for in online echo chambers where you think you can get a rimjob for being a good little progressive who uses all the right buzzwords.
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