#jure core

[mitamicah]

As a sort of sequel to this post here's December fits that give me JO or Käärijä vibes :3

Häärijä (self explainatory x'D)

Khäärijä (blue shirt AND a pikachu? 👀)

Jure :3 (frills is something I can see him go for - when it's not transparent lace or the cowboy jacket x'D) and Stoice Kris *the white version* (the shoulders got me :'D)

and Tampere Bojan (sparkles!!)

[hotcat37]

Nonbinary!Jure moodboard? I realised I had ask the others already (ftm!Nace, ftm!Jan, ftm!Bojan, mtf!Kris) but I left out poor Jure😭.

💜🖤💛🤍

[elmaxlys]

Nouvelle Ville, Nouvelle Vie - Chapitre 1 : partie 1

Prologue

Les premiers jours furent agités. Une course constante contre les horaires de la fonction publique, les attentes interminables aux téléphones de secrétaires, les fouilles effrénées pour tel ou tel objet dans les cartons toujours disséminés çà et là. 

Bien vite, tout fut en ordre et leurs vies purent reprendre souffle. Reprendre un cours normal. Mais quel pouvait être ce normal après un changement si radical ? Tag, allongé jambe surélevée sur le canapé, ne pouvait s'empêcher de pester à son encontre.

Il était seul. Il le serait désormais bien souvent. Pas de cours, pas d'amis, pas de foot - et son père au travail. Il partait tôt le matin pour prendre le train, ne rentrait pas si tard mais suffisamment pour que Tag mijote dans ses sentiments un poil trop longtemps.

Pablo le retrouvait d'une humeur massacrante. Après une nuit de sommeil, Tag comprenait, il s'en voulait - mais à qui pouvait-il s'excuser quand la maison ne faisait que renvoyer l'écho de ses pas, désertée avant même qu'il ne fût réveillé ? Et la journée recommençait, peu ou prou identique aux autres. Tag comptait les jours.

Il n'avait plus mal au genou (ou si peu). L'attelle n'était plus qu'une formalité, le genre de chose que Tag avait toujours détesté. Maintenant que la douleur était passée, il n'arrivait plus à se concentrer sur le besoin d'immobilité pour sauvegarder son avenir. Seule l'impatience restait, le rongeant toujours un peu plus profond.

Malgré tout, il essayait. Il défaisait les cartons pour se distraire, trouver quelque chose à faire. Il parlait avec Gab, aussi - quand il répondait. Il envoyait des messages aux autres, bien sûr - leurs réponses étaient tout aussi rares. Pour certains, il comprenait, il savait, il se le rappelait constamment : ils n'avaient que très peu d'accès à la technologie et l'absence de réponse n'était que naturelle. 

Zanguezinho, par exemple, mettait un point d'honneur à lui répondre au moins une fois par semaine quand il arrivait à choper un accès internet. Et comme Tag passait pas mal de son temps à ne rien faire devant l'ordinateur de son père en attendant que les jours passent, il arrivait qu'ils soient connectés en même temps, et qu'ils puissent discuter en direct. Que Tag bénissait ces instants...

Quant aux autres, plus ça allait, plus il se demandait si vraiment ils étaient amis. Est-ce qu'il les ennuyait ? L'avaient-ils tout simplement oublié ? Remplacé ? Ses messages leur semblaient-ils une quête d'attention d'un gamin en mal d'amour ? N'auraient-ils pas raison ?

Il ne disait rien. Continuait d'envoyer des "j'espère que ça va" et autres tfk. Recevait des réponses évasives ou même aucune et reprenait sa vie, le creux dans son ventre toujours plus profond.

Il se sentait seul, se sentait mal. Requin répondait dans la demi-heure, sans faute. Et s'il mettait plus de temps, c'était qu'il jouait ou arbitrait. Mais Tag en venait même à se sentir coupable de l'accaparer, de le déranger.

- On est frères, Tag, jamais tu me dérangerais, lui avait assuré Requin au téléphone un soir où Tag ne pouvait pas dormir.

Alors Tag se sentait coupable de penser à Requin comme de quelqu'un d'aussi mesquin et se sentait illégitime et s'enfonçait, s'enfonçait, s'enfonçait.

Pablo le remarquait bien en rentrant. Ne savait pas quoi dire. Ne pouvait que penser à ces années où il n'avait pas été là - certes pas par choix, mais les conséquences sur son garçon se fichaient des raisons. Il s'asseyait à ses côtés sur le canapé, quand il n'était pas trop remonté, et l'attirait à lui d'un bras.

- Je suis désolé de ne pas pouvoir être là.

- C'est rien, lui assurait son fils avec toute l'assurance de qui se ment à soi-même. T'es adulte, tu dois travailler, c'est normal.

Quand il tentait d'être sérieux, de lui affirmer que c'était tout aussi normal de se sentir seul et abandonné, mais que quoi qu'il arriverait plus jamais Pablo ne le laisserait, Tag dédramatisait, plaisantait, changeait de sujet. Mais quand il ne disait rien de plus ou se levait pour préparer le dîner, Tag le prenait mal, s'énervait ou se renfermait encore davantage.

Pablo souriait toujours, mais son sourire s'alourdissait, tirait ses yeux. Même aux premiers jours Tag n'avait pas été aussi mal. Sans comprendre, loin de tous ceux qu'il aimait, il avait fait face avec son arrogance coutumière, pris son ballon et défié les caïds du quartier. En quelques jours il s'était imposé dans la ville et dans leurs cœurs. Telle était la force de son Sébastien.

Mais ici, il n'avait pas encore mis un pied dehors.

Pablo avait essayé de lui en parler, lui avait dit d'aller se promener, trouver des adeptes du foot de rue même en béquilles, histoire de ne pas être seul. Mais Tag s'était énervé.

Pablo avait vu briller des larmes dans ses beaux yeux verts. Colère, frustration ou tristesse, Pablo n'en était pas sûr, mais il avait décidé de ne pas insister. Il restait moins d'une semaine. Quelques jours seulement jusqu'au rendez-vous qui rendrait à Tag sa liberté.

Et, ce jour fatidique enfin arrivé, Pablo l'accompagna.

Le médecin ausculta, testa et posa des questions. Tag aurait menti au diable en personne pour sortir de cette attelle, Pablo en était certain. Le médecin dut le voir aussi. La sentence tomba : plus d'attelle mais une genouillère de maintien. Tag avait ses instructions : il trépignait comme une puce.

Sur le trajet du retour, Tag semblait animé d'un éclat nouveau, racontant à son père ce qu'il avait appris sur la communauté de foot de rue de la ville en fouinant sur le forum : où ils se rassemblaient et quand, quelles étaient les équipes, ses analyses des vidéos qu'ils avaient partagé.

- Ils ont tous l'air un peu jeune, conclut-il. Je me demande s'il y a des joueurs de mon âge.

Et Pablo, soucieux de ne plus revoir son fils avec une mine aussi sombre, le souhaitait aussi sincèrement.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to write charisma in different characters? like a royal , a moody teen , a young leader?

Writing Notes: Charismatic Characters

Charisma - a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader); a special magnetic charm or appeal (Merriam-Webster)

As a Literary Trope:

It determines someone's ability to influence others.

Fairly vague in nature, this influence can take the form of anything from inspiring loyalty to intimidating others, and finds its natural home in checks involving interactions.

While usually not explicitly supernatural, it can nevertheless even work on supernatural entities in some settings. One guide on different levels of charisma:

The character is adept at understanding and manipulating other people, though not outstandingly good.

The character is likely a leader or performer by profession. They have a talent for evoking emotion in others, through speeches, artistic works or possibly just idle taunts.

The character begins to become more influential than almost anyone has a right to be. A paragon of virtue or brutal dictator are both possible paths.

It doesn't matter how good you are. This guy or gal has several hundred devoted followers to match you, possibly even an entire army or country. Negotiation, bribery, blackmail...none of these will have any effect when matched against raw zeal. It's not like you'll be able to resist for long, anyway.

"The Leader" Trope

Every group usually has a leader. When push comes to shove, there's gotta be someone that stands up, takes charge, and makes a decision. Even if it goes unsaid, it's usually obvious to everyone who's calling the shots.

The de facto leader does it out of necessity or their personality type.

The de jure leader is officially agreed upon, and may hold the title or rank.

One type is the "Charismatic" Leader. Defining trait: Likeability. The Face of the team, either because they're the most feared, most skilled, most loved and respected, chosen by destiny, or are the most personally invested in the team's goals. In contrast to Masterminds, their personality is what brings, and keeps, the team together. At an impasse, everyone else is willing to agree to what they want to do and won't argue. The strongest of these are the core of their group, weaker ones are mascots or figureheads. May overlap with or evolve into any of the other three types of leaders (The Mastermind; the Levelheaded; the Headstrong).

The "Universally Beloved Leader" Trope

Everyone loves this ruler.

A simple request — not an order, but an appeal — will get immediate results.

Even their enemies will acknowledge their virtue, viewing them as Worthy Opponents.

The "Magnetic Hero" Trope

Another leader character trope with charisma.

Occasionally, you get a hero with such personal magnetism that he is capable of persuading others, to join him in his quest.

Of course, the new companion has no qualms about killing for, or even dying for, the hero, despite having known him only briefly and facing many people who want him dead.

This is a staple of fiction that may well be Older Than They Think.

Many epics and legends chronicle the process by which a hero gathers a band of motley friends and allies of dubious background but doubtless courage and nobility.

Even if the hero has no special quality compared to his subordinates, this is often his implied "power", their heart.

Charismatic Leadership

A subtype of transformational leadership.

In charismatic leadership, the leader checks all 4 of the boxes outlined below but he or she is also very skilled in communicating with others, especially on a deeper level (Riggio, 2012).

Bass’ transformational leadership style, characterized by:

Idealized influence: the leader is liked and respected by their followers, and serve as a role model.

Inspirational motivation: the leader motivates and inspires their followers.

Intellectual stimulation: the leader promotes creativity and innovation through open-mindedness and non-threatening questioning of ideas.

Individualized consideration: the leader treats each follower as a unique individual with unique strengths, weaknesses, and needs (Bass & Riggio, 2006).

The Greek word charisma means "favor" or "gift."

It comes from the verb charizesthai ("to favor"), which in turn comes from the noun charis, meaning "grace."

In English, charisma was originally used in Christian contexts to refer to a gift or power bestowed upon an individual by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church—a sense that is now very rare.

These days, we use the word to refer to social, rather than divine, grace. For instance, a leader with charisma may easily gain popular support, and a job applicant with charisma may shine in an interview.

Some researchers suggest charisma isn't enough to make successful leaders. "If leaders are only charismatic, they'd rather keep power for themselves," Stefani Yorges, PhD, a West Chester University psychology professor notes.

Psychologist Robert Hogan, PhD, agrees, suggesting that charisma has a dark side resembling narcissism. 

"People who score high on narcissism are bold, assertive, attractive and powerful - what we would consider charismatic," Hogan says. "But they can fail as leaders because they never admit mistakes. It's a myth that great leaders are simply charismatic. They are also humble."

Charismatic, Moody Teen Character

some related tropes you can combine and borrow ideas from:

A Child Shall Lead Them: A child, often a teenager, leads a group of adults. Youthful rulers are common in literature and history. If children, they are depicted as adorable; if in their teens or twenties, they simply create a sense of awe and protectiveness in their older advisers. Their naive simplicity may in fact make them good (and sometimes ruthless) rulers, as they prefer to cut through the red tape of court etiquette. Because of their youth and inexperience, they are often underestimated by the villains. They usually exhibit great wisdom in the course of the story, thus justifying their enormous power despite their youth.

Grade-School C.E.O.: A minor, often a teenager, holds a high-ranking position in a company. Usually younger than 17 years old, which is just young enough that it seems implausible. Often the age is justified by the fact that their parents owned the controlling interest in the company, so ownership of it fell to them upon their death.

Teens Are Angsty: Teens portrayed as whiny, mopey or self-important. They can be summed up in the sentence "Nobody understands me!". Most works with an angsty teen do it semi-sympathetically, where the character is at worst whiny and judgmental, but fundamentally good. However, it's not considered Age-Appropriate Angst as their complaints feel unjustified for their age.

Charismatic Royal Characters

some related tropes for inspiration:

The Good King: Is honorable, virtuous, wise, and understanding ruling The Good Kingdom. He treats his subjects with respect (no matter how seemingly unimportant they are), governs the land fairly, is a Royal Who Actually Does Something, and feels no need to flaunt his considerable power. The Good King also tends to be soft-spoken, but when he raises his voice, you’d better listen. You might mistake his kindness for weakness, but you would do well to remember that good does not always equal soft.

The High King: A person who even other rulers swear fealty to, but chooses not to hold the rank of Emperor. It is a title derived from historical Britain (with approximate equivalents in several other places), and widely used in fiction. A High King rules a feudal alliance or federation of states; usually he doesn't manifest direct power over all subjects of his vassal kings, which makes him different from a totalitarian emperor who is omnipresent in the daily affairs of his subjects. That's why a High King is likely to be good.

The High Queen: A woman of wealth, power, and near-impossible beauty. She always has a calm demeanor and regal bearing. Her very voice, even if it does not ring with power (and it often does), still lets you know that, in some way, she is probably better than you, even if the lady herself does not look down on you at all. Her beauty and goodness are usually to be admired passionately but from some distance. The High Queen is rarely a love interest, but the few times she is, expect a little warming up due to the charms of the hero.

Reluctant Ruler: Someone who is entrusted with permanent power over others despite desperately trying to avoid it at all costs. It is believed that between a brilliant person who strives for glory and a brilliant person who shuns it, the latter is least likely to abuse the power they are given, automatically making them a passable, if not great, ruler.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some references and related tropes. Choose which ones best suit your story. And modify as needed/desired. You can find more examples and details in the sources linked above. Hope this helps with your writing!

[tanadrin]

One of the arguments Zubok seems to be developing in this book on the fall of the USSR is that a huge factor in its breakup was Russian nationalism: as the other Soviet republics began to assert their rights and identities in '89 onward, the Russians seemed to be looking at each other and being like, "hey, why don't we have the same national rights?" There was no Russia-only branch of the CPSU, no quotas for Russians in universities, no particularly Russian state institutions--Russia was, despite being by far the largest part of the USSR, very unlike the other republics in being sort of a glue holding them together.

This was probably for solid historical reasons--Lenin and co. took very seriously the idea that the USSR should be a multinational state, and whether they succeeded or not the subsequent generations of Soviet leadership carried this idea forward: the USSR was not supposed to be a Russian-chauvinist enterprise. But resentment of protections for minorities--a sort of Soviet version of "white people are the most oppressed ethnicity in America"--in the context of everything else happening politically in the USSR at the time made Russian nationalism politically very salient, including (given how other republics like Lithuania were going) talk of Russian secession.

The USSR could have survived Lithuania seceding in a way it never could have survived Russia seceding, obviously; Russian nationalism was by far the most efficient way to destroy the Soviet Union. And the Politburo recognized this: they discussed in 1989 versions of plans mooted as far back as Andropov's premiership of balancing the internal relationship between the republics by breaking the RSFSR into smaller units, either de jure or just de facto. In the event, it seems like other events (the failure of perestroika, the August coup, etc) overtook them before anything could have been done about it, but it's interesting to note that the breakup of the USSR was not (only) peripheral regions trying to escape a state to which they were unhappily wedded, but also the core region of that state wanting to jump ship as well.

[rollinginthedeep-swan]

Bouteille à la mer

J'hésite depuis un moment mais voilà, je tourne en rond à force d'avoir graphé encore et encore sur ce personnage (Oliver jackson cohen) que je joue depuis un moment. Si des gens sont intéressé-e-s pour faire quelques avatars sur lui, je vous en serais super reconnaissante !

Pour commencer, voici quelques shoot (vous pouvez en prendre d'autres bien entendu) : https://imgbox.com/g/HWEIsvMNfd

Une playlist : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AqiisOGKfAP96ZGsYk5yY?si=536636fcfdbc41cc&pt=311e2e2c332ecf611014a7ac8c905ced

Un moodboard : https://fr.pinterest.com/swanarchie/jude/

Les thèmes abordés : Deuil, exorcisme, médiumnité, apprentissage du contrôle, le cœur (heartrender), la mort et le pardon.

Le personnage : Un peu beaucoup sarcastique, grand fumeur et buveur de café, jure en gaélique (Pays de galles), cottage core, hotel/agence qu'il tente de maintenir debout, a l'air un peu revêche et con mais tente de sauver le cul de tout le monde, burnout et poches trouées.

Je suis toujours en thème sombre sur les forums.

Merci d'avance, que vous soyez tenté-e-s ou pas. <3

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

You ever wonder why only sheznaya seems to have any kind of diplomatic core? Like we rarely see or hear of any of the other governments interacting in any official capacity. At least that I've heard of.

that is a good question actually

from a lore presepective? i think this stems mostly from the fact all nations have wildly different types of governance. snezhnaya seems to run under the different fatui harbingers, who all answer to the tsaritsa. they have bankers and mayors in their group, and they live in a difficult environment (plus they have traditional non-morally-white organization Goals, and so need to have Reach on all nations), so it would make sense for them to reach out and seek cooperation. assuming you want to buy the idea that they have intentions beyond Fatui Plans for having diplomats, of course. it's also perfectly likely for it all to be a poorly-disguised cover for the gnosis hunt lore-wise as well.

liyue is the closest to them i think, in that it runs under the qixing which used to run under (or parallel to?) rex lapis. now that it's just the qixing, and they're the trade center for teyvat, it makes sense why you'd see relatively prosperous diplomatic relationships with snezhnaya there - but also since they're a bountiful land, they've no need to send out diplomats. besides, there's the fact that the only seemingly functional land trading road in the game is between liyue and mondstadt, who,

are currently without their de jure leader, and jean is mostly just holding the fort till vakra returns. the knights can barely keep monstadt in check so it wouldn't make sense for them to need foreign relations when all they probably need can be obtained from World Trade Hub next door (liyue). this might change with dornman port tho

fontaine also seems to funcition like a more recognizable government, but they also seem so self-suficient (and self-absorbed) to have any need for diplomats. again, they also have a very clear trade route with sumeru in place (speaking of, who the fuck runs sumeru? the akademiya?) sumeru also has clearly established trade routes, and if they are run by the akademiya, are probably too absorbed with research to bother with foreign relationships. everyone comes to study there anyway, diplomats or no, and they send their researchers out to all nations.

inazuma was literally closed until less than a year ago. allegedly. inazuma is, also, the only other one you'll see trying for foreign relationships and diplomatic plays. that's the whole reason why ayaka and ayato were there on the fontinalia festival. so i guess, at the end of the day, the only reason why inazuma doesn't have a diplomatic core the same way snezhnaya does is bc they were literally closed until very recently.

and natlan seems to be closed as well, so we'll have to see.

also, were there any fatui diplomats in fontaine and sumeru? as in, under that pretense? bc we know the ones in mondstadt were there to sus out barbatos, the ones in liyue were there to sus out morax, and the ones in inazuma (which i wouldn't even know if they counted as diplomats) were there to give watatsumi delusions (and yoink the gnosis. i can't remember how signora came into all of this tbh). as far as i recall, there were no 'diplomats' in sumeru, i don't think dottore arrived under that pretense. if he did, we know it was to get scara. and in fontaine- all fatui in fontaine were just house of the hearth members, whom i don't think qualify as diplomats. there might've been 'diplomats' in other world quests, but i can't remember right now. i also can't remember why tf childe was in fontaine to begin with ngl

TL;DR: from a lore perspective, i don't have an answer and it's an interesting question and whatever ideas i have are long as fuck. from a non-lore perspective, this is probably just bc the fatui are the scheeming antagonists out on a hunt for one specific gizmo present in each nation, and so they need spies and information networks and subterfuge n shit. like i'm fairly certain that's the only reason why they seem to be the only ones with a diplomatic core.

[jokeroutsubs]

[📝ENG Translation] Joker Out: The audience in Skopje is incredible, we feel at home here

Original article written by Antonija Janevska for Meta.mk, published on 29.11.2024. English translation by IG marijakonte and IG a.mitrulova, proofread by @flowerlotus8

Full article below the cut!

A couple of days before the concert in Skopje, we spoke with Bojan and Kris about Souvenir Pop, the eventful year of touring and much more.Bojan and Kris from the popular Slovenian band Joker Out, in the interview for Meta.mk before the concert in Skopje this weekend say that whenever they go to a Balkan country, they feel a bit different, special, "like home, but warmer".

With over 26 million streams on the third album called Souvenir Pop, the band continues to grow on the Balkan music scene. They started this year with a European tour, festivals, and on Sunday, December 1st, with the one off-programe of "Taksirat" they have a concert in Skopje as part of their balkan tour dedicated to the new album.

The five members of the band are Bojan (lead vocal), Kris (guitar), Nace (bass guitar), Jure (drums) and Jan (guitar). Ahead of the exciting concert in Skopje, we spoke witlh Bojan and Kris about Souvenir Pop, the eventful year on tour and much more.

You started this year with a European tour, spent the summer playing festivals, released your third album, and you're now on a Balkan tour. What was the process like recording your album amidst all of that?

Bojan: It was a hard, but fulfilled year. I guess that Eurovision started it all, but in retrospect we didn't know that it would start a so-called "era" of an album for us. The real start was at the beginning of January, we spent 2 months in London and started the preparations for the album. We started writing most of the songs there, shaping them, and some of them were played on the tour before we finished them.

Kris: Some songs were made there, but a lot of them were finished later in a studio in Hamburg.

Bojan: For example, 'Lips', 'Mesto duhov' and 'Stephanie' got the finishing touches in Ljubljana.

Last year you mentioned that London inspires you which is why you chose to start making the album there. What was the experience like and how did it influence Souvenir Pop?

Kris: That was before we moved to London, in retrospect i can say that it wasn't what I expected, we went for a more nostalgic "Yugo era" atmosphere with our music than we expected to in London. I can't explain why it happened, maybe we were nostalgic for home. London was very inspiring because we met a lot of other amazing artists that inspired us.

Did the team that worked on this album change?

Bojan: We work with the same "sixth member" regarding to our music, and that is our producer Žare. Of course he worked on the album, he was in London and during the whole process with us. The main team stays the same.

Considering the different genres throughout the album, how did you ensure that all songs would fit into the concept of the album?

Bojan: Now that we can listen to it without working on it, I can understand that it sounds coherent and put-together, but while we were making it, it sounded like it was very all over the place, and when you look at the genres, that's true. But, now I can see that it has a coherent and structured sound, you can tell that the same people made it, going through the same things. Even though the stories are completely different and the sound of the songs are different, I feel that it's a piece that comes from a very stable core.

The song 'Šta bih ja' was announced as a single, but it's interesting that the fans were singing it before it was even published. Why do you think this became such a phenomenon among the fans?

Kris: I'm surprised from the postive reaction it got befre even coming out, of course we thought it was a good song, i'm still surprised. The March tour was exciting because we played new songs, and one of them was 'Šta bih ja' which is the most energetic song of the new ones, so I guess somehow it became the centre of attention. The audience connected with the song. Even now it's still one of the most exciting songs on the concerts. In the Ljubljana shows, both nights it was my favourite song to play, so we're definitely excited to play it in Skopje.

Bojan: When we played it for the first time in Helsinki, people couldn't sing it, but the audience just exploded. They had no idea what the lyrics meant, but as they say, it's just "cool".

Which of the new songs are your favourites for performing live?

Kris: For me, they would be 'Šta bih ja' or 'Мesto duhov', and 'Вluza'. 'Вluza' is also adored by the fans.

Bojan: For me, they are 'Ako toga više neće biti', 'Šta bih ja' and 'Еverybody’s Waiting'.

Which song took you the most time to work on?

Bojan: 'Šta bih ja', because we went in the studio after we already had performed it a couple of times live during the tour. It was like when you start off something with very high expectations and have a very clear picture for what you want to achieve. But, it is almost impossible to achieve those expectations.

Kris: That was the first song that we started working on in Hamburg and the last song that we finished.

Although 'Lips' was not released as a single, it became one of the more popular songs from Souvenir Pop, and at the same time it's the most different one compared to your previous songs. What was the creative process behind the creation of that song?

Bojan: It started off as a regular rock'n'roll song which should have been in English and French, but that didn't work out, so we abandoned the idea. After that, we came back to Ljubljana, Žare was playing rhythm, so I came up with one part of the lyrics and we kind of started to build up on that, I had to do the melody and lyrics. Nace was the essential missing piece of the puzzle, he took the ideas for the rhythm and vocals and he structured it all together. He organised the others to record the guitars and the synthesiser, but it included a lot of effort from everyone.

Bojan, considering the fact that you're the one writing the songs, how was the experience of working on songs in three different languages for this album?

Bojan: It's very different, but we're experienced with being away from home and with people who don't speak Slovene, so I spent a lot of time not only communicating, but also processing thoughts in English, Serbian and Slovene. It was quite interesting how many different thoughts and stories naturally came out of me in different languages, now I believe that I can be honest with myself in different ways and languages, which is quite cool because I have found a tool to even be more open with myself in music. I cannot wait to continue writing.

After Eurovision, you succeeded to maintain and even increase the number of listeners, which is not the case for many musicians who participate in the competition. Why do you think that you succeeded to keep the public interested?

Kris: None of us would be able to completely answer this question because even we are still surprised, but I think it was important that we productively seized the opportunities after Eurovision, our first concerts after Slovenia were in Dublin, which maybe wasn't even a few weeks after Eurovision. A lot of other artists need a break after that. which is understandable. The same summer we immediately went to Dublin and the United Kingdom, and then in September in the Scandinavian countries and the same process continues to this day. I think that played a big part of it, we didn't let anyone to forget about us, or at least anyone that was interested in our music. We also did something that perhaps is not very reccomended, but every week when we had free time, we were going in the studio and we were working on new music because we knew that at some point we would have to justify the success with new music, to keep the people interested. In my opinion, hard work is what led us to here.

Bojan: I think that it is very important that we had music even before we went on Eurovision, so we were not something that only existed in competitions, but we have fans at home, which is really important. Another thing is that, we are a band and people want to listen to bands live. As a band, we can perform anywhere regardless if it's a bar or a festival.

When did you determine that the album is finished and ready to be released?

Bojan: When it was released, that is literally when I stopped questioning myself whether it's done and ready.

Kris: It's a big help to have a deadline, otherwise you go in a stupid loophole of doubt. After that, all the changes you think should be made don't matter anymore and you won't even remember what you wanted to change. We are very pleased with the reactions, I think that people understand in which direction we were headed with Souvenir Pop.

Because you recently started the Balkan tour, do you recognise any difference in the enthusiasm of the audience here in comparison with the rest of Europe?

Bojan: The feeling is different whenever we arrive in some Balkan country, we always feel at home, but even warmer. We are always warmly welcomed either from the people who work for the organisers of the concerts or from the fans. The people here are really hospitable. We feel at home, and of course the food is always incredible.

Kris: That's why I'm excited for the concert in Skopje, from what we had seen last time it's a wonderful city, so that's the reason I want to go back. The audience was fantastic. There were big technical difficulties, but the audience was so fantastic, that we forgot about those technical problems

Tickets for tomorrow's gig are still available here.

[wishful-thinking64]

HH Rewrite Related Post #03

I've finally finished Lavanya's (renamed Charlie) key information for her character sheet! And with it comes a bit of lore for what I have in store. __________ [FULL NAME & NICKNAME] 🞂 LAVANYA MORNINGSTAR. 🞂 PREFERS TO BE CALLED ANYA. 🞂 With her first name meaning beauty and grace, Lucifer & Lilith thought it was the perfect name to give to their little princess. [D.O.B] 🞂 BORN DECEMBER 31ST, 2002. 🞂 Anya can't help but see her birthday as a bad omen due to having been born on the last day of the year when Hell's annual Extermination takes place. She'll put on a smile for her parents when in their presence but otherwise she'll be sulking in her room, silently wishing for the day to be over.

[AGE] 🞂 BIOLOGICALLY 22. [SPECIES] 🞂 HALF BAPHOMET DEMON (OTHER HALF UNKNOWN.)

[GENDER & SEX] 🞂 FEMALE.

[SEXUALITY] 🞂 BISEXUAL.

[SOCIAL STATUS] 🞂 PRINCESS OF HELL.

[ROYAL EMBLEM] 🞂 THE FORBIDDEN APPLE OF KNOWLEDGE. [IMMEDIATE FAMILY] 🞂 LILITH MORNINGSTAR = MOM. 🞂 LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR = DAD.

[EXTENDED FAMILY] 🞂 1 GRANDFATHER. 🞂 1 HALF UNCLE. 🞂 5 UNCLES & 3 AUNTS. 🞂 2 COUSINS. 🞂 Anya's never met most of her extended family thanks to two main reasons. The first being that most of them are in Heaven and the second but more important reason is that most of them have been and STILL are missing with the exception of her aunt, Adina Delacroix, and her daughters, Raquel & Amariel. In the absence of Elohim, Jesus (yes, he's the half uncle), and the 7 Heavenly Virtues, Adina was selected as Heaven's de jure leader as she is the only angel who both birthed and mothered an Archangel's children.

[FRIENDS] 🞂 ONLY 6. 🞂 As Princess of Hell and heir to the throne, her parents made sure that their daughter understood that she had to be careful choosing her friends as there’ll always be people who just want to use her money and her status. Her parents' words would lead to Anya's very seldom way of thinking when it comes to making friends as she would make her very first friend in the 3rd Grade. Over the years she’s amassed a tightly knit friend group consisting of six other demons excluding herself. Sometimes she jokes about them being the new Seven Deadly Sins.

[RELATIONSHIP STATUS] 🞂 FORMERLY DATED LAZARUS VON ELDRITCH. 🞂 CURRENTLY DATING VALORIS CARMINE. 🞂 Going from dating a fellow aristocrat in Hell’s hierarchy to dating the daughter of an Overlord isn’t too much of a leap in logic but it is still a noticeable difference. Thanks to her parents not many people publicly commented on their daughter’s romantic life (lest they wish to be publicly executed or suffer true torture for the rest of their damned afterlife) though people have always wondered what caused the end of her and Lazarus’ relationship along with the beginning of Anya’s relationship with Valoris. At the very least she seems to be happy with Valoris. [CORE PERSONALITY TRAITS] 🞂 AMIABLE. 🞂 AUTHENTIC. 🞂 AUTOCRATIC (you’ve gotta be a bit bossy if you’re going to be the future face of Hell.) 🞂 CLUMSY. 🞂 COMPASSIONATE. 🞂 CREATIVE. 🞂 DETERMINED. 🞂 INDECISIVE. 🞂 NAIVE. 🞂 OPTIMISTIC. 🞂 OVEREMOTIONAL. 🞂 SCATTERBRAINED.

[CORE ASPIRATIONS] 🞂 HAVING SINNERS ACHIEVE REDEMPTION AT THE HAPPY HOTEL. 🞂 PROVE TO EVERYONE THAT SINNER’S CAN BE REDEEMED. 🞂 DISCOVER MORE WAYS TO IMPROVE HELL. 🞂 HELPING OTHERS TO THE BEST OF HER ABILITY. 🞂 BEING A GOOD PARTNER. 🞂 NOT BEING A FAILURE.

[FEARS] 🞂 AUTOPHOBIA & KAKORRHAPHIOPHOBIA. 🞂 Autophobia is the polarizing fear of being abandoned and alone. If one day, the majority of Hell’s denizens suddenly decided to turn their backs on Anya, she wouldn’t care as long as her friends and family remained at her side. However, if her friends and family had ALL abandoned her, not only would she genuinely have a full blown mental breakdown and sob for months, she’d never be the same again. This does not bode well at all with her other biggest fear being Kakorrhaphiophobia which is the fear of failure. Anya does her best to follow the expectations set on her from her citizens, her parents, and even herself. So when she fails to meet this internal quota of hers, she’ll feel like shit but she’ll convince herself to do better in the future and focus on the Happy Hotel staff and its residents. [THOUGHTS ON HOTEL STAFF] 🞂 FAIRLY POSITIVE. 🞂 For the most part, Anya can see that everybody is trying their best to keep the hotel in business even if they don’t believe in the thought of redemption. She has faith in at least five out of her seven employees coming together to help her make the Hazbin Hotel work.

__________ I hope you guys liked reading Anya's character sheet and I'd like to know what character you'd like to see me write about next. I'll probably do this through a poll so keep your eyes peeled for that and I'll see you guys later!

[lebuc]

affairs of men*

* folks say: "birds of a feather flock together" thus, many seek to shortcut meritocracy & i'd be remiss to ignore such a disheartening strategy when in all my art-ning, at its core i seek to explore the who, when, where & what for

not to mention the whys of our existence & that i harbor no resistance to what's really there

just to be fair. *

many fabled associations with folk* of some note or repute

can carry negative connotations one would be hard-pressed to refute

& it only computes that in your ambulations they can become a yoke as well as a poke

to the powers that be to consider thee, when otherwise you'd be dismissed, outright

as surely as a new day follows, sun-kissed - the coolness, darkness of many a good night. *

when what in our wading pool some'd deem starkness, understand that our relatively sleepy hollows

may shield us from a creepy undertow following the wake of a high-profiled S.S. Mistake

now found sailing down the path of 'de Nile', anxiously dreading its own diss' missiles at trial

for their notable moral failings. with their related renown's death kiss. *

down there, drowning with the coral de jure is certainly where you don't want to be,

we'd be blessed to avoid the deceptive lure of any & such notoriety;

surely - preaching to the choir, here - churchgoers or not, a voir dire tweet of the lyric of William DeVaughn ( it bears repeating ) "just be thankful, for what you've got"

...as our unsullied fates stifle their yawns, & faux meritocracy is left out to rot.. * 9/24 - lebuc - affairs of men* ... * SOME of them... ... Be Thankful For What You've Got - William DeVaughn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSt5MaSDDj8

[mint-ty]

Random post, but I kept thinking how JO each of them seem very different kind of smart? If that makes sense.. I tried to brake it down by person:

Bojan - conventional smartness: can study well, knows languages, respects elders and likes to be polite, A+ student. But it would be easy to scam him (he's already losing things on his own).

Kris - organizational/manager smartness: can see big picture and troubleshoot on the spot, detailed planner. Also probs believes in tough love: "don't be a bitch, just work hard if you want results" type. But doesn't understand why someone would get upset if what he said was true.

Nace - moral/mediator smartness: has very strong emotional core that many people unfortunately lack, and doesn't fall into prejudice. Observes everything very well and with honest openmindedness. But if something went wrong, would probably judge himself first.

Jan - Jan is this internet quote...

He's crisis smart - instead of how others panic and then try to look at things from perspective, Jan really really doesn't want to waste energy so he'll panic only when absolutely necessary. Which is never. Very calming to have around, but sometimes he'd laugh at something and would be too lazy to explain what was funny.

Jure - Social smartness. I honestly don't know why but Jure strikes me as the overall smartest of the group. I have absolutely no evidence why. Like, he likes mischief but would never cross any boundaries. And if things would really go down bad, he'd see that before it blows up and would warn everyone. You know how cats can sense an earthquake few minutes before it actually happens? Something like that. The only "but" for Jure is that he'd probably would wonder off into the fields when he gets too tired of people without telling anyone, exactly like a cat.

Anyway, might be why they're so successful - all kind of smarts in one band 🧠 ( next time: a study on what type of dumb they are)

Bonus: Jere is intuition smart. His intuition works so well that he doesn't need brain.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Possession

The Philosophy of Possession explores the nature, meaning, and implications of owning or holding something—whether it be physical objects, abstract rights, people, ideas, or even emotions. It invites reflection on what it means to say “this is mine,” and the moral, social, and metaphysical dimensions of that claim.

Core Questions in the Philosophy of Possession:

What does it mean to possess something? Is possession merely physical control, legal right, or psychological attachment? Philosophers distinguish between de facto possession (having) and de jure possession (having the right to have).

Is possession natural or constructed? Thinkers like John Locke believed property (a form of possession) arises from mixing labor with nature. Others, like Rousseau, argued that possession and property are social constructs that create inequality.

What is the difference between ownership and possession? Ownership is a legal or moral right; possession is a physical or practical condition. You might possess what you don’t own, or own what you don’t possess.

Can we possess people, emotions, or identities? The idea of “owning” another person is ethically fraught and mostly rejected today. However, many still speak of “possessing” love, knowledge, or personal attributes, raising questions about the boundaries of possession.

Philosophical Perspectives:

Lockean Theory: Possession becomes property through labor. You own what you transform with your work.

Hegelian View: Possession helps the self express its freedom and establish its identity in the world.

Marxist Critique: Private possession, especially of the means of production, leads to alienation and inequality. True human freedom lies in common ownership.

Existentialist Angle: Possession may become a burden. As Sartre suggests, the things we own can come to define or possess us in return.

Possession Beyond Property:

Emotional Possession: “I have peace,” “She owns my heart.” These metaphorical uses suggest a relational or experiential possession that goes beyond materiality.

Spiritual and Religious Views: In many traditions, true possession is illusory. Buddhism, for example, teaches non-attachment to avoid suffering.

Legal and Political Philosophy: Laws of possession shape access to land, resources, and even digital assets—raising ongoing ethical debates in the age of surveillance and intellectual property.

Conclusion:

The philosophy of possession opens up a conversation about what it means to claim, to hold, and to relate to the world through ownership or control. It intersects ethics, metaphysics, economics, politics, and psychology—and challenges us to ask not only what we have, but what having does to us.

[anxious-witch]

Inertia 6

Summary: Newton's first law expresses the principle of inertia: the natural behavior of a body is to move in a straight line at constant speed. In the absence of outside influences, a body's motion preserves the status quo.

Jan choose a direction of his life the moment he walked out of his parents house and cut all contact with them. He didn't want anything to do with them, or God anymore. Even his soulmark he wished he could leave behind. But when Nace Jordan joins the band, with a mark matching his own, can Jan keep going the same way he did? Or will the force make him change a direction?

Pairings: Jan Peteh/Nace Jordan

Warnings: Warning for mentions of religions trauma as per usual, but other than that…I think we might not have any other upsetting things here? Shocker, I know

Notes: AO3 link

A couple of things. First of all, this is second to last chapter! Congratulation to everyone who made it this far with me, I cannot believe I actually got this far into this fic. That said, next update might happen on a Sunday rather than a Saturday, due to my uni assignments. I will try my best to make it in time, but y'know, better safe than sorry.

But yeah! Finally, we are getting to some hurt/comfort and some talking! Enjoy it, you've earned it with all the angst

"I'm not too gone to be healed, am I? I'm not too gone am I?"

- Alice Notley, from In The Pines: Poems; "In The Pines,"

Jan slipped back to consciousness slowly. He firstly became aware of how heavy his body felt. Then of how dry his throat was.

He struggled to open his eyes. They were heavier than usual. It reminded Jan of how it felt to fall asleep while crying. Wait…was he crying?

That made his recall the events of the previous night and he jerked upright. Which proved to be a bad idea because he immediately felt his head pound.

"You have water and a pill on the table. I will start making coffee," Kris said, peering from the kitchen.

Every day, Jan was more convinced Kris was an angel. Jan owed him an apology and a hug. Once his head stopped pounding, though.

So he took the pill and drunk the water. Living room was only partially lit up, for which Jan was also grateful. Anything bright certainly wouldn't help.

Kris came back and pressed the warm coffee cup in his hands. His coffee cup. Jan stared at the dark red cup, trying to recall when he started having a cup that was only his in Kris' place.

All the cups in his parents' house were the same. Pure white with a golden circle near the rim. One of them slightly chipped at the rim and Jan used it all the time, until his mother noticed and threw it away.

There was probably something to be said about him liking things that are different, even if they are a little damaged.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he said, staring at his coffee.

Kris sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, Jan saw him tap his fingers against the couch. His typical nervous gesture.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize things have gotten so bad. I don't-I don't think I ever saw you react the way you did last night. God, Jan, you were terrified and you were paranoid and I-"

Kris took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. For a few seconds he didn't speak at all. Jan would have, but he knew Kris wasn't finished talking. So he stayed quiet, giving Kris time to compose himself.

"I think you need to start seeing a therapist. And you have to talk to Nace. I can be there when you do, but for fuck's sake, Jan. I texted him yesterday after you fell asleep and he wasn't okay."

Jan began picking on his already ruined nail. Kris was right. He knew he was right. But Jan was terrified of this very thing for so long, he wasn't sure he would be able to just face it head on.

"What if I can't?"

He finally met Kris' eyes. His blue eyes that were too clear to hide anything, but always had the ability to burn right through you, to see to the very core of you.

Was it a blue eyes thing? Or did Kris and Jure simply share that trait?

"Yes, you can. You are one of the strongest people I know. But it's not weak to ask for help, Jan. Don't let your parents ruin this for you."

Jan pulled him in a hug. Kris froze, clearly not expecting it, before he melted into the embrace.

"Thank you. For everything."

Kris chuckled, but Jan heard a slight hitch to his breath. Almost like he was tearing up.

"Why do you make it sound like I will never see you again?"

Jan hugged him tighter.

"I should have said it earlier. Although, there is always a plan on moving to Antarctica if everything goes south."

Kris laughed and then he was the one crying. So Jan did the same as Kris did to him last night-he held him. They both felt fragile.

Kris showed emotions more easily than he did, but Jan also thought he never truly let himself experience them to the depth that they really ran. When he cried, he didn't sob, instead letting tears run down his cheek in a manner that seemed almost glorified. Where someone would look at him and still think he was pretty.

Jan preferred to either fall apart fully or not at all.

"You really fucking scared me, you asshole. Don't do that again."

He rubbed Kris' back in slow, comforting motions. His mind was starting to go through possible options, but it was still too clouded with panic for him to come with a solid plan.

"I don't know what to do now," he admitted quietly, "I don't know how to even talk to him. What to tell him."

Kris slowly pulled back, but he still kept his hand on Jan's shoulder.

"Let's go step by step, okay? Go home, eat something. Have a shower. Then call him. Don't text, call him."

Jan made a face. He did hate phone calls with burning passion. They were awkward at the best of circumstances. These were certainly not the best of circumstances.

"I know you hate phone calls. But in these kinds of situations, messages can be easily misread. So call him and set up a time to meet. As for what to tell him...I don't have a better advice than telling him the truth."

Jan buried his face in his hands. The truth? What was the truth at this point? He wasn't even sure he knew himself.

"That's about as helpful as telling me to just breathe underwater."

Kris sighed.

"How about you do the rest first and then look at the situation again? As much as I hate to say it...sometimes you have to jump first and ask questions later."

"Fine," Jan said sourly.

He doubted he'd come up with any better plan just by showering and eating, but he saw no point in arguing. So he hugged Kris one more time and went home. This time with his bag and keys.

He did everything Kris said, but he felt no closer to the solution on how to approach Nace. His phone laid on the table, screen up. Jan stared at it as if it was a time bomb.

Nace didn't try to contact him. Except for few phone calls from yesterday after he ran off, but nothing today. Whatever Kris told him clearly made him wait for Jan's move.

Jan wished he wouldn't. He didn't know what to say.

He grabbed his bag and out his phone in it and then went outside. Perhaps a walk would clear his head.

It was cold and gloomy outside. The fog settled heavy over the city, and Jan only saw few meters ahead as he walked. Still, that didn't stop him.

He walked and walked, until his feet hurt. Then he spotted a nearby bench and sat on it, catching his breath. He still felt lost. He wasn't even sure he knew exactly where he was, as lost in thoughts as he was while he walked.

A sound of church bells snapped him out of it. Jan flinched, looking around with wide eyes. Was he hallucinating again?

But, no. There stood a church, cloaked by the fog. And Jan felt compelled to get closer. So he did.  He got all the way to the church, close to the entrance. Only then he stopped, frozen in place.

He could hear the wait sound of a mass going inside. There was no way he was going inside, but he could listen in. He leaned on the wall of the church and closed his eyes. Just listening.

It was hard to tell how long he stood there, listening in. He was so focused on it he missed the sound of steps approaching him.

"I am sorry, young man?"

Jan's eyes flew open, his heart leaping in his throat. A man stood in front of his, peering at him worriedly. For a brief second, Jan thought he was a priest, but on a second glance he realized he was actually a deacon, his clothes giving him away.

"Um. Right, sorry. I should probably leave," Jan said awkwardly, pushing himself from the wall.

"No, no need. I just thought you might be more comfortable inside. It is quite cold out here."

Jan bit his lip. Dread settled in his gut once again. He didn't think he could make himself go in. Face the inside of the church, the prayer. It was still to raw.

"No, thank you. I don't think I'd be welcome, either way."

"Everyone is welcome into the church."

He couldn't quite stop the sharp, bitter laugh that escaped him.

"Right. Of course. Everyone is welcome as long as they can obey your rules, no?"

Deacon gave him a long, pitying look. Jan felt his skin crawl. If he hated one thing, it was pity. He turned his head away, but before he could walk away, deacon spoke again.

"There are God's guidances, of course, but I wouldn't call them rules. Rules sound so rigid and human life and morality are so easily bent by situations we find ourselves in."

Jan stared at the man before him. He had never, ever heard someone religious, someone connected to the church, speak in such a way. Nace came the closest and even then, it wasn't the same.

"You-so what, "You shall not kill", is simply a guidance?"

Deacon gave him a gentle smile.

"Some are stronger than the others. But in a situation where it is self defense, is that truly a sin? A mother killing someone while protecting her child, is it something that should need forgiving? We are just human, after all."

He swallowed. This felt surreal. Like he was within a dream, and he was talking to his own subconscious.

Whatever it was, the unreality of it made Jan wanted to ask more question. He wanted to know more. He could always walk away, couldn't he?

"So...if almost everything is subjective, how can you know if you are doing a good or a bad thing? How do you...know what's right?"

Deacon patted his own chest.

"Most of us have the ability to feel right or wrong. There are exceptions of course, but there are usually other reasons for it. We all have...inner guidance, so to speak. No matter if you see it as given from God, or simply a part of you, it can help you decide on what's right thing to do."

Jan exhaled slowly, watching his breath curl like smoke in the air. His own chest felt frozen, but as he focused more, he swore he could almost feel a tug. A spot of light.

He needed to go to Nace. To be honest with him. To tell him-

His fear extinguished his hope almost immediately, cloaking him in darkness. Jan squeezed his eyes shut. He was too damaged ti be fixed.

"What if...what if it's too late to do the right thing? What if it's too late to fix me?"

The other man didn't say anything for a moment. The only sound came from a church choir. Jan felt his heart sink.

"It is never too late. Not unless we are dead. And perhaps, not even then."

Jan's hand drifted underneath his hair, to his soulmark. He traced it, almost hesitantly. He did his best to forget it was there for so long, it was odd to acknowledge it.

"I can't be anything other than what I already am."

He opened his eyes to see deacon giving him another soft smile. It was odd, how honest he was being. He supposed the fact that the other man didn't know who he was helped. To him, he could be anyone.

"Have you tried? To be another person?"

Jan furrowed his brows.

"I don't understand."

The deacon nodded.

"We can't become new people overnight. But we can do things that'll help take us in the right direction. Is there anything you can do to fix your mistake right now?"

He took in a deep breath in. Then exhaled slowly.

"I could talk to my soulmate. But I don't know if I can be what he needs."

Jan realized that the right pronouns tumbled from his lips too late. He froze, but the deacon's face didn't change. If he was phased, he didn't show it.

"Well. You can't know unless you talk to him, can you?"

Jan chuckled, almost surprised that he didn't immediately change his answer. What parallel reality did he walk into?

"I suppose not. But won't you tell me that my soulmate can't be a man?"

Deacon shook his head.

"God gives us our soul’s companions for a reason. Who am I to question God's decision of giving you two a soul bond, regardless of the gender?"

He swallowed. There was something else he needed to ask. He always had to keep prodding, didn't he?

"And what if...what if I don't believe in God anymore?"

Deacon reached his hand out and tentatively put his hand on Jan's shoulder. Jan expected to feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't. It was simply a warm touch.

"They are different ways to believe. Some of us need more guidance to get through life. From God, from the church from others. Others simply need to live and be happy. Is it not God's will for all of us to live to our fullest potential, no matter which path we take?"

Jan suddenly found it hard to swallow. His eyes stung and he closed them, willing himself not to cry. He took in a shaky breath.

"Can it really be that simple?"

Deacon squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Life is simple, once we learn to let go of things that weight us down."

Jan took another deep breath before opening his eyes. He met deacon's kind gaze.

"Thank you."

He got a pat on the shoulder before the other man let go.

"We all need a bit of extra guidance sometimes. I wish you your best in your pursuit of happiness."

Jan nodded, a lump in his throat too heavy for him to say anything else. Yet, despite it all, when he turned and began to walk back, he felt lighter than he did in a very, very long time.

He wasn't sure what made him come up directly to Nace's doorstep. He was holding a box of gluten free cookies in hands that he had picked up during his small detour on the way here. Suddenly, he wasn't sure why he had gone to get them at all, but it wasn't important. He was here, at Nace's front door. That was the part that mattered. He could leave the cookies for someone else if Nace didn't want them.

He rang the doorbell before he could change his mind. It echoed through the apartment for a moment, before he heard a sound of footsteps on the other side of the door. Then the door opened.

Nace stood in the doorway. He wore a dark green hoodie and sweatpants, his hair in an unusual disarray. There were dark circles under his eyes and Jan couldn't help but wonder if he slept at all.

"Hi," he said, awkwardly holding up a bag of cookies, "I bought cookies. They are gluten free."

Nace stared at him, unmoving. He opened his mouth and closed it few times before clearing his throat.

"What are you doing here?"

Jan shifted from one foot to the other. It was the moment of truth, he supposed.

"I wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"

There was a brief hesitation before Nace stepped back and allowed Jan to come in. The doors closing with a soft click felt more significant than it should have been.

Jan wordlessly handed Nace the cookies while he took off his boots and a jacket. Nace simply watched him, as if trying to comprehend Jan was really here. He supposed he deserved that.

Nace led him to the dining room instead of the living room. Which was odd, but Jan didn't question it. He got them both glasses of water before sitting across from Jan.

Oh. He choose this because he could face him more directly. Jan let his hair fall over his face a bit, suddenly uncomfortable under Nace's heavy gaze.

"So," Jan said awkwardly, "about yesterday. I'm sorry."

A paused. Nace stared at him, as if prompting him to continue, but Jan didn't know where to begin with explaining himself.

"Is that it? You came here to tell me you are sorry for running off?"

Jan winced. Nace's usual patience seemed to not be present today. Just when Jan needed it the most.

"No. I just-maybe it would be easier if you asked me things and I answered? I don't know where to begin."

Nace chuckled, but not in his usual, heartfelt way. He sounded tired.

"Alright. How about, why the fuck didn't you tell me? You had to know."

Jan shrugged. He felt uncomfortable in a way he didn't in awhile. So he answered the first thing he thought of. His go to answer on the topic.

"Didn't seem that important to me. I don't exactly believe in all that soulmate stuff anyway."

That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Nace's gaze sharpened. His mouth twisted in an angry grimace.

"So what? I am good enough to fuck, but not good enough to be your soulmate?"

"No!"

Jan reached out, to grab Nace's hand, but stopped himself just short of making contact. He let his hand fall back to the table.

"No," he said softer, "that's not how it is at all."

"Then explain to me how it is."

Nace's voice was almost forceful, slamming into Jan's chest like a punch. Jan closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on that little shed of hope he still held.

"I lied. I don't see soulmates as bullshit I just-I wish I did. I wish I could not care at all and that I could hate you and that by refusing you by refusing this make my parents be wrong."

He took in a shaky breath. Nace didn't say anything so he continued.

"Because feeling like I was incomplete without you, without some divine intervention seems so fucked up to me. Because I choose to play in a band because my parents didn't approve and didn't like that it took away from my time in the church. And yet that being a thing that led me to you is so frustrating! Did I have any free will at all?"

Jan finally opened his eyes again, taking in Nace's expression. Nace was pale, and his brows furrowed, probably trying to follow his thought process.

"Alright. So let me see if I got this right. Your parents had harmful religious views on soulmates so you don't want to even consider this, us, because you feel like you had no choice in the matter?"

That wasn't quite a fair assessment of what he said, but Nace wasn't entirely wrong, either. As much as Jan wanted to fix things, it was hard to get past the feeling of helplessness.

"I'm-not quite but I suppose that's a gist of it. I don't have anything against you, not really. But I hate not having a choice in any of this."

Nace lifted one eyebrow.

"You mean, like not giving me any real choice in the matter by not telling me a very important detail?"

Fuck. That wasn't fair.

"That's not the same."

Nace shrugged.

"Isn't it?"

Jan struggled with what to say to that. Isn't it the same? Was he truly taking away his choice in all of this?

"Let me ask you something. Did you find me attractive when we first met? Ignore the soulmark, ignore everything else."

He swallowed, blush slightly painting his cheeks as he remembered Martin's comment about him checking out Nace during their first encounter. He definitely found him attractive from the start.

"Yes."

"And if there was no soulmark involved, would you have acted upon it at some point?"

His answer came in an instant. Absolutely. Jan was certain of it. He still would have taken some time to observe Nace, but without having to be cautious of the soulmark, he would have certainly acted earlier.

"Yes."

Nace leaned in, his breath ghosting over his face and Jan had the urge to pull him even closer. Instead, he was frozen in place, staring at those dark eyes.

"So by insisting on hating me, you are, in fact flat out refusing for anything to happened between us because of the soulmark. Not because you don't like me. How is that a natural choice on your part?"

Jan could hear his own blood ringing in his ears. Felt his heartbeat. Thud, thud, thud. It sounded like everything around him crashing down.

"I-" he swallowed, then cleared his throat, but no words came.

Nace waited patiently, simply looking at him. Like he didn't just pull the foundations of his world apart with few sentences.

"God, Nace," he said at last, "What do you want?"

"I want you to stop hiding behind the excuse of having no control and work with me. I can't help you unless you let me. So please do tell me what is your actual problem with me."

Jan worked his jaw. He focused on his nails. He reapplied the nail polish on his left hand yesterday, so it was perfect. Too perfect. He began to peel it off.

Then Nace reached out and covered his palms with his own, stopping his movements. Jan froze.

"Tell me," Nace urged, his softer now.

That finally made Jan snap.

"I can't give you what you want, alright? There was no point in giving you false hope about it."

Silence. Nace's mouth slightly fell open before he managed to scold his face into a more neutral expression. Jan felt more uncomfortable than he possible ever did in his life.

That thought kept bothering him on his way to here, though. Even if he was willing to do this, he could never do it in a way traditional to soulmates. He simply couldn't.

"And what is that you think that I want?"

Nace's voice was leveled. Controlled. Almost too controlled. He was definitely holding his emotions back. Jan just couldn't quite tell what those emotions were, at the moment.

Still. He owed him the truth, at the very least.

"You are a simple man. You want to settle down, have your secure little fairy tale with someone you love. Maybe even a family. I can't give you that."

So many emotions flickered over Nace's face. Disbelief, anger, hurt. Jan looked away.

"Did I ever say that's what I want?"

Jan sighed. He tried to pull his hands away from Nace's, but Nace tightened his hold on them.

"No. But I overheard you and Bojan talking about soulmates several times."

"Hypotheticals are different than the actual situations."

Jan rolled his eyes. He completely turned his head away this time. Clearly, this conversation wasn't leading anywhere.

Nace grabbed his chin. Jan froze, expecting it to hurt, for Nace to forcefully drag him into a kiss. Instead, Nace gently turned his head back towards him.

"Listen to me. I am only asking for a chance to get to know you. For you to get to know me, before you make any judgments."

His eyes shone with determination and now Jan couldn't look away.

"You fascinate me and you frustrate me and I want to know what you think and how you think. I want to get to know you properly. Can you at least give me a chance for that? No promises need to be made, just that we'll try. See where it goes. Maybe we work better as friends. That's also fine. But we won't know unless you give it a chance. Does that sound reasonable?"

Jan nodded slowly. He breathe through the panic rising in his chest. Somewhere, deep inside him, he knew that whatever this will involve into, won't be just friendship. But it was far too early to say that.

"Yeah, alright."

And Nace smiled, like a light shining at the end of a dark street. It was soft, almost hesitant smile.

"Alright."

It was a start.

[mariuspompom]

100% for Palestinian liberation and self determination. You comparing Israel to Hitler/Nazism (as a white European) is so fucking stupid and harmful for those trying to educate about what is happening to the people of Gaza. There’s a reason 80% of Jewish people live in the US and Israel. Europeans are largely at fault.

That's cute except I didn't. That was you. What I said is :

"How do we call the systematic extermination of 7 thousand innocent people in the span of a few days - on the basis of their origin/religion/ethnicity- being an integral step in the pursuit of "living space", proclaimed as a birthright ?"

And it is an open question. I didn't compare Israel to anything. I explicitely stated its core caracteristics.

You want to "educate" people about "what's happening TO the "people of Gaza" (educate? what's happening by whom? a mysterious supernatural power? the will of god? who are the people of Gaza? don't they have an ethnicity? )? You want that?

Let me tell you what's happening. "People of Gaza" (Palestinians, that's their name) are being:

ethnically cleansed

by a fascist entity

by means of terrorism and genocide

backed up by systematic propaganda (ongoing for decades) using fascist terminology in order to dehumanize all members of this particular ethnicity

with the explicit goal to colonize a land that the fascist entity feels it has a birthright to

with the full unwavering support of the western world.

As you see, I am not comparing it to a fascist entity, I am calling it a fascist entity. And that's all I am doing, because I don't need to say anything more to stress the gravity and the horror of the situation. It is plain to see, as it is. As such, any further "comparison" is completely redundant, misleading, and irrelevant. But you did it, so, that's your problem.

"There’s a reason 80% of Jewish people live in the US and Israel. Europeans are largely at fault".

Fuck off. US, a country that is historically structured on racial, de jure segregation, a country that was created through genocide in the first place, a country that has comitted atrocious, ongoing crimes against humanity in modern and contemporary history, does not get to flex any moral superiority whatsoever on any country, ever. Cope.

[j-restlessgeek]

To my dearest J,

Where do I begin? By the time I’m writing this it will have been almost a full year since we first reached out to one another. I actually remember where it all started. I was sending around asks with the iconic ‘Hey Käärijä, you wanna party with me?” line from ‘It’s crazy it’s party’ and you went into the comments of one of the responses. Afterwards the timeline becomes blurrier, but that doesn’t matter. It just goes to show that one small comment can truly change someone’s life.

And in just this less than a year time period, I have made so many fond memories with you.

Your imagination never ceases to amaze me. The amount of AUs and stories we have discussed is uncountable. It has always been a pleasure for me to talk to you about the ideas roaming around in my head. You’re a lovely listener whose ever-reading eyes could never skip the lightest detail or softest touch of/to a story. Whenever I’m stumped on the next turn down the road you never cease to give me the best advice. You’re a team player I can always rely on to build the story-bridge together with.

I wish I had a better way to introduce this next paragraph, but I can’t seem to find a different way to put it than simply how it is: You are the kindest person I know. You are not afraid to tell other users when their art has touched you or made you feel intense joy. Another thing I love about you, you’re not afraid to show your emotions, big or small. You make the days of so many users here by sharing their art with others and telling them in your language of emojis, screams and lovely compliments that what they made is beautiful and deserves love. You care so much for the friends you’ve made on the internet. Never not reblogging the content they’ve made and shouting to the whole world that it should see what made you beam with happiness. My dash lights up every time I see one of your reblogs, they are impossible to skip and nobody would want to do that. I sometimes revisit your reblogs of the moodboards I made and the stories I wrote when I have a small dip and I immediately cheer up reading your comments.

You are attentive. You never forget when it’s the anniversary for someone’s personal milestone or an art work. Even works that have been posted months ago don’t slip your memory and are kept alive through your reblogs.

On Tumblr we may joke that love is stored inside of Bojan, but I think that isn’t true. Love is stored inside of Jay. Your love for Jure, Joker Out, cats, the silly things, the scary things and so much more is beautiful.

You are kind. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are lovely. You are the haven a boat can lay anchor after a long journey of not seeing land. You are home after a three week holiday. You are the one that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever we talk.

Please never become somebody you don’t agree with. Take care of yourself. Go on long walks in nature, pet kitties and feed them and enjoy your time studying to become a biologist. Follow your dreams, aim for the stars and shoot into another galaxy.

I love you.

From your dearest,

Kyle

This moodboard contains 8 pictures that define j-restlessgeek to me.

😭😭😭😭😭😭 your words truly never fail to move me to my core. 💛💛💛💛💛💛 thank you.

I am so grateful for your trust and faith in me, in your brightest and darkest hours, thank you 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛.

I am happy whenever I can help and to spend time with you, chatting for hours and exchanging ideas 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰. Thank you for your words, your writing really never fails to touch me, you have a wonderful way with words. 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Thank you for the wishes and words 💛💛💛. So so much love for you lives in my heart 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛.

[katenera18]

"ISRAEL AND PALESTINE WAR"

RELIGION

-Several religious factors pertinent to Islam and Judaism dictate the role of religion as the main factor in the conflict, notably including the sanctity of holy sites and the apocalyptic narratives of both religions, which are detrimental to any potential for lasting peace between the two sides. Extreme religious Zionists in Israel increasingly see themselves as guardians and definers of the how the Jewish state should be, and are very stringent when it comes to any concessions to the Arabs. On the other hand, Islamist groups in Palestine and elsewhere in the Islamic world advocate the necessity of liberating the “holy” territories and sites for religious reasons, and preach violence and hatred against Israel and the Jewish people.

 Religion-based rumors propagated by extremists in the media and social media about the hidden religious agendas of the other side exacerbate these tensions. Examples include rumors about a “Jewish Plan” to destroy al Aqsa mosque and build the Jewish third temple on its remnants, and, on the other side rumors that Muslims hold the annihilation of Jews at the core of their belief.

 In addition, worsening socio-economic conditions in the Arab and Islamic world contribute to the growth of religious radicalism, pushing a larger percentage of youth towards fanaticism, and religion-inspired politics.

The advent of the Arab spring, ironically, also posed a threat to Arab-Israeli peace, as previously stable regimes were often challenged by extreme political views. A prominent example was the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, who after succeeding to the presidency in 2012, threatened to compromise the peace agreement with Israel based on their religious ideology – even if they did not immediately tear up the treaty.

BORDER

-The modern borders of Israel exist as the result both of past wars and of diplomatic agreements between the State of Israel and its neighbours, as well as an effect of the agreements among colonial powers ruling in the region before Israel's creation. Only two of Israel's five total potential land borders are internationally recognized and uncontested, while the other three remain disputed; the majority of its border disputes are rooted in territorial changes that came about as a result of the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, which saw Israel occupy large swathes of territory from its rivals.[1] Israel's two formally recognized and confirmed borders exist with Egypt and Jordan since the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, while its borders with Syria (via the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights), Lebanon (via the Blue Line; see Shebaa Farms dispute) and the Palestinian territories (Israeli-occupied land largely recognized as part of the de jure State of Palestine) remain internationally defined as contested.[2]

According to the Green Line agreed upon in the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Israel is demarcated by Lebanon to the north, the Golan Heights under Syrian sovereignty as well as the rest of Syria to the northeast, the Palestinian West Bank and Jordan to the east, and by the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Egypt to the southwest. The Israeli border with Egypt is the international border demarcated in 1906 between the United Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire, and confirmed in the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty; the Israeli border with Jordan is based on the border defined in the 1922 Trans-Jordan memorandum, and confirmed in the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty.

TERRITORY

-The Palestinian territories are the two regions of the former British Mandate for Palestine that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967, namely: the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has referred to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as "the Occupied Palestinian Territory", and this term was used as the legal definition by the ICJ in its advisory opinion of July 2004.[7][8] The term occupied Palestinian territory was used by the United Nations and other international organizations between October 1999[9] and December 2012 to refer to areas controlled by the Palestinian National Authority, but from 2012, when Palestine was admitted as one of its non-member observer states, the United Nations started using exclusively the name State of Palestine.[10][11][12][13] The European Union (EU) also adopts the term occupied Palestinian territory,[14][15] with a parallel term Palestinian Authority territories[16][17][18] also occasionally used. The government of Israel and its supporters use the label "disputed territories" instead.[19]

RESOURCES

Israel

-The natural resources of Israel include potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays and sand. Additionally, cut diamonds are one of the leading exports of the country, which otherwise is primarily dependent on crude oil and raw material imports. The discovery of natural gas fields located near the coast of Israel have successfully transformed the nation’s energy prospect in a big way. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 2.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is present within the Karish and Tanin gas deposits, which were originally discovered in 2009 and 2010, respectively2.

Palestine

-Historic Palestine has long had an abundance of natural resources, ranging from fresh and ground water, arable land and, more recently, oil and natural gas. In the seven decades since the establishment of the state of Israel, these resources have been compromised and exploited through a variety of measures. These include widespread Palestinian dispossession of land in the ongoing Nakba, exploitation of water through failed negotiations, and a finders-keepers approach to gas and oil found in our under occupied land.

ORIGIN OF THE PEOPLE

Israel

-The people of Israel (also called the "Jewish People") trace their origin to Abraham, who established the belief that there is only one God, the creator of the universe (see Torah). Abraham, his son Yitshak (Isaac), and grandson Jacob (Israel) are referred to as the patriarchs of the Israelites. All three patriarchs lived in the Land of Canaan, which later became known as the Land of Israel. They and their wives are buried in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in Hebron (Genesis Chapter 23).

The name Israel derives from the name given to Jacob (Genesis 32:29). His 12 sons were the kernels of 12 tribes that later developed into the Jewish nation. The name Jew derives from Yehuda (Judah), one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Yisachar, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyamin)(Exodus 1:1). So, the names Israel, Israeli or Jewish refer to people of the same origin.

Palestine

- The genetic profile of Palestinians has, for the first time, been studied by using human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene variability and haplotypes. The comparison with other Mediterranean populations by using neighbor-joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses reveal that Palestinians are genetically very close to Jews and other Middle East populations, including Turks (Anatolians), Lebanese, Egyptians, Armenians, and Iranians. Archaeologic and genetic data support that both Jews and Palestinians came from the ancient Canaanites, who extensively mixed with Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian peoples in ancient times. Thus, Palestinian-Jewish rivalry is based in cultural and religious, but not in genetic, differences. The relatively close relatedness of both Jews and Palestinians to western Mediterranean populations reflects the continuous circum-Mediterranean cultural and gene flow that have occurred in prehistoric and historic times. This flow overtly contradicts the demic diffusion model of western Mediterranean populations substitution by agriculturalists coming from the Middle East in the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.

NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL

-The rockets began around 6:30 a.m., Tal Gibly told CNN. Thirty minutes later, she and hundreds of others attending an Israeli music festival were running as Gaza militants fired at them.

The Nova Festival in a rural farmland area near the Gaza-Israel border was just one of multiple locations hit on Saturday morning by the most sustained and coordinated assault inside Israel ever carried out by Hamas militants.

At least 260 bodies would later be found at the festival site, according to Israeli rescue service Zaka. Some attendees were taken hostage, seen in social media videos being seized by their armed captors.

ARE YOU A PRO ISRAEL OR PRO PALESTINE?

-I’m a pro-Israel, because in the first place based on the history and on the bible, Jesus gave the land to Israel. And now the war between the two county is still continuing. Palestine started the war because they were the first one attacked Israel and until now the war between them is not yet ending.