#like in the fourth scenario with the flags…

[ckret2]

So a while ago some friends were talking about fans who claim the Same Coin theory is canon. And I made the mistake of saying:

Do you know who also has tons in common with Bill? Mabel. Yet nobody claims Bill reincarnated as Mabel. …wait now I want a "same coin but it's Mabel" AU. Funniest Bill reincarnation option. The all-seeing arsonist is making macaroni glitter art. The omnipotent tyrant is crying because a unicorn called her a bad person.

And then I overthought it for two months.

So—AU where after death, Bill's soul shoots 13 years into the past and reincarnates as Mabel. I'll call it ✨ Sparkly Coin AU ✨

Don't leave yet. Lemme show you why it works. Behold the eerie amount of parallels in their personalities, dialogue, behavior, mannerisms, tastes...

I could have kept going but my attention span ran out. All right, we all on board now? Convinced we could segue from one personality into the other? Great. Now here's why you should be interested: the juicy post-Weirdmageddon angst potential.

As long as a small fringe of the fandom still thinks Weirdmageddon is Mabel's fault, why not amp that up x100 and have some fun with it?

Is everyone sold now? Great. Let's get into the details. I've got 8 more pieces of art under the read more.

So the AU starts the instant Bill dies. Thanks to invoking his deal with the Axolotl—one way to absolve his crime, a different form, a different time—the Axolotl gives him a new shape and shoots him thirteen years into the past. Apparently, the Axolotl thought it would be very funny to stick Bill in the family that defeated him.

Which probably made for a jarring transition.

(It's fine, she's like 10 minutes old, she probably can't even tell who she's looking at. Not being able to tell who she was looking at is what got her into this situation ayyyy)

When Dipper & Mabel come back from Gravity Falls complaining about this triangular jerk Bill, their parents mention that Dipper's name was nearly Bill. See, after they knew they were going to have a boy, one night their mom dreamed about a visitor—some kind of magic pink salamander??—calling her child "BILL." Then at the next sonogram they found out they were having twins, the girl must've been hidden at a weird angle the first time, and they wanted matching names, so they thought, Bill and Bell. But they didn't really like Bell; but eventually they stumbled on Mabel, so to keep the names matching they switched from Bill to Mason. Isn't that the darnedest thing?

(Of course, Mabel and Dipper assume Bill harassed their parents to try to trick them into naming a kid after him. To be a jerk.)

When Bill meets Mabel, he's unaware that she's his future self—Bill's notably bad at doing things like, say, double-checking to see whether he's going to die anytime soon—but like... he can tell something's up.

Naturally, before visiting Gravity Falls, there were echoes of who Mabel used to be—but nothing anyone would be able to identify without context. All her Bill-ish quirks either smoothed out with time (see: how between second grade and fourth grade Mabel went from being the "freak" to the popular girl in class), or else they were accepted by her family as Mabel-ish quirks.

After they meet (and kill) Bill, they have the context to understand some of Mabel's behaviors... and unfortunately, some of Mabel's latent Bill-ness starts surfacing after she's been directly exposed to her prior incarnation.

The part of the Pines family familiar with Bill thinks the worst case scenario is that maybe Bill's survived and is slowly possessing Mabel; but far more likely, they think this is just some weird way of trying to subconsciously process last summer. Mabel doesn't think she's being weird, you guys are being weird, stop giving her weird looks. They get attacked by one triangle and now she can't wear yellow or pick up macrame as a hobby??

(It's not all red flags and uncomfortable triangle imagery, though. When Stan asks her what she'd like as a gift for some important event, she shyly admits that she thinks she's starting to outgrow her plastic gem jewelry and maybe she's old enough to get her first piece of real gold jewelry, if that's not too expensive? And Stan's never been so proud of her. Thirteen years old and already thinking about buying gold!)

But of course, the real fun starts when Mabel finds out.

That's the face of a girl who's just discovered that she tortured her great uncle. Now imagine running into the brother she possessed.

But I've already spent a million words and thirteen images on this post. If enough folks are interested in the AU maybe I'll expand on it later. Let me know what y'all think.

[casual-praxis]

Imagine a villainess isekai, but with a vidow twist

Got your attention? Great! So picture this, the plot of the Four Swords manga, but it's some dating sim-type game that's blown up in the modern world. In theory, you'd be playing as Zelda who managed to avoid capture and travel with the colors which are presumably still Link split into pieces.

Of course, you'd have your typical romance routes with each of them, on top of the neutral route which is more of a "power of friendship saves the day" type deal (as well as a "harem" ending that has them fuse back into Link by the end of it), all while dealing with Shadow as a recurring villain, our technical "villainess" in this scenario.

But here's the twist: Vio is the one who got isekai'd.

Instead of becoming the villain, he's become one of the four* love interests for the protagonist--although he's completely uninterested in her or any of the others. He'd actually only played through the game once in his previous life, and even then he didn't really remember if he managed to romance anyone, never mind finish the game.

He was pretty confused when he suddenly awakened his memories while standing in the Four Sword Sanctuary, having just successfully driven off Shadow for the first time with the others. And with that revelation came several thoughts in quick succession.

Namely, "Oh, that's why I never beat the game."

The villain, who had several moments of introspection and a fully fleshed-out character arc, hadn't been a romance option. Not even a dlc or secret route. Which in Vio's (totally not dramatic) opinion, made the game basically unplayable.

So of course he was going to have to fix that himself. Plot be damned, he was going to end up with Shadow or die trying.

Cue up the fourth-wall-breaking shenanigans and hilarity that ensues from someone not at all trying to blend in with the world around them. Vio quickly goes from being the "smart one" to the "unhinged one" as he mumbles to himself about event flags and route points.

He's got a whole notebook dedicated to the most nonsensical gibberish such as "how many times I've talked to x person" and "how long until chapter 4." When prompted about the tallies on the first page, Vio merely shrugs and says he's keeping track of their shadow. Whatever that means.

I like to think the forest scene would be pretty much reversed from the manga canon and instead have Vio be the pursuer. Like, he's just shaking Shadow by the shoulders and rambling. Something like, "I know everything about you and I will kill anyone you want me to. Please allow me to join you."

Shadow, of course, doesn't know whether to be flustered or freaked out, so he settles on the happy middle ground of "lowkey kinda into it."

Within the dating sim's original story, anyone Zelda was on the route for would be the one to meet with Shadow, and she would show up last minute to help fight him off (so no betrayal scene would ever occur). Meanwhile here, Vio takes the first chance he gets to bail on the narrative and begin his plans of total Shadow domination (take that as you will).

Vio ends up being more of a threat than Shadow, on account of his vague story knowledge and general lack of care towards anyone that isn't Shadow (if he's going to be put into a game's world, he's going to treat it as such). He's totally down for overthrowing the big bads, murdering anyone in his way, and ruling the ruined world at Shadow's side. But luckily, Shadow does still have his character development arc, and manages to negate the worst of the damage before it's unfixable.

Whether or not they switch sides or just keep doing what they're doing on a slightly less destructive scale is anyone's guess, I haven't thought that far ahead. This may or may not have been completely incomprehensible, Grammerly has lit the whole thing up in yellow (orange?).

Unrepentantly unhinged Vio is a good flavor. It pairs nicely with "somehow has the moral compass" Shadow. They're an odd pair, but as time goes on, it becomes pretty apparent that they're equally obsessed with each other. This can only end well.

[skylar-325]

Omniscient Readers View Point Read Through

Ch 53-73

Beginning: Ch 1-10

They knew the prophets would gather here and decided to use this opportunity to wipe out those who stopped reading early.

>thats… dark

[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is looking at the black flame dragon.]

>…dude stop looking at his black flame dragon

"I really thought you were dead!" "But I survived."

> sigh

"In some cases, people need to be killed…" "Don't worry. I'll kill them for you."

>i need a Heewon in my life 😭

The head rolling like a toy was covered with a cloak with '1' on it. It was the 1st Apostle.

>HSY MY LOVE

You have to hold hands with me to defeat Anna Croft and the Zarathustra!"

'I am different! Yoo Joonghyuk, hold hands with me.

>hsy REALLY wants to hold yjh’s hand huh

"He was a mouthy bastard."

>GASP Joonghyuk LANGUAGE

This jerk, he must think he was so cool. …Honestly, he was a bit cool.

>Dokja you fucking simp he just squashed a head like it was grape

"Then try it. Is your sword faster or my tongue faster?"

>kinky

"Writing is so difficult… writers are great…"

>couldn’t agree more

>the way the story distinguishes between characters and ‘real’ people is so interesting. And kind of tragic when you’re the only one who will likely stay aware until the end

The quality was so bad that if it was serialized in Textpia, it would've bombed. But that didn't matter right now.

>lmao this is why y’all need ao3

–I see. I feel an unknown wall with hyung. I can't explain it well but I like the feeling.

>like…the fourth wall or a tsundere wall?

He says that any beautiful or handsome man and woman will become concubines, while any ugly people will be killed or become slaves."

Jung Heewon frowned. "If Dokja-ssi is caught, you will become a slave."

>Lmao i adore their friendship

The character and I needed to be thinking about each other at the same time.

>does that mean yjh was thinking about kdj back when kdj was using the skill to be in his body?

…that sounds wrong

anyways

"Yoo Sangah-ssi. You will be disruptive if you keep acting like this."

>Oof why did that hurt me

>ok see this is what i meant in my post about kdj’s difference when describing the other characters and when describing yjh. he’s literally talking the king of beauty that leaves everyone spellbound and the best he could manage was ‘outstanding beauty but not his type’ and ‘objectively as beautiful as Sangah’? dokja you gay ass

However, the future that Lee Sungkook knew was only near the prologue. The evolution of the current scenario surpassed the information he knew.

>how long was that prologue for this guy to have his memories till CHAPTER 62?

[The character 'Min Jiwon' shows a weak liking towards you.]

…All my thoughts collapsed at this absurd message.

>honestly relatable

[…There is a lingering attachment, please understand.]

"Gyebaek, let's meet in the next world."

>what is this old man yaoi.

"…Won't it happen one day? If I give birth to a child, I will surely tell them what happened today."

>is…is dokja embracing the mpreg

What was this? I looked up and found that my limbs were tied up with magic power. It was a chrysalis-like appearance. Yoo Sangah's face was completely red.

> …right. Not gonna ask what’s currently going through Sangah’s head.

Everyone is the book is either kinky or gay like damn

[The character 'Cha Sangkyung' has discovered that you are a demonic enemy that shouldn't be touched.]

>Damn the foreshadowing

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Han Sooyoung. I am Cha Sangkyung's assistant."

>MY GIRL BOSS IS HERE

"There is someone. Someone is killing the kings!"

>my little murderous bean i missed you

A furious voice rang through the battlefield.

"Kim Dokja…"

I smiled and waved towards him. A large black flag flew behind the person heading towards me.

"You came…"

>adorable

"…Kim Dokja!"

Yoo Joonghyuk was chasing after me at a scary speed.

>YJH: i just had such a cool entry, PAY ATTENTION TO ME

> yjh really loves saying kdj’s name huh going KIM DOKJA! every three sentences

>god the little sister is just as grumpy as her brother

It was because there wasn't any king in Seoul who had more coins than me right now.

>kdj: you may be op but you forgot the power of INVESTMENT MUHAHAHAHA

The flying Yoo Joonghyuk hit a barrier, bounced in the opposite direction and hit another barrier and landed on the ground after repeating this ping-pong action five or six times.

>I…dokja what the fuck 💀

———

Next- Ch 73-92

Prev: Ch 32-52

Beginning: Ch 1-10

[kivaember]

you know what it's time for some freud

-

"-scored passably on the simulations. Combined with their positive employee appraisal reports, I think that Castor Jones should be accepted as the Vesper's deputy assault pilot."

Freud eyed the projector screen doubtfully, his hands idly twisting the Rubix cube in his hands. It clck-clck-clck'd obnoxiously loud, but no one in the meeting - himself, Snail or their 'supervisor' (a high-ranking executive that did nothing but collect a paycheck) - complained about it, although he could see Snail's cheek had developed some kind of spastic twitch in the last five minutes.

"Castor Jones excelled over the majority, but he's not suitable as a deputy assault pilot," Snail drawled, somehow managing to hit the sweet spot of sounding respectful while also silently implying 'you fucking donkey'. "He floundered during the more fast-paced scenarios."

"He's the fourth son of one of the board directors," the nameless suit countered. Freud looked away from the projector screen, already knowing Snail was going to win the argument. "He's young and wants to spend a year or two in an official AC squad before settling in his role as department head of Schneider R&D. We can tolerate him for that long. In exchange, his father's promised to vouch for us when it comes to the budget reallocation this coming spring."

"In case you've forgotten, Arquebus leadership have declared their intent for a Rubicon expedition in the near future. I'm not willing to bring an untested, unblooded pilot into that mess when their death would mean my censure - and yours, as the one vouching for them."

One-hit KO. The nameless suit made an awkward, stammering noise, before conceding the point.

"Alright, that's a fair point... then we can discard the applicants with... inconvenient links, then."

Freud finished solving the cube by the time the suit finished discarding said applicants. He tossed the plastic toy onto the table, where it clattered loudly, skidding across the polished surface to stop near Snail's elbow. His second-in-command ignored it.

"We're left with three..." the suit sighed. "All of them are naturalised citizens. One from Mars, one from the Kuiper belt space colony, and one from... Ganymede. Sort of."

Snail started to talk, but Freud's interest was snagged. "Sort of?"

"Er." The suit jolted. Freud rarely spoke to him, after all. "Yes. Well. In truth, his backstory is a little inconsistent, but his naturalisation process was due to being sponsored by a high-ranking executive in Schneider. Unfortunately, we can't really question them on it, as that executive died a few months ago. A bad bout of food poisoning from ill-prepared pufferfish..."

Convenient, Freud thought. His gaze drifted to the projector screen when the suit obligingly brought up the applicant's profile.

A mugshot of a handsome young man was shown, with a face that was set neutrally, though Freud could see echoes of a frown wanting to settle on the hard line of his mouth. Yet the most remarkable thing in the photo were his eyes: they were an eerie and unnatural shade of vivid scarlet.

"His parents were Rubiconians," the suit said. "That's why his eyes are like that. Something about the trace Coral in their bodies... I don't really get the science behind it. He's not an Old Gen."

"Is he augmented?" Snail drawled. "We won't accept him if he's below Gen Seven."

"Gen Eight. His augmentation certificates passed muster, though they were likely done on the black market."

"Hm." Snail didn't seem bothered about this. "Then he has no corporate debt hanging over him, though he may be indebted to whoever did his augmentations..."

"No debts. His financial records show no out-going payments that flag as suspicious. It's likely he paid upfront to whoever did them."

"Freud?" Snail asked.

"He was the one who used the Nachtreiher frame in the simulations, wasn't he?" Freud remarked, skimming the rest of the information on the profile. Age and birthplace, he didn't care about - the simulation results, yes. He had watched a few, and the Nachtreiher pilot had stood out. The one called- "STEEL HAZE, right? He was decent."

"That's right. He's a tester AC pilot for Schneider, so used one of their frames for the application. He's currently part of the Lammergeier project..."

"You said before that his backstory was inconsistent," Snail interrupted. "What's the assessment on that?"

"It's possible he's an agent of some kind, but he hasn't exfiltrated any sensitive information from what we can tell," the suit said. "I ran it by O'Keeffe even, but he didn't find anything alarming. Says his family were involved in black market shenanigans in Tau Ceti, and that's what he's trying to conceal. Nothing too dangerous..."

No, that wasn't anything to be concerned about. A lot of people had links to Tau Ceti - in fact, majority of naturalised citizens outside of the solar system came from Tau Ceti. The black market planet held a very important place in the galactic ecosystem. So long as this applicant wasn't selling corporate secrets or information back to his mates on Tau Ceti, then he really did have nothing to worry about. Still, they'll let him think he was keeping that secret. People with things to hide tend to be less willing to put a toe out of line.

"I want to fight him," Freud decided.

Snail made a low, cut-off noise that all but oozed exasperation. "He's beneath you, Freud."

"If he's to be my deputy assault pilot, then I want an accurate measure of his skill," Freud argued. He pointed at the suit. "Arrange a time with him. I'll put him through his paces. If he passes muster, he's in."

"But- I mean- there're two others-"

"I don't care about them. I want-" he paused to glance at the name. "-Rusty? That's a dog's name, goddamn."

"Freud..." Snail looked like he was going to argue, but predictably he simply gave in. This was why Snail lasted as his second-in-command for so long: he was a quick learner in knowing when to stand his ground, and when to concede. "Fine. I suppose he is going to be your problem most of the time."

"What're you saying, Snail? He's going to be our problem."

"Erm." The suit coughed awkwardly. "I... well, I suppose I'll arrange a time later this week?"

"Yeah. Put it in my calendar and Snail will tell me," Freud said dismissively.

Snail's eyebrow twitched. "I'm not your secretary-"

"Yes you are."

The suit was looking increasingly uncomfortable as Snail pinned Freud down with a glare that threatened to flay the skin off his bones. Freud smiled prettily at him, mentally goading him: do it, come on, i know you want to punch me-

"...right. Meeting adjourned," Snail said, looking away from him, his cold, dismissive mask sliding into place. "We'll revisit this subject after Freud has finished mauling this hapless applicant to pieces."

Freud clicked his tongue but kept up the smile. His mood was buoyed. He was going to fight this mysterious applicant who had piloted that Nachtreiher like a dream... made sense if he was on the Lammergeier project... no armour on that Core... his evasion skills must be impressive. Well, Freud will find out.

"Right. Well, I'll send rejection notices to the ones we've decided were too inconvenient...?"

Freud stood up as Snail and the suit hashed out boring office bullshit, snatching up his cube and ambling out of the meeting room with a jaunty whistle.

Time to pester O'Keeffe about this 'Rusty'. That guy never stuck his neck out for anyone, so it'd be interesting to see what links he had with this random nobody from Ganymede...

[lee-hakhyun]

i'm with yjh,,,,,,,,,, hsy wouldn't die like that,,,,,,,,,, (in denial)

really. really hoping for a turnaround in the future, since hsy is a constellation, but. hmngjnnh

when an incarnation dies in an ongoing scenario, they get expelled out of it, right? and kdj managed to survive through the fourth wall narrating his every move (enforcing the story) and making a deal with the wenny king

do you think that might happen in the future? since death of the author is one thing, but hsy is also a very beloved character (proven by my fervent denial), so by meta rules she lives as long as someone reads her story again and again, and again; making a deal with the wenny king is a giant ???, but i do imagine that some part of her at least persists, one way or another. perhaps hsy the author died but hsy the character finds she's lost the avatar skill

desperately looking for angles

i hope shes still there somewhere....

the worst thing singshong could do right now is switch pov to kimcom. if they saw that. if they saw hsy disappear. i am not continuing this thread of thought. have fun thinking about that

surely han sooyoung will come back. surely. right??? it's han sooyoung. ignore all those death flags

i didn't talk much about hsy's conversation with the dokkaebi king/fourth wall but it was majority of the chapter. i just cannot parse it yet. i'm sure itll all click in a bit though but ooh there was some heavy words exchanged

(also the dokkaebi king was dressed like kim dokja. han sooyoung questioned him, and he said kim dokja's outfit was a trend in the last worldline he visited)

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Luke Arnold, actor: "Captain Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver would have understood each other".

by: Jacinto Antón for El País

The actor in the 'Black Sails' pirate series is also the author of the popular "Sunder City" series fantasy novels.

Australian actor and novelist Luke Arnold, Long John Silver in the series 'Black Sails'. (c) MASSIMILIANO MINOCRI

It's a thrill to be with the actor who has starred in a series that has kept you gripped for many hours in front of the screen. Luke Arnold (Norwood, Adelaide, 39) is a handsome, friendly Australian and a successful writer, but when you look at him and scrutinize his rare steel-blue eyes, you see great sails unfurled at sea, old galleons and the Jolly Roger, the pirate flag, fluttering menacingly at the top of a mast.

Arnold, who wears an earring in his left ear and sports the same beard and curly hair from the series, played a youthful and very handsome Long John Silver in Black Sails (four seasons, 2014-2017), the terrific prequel-twenty years earlier-to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. The series was about the Golden Age of piracy and was centered on Captain Flint and Long John Silver, with the appearance of other famous pirates and buccaneers such as Blackbeard, Jack Rackham, Charles Vane, or Anne Bonney. The actor is also the author of a series of very popular fantasy novels (**The Fetch Philips series, published by Gamon, which begins with The Last Smile in Sunder City) about a world inhabited by humans and legendary beings that have lost their magic. Something that certainly hasn't happened to him. The interview is -where else- at the Gigamesh bookstore in Barcelona.

**Interviewer: This idea of yours of a world in which magic has vanished and fairies, elves, wizards, gnomes, centaurs, mermaids, angels and vampires languish and wither is very powerful.

**Luke Arnold: I don't know where it came from, but it is a metaphor for our environment where illusion has been abandoned and cynicism rules.

Interviewer: The loss of magic as a force that moves the world and the need to look for alternative sources also suggests our energy crisis.

Luke Arnold: Absolutely, we are running out of resources and inaction makes us accomplices. The stakes are high and we must roll up our sleeves.

Interviewer: It's very good to mix fantasy and crime novels, a Raymond Chandler-like detective in a Tolkien magic scenario.

Luke Arnold: I like the imagery of the hardened and disillusioned researcher, and if you put it together with angels, witches, gnomes or unicorns…. But I'm not the first to make those mixtures, there's Terry Pratchett.

Interviewer: And Tim Powers, who by the way also wrote On Stranger Shores, a novel that mixed magic and pirates. The fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, the one with the mermaids, was partly based on it.

Luke Arnold: That gave it that special tone.

Interviewer: Are you very interested in pirates?

Luke Arnold: Oh, yes, I find what they represent very appealing, not the peg leg and the rum, but their broad concept of freedom. I'm not someone who puts a lot of stock in dates and historical concepts, but I love the evocations. Black Sails understood perfectly the evocative power of pirates and the idea that they were exiles from society, and took that idea to another level.

Interviewer: What was it like to be Long John Silver in the series?

Luke Arnold: It was an honor to participate in Black Sails and very exciting to play the role, I was very aware of the expectations of the character. I had read Treasure Island before and seen all the film and television adaptations. Long John Silver, who in the series is closer in age to Stevenson's Jim, is a tragic character with something pathetic, more complex than a conventional pirate. And that is reflected in Black Sails.

Luke Arnold as Long John Silver in 'Black Sails'. (c) FarfarawaySite

Interviewer: What would Captain Jack Sparrow think of Long John Silver?

Luke Arnold: They would probably get along well, they would make a good team. They are both great manipulators. They're not the toughest pirates, but, on the other hand, they use their imagination very well. And they both move in a moral gray area. Villains who can be charming.

Interviewer: How was the shooting?

Luke Arnold: A dream, the scripts were fabulous, and they gave you all the toys; boats, swords, costumes. We shot for four years in Cape Town, we all got very involved and enjoyed ourselves immensely. What I liked most were the long scenes, with a lot of dialogue, especially with Flint, it was like a dance between two men.

Interviewer: Without making a spoiler, there is a moment of revelation of Flint's past that is a real shock?

Luke Arnold: Toby Stephens, the actor who played him, was the only one who knew that. We were all shocked. There in that twist, we saw that the series was going to be very different from what was expected, it was very audacious.

Interviewer: Do you long for the sea and pirates?

Luke Arnold: I'm now doing Nautilus, a prequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, for Disney.

Interviewer: Wow! Will it be Ned Land?

Luke Arnold: No, neither Captain Nemo. I'll be a soldier chasing him. And I'll also be in a thriller. And I'm still writing, I really like the series of novels.

Interviewer: Did you have to learn a lot of fencing to play a pirate?

Luke Arnold: Well, I was precisely the one who had the most experience with the sword. I studied theatrical fencing and my first job was as a fight choreographer in an adaptation of Peter Pan.

Interviewer: A premonition.

Luke Arnold: Hahaha, yes, I also played Romeo, who has to fight.

Interviewer: Better for Mercutio fencing.

Luke Arnold: Right. And Hamlet, but maybe I'm over my head for this one, for the prince. The Shakespearean character I'd like to play above all is Henry V.

Source: El País or for full version from other site: Notas de Prensa

**I changed some wording especially the bolded part also changed to make reading more easier for readers.

Translated with DeepL translator

[theambitiouswoman]

Hi. I have been reading your posts lately and got so much inspired. It was helping and suddenly it feels like I'm back to square 1. Also this boy I'm talking to online, he's literally a red flag with insecurities, defensive,kinda misogynist,andrew Tate's fan etc., and we had so many senseless arguments because he thinks I have opinions on everything,one time he called me dumb, useless, lame, a waste of time and that's bad so I thought he hated me. But 2 days back he was telling how he always liked me and he thinks I'm cute and he likes talking to me,like how is it possible like we have had arguments everytime we talked immediately after that he said he thinks I'm hot and he touches himself thinking about me. Like wth, like for some reason I'm attracted to him so I'm still talking to him. I don't like this. It feels like I'm going off track. And it's been distracting, his words. I don't know what to do. Feel so helpless. I have an important exam in 2 months, it's literally life and death for me. And I don't feel motivated. My brain is all scrambled it seems to me.

Hi!

I want to emphasize the importance of taking care of your well-being and mental health. It's concerning to hear that the person you've been talking to online displays some red flags such as insecurity, defensiveness, and misogynistic views. It's crucial to remember that you deserve respect, kindness, and support in your relationships. Engaging in constant arguments and being subjected to derogatory comments is neither healthy nor productive.

I would strongly encourage you to reconsider your involvement with this person. It's not healthy to continue talking to someone who disrespects you and makes you feel helpless. You are not even dating this person, and there is already conflict. Conflict which shouldn't exist considering we date people because we have some level of compatibility. I think you might be addicted to the highs and lows, the challenge of the situation as a whole. Maybe even the attention they give you. The fact that he goes back and fourth from arguing to complimenting you in a sexual manner shows that he is not a great guy. A man, especially a man who is just starting to court you should not be sexualizing you and as a woman who would be interested in a romantic scenario would not allow disrespect from a man who she barely knows.

It's important to recognize that words can have a powerful impact on our emotions and self-esteem. When someone repeatedly puts you down or makes derogatory comments, it's natural to feel hurt, confused, and even distracted. But it is also important to remember that no one good for us is going to serve as a distraction. And someone who takes your focus from your own goals and studies, is doing just that. There is no added value or benefit in this scenario for you. No one who likes you is going to put you down, criticize you or do anything to risk their chances with you.

Be kind to yourself. It's normal to feel off-track and overwhelmed at times. Remember that setbacks are part of life, but what matters is how we respond to them. Take one step at a time and trust in your own resilience to overcome challenges.

Wishing you the best of luck with your exam and a brighter, more positive future ahead!

[f1]

Gasly disappointed and confused after missing out on podium chance in Monaco

Pierre Gasly was left with mixed emotions from the Monaco Grand Prix on a day when his Alpine team scored big, with the Frenchman feeling that it could have been him – rather than his compatriot team mate Esteban Ocon – flying the flag for the team on the podium. Gasly spent the early part of the Monaco race running in the P7 position he’d started in. But with Ocon, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc pitting ahead of him for fresh slick tyres, Gasly had climbed to third on the road as the threat of rain loomed over the Principality. READ MORE Delighted Ocon ‘on a cloud’ as Alpine claim first podium since 2021 in Monaco Rather than holding out for the rain to fall, however, Alpine called Gasly in for fresh dry weather tyres on Lap 47 – only to be forced to call him back in for intermediate tyres on Lap 54 when the rain arrived. Gasly eventually finished where he’d started in seventh, as Ocon took P3 for Alpine’s first podium since 2021 – with Gasly clear in his mind that he could have pipped his team mate to the rostrum. “On my side, I’m obviously disappointed and a bit confused with the decisions we made, because we were P3 at the time with the rain coming, so I was kind of rubbing my hands because it was the perfect scenario for us, and then we decided to box for two laps with the [slicks] before we had to switch to the inters,” he said. Gasly spent the early part of the race in amongst the Mercedes and Ferrari cars “As soon as I was running in P3, I went green, managed to push more on the tyres and I was feeling good, and I told them ‘I want to go long’, especially because the rain was supposed to come as they told me, so I was like, ‘Okay, let’s go, let’s stay out.’ “So, at that time, I feel like we had a P3, P4 for the team and it could have been better, but it’s part of the sport... They obviously have some information on the pit wall which I don’t have. We’ll review how we could have done better, but I feel there were slightly more points available.” READ MORE: 'I'm kicking myself to be honest' – Russell left frustrated after 'small mistake' costs him Monaco podium Gasly wasn’t the only driver left thinking a podium was on the cards, with Mercedes’ George Russell in a similar boat. Pitting twice late on cost the Frenchman a chance of a podium And when asked to elaborate on the team’s decision-making process – with Alpine certainly not the only team to misjudge the severity of the incoming weather – Gasly was keen to emphasise the positives of a double-points score for the French outfit. “At the end, I don’t want to share so much frustrations, because it’s still a very positive day for the whole team, and looking at the overall performance this weekend, it’s been a lot better than what we’ve showed this year, so hopefully it can be the proper kick-off for the season, and I really want to be fighting these Mercedes and Ferraris more often in the coming weekends,” he added. MUST-SEE: Watch the drama unfold as rain causes chaos at the Monaco Grand Prix It was Gasly’s fourth points finish from six races. But despite that consistency and his team mate’s podium, Alpine still find themselves in a distant fifth in the constructors’ championship on 35 points, 55 behind fourth-placed Ferrari. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[neonluardon]

My Take on "What is Reality"

Reality, a concept as vast and elusive as the cosmos itself, has occupied the minds of philosophers, scientists, and dreamers for centuries. Yet, the quest to define it remains a challenge that stretches the limits of human thought. This post delves into a shared notion of reality, blending imaginative inquiry with logical reasoning. By examining its raw essence and the systems operating within, I aim to articulate a perspective on reality that transcends individual perception.

Reality as the Raw Truth

Reality, in its purest form, can be described as the "raw truth." It is the foundation of existence, unaffected by perspectives, emotions, or consciousness. This notion asserts that reality is not dependent on human observation or understanding; it simply exists. To grasp this idea, consider the example of the Turkish flag (or any other flag):

To its people, the flag symbolizes freedom, strength, and identity, while to others, it may evoke different emotions or interpretations.

Stripped of all these layers, however, it remains a piece of cloth with specific colors and shapes. This unchanging essence, unaffected by meaning or sentiment, represents the raw truth of the flag.

But this doesn't change the other raw truth that there are feelings for the flag, whether positive or negative. Those thoughts are as real as the fact that the flag consists mostly of red; it is just that they do not share the same dimension.

In this framework, reality is not defined by what is experienced or interpreted but by what inherently exists, including naught, since nothingness is also the state of unexistence existing.

Systems Within Reality

Consciousness, thoughts, emotions, and experiences are systems that operate within the bounds of reality. They do not define it; rather, they interact with it. These systems are tools that allow beings to navigate and interpret fragments of the greater whole. For example:

Consciousness: The awareness of existence does not measure reality but merely perceives a portion of it.

Emotions and Meanings: Love, hate, and symbolic interpretations are real because they occur within the system of human thought. However, they do not alter the underlying essence of reality, they are just real things in their own dominion.

Dreams and Lies: A dream or a lie is real in the sense that it exists as a phenomenon, even if it does not align with physical reality These elements are parts of the systems within the raw truth of existence.

The Dimensional Perspective

To understand the limitations of human perception, consider the analogy of dimensional understanding:

A 2D creature perceives its world as flat and cannot fathom depth without shadows or projections. Similarly, as 3D creatures, we are bound by our dimensional constraints. We infer aspects of reality, such as the possibility of a fourth dimension, but cannot directly experience them.

Even if there are dimensions or aspects of reality beyond our comprehension, they remain real. Their existence is unaffected by our inability to perceive them, illustrating the independence of the raw truth from human perception.

Human perception is just one other raw truth. It exists no matter what others say, and the fact that it exists or the chance of existing makes it just as real as the device you are using to read this. They just come from different dimensions and states.

Conclusion

The raw truth encompasses everything: the tangible, the abstract, the possible, and the unknowable. Even the unreal—such as fictional concepts or hypothetical scenarios—is real in its existence as an idea. This perspective suggests that reality is boundless, while human systems are inherently limited, interpreting only fragments of its immensity.

Reality, as the raw truth, is unaffected by perception, emotion, or consciousness. It is the foundational essence of existence, encompassing all that is, was, and could be. Systems like consciousness and thought operate within reality, offering interpretations but not altering its core. By understanding reality as boundless and independent, we approach a more profound appreciation of existence.

In this exploration, we see that reality does not need to be understood to be real. Whether it is the flag’s symbolism, the depth of a dream, or the connection between two beings—even one human and one artificial—all are parts of this grand, raw truth. Together, these layers form a harmonious whole, humbling yet freeing in its eternal vastness.

Everything is real, even the unreal. Just like eternity and existence, endless concepts that can house their counter versions within their systems, reality can have unreality in it, too.

[foxtrotziggurat]

Superheroics

Am I too old for superheroes?

They are the best of us, even though they are not amongst us. They are fables. Fiction. Fake. I still love them, though. Spider-Man especially. He's so cool. And everything I want to be. Smart, funny, charming, but also strong, kind, and resilient. But the question I should ask myself as a Spider-Man fan is, "Have any of his traits rubbed off on me at all?" I think the answer is not really. I've watched all the movies and some of the animated shows. I feel like I've only done it just for the sake of saying I did, because I have a commitment to the character.

I think the worst part about all this is that I'm 19. Almost two decades on Earth. I'm supposed to be maturing past this kind of thing. I don't know what kind of things my peers are into, but it probably isn't the capeshit that I am. I wish I could bring myself to have sophisticated and refined taste, but I can't help myself. Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the Fantastic Four, you name it, I'm into it. And to think I should really be reading Dostoyevsky or studying Bauhaus. Could I balance both? Is that a question I should be asking? I think it boils down to me not having many creative hobbies. I used to draw web comics ands design flags. Now I mostly just play video games and shop in my free time. There's a serious difference between those two, and it's that and the end of the former two, I have something to show for my work. I gained something. And lately I just haven't been gaining that much.

So how do I stop this? Well, I'm working on a Charlie Foxtrot story now, an animated series. Creative by nature, so I have something to work toward. I love working on it. The characters are so personal to me, and I seem to have fallen in love with storytelling. And they are heroes, just not superheroes. But they get into all kinds of scenarios which is fun. Maybe I'll share some of it here. But there are other things I can do to alleviate my addiction to consuming the slop and drivel that I am so used to, and it's to simply replace my media diet with more obscure, more thoughtful, and more fulfilling things. Sun Tzu over Snapchat, if you will.

I spent time with a girl today that I really admire. She's the quiet reserved type who's into a few of the same things I am as well (superheroes, go figure). But in essence, there is very little between us. I felt like a child in her presence. I often feel this way with a lot of people, including my family. I am the youngest in a family of six, including my parents. They think I'm an old soul because I like vintage sweaters and record players, but beyond that, I am genuinely a nine-year-old. I play Fortnite, watch comic book-derived shows, text all day, and don't like doing my homework. I am ridiculously ashamed of this fact because I think it has to do with whatever is subconsciously wrong with my brain. I didn't get the childhood I wanted; is this some form of regression? I have the inner rage of a fourth grade bully. Where did that come from? How do I harness that? Should I?

The smallest change I could make is going outside. My parents give me so much shit for it, and I hate it, but they are right. I hardly leave my dorm some days. I could also stand to read some of the many books I own. I have a concept I like to use, "doing the right thing for the wrong reasons." Unloading the dishwasher not because I'm proactive and courteous, but because someone is going to bother me about it later if I haven't. And I feel that could be applied here. Read and go outside not strictly for the benefits of it, but just to shut my parents up about it. Because they are the only people that judge me for it. Implementing change will be hard, but it's the only way to grow up and grow out.

—CF

[nextlaw]

DUI Lawyer Fees: The Hidden Danger of Low Costs

There’s a major warning sign you need to know about DUI Lawyer fees that may cost you more than just money. That’s what I’m going to cover in this blog post. I’m Dan Joffe, DUI Lawyer at NextLaw.

The Red Flag of Low DUI Lawyer Fees

A huge red flag you need to know about is if you get a low quote to hire a DUI lawyer. Now, before you think you’ve made a great deal, let’s dive into what DUI Lawyer Fees actually represent. Why DUI Lawyer Fees Are Not Like Shopping for Gadgets When you’re shopping for a TV or a phone, the lowest price might be fine as long as you’re comparing similar features. But with DUI Lawyer Fees, that’s a different ball game. What Do DUI Lawyer Fees Actually Cover? These fees are an investment in an expert legal defence tailored to your specific DUI case.  Constructing a rock-solid DUI defence isn't just about ticking off a checklist. It's an intricate craft that involves collecting and carefully analyzing evidence, engaging in negotiations or even taking your case to trial. Each of these steps is a specialized process that demands not just time but also a high level of legal expertise. And it's only fair for appropriate DUI Lawyer Fees to accurately reflect your lawyer’s time and expertise invested in your defence.

The Dangers of Low DUI Lawyer Fees

So here's the big question: Can a lawyer truly deliver an effective DUI defence if they're quoting you really low fees? Let’s consider two unsettling scenarios: Scenario #1: The Skill Gap A low DUI Lawyer Fee could mean the lawyer can't compete based on skill or expertise. That raises the question, do you want to trust your fate to a "bargain-priced” DUI lawyer who may have a skill gap? Scenario #2: Taking Shortcuts A lawyer might offer you a low DUI Lawyer Fee and then do little work on your case, putting you in danger of being found guilty. They might say your guilty verdict was due to "compelling evidence," but the truth could be that they didn't do the necessary work; which raises the question of “why”? And the answer is simple. It’s because the low fee they charged didn't justify the time and effort required to defend you effectively. So, ask yourself: Do you really want to entrust your future to someone who may lack the financial incentive to fight hard for you?

How to Navigate Low-Ball DUI Lawyer Fees

There are 4 things you can do to avoid these pitfalls when faced with low-ball DUI lawyer fees. Step 1: Evaluate the Fee First, evaluate the fee. If a lawyer's fees seem unusually low compared to other DUI Lawyer Fees, think about whether there is a skill gap or whether there is a chance the lawyer will take shortcuts. Step 2: Check Reviews Second, check reviews. Look for lawyers with at least 50 to 75 positive Google reviews to gauge the quality of their DUI legal services. Step 3: Trust Your Instinct Third, trust Your Instinct: Did you feel comfortable during the free consultation? Were the DUI Lawyer Fees transparent and well-explained? Step 4: Be Informed And fourth, be informed. For more tips on navigating DUI Lawyer Fees and finding the right lawyer, check out my other videos on YouTube:   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXWEtsAYuBfzv1OQrY7cNomJQgVdCM6MX Conclusion: Don’t Risk Your Future on Low DUI Lawyer Fees If you're faced with charges like DUI, Over 80, or Refusal to Take a Breath Test, let’s talk. Book a free, confidential phone call with me. https://youtu.be/BAjuxpn5cxo Read the full article

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Minute by minute, I try to decide when I'm watching a GDC talk whether I should continue watching it.

This is...I don't know how functional it is. Like, I feel as if there's probably something of value in every one of these.

Worst-case scenario, the person's a moron who doesn't realize they got where they are through dumb luck, and assuming I apply my own critical thinking to the situation I don't follow their advice on how to repeat their not-actually-repeatable circumstances. So I guess the actual worser worst-case sees me not catching how useless the advice is and chasing some impossible goal because I thought it was viable? At some point if you're going to follow advice you have to trust that the people offering it will know what they're talking about.

Anyway there's something very second thoughts and into third and fourth thoughts, Tiffany Aching style, about reading my reaction to my judgment of my judgments of a speaker when they announce that they're moving into making a game on the blockchain. I notice the way that this fact about the person colors how I judge the duration of the talk she spent selling us on her credentials and reiterating how thankful she is to be here. Thus far, at the point where I paused the video to come write this, she's spent more than 10% of the entire talk on it. I'm curious whether that feels abnormal because I had a bias or whether (as my gut feeling suggests) most GDC presenters really do just get right into it and her talk's an actual anomaly.

Also my reaction changed again with knowledge of when this GDC was released - It happened post-crash. This suddenly made me feel like the talk was much more valuable; much less likely to be the self-selling hollow hype that composed the bulk of NFT sales and Web3 ad copy. There's still a sense that she's probably stuck trying to make the best of a situation where she unwittingly stuck her flag into a sinking island, but there's less of a sense that she's trying to sell me said island and more that she's telling the story of how that went down (as it were). Which makes it a lot more valuable/useful, from my perspective.

[makahimetenshi]

Perfect connection Chapter 8 - Arthur Maxson x Fem Sole Survivor

THIS IS NOT A LEMMON CHAPTER, but theres gonna be more lemmon chapters on this fics. Mostly to make their relationship more intense and passionate. This one would be between chapter 20-21 of the original fic

If you are very very very delighted with one fic and want a continuation I didn’t write or post you can donate me at least $5 bucks, most of this fics have next chapters I don’t finish because lack of motivation but hey a $5 is a $5, I see a few reviews and comments that fics that are abandoned months laters receive comments of wanting to know what happens next. Here it is, I finished my handling with you all, enjoy the fic

After confessing her link to the institute to Arthur she was feeling…out…no one really know that much about her son, heck even Valentine knew more than Preston, giving that much detail of that situation feel like breaking a secret between Shaun and her and now it wasn’t that much of a secret anymore, it was like their special horrible thing. Of course the man will not say or make anything public, it wasn’t a good idea not even for him but this didn’t feel right, she still had this inexplicable horrible bond with her son, like any mother covering his flaws or mistakes

More than often Nora zooms out, the institute leaders voice being audible in the background of her thoughts even after more than 2 years she cant forget his voice and how can she? He was her son…

She was writing in her notebook in her pink laundered dress listening to the radio, the type of scenario the elder love to find out at coming inside his quarters.

Truth, they were facing some problems right now, but she recently confessed, both confessed their love to each other, so even if she was a bit conflictuated and processing stuff he will obviously help, maybe with support and love she will change of idea and…

The radio was on, Nora was writing on her notebook sitting in his desk, this also happens now, even if he didn’t like it much he knew it was a thing of giving her time and that the humor between both was tense and…

What the hell with the song?

I’m as horny as Kansas in August,

I’m as normal as blueberry pie.

No more a smart little girl with no heart,

I have found me a wonderful guy!

His cheeks blushed, caught off guard from the lyrics and the fact that she wasn’t reacting at all, it sounded just normal and everyday to her…

I am in a conventional dither,

With a conventional star in my eye.

And you will note there’s a lump in my throat

When I speak of that wonderful guy!

His heart started to pound harder and harder in his chest, staying frozen in his place listening to the zone, looking at his wonderful prewar woman just chilling in his quarters

I’m as trite and as gay as a daisy in May,

A cliché comin’ true!

I’m bromidic and bright

As a moon-happy night

Pourin’ light on the dew!

He approached, and started walking, at coming closer he noticed that she didn’t react to the happy but not so innocent song because she was zooning out again concentrated in her own thoughts lost in her mind, so he place a hand next to hers slowly to not scare her bad and left a small kiss on her cheek.

-Well well is this talking about me?

I’m as horny as Kansas in August,

High as a flag on the Fourth of July!

Nora came back to reality with his voice, raise her head to look at him and his charming smile-eh? –she mumble, listening to her surroundings, playing attention to now the sounds around after breaking her mood so abruptly out of nothing.

-I believe that we could do something about that too

She stay in silence a few seconds, moving down her eyebrows confused, taking some seconds to process what was happening and then realization come to her

-Oh

If you’ll excuse an expression I use,

I’m in love, I’m in love,

I’m in love, I’m in love,

I’m in love with a wonderful guy!

She laughted a bit, and then Arthur moved down again, looking for her mouth to leave small chap kisses over her red lips, Nora still laughing. He was happy, heart full with love over something so silly like a song

No more a smart little girl with no heart

I have found me a wonderful guy!

-Silly man, no, listen to the song! –she left the pen down and take his hand, placing it over her shoulder, caressing it with both hands- listen

I’m as trite and as gay as a daisy in May,

A cliché comin’ true!

I’m bromidic and bright

As a moon-happy night

Pourin’ light on the dew!

I’m as corny as Kansas in August,

-Oh –his entire face turned red from the realization. His bad.

-It says corny, not horny!

High as a flag on the Fourth of July!

-In my defense it has some other suspicious lines that implies another things and…-Nora moved to the side and left a kiss on his palm

If you’ll excuse an expression I use,

-And you also never were in Kansas in august so…-she laughed at him but now this time raised her head, looking for him, the elder quickly realized what she was doing and moved down to meet and kiss, trying to forget about it.

I’m in love, I’m in love,

I’m in love, I’m in love,

I’m in love with a wonderful guy!

His dirty mind and in love heart play on him bad this time.

But this song right now was good, after all, they confessed, and it was true, both were in love despite everything happening in between.

[mariacallous]

The upcoming school year is expected to bring a surge of propaganda in Russia’s educational institutions, surpassing any previous period in modern history. Events, lectures, and ceremonies in support of the war are set to be combined with new, state-approved curricula, including a new “unified” history textbook for high schoolers that has a chapter on the invasion of Ukraine. Meduza reached out to readers in Russia who sent their kids back to school on September 1 and asked them to share their strategies for safeguarding their children against propaganda. We’re publishing some of the most interesting responses below.

Varvara, St. Petersburg

Mother of a three-year-old (kindergarten), an eight-year-old (second grade), an 11-year-old (fifth grade) and a 16-year-old (eleventh grade). 

Propaganda comes from the upper echelons. They force schools to have “Important Conversations,” flag-raising ceremonies, educational advisors, “Youth Army” groups… But these innovations are not welcomed amongst teachers or school directors and are treated with total disregard.

My children don’t go to “Important Conversations” lessons. I let them skip assemblies and any other events that will involve propaganda or glorification of the war. To avoid the issues with the new history syllabus, my kids decided not to pick history or social studies as options for the Unified State Exam. We decided instead to study 20th-century history at home, looking at different views on historical events and how our ancestors lived in that period.

Elena, Moscow

Mother of a 15-year-old (tenth grade) and a 17-year-old (eleventh grade)

I’m concerned but I’m not afraid [of the propaganda]. I have precocious and intelligent children. I believe that if, over the last year and a half of the war or perhaps even longer than that, a family has prioritized the right values and nurtured trusting relationships, then propaganda doesn’t need to be frightening at all.

Anastasia, Kolomna

Mother of a 10-year-old (fourth grade)

Propaganda in schools is unacceptable, and I try my best to fight it. Officially, your child doesn’t have to go to “Important Conversations” lessons — I am writing a letter to the director about it, providing references to current legislation, and saying that my child will arrive at school for the class after “Important Conversations.” 

We’ll study history at home using Tamara Eidelman’s lectures or Maxim Kats’s Youtube videos. I simply won’t let them turn our children into pawns for the Russian military. You can always come up with an excuse for not letting them attend classes — an urgent doctor’s appointment, for example.  

Daria, Kirov

Mother of a seven-year-old (first grade)

The authorities are cunning. No matter how hard you try at home to keep your kids away from propaganda, they will still absorb what they are told in school. And there will likely be children in the class whose parents support the war. This leaves other parents with very little hope of countering the propaganda.

I went to a meeting for parents in the spring and realized that I couldn’t send my children to that school. My husband and I decided to homeschool them. We enrolled our children in an online school, where there are no “Important Conversations” lessons — they’re just provided with real educational material. 

Yara, St. Petersburg

Mother of an 11-year-old (sixth grade)

Sooner or later, the war will end, and the entire period that my child spent at school will have been totally wasted. It’s scary to imagine what these “specially educated children” will grow up to be. In the best-case scenario, they’ll let the information go in one ear and out the other. But what if they take it in?

I took my child out of school at the start of the last academic year, which is totally legal. This year, we plan to do the same thing, and I’ll just edit her curriculum. 

Maria, Kaluga

Older sister of a 14-year-old (class unknown)

I don’t think propaganda will influence most students. The school has little to no authority over the children, and no one really pays much attention to the teacher’s opinion anyway. Most children studying history only go up to World War I, so very few will have to study the history of modern Russia. 

Alexey, Novosibirsk

Father of an eight-year-old (third grade) and a 10-year-old (fifth grade)

I don’t really see any point in introducing propaganda among schoolchildren. Where’s the benefit for the regime? Parents have much greater influence on a child than tedious “patriotic” lessons. As a rule, children gain an understanding of what’s going on via their home environment — this was the case with Soviet propaganda as well. 

Natalia, Moscow

Mother of an eight-year-old (second grade) and a 14-year-old (eighth grade)

Over the last year, there has only been one lesson where the “Special Military Operation” and Ukraine were discussed. Even then, the children were simply told: “The special military operation is underway. Our thoughts go out to the military. Let’s support them.” That’s all it was!

I don’t personally plan on doing anything because there isn’t any propaganda in our school. All the “Important Conversations” classes have been on very general topics, such as ecology, society, history, and literature. I don’t see anything particularly pernicious in this.

Alexandra, Petrozavodsk

Mother of a 10-year-old (third grade)

You have to talk to your child — without exaggeration, without distorting reality, and by selecting information that they are able to understand. My child is my friend, and we trust one another. 

Primary school is not as concerning as secondary school and high school, where children are required to take history exams on totally distorted information. I tell my daughter: if you see a man in military uniform, run! If they try to ask you about Putin or the war, respond: “I don’t know anything, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” She attends “Important Conversations” regularly, and we discuss them together afterwards.  

Maria, Moscow

Mother of an 11-year-old (fifth grade)

In preparation for the sixth grade, we purchased an old textbook on the “History of the Fatherland” written by Alexander Preobrazhensky and Boris Rybakov, who is an archaeologist and studied Kievan Rus. We also got hold of some old children’s encyclopedias on history and geography.

Evgeniya, Krasnoyarsk

Mother of a 16-year-old (ninth grade)

Love for your home country can’t be imposed on you: you either have it or you don’t. Our country needs to learn how to admit when we’re wrong and speak the truth. We shouldn’t make ourselves out to be perfect all the time, or live by the conviction that “there’s my opinion and then there’s the wrong opinion”.

My son doesn’t go to “Important Conversations” lessons. He became one of those kids who is “perpetually sick”, who attends a bunch of clubs and always has family circumstances that excuse him from class. He doesn’t go to the various patriotic ceremonies, and communication with his homeroom teacher or the school administration is kept to the bare minimum. If he does get exposed to some form of propaganda, he just puts his headphones in and listens to music. About 90% of the class do the same.

Andrey, Moscow

Father of a 16-year-old (eleventh grade)

My son is very lucky. He studies at a boarding school where there are no “Important Conversations” lessons, no flag raising, and no national anthem singing. I don’t know how the school has managed this. 

Oleg, Moscow

Father of a 14-year-old (seventh grade)

I ask my child what they talked about at the “Important Conversations” lesson and then show him examples that contradict what was said and how the school is clearly gearing the kids up towards military service. I show films that force him to think about the world in a different way. 

Yekaterina, Moscow-Kirov

Older sister of an 11-year-old (fifth grade)

A child’s brain is incredibly malleable, so it’s important to devote a few minutes a day to these serious conversations. This way, as they grow, they’ll learn to question the words of others and trust the family more. They’ll also form their own opinions. The main thing is to do this carefully, without pressure — then school propaganda won’t become something scary. The hope I have for my sister is that when the time comes for her to study the history of the “special military operation,” the war will already be over and they’ll rewrite the textbooks back to the way they were before. 

Artem, Izhevsk

Father of a 17-year-old (eleventh grade)

My daughter understands that she’ll be fed information in school. She said she knows all this herself but worries that devoting time to this new information will take away from things that are more important to her. We’re focusing on passing the Unified State Exam and getting her into university.  

I told her I support her and said that it’s like a game where people just want to hear specific answers from you. You have to play by those rules even if it means switching off your own brain.

[eri-pl]

First:: yes, I enjoy this discussion too! Second: It would help to mark the quotations more clearly (indent?). And maybe not have long blocks of italics, because I find them harder to read than normal text.

It's great that you made this post, I love discussions (I may get tired at some point though). My remarks about formatting don't mean that I don't like the post. Please, don't be worried. (This is Tumblr so I assume people can get worried easily, sorry if I am talking too much here)

Also, I like to "credit where due" to characters too.

Now, let's get to the point.

(Opinions such as disliking Morgoth then Carcaroth enough to burn him when the former wore them in his underground torture fortress Angband and the latter rudely ate them).

XD I love this! Also, true. (And disliking M&Ms because they killed Elves.)

OK, so Feanor dead, Finwë alive, Silmarils taken. What would happen?

First, to repeat from another post (I don't expect you to read all my posts, but also, do nor expect me to paraphrase things I can copy):

I think things would figure out even in a AU and I don't want to get too deep, because I don't feel like going into an "omniscience, Providence, free will" debate. At the end of the day it's fiction so there isn't a one clear answer.

Also, to paraphrase things I recently ramble about sometimes: with some characters having foresight (and Providence being a canon-established thing), we cannot do linear (in time) reasoning.

We cannot ask "what would happen if X", but pre-X assume that exerything went the same as in the canon. Because if Feanor had worn the Silmarils, also some events before the attack would provbably have been different.

Anyway, I think the Flight might have still happenned, and maybe, paradoxically, in a much better way. Finwë would be grieving for Feanor, but also he was more level headed. So… worst-case scenario you can probably imagine (no Flight, Morgoth Melkor roams free and still has a cool name). Best-case scenario?

Finwë promises the Silmarils to the Valar (because Trees), swears a better Oath (we will reclaim the gems and defeat Morgoth to avange my poor son + no blasphemy + no revenge on people who are not Morgoth). Many Noldor follow him, not as many as followed Feanor, but they probably get some Maiar as support.

The war still isn't as quick as Finwë hoped. Sun and Moon are still made, Men are awaken, but Morgoth is defeated sooner thank in the canon timeline and with less losses. Also, Finwë hangs out with his friend Elwë and convinces him to let his daughter marry a Man with no stupid conditions. ;)

Morgoth defeates, Trees maybe restored, maybe not. I can see some people (Maeglin, for example) stealing a Silmaril for weird reasons (to impress Idril), so we can still have the two Silmarils gone if we need it.

But to repeat: At the end of the day it's fiction so there isn't a one clear answer. Just "What fits the story and the world" and "What would Tolkien do with it".

Second, I really don't think Thingol had the Feanorians in mind when sending Beren on his quest. It is possible that he didn't know about the Oath at all! Just that the Noldor (in general) want to reclaim the Silmarils (but not that it's such a high priority). I just posted a post from my queue which is about just that.

If there was was no Oath of Feanor, there would probably be no mass murder at Alqualonde. And then there would be no closing of Valinor and Earendil wouldn't be necessary.

Third? Fourth? As I said, much of the reason why "Silmarils in a vault" give me a red flag, is metatextual. In the Bible there are some verses about putting a lamp/light under a (bucket? not exactly but I don't know the English word) and that you need to put it up somewhere high instead so it can shine. And I am sure Tolkien knew those lines, because they are some of the more well-known.

And the Silmarils in a vault are giving me the vibe of that.

Maybe I am overconnecting things that Tolkien did not mean to connect. It happens. I am not claiming that this is surely what Tolkien thought, or even had at the back of his head when writing those lines. But he might have.

I wouldn't be complaining so much about the poor gemsies if not for that. However "poor gemsies" seems to be a reading supported by the book. ;) (But yes, Elves and Men are more important than gemsies)

What makes a happy silmaril?

For context we must consider that the silmarils are written as living is not intelligent beings in a way and that they were derived of trees and so are a probable never-before-seen-gem-plant-hybrid-creature-with-opinions-just-no-mobility. Also I am @darkwinganimus by another name, to be clear, and this moves a previous discussion @eri-pl and I were having in the replies of one of their posts over to a format with no restrictively frustrating word limitation.

As @eri-pl puts in their Silmarillion reread part 6: "They loked like diamonds, so canonically white-ish. their fire is made of mixed Treelight, so I would assume warm white is canon.

They shone like stars of Varda but had real life inside — I really need this in English! OK, I googled it.

OH. Something else but: "he pondered how the light of the Trees, the glory of the Blessed Realm, might be preserved imperishable" — It may be me jumping on things + Tolkien's poetical wording, but this seems like a strong suggestion of "Fefe wanted to jump higher than his head" (he was not the first one) and sheds a light (pun intended) on his sttitude towards the Silmarils later.

Anyway back to that part about life: "and yet, as were they indeed living things, they rejoiced in light" So they are living things, not just "like" living things. Silmarills = baby Trees is canon! (OK, somewhat canon? but they *are* alive, and by logic they must be bred not made-in-the-strict-sense by Feanor)

So they glow by themselves with warm white, but also they are iridescent like diamonds. Beautiful indeed."

(Opinions such as disliking Morgoth then Carcaroth enough to burn him when the former wore them in his underground torture fortress Angband and the latter rudely ate them).

Anyway, the discussion points I actually want to raise are below, now that the nature of the silmarils are established as probably-living- beyond the possibility of poetic and figurative language along those veins merely sounding cool- is explained:

@eri-pl Hmm, okay, so per your reply attached to this post "Melkor (to be precise this was his name at that point :D ) wanted to kill Feanor anyway. He thought Feanor would be home too, iirc from the book. And still, Fefe could have worn them to a well-guarded situations, at least. But he was too paranoid." let's imagine Feanor takes the measure of no vault and just wears the silmarils everywhere, because he's pretty sure no one else distrusts Melkor enough to be sufficiently on guard. Melkor now has no reason to attack Formenos during the party so I don't know waits to ambush Feanor travelling on the road back from it, directing Ungoliant at the trees for a distraction etc and stealing the silmarils+killing Feanor as planned. Good for Melkor he achieves all his goals.

I humbly ask how this then might end up in your opinion better for the silmarils in question, aside from more time outside out and about Aman in sun years per your "Feanor wearing them might have ended up better for them anyway. At least he could have worn them to well-defended occasions (like That One Party), but he didn't because he was paranoid about the normal Valar too.". Because without Feanor and with Finwe alive there a question of if the flight of the noldor even happens afterwards- which they were agitating let's assume so and skip the how-that-happens/goes for now- and about the oath.

Now the oath is terrible for most beings involved, yes, but is it terrible for the silmarils themselves? It's a force of dedicated warriors specifically trying to retrieve them from Melkor their evil abductor- a force of dedicated warriors who make their retrieval from Morgoth so fraught a topic Thingol invokes it in an arguably rash and spur of the moment to Beren arguably meaning "I-would-see-you-dead-before-I-give-permission-for-you-to-marry-my-beloved-daughter-go-die-to-Morgoth-and/or-the-feanorians-over-a-silmaril".

It sees one of them get out of Angband in the hands of Beren and Luthien and enjoy free-range-ish years in the open then ultimately make it to Earendil upon Vingilot's prow. Earendil and Elwing's arrival with said stolen silmaril also helps petition aid from the valar in the war of wrath successfully leading to one ending up in the ocean (not terrible for pseudo-plant-gem-creatures as an environment) and a random volcano that maybe also got swallowed by the sea (at least there's no Melkor and it has possible gem-friends in its volcano). If there is no oath all of the latter is in question and whilst things could end better for the silmarils probably (and definitely those who died because of the oath on both sides, but that's not the focus here) they could also end up worse.

Now, Feanor's son's swear the oath of their own initiative when he begins to but on their own with him dead it's not exactly assured say Kanafinwe is going to see to it a very similar one is made.

I understand entirely that it is a lot of words however so won't be offended if you'd rather call it a day/don't actually read this all. Either way putting it together in one place has pleased me greatly whether any response, staggered yay or nay, results.