#like some people want information about their families that the tests can provide and that’s great

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

hi! I'm new to the beatles lore and I've been trying to catch up on an insane level of information for weeks. it's been fun but also heartbreaking 💔💔 anyways, I wanted to ask a couple of questions if that's ok? for example, I keep seeing this narrative that john was using yoko as some sort of weapon against paul... what was john trying to achieve by that I mean where does this idea even come from? according to this, john was hurting paul on purpose while he was singing him love songs in the studio asking him to be partners again (as in songwriting creative partners) WHAT WOULD JOHN ACHIEVE DOING THAT? also it sounds very one sided like paul is the most innocent in the break up eventho he was the one who came up with a secret album and a lawsuit. I don't know what to think. before knowing them I used to think lennon was in love and on drugs so he got so annoying to the point that he broke up the band but now...

Hi there! Welcome to the fandom! don't worry about feeling overwhelmed at first there is a LOT to take in.

I want to say, I do get the feeling you are somewhat mixing things up here, though I don't particularly blame you for being confused. (if not then sorry! just want to clarify as much as I can)

Tedious as it sounds, I find keeping a timeline in my mind (ideally, accurate to the month) helpful to provide some clarity regarding the breakup era specifically, so the period of 1968-1971. John's studio taunting you're referring to would have happened between mid '68 and mid '69, but Paul worked on his solo album (what I presume you meant by "his secret album", though it wasn't all that secret – John had already released solo music of his own by that point*) in late '69 and early '70. He filed a lawsuit against the others in late '70.

*I think you're conflating the album itself with the fact that, along with the release of McCartney (said album), Paul "surprise revealed" he had quit the band to the public, which the other band members, especially John, were not impressed with.

That being said, the events of the breakup are still convoluted at best, even to "seasoned" fans, I'd say. One of my main pieces of advice I can provide as someone who's been doing this for more than 3 years is get comfortable with not knowing things and with some of the actors involved doing something fundamentally irrational sometimes. They're humans, they don't always make sense and they won't always be forthcoming about why they behaved the way they did.

Which brings me to the narratives you mention: I say this as nicely as possible, but sometimes people want to tell themselves the best story rather than the most truthful one. It's more important to some that John is taunting Paul out of some twisted form of love than why specifically.

To answer your question regarding where this particular idea comes from, I would say: Paul has indicated that he felt John replaced him with Yoko (in whatever way he meant by that – some think it's sexual, some it's about creative partnership, or simply as a best friend); John's behaviour clearly and drastically shifted for the worse in mid '68, which is around the time he got together with Yoko, left his family, and started doing heroin; footage from Get Back shows John both all over Yoko and trying to reach out to Paul periodically.

There's probably more, but I don't know if there's much point in getting into the weeds of it right now. My point is: it's not the only valid theory, IMO, and probably not the whole truth if it is true, but it's not unfounded.

I think it may be a misstep to dismiss a theory because "what would John achieve by that?" Again, people are not always acting in a way that strictly makes sense, especially not people with the issues John struggled with. Some people might say John was testing Paul, trying to make him fight for him. Some might say John had an outright sadistic streak. Others that he was too out of it to notice the pain he was inflicting on others. I think it could very easily be a mix of all three. When dealing with human emotions, I personally think it's a mistake to assume things are simple and straightforward, which is why a lot of tinhattery turns me off. It very often feels like a blanket-statement self-confirming axiom, rather than a truly thoughtful and multifaceted argument.

My most condensed version of events would be: John became incredibly difficult to work with in multiple ways (including but not limited to bringing Yoko to the studio) by mid '68; Paul, for the most part, tried to accomodate him, to diminishing returns, while having his own longterm relationship fall apart and being completely in over his head running a brandnew business; Paul deals with distress by burying himself in work, the other three do not – this leads to further conflict, along with issues over creative control; the band decide they need a new manager type to help them out with their new business and provide the guidance they haven't had since Brian died; cue John wanting Klein and only Klein and massively distrusting Paul's "nepo" choice of Eastman + apparently not trusting Paul's belief that Klein was bad news; extreme resentment over money issues which are incredibly underrated by the fandom because at their core they are boring, emotionally, ensue; John decides he's "over" the band and tells the others he's out; Paul is destroyed over this (and everything that led up to it), spends months spiraling and recording his album; wanting to get this all out of the way, Paul finally breaks down and admits he's leaving the Beatles to the world and to the band itself, even though he had asked John to stay quiet about his own quitting the band months earlier; John (understandably, IMO, though I don't blame Paul exactly – this is what I mean by not everything makes perfect sense) assumes Paul is using the band breakup for PR and gets a hell of a lot angrier than he already is about the money stuff; John undergoes primal therapy which opens up about 43273289635298 wounds; John does an interview in which he spills his guts and tears down almost everyone in his life except Yoko; meanwhile more financial issues. I cannot overstate that those matter too, tumblr is just not a place where finance peeps hang out; Paul is getting more and more fed up with all of this and he, as a last resort, files a lawsuit to no longer be legally tied to the others.

I for the most part left out George and Ringo here* and I'm writing off memory here without re-checking sources, so take what I say with a massive grain of salt. My main point is that this shit is complicated and don't let people tell you it isn't.

*I'm of the opinion that John and Paul are at the center of the breakup, but they also aren't the be-all, end-all of it. But because in the end George and Ringo fell "in line" with John and you didn't ask about them, I decided to mostly leave them out.

[mrazfellandco]

dna testing continues to drop the biggest bombshells on families

[starmosaics]

Mars in the 8th house pt. 1/3

I'm splitting this into parts because there's a lot to cover with this placement.

A person with an 8th house Mars doesn't just share anything with anybody, they'll test you and make sure that you can be trusted before sharing anything about themselves other than surface-leveled things. From the outside, an 8H Mars person seems distant, kept, shut off, and mysterious; they're an enigma. Many people feel intimidated just by being in the 8H Mars person's presence. People want to desperately figure this person out or pinpoint something about them, but just simply can't. The reason 8H Mars people are so guarded is because they most likely have faced life-altering pain or traumatic experiences at some point in their lives, commonly due to death or betrayal by other people. They can be incredibly hesitant or totally reluctant with trusting and opening up to others. They tend to keep people at arms length and might have paranoid thoughts about getting close to people because of their trust issues and reluctance to let down their guard. They are incredibly hypervigilant people and it takes a long time for them to express their vulnerabilities.

These people are naturally investigative and are great at researching and absorbing information. They're like sponges when it comes to obtaining details that reveals the truth. They love digging things up beyond the surface, revealing the truth, and bringing things to light. They want to understand things on a much deeper, intellectual level to reveal secrets and to solve cryptic and hidden messages. They either are great sources themselves or provide great sources for others and will always show up with the cold hard facts. I worked with a girl who had an 8H Mars and she did so much research on employee's rights to dig up what illegal things our management was getting away with. She obsessed over it for months and was fixated on "exposing" the institution we worked for. I am also friends with a guy who does scientific research at his school as a job who has an 8H Mars. I have an 8H Mars and am deeply invested in astrology.

These people are wonderful friends, family members and partners, and will always be the first responder when someone they care about is in a dire situation. They're also the best person to be with when in a dangerous or life-threatening situation. These are the types of people to remain calm and collected to ensure that whatever is at hand is taken care of. During an emergency, they're the ones to brainstorm and come up with a plan to execute; they're incredible strategists. This is most likely due to having dealt with a lot of dangerous or traumatic events in their lives which caused them to be able to respond to other people's situations with a much more steadfast approach.

Most of the 8H Mars people I've met had a weird relationship with their sexuality in their teenage/young adult years and lost their virginity at a later age compared to their peers. People may objectify 8H Mars folks or perceive them to be more sexual than they are (ex. being told that the 8H Mars person looks like they have a lot of experience with sex even if they don't) because these people commonly ooze sex appeal. Something about them makes people feel incredibly drawn and magnetized to them. I knew someone with an 8H Mars who was a stripper and did sex work. She also had a sugar daddy which I would associate to be an 8H topic (shared/gained resources from another, Mars covering sex). I too have considered doing sex work for quite a while now. 8H mars people may like more rougher and primal sex such as BDSM. The bedroom is where the more darker parts of themselves are revealed. They may also enjoy exploring different kinds of kinks rather than having plain or vanilla sex. Despite people thinking 8H Mars folks are sexually progressive all the way, these people actually need to have an emotional/spiritual connection to those they engage sexually with, otherwise they will feel like something is missing during sex and that the void they're seeking to be filled cannot be reached. Unfortunately, I have also known many 8H Mars people who have faced a form of sexual victimization.

In the next 2 parts, we'll cover certain transformations these people may undergo in their lives, mental health and psychology, life and death situations, struggles within intimate relationships, and "taboo" topics these people might enjoy. If you have an 8H Mars let me know if this resonates :))

[star-anise]

The thing about "parents' rights" and "protect the children [from hearing that other ways of life than ours are possible and okay]" is that it is literally, in the purest sense of the word, patriarchy.

The word literally means "rule by the fathers". We're generally used to hearing it describe how adult women can be dominated by adult men. However, that's not where patriarchy ends; feminists have been less eager to address how within that system, women can exercise power and domination of their own through the traditional gender roles of motherhood. Their maternal rights to power and dominance may have traditionally been lesser than paternal ones, but they were never less than their minor children's. Even single-mother or female-only families can be, in this sense, patriarchal.

Patriarchal families are a complex system that grants parents complete legal and practical control over nearly every aspect of their children's lives. The patriarchal family controls where the child lives, who takes care of them, what rules they have to follow, how they are educated, who they associate with, what healthcare they receive, what religion they practice, and whether they can work or control any money they earn or that is given to or for them.

Normally discussions of patriarchy are a lot more abstract. But right now it's very concrete and real: we are fighting to limit the family's control over children on issues where we can observe that families sometimes tend to make decisions that are bad for the children's welfare or that disrespect their human rights.

Whether a minor child can get an abortion. Whether they can receive gender-affirming care. Whether it's okay to lie or coerce your child to ensure they follow your religion. Whether they deserve to be educated about factual histories or scientific theories that are necessary to understanding the world around them. Whether they deserve to learn accurate, age-appropriate information about consent, setting boundaries, how their bodies and the bodies of other people work, what a normal range of gender and sexual identities look like, what healthy or unhealthy relationships look like, and what sex is, how it works, what its positives and negatives are, and how they might navigate the world, whether or not they ever want to have it.

Hell, on some levels we're still arguing about whether it's okay to hit your kids, or whether children have the right, similar to the rights adults have, not to be assaulted or abused.

Because there are a LOT of people who say: No. Parents should have 100% control over any or all of those issues. If the parent says no, the child is not allowed to do or have any of those things, and nobody else should be allowed to interfere and provide them to the child without their parents' consent.

Pointing this out often results in parents saying, "Oh, so you want just ANYONE to be able to go up and talk sex with kids? You want kids to be able to decide to jump off cliffs with nobody stopping them???" As though parents are the single protective force in the universe, the only thing standing between their child and the ravages of absolute chaos.

On the contrary: most of the time the argument is for children to receive care and guidance from adults who are monitored to ensure they treat children in safe and appropriate ways, who have spent many years studying the best and most rigorously tested of our collective understanding of how to prepare children for happy, healthy lives.

And we are arguing against people who believe that the only important qualification needed to refuse children that kind of care is to be ranked above them in their family hierarchy.

In conclusion...

Fuck the patriarchy. Children have human rights too.

[andhumanslovedstories]

hey here's another question that I've been thinking about for about a week with no particular breakthrough. I'm so much on the healthcare side that all my advice is on that side. Dude, I read academic articles for this and didn't come up with anything particularly useful. That's why I'm answering this publicly, so other people hopefully add something useful. (Also I know you said you're not looking for opioids. I'm gonna talk about opioids anyway they certainly affect perceptions of chronic pain. In your case, try making clear early on that you don't want opioids.)

I'll say some things that I've noticed from my work to maybe provide some insight into healthcare's side of the exchange. I'm not saying this is the way things should be, I'm giving advice based on how I see things are. I wish I could say this wasn't the case, but when there's a pain medication standoff, the two ways I've seen it work out best for a patient are:

A third party advocates for the patient. (like family, nurse, social worker, different specialist, patient advocate, etc)

Change in caregiver.

I don't like those as the top answers, but that's what I've seen and it's consistent with a lot of the accounts I encountered. There is also a third way that the pain medication standoff can quickly end in a patient's favor:

3. New evidence (new symptom, imaging, vital signs, lab test, etc) forces a reexamination of how we're thinking about the patient.

This is also the "oh shit they seem worse" method, but it can also be "we have gained new information that re-contextualizes the information we already knew." This is like hey the xray came back, your whole bone is dust, or hey your blood pressure is now significantly higher, or hey oops your appendix exploded.

In all three cases, something new happens to change the dynamic. This works for healthcare providers operating in good faith because someone comes in fresh and/or the new dynamic causes the healthcare team to do a new assessment and cost/benefit analysis with this updated information. This works for healthcare providers operating in bad faith because they are either removed from the situation or put in a position where giving pain medication is less onerous than not giving pain medication. I genuinely, genuinely believe far more healthcare employees are operating in good faith rather than bad faith, although the end results can look the same from the patient side. This means I think that far more people are swayed by additional information that makes pain management have more benefit and less cost.

I don't know how actionable any of this is from the patient side unfortunately. I don't love being like "my advice? wait till shift change, see if you can shake it up." Bring someone to the emergency department with you if you have someone available, preferably someone prepared to make a fuss on your behalf. If you don't have a third person, see if you can get one. Hospitals can have patient advocate as a job. If they aren't available, is there someone on your healthcare team that seems most sympathetic? Try asking them if they have any advice. They might be able to give you some, they might advocate for you. Be careful about badmouthing staff to other staff and avoid compliments to one member of the team that relies on insulting another member. You don't know the relationships at play, and it's sort of like how you shouldn't trash talk your old job when interviewing for a new job. You may be completely right in everything you're saying, but being like "my boss was a crazy asshole who refused to recognize my work," doesn't come off as objective. It can undercut your credibility and introduce hostility into the conversation where it is not productive.

I'd also be prepared to talk about what you already tried to relieve the pain. Again, with you I'd mention upfront that you don't want opioids because they don't work for you. Then say what you have already tried at home before you came in (tylenol, ibpurofen, heating, ice, exercises, stretching, shower, other meds, etc) and the effect of both the pain (can't sleep, makes you nauseated, had to call off sick from work, aren't able to be a caregiver to someone, etc) and your already attempted interventions (no significant pain control, symptoms got worse, called PCP, they said emergency was the next step, etc). If your condition is chronic, compare it on the pain scale and the functionality scale to your baseline. (i.e. "I'm always at least a 3 out of ten on the pain scale, but it doesn't usually leave me bedbound." "Normally Symptom improves after Intervention At Home, but that didn't work this time.") Something that can make providers hesitant is if opioids, benzos, or other powerful drugs are the first and only thing a patient says will help and they're unwilling to try anything else, so sometimes demonstrating flexibility with your pain plan can signal "I'm not here for oxy to sell, I'm here because I want my symptoms to stop (and, if relevant, figure out what is causing them)."

Also if you can and feel safe doing so, consider providing feedback to the hospital. Nothing changes without something documented.

[transformers-earthspark]

Apologies for my recent radio silence. I've had a lot on my mind lately.

This post isn't Earthspark-related at all, but please read it.

I need to take a second on this blog to acknowledge some things going on in the world. I should not have stayed silent on this blog before, but I'm trying to fix that now.

Genocide in Palestine + how you can help Palestinians

You can buy e-sims for people in Gaza here. Anything helps.

Click here daily to help generate funds for Palestine. It's free and takes less than a minute.

Here's a list of where you can donate to help Palestine.

(If there's anything I should add to this section, please let me know.)

-----

The KOSA bill, what it's going to do if passed, and how you can help prevent it from taking effect

KOSA will essentially erase anonymity from the internet by requiring people to upload their government ID or other form of identification to any social media site, as well as restricting resources and information on LGBT rights, history, racism, and more. This bill will censor the entire internet and destroy privacy while violating First Amendment rights and potentially putting minors in danger.

This also could very well mean the end of Tumblr, and I'm not exaggerating here.

Tomorrow KOSA could be passed in Senate, and from there it will need to pass in the House of Representatives before being signed into law by the president. It's not doomsday yet, but it is a dangerous situation-- and here's what you can do.

StopKOSA.org provides you with a template email to send to your representatives. You can leave it how it is or edit it to say what you want, and then send it from their website.

The website also allows you to call your representatives and gives you a template of what to say.

BadInternetBills.org, run by the same people, takes action against KOSA as well as other bills like EARN IT. At the time of posting this, over 356,000 people have signed this petition.

Additionally there are several petitions on change.org to help stop KOSA. Here are a few of them.

STOP KOSA

STOP THE KOSA

Stop Kosa

Save Humanity, Oppose KOSA

STOP THE KOSA ACT

(Again, please let me know if there's anything I should add.)

-----

One last thing-- The evolution of AI images and video.

I don't really have anything good to say. AI is evolving fast and changing the world as we know it. We are adapting, but nobody knows how this really is going to end up.

A few quick points:

AI images are not art. That's all. AI "artists" who genuinely claim to have made something of their own just by typing a prompt into a generator will be blocked. (Which has been in my rules for a while, but I still think it needs to be said.)

I recommend Glaze for artists who don't want their art being scraped and used for data training. Especially with the recent rumors of an upcoming deal between Tumblr and Midjourney. There's also a similar program called Nightshade (haha, earthspark reference? anyone?🦉) that I haven't tested myself but have heard good things about.

-----

That's all, I suppose. Reblogs are good, if you don't mind.

Spread the word about KOSA. Contact your representatives. Sign the petitions.

Support Palestine if possible. Donate if you can. If you are unable to donate, make sure to do your daily clicks.

Stay safe and take care of yourselves. ❤️

[valla-chan]

The more I think about The Ring / Ringu 's story, the more I realize that the reason why it seems bizarre to treat Sadako/Samara as the villain is because... It sort of is.

This post contains spoilers for the Japanese movie, the American remake, and the original book of "The Ring/Ringu".

In the American version, Samara is implied to be a demon child; some sort of abomination brought into the world by irresponsible parents who wanted a child but we're not able to conceive. (See the queer undertone?) Her parents had no special abilities in any way.

Samara herself was being tested for ESP (extrasensory perception) at a psych ward, due to her deliberately "wanting to hurt people" seemingly for no obvious reason other than her being evil, maybe with a bit of parental neglect sprinkled in that has the undertones of it being "understandable" under the unique circumstances. It always felt like a sort of overly reductive view of the character, and a bit unfitting as to why she would create the tape seemingly as a cry for help, but then revealed at the end, ah, no, she is indeed just evil, look at her angry face!

This does not satisfy me.

In the original Japanese version of the movie, Sadako's mom is the one being tested for ESP. Sadako— who is shown to be a strange looking, moppish, unkept girl even in her oldest memories here (unlike in the American version where she is portrayed very much like a very deadpan but otherwise normal child)— uses her own ESP to kill a heckler in the crowd who is becoming critical and standoffish with her mom and the ESP doctor, Dr Ikuma. It is explained at some point that she is a demon child creating by her mother yearning for the sea too much. She is killed by Dr Ikuma after studying her, rather than her parents.

This one seemed to touch on something interesting, but it's nowhere near as interesting as the information the book provides on the matter.

Ikuma is her father.

Sadako and her mother's relationship and plot is a fair bit different from in the films, based on what I've gathered online, but it boils down to the same ideas. Her mother had ESP, Ikuma encouraged her to show off her powers, and in the process discovered that Sadako's were even more powerful, and proceeded to study her. This is where things begin to really diverge.

Ikuma gets sick from trying to unlock his own powers leaving Sadako to grow up away from her family. And she does grow up, unlike in the films. She grows to 19 years old before returning to Ikuma in his mental ward after a heartbreak and deaths caused by her powers. There, she is raped by a different doctor, who discovers she is intersex (with the present of both male and female genitalia), and is so disgusted that he throws her down the well. Sadako, in her remaining days, developed the smallpox that this doctor unknowingly carried, amplifying her death curse into a physical virus.

Okay can we talk about the fact that she is intersex.

Like holy shit what. NONE of the media of her other than book seems to find that worth mentioning. NONE of the other media finds her adult or teenage life worth mentioning. ALL of the other media treats her as an inherent evil. Even in the books, it is mentioned that she wants to be reborn normal, but is unable to because she is intersex. Not because she is cursed or has ESP, but because she is intersex!

An actual queer character, with an actual struggle, trying to live her life to her fullest despite everything in her life taking her away from the people who cared for her. The HIV parallel to the smallpox the doctor gives her. The fact that her last dying effort is to tell the world her story, and curse the world that wronged her with having to experience her pain. And what becomes of this in the later Movie versions???

Saying outright that she is a demon child.

Implying that it's better that she died, and that her story would be better forgotten.

Her parents shown as irresponsible and secretive for adopting a child they were never 'meant to' be able to conceive.

Portraying her as a faceless monster even as a child, or as a demented and unlovable freak.

Portraying her with ungrateful, evil intent even while alive.

Portraying her viral potential as something inherent to her as a freak, rather than as something that someone else unknowingly inflicted onto her that she must bear.

...

Portraying her the exact way that real queer/ND people are treated all their lives, through all of modern history, childhood to adulthood, all in an effort to create something from her character that doesn't have to discuss her intersexuality. Even her parents, turned from people destroyed by the societal reception and health issues from their ESP, into people who bring the devil to Earth for the crime of wanting a child when they cannot have one.

All leading right back to exactly what created the curse in the original. The trauma of queerness. All erased and paved over in order to create a more palatable villain out of a child who couldn't help it. Showing through the obfuscations created to hide it, if you know how to see through it. It's not even to say the book doesn't have those themes, but it is obvious that great care went into scrubbing this element from her character in the popular culture, while amplifying its effects on her.

No wonder it feels bizarre to treat her character how the movies do. They removed the central element that explains everything.

And no wonder we relate to villains so much. So much of the time they are us.

So much of the time their motivations are to tell their own stories, to have others understand their pain, to show the world how it treats people like them. And as soon as those ideas are marketed to a mass audience, the victim becomes the villain, and the point is buried under enough layers to make the people who would have thrown her down that well feel good about being part of the society that destroyed her in the first place.

I hope we remember that when we see a real queer person being demonized for relating to a reprehensible character.

[childofflamesandmoonlight]

Help with Deity Dossier?

I did the wonderful Deity Dossier spread by @thiscrookedcrown a few days ago, and while I already have an idea who this entity could be, I would really appreciate a second opinion.

Thank you so much in advance!

Here are the cards I drew (plus some of my notes):

1. The Entity: The Emperor

This represents the spirit, deity, or being in question. The card can be drawn or selected, depending on if you know the nature of the spirit or a card that could represent them.

Leadership

Authority

Reason

Structure

Discipline

Masculine power

Maturity

Responsibility

Stubbornness

Protector

Experience

Knowledge

Confidence

Strength

Dominance

Father figure, boss, older brother, teacher, patriarch

Mind over heart, clear thinking

2. Their History: Temperance

These are past deeds or dealings the spirit has had with either other people or you that you should know about.

Balance

Moderation

Communication

Management of resources

Art

Healing

Testing the water

Patience

Two choices, two people, two sides of a conflict

3. Underlying Influences & Past Experiences: Four of Swords

Similar to Past, this represents influences that could be important to know. This may be an emotional thing rather than a past action. (Example: if previously betrayed by humans, a spirit is less likely to want to deal with humans.)

Inner reflection

Planning

Convalescence

Rest

Recovery

Solid foundations

Solitude

Self-care

Balance

Contemplation

Seclusion

Taking a break

4. Personality, Attitudes & Opinions: Four of Cups

General personality and/or how they think.

Depression

Self-indulgence

Denial

Turning inward

Moodiness

Lack of vision

Self-absorption

Escapism

Not seeing life's blessings and opportunities

Hiding

Discouraged, bored, dissatisfied, apathetic, unmotivated, weary

Having to find new motivation

Breaking the routine

5. Their Current Status: The Moon

Their current status. If a spirit is in trouble, this information would appear here.

Intuition

Deception

Imagination

Emotion

Fear

Illusion

Fantasy

Dreams

Genius

Artistic breakthrough

Confusion

Mystery

Subconscious

Uncertainty

Doubt

Losing your way

Darkness

Creativity

Magic

Inner wisdom

Lack of focus

Confusion

6. Their Health Overall: Page of Swords

The health of the spirit, deity, or being. (Example: A land spirit could be ill or ailing due to pollution.)

Vigilance

Diplomacy

Tact

Intellectual abilities

Talent

Youth

Messenger

Honesty

Truth

Integrity

Fresh outlook

Clarity

Cut to the problem

New phase in your life

New opportunity

Speaking up

Healing from past illness or injuries

Mental clarity to overcome challenges you face

7. Their Mental Health: Six of Pentacles

Their mental health or, possibly, their overall mood.

Generosity

Mentorship

Community giving

Hosting

Involvement

Charity

Sharing what you have with others

Needing help or offering it to others

Reaching out for help

8. What They Like To Do & Have Done For Them: Knight of Pentacles

This could be things they like to do for others, part of their sphere of influence, and/or things that could be used to connect with them or honor them. Think of this like hobbies or likes.

Patience

Long-term plans

Responsibilities

Slow progress

Financially conservative

Serious, dependable, experienced, mature

Parenthood

Love of animals

Financial success

Providing for others

9. Physical Manifestation: Four of Wands

Their physical health or how they could physically manifest. This is especially useful for finding out what deity is contacting you.

Happiness

Family

Unity

Blossoming

New life, new success

Prosperity

Celebration

Harmony

Engagement

Marriage, partnership

Completion of a project

Solidity, stability, security

Grounded

Resting

Recharging

Vacation

Peace

Radiant

Lively

Comforting

Confident

Joyful

Inviting, welcoming, sociable

10. What To Know: The Lovers

Things that are imperative for you to know. This could be used to see how working with this being could affect you in the future.

Love

Commitment

Partnership

Friendship

Attraction

Marriage

Unification

Communication

Trust

11. What To Avoid: King of Wands

Things that are imperative for you to avoid doing. Example: If a spirit hates blood, don’t give blood offerings. This could also be used to see how the spirit could negatively affect you in the future.

Power

Fire

Warmth

Charisma

Charm

Strength

Manipulation

Megalomania

Visionary

Rivalry

Spice

Popularity

Ambition

Greed

Selfishness

Tyranny

Being a bad leader

12. Positive Influences, Friends or Experiences: Six of Wands

What is helpful? What will help your relationship with them? This can be something that is not in the spirit or deity’s sphere of influence but still influences them. A deity might be one of fertility but their sibling could be a deity of war. That will somewhat play into how the spirit acts. Another example would be a spirit becoming powerful because a nearby coven is worshiping it.

Accomplishment

Recognition

Acknowledgement

Praise

Pride

Rewards

Being noticed

Achievements

Affirmation

13. Negative Influences, Enemies or Experiences: Five of Cups

Exactly as above, but the more negative side of things. What isn’t helping this spirit? What will not help your relationship with them? Do they feel used or not appreciated? The examples above also apply.

Negative thinking

Grief

Loss

Inclination to focus on the bad

Difficulty

Trouble letting go of the past

Former hardship, pain or heartbreak

14. Conscious Desires & Thoughts: The Hanged Man

What they want. This could be offerings or a general goal. This may be what they want from you. If they have an agenda they’ll admit to, it will be here.

Crossroads

Decisions

Potential growth

Discernment

Change

Letting go

Waiting

Sacrifice

15. Unconscious Desires & Thoughts: Nine of Cups

This is what they want but won’t admit to or what they don’t know they want. If they have a hidden agenda, it will be here.

Prosperity

Fulfillment

Good luck

Rewards

Bonuses and promotions

Happiness

Attainment of things they desire

Celebration

Wishes

Victory

16. Hopes: Nine of Swords

This can be a general list of hopes, a overall hope for the future, or what they hope to get from you.

Anxiety

Sleeplessness

Depression

Worry

Self-torment

Despair

Nightmares

Haunted

Guilt

Old wounds that have not healed

Stress

17. Fears: The Devil

This can be a general list of fears, what they fear for the future, or what they’re concerned about in regards to you or your life. 

Bondage

Failure

Obsession

Addiction

Depression

Materialism

Lust

Illusion

Temptation

Constraints

Harmful attachments, bonds and impulses

Bad habits

Codependency

[gf-seasons-zine]

Information About

As we count down the days for applications to open (April 1st!), we want to post some information about what to expect when you apply to be part of the Gravity Falls Seasons Zine! All of this information is on our carrd, but we thought it would be nice to post it here too!

And now, we are proud to present (under the cut)... What you need to know about the artist applications! (Cue Soos pressing the "applause" key on his keyboard):

General Application Rules

1. PLEASE tag your content!

The zine will be completely SFW and will not feature ships, but we understand some people may wish to submit ship art or content that might be less family-friendly in their portfolios.

All mods are 18+ but we don't want any surprises, so please describe your art in the boxes provided if required!

2. At least ONE of your pieces must be Gravity Falls themed or feature Gravity Falls characters.

We would particularly like to see your work of Ford, Stan, Mabel, or Dipper as the Pines family is the main focus of this zine!

3. Check your sharing settings!

If sharing a Google Drive folder link for your portfolio, please ensure your folder's sharing settings are set to 'allow anyone with the link to view'. You can test this on an Incognito browser or a browser NOT logged into your Google account to make sure.

Mods will NOT be able to contact every person who makes this mistake to ask them to a new link to their portfolio and it is very likely your application will just be dismissed.

Specific Artist Application Guidance

1.Please submit 3-6 samples of finished work that best represent your style (or the style you intend to create your piece(s) in and your ability.

2. NSFW works will NOT be allowed in the zine (this will be a family friendly SFW zine!) but you CAN put them in your portfolio. 

If your pieces require trigger warnings, feature ANY ships, or feature NSFW content there WILL be a space for you to write this on your form and we expect you to do so. All moderators are 18+ but we wish to avoid any surprises. 

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding (Yes, we put this in twice- it's that important!)

3.We will judge pieces based on composition, colour and/or value, understanding of form and depth, and anatomy.

4.If you would like to be considered for making a comic for the zine, please include at least ONE example of previous comic work so we can judge how well you carry a plot, readability, style, and the layout of panels.

5. Both digital and traditional works are acceptable but traditional work must be scanned in high quality.

Stay tuned for more information about other ways to contribute! And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

See you soon!

The GF Seasons Zine Mod Team

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Disney in any way. The zine will be a charity zine with all surplus going to charity- no one will profit from this zine.

CARRD TWITTER RETROSPRING

[blindbeta]

hello, I am in the process of writing a romance novel and to be honest, I had not considered the sensitivity of the topic, it was an idea that came from mindfulness exercises. I was struggling with a title and a Facebook group suggested the topic was inappropriate and I should have been more sensitive. Before I proceed I thought I would ask. The story synopsis: set in a future it has been generations since a flu like pandemic resulted in the subsequent generations were born blind. Through advancements in AI, hepatics devices…the human race continues. No super powers or anything is developed…just grit and science. The story is of a woman getting back into the dating world through a series of blind dates. Three dates are not successful due to issues of smell, touch, and sound. Finally connects with blind date number four. But he has a secret, he was born with sight that his family wanted to hide this information in fear of losing him to science research. The characters need to determine how to move forward. As I type this, I feel less confident in myself, but the story itself feels positive and I have really enjoyed exploring characters using only the other senses. Thank you in advance for your perspective.

Thoughts on a Character Hiding That He is Sighted

I want to provide a disclaimer that I cannot say whether or not you should write this, but I can give some thoughts about concerns or suggestions I have. You can decide from there.

The dating idea could be cute. I would suggest expanding on “issues of smell, touch, and sound” to include things like personality, beliefs, and wants out of a relationship. For example, she may want to travel in the future and the date expresses that he would never want to leave his hometown. While people can have compatibility issues revolving around senses, this is not exclusive to blind people. The focus on it may read as shallow or focusing too much on the fact that they use other senses and other less tangible interactions aren’t as important, when compatibility is determined by a various factors.

Additionally, because you are writing a genetic condition caused blindness in everyone, please remember that blindness is a spectrum. While I can go with a genetic condition causing blindness in everyone, I wonder what the spectrum of blindness would be like. For example, is everyone totally blind or can some people see light? Can some people see colors? Are there still other conditions that are worsened by genetic blindness, such as higher eye pressure? How does this influence vision? In the real world, most blind people can see, which sounds contradictory, but not when you acknowledge the spectrum of blindness. You can find various links about the spectrum here.

I mentioned this not because I think readers can’t suspend disbelief for the initial plot, but because of your character who hides that fact that he is sighted.

‘Sighted’ here refers to a person who is not blind. It is a bit of a misnomer, but this is often how blind people differentiate between people who aren’t blind and blind people with residual vision. Although we may jokingly refer to ourselves or others as sighted even if we aren’t. This is a distinction that probably only blind folks will understand.

Anyway, your character is sighted and hiding it. Is he the only one scientists would want to study? Or can there also be trials that people with residual vision can participate in?

The science part also brings to mind a few concerns.

First, the fear expressed by his family, such as losing him to science research, creates concerns of ethics and control in research. Coercion, kidnapping, bullying, and manipulation would all, at the very least, compromise any research. Additionally, this mistreatment is not limited to fiction. While science can be a wonderful tool used with respect and consent, this has not always been the case. If you have him as an unwilling test subject or hint at the possibility, you will need to be prepared to explore that.

The reason behind the research might need exploring as well. Are the scientists concerned with curing blindness or do they engage in research for other purposes? The way blindness is viewed, especially since everyone is blind, is also an element to consider.

In what ways will the world be different if, at this point in the story, everyone was blind for a few generations? How does your fully sighted character navigate the world? How does he feel about his sight? How does he view blindness?

With a story like this, my main concerns involve how blindness is portrayed in terms of avoiding portraying humanity as extra sad because they’re blind. This could be helped by the fact that they have been blind for generations. However, the idea of someone needing to hide being sighted also feels like it could go wrong to me, with him either being met with persecution or overly enthusiastic attempts to use him so that others can become sighted. Either of these options could result in negative portrayals of blindness that aren’t helpful or nuanced enough when we have so little accurate representation in media at this time. So I would suggest avoiding those options if you haven’t already.

[team-sanvich2]

Is it Speeding Bullet O'clock? No?

Well too bad, I can't sleep and these two are in my head now, so, ENJOY!!

Riffle to the heart, and a bat to the knee.

Tagging @kombucha-enjoyer

"It is a simple mission I believe you can handle" the mysterious woman spoke from the TV Screen at both Team BLU and RED'S base, explaining their latest task...that was simply a made up plan to test the limits of the two she felt were lacking in their own ways in their fields. "Do this flawlessly and I shall take back my latest employee reviews of your performance, I know yhat family means a lot to you in particular, but it cannot be something you should LET take over your thoughts in this line of work, after all, you don't want them to see you in a casket once you're out of here, right?"

"Yes ma'am" both men said but at opposite sides of the territory.

Starting with Mick, the RED team's Sniper, a man of few words, takes his position and work very seriously, and won't let the opinions of others dictate wether or not he'll succeed in it. However, familial issues are hard to simply not ignore, specially when everytime you look into making contact, the people that were supposed to love you unconditionally now take every minute to criticize your choices, even if nowhere else was open for you, not even your dream profession.

As for Antonie, the BLU team's Scout, his own struggles were more direct, his father had been a victim of torture and experimentation at the hands of the RED Medic, his head had recently been retrieved from the enemy base, but his body remains unresponsive, Dell and Fritz are doing what they can to make sure their leader can go back to being his former self, even if their options were running low. Antonie had retrieved the head after discovering it in the abandoned hospital, Antonie brought him quickly to his team's Medic to wake him up from his coma, he was successful...but what is a functional head when there were no arms and legs to move around with it? Worst of all was that the Scout refused to see his own father wake up and visit him, it felt like it was his fault for getting himself killed by the RED spy, it was his fault for not doing enough, and it was his fault that his dad was almost lost forever.

"Here's the scene, in a abandoned Mann.Co field dubbed "harvest", a piece of important information was lost there due to my...late Assistant, Mr. Bidwell was his name, being too careless, but seems like Mann.co decided that moving him upwards in the company was the better option...But enough about old grudges, retrieve that document, Ms Pauling will be waiting to pick it up in the morning, you have the entire night to find it, I heard the enemy team has their eyes on it, do not disappoint me". The TV was turned off and both mercenaries went on their own to the abandoned field.

The Scout arrived on a scooter provided to him by Dell, he made sure to take his lessons with soldier to heart and explored the area for a back entrance, or at the very least, a hole on the fence. The Sniper however was more calm about it and simply drove over and parked somewhere he wouldn't be noticed, and immediately jumped over a fence, he searched the property on foot, taking note on his gut feelings, that he wasn't alone, but that in that very moment, he was being watched, prompting him to pull out one of his recent crafts, the cleaner's Carbine.

The Aussie man could take a few guesses on who it was that was stalking him, the enemy team was almost a copy and pasted version of his own, perhaps their spy was back in action, maybe the traitorous Dell was building some sentries to try a ambush, perhaps they sent over their Pyro, but he was not expecting that they sent out their own speedy "force of nature", as a couple of gunshots caught him by surprise, forcing him to crouch around the scene.

Antonie held similar thoughts, he was relived he wouldn't have to see the RED Spy again, or their Pyro, hell, he thanked whatever being was watching over the earth that it wasn't the Medic, but their Sniper? He had forgotten about their interaction, at least until he saw him again. Their last encounter almost repeated itself if Anotnie did not dodge a literal bullet from his riffle, what was worse? It was a quieter version. He needed a different approach, he knew the Sniper was aware of his presence, he knew he could get taken down ANY MOMENT, so what to do? He rummages through his bag, and finds a old friend, just what he needed.

Mick had settled in a safe zone that allowed him to view the entire property, every blind spot was now in his sights, that Scout would not get through him...Although, he thought about it for a moment, unless team Blu employed a new one, Scout was much different, maybe it was his countless encounters of being met with bullets, blades and explosions that made them pick someone more adapted to the job...Or he BECAME that someone, fact was that...it was too quiet, at least until he hit himself with his riffle thanks to a baseball hitting the tip of the lenses that were now broken, making him realize that this was the same Scout with the bloody sandman baseball bat.

He runs downstairs with his submachine gun in hand and from time to time he hears the running steps of the runner, he doesn't talk much, at least not anymore if what the Soy said was to be believed, he doesn't call much attention to himself, in fact it made it seem like he was merely part of the wind blowing outside, and he seemed to be more...experienced, perhaps team Blu found his match made in heaven, professional versus professional, and that was solidified by getting hit by a spiked baseball bat right om his back, making him bleed.

"AUUUGH! YOU BLOODY-" And he was gone again, thankfully, Ludwig was kind enough to lend him some spare medkits, after one sip from the bottle, Sniper gathered his stuff and changed the lenses on the riffle, and while doing so, he hears something climbing on the roof, he quickly tosses the ball back as a distraction and was met with the dark blueish shadow, who collected the ball and was ready to jump to the next roof, only almost get his foot shot, and the chase was on.

Antonie doesn't jump Into battle immediately, he runs off while delivering shots with the Soda Popper, it doesn't scare off Sniper from his spot, but he got his attention, signified by the many bullets that destroyed the walls of the wooden buildings. It was like both were stepping comfortably out of their comfort zone, Scout was using his speed in the means of blending in the darkness and not being noticed, and Sniper was now more on the move cause his only target knew where he was and was taunting him, but not in a way that felt like mocking, more like two similar minds playing a game of chess.

Eventually, both men run out of bullets, and thus, the chase has to stop and both meet at the center of the "Harvest". Their melee weapons were drawn, both shocked that they had the same idea of packing more than one blunt object, Antonie had equipped the Boston Basher, and Mick had a Prinny Machete, they give the other one look and charged towards each other like two Demoknights, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Antonie used his speed and smaller build to his advantage to slip through but Mick’s longer limbs were also a advantage and he pulled the younger male and almost gave his neck a second scar.

"Running around like a coward will get you nowhere!"

"Is called preserving energy Moron, you should try that since you seem to use most of it on headshots"

The Aussie man charges at him once more, "I am a professional with standards, I need to be efficient! Besides, at least I'm doing my part! You just run around and go back to your team with nothing!" He gets a punch on the stomach but blocks the bat with his blade.

"I am TRYING to Improve! And is not like any of them cared, and the only that did probably stopped after I ROYALLY SCREWED UP!" He gets pushed back but tries to strike the Sniper repeatedly, in the same motion, hoping to hit him.

"A price to pay in this industry! Those are still your coworkers! If you don't trust their abilities then you might as well not trust yourself!"

"Easy for you to say! You probably get praised a lot for, let me guess, sitting still, shooting asshats all day long, and having the most calm time of your life!" At this point, neither are using their weapons, seems like the fight became more psychological...or...it was a weird...bonding moment.

"Says the one that probably strokes his own ego that might as well be 12 feet tall!"

"OH I WISH! All I have is the weight of failure slowing me down! And my team underestimating me DOES! NOT! HELP!"

"WELL I WISH MY WORK WAS MORE RECOGNIZED! I have done plenty for those Poggers, and do I get a thank you? No! SLEEPLESS WEEKS OF SURVIVING ON NOTHING BUT COFFEE AND FISH CAKES ALL DOWN THE FUCKING DRAIN!"

"AND I WISH I WASN'T SUCH A BIG SCREW UP THAT I ALMOST LOST THE ONLY PERSON IN THAT FUCKING BASE THAT SEES ME AS A PERSON AND IS MY ONLY FUCKING FAMILY..."

"...family?" He dropped the Machete in hopes the Scout would trust him.

"...Look, we got off track...what are you looking for? Folders? Weapons? Food? Just grab it and get out! I'm...I'm not in the mood anymore..."

Antonie feels his shoulder grt grabbed, but not Ina way that felt forceful, it felt...warm...welcoming, he turned and saw the Sniper had taken off his hat as a sign of a truce,

"Please...I insist, you have no obligation to tell me the rest but...you fought good, dare I say this was the most fun I had in a while" he let's out a chuckle at the end, followed by the muffled giggles of the Scout, who finally takes off his gas mask.

"The feeling is mutual, good to see a Sniper that actually puts up a fight unlike Ke-..My Sniper"

"Hehe, and is nice to see a quiet Scout for once...I think that spot has a nice view"

"Lead the way then".

Once both were on the roof, Mick offers a bottle from the Medkit, taking notice of some bullets that left some cuts on the runner, he made a expression that looked outrageous after kne gulp.

"Why is this stuff so bitter?" Antonie said, while trying to find a label with anything written on it that could shed some light ton the Ingridients,

"Trust me mate, you DON'T want to know what they put in there, just chug it with your nose plugged" the poor guy follows his instructions, only to feel his nose burning up,

"FUCKING HELL! AAAH!"

"Pffff, HAHHAHA! Bloody hell, I can't believe you fell for that!"

"Oh haha, very funny...you wanted to talk about something or just mock me?"

The Sniper adjusted his posture and took a deep breath,

"You had mentioned family...I couldn't help but...find your situation similar to mine...my...relatives aren't that fond of my position"

"Well, at least they aren't here...As in, not in the base...cause...that's where my...Person is...and he went through a lot...it was my fault and...I can't face him! What am I supposed to say? "Sorry I tripped and got myself killed as well as getting a scar as a memento?!"...I...can't even look at him..."

"...seems like you are going through a lot"

"Says you, you put up a good fight but...I don't remember your team saying anything"

The Sniper scratches the back of his neck, "I might have exaggerated, is not that it NEVER happens...but I see your Sniper and think..."I want that"...tho I guess if he's actually some lazy asshat then I guess I shouldn't compare myself"

"Yeah...same...your Scout is...Loud but...the team at least acknowledges that he's there...and they don't seem so harsh on him too...weird how the other person seems to have it better"

"But you don't know the whole story...it is weird"

Both look at the night sky for a while, Antonie had also taken off his goggles as Mick did with his glasses, it took a hour but they eventually went back to looking for what they were there for, oddly enough, there were two safes there, they open it with their IDs and find the folders they were looking for, the weird part was both were copies, not the original.

Antonie decided to let Mick drive him back to his base along with his scooter as the gas was down to zero, both talked some more until they were close enough for Antonie to go back safely but also far enough so that Mick wouldn't get shot by the sentries.

This odd friendship developed more and more as both would randomly see each other during matches, Antonie accidentally finding where Mick is hiding to chat or to share some sandwiches or to even nap on the same spot. Other times, Mick would see Antonie looking over the territory and use the light on the riffle to show him where there's ammo and medkits.

It flew under the radar to both teams, even Anotnie’s father...but Ms. Pauling had other plans with that information, after informing the administrator, she tried to pull the same stunt she did with the RED Demoman and the BLU soldier, but no matter what, the two seemed to be back together, soon enough she just gave up as those two were selective on what to tell the other, and Pauling even has a feeling both men never believed her words.

Unlike her and the Administrator, Mick and Antonie seem to talk their loudest in silence...but also in each other's company, maybe this would inspire some old friends to reconsider their hate if they were to be found out...and maybe the lines of like and love would get blurry for the Blue Runner and the Red Silencer.

[nordickies]

I'm usually quite a ghost on tumblr (pretty much anywhere, actually) but I was so glad to see your art pop up again on my dash and fav tags that I thought I should leave a little something in your askbox. I always loved your colours, so vivid and refreshing to my eyes, and also the way you draw and colour eyes and hair. I would be very bad at explaining why exactly, but yeah, it soothes this tired soul of mine to see your art 😌 Also, I don't know if I should ask for some art or not? I just thought of the message actually 😅 Plus, you already drew Norway a lot. Maybe people would like to see someone else. Hmm... What about your take on Faroe if you got any?

Oh my, I am also a shy ghost, so I know it takes a lot to go and leave a message to creators- This is so incredibly touching. Thank you!! Truly, I appreciate it. It means a lot to me!

To answer your question: Yes, I do have a take on our boy Føroyar… kind of. And on Åland too! They would be part of the Nordic family, and I have some ideas for them! They aren't that well-developed (I have my hands full reimagining the canon as it is), and I don't know are OCs really something people care about, so I have never talked about them in my blog. But I am always super excited to see other people's takes on these characters! They shift the family dynamic in such fun ways.

Greenland and Sápmi exist as well, but they don't interact with the family as much as these two. Denmark is Greenland's guardian by legality, but they live on the other side of the Arctic Circle. Sápmi is a close family friend, interacting with Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I have always adored @saltlakris's take on Sápmi!

Say halló to the Faroe Islands! He's Norway's and Iceland's half-brother (the other part comes from the Celts), but Denmark operates as his guardian. Growing up, he and Iceland were inseparable, and they're best friends to this day. Faroe is an overall kind and well-behaving kid, but he tests Denmark occasionally with his weirdness. Faroe likes to keep to himself, and others don't see him that often.

Much like Iceland, he's actually a daredevil and adrenaline seeker. He likes working at the Sea to provide for his people. He has more of an active approach to life in general and likes doing physical work. Faroe is relatively passive and known to be fair and reasonable. He's polite and can't seem to hold grudges against people, so sometimes he doesn't know how to stand his ground. He doesn't like to tattle and takes the blame just because he's non-confrontational. However, growing up with the rest of Western Nordics, Faroe can be very pigheaded. He's also moody, speaks loudly, and curses like a sailor. He's a bit slow in the sense that he's out of the loop with trends, and he's usually the last one to laugh at jokes. But when others interpret this as him being dumb, it infuriates him. He might not be book-smart, but he has invaluable practical wisdom. He's skilled and efficient. He still has a lot of maturing to do and should start taking some responsibility. Speaking of which, he's notoriously reckless. He's very relaxed and trusting, so he never locks his doors (which he forgets to do in Denmark's place). He also comes and goes as he pleases, rarely informing anyone in advance. If you're Faroe's friend, don't be surprised to see him standing in your living room unannounced. He's known to be always late, having the worst organizational skills, and he's terrible at calling people back. He doesn't want to cause problems, it's just the way he does things - living in the moment.

He has a heavy accent when talking with others, but he adorably speaks in an old-timey fashion that can sound retro to mainlanders (gøtudanskt). Besides the way he speaks, Faroe also acts old-fashioned, as he's well-mannered and thoughtful with other people. Faroe can also appear more traditional than the rest of the Nordics and values his customs. He lived with Denmark for a long time, almost losing his roots, so he's very protective of his practices and freedom nowadays. He still has his own room in Denmark's place, but he lives on his own most of the time. You'd think Faroe is outdoorsy, but his climate is unwelcoming and harsh on the next level. He has gotten used to it and loves his home, but he doesn't get to host garden parties. Charmingly, he gets excited over common natural sights, such as forests and lakes. While the climate might be unwelcoming, the people are the opposite - That's what he loves about his place, its small communal feel, and lovely people, and that's what he values more than anything.

Being in his late teens, Faroe is at that wonderful age when everything your parent does is embarrassing and annoying, and they just don't get you. He gets annoyed with Denmark all the time, so Faroe storms into his bedroom (softly closing the door), quietly punching the air and finally silently screaming into the pillow. Then he crawls back an hour later when he's called for dinner, acting all normal again. Faroe is such an easy kid that he often gets forgotten by Denmark, who focuses more on repairing his relationship with Iceland and Greenland. Faroe is totally happy to be left on his own. Who would want… attention… or validation from Denmark anyway? Faroe adores Norway and looks up to him, but Norway never seems to have time for him exclusively. Besides Iceland, he gets along nicely with Åland, a fellow seafarer nation. They're both self-governmental islands that get overshadowed by their more prominent family members, so they often exchange those "I know how you feel" looks at the dinner table.

The Faroe Islands and Iceland would consider each other best friends! Besides being related, they have pretty similar cultures and upbringings. They're both young, rural, and have a strange sense of fun - to others' their games and jokes just seem horrifying! Growing up, outsiders thought they were twins; that's how inseparable they were. Younger Iceland would devise harmless pranks and ways to be mischievous, and he'd drag the gullible Faroe with him. Poor Faroe always got the blame and lecturing. After Iceland's independence, their relationship started drifting, and Iceland is now making other friends. Sometimes Faroe gets upset by this, but he's too nervous to say anything. He's happy about his brother's success, but he can get quite lonely in his place. Occasionally he longs for those moments when the whole family lived under the same roof, though he would never admit it. Then he visits Denmark for one week, and all those thoughts are thrown out the window! The longer the distance between him and Denmark, the better!

Anyway, he's an adorable guy, and I am happy to finally introduce him in my Nationverse <3

[flowerandblood]

For now, due to the break that @black-dread took, I also decided not to publish new chapters for now, but I have something different and quite interesting for you, because it actually sounds like a story taken from a fanfic from the 19th century and this is about my great-great-grandmother, Rozalia.

I devoted my master's thesis to her (I illustrated a book about her life story) and I have been dealing with her story for many years because… I still have no idea who the father of her children, and at the same time, my great-great-grandfather, was.

Rozalia was born in 1876 in Masovia, at that time under the Russian partition, into a family of agricultural workers (people hired by farmers or heirs to work in their fields).

In 1886, her father died, and in 1894 her mother married Jakub, who was 40 years her senior, probably to provide any living conditions for her children (Rozalia had two other siblings).

In 1896, Rozalia gave birth to her first child - daughter Stanisława. She is unmarried, in the documents there is no information about the child's father.

Usually, in such a situation, such a girl was immediately married off, but not Rozalia.

Rozalia gives birth to six more children: 1899 (Jacek), 1901 (Walenty), 1904 (Katarzyna), 1908 (Józef), 1913-1916 (Wacław), 1918 (Bolesław - my great-grandfather).

Rozalia dies in 1944 as an unmarried woman.

None of them had a father listed in the documents.

There were various rumors about who the father of her children was. My grandmother claimed that she overheard the adults talking about how this man was some kind of aristocrat.

But who?

For years I read parish and archive books, I found documents regarding the owners of the estate where Rozalia was born and the one where she later worked.

And nothing.

Everyone knew that Rozalia traveled to Prussia for work and that my great-grandfather was born in Bellshwitz.

However, no one from there matched the dates either, there were too many unknowns in the places where she was.

Me and my cousin took DNA tests and it turned out that we had a huge section of DNA in common with a German with whom I tried to link all of this with Bellshwitz, without success.

On Christmas, my grandmother and I called her cousin, Ignacy, son of Katarzyna, daughter of Rozalia, to wish him well. Even though I asked him many times to tell me about Rozalia, he maintained that he didn't remember anything.

During this conversation, when I spoke about her and this man again, and the fact that he was probably German, Ignacy said:

Yes, yes. We knew he had left and disappeared suddenly, but we didn't know where. When I joined the army, communist officers asked me: Why didn't you tell us that your grandfather emigrated to America? I replied: I had no idea about it myself.

I remember once, when I was still a little child, a handsome, elegantly dressed man came to our house, he didn't go inside, he noticed me playing with other children. He came up to us and asked which of us was named exactly like me. I told him it was me, and he held out his hand to me and said, "Greet your grandfather."

When I wanted to shake his hand, he put his hand under my mouth so that I could kiss it. I didn't want to do it and ran away. I never saw him again after that.

The situation he was talking about took place around 1936, probably whoever this man was, he left for America after the outbreak of World War II - the German aristocracy in these areas did not love Hitler.

I still don't know who this man is, but I hope that one day I will find out.

There are no photos of Rozalia, but there are photos of her daughter, Katarzyna, whom my grandmother said looked very much like her mother. Based on her descriptions, I took photos of myself as my great-great-grandmother, which I later used in the book as her portraits, which you can see at the top of this post.

[softeningmyheart]

The Internet is a Hostile Environment for the Truth and I Wish I Could Be Done With It Already, But I Can't

So often, I'll see things in my pinterest feed that say "Islam forbids X" or "You must do X in Islam" and it's just, some random person talking. Not a scholar of any kind, no references to the Quran, nothing. It could be true, but it could also be half-true, or it could be based on a weak hadith, or it might just be entirely made up. Without sources, there's no way to check.

It's really annoying because I end up passively taking in this information as I'm passively scrolling on my phone and then it's like, wait a minute, did a prophet even say that? Is that even in the Quran? Or is that just the opinion of a person out there who happens to be muslim? And there's no easy way to get an answer.

The nature of social media is so exhausting. Not knowing Arabic, it can be really hard to figure out what's true and what is a misunderstanding even when I have the proper source. Add in all the weird political agendas and cultural traditions that people may want to force onto you as a stranger and it just becomes a mess. But the nature of algorithms is that if you look at anything related to Islam, you will be fed more content about Islam, and the algorithm doesn't know or care what is correct.

You can't get away from it even if you try. It's so easy to just absorb information in passing and never stop to consider it deeply, and then end up with a completely false idea of how Islam views something. Meanwhile, fact-checking even the things you notice you are reading is a whole job in and of itself. Most of the time, I don't even know where I would begin to look to verify or debunk things. It's not like I can just casually read through the entire Quran in Arabic every time I'm wondering "Oh, is that really in there?" when someone claims something with absolutely zero source.

It's easy to tell myself, oh, I just won't listen to anything that doesn't have a source provided, but that's a lot easier said than done. Again, we scroll on our phone's absent-mindedly a lot of the time, and many times you'll end up reading things in passing that you don't even really notice you're reading. It just happens, and then the information makes its way into your subconscious mind without an ounce of critical thought. Then later, I end up with the inkling of "Hey, maybe I shouldn't do that," or "Hey, isn't this mandatory?" based on what I read... but I have no idea where I read it or what to do about it! I can't just do the opposite of every claim I see without a source, or I'm just as much of a fool because it could very well be true and I just don't know why yet.

Googling the questions can help at times, but sometimes it just leads me down the rabbit hole of deep scholarly debate that are overwhelming when I barely understand the surface level. I don't know how to digest and think critically about the level of thought and historical context that scholars are engaging with. I'm not well educated on Islam, I'm not well read in the Quran, I don't know the history of the area of the Quran was revealed in, and I'm completely reliant on others to translate for me.

I suppose it's all just a part of my test. It's just so confusing, and at times frustrating. I imagine having an offline teacher or tutor or even just friends and family who could guide me would solve a lot of these issues, but that kind of support system is just not a luxury I have at the moment. The very anatomy of modern social media is so hostile to the spread of accurate information though, and I'll be very happy when I no longer need to turn to the internet first in order to learn about Islam or connect with muslims.

[redrikki]

Teen Wolf Rewatch 2.08

Everyone is heading to a rave, but first everyone is doing some brainstorming and investing.

Stiles and his Dad have dinner (health food that Stiles brings). At first, Noah says he won't discuss it and then immediately starts showing him stuff and bouncing ideas. Stiles figured out things quicker than Noah and it's clear that this is not the first time they've done this. It looks like Mr. Harris might be involved.

Allison and her dad head to the morgue to guilt trip her into revealing what she knows. The price of greatness is responsibility, the price of knowledge is responsibility. Stiles said something similar last season in 1.06. The difference between Scott and Chris is who they see themselves as responsible for and who they prioritize. Scott prioritizes supernatural folk, while Chris does humans. Competing needs and all that. Scott with Deaton, Derek, and Isaac brainstorm a way to capture Jackson and whoever is controlling him.

Scott and Allison talk. She confesses that she told her family...just like they'd agreed to do in 2.06, but now it's bad. Scott tells her about the conversation with her mom, and says that they should pretend to see other people. Scott even suggests that she and Matt kiss...at least until they make out. Victoria sees, leading to her murder attempt. At the rave, Scott yells at Allison for doing all the things he told her to, just not according to the plan he never shared with her, but most importantly for not trusting him.

Noah gets fired and Stiles notices immediately. Back in 1.12, Noah was an elected sheriff, but suddenly he's an appointed chief of police. IRL, California sheriffs are elected and the only way to remove them is a recall election. In order to create drama, the show runners have created a dystopia where the will of the people can be overturned on the whim of an unknown power! Noah won't make himself feel worse by taking it in his kid like his father would have, even if it is Stiles's fault. Stiles won't tell Scott, even though he noticed that something is wrong.

The trap dance is super bisexual. How much control does Matt have? Can he see through Jackson's eyes? Does he tell Jackson how to do it, or just provide intent? Also fun interrogation that fails to get actionable information or save anyone even before the plan officially goes to shit when Stiles is forced to break the line.

The plot to kill Scott was actually pretty clever, making it look like something else. Then Scott tries something similar on Gerard in the finale. Victoria stays to watch and taunt Scott about how alone he is, only for Derek to run to the rescue and bite her.

Deaton already has the skill to lay the mountain ash, but insists Stiles do it. At the end, we learn that Morrell is in the know and disapproves of his handling...but won't handle it herself. They both know what's coming, but won't share. It all feels like a test. Deaton wants Scott to be the True Alpha and is grooming him and his pack for it.

Other thoughts: Deaton's metaphor about Stiles being the Spark becomes a whole thing in fandom, and then we learn that literally any human can do it. When Matt kisses Allison without permission, she tries to assure him it's okay before deciding that no it's not. Scott goes from angry and suspicious of Isaac to asking him to be safe.

[woltourney]

ROUND 1 / SIDE B / POLL 16

Tahri Nhupuju (@tahri-nhupuju) v. Amor Valentine (@lunadivino)

Tahri Nhupuju:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Tahri Nhupuju, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Canonically all of them, but Warrior is her main one.

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Phoenix, Light

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Born in the depths of the Black Shroud to a minor Keeper clan of little note, Tahri had little contact with the outside world aside from the odd hunter or trader, and a notable encounter with some shipwrecked Lominsan sailors. Thanks to them and their boatswain, when she came of age and realized that while her clan had a fair few skilled hunters they lacked warriors to protect them from Gridanian aggression, she set out to Limsa Lominsa to learn the art of the Marauder. The rest, as they say, is history. Backstory aside, Tahri considers herself a staunchly traditionalist Keeper, and as such she doesn't believe in "diurnal nonsense" like monogamy, patriarchy, or straight people. She's always been an absolute unit, and was a natural fit for the marauders' guild, especially once her Inner Beast awakened and she learned how to use her boundless passion and love for her friends and family to fight. Quick fun facts about Tahri: -She is 6'3".-She is technically bisexual, but has a typically Keeper view of men: good for if you want kids, sure, but otherwise not very interesting.-She Is Well Aware Of The Effect She Has On Women, and is usually quite cocky and suave with her romantic interests, with one notable exception… -Thancred and Urianger were the first Scions to notice Tahri and Y'shtola were catching feelings for each other during the ARR patches. They themselves figured this out in Shadowbringers, and only get together in 5.3. -She is extremely whipped for Y'shtola, and often volunteers as test subject for many of her magical experiments. -She struggled to "get" magic for the longest time, until Blue Magic provided her with the "shortcut" of using instinct and intuition for magic. -She is autistic, even if I don't know if Eorzea has a term for that. -Despite being far from a studious, scholarly woman Tahri has a special interest in history. -She can deadlift all the other Scions combined. This is not a hypothetical. Alcohol and a bet was involved.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Usually, I'm not the best when it comes to bragging, so I asked some of the others for their input: Tataru scoffed at the question, stating that -and I quote- "As a tall, autistic, extremely muscular, bisexual catgirl himbo" I was "extremely marketable to tumblr's large demographic of sapphics". I don't quite know what a "himbo" is, but I trust her judgement when it comes to market research. Alphinaud suggested that I recite the many titles, accolades, and honors I've gained from a lifetime of heroics, but that's just embarrassing, and I assume most other warriors of light would have a similar list of accomplishments. Shtola said that people would vote for me "if they know what is healthy for them" with that dangerous look in her eyes. Urianger said that there aren't that many prominent Keepers around, and certainly not many that still follow the old ways, so that would help me stand out. Thancred informed me what a himbo was. I now have mixed feelings about what Tataru said. Riol said that I should win because I look out for the little guy, and never forget about my bonds with minor characters like him and the other non-inner circle Scions, or the Crown Gemworks crew, or Vath Deftarm. I think that's enough testimonials, and I would like to thank my friends for saying so many nice things that I never would have thought of myself. I'd also like to say to the voters that I will do my best to keep Shtola from doing whatever she was planning to do if you don't vote for me.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. Yeah. The above response wasn't just made for fun, I want to clarify that Tahri can't think of anything to brag about herself with because she genuinely has so much of her self-image tied up in the idea of herself as "the warrior of light" that she fails to see her own strengths at times, because that's just "the bare minimum" she has to be to be "The Warrior Of Light". Her self-sacrificial nature is something she struggles with a lot, as she tends to minimize her own wants and needs in favour of helping others and keeping others from worrying about her. Also if anyone wants to see more about her, I want publishes a couple of fics featuring her on Ao3, which are tagged with her name. Do make sure to read the tags to avoid spoilers though! And speaking of spoilers, her blog is not a spoiler-free zone, so be aware of that.

Amor Valentine:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Amor Valentine (they/them)

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Au Ra (Xaela)

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. ARR: Lancer/Dragoon; HW-present: DRK main, MCH for yeehaw

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Amor is just a guy carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders despite it all. They care deeply for their friends and family, have a special interest in chocobos, and are full of love for the world they protect. Though a force to be reckoned with in the heat of battle, in day-to-day life they can be quite timid. A traumatic childhood event left them an orphan with no memory of their past, but they were found and raised by a Duskwight woman in Dravania, near Tailfeather. Amor was considered a strange child by most Tailfeather residents (#UndiagnosedAutism), but they ignored it as best they could while focusing their attention on the chocobos their mother would catch and train. On their 20th nameday, they left home to explore the world and hopefully learn about their past, and oops! Hydaelyn's chosen! They then proceed to become the Champion of Eorzea and save the world a bunch of times, with varying levels of enthusiasm. Though always willing to do whatever is needed to protect the realm, they are prone to becoming weary of it all. At best, they'll grin and bear it. At worst, they can become resentful and bitter towards their position in life (see: DRK). Thankfully, spending time with loved ones helps mitigate this negativity. They are taking a well earned rest after the events of Endwalker, but are prepared to dive back into the fray should the world need them. They are fond of foraging when they have the opportunity, and their special interest in chocobos lends itself well to breeding and competing at the Gold Saucer. Sometimes, they give in to the irresistible urge to run around open landscapes before rolling around on the ground.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Umm… a vote for me is a vote for the eorzean autism alliance :)