#note that i am not saying the government has to fund it

[shortsweetespresso]

okay, but on a serious note, as someone with a degree in history, this is a terrifying event. not only is this showing that our leaders and former leaders are not safe from an attack, but this attempt also happened against a former president that may will use this to his advantage. this man, a former REALITY TV STAR, knows how to play a crowd. he knows how to put on a show and manipulate people to be on his side. he already has an insane fan base who has ALREADY incited an insurrection attempt on the very government they CLAIM TO LOVE.

history loves a martyr, and a living martyr can make things worse. whether this was real or staged, it will be treated as real by every single news source that matters unless proven otherwise -- which could end up being proven years down the line. the right are already using this as a reason to vote for trump. I can't scroll through my facebook without people in every single group I'm in discussing this. all press is good press, especially to the right wing where they can spread their propaganda.

this night is going to be in history books. unless the American people come together, and EVERYONE who can vote against trump, votes for Biden (god help us), this night may very well be listed in the reasons fascism came to take hold of the United States.

you can read the reasons why World War I and II happened, and you can see the clear picture as all of those reasons are laid out in front of you.

Not to fear monger, but World War III's causes are already being laid out in front of us clearly, unless we can work together to stop it. Ukraine, Palestine, and many other places are already the places of first conflict. take a look around. read the news from all angles.

Vote. VOTE. V O T E. FUCKING VOTE. Biden is the much lesser of two evils, and it literally hurts to say that the president currently funding a Palestinian genocide is the better option, and the fact that I HAVE to vote for him in order to keep trump out of power is breaking me and everything I am inside. biden is funding it -- yet trump said he would help israel "finish the job"

donate to Palestinians. donate to the people of Ukraine. vote democrat in the 2024 election.

I'm sorry that this is not the most eloquently written tumblr essay, but I am terrified.

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

I've been messaging with a 17yo kid from Gaza, named Nader.

When I asked what he wanted people to know about his family's situation, he immediately answered "the bitter cold".

His other answer was about how incredibly expensive everything is in Gaza right now. Here's context: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/16/how-much-does-food-cost-in-gaza

Can you imagine being in this situation? Made homeless where the stores are no longer getting consistent deliveries and might be bombed, the government is barely operating cuz it keeps getting bombed, there's not even charity getting into your besieged area, and most people's jobs—including your big brother's—have been bombed beyond repair?

Where it's getting so cold and you CAN'T get warm because you're relying on strangers to help you get that coat or blanket, or bc you need the little money that trickles in to just survive??

And can you imagine living this way for OVER A YEAR as a normal teenager who has a little brother and a baby niece with malnutrition to stress about too?

I know people are tired of hearing about Gaza. It's upsetting that this genocide has continued so long with so few powerful people even trying to stop it. But we have a responsibility to our fellow humans, to help them survive persecution.

Nader is seventeen. None of this should be on his shoulders. Please help his family be safe so he can stop feeling like it's his job to make sure his family has what they need.

This campaign was verified as authentic by gazavetters (#4 on this spreadsheet), which I have seen Palestinians I trust cite as a trusted source.

Can you give up one treat this week to help Nader's family have the basics?

If you donate at least $10 and comment on this post with proof, I'll record a silly voice message for you or draw you a post it note doodle!

Please also consider following @abdalsalam1990, the tumblr account this family is using to try to raise funds, as a reminder to yourself to share the campaign or contribute in the future.

Tagging usernames off the top of my head in hopes you'll share this fundraiser; please message me if you don't want to be tagged in things like this, or if I didn't tag you but you DO want to be tagged in posts like this.

Edit edit: thank you @transmutationisms for teaching me how tagging works 😅 i've only been on this site 10 years lmao

@wizardarchetypes @herpsandbirds @brattylikestoeat @tearsofrefugees @milf--adjacent

@vampiricvenus @mostly-funnytwittertweets @sweatermuppet @mostlysignssomeportents @probablyasocialecologist

@timequangle @repotting @robertreich @antifainternational @dlxxv-vetted-donations

[wizardysseus]

On Friday, the president signed yet another Executive Order, this time directly targeting funds allocated to libraries and museums nationwide. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal agency that distributes fund approved by Congress to state libraries, as well as library, museum, and archival grant programs. IMLS is the only federal agency that provides funds to libraries. The Executive Order states that the functions of the IMLS have to be reduced to “statutory functions” and that in places that are not statutory, expenses must be cut as much as possible. [...] The department has seven days to report back, meaning that as soon as this Friday, March 21, 2025, public libraries–including school and academic libraries–as well as public museums could see their budgets demolished.

Actionable items from the article:

Sign the petition at EveryLibrary to stop Trump’s Executive Order seeking to gut the IMLS then share it with your networks.

Write a letter to each of your Senators and to your Representative at the federal level. You can find your Senators here and your Representative here. All you need to say in this letter is that you, a resident of their district, demand they speak up and defend the budget of IMLS. Include a short statement of where and how you value the library, as well as its importance in your community. This can be as short as “I use the library to find trusted sources of information, and every time I am in there, the public computers are being used by a variety of community members doing everything from applying for jobs to writing school papers. Cutting the funds for libraries will further harm those who lack stable internet, who cannot afford a home library, and who seek the opportunities to engage in programming, learning, enrichment, and entertainment in their own community. Public libraries help strengthen reading and critical thinking skills for all ages.” In those letters, consider noting that the return on investment on libraries is astronomical. You can use data from EveryLibrary.

Call the offices of each of your Senators and Representatives in Congress. Yes, they’ll be busy. Yes, the voice mails will be full. KEEP CALLING. Get your name on the record against IMLS cuts. Do this in addition to writing a letter. If making a call creates anxiety, use a tool like 5 Calls to create a script you can read when you reach a person or voice mail.

Though your state-level representatives will not have the power to impact what happens with IMLS, this is your time to reach out to each of your state representatives to emphasize the importance of your state’s public libraries. Note that in light of potential cuts from the federal government, you advocate for stronger laws protecting libraries and library workers, as well as stronger funding models for these institutions.

Show up at your next public library meeting, either in person at a board meeting or via an email or letter, and tell the library how much it means to you. In an era where information that is not written down and documented simply doesn’t exist, nothing is more crucial than having your name attached to some words about the importance of your public library. This does not need to be genius work–tell the library how you use their services and how much they mean to you as a taxpayer.

Tell everyone you know what is at stake. If you’ve not been speaking up for public institutions over the last several years, despite the red flags and warnings that have been building and building, it is not too late to begin now. EveryLibrary’s primer and petition is an excellent resource to give folks who may be unaware of what’s going on–or who want just the most important information.

[elbiotipo]

So, to get serious for a moment. If you've been following me for a while you're surely aware of how bad Javier Milei's government is for our country and in particular for science and education. This has affected me very personally, as the recent funding cuts mean I'm basically unemployed right now. This is an undesirable situation to say the least, and because of the general crisis we're going through that affects virtually all institutions in the country, my job search is not easy.

This means I might have to move away soon, perhaps to another province or country, if I cannot find a job here, which is a huge expense I must consider and save for. And also, my family is going through legal expenses (nothing bad, but still a money sink) and I am unable to help them right now. Along with many other expenses that get worse every week (not an exaggeration) given our current economic crisis. So right now, I'm looking for any kind of income until hopefully I can get a stable job.

I would really appreciate if you could consider supporting me on Ko-Fi, even a little bit means a lot here on Argentina. And I want you to get something out of it! If there's something my years of study have been useful for, is to learn about how the world works, and if you know my passion for worldbuilding and love the things I write about it, please, do feel free to ask me questions, suggest me things to write about, or DM me to talk about your writing. I often take my time to answer, but if there's anything I have now, it's unfortunately time. So I hope you consider supporting me, and regardless, you can look forward to more worldbuilding, science and history posts. And Argentina shitposting of course.

In a more professional note, I am also a certified and experienced English-Spanish translator. If you're seriously looking for someone with that skill, you can DM me.

So, that's it. Thank you for reading.

[truth-has-a-liberal-bias]

...

Like velociraptors testing the bars,the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have systematically identified where the weaknesses in the opposition can be found, and this week they netted their biggest prey yet: Nine Democratic senators (and whatever Angus King is) who voted to pass a destructive budget bill that tacitly endorses Trump and Musk’s ongoing decimation of the civil service and gives them a freer hand to carry it out.

I am sorry to say that it is now incumbent on you, the voters, to use whatever means are at your disposal to end these senators’ careers.

Would it be histrionic to say that Trump has turned these ten senators? Perhaps so. But it’s worth noting that Republicans now think that this is the case, and they intend to act on it accordingly.

As NBC News’ Sahil Kapur reported Friday night, “Two Republican senators told me … this vote shows they can execute the same strategy again—cut Democrats out of the negotiations on a gov’t funding bill, pass it through the House, and expect Senate Dems to back down and not filibuster it.” Suffice it to say, Trump has ten senators over the barrel—and one of them is Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader.

Regardless of whether or not these senators have gone full Vichy, the more obvious thing to say about them is that they are cowards, and thus unfit to serve in office. [...]

[stayinlimbo]

We Become We

pairing: husband!lee minho x reader genre/warnings: friends to lovers, marriage of convenience, fluff, poor attempts at me trying to be funny, mc's gender is not specified word count: 1.02k note:  i am not dead yay. i tried my best since i haven't had time to write for almost a month so please take this as a peace offering ♡

Marriage. It’s an interesting concept, isn’t it? 

You’ve always thought so, at least. Two people agreeing to sign a legal document and tethering their lives to each other for whatever reason, be it love, societal expectations, familial pressure, financial security, etc. 

Yours happens to be a man named Lee Minho. The same man you’ve been friends with for as long as you can remember. The same man who asked you to marry him for a reason you didn’t get to learn until he was already down on one knee. 

(“I’m sorry, you want me to WHAT?” “Marry me. Please, I need health insurance.”

“Okay, yes, sure, whatever; now please get off the floor. People are staring.”)

Lee Minho, who, after dragging you to the courthouse and legally becoming your husband, finally elaborated on how his job would pay him more and cover both of your health insurances if he was married. So really, in his words, he was “doing you a huge favor” by marrying you. 

And, in all honesty, he really was. No, you didn’t have a ring to show off your new husband’s weird skill at finding loopholes in company policy, and you’re like thirty-five percent sure the two of you are committing some kind of marriage fraud, but does it really matter when you can finally start using the hot water in your dingy apartment without worrying if you’ll have enough money to fund your crippling caffeine addiction? The government will have to drag you kicking and screaming before you resort back to mankind’s cruelest form of torture: cold showers. 

Not to mention that marriage didn’t even change your relationship with Minho. And why would it? You’re still you, and he’s still him. He gets on your nerves just the same, maybe even a little bit more after he decided to frame your marriage certificate in his living room and send a photo to all your mutual friends. You’ll never forgive Minho for laughing at your helplessly panicked state when the group chat wouldn’t stop exploding with messages and incessant calls. 

You’re still his best friend that resides in his apartment four out of seven days of the week while he inhabits yours for the other three. Maybe that’s why, two weeks after your “wedding,” when it was time to renew your lease, Minho suggested with a simple shrug of his shoulders that you move in with him since “you’re here all the time anyway.” 

You’ve really got to learn how to say no to him because now you wake up next to your best friend/roommate/husband in his one bedroom, one bathroom apartment at the crack of dawn with a light pressure on your chest and fur in your face when his cats decide you need to wake up right now to feed them. 

Not to say you don’t like the new arrangement! No, that would be the furthest from the truth. 

Sure, you didn’t appreciate your skin care routine being interrupted by the unexpectedly high-pitched scream Minho let out when he saw you in a face mask for the first time, and what kind of person still has their phone’s brightness turned up all the way before bed? But who else would willingly tolerate your deliriousness before your morning coffee or indulge in your pleas to cook your favorite food three days in a row? 

Living with Minho has only made the purely platonic feelings you harbor for him grow stronger.

That’s what the fluttering in your chest means every time you see him, right? The reason for the smile that grows on your face when you hear the distinct jingling of keys at the front door?

Yeah, that must be why heat spread across your cheeks when he handed you his phone to text one of his friends back, because since when did the heart emoji make an appearance next to your pinned contact name?

You just care about each other, that’s all. It’s normal to want to make sure he arrived at work safely and ask how his day is going during your lunch breaks. It’s normal to start receiving back hugs before bed—a comforting weight as Minho’s chin rests on your shoulder while you apply the rest of the products to your face. 

It’s natural to have doubts about the nature of your relationship during an evening walk, acutely aware of his fingers lightly brushing against yours as you silently study his features illuminated by the soft glow of the scattered streetlights. What if he meets someone else and falls in love with them and wants a divorce and– oh. 

Has he always looked at you like that? With his gaze softening as it locks with yours? With the corners of lips lifting into the gentlest smile you’ve ever seen? With all the stars shining above you finding a second home in his eyes? A look so loving that it takes your breath away and you can’t tell if you’re about to laugh or cry in relief. 

And when you return home to get ready for bed, the familiar feeling of hands wrapping around your waist and a careful pressure resting by the crook of your neck quells the remnants of your worries.

It’s you and Minho. Minho and you, just as it always has been. Just as it’s always meant to be.

The distance between your bodies on the bed becomes nonexistent when you curl yourself into his side, laying your head on his shoulder and intertwining your legs with his as he immediately, unhesitantly, adjusts his arm, his fingertips finding purchase on exposed skin and roaming across the span of your back. A kiss to the top of your head is the last thing you feel before the gentle lull of breathing and the rise and fall of his chest begin to soothe you to sleep. 

…

Ah, marriage—what an interesting concept. Two people agreeing to sign a legal document and tethering their lives to each other for whatever reason, be it love, societal expectations, familial pressure, financial security, etc. 

You love your husband, and you’re beginning to think he loves you too. 

liked this work? want to let me know how i did? please like, comment, and/or reblog; they are greatly appreciated my asks are always open ♡

taglist: @linospuddin @linocz @spicyhyunn

[avaantares]

USAmericans: If you want to save your democracy, participate in it.

I've heard from people both IRL and online who feel helpless and overwhelmed in the face of SO MUCH awful news -- from the hostile fascist takeover of our government to the dissolution of our foreign aid agencies to the establishment of "detainment camps" (we all know what they really are) both inside and outside U.S. borders.

It's easy to feel hopeless and overwhelmed when there's so much to take in. In fact, that's exactly what the perpetrators of this crisis want you to feel. They want to flood the opposition to the point that we stop fighting back.

But here's the thing: We still have elected officials in Washington, and midterm elections loom on the horizon. Midterms can (and often do) switch which party holds the majority of seats in Congress. Even if your elected officials are Republicans, they can't alienate their entire constituency if they want to keep their jobs. The more dissenting voices they hear from their home districts, the more motivated they will be to listen.

If you want Elon Musk to keep his paws off your Social Security number, or if you want the USAID office reinstated, or if you oppose racist policies being enacted or prison camps being built or literal war crimes being committed (as Trump has proposed), contact your representatives now. Don't put it off, don't feel intimidated. Add one more tally mark to the "opposed" column in their offices.

How to make your voice heard in four easy steps:

Go to this site: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

Put in your home address (or an address near where you stay, if you do not have a home address) to access a list of your elected officials ranging from the President all the way down to city offices.

Expand the "Federal" tab. Find your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. Their phone numbers should be listed under their names. (If it is not listed, you can Google their name and "office phone number" and it should turn up. It will have a 202 area code.)

Call each of their offices. Calling is more effective than emailing. If you are unable to call, you can email, or you can call and email, but if you're going to pick just one, calling has MUCH more impact.

Note: If you call during office hours, you will likely speak to a staff member who will take your name and address or email and ask what issue you would like to comment on. If you call after hours, you can just leave a voicemail. If you hate speaking to strangers on the phone, write down a couple of sentences about your chosen issue in advance, call after hours, and read your statement to the voicemail. It takes less than a minute.

Sample Scripts:

It doesn't have to be complicated! You can just say something simple like this:

Hi, my name is [name] and I live in [city/state]. I am calling to state my opposition to [whatever outlandish thing Trump just proposed]. I would like [elected official] to take steps to oppose this in Congress. Thank you.

Or you can go into more detail about a specific issue:

Hello, my name is [name] and I live in [city/state]. I am calling to express my concern about the unlawful seizure of personal taxpayer information by the DOGE. Elon Musk has no legal right to access the sensitive personal and financial data of millions of Americans, and I am very concerned that my Social Security and bank account numbers are now in the hands of a group with no government oversight. This is a clear violation of our privacy, and the potential for abuse of this information is high. I am asking [elected official] to protect [his/her] constituents by enacting legislation to restrict the DOGE, and working to restore the authorized, Congressionally-funded departments that Elon Musk has taken over or shut down. Thank you.

Additional tips:

Be polite. Yes, everything the Trump administration does makes us want to swear a blue streak, but the person taking your call or listening to your message is a low-level staffer or intern, and they didn't make the policies you hate. They are responsible for recording and collating the data about calls received, however, so don't give them any reason to omit yours.

Be brief. Your goal is to add one more tally mark to the list of "constituents who oppose Elon Musk having their personal bank account numbers," not to write a persuasive essay explaining what identity theft is and why this is a problem.

You can call more than once. Don't spam a bunch of calls about the same issue, but just because you called this week about the DOGE doesn't mean you can't call next week about illegal ICE raids, or the week after that about the Department of Education being dissolved, or the week after that about the detainment camps. If another issue comes up that concerns you (and let's face it -- it will), call and leave another message! Keep their phones ringing.

[verisette]

⌗ — 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 KATSUKI BAKUGO, GATE 3-A.

prologue : who am i? well, even i’m not so sure.

previous <- : series masterlist : -> next

CONTENT WARNINGS : slight smau. second person reader POV; third person for Bakugo POV. emotionally distant parental relationships. cultural references to Bali (may contain inaccuracies, please feel free to correct!). kamijirou ship mention (sorry in advance). past Bakugo relationship mention (brief).

MAR’S NOTES : Ignore the time on the messages, I also messed up a tad on them. It’s not that noticeable, nor does it matter, but I’ll say so anyway. Anyhow, this is relatively a long “chapter,” I normally don’t write this much, how to some of ya’ll do it?

The scenery outside blurs in sun-warmed streaks of gold and green, late-summer fields flashing by as the route bus hums steadily down the road.

You shift in your seat, the fabric beneath you rough and faded, patterned moquette scratched from years of passengers doing the same.

A light weight presses on your shoulder. The person next to you, a stranger, has dozed off and leaned into you sometime during the ride. You don’t have the heart to nudge them away.

Your gaze drifts back to the window. Mountains in the distance. A glimpse of Fuji’s crown on the horizon. Another new town. Another fresh start. Musutafu

A city nestled in Shizuoka Prefecture, known for its fragrant green tea fields, its botany research centers, and that towering guardian on the skyline, Mt. Fuji. A postcard kind of place. Beautiful, stable. Peaceful.

To anyone else, this would be exciting. A new place. A new culture. The adventure of a lifetime.

If you hadn’t moved around the world your entire life, that is.

But you have. So to you, this isn’t thrilling. It’s exhausting.

You lost count of how many homes you’ve had after the twelfth move. The suitcase at your feet is more of a home than any place you’ve lived.

Brazil. Greece. Thailand. Mexico. Iceland. Italy. Hawaii. Canada. India. Africa. China and most recently, Indonesia. You’ve seen temples rise into the clouds, deserts sprawl into the horizon, and jungles vibrate with the buzz of cicadas.

And yet, you’ve never really belonged anywhere. Never planted roots. Never stayed long enough to watch the seasons change twice in the same place.

Your parents are to thank for that, not that you hold it against them.

They work in international disaster relief. A government-funded emergency response team that specializes in areas devastated by villain attacks or natural disasters.

They’re the first to arrive after the storm, earthquake, or explosion… and the first to be relocated once the next one hits. Whether it’s France or Peru, they go where they’re needed most.

You’ve always admired that about them. Truly. Heroes in their own right. But admiration doesn’t make it easier to say goodbye every other month.

Or to walk into yet another unfamiliar school with yet another new name tag.

Navigating a relationship with your parents? Complicated. They're kind, brave, and endlessly driven but distant. Always distant. Not on purpose. Just... not always present.

Still, you're grateful. You know more than most kids your age, about the world, about people.

You've eaten street food in Bangkok at midnight and prayed in silence at shrines older than history.

You know how to say “hello” in 25 different languages. You can name all the major religions and point out tectonic fault lines on a map.

But knowledge doesn't soothe the ache of isolation.

You remember your first move like it was a scar.

You were in third grade. Eight, maybe nine. Masegaki Elementary. You were one of the popular kids. Bright. Liked by teachers. The fastest runner during recess races, except against him.

What was his name...?

Katsumi? No, Katsuki.

Yeah. Katsuki. That sounds right.

The two of you were inseparable back then. You remember afternoons spent at his house, flopped on beanbags, watching reruns of All Might’s old rescues that aired on local TV at 3:30 p.m. sharp. He was loud, rough around the edges, but there was something about him you liked. Maybe it was his fire. His confidence.

There was another boy, too. Quiet. Gentle. Always had a book in his hand and a nervous smile on his face.

Izu... something? Izuo? Izuku?

It’s fuzzy now, but you remember the way he listened when you talked. The softness in his voice.

You never got to say goodbye.

One afternoon you came home, and your life was in boxes. Your bedroom stripped to the skeleton of what it once was. The “For Sale” sign on the lawn felt like betrayal.

“We’re moving to Las Vegas,” your mother had said brightly, trying to spin it like a game. “It’ll be fun!”

“And we’ll be back before you know it,” she promised, brushing a strand of hair from your forehead.

But “soon” never came.

You tried to stay in touch. At first, it worked, texting, late-night calls despite the time zones. But replies grew slower. Messages stopped being returned. People moved on. And then, one day, your mom's phone was destroyed in a field operation. New number. New everything.

Just like that, the thread snapped.

After that, it was always the same. A new school, a new uniform, new faces. You made friends, because you had to. Became popular, because you knew how to adapt.

Liked by teachers, because you were polite and bright. The fastest on the playground, because you’d had a lot of practice running.

But the moves kept coming. So you stopped trying so hard.

Then came the fear. The anxiety. The tightness in your chest whenever you had to speak in front of people. The fear of walking into a classroom where everyone already had a history without you.

You became the “new girl.” Always the “new girl.”

Days, weeks, sometimes months behind everyone else.

And the worst part? Connection.

You're not sure you've had a real one since third grade. There’s never been time. You’ve become a cameo in everyone’s story, a blur in the background of yearbook photos.

Romance? Don’t even go there.

Seventeen years old and you’ve never even held hands with someone in that way. No stolen glances. No first kiss. Not even a crush that lasted more than a week. You haven’t “snapped” anyone. You don’t have anyone to snap.

Maybe you’re too awkward. Too distant. Or maybe people just don’t care enough to try when they know you’ll be gone by the semester’s end.

So what’s the point?

…Still.

This time, things are going to be different.

Not because of romance. You don’t have time for that.

This time, you’re here for one reason, and one reason only:

To get your hero provisional license, and finally graduate high school.

Simple, really. Maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad.

After all, you actually had a “friend” attending U.A. with you, or the closest thing to one you’ve had in years. You met her three weeks ago during a festival in Bali.

There were fireworks in the sky, lanterns strung across the trees, and laughter spilling over every street.

You were trying to find a food vendor, your stomach practically begging for something greasy to take back to your small apartment you and your parents share when someone collided with you full-force.

A pink-skinned girl with cotton candy curls and the wildest energy you'd ever seen went flying, her container of nasi campur launching like a confetti bomb across the pavement.

You remember gasping, instinctively apologizing even though you weren't completely at fault.

She looked heartbroken staring down at the food like she'd just lost her best friend. Without thinking, you bought her a new one. And that was all it took.

The two of you ended up talking for hours, sitting cross-legged on a cracked curb, food in your laps, music playing faintly in the distance.

You talked about where you'd been, where she wanted to go, the best hot springs in Indonesia, her dreams of being a hero, and the way you still weren’t sure what “home” was supposed to feel like.

Then it came up, you were leaving soon.

“Oh my god,” she’d squealed when you said Japan. “Wait, wait, wait, but where in Japan?!”

“Uh... Musutafu?”

You swore she’d vibrated on a different frequency after that.

And when you mentioned you'd be attending U.A., you thought she might’ve actually combusted into glitter.

Back in the present, the soft buzz in your jeans pocket pulls you from the memory.

You shift slightly, trying not to wake the person still snoring lightly on your shoulder.

You fish your phone out, the screen lighting up with one unread message.

one new message from minaaa <3! 📧

A party.

On orientation night, no less.

You blink at the text, already imagining the dim lights, loud music, too many strangers packed into one dorm like sardines in a can. Not your scene. At all.

Too loud. Too hot. Too everything.

Your fingers hover over your phone, ready to type out a polite decline... but then you pause.

Mina’s been nothing but kind to you. She's been your guide to U.A. before you even arrived, sending you voice memos and outfit recs, telling you which teachers were strict and which ones secretly loved sweets.

She didn’t have to do any of that. But she did.

And if you said no now, you might regret it.

So you answer.

one new message from bali bestie ✨️✨️! 📧

“Score! She said she’d come!” Mina all but screeches, practically bouncing on her toes as she flails her phone in the air like she’s won the lottery.

Sero, walking past with a box of dorm supplies, raises a brow. “Wow, you’re really hyped about this girl coming, huh?”

“Well, duh,” Mina grins, placing the phone gently on the counter like it’s sacred. “Y/N is soooo cool! You guys are gonna love her. She's a bit awkward and kinda standoffish, but once you get to know her? Total gem.”

Kaminari calls out from the kitchen, mouth full of chips, “Don’t we already have enough standoffish people? Todoroki, Bakugo, Kyo…”

“Shut up, Kaminari!” Jirou snaps, barely glancing up from her spot curled on the common room couch. She flips him off without missing a beat.

Kaminari gasps dramatically, clutching his chest. “You wound me, baby.” He stumbles out of the kitchen like a soap opera star and collapses into her lap.

“Get a room!” Sero shouts, tossing a throw pillow at Kaminari’s head.

“Stay jealous, you’re still single,” Kaminari fires back, making a raspberry sound as he dodges the pillow with a smug grin.

“Who’s jealous of who now?” Kirishima asks as he and Bakugo step into the dorm with another load of boxes.

“Oh, forget that,” Mina says, hands on her hips. “The only thing that matters is my twin’s arriving soon!”

“I thought I was your twin?” Jirou questions, raising a pierced brow.

“You are, Kyo baby,” Mina sings. “Y/N’s just my shy twin.”

Bakugo grunts, dropping a box full of potted succulents on the floor. “You’re still goin’ on about that girl?”

“Well, yeah,” Mina retorts, arms crossed. “She’s amazing!”

“Please. If she’s anything like you, I don’t need another loud extra in my life,” Bakugo mutters, scowling.

“She’s not like me! I mean, okay, kinda, but like, in a chill way. You’d like her, actually. She’s pretty attractive, y’know…”

“Mina...” Kirishima warns, shooting her a look that says stop before you die.

“Don’t even, Pinkie,” Bakugo growls.

Mina huffs, puffing her cheeks out. “Come on, Katsuki, it’s been months since Asam—”

Kirishima quickly claps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “Nope. Noooope.”

Bakugo stiffens at the name. His eyes darken for a second, jaw clenched like a trap ready to snap. He hasn’t so much, as said her name since—

Whatever. It doesn’t matter now.

“What’d you say that girl’s name was again?” he asks, voice surprisingly calm.

Mina blinks. “Who?”

“That girl you keep screeching about.”

“Y/N. Why?” Mina asks, her smile twitching into curiosity. “Do you know her?”

“Tch. Hell no,” he says with a sharp scoff. “Name just sounded familiar.”

“Uh-huh.” Mina smirks. “Or maybe you’re intere—”

“Shut up,” Bakugo growls, already turning toward the elevators. “I’m going to my dorm. Later, extras.”

And just like that, he’s gone, the air still charged in his wake.

one new message from minaaa <3! 📧

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 : @nina-from-317 @harryzcherry @kye1aaazene @kalulakunundrum @cielito--lindo @happinessisabutterflie @sakuraszn @dahhliaa @bakugoubaby @jazoewazoe @loliesaregreat @blissin6s @vicdik @yk-raji @meowsannie @toriiee

© 2025 verisette — All rights reserved. Don't post my work as your own on any other sites.

[drabasp]

Union Politics and the Karrakin Trade Baronies, or, Why Union Lets the KTB Do All That

Let me open this post with a small disclaimer: what I am saying here is not necessarily meant to be argumentative, nor is it targeted at anyone in particular. Lancer is a TTRPG setting, and as such is infinitely malleable in terms of setting alterations in order to suit you and your playgroup. This behavior is explicitly encouraged in the core rulebook and I encourage you to do it yourself, in order to better set the limits of what you might want to engage with in the course of play.

However, it has been my experience that it is usually best to understand the material that you're bending when you do so and I'm not entirely sure that some people do- an understandable problem to have when you do not just consume guidebooks in one sitting or fixate on the particularly fucked politics of some aspects of the setting. Of particular concern to me is the Karrakin Trade Baronies (henceforth the KTB,) one of two parts of the setting to get its own dedicated guidebook and the subject of the forthcoming module Shadow of the Wolf. It's a repressive aristocratic state that is home to some of the worst sanctioned atrocities in the setting, but also its a part of Union, so why does the "utopian" Union let them do that?

It's simple: the KTB is a vassal state in an extractive colonial relationship. This is text.

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies, p. 3)

The long and short of it is this- the KTB's initial encounters with Union were short and violent, as these encounters were with an expansionist Second Committee who coveted the KTB's rich resources. The first of these wars featured SecComm nearly securing an incredibly quick victory via an initial refusal to engage in ship combat in favor of simply barraging civillian populations instead:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies p. 33. I recommend reading this entire section actually, as I find few Lancer sourcebooks willing to go this into detail about single events- the Battle of Kantus Void (starting p. 32) is described in great detail and is frankly quite horrific)

Only to retreat at the last minute in order to deal with the Deimos event.  (e.g. the emergence of Ra on Deimos, followed by the First Contact Accords. One of the ramifications of this is that Union gets access to blinkspace and NHPs, which one might consider a Big Deal technologically.) The second war was won via an overwhelming technological advantage from SecComm as a result of the Deimos event , to the point where the Second Union-Karrakin War gets scarcely a paragraph in the book, and the result is the New Prosperity Agreement, as follows:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies, p. 34.)

So: Union gets a treaty-guarantee that the KTB has no military fleet, a regular supply of the resources mined in the KTB (explicitly to fund the growth of Union Core), and the KTB gets the Dawnline shore, reparations, and the guarantee that Union will not depose their government. This treaty remains on the books with the transition to ThirdComm, because the demand for resources did not end with the end of SecComm:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies p. 36. Note the term “printers” here, this is not Star Trek, there are no replicators, your mech was built with raw material that was probably sourced in part or in full from the KTB.)

That is to say: why has the Third Committee allowed the KTB to continue doing what it does? Because 1. There is a treaty saying protecting the existing government and specifically the nobility 2. That treaty is the thing that feeds its shipyards, printers, and the resource demands of its core worlds 3. The First Utopian Pillar says "All should have their material needs fulfilled," so any action that threatens Union's supply lines is viewed as a threat to Union's ability to uphold the Utopian Pillars:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies p. 36, this one is actually a bit more of a stretch but this is the only thing I can imagine "Union relies on the New Prosperity Agreement to... uphold its principles" refers to.)

You may be asking a few questions.

Does this make absolve the KTB/make their existing structure okay?

Absolutely not. The existence of the structure of landed nobility over an ignoble population is a power structure that itself produces the problems like those seen on Free Sanjak- this is something I see a lot of existing ink spilled over and I think this is made explicitly clear just about everywhere. However, I think it is important to understand that the conditions that the Ungratefuls fight against are those involved in resource extraction, and those are ones that they identify as being ultimately in service to union, as Tyrannocleave says:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies p. 82)

In fact, even the core guidebook notes that the Ungratefuls tend to regard Union as hostile for these reasons:

Lancer Core Rulebook p. 415, notably the edition that contains the GM rules and setting notes. All other citations from this source are the same.)

They also will target Union openly:

(Lancer Core Rulebook p. 415, paragraph truncated due to page limit in source, the opening lines were "Beyond this, Ungrateful activity ranges in scope from the local to the interstellar. Some cells focus on direct...)

The actual politics of the Ungratefuls are their own discussion, though, and this post is far too bloated as-is.

The same conditions that incentivize resource extraction as a precondition of survival also incentivize existing power structures in the KTB to sanction and allow the kinds of abuse on Free Sanjak. Resource limitations (also noted in the early pages of the KTB guidebook as growing) in the KTB are not a result of lack of material but a demand for export, and those limitations are never going to be felt by the nobility, who will inevitably guarantee that they will be fed, but rather the people.

That is to say- the conditions of the nobility existed prior to Union, but the continued abuses are informed by the Treaty obligations imposed by Union, and this is something that the Ungratefuls textually understand.

Is Union doing nothing?

As shown in that second to last rulebook excerpt, also no. However, the actions Union is taking are broadly informed by the necessity of maintaining plausible deniability. Union is funding and maintaining the Ungratefuls, but are unwilling to put pressure on what is an unstable larger diplomatic situation:

(Field Guide to the Karrakin Trade Baronies p. 81)

That is to say- their larger aid to the Republican Houses (Water and Dust) filters into support for the Ungratefuls, and the UIB hires free agents to run support for them in order to make Union's hands in the conflict seem clean. However, this does not mean any sort of direct intervention by any forces that have clear ties to ThirdComm, as they are unwilling to jeopardize diplomatic ties to the KTB writ large. Or, in short: Union Navy and the DoJ/HR are hands off for this one.

Wait, isn't ThirdComm supposed to be utopian?

I read Union as being a government with a complicated history that seeks to act in the direction of Utopianism. I think that what is textually true about the KTB and the way Union interacts with it, however, is proof of how complicated that project can be. To sanction the KTB is to remove the resource flows that make the Union Core a society that can easily uphold the First Pillar. To maintain this relationship is to continue the colonial legacy of SecComm and continue tacitly endorsing both the aristocratic, exploitative present in the KTB and the extraction that it now seeks to maintain. The compromise that Union has come to is to accept the resources while funding freedom fighters, a position that I wholeheartedly disagree with as a citizen under American Empire who finds that this "compromise" uncomfortably echoes similar situations in the real world, but I think that the inclusion of this in the setting serves to pose the question: what should be done, when you are building Utopia on still breathing body of Empire?

There's a larger discussion to be had here about Lancer as a Utopian setting, but that demands a word count that I think this post has no space for. Suffice it to say- I think that discussions of the KTB should consider this context more, because I think that this is a question the setting is asking, and it is one worth engaging.

[gryficowa]

Boycott!

The biggest problem with verifying collections not from Congo, Sudan, Venezuela, Haiti and Palestine is that in their case no one tells what to watch out for, hence I rarely provide links to collections from Yemen, due to the fact that they are usually created by people from outside (I'm not saying there aren't others, but you'll just be more aware of whether it's a scam or not… I mean, you are comparing a legal collection and a scam, this is not the case with collections from Yemen, you have no way to tell the difference, you now understand the reason why I don't share collections from Yemen very often, not because I don't want to, but because I have a problem with verification)

So yes, you have the answer why I rarely collect funds from Yemen, unfortunately, I'm too green in this field

Now that I have your attention:

[whatbigotspost]

HEY! Trump didn't repeal the EEOA, he repealed the order applying it to federal employment. Please let your followers know that they still have those protections if they work for a private employer.

Also, if your boss says any different, don't correct them; contact an employment lawyer. They work on contingency, which means you can get one even if you have no money.

Hey! I understand your point here, and the intensity with which you are making it, the hopes behind why you are making it, and the need for us to ensure that people do continue to know their rights, and stand up against corrupt employers, NOT LOSE HOPE,… all of it.

Please know, I truly understand all of these things. As does OP who posted the thing that I re-blogged from, and you can go see more behind the thinking and why this is such a big deal here.

AND

I have to be very honest I think that a lot of you who are bringing this “you’re wrong, it’s not that big of a deal“ are yet again not paying attention to Texans.

Obviously unless you list it in your profile, I have no idea where you are located… But I do know that OP and I are both Texans. And I don’t know any other way to say this, except that Texas & Florida are very specifically where white Nationalist far right crypto fascist ideologies come to life immediately. I care a whole lot more about those of us who are on the front lines of these things and those two states in particular are paying attention to then I do people whose states are going to grant them immediate back up guarantees that they’re not fucked over by this. That does not exist in my world.

I am a Texan who works for a nonprofit organization that is considered a federal contractor. I oversee and administer both private funds from those who just make donations as well as public funds from every level of government that overseas the state of Texas, meaning city, county, state, and federal. As with all things and government funding, the federal government sets the policies, and then everything trickles there from after. That part might take a long time to get impacted, but I do just wanna note it will happen if this executive order stands.

but again, Texas is special. Because our state government worships Trump, it means there’s going to be enormous pressure for us to immediately drop our adherence to the EEOC. It will sound a lot like “why would you opt into all of this government, bureaucracy and red tape when you don’t have to and your business can just move faster. “

Business leaders who are even moderate will get compelled by this nonsense. Of course, when it comes to my decisions as a leader and my organization, We won’t, but that’s the landscape we’re in… There are numerous powerful entities who have a Texas based vested interest in ensuring that the EEOC does not exist any longer. Because they are no longer going to be held responsible by upholding it at the national level, it will be immediately overturned within more private and local businesses at the Texas state level, then you could possibly even begin to imagine. even though my world, my sector, my peers. and my organization is very far left for the state of Texas, I will be in Rooms where bosses, business owners, and employers of all kinds With power over me as funders will be laughing hardly about how they get to save all kinds of money and hire whoever they want. I’m telling you this will happen…

The chilling effect won’t take years in Texas . It will be immediate because these are his friends that are waiting for this to go through. My governor, Greg Abbott, is one of the Trump administration‘s most violent, active, vocal, unapologetic, and sycophants style worshipers Trump has.

Don’t get me started on how our states’ medical infrastructures have been decimated by our lack of participation in the affordable care act/marketplace. Do you live in a state where you get nine times more Medicare funding for poor citizens from the feds because they’re not an adversary to the federal government when Democrats have been in charge? I don’t! The negative impact on Texan’s health has been truly incalculable .

How about also in 2021 when abortion became illegal through the SCOTUS shadow docket in the state of Texas, people exactly like me right now a.k.a. no really me were screaming from the rooftops that Roe was gonna get overturned at the national level.

We were fully ignored… And that’s just speaking to the most recent example of how this goes.

The old saying has goes Texas so it goes the country is very true. The threats to the EEOC might feel really far away to somebody who lives in a blue state or somebody who has an employer who will just inherently follow it, but there’s about to be a lot of very immediate very disgusting and very troubling fall out from this executive order and to diminish it, in my opinion, it’s just as insulting to me as a Texan as it probably feels insulting to you as someone who thinks that I’m being alarmist.

i’m not mad and I don’t mean to be rude, I just really feel like these kinds of concerns are always diminished and I don’t think this is a time for diminishment.

[magpiemagica]

Disability in the US: A Masterpost

DISABLED AMERICANS CAN’T EVER CATCH A F*CKING BREAK?!

Sorry for yelling; just very scared and upset at the state of my nation right now. And the fact that the only people I see standing up for the disabled community right now is teachers, doctors, and adults of disabled children! I will be using this post to document and educate on disabled issues.

Note from March 25, 2025: Some stuff near the top might be out of date, specifically regarding the state of The Department of Education. I will however still keep those (pre-closure) links up as they are still relevant. Just be aware of the timeline while reading; I started dating my updates around Early March.

(Note: In this post, I will be going over a bunch of stuff concerning the disabled community. I am an adult diagnosed with autism (and some other stuff) who although being Lv1, needs support. These issues will obviously affect more than just Americans with developmental disabilities (autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, etc.) and I will try to be as inclusive as I can to ALL disabilities in this post. This is just the personal experience I am bringing in.)

RFK JR. (he is a whole pile of worms, no pun intended)

17 states are in a lawsuit to eliminate section 504 of of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, this would allow public schools to discriminate education against disabled students. This includes removable of disability accommodations. 504 applies to other government assisted services as well such as hospitals and doctor's offices. This possible removable is a big civil rights issue.

Below are Section 504 itself and the lawsuit.

Speaking of disability and education, the dismantlement of the Department of Education. Just like stated in GOP plan Project 2025, Donald Trump plans to eliminate the Department of Education. This is a horrible idea for so many reasons but especially for disabled students and their parents. The DOE funds special education or "SPED" programs in schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, (in 2022-23) 7.5 million students in America receive special education or related services.

Obviously, the pulling back and demonization of DEI will be a big negative for the disabled community, one that already struggles with finding employment, belonging, and support. But most people are already aware of it.

Problem Presidential Actions/Executive Orders. There are many; some linked below. These are specifically ones that impact disabled Americans; lots of ones not mentioned are just as if not more concerning for other reasons.

KEEPING EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE AND ENDING COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATES IN SCHOOLS: will endanger communal health, especially that of the immunocompromised

AMERICAN HEART MONTH, 2025: Magpie, wanting to raise awareness for heart disease is obviously a good thing! Why put this in here? "And we will fulfill our pledge to investigate what has caused the decades-long increase in health problems and childhood diseases — including obesity, autoimmune disorders, infertility, and autism." Yes and, my main concern is their inclusion of "autism". Ignoring the fact that they referred to it as a heath problem or childhood disease, I am autistic adult who has lived on this earth for around 20 years now. For me, this screams Autism Speaks. Autism is a genetic disorder and there have been many studies about its potential causes. This administration has rejected and censored the medical world; this will only result in misinformation being spread.

Update: April 6, 2025: more autism stuff.

WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This one should be self explanatory.

There is more.

There's more concerns I have but I'm tired :/. So tired. Just wanted to raise awareness. I'll post something fun next.

UPDATE: MARCH 11, 2025

Soo...it gets worse, like it always seems to do nowadays.

CDC is planning on doing a nation wide study, studying "the link" between autism and vaccines. The link that seems from the debunked and medically controversial 1998 Wakefield study. Anyone who has a valid medical degree, did basic research on the topic, or is educated on autism can tell you that you cannot "get" autism from vaccines. It is important to note that developmental, neurological, and mental delays due to things like lead poisoning, injuries to the brain, and medical issues like diseases or strokes. However, this is not the case for autism. Autism is a condition you are born with, similar to other developmental disabilities. It seems to be only really questioned because unlike other disorders like down syndrome and fragile X syndrome, autism does not display any physical deformities or traits. You cannot tell if a baby is autistic at birth, only later on as it goes through stages of development. Autism is a genetic disorder with some suspected environmental risks.

So, why is the CDC spending this amount of energy on a theory from a disgraced man who got his medical license revoked and has been fact checked by the medical community multiple times? Short answer, money. I talked on this weeks ago in the American Heart Month section. This is plan to transfer money away from important services and spend it on something meaningless. I don't want to call it embezzlement but that is what it is currently looking like to me :/.

I would be incredibly upset if this happened anytime but now?? The worst time. Antivaxx has been gaining more and more popularity over the years and I have seen a sharp increase of medical misinformation since the confirmation of RJK Jr. The United States government themselves pursuing this theory only validates medical denialism. And with the very real threat of a nationwide Measles outbreak; people need to be vaccinated against MMR more than ever. No more kids need to die because their parents didn't give them the proper vaccines.

Oh and also big Medicaid cuts.

Ugh. Signing out for now <3

UPDATE (March 31st)

UPDATE: MARCH 21, 2025

So, it’s happened. The Department of Education I mean. Not surprised, I’m one of the few who sat down and read Project 2025 (Section 11 linked). But God.. it doesn’t feel real. I’m scared, especially for disabled kids, especially in poorer areas. These families. I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know what to do. God bless the teachers of America.

UPDATE: MARCH 25, 2025

Back to bullshit. Sorry if that's too harsh; I'm just not really in the mood for pleasant formalities. Due to the Department of Education being destroyed (including OSERS), as mentioned above, the responsibility of Special Education will be transferred to Robert F. Kennedy in The Department of Health and Human Services. He and his department not qualified to handle SPED at all. In fact, looking back at when I originally wrote this post, he was one of the leading threats I identified in this administration relating to disability justice.

UPDATE: MARCH 28, 2025

So, about the The Department of Health and Human Services...

Another link. And another link, more specifically about disability and these cuts (from Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund).

Sorry that there is no description on this update; hopefully I will fix that in the future. I am writing this in a hurry.

UPDATE: APRIL 17, 2025

RFK Jr. Another link. This shit is really bad. I'll add more details when I have the energy.

UPDATE: APRIL 24, 2025

Fuck.

Update (April 26): It’s been refused

Update: April 28, 2025: The Section 504 lawsuit threat seems to be dropped for the time being, at least the argument in it that 504 is unconstitutional and should be removed from 17 states. Instead they are going to just argue to remove gender dysphoria from the list of protected conditions. Here's the updated case.

[forever-a-lake-effect-kid]

[ID: A four-panel comic in the style of "self-care tips" memes. Four states are in four differently colored squares, giving advice. In top left, Illinois, a state with light brown skin and darker reddish-brown hair that's slightly past chin length and curly at the bottom, wearing a red-and-blue hat, red-and-blue striped scarf, and shirt with a Chicago flag patch on the arm, says with a confident grin "Defend sanctuary cities." In top right, Minnesota, a state with pale skin and short straight blond hair, wearing a purple shirt with the state of Minnesota on it and a blue flannel, folds their arms and glares, saying "Protect trans youth." In bottom left, Oregon, a state with light skin and short, messy brown hair, wearing a black Oregon Trail t-shirt and green beanie, raises a molotov cocktail in the air and yells "SET FIRE TO TESLA DEALERSHIPS!" with a feral grin. In bottom right, New York, a state with brown skin and short, dark brown hair, wearing a black hoodie and red beanie, grips the panel border as they lean forward and glare, saying "Sue the fuck out of the bastards. And win." End ID.]

happy start of wttt week!!! i'm so psyched for this, i've already been seeing a lot of fantastic stuff and it's really giving me a much-needed mental boost :')

as you all know there is. a lot. of terrible stuff happening out there right now. so after going back and forth between several different ideas i eventually settled on just highlighting some of the good stuff happening right now.

this is in the style of those self-care memes with advice like "murder is okay" "your feelings matter", but its... Self-Care For When Your Nation Is Descending Into Fascism. as such hopefully you can see that i am not actually advising you to set fire to tesla dealerships any more than those memes are actually saying that murder is okay. i still have my right to satire, for now. :)

sources for the news:

chicago, and the state of illinois, were sued by the trump administration for refusing to comply with ice attempts at deportation and maintaining their sanctuary city and state status. the mayor of chicago continued to defend chicago's status in a national hearing, along with 3 other city mayors, and while there were threats of a department of justice investigation, they appear to have not been carried out.

washington, oregon, and minnesota all sued the federal government to counter the order banning federal funding for gender-affirming care for people under 19 (colorado later joined). a federal judge ruled to block the removal of said federal funds. (even though most of the legal battle was in washington, i chose to draw minnesota because i was already drawing oregon and i didn't want to seem biased towards the pnw :P)

there have been multiple instances of people setting fire to or otherwise damaging tesla dealerships, but oregon had the first one, so it seemed fair to give this panel to them. :)

new york has been participating in a lot of lawsuits, as have many states. some of the things they've sued over including giving doge access to government systems (along with arizona, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, maine, maryland, minnesota, nevada, new jersey, rhode island, and vermont) (a federal judge in manhattan ruled that doge should be blocked), the national institute of health cutting research funding (led by massachusetts, and along with 21 other states) (a federal judge again ruled in the states' favor), and unfreezing federal funds (the battle over this one is still ongoing, i think, but it was led by new york and joined by 22 other states and dc). the claim to winning is maybe a little overly optimistic, but in conditions like these, i think keeping up the fight is a victory in and of itself.

okay that's all my rambling for today '^^ tomorrow will be... *checks notes* oh, it'll also be political, okay. well. what can you expect in times like these :P

[messrsrarchives]

hi robyn 🫶🏽 i hope youre ok and this is ok to ask but i just went through the pdf thank you! i had no idea hogwarts legacy was bad too but it seems obvious really so thank you for that but i had a question about the 70k thing my question is... actually all of it, what does it mean and what was the money for? i can google if you dont want to answer but i thought id try here first and say thank you as well 🫶🏽

HI HELLO !! this is always okay to ask 🫂 i'm really glad it was helpful and yeah hogwarts legacy is always a bit of a controversial one because people love the game but yes, her IP. but anyway !! politics time (p.s i'm not an expert, just a sad trans politics student)

For Women Scotland is a transphobic pressure group who, like many politicians and public figures like jkr, hide behind the guise of "protecting women" to be transphobic but do very little to actually protect women outside of going "trans people are bad" (noting here too that the LGB Alliance - anti-trans queer organisation - were in support of this, and JKR has donated to them and spoken at their conferences)

in 2018 there was a proposed amendment to the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act:

essentially, it would have changed the legal definition of a woman from "a female of any age" to also include "a person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment"

in simple normal human words - trans women who has a gender recognition certificate would be legally recognised as women.

there was actually more before this where the original amendment said that having a GRC would mean trans women are treated like "real" women, FWS fought against this and won this case, so the scottish government changed the amendment to say the above instead so that trans women were simply classified as women.

FWS obviously were still very against this and said it would "erode women's rights in law", claiming that including trans women was "unlawful" - scotland is still under england's power for certain matters and FWS said that this was a matter for westminster to decide, not scotland, because it goes against the UK equality act of 2010. (see also: Gender Recognition Act 2023, scotland proposed a bill that would give better protections for trans people, Westminster blocked it.)

a judge from scotland's supreme court set up a hearing, FWS lost this.

on feb 16th this year, FWS got permission to appeal this to the UK supreme court and started a crowdfunding campaign to cover the legal costs

shortly after this, JKR donated £70,000 to the campaign. FWS confirmed that the "JK" that donated was her, and the comment left on the donation was "You know how proud I am to know you. Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance. This is truly a historic case."

the case was heard november 26th and 27th, but supreme court cases take a LONGGGG time and it's incredibly unlikely that we actually hear the final verdict until hmmm i wanna say as early as march of next year, but JKR donated to the crowdfunding campaign to get this case appealed, and has long-standing, close connections with organisations that are on FWS side.

but because i love yapping, let's say FWS win, what happens:

scottish government amends the act so that trans women are not a part of this

potential rewrite of the guidance around gender recognition certificates - as much as i hate to say it, jkr is infact right, this is a historic case and the ECHR are involved,,, could lead to big backlash against getting these certificates (which already has backlash in the uk)

many organisations (including Sex Matters, very transphobic) want to take this further to ensure a distinct separation between "real women" and "trans women" in alll areas all the way down to public funding

adding here! amnesty international intervened as a third-party with their own points that you can read here

also gonna note here: jkr recently spoke out about trans police officers performing searches and Sex Matters as well as FWS have said that no matter the outcome of this case, this is their next priority. not gonna yap too much about this here because it's a different thing but jkr has close ties to this whole thing and is very clearly on the side of many transphobic organisations.

sorry omg this is so long but that's, shockingly, a short overview of the case and what the £70,000 donation from JKR was spent on. there's a handful of lesbian organisation involved on the FWS side, a lot of third-partty interventions and i was going to add some articles from people who were at the hearing but i can only find incredibly transphobic ones that call this "the darkest day for women since the first world war" and i would love to know if they have a hobby in their free time. maybe knitting. perhaps reading a history book. or like,,, current news regarding women's rights worldwide,,, america. poland. afghanistan. congo. palestine. sudan. the list goes on really. violence against women has been declared a national emergency in the uk and i'm no expert but i think it's safe to say that this hearing that affects the 0.01% of the UK population that actually have GRC certificates is not the darkest day for women since the first world war.

and jkr should really get a hobby. maybe attend a writing class.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

All Your Fault

Next

Author's note: I got the Bully Cato Sicarius Fleas. I've read the fics and they are good. I hope I got his character right.

Warnings: Bullying behavior, verbal bullying, Power Imbalance, Cato's Sparkling Personality. uh let me know if I need to add more.

Summary: You are just a Serf, and one day gain the attention of the Captain of the Second Company of Ultramarines. It's not a good thing. Just what did you do to upset him so?

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @i-am-a-dragon34, @egrets-not-regrets, @gra93fruit-blog

You were born and raised near your family's farm on Calth. You had grown up hearing about the Glory and Wonder of the Imperium and how very Lucky you and the other citizens of Ultramar are to have the protection of the Mighty and Noble Ultramarines. 

You had heard stories of how some of the stronger boys in your farming community were blessed with the chance to become Ultramarines. But that had been a few generations ago when the farming community had a poor harvest and they had to give people as part of the tithe more than finished and raw farming goods. 

You bite your lower lip a little as you continue to pull weeds and tend to the section of the fields You had assigned to you to work on. There has been a bad drought that has made the usually high yield farm rather lacking. You have heard your parents and the local town leaders talking about it. 

With the Tithe Coming within a few short weeks, and a lack of agricultural goods. They had been arguing over who to send as tribute and part of the tithe. As a farming community it was heavily encouraged to have multiple children for a variety of reasons. 

The families with more children got tax breaks and help from the centralized government for Healthcare, child rearing and daycare. As well as cheap, decent quality education and help with feeding and funding Children born and continued growing. You were one of seven children and are among the middle of the pack. 

You are full grown, but due to circumstances still stuck at the family farm, working on it rather than having your own place to live. While volunteers are preferred a lottery was going to be set in place for the whole community to gather and those of a certain age range were going to be the most targeted for the Tithe-ing. 

You are in that age range, you aren't sure if you want to be one of those chosen to go. Whether it is into the Astra Militarum, Chapter Serf, or into a different part of governmental service. If it happens, you will do your duty and say your goodbyes to your loved ones. 

The sinking sensation that you felt proved true five weeks later when your name was called as part of the Tithe to the Imperium. You were just barely able to say goodbye to your siblings. Before you were whisked off to be assessed and put into quarantine with your fellow Calth-ites. After quarantine and skills tested, you were given the uniform of Serf. 

And to your greatest joy and honor. The colors of the Ultramarines, denoting which holy chapter you had been chosen for. You whisper in gratitude to the God Emperor for his mercy and wisdom. You swiftly change into the uniform And follow after those who were chosen and head to the proper disembarkation point. 

One of the higher ranking serfs explaining the rules and consequences for breaking them. As you walk by, you and the rest of the Serfs have to flatten yourselves against the walls when Astartes in Blue and Gold Armor go walking by, you keep your head lowered out of respect, even as you peek at them from the corner of your eye as awe and dread grips your heart. You had only ever heard of the Angels of the Imperium before. And now… you get to serve them, what an honor.

Even if it makes you anxious, one of the Ultramarines brushes past you, he has a stern expression on his stunningly handsome face. You swear you feel his eyes flicker over and stare at you ever so briefly before snapping back in front of him towards where some of his fellow Angels are. 

Once they leave the hallway you and your fellow new Serfs are hurried along to their destination as the Serfs who’ve been there longer and are in charge continue to go over the rules, regulations and consequences of disobedience.

Over the next several months you learn of the complex social and political hierarchy of the Serfs. Or at least, you do your best to do so as it seems a tricky, complicated and almost arcane nature. Far more complex that a simple farm hand turned chapter serf could comprehend at times. Although you did your best to do your duties swiftly, promptly, quietly, and with as little impact on your higher ups as possible.

You are carrying some clothing from one part of the ship to another when you sense movement out of the corner of your eye. You stop and shift out of the way when you spot blue and gold ceramite armor and an Ultramarine Space Marine comes walking over. You dutifully flatten yourself against the nearest wall to give the massive man more room.

The Ultramarine pauses and stares down at you. It was the same one that had briefly looked at you all those months ago when you’d first come aboard the ship as part of a tithe.

“Serf,” He barks at you.

“Yes, Lord?” You say trying not to jump. 

He scowls at you and your heart sinks and you feel like you want to cry. “What the fuck is that accent?”

“I-I am sorry my lord?” You try as you carefully try to enunciate Low Gothic properly. 

One of his eyes twitch and he scowls down at you, “Speak properly or stay silent. Serf.”

You nod, even though you feel hurt, welling up, and confusion. He was the one to start to speak to you. “Yes, Lord.”

“Hrm. Barely better,” Cato sneers down at the country bumpkin now blessed to become a Serf of the Ultramarines.

They have the same fucking accent that, Prissy bastard Captain Ventris gets when he’s talking with his uppity giant bastard of a Sargent Passinius. He’d had yet another disagreement with the Captain of the Fourth Company over tactics and Calgar had barked out orders that the pair of them needed to break it up and cool off before coming back to the meeting.

He had meant to go to the training salles to cool off as he seethed in his wrath when he spotted that one far too pretty looking Serf that had come aboard McCragge’s Honor a few months ago. Not that he had noticed them at all. Or that he’d been, for some reason, tracking them from time to time. Not that he’d sought them out while he was in a temper because of Throne-cursed Ventris.

Their large eyes staring up at him, with tears starting to gather at the corners of their eyes. Tch. Pathetic. Even as something else shifts in his hearts at seeing their emotional reaction to him. He’d hardly said much and they were already acting like he was being a Bastard. So he scowls down at them some more and snarls that they need to be tougher to survive as a Serf serving Astartes.

"Leave," He barks and you bow and scurry off and away from him as you continue to do your duties, trying to figure out what it was that you did to upset the Second Captain of the Ultramarines.

[humaninpogresss77]

Some thoughts about The Loyal Pin Ep. 09.

First of all I want to apologize for making long posts. I don't have anything more to give to the fandom than my words.

I am never gonna stop praising the quality of the production of this show. Everything and everyone looks so pretty.

There's another long post about this that I probably gonna make later; but I really wish to not be as naive as I am to enjoy this show without having to share it with people that are complaining about the CPR scene, not because this could bring problems with Aon but for what some comments said "I can't believe Becky kissed another woman in front of Freen". I was really hoping we moved out of that.

I feel bad for this but I am really liking the fact that we are seeing how hopeless are Anin and Pin around the Kuea situation. Is a sad true a lot of people have to learn. Pin has some status and Anin is literately a princess and they don't have a say about it. He wants Pin and sadly he is gonna get what he wants. Is the kind of world women used to live(some of them still do) and I think a lot of people that have more rights to have a choice had forgotten what we came from. I mean, see how beautiful the scene with the ring was but this is gonna be the start of the hell is gonna come from them.

I really, REALLY love how we get both the erotic scenes of last episodes but still have moments to show how lovely they are as a couple now. Is not just the moments of sex but is just a build up relationship.

In that tone, seeing both grow up and speak was great. Yes Pin was jealous about the CPR but what was great about this was the conversation that came out of it. In the kinda toxic possessive parts of them there was a great healthy conversation.

I was really hoping that the brothers weren't gonna became a nuance over this. It seems that the older brother is just shook and thinking what to do. I am having false hopes that he at the end helps when everything goes to hell.

It was so funny to me to see but Ueng is kinda the less problematic in this mess and she is literally in love with her cousin. Until the scene with the food she was just having a great time and enjoying herself. I am kinda hoping she an Aon get together in that way Aon stops being a problem for us.

The parallels between the obsession Aon and Kuea had for Anin and Pin and the love that both Pin and Anin have for each other hasn't been ignore by me. I love how we are having these type of things and we can compare those.

We are really reaching Episode 10 of a 16 episode show with zero major drama. I feel like I am spoiled. Even if the elements of what is gonna be a hell of drama are right THERE I have the opportunity to enjoy these 9.

In another note, for the last episode; I was wishing to be the fly that was in the office where the minister of commerce and the team of the Loyal Pin had a meeting for deciding to funding the show.

I can't imagine how that conversation went.

Government dude: "wait, the princess is gonna be tied up? is she ok? are you gonna included a scene where she gets kidnapped?"

IDOL FACTORY TEAM:"ehh...actually...LOOK! we include the scene in how we traditionally washed our clothes".

Anyway. Another banger of an episode. Looking forward for next sunday.