#people who make free tools are saints

[reidfaulkner]

R E M E M B E R O U R P R O M I S E

Less effect and no effect version

[voidsentprinces]

Reminder: A Realm Reborn wasn't particularly about us. It was about the Eorzean Factions, it was about the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and their interactions with and thwarting Gaius and the XIVth Legion. We were just a useful champion slowly growing to fame but not truly a Warrior of Light until literally the prelude to the Castrum raiding mission.

The Parting of Glass wasn't about us either. It was, once again, about the world. And how it had begun changing after Gaius's fall and the brief period of peace away from Garlemald's Shadow. About Alphinaud beginning his arc of growth with hubris and the creation the Crystal Braves and what it might of looked like IF the Scion's good nature was lent to anyone and everyone. And thus opening itself up to the very corruption Minfilia feared to move away from the Waking Sands and to the Rising Stones in the first place.

Heavensward isn't about us. It is about Alphinaud's continue growth, learning of Ishgard's past and history. Hubris, arrogance and narrow viewing lead Alphinaud to steps of the Foundation, it has lead Estinien astray and made Ysayle believe she is a messiah incarnate. And through the journey, each of them grow as they learn the terrible truth about the Dragonsong War. Estinien in particular has his eyes opened and no longer simply seeks revenge on Nidhogg but to get to the bottom of it all. So no other shepherd's son has to live as he has. Ysayle learns she is a shade and a faux Shiva not truly Hraesvelgr's beloved or even in the same category as her. She learns swallow such delusions and embrace what Saint Shiva stood for in its entirety. Which means leaning to lay the road for peace between Ishgard and the Dragons and opening a path to this by sacrificing herself for those she loved so dearly. Alphinaud learns from all of this and more and is humbled by the duty of a knight, the fervor of a dragoon, the sacrifice of a saint, and the courage of his companions and of Sharlayan's arrogance from Master Matoya. To put others before himself and allow others to support him when he falls.

The Far Edge of Fate isn't about us. It was about how Ishgard carries on after Thordan and the Heavens Ward are shown to be the monsters they are. How the remnants of the church, the knights of Ishgard, and the civilian population react to the realization with rejection. How facing off against Nidhogg possessing Estinien, the Warriors of Darkness, and the machinations of Ilberd force Eorzea and Ishgard to look inward and know truly where they should go from there. To ignore the easier road and take the higher path no matter the strife and hardship it provides them. Because when they reach the otherside they would be better for it. Finding that courage, after five years of procrastinating and hemming and hawing, the Eorzean Alliance finally begin to mobilize to free Ala Mhigo from Garlemald and perhaps take on the Empire itself.

Stormblood isn't about us. It is about Doma and Ala Mhigo fighting for the survival of their people and cultures. Facing the parts of their society that were spurned and used as tools of hatred against their principles. That provided the necessary cracks required for Garlemald to break them down and oppress them in the first place. And how reforging under those values and those long histories of violence can make a new path and come to terms to over throw the tyrants who fed on their weakened states and make a strong unity still.

A Requiem of Heroes wasn't about us, it was about the world facing down the barrel of war with Garlemald. And uncovering its origins, its founding father was an Ascian. How Varis is forced to face down the lie as Elidibus wears the skin of his son and the great grandfather he and other Garleans were taught was a walking god in all but name was a sham and a daemon bent on causing more pain and suffering than mankind ever deserved. How the effigies of hate and pain choose to use their fervor to help their people instead of turning against them once more. How every person can change and be given a second chance. How that second chance is what that person requires or if they are pushed the wrong direction, can caused tragedy to unfold. And lastly, it is about our companions, slowly. One by one. Being dragged to the unknown. The story slowly taking away the players on the stage until finally...

Shadowbringers was about us. It was about how we were instrumental to the world so much that it lost nearly all hope in another timeline. How a group of your fondest friends began and how your comrade's furthest decendents acting on the hope of your legend and stories. To provide a plan of action and lead to happier world. How even when everything seems lost and gone and your purpose seems to turned everything around you into twisted monstrosities. That you can bring the night and wait in comfort for a dawn to bring better days. And the tenacity of your aid providing a world on the brink, the love, the compassion, the understanding, the strength, and the will to stand up to a flood of destruction and spit fate in the eye. Even it costs them everything, they keep fighting until they can see a brighter tomorrow.

Death unto Dawn was about what the tomorrow brings. How it could be another fight but to find what is WORTH fighting for. The memories of those you fight and lived amongst, old studies and things of the past being made to provide the answer to the future, making right wrongs even against those you had wronged unfairly, and to gather together and keep each other safe. You are not alone out here. There are those who will help you along to a brighter future.

Endwalker was about you and yours. About how everyone reacts to an uncertain future in different manners. How some would make ready to flee at the approaching storm, while others would fight, and others might even push you further to the edge. But even when all is lost, call upon the memory of happier times to light the way with hearts aligned shining brilliantly against despair and finding your place amongst those memories.

Growing Light was about us teaching another to hear, feel, and think and experience the world seemingly gone. That everything needn't be give or take. It can be a charitable, warmer place if we make it. It can be kinder and even in the face of unrelenting and undying destruction. Hope will spit out a tooth and stand up once more.

I say all of this because, I've seen people mad that Dawntrail is leaning hard about being about Wuk Lamat and others. To which I say so what if Dawntrail is about Wuk Lamat and Koana? So what if its not about us? We've had four story lines about us. Now we must impart what we've learned to the future as they face similar and sometimes overwhelming odds. To stand tall against the onslaught and make their own choices, their own way to bring a smile to all they hold dear. How family needn't be blood related, they can just be a group who sit down at the table at the end of the day. And speak, laugh, cry, and love. Unto this trail to dawn we shall light way for the future of our world and everything this new dawn brings is worth it.

[mathlann]

🩷🖤🩶 for blorbo of your choice? 👀

From this ask game. I'll actually be nice and answer for Heinrix on this one. Prepare for a long one on the first answer, lol.

🩷 Why are they your favorite?

Heinrix is unironically one of my favorite companions in Rogue Trader. Because he's terrible. But he doesn't want to be. But he's also too much of a dogmatic Company Man to really understand how awful he is/can be. He's a walking HR violation anytime a Xenos is within three star systems. He's the loneliest motherfucker on this ship. I will divorce this clown in every lifetime, that is how much I love him.

First of all, his internalized everything makes him just, so crunchy. Like, he came from some of the highest nobility in the Imperium (Tech Edition) to rock bottom, to two shakes from regaining his "place" per se (Space CIA Edition). And some part of him knows that Calcazar is the only person keeping him between here, as a "somebody" and the abyss of being just another tool-psyker. And the way his journey to discovering the Truth is also the process of systemically dismantling his own sense of importance as part of Calcazar's inner circle.... Like yeah, he was the potential successor, didn't make him less of a disposable pawn as the rest of them! So what was it all for?

And I think too how his hidden Iconoclast core shakes out is also really interesting because "Iconoclast" doesn't 1:1 mean "good person". Like he can and does show leniency in his Dogmatism with people of similar rank/protection as him (the RT, Jae) or people he can personally sympathize with (Idira, even tho it's insulting). And his romance is genuinely sweet, if bumpy. But at the same time he has a lot of anger in his heart and that gets expressed in ways that show some incredibly unnecessary cruelty to people he thinks are lesser (Vhaebos Prisoners, Yrliet, that one random guard). And he does not acknowledge that!!! Because he's a Space Racism Cop doing his job, which gives him a "get out of examining my issues free" card and Throne take him, he's gonna use it.

And on that latter bit, the other thing I really really love about Heinrix is how much a demonstrates how much the Inquisition really doesn't work as an institution? He's an acolyte of the Ordo Xenos, and his Xenos Lore is shit, which you'd think wouldn't be the case but, look at how he interacts with nominally friendly xenos like Yrliet. You go to Commorragh and he's like "idk...we gotta maybe use their politics against them" and then kicks up a holy fuss when you do that. He approves of busting Tervantias in that gate and later feeding Marazhai (your ally) to the daemon. Like okay, the Xenos are vanquished, Heinrix is the best boy. Don't worry about the multiple 5 star meals Slaanesh is eating because of it...that's not his department anyways. (Ordo Malleus Hates Him!)

He's just a special boy to me lol.

🖤 If they weren't from their source, what fandom universe do you think they would make the most sense in?

Heinrix could very much be A Guy in Dragon age. And I don't mean in the "he's like Cullen!" way, because he's not, at all, but in the sense that he would very much be a loyalist circle mage who's very invested in the Institution of the Chantry while still being tempted to break a few rules here or there (just him tho) y'know?

🩶 Alternatively, what fandom universe would they just perish in?

Saint's Row (or GTA, but I don't play those games). He's a cop at heart, the stress would wear him down even if he won't snitch immediately.

[futurebird]

Abortion alone is not full reproductive freedom.

Abortion itself is not reproductive freedom, abortion is one of many technologies that can help make reproductive freedom a reality. Technologies that facilitate reproductive freedom include contraception and treatments that increase fertility. If we mistake abortions alone for "freedom" we could incorrectly conclude that black people, who have more abortions per capita than white people, must be more "free" when it comes to control of our wombs.

The reality is, in fact, the reverse of this.

This essay is, in part a response to discussions about Margaret Sanger and her connections to racism and eugenics. This has been used as a talking point by anti-abortion groups and some people have suggested that the only correct response is to burry the discussion since an accurate and open discussion might confuse black people and lead us to distrust the modern incarnation of Planned Parenthood. This is a condescending and infantilizing perspective. The history is, as history tends to be, complex and Sanger emerges as neither saint nor villain. Black people participate in and interact with organizations with terrible racist histories every day. Planned parenthood will not be harmed by this unsurprising history.

But, even if she is not connected to the eugenics movement other people were, it was a real thing and the history of eugenics has always been tied to the history of abortion access for poor and minority women, and this connection isn't even totally dead.

So, what we really need to talk about are the reasons why so many black people have deeply ambivalent feelings about the "success" (as it is sometimes called) of falling birth rates among black women in the US. This very sudden and drastic decline in black babies being born has happened mostly through increased rates of abortion among black women to the point that black women make of 30% of all women who get abortions every year despite being 12% of the overall population. True success would look more like falling birth rates and falling abortion rates. Abortion is an important tool, but it is not without costs.

Part of this is because many pro-life groups have until very recently ignored black women in their quest to "save" the unborn from abortion. I remember a few years back there were some ads on the train from a pro-life group (one of the more sinister ones that pose as family planning clinics that try to convert women who know they want an abortion in to their way of seeing things) these adds advertised "free help for pregnant women" and pictures of sullen-looking white teen girls. Often, it'd say something like "I just didn't know what to do but ____ clinic helped!" A quick phone call on my part confirmed that they did not do abortions, rather they would do an ultra-sound then show the young mother her "baby" -- show manipulative films and generally make women feel like abortion was very wrong and very bad. They didn't provide any real pre-natal care either not so much as a packet of folic acid tablets. (what a scam)

The thing is these ads that only showed white women were in a city where only 35% of the population is white, and moreover, the young people in the worst economic circumstances are almost universally black and Latino. (the ones who'd nee "help") So, most organizations from churches to free clinics feature very diverse advertisements in this city.

But, no, not these pro-life people.

Now, I don't think that they were sitting there rubbing their hands in a dark room saying "muahahaha we'll only save the white babies!" In fact, I know of a few black women who were bamboozled by them. So, they take all comers. But, I do think that the images that they choose say something about their world view. And it's a reflection of broader social values not just those of pro-lifers. Like the way that missing white children get so much more attention in media than missing black and Latino kids. It is part of the cultural mirror that shows us our values. (and the flaws in those values)

What the cultural mirror shows is this endless destructive drumbeat of a simple message "you are not valuable or important. you are not worth saving." And it's not universally coming from "the right" either.

For example, health care providers can be insensitive about the way that they present options to black women. It can be quiet hard to get help if you are having fertility issues as a black women. I have experienced this indifference myself. Many doctors think the only fertility problem black woman have is having too many kids.

I first found out about this issue reading Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts. It's a really great book that brings out statistics and ethnographic studies to add missing dimensions to this issue.

The fundamental thing however is that black lives (black children) have not been valued in the same way as white children. So some of us wince when the high number of black women having abortions comes up. Too often, black children are seen as a problem. A black woman who is pregnant faces a lot of pressure to have an abortion (along with messages that she is a bad person for having and abortion it's a no win situation, very much like the slut/prude divide women of all colors face.) --This pressure comes from poverty, it comes from media, it comes from health care providers. And a single black mother will encounter outright disdain. What images has media linked to the phrase "single black mother" in your mind? Are any of them positive or beautiful? Most likely not. How dare she have a child! --I have had to work hard to rebuild those image in my own mind. Now I think of all of the wonderful "single black mothers" that I know and their amazing cute kids.

There is a long ugly history:

The U.S began to heavily support population control policies abroad, arguing that population control was vital in the fight against communism. Domestically, the success of the Civil Rights movement in challenging segregation caused many politicians to become increasingly fearful of African American political power. Instead of offering a political argument, they coded their concerns by claiming that Black ghettos would continue to grow, and that a growing welfare class predominately concentrated in inner cities would cause crime rates to skyrocket.

As a result, conservative support for federally-supported family planning grew. Former president Richard Nixon said in 1970, “It is my view that no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition.” He established the Office of Economic Opportunity to fund family planning programs, particularly in Latino and African American communities, arguing that such programs would reduce health and welfare costs.

The establishment of family planning programs in mainly Black and Latino urban areas in the South caused a division between white conservatives. On one hand, some whites wanted programs that implemented eugenical ideas about reducing the populations of people of color. On the other hand, a strong portion of the conservative white American population was threatened by the idea of all women controlling their fertility. They were especially concerned that white women would have access to family planning intended for women of color. In clinics throughout the South, white women were actively discouraged from using these services, such as in Louisiana and Arkansas. This split among conservatives over family planning was not healed until after Nixon, when Ronald Reagan helped launched the “Moral Majority” to put conservatives back in power in 1980.

(source A Short History of African American Women and Abortion, Muna Abdullahi)

At the same, time too many black women do not feel empowered enough to insist on contraception with their partners. And access to health care makes contraception such as the pill harder to get as well. This goes right back to a total failure to teach black girls that they are beautiful, special unique and valuable. That their bodies matter. It is very hard for parents to fight the tide of negative images and messages girls encounter.

So, rather than trying to cover up our countries history of eugenics and its decedent modern racism we really need to talk openly about what real reproductive freedom would be.

Real reproductive freedom means never feeling bad about asking your partner to wear a condom. It means easy and affordable acces to birth control such as the pill. It means choosing to have an abortion of you need one. It means having a child if you want to and are ready to care for that child. It means equal access to fertility treatment, and doctors not questioning your desire to have a child. It means no more women who think about what might have been if they had the baby or if they didn't have the baby because they subverted their will to avoid being a "single black" statistic-- or to avoid being a "sinning selfish slut."

[musingsfromalily]

Assorted Path to Nowhere - Prologue & SALVA Arc Quotes

Just a compilation of lines from the game that can be range from fluffy, soul-crushing, and chaotic. Feel free to alter lines when needed, remember to specify for multimuses!

“Come back to me.... Your battle has begun.”

“Where are you going? It’s not over between us yet... “

“Die, die! The world doesn’t need jails!”

“The elevator will take you to the hidden mezzanine. You will be safe staying there. Don’t leave until help arrives.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“....You want to fight like this?”

“...I’ve crossed the line. ___, you’re stronger than we think.”

“I’m not like those baddies. See? I didn’t cause any trouble, nor did I try to escape.”

“I’ve begged you so many times! Are you gonna let me out or not?!”

“I don’t have time to play with you. Before I count to five, open the door, or I’ll kill you!”

“Keep quiet...Or it’ll be your neck next time...”

“Don’t move.... this child hates when prey struggles.”

“Unlike those people outside, I... We are the real criminals in this place.”

“Let me out! Bastard! Let me kill him! I’ll kill him!”

“Follow your instincts. This is why you exist.”

“No! Stay away from me, no!!!”

“Please give me orders. From now on, I only follow your orders.”

“...I don’t need that name anymore.”

“The most important thing is that you’re alive.”

“This riot is just a diversion. This won’t be her real agenda.”

“Amazing. You guys are still alive. I was worried it would hurt you.”

“I will come back to you when I finish what I need to do.”

“Why didn’t you run away when you had the chance?”

“I don’t need freedom.”

“It’ll be a long time before we can meet again.”

“Who are you....?”

“The secret will be revealed one day, but not now.”

“Look at your cities. Look at what monsters human sin is breeding...”

“___, go witness the end of this revelry. Whatever happens, don’t look away.”

“From now on, you will likely face more insanity, malice, and catastrophes. But it is our duty to hold onto the light in the darkness, and to salvage hope from despair.”

“We have no other choice but him.”

“Why isn’t the Public Security Bureau stepping in?”

“I’ll try to keep you alive for a bit longer.”

“We need to be CIVILIZED and POLITE without our words to maintain our image of our Syndicate.”

“You find saints in churches and drunks in hostels.”

“We walk with the ten devils.”

“But I’m just putting it out there--I hate gangsters. This jerk is definitely just using us. Don’t trust him too much, dumbass.”

“I surrender! Lord, surrender! Lord ___, stop!”

“I have no choice in Syndicate. I need to know how to fake it to survive!”

“Yuck! You’re Minos’s trash!”

“Huh? No, no, no! I’m just a useless loser. I can’t be of much help.”

“At least don’t put me in the front row in a fight!”

"Get your men to treat them with respect.”

“But why should you consider their feelings? They are just your tools, and you are their master.”

“Do you know how much I respect you?”

“If you don’t discipline your dog, we will!”

“Want to take revenge?”

“I take our cooperation very seriously.”

“A fight like this is more direct than a verbal argument. I can see you already know how to socialize with the Syndicans.”

“I don’t actually believe him. It’s just back-scratching.”

“That’s fine. If he betrays us, we’ll be able to deal with him.”

“If this makes you a monster, then what about me who binds you with the ‘shackles’ ?”

“Before dumping you, I’ll help you one more time. You should cherish this opportunity.”

“Don’t waste your time, I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“I’m sorry I was so slow.”

“Forget it... I already knew you were a freak.”

“Those guys weren’t friends, we just used each other for what we needed.”

“...What are YOU mad about? It doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“....So much sweat. You must be very anxious. You’re safe now.”

”They will try to kill you any way they can.”

“Mania distorts humans, while doctors restore their sanity. This is my duty.”

“You can investigate her or arrest her. I owe you one, but it will have to be after she wakes up.”

“Until today, no one knows exactly where Mania comes from. It has been spreading in Syndicate since many years ago.”

“....All I want is for Mania to disappear.”

“It was just a nightmare! It’s not real! Wake up! I’m here holding your hand right now, waiting for you to come back!”

“Mania isn’t power and mutation. It’s an irreversible mental breakdown.”

“She doesn’t want to turn into a monster.”

“I’ve made my own judgment.”

“You need to hold on. Stop going down the wrong track. Stop being used by that man.”

“I don’t want well-meaning lies! I don’t need it....Please tell me the truth.”

“Stop playing tricks! Your life is mine, dead or alive. You must obey my orders! Kill them!”

“Then, tell me ___.... Can I still be saved?”

“I’ll save you.”

“I am the one who binds you. I won’t make you do evil again or let you become a monster.”

“As long as someone is reaching for hope, then you have hope too.”

“You still have somewhere you want to go back to, right?”

“....Is it not too late? Can... I still turn back now...?”

“Let all Sinners go to hell!”

“....I don’t want to fight you here.”

“I’ll let you all die here with these monsters. You deserve it. You’re monsters too!”

“...How did you get here? How are you still alive?”

“You’re a doctor, have you ever killed anyone? Stop pretending. Do you actually dare?”

“... Doctors don’t kill. I only heal.”

“Don’t make such a terrible face, ___. It’s all over.”

“Then give him to me. Don’t dirty your hands over him.”

“It’s time to go, ___. You can’t handle the people who are coming.”

“You’ve already done more than enough. Nothing that happened in Syndicate was your fault. You don’t belong here in the first place.”

“Don’t sink any deeper. Don’t become one of them. Don’t be like me.... you should be the one who keeps clean.”

“Go now. I’ll buy you some time.”

“Ugh....it’s a misunderstanding. I’m just passing by. I’m just too sleepy that I dozed off.”

[mask131]

In this Mothers' Day, I think we shall have a thought for the woman who is making sure so many Ukrainian mothers will never see their children again. I am talking about the one whom people are calling Russia's "Bloody Mary", Maria Lvova Belova.

I wanted to include a picture of her in this post but I will not, because she does not deserve this. But you will find a lot of photographs and videos of her online, since she is one of the main tools of Russia's current propaganda. She is the one in charge of the rights and safety of children in Putin's government - meaning, of course, that she is carefully breaking each and every children-related law recognized on an international level.

Bloody Mary presents herself as the "savior of children" in the light of the war Russia is waging against Ukraine (sorry, the "special operation", as Putin insisted). Almost every day she is filmed or photographed hugging children in hospitals, bringing them toys and gifts, "rescuing" kids from the devastation of war... She herself has five children she birthed - plus five additional children she adopted - plus she has under her personal care thirteen handicapped kids. The bravest and busiest mother you can imagine, right? Especially since Putin does point out how "fragile" this saint of a woman is...

Here's the fun fact: among her five adopted children, one is Ukrainian. Because, as a faithful ally of Putin, you can be certain that she will make sure to track and hunt down every Ukrainian orphan she can find, to then "gift" them a "new family" and "good parents" "far away from the conflicts and the terror"... Aka, a deeply Russian family, faithful to Putin, somewhere in the depths of Russia, as far away from Ukraine as possible.

And if it was JUST a business of snatching orphans, but no! Here's where we find back the usual grand madness of modern Russia... Bloody Maria has been responsible for the systematic kidnapping of Ukrainian children that STILL HAVE THEIR PARENTS. It has been attested and the Ukrainians are openly denouncing this, but currently not much can be done... Here's how it goes: every time an Ukrainian region or city is invaded and "conquered" by the Russian troops, the Russian authorities or Russian-allies at place will try to be nice to the population to show they're not the "bad guys", as usual. One of these "seduction operations" consists in offering free summer camp trips or educational trips to Russia, so that the kids can see the greatness of the country and make new friends there and be accustomed to their new masters... Most parents kind-of HAVE to agree to these vacations in Russia, because A) The Russian authorities kind-of pressure them and *cough cough* encourage *cough cough* them a LOT and B) It is indeed the safest way for them to get their children away from the bombs and the fights, at least for a time...

Except that, when the given amount of weeks or the selected amount of months at their "vacation camp" is up... The parents receive a call from Russia about how, due to X or X reason, they can't make it back home just right now - their return is moved to one week, or two. And then once this new time is passed, another call "Yeah, turns out there's still some problem, we'll have to keep them a few more weeks". And then... Well at one point the calls stop. Because Russia never had any intention of giving back these children to their parents. And that's when the mothers and the fathers realize that they gave away their children to the invader, and if they don't do anything they might never see them again...

There are stories of children taken away to these vacations camps (in truth re-education centers), who managed to escape and go back home - usually teenagers, because they have more means and determination, and I invite you to go seek their testimonies and go listen to their stories. But they are rare...

How many of those "orphans" miss Belova sold to Russian families weren't even orphans in the first place? Who knows! And yes, I am saying "sold" because if you didn't know, to "encourage" Russians to "help" Ukrainians, Russian families are PAID to adopt Ukrainian kids. They will proudly go tell you about this on TV. Sometimes the cases are sadly hilarious, like this mother who had already six children and agreed to adopt one or two Ukrainian kids... and they sent her FIVE kids, and you see she laughs about it on TV while also clearly saying she was NOT expecting that and she wonders how she will manage this...

And when the government of Ukraine says thousands and thousands of children are currently missing due to being kidnapped by Russia and asks Russia to give them back, do you know what Maria Belova DARES answer them? This is literaly one of her quotes "But the children do NOT want to go back home! They love Russia now, they don't want to live anywhere else!" In fact, you know how I said most of the kids that escaped their "vacation prisons" were teenagers? Bloody Mary recently said she wanted to create special centers for teenagers in Russia to give them "special care" due to them needing much more "attention" than other children... No shit. She even described her project in terms that clearly betray a brainwashing intention "We will create for them a program of social and psychological rehabilitation. They will be given a special education to fit in Russian schools, they will be taken care of by psychiatrists, they will have orientation to find what their new job might be in their new life."

Amnesty International literaly described this mass-kidnapping as a "war crime" that borders on the "crime against humanity". And you know how Putin and his Maria staged their own crime in an interview? It was filmed and aired, you can find the talk online, but basically Maria points out to Putin there are "some legal details" to take care of (like you know, BREAKING INTERNATIONAL LAWS), and Putin, of course, answers that one should put the "good of the children" above mere "bureaucratic troubles". A very polite way to say "Fuck the law, we'll continue devouring Ukraine's youth to turn them into Russians." Oh yes and every time criticism by you know, international organizations, are brought up, Putin shoots them down as "sanctions scribbled down by petty and selfish Americans". Because again, in the Russian propaganda, everything roots down or stems from the USA and the "international" is just a synonym for "American"...

So yes, let us all have a thought today for the child-snatcher, the orphan-maker, the brainwasher of teenagers, Bloody Maria Lvova Belova, the ugliest caricature of a "saint mother-Mary", the vile creature who robs an entire country of their youth just to make sure Ukraine will stop existing at some point.

[sol-consort]

Oh sorry I didn't know if I came off as aggressive or negative I sincerely didn't mean to:[ with my dyslexia I have a hard time wording and I tend to avoid sending asks out of anxiety and embarrassment of not writing right.. again I'm sorry I came across as weird I really didn't mean to :[

But to explain myself again I didn't know to to word it right I am curious as to why headcanon the asari as parasitic your reasoning behind it and stuff since I don't think I've heard a headcanon like that before :[ again sorry for the bother

The original headcanon post is self-explanatory. It goes into depth about the reasons behind their parasitic nature, even comparing them to a parasitic species of birds. There is really nothing more for me to say to make my reasons any clearer, I'll just be repeating the original post if I attempt to explain it again.

The parasite thing was never ment to be an insult or hate for asari—I didn't like the ask someone sent after it completely trashtalking them—I think the asari are cool and their parasitic nature is a very neat and unique survival strategy. I adore the asari, I wanted to explore their darker side because nature is brutal at its core, because I don't like the "sugar and everything nice" surface impression people have on them.

Also it's very hypocritical of people to hate the asari for these reasons yet give a free pass to the krogans' animal cruelty, Hanar taking drell children to build their army with, Turians making a military bootcamp mandatory for all of their children, etc.

Humans aren't saints either, homophobia and misogyny are human inventions that aren't present in any other alien species besides our own.

It was a character study of the less talked about aspects of the asari. Not everything in that post was headcanons. A lot of it were canon events and facts taken from the Mass Effect index.

Only the conclusion that they are parasitic is the headcanon. Not all parasites are harmful either, asari offer a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the species they exploit...sometimes. Other times, they fully take advantage of them: see Vorcha.

The "grudge" thing is just a joke, a bit I do because I'm salty about them thinking they're inherently superior when it was only thanks to the protheans uplifting that they became what they are. But that's not their fault. It's asari government propaganda. And if it would've happened to the humans instead, we would've done the exact same thing, if not more severely, because of our egos.

It also begs the question, how did they survive before meeting other aliens? Did they just accept the negative side effects that come from two asari parents? Were they always parasitic, or is it a side effect from the protheans meddling with their DNA to give them natural biotics? Is it a constant exposure to element zero that made having children with each other so risky?

They need other species to thrive, even their economy prospers on the exploiting of more poor and uneducated species, their biology alters your perspective on reality to view them as the ideal attractive mate, they trick your brain into seeing them as appealing. That's a parasite.

However, asari remain my beloveds <3 So do krogans, salarians, and other species. Because they're not real, they're tools to tell a story, intricate imaginary cultures, and worlds.

-

I read wrong into your intentions in that ask, I'm sorry, you won't believe the amount of people that come into my inbox just to argue over small details or things that I wrote which didn't align to their preference. People who legit get angry over these videogames, lacking the ability to tell fiction apart from reality, or to separate their subjective perspective from canon.

However, in the future, if you see something I've written you don't like, just scroll. It's not meant for you. I don't always want to explain my line of thinking.

And even if I do, most of the time, you won't like my answer or find it satisfactory because you came into this discussion with preset ideas and opinions. You didn't ask this because you genuinely found the idea of a parasite asari fascinating. You asked this because you found it disheartening and assumed I held a real grudge, that this was out of malice to your favourite species. It's the same as the person who took the HC post as an invitation to come talk shit about asari in my inbox, just the opposite extreme, both are weird things to do.

Wouldn't you prefer to talk to me about something you actually liked in my writing? Ask me to expand on a subject you deemed interesting and fun rather than this uncomfortable situation for both of us?

I'd prefer that, too.

[funeralprocessor]

Gah, I wish I was better at writing. Like not just my actual skill but just like actually sticking to it and editing and revising and all that shit. I've been thinking about some cool characters I want to do *something* with and unfortunately they only live in *my* head for the moment so tragically the burden falls to me. A bit more about them under the cut for those interested. It's a bit rambling so apologies

Okay, so the nucleus of this whole thing is Benthe, Reverend Mother Dolorous Benthe of the Ashmarch to her enemies; Ugly, Horse(face), or Bones to her friends. She's a kind of necromancer nun (predates tlt I swear) turned detective- turned Athame (basically a specialized handler for high risk high/ power individuals, descended from the squire-minder-killswitches of ancient demigod princes). She's a religious official in the same way that Harry DuBois is a detective: only involuntarily and under much duress, though she is extremely good at it when push comes to shove. She became a church backed Athame primarily because it comes with a lot of leeway for behavior and very little official oversight, but enjoys doing it even if she wouldn't admit it.

-Mid 50s, weathered and scarred but takes good care of herself

-Tall bordering on lanky, wiry, way more agile than people expect

-Multiple reliquary prosthetics, made of saint's bones: Both legs (left at knee, right at hip), right arm (at elbow), several fingers on left hand (pinky, ring, and middle). Thin network of scars on her face and torso where her living bones were inscribed with wards.

-Has a reputation for being solemn and intimidating, but is primarily just very awkward and has learned not to speak more than necessary. People who actually get close to her find her prickly and very particular but also extremely devoted to those she cares about (some would say possessive or needy), quick-witted (some would say flippant and rude), and quickly angered at cruelty and injustice

-Necromancer in the classical sense. Good at dealing with troubled souls, both dead and (begrudgingly) living. Got her start as a mourner, a type of exorcist who resolves the issues of ghosts/undead. She kept solving murders in the process and became known as both a nuisance and a hero to the uncared for. Eventually her vigilante justice got pressure put on her superiors and she got stapled to a desk for several years until she opted into being an Athame

-Very impressive in a fight, as in it's a spectacle. Style is sweeping and flowing staff fighting/kickboxing heavy, basically a type of ceremonial dance learned as a nun combined with the rough and tumble staff fighting her sheppard mother taught her long ago. Her weapon is a yew staff with bone and lead caps and some streaming prayer cloths. She mostly just smashed people with it, but can form blades of ghostly energy from the bone plates along it's length if she needs. She's not very good at it though. Her pranic/magical technique is very efficient but workmanlike and not good for gross/flashy effects. It's a tool, not art, and exists basically only as long as it needs to.

-Her name is in fact Horsefaced Benthe, bc she comes from a culture where people are given unflattering if not outright insulting formal nicknames. Their kind of parent cultural group gives children names like "Gracious Aratyam", "Wisdom-Eyed Tsiblis", or "Evenhand Tam" as blessings/aspirations, but up north they like to keep people humble

------

So that's the old woman. Her crew are far less well defined bc Benthe's been kicking around in my head for a while. But tentatively we also have

-Rambling Ykaterinja Fossë, a blatant wish fulfillment self insert renaissance woman academic turned warlock. She bound herself to a spirit known as the Brocken she encountered while on an archeological dig in the mountains because it promised what she never knew she always wanted (to be graceful, enthralling, and free from her own doubts) and Kat makes bad decisions. She got caught by the church after she returned to the city and, high on power and ritual deliriants, drove several cafes worth of people to madness (maybe they were predisposed to madness) though she insisted she was "just talking a little harder than normal"

-Grisha Tav-Rami, who's a little harder to explain. To be a bit Reddit she's Act 1 Shadowheart by way of Faulkner Silt Verses with a side of . She grew up in an insular cult in an already very insular culture under the thumb of an imperialist power. The cult wound up in the crosshairs of the government after the governor's son picked a fight with some locals and got killed for his trouble. Grisha's older brother got picked up in the subsequent sweep and accidentally let too much slip. He informed on the cult in exchange for a promise of leniency for him and his family. There was little offered, and the cult was basically raided into oblivion after many many years. Grisha's family were broken up and she spent her adolescence in church custody, where she first met Benthe, then in her early 30s and recently chastened and forced into a clerical role. Neither really knew the other particularly well, but it was enough that when years later Grisha, now essentially a church janissary and immensely conflicted about her history, sees an opportunity to be assigned to Benthe and potentially get answers, or at least a very cathartic way to begin her career as a deserter, she jumps at the opportunity. Also like she's kind of like an orca seal sea monster person but only a little and not in a "cute" way. Think like innsmouth people if they were whales instead of fish, sorta. She's still human but Amala has a much broader definition of humanity.

-Vashti Ten-Horse-Killer. Still kind of figuring her out her whys and wheres but I've got a pretty solid grasp on the who. She's a former outlaw bandit type who went legit for love, only to have the relationship kind of fall apart and Vashti become Extremely Divorced. Her ex, who initially helped her get established, had her blacklisted (though her distaste and distress from essentially being a private cop for nobles and corporations being one of the factors in the relationship breakdown this maybe wasn't necessary) and her reputation in the criminal world was shot twice over, she did odd jobs until eventually getting into Benthe's orbit somehow. I have a *very* clear image of her but I'm not sure how to describe. She's Ashvartan, so like think kind of central-south asian sorta? I don't really know how to describe fictional ethnicities without sounding weird, you know? But she's early 30s, less short more compact, very functional strength kind of build. Very sort of swaggery and cocky when she's drunk, standoffish and stone faced when she's not. Has a lot of tattoos in varying styles she's picked up over the years, including an elaborate knotwork mandala thing on her head. She normally keeps it shaved or mostly shaved to show it off, but it also serves as sort of a litmus for how she's doing bc it grows fast and it's one of the first things she stops giving a shit about maintaining when she's in a bad way.

-Ahmbasha Lin Hailu-Ssef, who is basically the least fleshed out and much more vibes than anything concrete. She's an aristocrat of some sort, laying low to avoid people working for her family trying to kidnap her for some reason and living under a false identity. Maybe larger things are afoot and she's kind of the instigator of whatever plotline. @gwynbleidd892 I'm borrowing a bit of Aratyam here if you don't mind. She was originally just another take on that guy who was with Vashti in our campaign but Aratyam has sort of bled in.

But yeah, that's it. If you read this, thank you and if you have any thoughts I'd love to know

[daandyli0n]

thinking about. Toybox!Elizabeth. specifically in the 1983-1992 era.

@that-darn-clown

she was effectively being called crazy for trying to expose her father's crimes. people looked down on her in pity. she hated it.

it made her sick how her father tried to paint himself as a saint, like a concerned father just worried for his daughter’s mental state. like he wasn't just sitting back as everyone acted like she was some defenseless, crazy little girl.

to some degree, she uses it as an advantage.

he left for work often. Elizabeth remembered that old Foxy toy she used to play with when she was little. she remembers pulling it apart, wishing to reassemble it like a puzzle. it never quite worked out, and it laid on the floor in a heap of pieces. well...she had much more free time nowadays, especially during the summer.

(what else can you do when you're stuck in a house with a man who doesn't give you much to do in the realm of entertainment? when the only times you leave the house anymore are for school and when he takes you places, watching you like a hawk and keeping you tethered to his side?

what else can you really do?)

it takes a few days, but she finishes it, good as new. it can even talk and move like brand new!

and it inspires her. after all, she's seen how the thing works. why not build something similar?

while her father was out one day, she snuck into his office, grabbed some smaller endoskeleton parts and a spare set of tools, and went into her room. she hid the materials under her bed when her father was home, and would take them back out when he was busy. or gone.

(1987. five more kids. her father comes home, and she knows what from. it's on the news that morning, after all. she stares blankly at him as he enters the house.

it's the first time William ever hears her swear.

"You're one sick motherfucker, you know that?")

it takes her a few months, and much trial and error, but she builds something. she even sews some cloth onto the thing. it looks like a little yellow hare.

"Plushtrap," she calls it.

she shows it to her father that evening. the code isn't perfect, and the thing is erratic, violent. but besides those flaws, she's done well.

William expresses confusion and mild fear at her creation, asking when, no, how she made this...thing.

she shrugs. "I just kinda made it."

and that answer? it scares him.

(good. let him live in fear at the fact that she can make something dangerous, something that could maul him. let him think it took her almost no time to make this. let him be Very afraid at what she can make.)

as the years continue to go by, she makes more, but makes them as toys for the neighborhood kids. she makes them safe, of course (more than she can say her father ever did, given the Funtime blueprints). she gets money for it, and she saves up.

but while those are the creations that everyone else sees, William knows that she makes something else. more...dangerous.

they look unassuming, just like the regular toys she builds and sells. but they seem...uncanny. eyes with cameras, ears that can pick up even the slightest of noises, claws on their hands and feet, and teeth that are dangerously sharp like knives. they could act perfectly normal, just like her other toys. but, she had a trick up her sleeve.

she had a button.

and all it would takes was a press of that button. one button press, and the Things would spring to life. just like Plushtrap, they'd become erratic and violent. he's seen those things rip through plushies like nothing.

Elizabeth turns eighteen, and, with the money she's saved, moves out, taking her...creations with her.

William breathes a sigh of relief. he loves his daughter, with all his being.

but something tells him that she doesn't love him back. not anymore, at least.

[queenmarytudor]

Mary I's Fight For The Throne

18th July - Mary is furious

Deep in preparations to fight, Mary orders a complete book of all the ordnance in camp made 1, as well as more tools from the surrounding area to build trenches against a cavalry charge. 2

Mary sends a letter to Richard Cavendish, who she had put in charge of the 6 ships at Harwich. Whilst transporting artillery back men have spotted another ship there, and she commands him to stop the crayer, the Mary Gallant, that is full of salmon “whereof one last and 3 barrels is the Queen’s proper goods, the residue belonging to a merchant of London.” 3 She orders Cavendish to take only the correct amount “so that the poor man have no aggrievance.” 4

Around this time, Thomas Poley who has arrived at The Greyhound, asks Master Hurlock what letters and writing Grice had in his chest.  All the writings are taken back to Framlingham. 5

George Howard arrives from the Earl of Warwick's camp, and likely informs them of Sawston Hall being burnt. According to legend, Mary is alleged to have said upon hearing the news "Let it blaze; I will build Huddlestone a better." 6 True or not, Huddlestone did later receive a grant of stone from Cambridge castle to rebuild his house, one which still bears the date 1557. 7

It is perhaps this attack on her supporters that prompts Mary to release a proclamation calling for the Duke of Northumberland to be arrested:

By the Queen. Know ye all good people that the most excellent princess Mary, elder daughter of King Henry VIII and sister to King Edward VI, your late sovereign Lord, is now by the grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith and very true owner of the crown and government of the realm of England and Ireland and all things thereto justly belonging, and to her and no other ye owe to be her true Liege men.’ [...] nobly and strongly furnished of an army royal under Lord Henry, Earl of Sussex, her Lieutenant General, accompanied with the earl of Bath, the Lord Wentworth and a multitude of other noble gentlemen […] her most false traitor, John, duke of Northumberland and his complices who, upon most false and most shameful grounds, minding to make his own son king by marriage of a new found lady’s title, or rather to be king himself, hath most traitorously by long continued treason sought, and seeketh, the destruction of her royal person, the nobility and common weal of this realm.  Wherefore, good people, as ye mindeth the surety of her said person, the honour and surety of your country, being good Englishmen, prepare yourselves in all haste with all your power to repair unto her said armies yet being in Suffolk, making your prayers to God for her success … upon the said causes she utterly defyeth the said duke for her most errant traitor to God and to this realm. Anyone taking him, if a noble and peer of the realm, to have one thousand pounds of land in fee; if a knight, five hundred pounds in lands, with honour and advancement to nobility; if a gentleman under the degree of knight, five hundred marks of land in fee and the degree of a knight; if a yeoman, 100 pounds of land in fee and the degree of a squire. 8

Meanwhile...

Northumberland marches from Cambridge to Bury Saint Edmunds. 9 While doing so, he finds out the Earl of Oxford has defected to Mary. 10

Jane writes to Sir John Lowe and Sir Anthony Kingston: "Trusty and well beloved, we greet you well, because we doubt not, but by this our most lawful possession of the crown with the free consent of the nobility of our realm and other the states of the same, is both plainly known and accepted of you, as our most loving subjects. Therefore we do not reiterate the same. But now most earnestly will require, and by authority hereof warrant you to assemble, muster and levy all the power that you can possible make, either of your servants, tenants, officers, or friends, as well horsemen as footmen, repairing to our right trusty and right well beloved cousins, the Earls of Arundel and Pembroke, their tenants, servants, and officers, and with the same to repair with all possible speed towards Buckinghamshire, for the repressing and subduing of certain tumults and rebellions moved there against us and our crown by certain seditious men. For the repressing whereof, we have given orders to divers others our good subjects and gentlemen of such degree as you are, to repair in like manner to the same parts. So as we nothing doubt, but upon the access of such our loving subjects as be appointed for that purpose to the place where those seditious people yet remain, the same shall either lack hearts to abide in their malicious purpose, or else receive such punishment and execution as they deserve, seeking the destruction of their native country and the subversion of all men in their degrees, by rebellion of the base multitude, whose rage being stirred, as of late years hath been seen, must needs be the confusion of the whole common weal. Wherefore our special trust is in your courage, wisdom and fidelities in this matter, to advance yourselves both with power and speed to this enterprise, in such sort as by our nobility and council shall  be also prescribed unto you. And for the sustentation of your charge in this behalf, our said council, by our commandment, do forthwith give order to your satisfaction, as by our letters also shall appear unto you. And beside that, we do assure you of our special consideration of this your service to us, our crown, and especially to the preservation of this our ream and commonwealth. Given under our signet at our Tower of London, the XVIII of July in the first year of our reign." 11

Robert Dudley declares Jane queen in King's Lynn. 12

The Imperial ambassadors hear from the man they sent to follow Northumberland that he has "about 1,000 horse, 3,000 foot, 12 pieces of artillery, such as cannons and double-cannons and thirty cart-loads of ammunition" 13 but Mary "appears to be stronger than the Duke, and every day we hear people muttering against him and preparing to declare for her." 14

Sources:

1. Acts of the Privy Council Vol. 4

2. Acts of the Privy Council Vol. 4

3. Acts of the Privy Council Vol. 4

4. Acts of the Privy Council Vol. 4

5. The Navy of Edward VI and Mary I

6. Lives of the queens of England, from the Norman conquest, Vol. 3 Agnes Strickland

7. A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Vol 6, British History Online

8. Mary Tudor, The First Queen, Linda Porter

9. Jane Grey, Tudor Mystery, Eric Ives

10. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

11. Ecclesiastical Memorials

12. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield

13. Spanish State Papers, 19th July 1553

14. Spanish State Papers, 19th July 1553

[roguevexvoid]

The differences between the Jewish god and the Christian god is not a result of a thousand years of divergence. It is a core incompatibility from the very beginning. Part of the reason why very early Christianity had to pull its followers from paganism is because the Christian god is more familiar to pagans than Jews. Jews are notoriously difficult to convince to follow foreign gods.

I'm going to leave part of this up for discussion, people are free to comment their POV on the difference between God portrayed in Jewish texts vs Christian texts vs Islamic texts

But

The Christian God is....not at all similar enough to pagan deities other than maybe some superficial "Head Sky God" type stuff. A lot of what's "familiar" are things *imposed* on those mythologies *after* Christian conversion of the people.

Many pagan gods were depicted as very human like in their temperaments and *faults*

The Christian God is depicted as Omnicient, Onipotent, Omnipresent and never ever ever wrong. Everything is a part of The Plan.

In modern pagan practices left over Christian baggage/Christian cultural influence warp pagan practices/mythologies into something that's often not healthy or even historically accurate to what we know about them.

Also, no religion or spiritual practice exists in a vacuum. They are all shaped and influenced by the people/places/things/events/other/politics/cultures religions ect that came before them or existed along side them or interacted with them.

Look at the Greek influence on Eqyptian practices.

Or the way certain religions and practices have become syncretic over centuries or millenia of contact.

Modern Christianity isn't quite the same thing as it was prior to being taken up by the Roman Empire, and used as a tool for conquest and empire building (and split into a billion different factions who all think they're the only real Christians, and this really just sounds like BS Protestant "Catholics are pagan because Saints and Angels)

The Judaism of 6k years ago probably doesn't look entirely the Judaism of 2023

Modern pagan practices rarely look like ancient ones.

Religions, spiritual practices, are not stagnant. They move and evolve and adapt and are corrupted and manipulated and pieced apart and debated and translated and mistranslated ad nauseum

As a product of *humans* who also do all those things it will never not be influenced by other things, to remain unchanged would make for a religion or practice not made to stand the test of time.

[furymint]

wc 641 (this ask was sent to my insp blog @unforgettablesilhouette so just to keep my writing in one place i copied it here! thank u @houserosaire!)

"What," Nolanel grunted, "are you doing?"

Elliot strengthened his grip on Nolanel’s hand. "You needn't question what you know—it dulls your understanding of the world."

They strode side by side in one of the brackish portions of the city, where the closely paved walkways of the Pillars began to twist into the impaired streets of the Brume. Lights in Skysteel make hung over the path towards the sector's barracks to guide ale-drunk soldiers home, but as soon as the sun fully set, the rest of the road would be lit only by the windows and brazier fires of the shops.

Nolanel tried to jerk his hand away. "Instead of chaffing me, answer me why," he griped.

"I'm fond of you," Elliot declared. "And walking with you remains the highlight of my days."

Sarcasm soothed Nolanel no further. "Let go of me or I will make a scene."

"The Horde would agree to peace sooner."

"Are you more ill in the head than we knew? Do you see anyone else here making some pathetic show of their affections like this?"

"Not exactly. You're also not looking deep enough." Elliot pouted. He tugged Nolanel toward the center of the street to skirt the collection of low tables and chairs that made a bistro's veranda. "The people don't know you here; you've never been here—"

"Baseless certainty will be your death one day."

"Yes, and I'll march to my grave completely blind in the belief it is my salvation! Now stop pretending there are knives at your neck and start looking at the stars. They're beginning to appear."

Nolanel tried to yank himself free again. To his own annoyance, he could never purposefully harm Elliot or allow himself to appear as trapped by sick enjoyment as he was—so his strength was not in him as he lifted his arm and punched it suddenly down. Elliot dipped readily with the force and leaned against his shoulder. Spite prevented Nolanel from enjoying the warmth.

"You may be correct about the people here knowing me, but what of the agents among them? My aether is poisoned with the inner dragon. The Inquisitors need to see no more than that."

"Be realistic! Hypocrisy may be strong among them, but the Inquisition is abounding with inverts. They're the ones who require intervention from a saint—preferably Raphael, what for their tools, lest—"

"Gods, be silent, afore I scream. The Inquisitors do not look above their caste to sell himself as the adored pet of some nobleman with a penchant for uniforms."

Wagging his free hand dismissively, Elliot shrugged, "If the Tribunal were looking for such a pair, they would find more than one here."

Nolanel finally paid attention. The strip was lined with brasserie, cafés, and dwellings, all of them twinkling with activity and rumbling with the voices of men. Of the knights posturing at the rim of counters or alone against walls, few of them lifted their concentrated eyes to him. They watched Elliot.

Others were long engaged in conversation, drink, and games, while women with slack hairstyles prodded those who stepped too close apart. Smoke cycloned behind the windows of one bar, then rushed into the streets as a laborer threw open its door and hollered a greeting.

There were too many alleys and too many people who stood on the lip of their darkness, like effigies of temptation, to feign some occupation while they waited for another to approach.

Nolanel returned Elliot’s grip with force, causing Elliot to laugh. "'Tis not myself I intended to shield, but you, ser. We wouldn't want anyone to think you could be had."

"Still—"

"I know this area, which is why I've brought you to visit de Charlus' little place. He boast the best madeleines. Nevertheless, if anyone offers you a cigar—"

"You're making this worse," Nolanel cringed.

"You'll love it."

[caveatscriptor]

✒️ for the grishaverse asks? I just finished reading ruin and rising yesterday and I loved it, though Ive heard most people favor six of crows so I'm curious! Thats my next read.

Grishaverse Ask

Well, I'm going to tell you immediately Six of Crows! Thing is, I have only read the shadow and bone trilogy and the six of crows duology (I am currently reading King of Scars); but between those two six of crows, always! (I'm going to give you a rundown, completely spoiler free)

Main differences: Shadow and Bone is first person (you cannot escape Alina's mind - I am not a fan of book Alina... certain lines were difficult, and certain moments that we didn't seem to get past as well); Six of crows you have 6 different pov's from very different people (all criminals, but all with sound resoning for their causes - that's a potent recipe). Writting wise, six of crows is a massive step up and I also think you get even more immersed into Ketterdam than you ever got immersed into Ravka (you are mainly stuck inside the little palace and then you go search for the amplifiers, but that's it; what I personally took away from the trilogy was the little palace and not much else). Ketterdam you are up in the roofs with Inej; the Komedie brute costumes are a staple; the slat, hellgate, the crow club, etc. Your enemies are also very different from the darkling, there's no space for sympathy for any of them, after all, Ketterdam is basically a den for gamblers, merchants and gangsters (you do have "upstanding" places like the university district - but we never dwell much on it truly).

But why six of crows and not shadow and bone? Shadow and bone is almost the making of a legendarium, a Sun Saint and a Shadow Sinner; a young girl led astray by a very much older and manipulative man; a girl that wants to rid her country of an evil force: the fold; the chosen one beating evil. Six of crows is not about saving the world, it's about six people each with their own goal, that end up being a family to each other, even if begrundgingly (Kazzle Dazzle, everyone).

Nina is grisha, 2nd army soldier, and she wants to save Matthias, a druskelle (a hunter of grisha); they should be enemies but they end up loving each other despite their cultural background and all the differences that can come from that. She's a fabulous heartrender that doesn't need her powers to make your heart skip a beat.

Matthias Helvar, has only known how to follow orders, never to question them. The one time he does, he discovers not only love, but that the path he has been following maybe has blinded him to the truth.

Jesper, a charming sharp-shooter, who seems to only be content when he's high on adrenaline by gambling or by risking his own life. But behind all of his bravado there's something deeper; in spite of coming from a loving family and seemingly having nothing that could lead him to such a life.

Inej Ghafa, kidnapped from her own home and brought to a foreign land, indentured, enslaved and still seeing the good the world has to offer, in spite of it all, and without losing her faith in her saints. She's strong beyond words, and the deadliest rogue Ketterdam has to offer. The wraith will know all your secrets and her knives will not miss your heart, if it needs be.

Kaz Brekker, dirty hands, bastard of the barrel, the mind of the operation. Vengeance is what moves him, and greed is his tool. The cane, the gloves, the reluctance in trusting anyone, the past that he cannot let go, the goal he must accomplish. He's not just deadly, he's highly driven in his hatred (he's a tough pill to swallow in Six of Crows, at least to me; but in Crooked Kingdom, everything will make sense).

Wylan, the boy that, in theory, got in with the wrong crowd, but that in actuality found love, all the forms of love that he could imagine and deserved. The family he never had. And, even though Kaz may be the plan maker, Wylan is the brightest mind in the group.

These six people go on a heist, in search of freedom, in search of purpose, in search of vengeance. These are some of the best written characters and group of people that just works perfectly well together. Besides, it's not about saving the world, it's about saving themselves and saving each other.

I hope I could help ;)

(I could've expanded more on the trilogy, but like you said, you just read it, so no need to delve deep into it)

[reader40]

Road and Sidewalk Clearance Service in Saint Louis, MO: Ensuring Safe Pathways and Access

In urban areas, maintaining clear and accessible roads and sidewalks is essential for both safety and convenience. Sidewalk Clearance Service in Saint Louis, MO plays a critical role in keeping walkways free of obstructions, ice, snow, and debris, ensuring pedestrians and drivers can move about safely. Whether it's during the harsh winter months or as part of regular maintenance, sidewalk and road clearance services are an indispensable part of community safety.

What is Sidewalk Clearance Service?

Sidewalk clearance refers to the removal of various obstacles, including snow, ice, leaves, branches, and trash, from sidewalks and pedestrian pathways. These services are particularly vital during winter months when snow and ice accumulation can make walking dangerous. Aside from weather-related obstructions, regular clearance ensures that debris and plant overgrowth do not impede foot traffic, which is crucial for public safety.

In Saint Louis, MO, where unpredictable weather and seasonal changes are common, sidewalk clearance services are essential to keeping public walkways safe and accessible. Professional clearance teams use specialized tools such as snowplows, sidewalk sweepers, and other heavy-duty equipment to clear large areas quickly and efficiently. This service is often part of a broader road or sidewalk maintenance package that ensures city streets and pathways remain in optimal condition.

Why is Sidewalk Clearance Important?

There are several key reasons why Sidewalk Clearance Service in Saint Louis, MO is necessary, especially in urban and suburban areas.

1. Safety for Pedestrians

The primary reason for maintaining clear sidewalks is safety. In the winter, snow and ice can cause slippery conditions that increase the risk of slips and falls. Pedestrians who are forced to walk on obstructed sidewalks or roads are at a much higher risk of injury, especially older adults and young children.

Regular sidewalk clearance helps ensure that these risks are minimized, allowing pedestrians to safely navigate their routes. During storms, snow removal services are particularly essential to ensure that people can get to work, school, or important appointments without facing dangerous conditions.

2. Preventing Property Damage

Obstructions like overgrown tree branches, leaves, or snow piles that spill onto roadways and sidewalks can lead to property damage. For example, when snow accumulates along the edge of a sidewalk, it can melt and refreeze, causing water to seep into property foundations and causing long-term damage. In the warmer months, debris can clog storm drains, leading to flooding. Clearing sidewalks and roads ensures that such issues are avoided and property damage is prevented.

3. Accessibility for All

Clear sidewalks are vital for ensuring that all members of the community, including people with disabilities, can safely access businesses, homes, public buildings, and parks. In Saint Louis, MO, making sure that sidewalks are free of debris, ice, and snow ensures that people who rely on mobility aids like wheelchairs or walkers can travel safely.

By maintaining clear and accessible sidewalks, the city can help foster an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of physical ability, can move freely and safely through the community.

4. Improved Aesthetics

Aside from safety and functionality, clear sidewalks improve the overall aesthetics of a neighborhood or business district. Regular clearance of leaves, litter, and other debris creates a cleaner, more pleasant environment. This contributes to better curb appeal, which can enhance property values and encourage people to walk, shop, or visit local attractions.

5. Compliance with Local Regulations

In many cities, property owners are required by law to maintain clear sidewalks. Failure to do so can result in fines or legal liabilities if a pedestrian is injured due to a poorly maintained pathway. Professional sidewalk clearance services ensure that property owners and local authorities comply with safety regulations and avoid the risk of penalties.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional Sidewalk Clearance Service

While some homeowners and businesses may attempt to clear their sidewalks and roads independently, hiring a professional service provides several benefits.

1. Expertise and Efficiency

Professional clearance services have the experience and equipment needed to handle large-scale clearance jobs quickly and effectively. They use industrial-grade tools such as snowplows, sidewalk sweepers, and ice-melt solutions to ensure the job is done right. This ensures that roads and sidewalks are cleared efficiently and are safe for use in a short amount of time.

2. Time-Saving

Clearing large areas of snow or debris can be time-consuming. Professional services save you the effort and time needed to handle these tasks yourself, especially during busy periods such as winter storms.

3. Regular Maintenance

A professional sidewalk clearance service can provide regular maintenance, ensuring that your sidewalks and roads are cleared before they become a safety hazard. This proactive approach reduces the chances of accidents and ensures that your property and the surrounding community remain safe and accessible.

4. Customized Solutions

Professional services can offer customized solutions based on the specific needs of the property. Whether you need regular snow removal during the winter or periodic debris cleanup throughout the year, a professional service can tailor their approach to your specific requirements.

Conclusion

In Saint Louis, MO, Sidewalk Clearance Services are crucial for ensuring safe, accessible, and well-maintained pedestrian pathways. Whether it's snow and ice removal during the winter months or regular maintenance to clear debris, these services play a vital role in keeping the city safe and accessible for all. Professional sidewalk clearance teams not only help prevent accidents but also contribute to the overall appearance and functionality of the community. By hiring experts to maintain clear sidewalks, you can ensure that your property and surroundings are safe, accessible, and in compliance with local regulations.

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SoVITS on Older Machines

DIY stands for “Do It Yourself.” In a world where short videos show you how to do all sorts of wonderful and neat things it often only touches on these things in the most basic and superficial way. Often never showing the true technical challenges of how to make these things work. Are you tired of all those influencer YouTube channels hyping "free, easy and even you can do this yourself?" That’s right people. Just watch this video or that video. Like, comment and subscribe and boom all your problems are solved. While helpful, these channels hardly ever do as they advertise. In today’s episode of DIY we are going to tackle Voice Cloning on your own personal computer without the help of web-based AI, server farms and cloud computing to do it.

Is DIY Voice Cloning Really Worth It? Spoiler: Probably Not…

It all sounds so simple and exciting on the YouTube video to clone your voice (or someone else’s) without spending a dime! But as you dive in, reality hits. Those “free” tools like ElevenLabs only give you a few hundred words a month for a fancy grocery list unless you cough up the $5–15 a month for their subscription-based service. And even then, what do you get? Unless you work in business, do PowerPoint presentations two to three times a week, or do any video work that requires narration and your voice sounds like an overweight Jersey woman who smokes KOOL cigarettes and drinks a 5th of Old Granddad daily; you probably do not need to clone your own voice. But hey, you might… Being the computer nerd tinkerer that I am. That’s when I started to wonder: Can I do this myself? Could my personal computer handle it? Simple answer: it can, sort of—but not without a ton of effort, time, and frustration. The quality? Let’s just say it’s more “B-side garage demo” than say a well-produced professional “studio album.”

The Real Power Behind Pro Voice Cloning: Let’s get one thing straight here. Companies like ElevenLabs don’t rely on the kind of computers you or I have at home. They use server farms—huge clusters of insanely powerful processors and GPUs working together, optimized for machine learning tasks. My computer? It’s got perhaps 1% of the processing power needed to compete, if I am lucky. To match ElevenLabs, I’d need 100 brand new systems, not like mine, networked together, working perfectly in sync on these processing tasks. Even with a dedicated GPU, my setup took half a day to process a single voice cloning attempt. And while it worked, the results lacked emotion and nuance. The clones were flat, monotone, and far from the expressive quality you’d expect from a professional system.

SoVITS: A Powerful Tool… If You Can Handle It: For my experiment here I used SoVITS. SoVITS (Singing Voice Conversion via Variational Inference with Text-to-Speech) is a tool in creating clone voices to read new content you want it to read in that voice. It allows users to clone and transform voices, making it possible to replicate or modify any voice for various purposes, from voiceover production to AI voice assistants. It’s an impressive tool capable of replicating the pitch, tone, and character of a voice. But—and it’s a big but—it’s not exactly user-friendly. To get it running, you need a solid understanding of Python, command-line interfaces (CLI), CMD usage and knowing how to navigate directories, paths and executable programs inside CMD, and the patience of a saint.

Here’s The Catch: SoVITS is built to leverage CPUs and GPUs for machine learning. If you’re like most people using a standard PC with integrated graphics, you’re going to hit a wall. Onboard GPUs just don’t have the muscle for this. My NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti, while far from top-of-the-line, made a noticeable difference in processing speed and output quality. Without it? Forget it. The process would’ve been painfully slow and the results even worse. I know, I did this first, months ago, before purchasing an older GPU NVIDIA video card to see the difference.

What Those YouTubers Won’t Tell You: Here’s the part that really grinds my gears: those YouTube tutorials that make it look so easy? Per, the usual they are not giving you the full picture. They skip over the hardware requirements, the endless troubleshooting, and the hours of trial and error needed to get anything working. And if you’re running an older computer like mine—a 12-year-old Intel i3 with 16GB of RAM—you’ll need to make even more adjustments just to get SoVITS to run. I’ll be honest: even with my experience and a lot of help from ChatGPT, this process was no walk in the park. I spent days tweaking code, fixing errors, and learning Python on the fly. If you’re not already familiar with these kinds of tools, the learning curve can feel insurmountable. However, I am glad I did this because it gave me an understanding moving forward how these things work and can work. Even though it wasn’t worth all my efforts I am glad I know this and still may use generated voice clones for various projects.

The Bottom Line: Could you setup SoVITS and clone voices on your own computer? Sure, if you have the right hardware, the technical know-how, and the patience to troubleshoot every step. But should you? That’s another question entirely. It isn’t a should. It is more like a why? The quality you’ll get from a DIY setup doesn’t hold a candle to what professional systems can produce. For most people, the convenience of cloud-based services like ElevenLabs outweighs the headaches of a DIY setup. Yes, those services cost money, but they save you time and frustration—and the results are worlds better. Unless you’re in it for the learning experience or just love tinkering with tech, trying to do this on your own probably isn’t worth the effort. If you want a completely free service that actually gives you a good finished product you can try new.text-to-speech.online/ —While 100% free and can be used for commercial use I find this one to be the best. It does not offer a way to clone your own voice or upload different clones of voices. You can use their list, which is pretty vast. Gives you a .mp3 of whatever you type into the input box up to 10-minutes at a time. It will even read swears, which I love. You can change the speed, the pitch and in some instances the tone from angry, happy to sad. You can download directly from the site. No sign ups, processing takes seconds to a minute depending on the amount of text you copy/paste into the input field. I use this on most of my videos now. I am using it for it for the audio portion of this essay.

Lite Tutorial: I am not going to give you a full-board tutorial on how to use the interface for SoVITS. There are plenty of good ones on the Tube. That is where I got all this started. If you want to know how to use it. Send me a message and we can go through it. Some steps I took may work for you. They may also not work for you. It all depends on the hardware, software and configuration of your personal computer. I also do not work with MACs or Apple computers. I have been and always will be a Windows-based environment guy.

Software You May Need:    • 7-Zip or WinRAR    • Notepad++    • Audacity or other audio editing software    • Python 3.9    • SoVITS software package    • ChatGPT    • Word or any other document writing program for notes.

If you run another version of Python that is ok. Look up on how to use different versions of Python on your system. You can have a variety of versions setup on your machine. You just need to specify which one you are using. We will need to use CMD to create a virtual environment for Python to run so that the SoVITS system can run correctly. You will need to run your CMD in administrator mode. Once you have the virtual environment setup and active you should see this next your CMD (venv). You can follow along using these CMD commands in italics:

Instructions:    • Download GPT-SoVITS    • Unzip folder in a place you can navigate to easily in command prompt (CMD)    • Navigate to unzipped contents for SoVITS in windows explorer and search for the .bat file called, go-webui.bat.    • Right-click on the file and open in either Notepad++, Notepad or whatever program you use to edit scripting code.    • We need to modify the language because the GUI is in Chinese.    • Change the text from webui.py zh_CN to webui.py en_US and save.    • Make sure it saves as a .bat file and not .txt at the end of the file extension.    • Now when you open the Web GUI most of what you need will be in English.    • Confirm PyTorch supports your GPU.    • Install Python dependencies for SoVITS    • Update Pip    • Install requirements.txt    • Double-check Pip install

Download Links:    • Link to SoVITS: entry.co/GPT-SoVITS    • Alt-Link to SoVITS: huggingface.co/GPT-SoVITS    • Link to Python version 3.9: python.org/downloads/release/python-390/    • Link to your PyTorch settings: pytorch.org/get-started/locally/

CMD Commands: Install Python dependencies for SoVITS — Update Pip: python -m pip install --upgrade pip

Install Python dependencies for SoVITS — Confirm PyTorch supports your GPU: python -m torch.utils.collect_env

Install Python dependencies for SoVITS — Confirm PyTorch supports your GPU (Alternate): pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu118

Pytorch Alterative Downloads — If your CUDA version is 11.8: python -m pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu118

Pytorch Alterative Downloads — If you don’t have CUDA or want CPU-only: python -m pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cpu

Install other dependencies for SoVITS — requirements.txt: Cd C:\Users\Your-PC\GPT-SoVITS pip install -r requirements.txt

Double-check Pip install: Pip list

Creating Virtual Environment: cd C:\Users\Your-PC\Voice Clone\GPT-SoVITS\venv\Scripts\ C:\Users\Yout-PC\VoiceClone\GPT-SoVITS\venv\Scripts>activate

Opening SoVITS Web GUI Interface: (venv) C:\Users\Yout-PC\Voice Clone\GPT-SoVITS\venv\Scripts>cd C:\Users\Yout-PC\Voice Clone\GPT-SoVITS

(venv) C:\Users\Yout-PC\Voice Clone\GPT-SoVITS>go-webui.bat

You will see this message open up as the go-wbui.bat opens. This may take a minute.

(venv) C:\Users\Yout-PC\Voice Clone\GPT-SoVITS>runtime\python.exe webui.py zh_EN

Running on local URL: http://0.0.0.0:9874

Optional Edits of Key files: Edit .json file for fp16_run to be false (Optional):

• If you run into a rendering error you may need to do this. SoVITS utilizes mixed-precision training, which can save memory but is not supported on GPUs with older architectures, as is mine.

• For me I had to go into this file GPT_SoVITS\configs\s2.json and edit it in notepad.

• Look for "fp16_run": true and change it to false. Then save and try to run your render again.

• Gradio kept reverting to an older version but it isn’t very important. I was still able to get it working even though Gradio was using an older version and I tried to update a few times with no success. It said it did update and it shows up in the PIP list but when I am actually rendering it reverts back to an older version. I just wanted the warning message to go away every time it ran. CMD doesn’t breakup text well for my poor vision. Newer rigs for this purpose won’t have to do this.

Now a new web browser tab should open up and you will be using the SoVITS interface from here on out. Here’s an abbreviated breakdown of the process. The mission of this essay, more or less, was to get this thing installed, configured and working properly. Took way longer than what these YouTube tutorials will tell you. The process does work. The issue is proper computer processing power. At this point you can go and find other tutorials on how to use SoVITS. It’s pretty basic. I will leave a very short guide here but you should attack this as a great exercise in computer operations. If you have a gaming rig in the $5000 dollar range you may want to do this for your audio ventures. But I’d like to mention that if you can afford a 5K computer tower, you probably know how to use that some bitch properly and all of this won’t be an issue for you. I have never personally seen one single computer tower do some of the things I see. I know they are out there or people are building their own servers out of desktops to help out. I just do not think this was a great use of the time I put into it. Granted, I just wanted to see if I could get it to work. If it works and the quality still isn’t very great, then I will chalk it up to old hardware. I cloned Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Bateman, character from the 2000 film “American Psycho,” an AI cloned-version of Patrick Bateman, and myself. The quality isn’t terrible but if I were to get serious about using my own voiceovers for stuff I’d probably go and get an ElevenLabs subscription. The below Step-by-Step Guide will be divided up and read on the audio/video version in these different voices. The rest of this blog was narrated by the AI-clone used from new.text-to-speech.online/

Step-by-Step Guide: Cloning Voices Using SoVITS Web UI

Download SoVITS Web UI:

Click on the first link in the video description to download SoVITS.

After downloading, extract the files into a new folder on your computer.

Run SoVITS Web UI:

Open the folder where the files were extracted.

Run the file named go web UI.

Launch the Web UI:

After running the file, click the Run button.

Allow the necessary permissions when prompted.

Wait for a moment and the SoVITS web interface will open.

Voice Segmentation:

Upload an audio file that is at least 1 minute long.

Copy the path to your audio file and paste it in the corresponding field in the SoVITS interface.

Leave the rest of the settings unchanged.

Ensure the voice in the file has a normal speed and natural pauses; otherwise, segmentation may fail.

Start Segmentation:

Click the Start button to begin voice segmentation.

A message will confirm that the segmentation process was successful.

Check Segmentation Output:

Open the output folder and then navigate to the slicer opt folder.

Here, you’ll find that the voice has been divided into segments.

Copy the path to this folder and paste it in the corresponding field in the web interface.

Click Start again to proceed.

Verify Text Recognition:

After processing, a .list file will appear in the output folder under ASR op.

Check the content of this file by opening it in Notepad.

Copy the text and paste it into the field in the SoVITS interface.

Click Play to listen to the segments and verify that the text was read correctly.

Enter Model Information:

Go to the TTS tab in the web UI.

Enter the name of your model (e.g., "Name AI") in the first field.

The second field will automatically detect your graphics card. Do not change anything here.

Paste the .list file path from the ASR op folder into the left field.

Paste the slicer opt folder path into the right field.

Leave all other options as default.

Click the Start Formatting button to format the data for training.

Start Training the Model:

Go to the Training tab.

Click the Start SoVITS Training button.

The training process will begin, and you’ll be able to monitor its progress through the console.

Start GPT Training:

Once SoVITS training is completed, click Start GPT Training to train the model further.

Once finished, you'll receive a success message.

Select the Model:

Go to the 1C tab and click the Refresh button to update the model paths.

Select the model with the highest value in both fields.

Click the Open TTS button to open the TTS web UI.

Generate Audio:

Load an audio file from the slicer opt folder into the new TTS interface.

Open the ASR opt folder and copy the text from the .list file.

Paste this text into the input field for the TTS model.

Set the language to English and click Start to generate the voice output.

Final Adjustments:

For better natural-sounding speech, adjust settings like Slice by English.

Review the generated voice output. The voice should now sound similar to the original with high quality.

Result:

Listen to the final output. The cloned voice should be very similar to the original, with natural prosody and tone.

SoVITS on Older Machines by David-Angelo Mineo 12/9/2024 2,741 Words

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Discovering the Best Time to Go to Madrid: A Seasonal Guide

Spain's energetic capital, Madrid, is a city full of culture, history, and delicious food. When planning your visit, determining the best time to go to Madrid can significantly enhance your experience. This guide will explore seasonal highlights, weather patterns, and special events, making your trip memorable.

Spring (March to May)

Spring is often considered the best time to go to madrid. As temperatures rise, ranging from the mid-50s to the low 70s°F (13-24°C), the city bursts into bloom. It's the ideal weather to explore outdoor attractions.

Events and Highlights

One of the main attractions during spring is the San Isidro Festival in May, celebrating Madrid’s patron saint with music, dancing, and traditional food. The Retiro Park becomes a beautiful picnic spot, with blooming flowers and lively locals enjoying the outdoors. Spring also marks the start of art exhibitions and cultural events, making it an excellent time for art enthusiasts.

Summer (June to August)

While summer attracts many tourists, it can be quite hot in Madrid, with temperatures often exceeding 85°F (29°C). Nonetheless, the city provides a lively environment with lots to do.

What to Expect

Summer is packed with festivals, such as the Veranos de la Villa, featuring concerts and outdoor performances. You may take advantage of lively nightlife and late-night restaurants. For those who can handle the heat, rooftop bars provide stunning views of the city at sunset. If you’re looking for a lively experience, summer is a great choice, though be prepared for the high temperatures.

Fall (September to November)

As summer fades, fall brings a pleasant climate, making it another ideal time to visit. As the temperature drops to the 60s°F (15–20°C), fewer people are around.

Cultural Experiences

Fall is when Madrid hosts the Madrid Fashion Week and the Festival of Cinema, attracting visitors interested in fashion and film. The changing leaves in parks like El Retiro create a picturesque environment for leisurely strolls. This season also features fewer tourists, allowing for a more relaxed experience while visiting popular attractions.

Winter (December to February)

Winter in Madrid is mild compared to many other European cities, with temperatures averaging in the 40s°F (4-9°C). While it may not be the first choice for everyone, it has its own charm.

Winter Activities

The city is transformed by gorgeous lights and Christmas markets during the holiday season. The famous Roscón de Reyes, a traditional cake, is a must-try. January and February are ideal for enjoying indoor attractions like the Prado Museum without long lines. If you appreciate holiday festivities and cultural exploration, winter is an excellent time to visit.

Getting Hassle-Free Travel Tips

When planning your trip, the best time to go to madrid can be easily navigated with guidance from resources like Besttimetogo. This platform provides essential information on seasonal weather, events, and cost of living, helping you make informed decisions. By using Besttimetogo, you can access tailored travel tips, ensuring a hassle-free experience. From lodging options to local dining recommendations, you’ll find everything you need to maximize your enjoyment in Madrid.

Understanding the best time to go to Madrid is key to a fulfilling travel experience. Whether it's the festivity of winter or the budding beauty of spring, every season has something special to offer. By planning your visit according to these seasonal highlights, and utilizing tools like Besttimetogo, you can enjoy a seamless and enriching journey in this captivating city. Embrace the spirit of Madrid, and create unforgettable memories on your next trip.