#prospects of tourism

[ugly-organist]

i'm gonna keep it so real. if this titanic submarine thing were under literally under any other circumstances, i'd feel awful about it, but the longer i look into it the less i can bring myself to really care. these were five rich guys that paid $250,000 to get into a very obviously shottily made death trap and drop themselves to the bottom of the ocean.

like. it's so cartoonishly horrible. what did they expect to happen? how did they think this was going to go? i feel like this should qualify as natural selection.

[tourismday]

Tourism and Rural Development: A Policy Perspective.

Tourism has high potential to stimulate economic growth and social change in rural areas because it contributes to local economies, support other products value chains, distributes benefits across both seasonal and geographic grounds, and promotes the conservation of cultural and natural heritage. Through the UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme, the Organization seeks to enhance these and other opportunities that tourism can bring to rural areas. To devise adequate actions and develop impactful initiatives, it is essential to have solid knowledge and data to help support and monitor the evolution of this important agenda.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The economic indicators speak of nothing less than an economic catastrophe. Over 46,000 businesses have gone bankrupt, tourism has stopped, Israel’s credit rating was lowered, Israeli bonds are sold at the prices of almost “junk bonds” levels, and the foreign investments that have already dropped by 60% in the first quarter of 2023 (as a result of the policies of Israel’s far-right government before October 7) show no prospects of recovery. The majority of the money invested in Israeli investment funds was diverted to investments abroad because Israelis do not want their own pension funds and insurance funds or their own savings to be tied to the fate of the State of Israel. This has caused a surprising stability in the Israeli stock market because funds invested in foreign stocks and bonds generated profit in foreign currency, which was multiplied by the rise in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the Israeli Shekel. But then Intel scuttled a $25 billion investment plan in Israel, the biggest BDS victory ever.  These are all financial indicators. But the crisis strikes deeper at the means of production of the Israeli economy. Israel’s power grid, which has largely switched to natural gas, still depends on coal to supply demand. The biggest supplier of coal to Israel is Colombia, which announced that it would suspend coal shipments to Israel as long as the genocide was ongoing. After Colombia, the next two biggest suppliers are South Africa and Russia. Without reliable and continuous electricity, Israel will no longer be able to pretend to be a developed economy. Server farms do not work without 24-hour power, and no one knows how many blackouts the Israeli high-tech sector could potentially survive. International tech companies have already started closing their branches in Israel. Israel’s reputation as a “startup nation” depends on its tech sector, which in turn depends on highly educated employees. Israeli academics report that joint research with universities abroad has declined sharply thanks to the efforts of student encampments. Israeli newspapers are full of articles about the exodus of educated Israelis. Prof. Dan Ben David, a famous economist, argued that the Israeli economy is held together by 300,000 people (the senior staff in universities, tech companies, and hospitals). Once a significant portion of these people leaves, he says, “We won’t become a third world country, we just won’t be anymore.” 

19 July 2024

[munson-blurbs]

Living After Midnight (Failed Rockstar!Eddie x Motel Worker!Reader)

♫ Summary: Being a perpetual people-pleaser meant that you were constantly putting others before yourself--particularly your parents and the eccentric guests who stayed at their motel. But when a surly and mysterious musician checked in indefinitely, he flipped your whole world on its head. (3.1k words)

♫ CW: slowburn, strangers-to-lovers, angst, drug use, parental conflict, poverty, eventual smut (18+ only, minors DNI)

♫ A/N: Thank you to my numerous beta readers, including but not limited to @the-unforgivenn, @lofaewrites, @lokis-army-77, and @corroded-hellfire, and to @hellfire--cult for the divider. I am forever indebted to y'all.

chapter one: room for one more

It was always the quiet nights, wasn't it? The ones where the only sounds came from cars barreling down Queens Boulevard and splashing through puddles left by an earlier rainstorm, or from the clock ticking on the wall. 

The ones where your mind wandered until you’d thought yourself in circles, overanalyzing every last decision you had ever made.

The ones where you allowed your guard just down enough that the slightest oddity threw you off-balance—something or someone out of place. 

It was during the quiet nights like that night where you should have expected the unexpected, because New York City never stayed still for long. 

The evening’s sluggishness was normal; tourism always slowed in the springtime. The newest shows on Broadway were already months old, not to mention the warmer weather brought both an uptick in crime and pollen count. If out-of-towners were going to schlep to the East Coast, they’d prefer to see the cherry blossoms hours south in Washington, DC than to get mugged on the 1 train. 

Business picked up in the winter months when people flocked from around the world to witness the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, or Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, even though they were several bus and subway transfers away. Outsiders to the tri-state area struggled to differentiate between boroughs; it was unfortunate for them, but you counted on it to keep business alive. 

The only guests who consistently frequented your family’s motel were junkies looking for a place to shoot up away from the NYPD’s watchful gaze or affair-havers who were considerate enough not to sully their marriage beds—just their vows. You were in no position to judge; their money was what kept the lights on, but it was impossible not to compare your clientele to the suits who stayed at the Marriott down the street. They wouldn‘t even allow homeless folks to sit within twenty-five feet of the building, let alone stay under their roof.

You leaned on the desk, wood grain pinching your elbows. You tapped your pencil against your textbook as you read, its margins cluttered with notes about different types of parent-child attachment styles. 

Sleep prickled at the corners of your eyes, blurring the words on the page in front of you. Focus. 

Secure attachment occurs when—no, you’d already read this line. Twice. 

“Dammit,” you muttered under your breath, gently slapping your cheeks in a futile attempt to stay awake. Taking a full course load instead of your usual part-time was your academic advisor’s ill-conceived idea, bolstered by the prospect of an earlier graduation. In your haste, you’d neglected to consider two important factors: all of your studying now had to be done during your night shifts, and graduating meant telling your parents a truth they were unready to hear. 

They were so proud of the motel, regardless of its reputation. It might as well have been The Plaza from the way your dad boasted about it. The three of you shared an unspoken understanding that you worked the front desk because paying an actual employee would put them under. Maybe if finances weren’t so tight, you could have freely admitted that your future plans didn’t involve taking over the business. 

Your eyelids fluttered shut as your head rested on your book, a small puddle of drool pooling atop Bowlby’s theories. 

Ping ping ping ping!

Time slowly stretched out before you, your conscious brain clawing its way out of its hazy fog. It took a beat for you to recognize that the incessant noise came from someone repeatedly smacking the tiny bell that sat on the desk. 

“Hey, hello?” an impatient voice called out, jolting you from your impromptu nap. You blinked away the residual sleepiness and took in the sight in front of you: a curly-haired man, likely not much older than you were, a cigarette that had been nearly smoked down to the filter tucked between his lips. He had a patched guitar case strapped to his back and clutched a black garbage bag filled with what you hoped was clothing.

“Sorry,” you grumbled, wiping the moisture from your chin. “Need a room?” 

“Mhm.” You could practically hear his eye roll: no, I just stopped by in the middle of the night for a quick chat. Fancy a cup of tea and a scone? 

He plopped the garbage bag on the ground; its soft landing and the way it wrinkled told you that whatever was inside was, thankfully, not a body.

You nodded and turned around to the wall of keys behind you. There was no shortage of rooms; the only occupied one was being rented by Phyllis, a sixty-year-old self-described ‘entertainer of gentleman’ who paid double her bill in exchange for your silence. 

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray on the countertop, grinding it into the base for good measure. “How much per night?” he asked, digging into his pants pocket and pulling out a wallet held together with duct tape. 

“Fifteen.”

The man breathed out, his bangs fanning over his forehead. “Jesus.” He fished two twenties and a five from the billfold and placed them in front of you. “This should cover me until Friday, yeah?”

Nodding, you folded the bills and tucked them into the register kept under the desk, only accessible by key because of a series of break-ins during the late ‘70s.

The man lit another cigarette as you pulled out the ledger and a pen. “Name and date here,” you said, pointing to the ‘check in’ column. He took a drag before scrawling his name on the line: Eddie Munson, 5-4-93. 

“All right, you’ll be in…” you scanned the assortment of keys dangling from their hooks. The walls were thin, and this guy seemed decent enough, so you decided to spare him the theatrical sound effects of Phyllis’s room 10 endeavors. “…room 4. Make a right down the hallway, and it’ll be the second door. Can’t miss it if you try.” 

Your attempt at humor fell flat, both of you too exhausted to laugh. You strode past it, clearing your throat as if dispelling the tension. When you placed the key in his calloused palm, you couldn’t help but notice that the base of each fingertip is a half-shade paler than the rest of his skin. 

“Thanks.” Eddie mumbled. He tapped the cigarette above the ashtray, the gray flakes falling into a neat pile. His right bicep flexed underneath his denim jacket as he heaved the garbage bag over his shoulder, careful not to bang it against the guitar. 

He scuttled out of the tiny room masquerading as a lobby, shoulders hunched from the weight of the bag and of the burdens he inevitably carried. No one shows up to a motel in the middle of the night without a story or two. 

After years of greeting guests at the front desk, you liked to think you had a decent read on them. Eddie was quiet, maybe even introspective, but not necessarily shy. He was tired; no, more than that: he was worn down, like so many other people who had come through these doors. 

Most importantly, Eddie didn’t seem like he'd be much trouble. He didn’t stumble in wasted and reeking of booze or fidgeting as he awaited a fix. He wasn’t shouting or poorly concealing a wandering eye or making lewd comments. He’d made pretty much no impression at all besides being a bit gruff, which was just fine with you. Your personality wasn't composed of rainbows and sunshine at this hour either.

You looked at the clock and sighed when it only read 2:17. It’s already tomorrow, you thought grimly. Just under four hours until you could walk ten feet to your room, curl up in your bed, and sleep until it was time for your afternoon class. After years of balancing school and work, you were in the last two weeks of your final semester, and then…what? You casually inform your parents that you were leaving the family business–essentially forcing them to close it–to pursue a career in social work? 

That was sure to go over well.  

To their knowledge, you were studying hotel management and hospitality in order to “improve the business.” That was why they’d relented when you’d asked to start taking classes, switching you over to the night shift to avoid having to hire a new employee.

What they didn’t know is that your school didn’t even offer that as a major. Nor were they aware of the acceptance letter into NYU’s Masters of Social Work program that was stashed inside your dresser drawer, hidden from sight. That was a conversation for another day when you found the strength to face their disappointment.

Chaos waited to strike until the end of your shift. 

Just as you packed your book back into your bag, a familiar, skunky odor wafted past your nostrils. 

Ignore it, you thought. Let it be Dad’s problem when he takes over in five minutes. But if you could smell it, so could any of the cops patrolling the boulevard. One more citation and the motel was in jeopardy of being permanently shut down, and you couldn’t take that risk.

With a frustrated sigh, you yanked open the desk drawer and reached in for a pen, instead pulling out an unopened box of crayons. A twenty-four pack of Crayola—the good kind. You plucked a waxy cornflower blue from its spot and scribbled Be back soon on a Post-It note, sticking it on the front of the desk. Grabbing the pepper spray canister from its spot next to the register, just in case, you started down the hall. Marijuana wasn’t Phyllis’s drug of choice, though it might have been one of her various gentleman suitors’, but the scent was too strong to be coming all the way from room 10.

Maybe this Eddie Munson was trouble, afterall.

You knocked on his door, firmly but without aggression. It certainly wasn’t the first time you interrupted someone’s buzz, and it wouldn’t be the last. You knew better than to go in guns a-blazing; it’s easier to catch flies with sugar than vinegar. 

Eddie opened it after a moment, cracking it halfway and revealing a lit joint pinched between his plush lips. One forearm was perched on the doorframe, showing off faded ink of a litter of flying bats and a dragon-esque creature. He was clad in only navy blue boxer briefs, but his lack of attire was no surprise. Many guests were shameless, not bothering to cover the holes in their Fruit of the Loom tighty-whities and showcasing faded yellow stains on the crotch. What confused you was the elastic waistband proudly proclaiming ‘Calvin Klein’ that cut off the soft hair trailing from his belly button. It seemed absurd that he would have been lugging around any designer clothes in that trash bag, but there was no other possibility. 

“Can I help you?” he asked, shaking his curly bangs out of his face. Half-lidded brown eyes scanned your form, trying to determine whether you were a narc or trying to bum some bud off of him. His window was cracked open enough to let in fresh air, which also meant that the acrid smell could easily be let out.

“You can’t smoke that here,” you reported matter-of-factly, just as you had a million times before. When he cocked a challenging brow, you continued. “Cigarettes are fine, but no weed. The police will come after us and you.”

He looked around the room, unbothered, and absentmindedly scratched at his bare chest. A demon’s head was sketched just above a sparse patch of hair. Under different circumstances, or maybe in another life altogether, you would’ve asked him about his tattoos; if they had some philosophical meaning or were the products of spur-of-the-moment decisions. You could have blathered on about the ideas you had for your own future tattoos, if you ever worked up the nerve to actually get one. 

“You mean to tell me that with all of the skeevy shit that goes on around here, the cops are gonna waste their time on a little pot?” He scoffed and took another defiant pull, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling away from you.

I guess chivalry isn’t dead, you mused, stifling an eye roll. “No, but they’re always looking for an excuse to ‘investigate,’’' you threw air-quotes around the last word, “so they can bust us for more serious things, and that is the perfect one.” You gestured to the joint only to be met with an eye roll. “Look, you can either put it out, smoke it somewhere else, or you can leave. Full refund, but you can’t stay here.”

His stare locked onto your steely eyes and clenched jaw, only breaking when you’d straightened your posture to stand your ground. “Whatever,” he huffed, but he snuffed it out. A glimmer of a smile danced on his lips, disappearing nearly as quickly as it arrived. Despite its fleeting nature, it managed to thaw you enough so that your arms weren’t held quite so tight to your body, your expression less rigid. “Just trying to relax and get some sleep, like you were while you were supposed to be ‘working.’” It’s his turn to supply the air-quotes, both in mockery and as a gotcha. A teasing lilt elevated his voice, smoothing out the edge he’d greeted you with earlier. 

“I wasn’t sleeping, just…resting my eyes,” you volleyed back, your smirk betraying any semblance of the tough façade you’d worn. 

Eddie crossed his arms and walked over to the garbage bag of clothes. He rummaged through it for a moment before procuring a pair of gray sweatpants, stepping into them hurriedly as though he just remembered his minimal attire. 

“Maybe if you chose more interesting reading material, you wouldn’t be sl—resting your eyes on the job,” he amended, gesturing to the textbook in your canvas tote bag. “Ever heard of Stephen King?”

“I live in a motel, not under a rock.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You live here?”

Shit. That wasn’t information you regularly divulged. Sure, this guy seemed harmless, but looks can be deceiving. Prime example: wearing designer underwear while using a trash bag in lieu of a suitcase. 

It was too late to double back, so you nodded. “Yeah,” you admitted reluctantly. The sole of your sneaker dug into the old carpet. 

Eddie looked like he wanted to say more, lips parted and eyes wide like there was a follow-up question sitting on the tip of his tongue. Before he could ask it, your gaze landed on the clock radio: six AM on the dot. 

“I need to go,” you said hurriedly. Shame at your sudden shyness burned a hole in your belly. Eddie Munson was a guest; for all intents and purposes, he was a total stranger. There was no reason to be intimidated by him. “Good luck falling asleep,” you added with a weak smile. 

The easy banter that had been building between you dissipated in an instant, taking his good mood with it. His goodbye was a sardonic salute, the mattress springs creaking wearily as soon as you closed the door behind you. 

Sure enough, your dad was in the tiny lobby, assessing some peeling wallpaper. “Gotta fix that,” he mumbled to himself, thumbnail picking at it aimlessly. He turned around when he heard the door open and smiled when he saw you. 

“Sorry, I was helping out a guest,” you rushed to explain, hoping he wasn't too anxious to find the desk left unattended. 

The wrinkles in your dad’s forehead became more pronounced. “Is everything alright?” The phrase ‘helping out a guest’ could range from unclogging a toilet to calling the police for a domestic dispute. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” you reassured him quickly, flashing an exaggerated thumbs-up. “No law enforcement necessary. Didn’t even need to use the pepper spray.” You waved the canister in your palm before placing it back. 

He beamed, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your scalp. “It’s times like this where I just know I’ll be leaving this place in good hands.” 

You swallowed the bile that crept up your throat and feigned a smile when  he pulled you in for a tight hug. The mingled scents of Irish Spring soap and drugstore aftershave tickled your nose, and tears stung along your lash line. 

If only you knew, you thought, giving him one last squeeze before you headed to your room. Disappointed wouldn’t even begin to cover it. 

Your parents would never say the word aloud; they’d look at each other and heave identical weighted sighs. Their lifelong goal of a long-standing family business would vanish in the blink of an eye. Dad would pretend there was a chance that they could afford a new hire, even going so far as to fumble through the years of financial statements before inevitably throwing in the towel; Mom would force a pained smile and hoarsely encourage you to follow your dreams, even at the expense of theirs.

You shook the thought away as you trudged towards your room, sneakered feet like sandbags below you.  Dwelling on this scenario had you teetering on the brink of insanity, so you’d willed yourself to focus on something else. Anything else.

Like the motel’s newest guest and his smile. The way it softened the hard lines on his face, offering you a glimpse of how he wore happiness. Something about it made you want to see him happy again. 

You can’t even figure out how to make yourself happy, you thought, peeling back the starchy sheets and finally crawling into bed, much less a stranger. For all you knew, he was just relaxed because his high was starting to kick in, and not from some warming presence you’d supplied. 

The sun cracked pink through the sky, visible through the paper-thin curtains hanging on the window. You had become accustomed to this backwards routine, able to fall asleep while daylight broke. It took a few extra moments this time; you were anticipating marijuana-tinged fumes to float through the vents when Eddie ignored your instructions. 

It was that flicker of a smile that had you almost certain he would spark up once you’d left. The smile of someone who so naturally flouted authority that he no longer bragged about it. Yet time ticked by without a hint of evidence that he was smoking again. 

Which begged the question: if the smile didn’t signify defiance, what did it mean?

Eddie Munson is definitely trouble, you surmised just before you drifted off, but nothing you can’t handle.

--

taglist:

@theintimatewriter @mandyjo8719 @storiesbyrhi @lady-munson @moonmark98 @squidscottjeans @therealbaberuthless @emxxblog @chrissymjstan @loves0phelia @kthomps914 @aysheashea @reidsbtch @mmunson86 @b-irock @ginasellsbooks @erinekc @the-unforgivenn @dashingdeb16 @micheledawn1975 @yujyujj @eddies-acousticguitar @daisy-munson @kellsck @bewitchedmunson @foreveranexpatsposts @mykuup @chatteringfox @feelinglikeineedlotsofnaps @sapphire4082 @katethetank @sidthedollface2 @eddies-stinky-battle-jacket @mysteris-things @mrsjellymunson @josephquinnsfreckles @the-disaster-in-waiting @eddielowe @hugdealer @rip-quizilla @munson-girl @fishwithtitz @costellation-hunter @cloudroomblog @emsgoodthinkin

[charminglyantiquated]

So, I’m seriously looking into getting into tall ship sailing (waiting on follow-up from an interview rn) and I’m wondering for getting into it more long-term -

what do people do after sailing tall ships? Like, it’s a pretty physical job, and I’d assume there’s a point where your joints just can’t keep up with it.

Are there other jobs in the industry that people move to? I’m not really keen on the idea of moving up in the ship’s hierarchy- admin and being someone’s boss both aren’t really my thing. Do people retrain in completely different careers? Go back to whatever they were doing before they started sailing?

Anyway, I know your sample size might not be super large so I’d appreciate anything. Thanks a bunch!

This is hard to answer directly - on the one hand sailing tall ships is such a niche industry that there are limited pathways for straightforward advancement. But on the other hand, it overlaps with such a large number of other industries, and requires such a jack of all trades skillset - tourism, carpentry, history and preservation, hospitality, marine electronics, etc. etc. etc. - that there's a lot of ways forward for what I guess I'd call lateral advancement: moving to another job which uses most of the same skills. So there's no one answer, but if it helps, here's some things my tall ship deckhand friends have ended up doing, after no longer deckhanding tallships:

Get a captain's license and keep sailing. Captains often have it a bit easier physically (balanced out by the mental stress lol), and are paid better. Owning your own boat is optional; plenty of companies hire captains by the season to sail the boat, while the management of the company is dealt with by the actual owners. (This is what I did! I don't have the sail-hauling arms I did as a deckhand, but my knees and bank account are both in better shape).

Bosun, first mate, engineer, some other specialized non-captain crew member, usually involves licensing or other education that's useful down the road if you switch to an adjacent career

Racing yachts

Captain for hire on private vessels

Outward bound guide, other wilderness education programs

Harbor cruises, lobster tour guides, and other motor-powered tourist boats, both as captain and as crew - you have the patter and the safety skills but you don't want to deal with the hassle of sails

Water taxis, ferries and other passenger vessels

Lobstering, fishing, aquaculture, tugboats, other non-tourist waterfront industries

Marine surveyor, marine electrician, other specialized technician

Working in a shipyard - good fit for all the fit-out skills of sanding, painting, varnishing, covering and uncovering the boat

Cruise ship hostess

Train conductor (the passion for the early 1900s carried over well)

Working at a a museum focused on local maritime history

Tour guide for local buses, walking tours, etc

Boatbuilder (IYRS, Wooden Boat School)

Teaching the captain's license courses (nota bene: there were obviously some other steps between deckhand and teacher, notably ten years of being a captain in between. But this is what they settled into when they decided sailing was too physically taxing, so I want to include it).

Carpentry, house painting

Designing and selling custom made van-homes (apart from the technical skills, living on board a ship helps familiarize making use of every square inch of space)

Sailmaker

Of course there's other friends who went on to try something completely new and unrelated - I think because so many of the people who start sailing tall ships are here for something completely new in the first place, that's not an intimidating prospect so much as an exciting one. But many of them did make use of tall ship skills even when moving on from tall ships, so I hope the above list is helpful in giving a broad sense of what can follow!

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

What about a yandere king x reader (make or female) and reader is basically a spy, making the king fall in love with them to get information etc, and reader basically tries to kill the king in his sleep but he lives cause he's a warrior at heart 💪(bbg energy lol) and basically what the king would do in that situation

An extremely cliche scenerio

Yandere! Male! King x Gn! Spy! Reader

Ugh Uni just started last week, and it was not... Fun.

One of our classes start at 7:30, and my Uni is like 30minutes-1hour far from my house so AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyways, there's no classes today so I got to actually write.

I got quickly uncomfortable writing this HAHAHAH damn. So, if noncon is not your tea, or you're looking for a fluffy fic, I suggest you don't read this one. I'm serious. This is not romantic in any way.

Yandere! King name: Soma

TW: NonCon

At Saphiri, there's a lot of Kingdoms and Sultanates, and a handful of Empires. One of the Kingdoms is called the Caelum Kingdom.

It's a newly established Kingdom, and was once a sizable city without a nation. Built from the foundations of a trading center.

It's a Kingdom formed on an archipelago separated by streams of salt water and fresh water in between their islands. A tight knit community, they thrive in tourism, trading, and textile export. They were honestly on a breakthrough to become an Empire, and it was just a matter of time.

Caelum has been led by the Elara family for generations upon generations. They were the first to discover the island, to establish itself as a city, and a kingdom as they led and oversaw the whole archipelago.

And currently, it's led by Soma Elara, the 3rd born crown prince and now the King of Caelum.

Soma, being the 3rd born, didn't really have that much chance on the throne. That, and his siblings, especially the first born, were smart and all had a chance at taking the throne.

He hated it dearly.

His mother, the second Queen after the previous died, is a greedy woman.

She sees Soma as a tool, and wanted him to succeed the throne.

If not... Let's just say the back of his legs will have more scars decorated on them.

Soma suffered abuse at the hand of his mother who wanted him to catch the attention of the King. And him, conditioned by his abusive upbringing, caught the want for power from his mother.

Ego and Pride. Those two prospects were pummeled into Soma's mind. Nobody can become the King. Only he is worthy of the throne.

So, he became the perfect prince. Nevermind that he orchestrated events in which it would humiliate his siblings. That's irrelevant. What's important is him.

The perfect gentleman with the wits of a genius, he became the crown prince when the selection came.

And, to solidify his place...

His older siblings were pronounced dead due to "freak accidents". One was devoured by sea monsters, the other was torn apart by demons. The younger ones were lucky, they only got to be a bit disabled due to "their own faults at being clumsy".

To not raise suspicion, of course Soma got hurt. Dead almost, but he miraculously recovered! How delightful!

The poor scapegoat is the youngest. And, as she got executed, Soma had a cold look of arrogance on his face.

The Queen?

She's afraid of the monster she created. She wanted a King, not a tyrant.

And, as she trembles when her friends tell her how good of a King her son is, Soma glares at her coldly from the balcony, daring her to speak ill of him.

Years passed, and Soma is now of marriageable age at 25.

His advisers told him to find a Queen, but he refuses to do so.

He's thinks having a Queen would make him look weak in the eyes of people.

So, why get a Queen when he can be an absolute Patriarch?

His Pride cannot allow for a potential weakness.

Not until a certain new person entered the palace as a stableperson...

Soma is welcoming foreign envoys to his palace, in which they would have a inter-country peace talks about a certain Emperor who is wreaking havoc amongst other kingdoms in search of a knight. They said that she was the supposed to be Empress, but fled the Empire.

Even one of the Dukes there, Duke Eros, is here to talk about the man.

As Soma guides the envoys to the palace grand meeting room, a certain servant caught his eyes.

They were frolicking with his horse, who was known to be too stubborn for its own good. Heck, this horse needs coaxing from Soma even just to let him ride on it.

But this stableperson was just... Hugging and petting his horse without any kind of violent reaction.

Honestly, Soma's ego was bruised.

His eyebrows furrowed as he led the envoys to the meeting hall once more.

He needs to know who this person is.

After quite the gruelling three hours of a collective disbelief over the actions of the Emperor Callisto, Soma got out of the meeting room and bid a good day to the envoys. Without any more distractions, he marched to the stables to find the person.

There, he saw you. Brushing the coat of his horse ever so gently and with a hum.

Oh he's annoyed.

Again, how can this pride filled horse just... Let's you be?

"State your name."

Your head, that was hidden due to being on the other side of the horse, popped out of the frame and he lets out a confused look.

You look so... Cute and innocent with those sparkling eyes that held so much affection for the horse in front of you.

"Oh! Your majesty!" You bowed. Even your voice sounds so sweet. "My name is Y/N. I'm not unworthy to meet you but..."

You looked up at him, eyes sparkling once more but now, with affection for him.

Oh?

"But I am so glad to meet you, your majesty."

Your voice held so much affection and love for him.

He cleared his throat, a bit awkward.

Sure, people admired him, but these people always held reverence and respect first. But here you are, projecting your affection like this.

His ego was fed immensly.

"You're bold." Soma smirked, "I like that."

He didn't miss the way your eyes widened subtly. Your face glowed with radiance of happiness that he was so sure he got blinded.

"Oh! Oh my..." You held your blushing cheeks, shy. "Thank you, your majesty... Um Oh..."

You bowed and ran away, fully embarrassed.

Soma, surprised, let his guard down a bit as he laughed gently at your antics.

You were like a deer that was curious, then runs away when get caught.

He liked that.

Immensly.

Yet, what he doesn't know, is that you were smirking as you ran away.

You knew that a prideful man like him wouldn't like a strong independent person.

That would just clash with his personality.

But, what if that person was cute, innocent, shy, friendly... Someone who is easily protect-able. Someone who loves them immensely and is shy about it?

It would inflate his ego wildly seeing this naive person love them without a care.

You're a spy sent by the Emperor Callisto in order to find his darling knight here. And, if you can't find her, you just need to send the Emperor information, so that he can infiltrate the Kingdom and wreck havoc just to lure out the knight.

Honestly, the Emperor scares you. Who's crazy enough to wage countless wars just to find his woman?

Or does he delight in bloodshed and finding his darling is just an excuse?

Who knows, but you knew you have to kill Soma after you extracted enough information from him to start the war inside the Kingdom.

Starting with capturing the heart of the Prideful King.

"Soma!"

You ran to Soma and hugged him tightly. A happy smile on your face with a blush well orchestrated that you know he loves.

Soma smiles and kisses the top of your head before continuing to talk to his Prime Minister.

In those two months that you were here, you painstakingly captured Soma in your hands. Continuing to act as the naive person who doesn't know noble etiquette, you were a breath of fresh air in the uptight palace.

The servants love you, the other nobles look longingly your way, wanting to act as carefree as you.

And Soma? He's head over heels for you.

Yet, in his mind, you were the one in love. Not him. He loves having you by his arms, with you just loving him affectionately and being there to relieve his stress.

You were promoted to consort immediately once you confessed to him fully, and was now a precious being inside the Kingdom.

After all, this King who doesn't want marriage, with ego so high people swore it was through the heavens, suddenly had a consort on their way to become his royal partner.

Soma gave you everything. He loves giving you gifts, asserting dominance as he spoils you greatly.

And, as his reward, you would pour your affection to him while asking about information that he willingly gave.

After all, the foolish king still thinks you won't betray him.

You were only a stableperson, who in their right mind would betray him? Someone who's such a catch?

Sure, he's really handsome. People were lining left and right for his hand in marriage after all. And he spoils you greatly. You won't betray him. He knows it.

But, why are you straddling his lap now, in the middle of the knight, with a knife raised up high?

You were staring at him so coldly, he swore you are a different person.

Anguish, that's what Soma felt first.

He wanted to ask you why, but anger immediately filled him as you swung the knife down.

You're fast, but not fast enough.

He grabbed your hand and gripped it hard, making you seethe and drop the knife hilt down on the bed.

"WHY?!" He screamed, trying to clutch your body to submission. "HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME!"

You gritted your teeth and tried to thrash away from his hold, not saying anything.

When he got you pinned down on the bed, he grabbed your chin and forced you to look at him.

"Who sent you." He chillingly said that you gulped and shakily answered.

"Emperor Callisto."

Soma stopped, eyes darkened to a degree.

Yet, the words that came out of his mouth was surprising for you.

"So, you're doing this for a man other than me?"

He threw his head back, laughing wildly as his pride got pummeled fully.

First, you made him dance on your palm. Make him spill information and secrets. Let him spoil you greatly. Let you love him freely! And this is how you pay him? A betrayal for another man?

You're such a greedy fucker.

"Oh, cuz he's an Emperor, isn't he?" He spat out, eyes wide with extreme jealousy and unbridled rage. His squeeze on your waist was hurting you immensely. "And i'm not? Is this it? Do you spread your legs to men of higher status huh?"

Your heart dropped when you saw him take off his dress shirt, displaying his carved out muscles that once brought you lust, but now it brought you fear.

Soma gripped your shirt, eyes dead with no light. His mouth a thin light as he captured your lips in a frenzied kiss.

He's no one with pride now. His ego gone.

The betrayal made him crazy as you made him crazy for you.

Placing a palm on your abdomen, he smirks. An evil intent on his eye.

"I'm gonna fuck/breed you into submission." He growls out, grinding his hips against yours. "I'm gonna make you forget the Emperor. I only want you to only live for me, sing and dance for me, I want you to only love me."

And as he relishes in the fear in your eyes, he smirks.

You're his.

And he will break you into being his if you try to get out of his clutches at all.

Remember that.

[blueiscoool]

Sunken Temples of Aphrodite and Amun Found off Egyptian Coast

New discoveries off Egyptian coast reveal ‘treasures and secrets

New “treasures and secrets” have been revealed at the site of a sunken temple off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) announced in a news release Tuesday.

An underwater archaeological team, led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, has made further discoveries at the site of a temple to god Amun in the ancient port city of Thonis-Heracleion in the Bay of Aboukir, the institute said.

The team investigated the city’s south canal, where huge blocks of stone from the ancient temple collapsed “during a cataclysmic event dated to the mid-second century BC,” the institute said.

The temple to god Amun was where pharaohs came “to receive the titles of their power as universal kings from the supreme god of the ancient Egyptian pantheon,” it said.

“Precious objects belonging to the temple treasury have been unearthed, such as silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry and fragile alabaster containers for perfumes or unguents,” IEASM said. “They bear witness to the wealth of this sanctuary and the piety of the former inhabitants of the port city.”

The archaeological excavations, conducted jointly by Goddio’s team and the Department of Underwater Archaeology of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, revealed underground structures “supported by very well-preserved wooden posts and beams dating from the 5th century BC,” the institute said.

“It is extremely moving to discover such delicate objects, which survived intact despite the violence and magnitude of the cataclysm,” said Goddio, who is president of IEASM and director of excavations.

The discoveries were made possible thanks to the development and use of new geophysical prospecting technologies that can detect cavities and objects “buried under layers of clay several meters thick,” the institute said.

Relics from Greek presence, too

East of the Amun temple, a Greek sanctuary devoted to Aphrodite was discovered containing bronze and ceramic objects.

“This illustrates that Greeks who were allowed to trade and settle in the city during the time of the Pharaohs of the Saïte dynasty (664 - 525 BC) had their sanctuaries to their own gods,” the institute said.

The discoveries of Greek weapons also reveal the presence of Greek mercenaries in the area, IEASM said. “They were defending the access to the Kingdom at the mouth of the Canopic Branch of the Nile. This branch was the largest and the best navigable one in antiquity.”

The remains of Thonis-Heracleion are now located under the sea, 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the present coast of Egypt, IEASM said. The city was for centuries Egypt’s largest port on the Mediterranean before the founding of Alexandria by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.

“Rising sea levels and earthquakes followed by tidal waves triggering land liquefaction events, caused a 110 square kilometer portion of the Nile delta to totally disappear under the sea, taking with it the city of Thonis-Heracleion,” the institute said.

The city was discovered by the IEASM in 2000.

By Radina Gigova.

[tourismcampaigns]

We Are Here. Brave hearts of Ukraine

The campaign video was inspired by a famous video of a defiant President Zelensky stating “we are all here” on the first night of Russia’s invasion. The movie shown at ITB expands on this message, featuring Ukrainians who previously worked in the travel and tourism industry but are now contributing to the war effort. The campaign’s message is that Ukraine is still there, with all of its cities, wildlife, and culture for the world to discover once the crisis is resolved. Ukraine has a broad range of experiences waiting to be discovered, from the busy streets of Kyiv to the breathtaking scenery of the Carpathian Mountains, the bustling port city of Odesa to the attractive architecture of Lviv.

Ukraine is developing measures to repair our infrastructure, hotels, resorts, and attractions so that international visitors can return to Ukraine safely. They are committed to creating jobs in tourism, which will be critical to the rehabilitation of the tourism industry following our victory, and needs people to visit Ukraine and assist them in that effort.

The video depicts a side of Ukraine that shows Ukraine’s courage and the ongoing fight for the country’s future. Despite the challenges, Ukrainians remain unified in their determination to preserve their heritage and promoting Ukraine as a welcome and lively destination that should be on every prospective traveler’s bucket list.

[beraberblog]

ESTHETİCHAİRMEXİCO - DRAGON+ (4)

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[readingthenight]

The worst cities in India poll really made me think about Ahmedabad, where I spent a decade of my life, went to school, turned 18, and why it's the worst city in India.

1. It is genuinely the most communally and economically segregated city in India. Muslim residents are forced into ghettoes and all economic opportunities and real estate is seized by upper caste Hindus and Jains. I went to a school in the Hindu part of Ahmedabad and had one Muslim classmate the whole time. There was no Eid holiday.

2. Ahmedabad has a truly vile history of Anti-Muslim pogroms. The 2002 genocide was so horrific beyond words that I don't think there's been that kind of mass destruction in the country except for the Partition.

3. Ahmedabad and its residents facilitate and support Modi, Shah, and the BJP - much of their power came from Ahmedabad, and they are now trying to make UP what Gujarat is.

4. Alcohol is prohibited because Gandhi was born there. This has led to an underground bootlegging culture which disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged populations and leads to many deaths due to spurious alcohol. Also makes for one hell of a boring city.

5. Speaking of Gandhi, the whole city is obsessed with him, and there's a whole tourism economy dedicated to him with no reflection on his racism, casteism, and r*pe.

6. Speaking of tourism, there is absolutely nothing to do or see in the city. It truly has erased whatever culture it had to begin with.

7. This is because the culture is dominated by UC Hindus and Jains and caters to their preferences. Of course it's boring. While they drink alcohol at house parties, the working class folks have to follow rules which of course don't apply to the rich. Restaurants in other cities have alcohol menus, Ahmedabad restaurants have no onion no garlic menus.

8. Unless you study commerce or medicine, there is absolutely nothing for you here in terms of career prospects. Forget trying to stay in Ahmedabad if you studied humanities, because the city has killed the prospect of communities around the arts.

9. There is a very hostile attitude towards non-vegetarian food - I've been told my house smells like fish, I probably eat anything etc etc. Housing communities are illegally "pure veg". Also for everything that gets said about it being safe....try wearing a dress and going out. There is no non veg street food. Food courts don't serve non veg food. This is not normal.

10. Even the "liberal" circuit is painfully elite and gatekeepy.

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-B06 - Attack of Booksmart

Yumenosuke: Greetings. My name is Kuraku Yumenosuke! The other day, I heard the bold, wonderful announcement of you inaugurating active high schoolers as Tourism Ward Mayors.

It may be audacious, but as I have studied hard to someday become a Tourism Ward Mayor as part of my own life plan, I would like to use this video to introduce myself.

……

If you've watched this far, that means you've decided to give me at least a small chance… Thank you! Moving on, I would like to explain my plan!

The concept is "My Town, Future Dreams".

I have devised a tour aimed towards both prospective students and guardians there for the open days, as well as residents of the wards, where they can enjoy themselves by depicting their dreams for the future while contributing to society!

New students at Asu-High will naturally bear the burden of Hama's future, and aim to become Rank Fives like myself.

That's true not only for them, but for the guardians and adults as well. All people have a duty to aim for greater heights, to reconstruct ourselves—our community—our country—into something even better!

Our first step shall be to change the Hama we live in. This tour will prove that we have the power to do so.

In short, my tour will not simply be showing people around and introducing the school, but will include booths from local businesses, segments to experience local specialties and traditional crafts—

And I propose we include volunteer activities as well!

Volunteer activities provide not only real-world experience, but also the emotional benefits of contributing to the area, and are the best way for people to make connections with kindred spirits they meet on the way.

Now then, allow me to introduce the businesses that have offered their support. Please make sure you have the 254 page document I sent on hand!

Yumenosuke: —With that, I believe my explanation is finished. Thank you for watching this far!

I implore you to consider recruiting me! I, Kuraku Yumenosuke, shall be in your hands!

…

Cut.

*clapperboard sound*

Kuraku Yumenosuke: … Isotake Akuta-kun.

From this point onwards, I am speaking to you alone. Somehow or other, I hear you've taken on the role of leader.

What did you think of my plan?

I, personally, feel it ended up being a very honest piece, befitting of a student Ward Mayor.

Now—I've sent this video to all your teammates as well. Naturally, I also took the initiative to send it to Hama Tours a few days ago.

There's little time left until the open days. I think it would be best to change personnel sooner rather than later…

Despite waiting until the deadline, I have not received a response from Hama Tours; and so, I would like you to speak with them as well. With that, I shall excuse myself.

Akuta: …

……

(Aaaaah… What the hell, I don't even have the energy to eat anymore, or like…)

…

Like, I just feel super tired…

*door opens*

Momiji: Is everyone—oh, Akuta-kun.

Is nobody else here yet?

Akuta: …

Momiji: (He seems stupefied… It's clear he's not well.)

What happened? Did you eat something weird?

Akuta: ……

Momiji: Hey, come on, Akuta-ku—

*door opens*

Ushio: Hey! What the hell is this!?

Kiroku: -… I got, an email… from… the Student Council President.

Nanaki: It had some video about him showing off a proposal.

Muneuji: Even at 1.75 speed, it was ridiculously long.

Ushio: Could someone explain what this is? What's going on right now?

Momiji: Th-that's—not an issue! You don't have to worry about it one bit!

Akuta: …

Momiji: Me and Akuta-kun are planning to finalise the concept later. Right, Akuta-kun? It'll be fine.

Akuta: …nough…

Ushio: … Don't tell me, you think this plan—

Muneuji: Surely you're not thinking it'd be fine to go with this.

Akuta: ……

Kiroku: … Are you… thinking, that…?

Nanaki: Akuta, why aren't you saying anything? It's not like you.

Muneuji: Isotake, answer us.

Nanaki: Just keep going with your own style and—

Akuta: Man~~ the President sure is amazing! That Rank Five pin badge ain't just for show. When he talked about, uh, "e-mo-tio-nal benefit"? He looked so grown up!

Ushio: …

Don't fuck with us. Didn't you say you'd think it up yourself?

Kiroku: You're, not… feeling… fainthearted, are… you?

Akuta: No no, you're the ones acting weird! Don't be biased and look at it calmly. Can you think of anything this peak? Huh?

Muneuji: Are you being serious right now?

Akuta: That Yumenosuke guy's a genius! Doesn't it feel like he was born to be a Ward Mayor!?

So let's go with it! Would be great as the Day Team's leader, too! He's got my vote!

Ushio: Hey, what's with that attitude!

Akuta: I only have three followers!!

I only have three…

Ushio: …Huh?

Nanaki: ……

Momiji: H-hold on, let's take a moment to calm down. Follower count isn't relevant here. For now—

Nanaki: I'll step down.

Momiji: Nanaki-kun!?

Nanaki: I'll step down, and the President can join. Then the case is settled.

Akuta: …-.

Kafka: Alright, that's enough. I could hear you from the hall.

Momiji: Kafka!

Nanaki: Oguro-san, I'm stepping down—

Kafka: Nope. From the very start, I nominated you as a candidate to Principal Naoe.

I decided based on your activities as unlove.

I had expectations for you, and now that you've passed as I thought you would, I can't accept you stepping down.

Nanaki: …

Akuta: I'll drop out, then.

Momiji: Akuta-kun! You don't have to do that!

Akuta: I will. …Staying's just gonna cramp my style.

It's not a big deal. My stage just isn't here, that's all.

*door opens*

*running*

Momiji: Akuta-kun! Wait!

Akuta: -…! Let… go!

Momiji: Come on! Listen to me…!

*smack*

Momiji: …

Akuta: Don't touch me. …You're just going to give the usual lip service adults do.

Momiji: —

Akuta: I'm not going to become an adult like you, Sensei.

*running*

Momiji: Akuta… kun…

…

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Masterlist

[bloghrexach]

💥 … good news!!! — July 20, 2024!!

By: LaillaB, founder of ‘Reclaim the Narrative’, from LinkedIn …

“As Israel's genocidal war against Gaza continues unabated, the Israeli economy is facing a catastrophe.

The economic indicators speak of nothing less than an economic catastrophe.

Over 46,000 businesses have gone bankrupt, tourism has stopped, Israel's credit rating was lowered, Israeli bonds are sold at the prices of almost "junk bonds" levels, and the foreign investments that have already dropped by 60% in the first quarter of 2023 (as a result of the policies of Israel's far-right government before October 7) show no prospects of recovery.

The majority of the money invested in Israeli investment funds was diverted to investments abroad because Israelis do not want their own pension funds and insurance funds or their own savings to be tied to the fate of the State of Israel.

This has caused a surprising stability in the Israeli stock market because funds invested in foreign stocks and bonds generated profit in foreign currency, which was multiplied by the rise in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the Israeli Shekel.

But then Intel scuttled a $25 billion investment plan in Israel, the biggest BDS victory ever.

Three Israeli historians, two Zionists and one anti-Zionist, have declared that the Zionist project has come to an end.

Israel's power grid, which has largely switched to natural gas, still depends on coal to supply demand.

The biggest supplier of coal to Israel is Colombia, which announced that it would suspend coal shipments to Israel as long as the genocide was ongoing.

After Colombia, the next two biggest suppliers are South Africa and Russia.

Without reliable and continuous electricity, Israel will no longer be able to pretend to be a developed economy.

The physical destruction in Israel has been minimal, but one thing has been destroyed: its future.

When a critical mass of Israelis, regardless of their political opinions, become convinced that Israeli apartheid has become unsustainable, they will no longer agree to invest energy and money and risk their lives and their families for the sake of the Zionist project.

They will seek out a better future for themselves, as every sane person would, either by leaving Israel, or better yet, by working towards a new and democratic political system in Palestine 🇵🇸 إن شاء الله

Mondoweiss.

🃏 An economy built on the exploitation and suffering of others is a house of cards destined to collapse.

إن شاء الله

#reclaimthenarrative — 🍉🕊 — #FreePalestine … @hrexach

[nianeyna]

I kept a bullet-pointed liveblog in a notes document as I played the new ffxiv expansion. now I have finally finished the story so I can share with the class without fear of someone responding to me with spoilers. speaking of which everything below is dawntrail spoilers, for the entire expansion, in case that wasn't clear.

⬇️ SPOILERS. FINAL FANTASY XIV DAWNTRAIL SPOILERS BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⬇️

Dawntrail Liveblog

- ok so the mean claimants are obviously not going to win, but catboy promise is a dark horse. also not ruling out "nobody wins"

- Urqopacha is super cute

- CAMPFIRE SCENE!

- Erenville's deal continues to be very mysterious no matter how much he contrives to appear to be telling us about it

- lol Erenville dialog: "I spoke too much" YOU BARELY SAID ANYTHING BABE

- Kozama-uka is sooooo pretty

- I like how the entire first dungeon was totally unnecessary since we would have got there FASTER if we'd just stuck around and helped Alisaie and Erenville repair the boat lmao. but that's not how the WoL does things!!

- CAMPFIRE SCENE!

- erenville lurking in the background... siddown boy lmao

- unknown dude: hey you uh... forgot something. yeah back there. come with me and get it this is definitely not a trap

- oh no it was a trap! who could possibly have predicted this??

- awwww, Koana. wasn't sure about him at first but he's just a cute little muffin isn't he

- wuk lamat getting all excited about eating the xibruq pibil was so cute omg. she just likes food!!! I appreciate that in a woman

- oh shiiiiit wuk lamat origin story?! dun dun dun...

- aaaaaand solo duty... ulp

- haha get wrekt

- CAMPFIRE SCENE!

- the mamool ja should look into tourism... this place is pretty as hell

- ok koana shooting the tablet was a pretty cool move

- have my doubts about the golden city being in yak tel... like if it was there why'd they go to xak tural then

- ok, I guess it... was there? or... the *entrance* was there... according to gulool ja ja, anyway...

- road trip alone with erenville be still my heart!

- out of context erenville quotes: "this is your first time, so let's take it slow"

- no need to apologize erenville... you can drag me into anything you want

- oh wow this is really fucking sad. wow. I wasn't expecting that!

- the ridiculous train plan is cheering me up a bit thank god (editor's note: it didn't last)

- sigh... there always has to be at least one zone per expansion that's all dark and gross-looking. did they sign a contract to that effect or something??

- I can't believe how mean this plotline is to erenville

- this is fucked up... this is so fucked up

- npc: "sorry to darken the mood" NO THAT'S FINE I DON'T THINK THE MOOD CAN GET ANY WORSE!!

- I want to rip Spene's crown off and push her off a cliff. her little I'm so cute and innocent and helpless act makes me want to puke.

- CAMPFIRE SCENE!

- if any more parents die in this story I am really truly gonna lose it

- YES finally we get to fight these horrible people. machine army. whatever.

- I hope the next trial is sphene... I want to kick sphene's ass SO bad

- well there goes otis which brings the fucking dead parent toll to at least 4

- finallyyyyyy made it out of heritage found... *collapses onto the floor of tuliyollal like a shipwrecked sailor reaching land*

- (ok obviously I've technically been back to tuliyollal while I've been doing these godforsaken quests but THIS IS DIFFERENT!)

- we didn't fight sphene but the prospects are looking really good for me getting to punch her in the face soon. probably not literally like we got to do with zenos, but I guess you can't have everything :(

- wow sphene really BELIEVES she's just a helpless little girl. fucking incredible.

- next expansion let's have a final zone NOT populated entirely by ghosts. change it up a little

- so should I count namikka and cahciua's deaths twice on the parent death toll scoreboard or what

- you know what I still don't get. is why the yok huy went to xak tural to look for the golden city. *why did they think it was there*? I mean heritage found is there *now* but it definitely wasn't hundreds of years ago!

- that face on the tower looks more like meteion than sphene tbh

- two more dead parents!

- I can't. believe. sphene erased herself before I could beat her ass. this is the most unfair thing that has happened in this expansion, and it is up against some STRONG contenders

- it's just not satisfying to pummel a weird robot that has none of her memories!

- oh sphene's SORRY? *loudest fart noise ever*

- it's a good thing wuk lamat is here to be nice cause if I had to do it I'd throw up

- "their lives remain unchanged"? uh.... we shut off the afterlife. which was a real physical place you could go to. I feel like that changes things a bit!

- I DID IT I'M OUT CREDITS ROLLED UP I'M DONE THANK GOD

First half I rate: 9/10

Second half I rate: 3/10

Overall I rate this expansion: 5/10 I guess

Up until the lightning dome appeared I was having a blast. after that the gameplay experience became one of gritting my teeth so I could get out and be done with it. all the alexandrian zones are dark and unpleasant to be in, which would have been bearable except the plot was literally nightmarish and any new characters I didn't hate either died or were already dead (except gulool ja, who's cute of course, but his story was still pretty upsetting in a different way). This is not to say the writing was bad, because I don't think it was. In the alternate universe where I was LOOKING for a tragic existential horror game I might have even really liked it. However I really really wasn't looking for that at all, so in the real world I feel pretty betrayed and upset. There's a line between "plot twist" and "false advertising" and I think they left it behind in the dust.

But hell, at least we got 4 campfire scenes.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the Associated Press (AP):

Playful large white beluga whales bring joy and healing to Hudson Bay. Their happy chirps leap out in an environment and economy threatened by the warming water melting sea ice, starving polar bears and changing the entire food chain.

Loud and curious belugas swarm boats here, clicking, nudging and frolicking. At any given summer moment on the Churchill River that flows into the Hudson Bay, as many as 4,000 belugas can be up and down the waterway, surrounding vessels of all sizes. That makes it hard to find a place where you don’t see them, said whale biologist Valeria Vergara, senior scientist at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. It’s in their nature.

“The social butterflies of the whale world... You can see it in Churchill,” Vergara said.

The town of Churchill is counting on that to continue. The mostly Indigenous community, pulled out of economic doldrums by polar bear tourism, faces the prospect of a dwindling number of bears because of climate change. So it is counting on another white beast, the beluga, to come to the rescue and entice summer tourists — if the sea mammals can also survive the changes to this gateway to the Arctic.

But it’s not just her, she said. When she brings her customers into the water, inches from the whales, they also feel better.

“I’ve never seen an animal except for maybe puppies bring that amount and capacity of joy to people,” Greene said. “Everybody’s smiling when they get off the water... Everybody’s just experiencing joy. And it’s the whales that provide that.”

“With the beluga whales, I think it’s quite a different connection than with any other animal because the whales are truly choosing to socialize with you. They want to play,” Greene said. “That’s really what sets them apart from other animals. They’re so gentle. They have no desire to hurt the human.”

[ausetkmt]

Florida quietly removes LGBTQ+ travel info from state website

FILE - Hundreds of people line Central Avenue and cheer during the 10th Annual St. Pete Pride Street Festival & Promenade in St. Petersburg, Fla. on June 30, 2012.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and St. Petersburg are among several Florida cities that have long been top U.S. destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists. So it came as a surprise this week when travelers learned that Florida's tourism marketing agency quietly removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website sometime in the past few months.

Business owners who cater to Florida's LGBTQ+ tourists said Wednesday that it marked the latest attempt by officials in the state to erase the LGBTQ+ community. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis previously championed a bill to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and supported a ban on gender-affirming care for minors, as well as a law meant to keep children out of drag shows.

“It's just disgusting to see this,” said Keith Blackburn, who heads the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “They seem to want to erase us.”

The change to Visit Florida's website was first reported by NBC News, which noted a search query still pulls up some listings for LGBTQ+-friendly places despite the elimination of the section.

John Lai, who chairs Visit Florida's board, didn't respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. Dana Young, Visit Florida's CEO and president, didn't respond to a voicemail message Wednesday, and neither did the agency's public relations director.

Visit Florida is a public-private partnership between the state of Florida and the state's tourism industry. The state contributes about $50 million each year to the quasi-public agency from two tourism and economic development funds.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. Nearly 141 million tourists visited Florida in 2023, with out-of-state visitors contributing more than $102 billion to Florida’s economy.

Before the change, the LGBTQ+ section on Visit Florida's website had read, “There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities — a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.”

Blackburn said the change and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies out of Tallahassee make it more difficult for him to promote South Florida tourism since he encounters prospective travelers or travel promoters who say they don't want to do business in the state.

Last year, for instance, several civil rights groups issued a travel advisory for Florida, saying that policies championed by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

But visitors should also understand that many Florida cities are extremely inclusive, with gay elected officials and LGBTQ+-owned businesses, and they don't reflect the policies coming from state government, Blackburn added.

“It’s difficult when these kinds of stories come out, and the state does these things, and we hear people calling for a boycott,” Blackburn said. “On one level, it’s embarrassing to have to explain why people should come to South Florida and our destination when the state is doing these things.”

[katiajewelbox]

Breaking News: CERN's Particle Experiment Opens Portal to Gaea!

In an unprecedented event that has scientists and fantasy fans alike buzzing with excitement, physicists at CERN have accidentally stumbled upon a gateway to another world. During a routine particle acceleration experiment, a colossal pillar of light erupted into the sky, visible from miles around. But this was no ordinary atmospheric phenomenon; it was a portal to the phantom planet Gaea, known to many from the beloved anime series Vision of Escaflowne.

As if torn straight from the pages of a science fiction novel, the pillar of light has become a bridge between Earth and Gaea, allowing for an exchange of not just ideas, but people. Reports are flooding in from all over the globe of individuals being transported to and from Gaea, sparking a frenzy of potential interplanetary tourism and cultural exchange.

Entrepreneurs are already drafting business plans for the first-ever interplanetary travel agencies, offering tours of Gaea's breathtaking landscapes and ancient ruins. Meanwhile, scientists are giddy at the prospect of sharing knowledge and technology with their Gaeanean counterparts, hoping to unlock the mysteries of the universe together.

As we stand at the cusp of this new era, one thing is certain: the future is filled with endless possibilities. So, pack your bags and prepare for an adventure that's out of this world—literally!

Happy April Fools' Day to all, and to all a good flight!

Enjoy the playful twist and have a fantastic April Fools' Day!

Art: DALL E 3 AI art based on my prompt