#so feeing like I have the power to provide that for people is so so nice :)))))

[capesandshapes]

Every single person who thinks Libby is going to shut down forever has literally never worked in a library. I genuinely need you to know this.

The US government does not own Libby. The majority of library funding provided by imls is not for ebook funding.

It's still important to support Libby and support your library's use of ebook catalogs, and also look into ways to donate to the systems that they're a part of that directly pay for these catalog fees, but when you look at what is on a large scale impacted by cutting funds to libraries on the federal level, you understand what these cuts are really about.

IMLS helps with the start up funds for various programs and new libraries, the idea has always been to eat the cost of new programs and have the communities surrounding libraries fund them. They have since the 2000's been piloting various ways to make resources more accessible to people and act as a sort of equity program for different communities, with librarians moving to fill what gaps they can in their community resources and having to rely on grants and federal funding to do so.

There are rural and still developing libraries that receive their e-catalog funding via the federal government, but it's not the whole of libraries.

The largest things that are risk are accessibility services through the various programs we've developed for libraries in order to pool resources for the disabled, and national ILL services-- the big names being WorldShare and OCLC, which help patrons access books outside of their systems and have greatly helped with academic libraries. We're also going to see a decrease in supplementary education programs, which because of their rapidly expanding nature have always received federal funding and most states, this is summer reading and after school tutoring.

This is cooking classes, this is service delivery for disabled patrons, this is audiobooks. This is books in Braille. If your library is one of the many that used grants in order to fund distributing COVID tests, I've got bad news. This is hot spots for rural communities where students might not be able to access the internet at home because the infrastructure just isn't there yet. This is libraries that have tried to expand their space to include a food pantry and fill the gaps when people don't have funds to donate. This is niche libraries that provide valuable access to resources, like the federally funded library that provided my patrons with photos of their family when they lived on reservations. This is community education hosted by libraries like the technology courses that helped my patrons set up their first emails. This is money to digitize resources in archives that may otherwise never see the light of day. This is new libraries when there's not a single library for a hundred miles.

When you simplify it all to just ebooks, people want to believe that the solution is just donating regular books or learning to read in other ways. They don't see the whole of what this funding symbolizes.

The Corona pandemic led to a vast expansion in equity services amongst libraries, and with the instability of our economy and the way that legislators have been fighting against taxing the people who should be taxed, none of these programs are enshrined in budgets and bylaws.

Grants aren't fun to write, libraries do not propose specific programs just for shits and giggles. They propose them because they look at the community surrounding them and they realize that there maybe a need. They see where inequality lies, and many librarians try to find a way to solve it.

But this? This is a direct attack on providing opportunity and empathy to all Americans. This is a direct move to limit and punish those who the rich and powerful feel are less than, and it's bullshit.

I love ebooks and what they offer just as much as anyone else, but this is so much more than ecatalogs. Don't erase what this is.

[qqueenofhades]

I really really REALLY need to see more people makimg the connection between trump and his russian handlers tbh.......like i know we've somehow gone through the looking glass of putin apologia but that piece abt the NYT you just posted, the bots, the interference: in the bag for trump? Yes. But i dont believe its due to his or even republican power or popularity or forcefulness.......this is a man with so much debt and kompromat thats only getting worse!! Not to sound kwazy BUT WE ARE BEING FULLY INFLITRATED and at the risk of conspiracizing i think the russians are ALSO behind the Times's demise along with so many other information centers etc. Like i KNOW these leftists love him but like. Wouldnt they care a LITTLE abt being manipulated like this???

Trump is 100% an active, willing, and eager Russian agent. That's not even paranoid conspiracy theory, that's just the only reasonable interpretation of the facts:

NOT TO MENTION that in the next two years after the Helsinki conference where Trump kowtowed to Putin in every way, the CIA admitted to losing huge and unusually high numbers of classified informants around the world (not CIA agents, but people secretly working for the American government in often-hostile countries):

Once again, this all happened when Trump was in office, when he was actively handing over CIA intel to the Kremlin against the wishes of the entire national security establishment, and which other experts have suggested was directly as a result of Trump handing over the identities of American informants to Russia, including those stationed in Russia itself:

Now, I could go on, but you get the point. Not to mention that Trump just lost a major UK-based lawsuit against Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent who was the first to provide documents linking Trump to Russia in the controversial "Steele dossier":

And now: Trump is deeply in hock for hundreds of millions in legal fees and punitive judgments that are only increasing by the day, he somehow just came up with $90 million to appeal the judgment against E. Jean Carroll (nobody knows where he got this money either), and Russian state TV spends all their time openly salivating for Trump's return to the presidency (so he can hand over Ukraine and the rest of NATO and, as he literally said, "let Russia do whatever the hell they want.") I know we're largely numb to all the awful treasonous shit that Trump does, but like. This isn't a conspiracy theory, this is just what's going on in plain sight, and while the Online Leftists have recently become so stupid that I honestly can't tell if it's just terminal brainworms or active Russian psyops, it's strongly indicated that it is in fact a mix of both:

So, like. Just some food for thought.

[luulapants]

Incorrect comments I often see on tumblr posts about US incarceration

"The problem is private prisons!"

Private prisons are awful, and there have been specific instances of incarceration resulting from private prisons (like the Kids for Cash scandal), but they represent a very small percent of prisons in the US. Only 8% of people incarcerated in the US are in a privately-owned prison, and many states do not allow private prisons at all.

However, profiteering off incarceration doesn't stop at private prisons. There is an entire parasitic economy built around prisons, from prison phone, text, and mail-scanning companies to companies that run prison commissaries to the companies that provide food and clothing to prisons. These are all for-profit entities that contract with state or federal "justice" departments, who will choose either the lowest bidder or the company that provides the largest kickback to the officials making the decision (there is a LOT of corruption in these deals). Then they operate as a monopoly with no reason to provide incarcerated folks with anything but the bare minimum. The food companies make people sick. Until recently, prison phone companies have charged extortionary rates from the families of incarcerated people. Since the FCC put a stop to that, they have moved onto text, tablet, and mail schemes.

"The incarceration rate is so high because it's legalized slavery!"

While the 13th amendment exemption certainly plays a role in incarceration, especially the history of incarcerating Black Americans, prison labor is not the only piece of the puzzle. In 1973, 0.093% of the US population was incarcerated - a little less than 1 person for every 10,000 Americans. Today, the rate is 0.6%, or more than 1 in 200.

The factors that led to this trend are multifaceted: there was a backlash to the Black Power movement, the American Indian Movement, and resistance to the Vietnam War. There were "tough on crime" and Broken Windows policies that sought to reduce violent crime by arresting more people for petty crimes. There was the War on Drugs. There was the closing of state mental institutions and the failure to adequately fund the community-based treatment programs that were meant to replace them.

Prison labor does exist and play a role in all of this, but it's not the direct driver of incarceration, and only 1% of prisoners are employed by private corporations. Rather, the more pressing issue is that even if prisoners weren't required to do labor, they probably would still be forced to choose it because of how expensive it is to be in prison. Basic necessities like soap, toothpaste, and even shoes are not provided. In some places, they are actually charged rent - for the prison! The average wage for a prison laborer range from 13 to 52 cents per hour. People will petition to get transferred to prisons with factory jobs where they can get higher wages - like $4/hour making cardboard boxes. Even with their paltry wages, they still cost their families more than they can afford.

"Most people are in on petty drug busts!"

Drug arrests do play a pivotal role in the incarceration cycle, but only 1 in 5 incarcerated people is in on a drug-related offense. This makes sense, because those sentences tend to be short. A less direct way that drug criminalization factors in is that drug arrests give people a criminal record. They might lose their job when arrested, then incur court and parole-related fines and fees, struggle to find a job and housing because of their record, and end up in increasingly desperate situations where violent crime becomes a more viable option. Incarceration causes crime.

"Sex offenders need to stay locked up because they will offend again!"

People convicted of sex offenses actually have lower recidivism rates than people with other types of convictions. This is despite the fact that they receive no scientifically valid treatment during incarceration. This is also contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of victims, who favor less punitive sentences with greater investment in rehabilitation, mental health treatment, and victim support.

[imtrashraccoon]

Whoops, all worldbuilding! Yeah, um, I decided to take my break before posting this and it ended up being longer than I had planned. I did get a little stuck planning this chapter out too, but I eventually settled on an ending that seemed good. So, yeah! Hopefully this is okay to tag as Bad Sansuary, even though it's been over for a bit...

@strawberryiso-papyrusiscool Here is the surprise I was working on for your OC. I based it off the "Reven Don't Imagine" you requested a couple months ago. I hope you like it, especially since I reworked it a tad. Thanks for humoring me lol

@owl-bones

First, Previous, & Next Day

Bad Sansuary II: Bonus - Meet Cute

Featuring: Reven!

Word Count: 3,305

You hugged your thin coat around yourself in a futile attempt to ward off the biting wind that whistled through the alleyways. It was almost always windy down here in the Undercity and the tall buildings really didn't help with the wind tunnel effect.

Life wasn't easy here. Although you had grown up in an orphanage, you left as soon as you became an adult and made your own way in the world. While you usually relied on your street smarts, you had another advantage that most people didn't. You seemed to have some modicum of control over situations where chance was involved. You couldn't change the odds, but you could usually predict the right call when it counted.

You were careful to keep your ability to yourself, lest you attract the wrong kind of attention, usually playing it off whenever anyone seemed to take notice. They called you lucky, and so you had taken to using the nickname on occasion since it just seemed right somehow.

It helped that you looked relatively uninteresting, save for your soft golden eyes, although you had been told they seemed to appear light green in certain lighting and you didn't bother to correct them. You had brown hair that you usually kept short and preferred androgynous clothing wherever possible. You liked to feel comfortable and unrestricted, especially because you could never really know when you might run into someone having a bad day.

The Undercity was a massive city, situated in a deep crater and naturally defended by jagged stone cliffs that seemed to almost touch the sky itself. The streets were often dark, thanks to the walls and tall buildings, but the main thruways were usually lit with oil lamps. The sky was obscured a lot of the time, but on clear nights you liked to climb up somewhere high and just stare up at the few stars that managed to poke through the shadows.

Another fact about this place was that there were several powerful families with massive influence over the populous. There were politicians and guards like everywhere else, but everyone knew they actively took bribes to look the other way and couldn't be trusted. It was said that it was almost preferable to deal with some of the families if you needed something done, as they usually kept up their end of the bargain.

Today, you were on your way to the industrial part of the city since it was generally pretty easy to find work, provided you kept your head down and asked no questions. Your rent was due soon and, after the protection fees, you were going to come up short if you didn't rustle up some more cash.

A loud crash followed by a cry of pain caused you to pause as you passed by an alleyway. Immediately, you noticed a young looking monster on the ground surrounded by fragmented wood from where they had been shoved into some old pallets. They appeared to resemble a deer, although they seemed to lack any horns and wore rather tattered clothing. Standing over them were two guards. The first had a bulky build and was standing off to one side, while the other was slimmer and currently nursing a bruised knuckle.

"Stupid brat, you don't get to give me lip like that," the second guard hissed before spitting at the ground.

You knew you shouldn't get involved in something that didn't concern you, and yet you hesitated to walk away. The monster was visibly trembling and looked to be no older than fourteen. Your heart nearly broke when you realized they were crying, but your sympathy quickly turned to rage when the guards only laughed at the poor kid's misery.

Taking a deep breath, you began to walk down the alley, your soft footsteps echoing off the brick walls. What were the odds this time? Could you convince these bullies to leave the monster alone? Or would they turn their anger on you instead? No matter the roll, you knew you had to do the right thing. It didn't take long for them to notice your presence, and while the first guard stayed still, the second immediately resumed an aggressive stance.

"Run along, citizen. This doesn't concern you."

You paused a few paces away from them, quietly observing the situation. "Leave them alone," you responded, keeping your tone carefully neutral for the time being.

The first guard suddenly took several steps closer, his hand on his sword. "Leave now, or I'll make you regret meddling with our duties."

You raised an eyebrow and shifted your weight from one foot to the other, mentally weighing your options. Your fingers twitched on your dominant hand, itching to reach for your knife, but you restrained yourself. Pulling a weapon on a trained guard was just asking for a quick trip to the grave and you weren't exactly keen on that. No, you needed to be diplomatic about this.

"They did nothing wrong. What kind of upholder of justice is so easily offended that they would beat up a kid?" You crossed your arms and firmly planted your feet in place. If you were going to take a hit, you were going to look him in the eye as he did it.

"they're right, you know..."

You felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end at the sound of the quiet voice. It was monotone, and yet you detected a hint of malice as the speaker trailed off, although he sounded like he had been attempting to disguise it. You heard slow, measured footsteps approaching from behind as the newcomer drew closer. He stopped at what you estimated was a few feet away and, against your better judgement, you tore your eyes away from the guard to see who it was.

The newcomer was shorter than you expected and you couldn't be sure if he was human, although you suspected he was a monster by his glowing eyes. Those eyes were like red hot coals, although the left had an icy ring of cyan as well. The harsh contrast between the two orbs gave him an unnerving appearance and you felt a chill run down your spine.

His face was obscured by the shadows from the surrounding buildings, but even if it wasn't, he was also wearing a hood. It seemed like he was wearing a crimson cuirass with chainmail over top and steel gauntlets. You could also see a shortsword strapped to his hip, but you weren't sure if he was a soldier or something else entirely.

The thin guard moved to stand with his partner, mirroring his aggressive stance. "This doesn't concern you either. Leave. Now."

A tense silence settled over the alley, only interrupted by quiet sniffling from the deer monster. The newcomer stood stock still, staring down the guards with clear disdain in his eyelights. You wanted nothing more than to leave, but you weren't about to abandon the kid.

The stranger took a slow step forward and then another, followed by another until he was standing next to you. In doing so, he stepped out of the darkness and you were surprised to see that he was a skeleton. Now, while you hadn't personally met any, several of the powerful families in the city were run by skeletons. They were a powerful subspecies of monster, most known for their naturally high mana levels and ability to learn multiple types of magic, something you didn't have.

Needless to say, you were immediately on guard. You didn't know if this skeleton was affiliated with any of the families, but you didn't want to risk it if that was the case. The last thing you needed was to tick off someone who could make your life even more of a living hell than it already was. Besides, he had a certain vibe about him that didn't sit right, like something was off, although you didn't know what.

"i think you should be the ones to leave," the stranger snarled, still staring down the two guards. "before you regret it..."

The bulkier guard started to draw his sword, only for the stranger to summon several bone bullets pointing right at him and his partner. The tips were sharpened to a fine point and their purple glow illuminated the surrounding area. You swallowed nervously at the blatant display of power, realizing this was escalating faster than you were comfortable with.

With a sigh, you reached down a pulled your dagger from your boot. It seemed like you would be lucky if you got to visit the industrial district at all today. You and the stranger might have a tentative alliance, but you still didn't like the odds of fighting two trained soldiers, especially since both were bigger than you.

"Look, can't you both just go? I don't have time for this today," you said, idly toying with your blade in an effort to mirror the stranger's boldness.

At this, the stranger summoned even more bone bullets. You heard him let out a quiet chuckle under his breath and when you glanced over, he had a manic looking grin stretched across his face. Being this close, you also noticed he had more pronounced canines, even though the rest of his teeth were flat. Had he sharpened them himself or was there another reason?

"N-now hold on...there's no need to be hasty," the first guard stammered, taking a step back.

The second one nodded, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as he nervously eyed the glowing purple bullets. Both guards raised their hands in a placating gesture as they backed away from you.

"get out of here," the stranger growled.

The guards didn't need to be told twice, and the first nearly tripped over his own feet in his desperate attempt to leave as quickly as possible. You thought you heard one of them curse as they ran off, but you chose to ignore it.

Turning to the deer monster, you held out a hand to help them up. "You going to be okay, kid?"

They sniffled, but gave you a grateful nod as you hauled them to their feet. "Th-thanks..." they whispered before running off in the opposite direction of the guards.

You smiled and let out a sigh of relief. That could've gone much worse. It seemed like luck had been on your side once again. Why else had a stranger just shown up and gotten involved?

Hearing a shuffling sound, you turned and nearly bumped into the skeleton in question. He was giving you a strange look, but he didn't seem hostile at least.

You cleared your throat and rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. "So, I guess I should thank you, huh?"

He hummed quietly, his mismatched eyelights flicking over your face and briefly glancing down at your clothing. Then, he abruptly turned around and began walking away. "...just thank your lucky stars that i was nearby," he muttered, giving a small wave without looking back at you.

You were left more than a little confused.

~ ~ ~ (`°v°`) ~ ~ ~

Over the next few days, you started getting the distinct feeling of being watched. Most of the time there wasn't anyone around, but sometimes you would spot the stranger from the alley. The first time you made eye contact, his permanent grin widened before he walked away as if nothing weird was going on. Then, you began seeing him more often, always just standing off to the side, as if he wanted you to know that he was watching you.

It didn't escalate beyond that. He never showed up at your home, that you knew of, and he never actually made an effort to interact with you. He was stalking you, that much was very clear, but what could you do? Going to the guards was definitely a bad idea after you had sent the two from the alley running, and you weren't about to go see one of the families for fear he was involved with them.

You had other problems now anyways. Ever since that day in the alleyway, the local guards had been harrassing you more often than usual. At first it wasn't anything more than you could handle, since you weren't stupid enough to carry illegal items on your person, but then they started getting aggressive. They would follow you around so that you couldn't do anything without them knowing, and then the shakedowns started. One day you apparently had a suspicious amount of gold on your person, and nothing you could say would convince them otherwise. They ended up confiscating it for "evidence", leaving you with nothing for rent or even food.

So, after a fruitless day of searching for work, you were feeling discouraged, but rather than head home, you decided to go to your favourite spot in the city. It was an old cathedral with a tall clock tower that was relatively easy to break into since hardly anyone was ever around. Once inside, it was as simple as climbing a set of stairs to reach the top of the tower and then opening a hatch to see through the rocky crags to the narrow patch of night sky above.

Well, that's normally how it went. No sooner had you reached the top of the stairs and went to open the hatch, did you hear a creaking sound as someone else began ascending the steps as well. There was nowhere to hide in this room since it was completely devoid of any furniture, save for a few empty crates that were too small to conceal you.

You had been positive that no one had seen you break in, but there was always a possibility you had been wrong. Maybe the old vicar had been awake after all? You wondered if he could be convinced that you were an inspector, or if you would have to resort to putting on the destitute beggar act.

The footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs, but when you weren't immediately called out for trespassing, you were confused. Slowly, you turned around, only to make eye contact with a pair of very familiar red with cyan eyelights.

Neither of you said anything for a minute. He was just staring at you with an indescribable look on his face. His body language was almost relaxed, although his burning mismatched eyelights told an entirely different story. Still, he made no move to attack, as if he wanted to see what you would do.

You wiped your clammy palms on your pants and shifted your weight from one foot to the other. "What do you want?" you asked carefully.

He tilted his skull at the sound of your quiet voice and the corners of his permanent smile quirked up ever so slightly. "i want to know why you stood up for that kid," he answered, taking a few slow steps towards you.

You responded by taking a step back, although when your back hit the wall, you let out an involuntary gasp. At least he stopped just out of arm's reach, but you couldn't help feeling pinned against the wall from his intense gaze alone.

"It was the right thing to do."

He scowled and narrowed his eye sockets. "you couldn't have known that. they might have been caught stealing or something..."

You took a steadying breath to ease your anxiety. "Maybe so, but in the moment I saw that they were afraid. I've been where they were, and I remember wishing that someone would have stood up for me."

He held eye contact for a long moment before letting out a sigh and looking away. He tugged at his hood, as if trying to conceal his face further, but you still noticed how his frown dropped. He muttered something under his breath about "wishing he could still judge souls", but didn't seem like he had been speaking to you.

"either you're really good at lying," he started to say, still not looking at you. "...or you're being sincere. either way, i can't imagine why you'd stick your neck out like that in a city like this."

You sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Yeah, I know that wasn't the brightest thing to do, but I don't regret it either. I do wish the guards didn't have such fragile egos though..."

"power hungry freaks," the stranger spat, as if the very thought disgusted him. Then, he straightened his shoulders and looked up at you again. "on that note, i have a bit of a...proposition for you..."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Hold on, I don't even know who you are... You've been stalking me for days, and that sort of thing doesn't exactly make me think you could have good intentions, you know?"

He chuckled quietly and scratched the back of his skull. "i guess i was curious... it's not everyday that i meet someone with a strong sense of justice like you." He stepped closer and held out his hand, "i'm reven..."

You shook his hand cautiously, half expecting to get stabbed during the momentary distraction, but to your surprise nothing happened. "I go by Lucky these days. You're not actually from here, are you?"

"nah, i'm just passing through." He held your hand for a second too long and almost seemed hesitant to let go when he finally did. "now about my offer, i couldn't help but notice how the guards have been...taking out their frustration on you."

"No thanks to you revealing their true colours."

He nodded, his grin twitching with barely disguised glee. "well, i've decided that i like you and, since it's probably a good idea to lay low for a while, how about we get to know each other better? i'll get you out of the city and away from the guards for a while..."

He was practically screaming red flags. Sure, his body language wasn't hostile, but you could see a bit of tension in his shoulders and his tone of voice sounded sickly sweet compared to before. It was like he was planning to make you comply if you didn't immediately agree.

"You're...not asking, are you?"

His mismatched eyelights seemed to burn brighter and his smile widened. "you put it together faster than i expected... you're smart, i like that about you." He shook his head and added, "no, i'm not asking, but it would be nice if you didn't resist. i won't hurt you, unless i have to... i like you too much for that."

"What do you want from me?" you asked quietly.

"nothing malicious, i can promise you that. i just... i feel the need to keep you safe. people like you are a rarity these days..."

You studied him for a moment. While you certainly didn't trust him, he didn't seem like he was lying. He was definitely creepy, but he had been pretty straightforward this entire conversation. What choice did you have though? You had seen how powerful he was, and you had a bad feeling he wouldn't let you leave this cathedral without agreeing to go with him.

"I guess I have no choice..." you sighed.

He held out his hand expectantly. "yes you do. if you choose to trust me, then this will be the luckiest decision you've made in your life."

"Let me be the judge of that..."

You rolled your eyes and took his hand, but no sooner had you done so, did his grip tighten so you couldn't pull away. Your vision suddenly went black, and you felt as if the world had fallen away. He hadn't even warned you before whisking you away like that. You could only hope that your luck wouldn't run out anytime soon...

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Nice stories with the poly Vees and the tech revolution, I really like the audiobook idea for Alastor.

Could be a separate fic by it's own. Imagine Alastor injured by Adam and in need of more power (to heal) and he decides to expand his reach anonymously beyond just radio.

Alastor launches his own version of Audible (banning AI generated slop) and other services like a free Spotify (cutting into the Vees profit margins by stealing all their audio market monopoly) and the like or military grade communications hardware and software the stuff that doesn't lie and lasts for a long time with no subscription fees. (maybe Alastor was in a war when he was alive, the timeline fits.)

Maybe Alastor had this power all along but the war was traumatising so he decided to ignore all the war orientated facets of his demon form. Or he just fixated on Radio.

Then the Overlord's and the rest of Hell think a new Technology Demon Overlord has arisen and Alastor is a bit too embarrassed to admit to upgrading in any manner no matter the reason. Then there's a fight where Vox reveals the Video, yet it's discovered somehow Alastor is fully healed without angelic aid from a angelic steel wound and proceeds to stomp all three Vees.

Lucifer thinks that's a bit suspicious, Charlie is tearful, The rest are worried and Alastor is still embarrassed.. So without mercy Alastor (because his pride is bigger than his self preservation) throws both caution and Lilith under the bus..

I love the idea of this.

-----

I think Alastor gains power from the reach of his broadcast, to some extent. Like listening in creates an intangible deal that provides a feedback loop... I assumed that Vox has something similar, as well as Velvette.

Like, the more eyes/ears on, the more engagement, the bigger the boost they get. It's not all a constant shill of different commercials and items to the masses (although that funds it) but the constant attention fuels something.

Could be why when Carmilla didn't care he was gone, and Angel Dust (who didn't die that far behind Al but had no idea who he was despite shared decades in hell), pissed him off. That actually felt like a slap to the face, there's a reason the man was constantly seeking attention...

Not to mention FANS, who kind of give a lot of thought and energy and effort to the people they like following/watching/listening to.

----------

I have this very specific headcanon that Alastor can mimic anyone's voice with enough time to listen to them. After all, if he can do that with his own voice, and what is vocalisation but each person having access to a set audible range with regional variants.

He can get the tone, no worries thats just manipulating soundwaves, but the inflection and accent takes time. Anyone can talk in a lower or higher pitch, but it's the listening to how others talk and framing his skill around that that sells it.

[Niffty thinks its hilarious to 'talk to herself' and get an answer that's outside her head, so he indulges her on occasion].

It is limited to languages he knows, however. Unless say, someone like Husk was to translate and provide phonetic supports on occasion. I like to think Al learned partial Spanish just to fuck with the moth, and catch Vox off guard. Spite is a fantastic motivational tool.

[I assume that Vox has the similar ability to recreate like, the physical form of a person (we see him do the thing where he creates multiple copies of himself and interacts on screen, how hard would it be to generate a deepfake like that?) but he also needs a bit of info on them to make it anything more complex than a puppet.

Like, think about a 3d model before they give it a proper walk cycle, it can be the most advanced graphics but it doing the wiggle and slide move makes you go... wtf...

When he can pull up feed on you from across Pride's surveillance network, and gets your movements, your gestures, your voice... your expressions. He could do ANYTHING. And I think once that's pointed out to Charlotte and his mini majesty they might need to put restrictions on that.

I assume at least some of his souls are because he blackmailed the FUCK out of them with created films of them doing something embarrassing, betraying someone, confessing to things... and it looks so real that he's also effectively gaslighting them.

Wonder who he got this tactic from? Hmmm?]

---

Why bring this up?

Well, the thing is... Al's voice is very recognisable, naturally. But if Al was to make an empire on books / podcasts that he needed to do separate from his normal identity, mostly for anonymity and also because it's sending the money-centric vees into a tailspin, then I have a very specific concept.

He takes the voices of those he hears. Oh, there's no book out there with Angel Dust's Voice (though he considered it for some of the more salacious tomes, because AD's image is Vee property at this time and it would annoy them but he also, hmmm, dislikes the idea of puting the spider in the direct line of fire for this.

Nor Niffty nor the Princess nor Husk, no, that would be too easily traced. He does, however, do an entire angsty half-angel half-demon romance thrillogy in Vagatha's voice and she's still hunting for whoever did that. mostly because the edgy teen tone of the story has left the others with some truly devastating comebacks when she's trying to corral them. Eg. "Can you please just stop making eyes at one another and get to art therapy?" / "Of course, oh deep and brooding queen of the night, we shall 'descend unto the madness of therapeutic intervention, though none shall cease the incessant chaos of our intellect.'" / "I am... going to find whoever used my voice and peel them like a banana." / "Whatever you say, Lady D'Eath de Juggsington" / Former angel screaming.

I mean, he lurks in shadows. How hard would it be to trail someone for a bit OR can his poppets act like a teddy ruckskin thing, where they can copy things heard/said? Like, he has them around in crowded places, in the shadows, and if a voice he might like toutilise goes past, they animate and follow discretely.

And once you master that, taking a voice and using it back (which can fall into Not-Deer and Wendigo territory, and a lot of other mythical creatures he's been compared to...

Well, how hard would it be to twist and blend a few voices, a few different inflection styles to make a new one? He'd think it was QUITE the challenge and the frustration and triumph could stave off boredom for a while.

Can you imagine the uncanny valley of downloading a podcast or audiobook and hearing it in YOUR VOICE? Because that's the one he felt matched the story the best? Or that your voice was the one matched to the character? It would be quite the mindfuck, so Al would think it was hilarious]

So, Hell has a complex concept of ownership of course, and copyright is enforced through Mammon in other rings mostly because he's the only one who cares (because Money) and maybe Satan because the guy likes to swing his big old law abiding dongle around.

How do you think he gets the novels?

I think if the source book was produced through Voxtech, he'd just take it and make a free copy (audio) about it. They could try to copyright strike it all they want, but it would keep popping up...

He could have a side deal with Zestial, who is a gossip-loving hound when it comes to having a secret no one else has and thinks the Vees need to be put in their place, that anything his people publish for an author can be utilised under a certain agreement. Because he tends to publish (and I have no idea what he's overlord of but ive given him all written media) stories, news and books that are even from the hellborn that mammon refuses to deal with or publish for anything more than a 0.000000000000000015% royalty per 20million copies sold so...

They tend to be really excited to have their stuff picked up by the ancient overlord's company. And I wonder if Alastor makes a deal with them through Zestial, because he's always been one for the underdog and the hellborn are literally on the backfoot since birth because of what they are and that hits close to home, that they are fiscally compensated for his use of their works.

Money accumulates over time and over thralls and victories. He rarely uses it for anything more than the occasional boost to the hotel, and hatever interests him... his top tier thralls have emergency cards, but Husk's won't let him get anything alcoholic or associated, and Niffty's prevents her from obtaining flamethrowers or whatever the seven rings that giant vibrating thing was from the Lust Store the other day, mostly for safety reasons.

They can use them for almost anything else as long as they're willing to explain it to Al if he asks. And no Voxtech products. Not even pay per view, he taunted Husk once just to see the man grumble and Angel immediately lighted on that. Helped him escape a conversation getting too close to the core of his side gig... Husk was a drunken sot sometimes, but there was a clever man in there and those eyes saw things, that brain (when not pickled) was formidable for making connections.

Either way, between Zestial, books on his shelf (the classics), what he sneaks out of the hotel library / royal library bc lets be real the wards in there are a joke at this point, the things he steals from Voxtech's supplies, the local newspapers (for the news report podcasts) and the absolute dynamite gossip he gets from Rosie, Zestial and all over hell...

There's a lot of avenues.

He also has a fascinating system set up for receiving scripts for potential podcast ideas. Some are more pedestrian that he would ever consider, and others have merit but could use more pizzazz. He was tempted to even make one that might need to utilise Angel Dust for some of the louder scenes because while Al was no stranger to making sound effects, having to moan indecently for a good eight pages of dialogue and make a sound that was rather like spanking a tub of jelly, was not his forte.

The spider would find it second nature, though.

In any case, he did have a means to be contacted via the webpages and through a sending ritual he'd devised. It ran the letter/package through a number of reviews ffor potential bugs or hidden curses before it reached him.

Vox and Vel are constantly sweeping the net for his content and removing it. It's not hard to remove the more blatant pages, they're decoys anyway... but when other independent sites start putting the content up and being banned... it naturally drives people wild for the products being kept from them.

Of course there'd be a deep web, a deeper web and a We've Struck Crude (Oil) web in the pits of Hell. That's just the people down there, though. And the hellborn rings don't just have to be beholden to VoxTech, they have their own versions of the internet, where the podcasts and stories are rife.

The news, gossip, cooking, murder mystery dramas, reporting on real life killers (because the hellborn love it), discussions of human history up to date (because many down there missed out), the fantasy ones with episodes each month that have the net buzzing, the 'deep dives' (those he usually receives requests for and does independent research for), hells, even New To Hell? Tips and Tricks to not get murdered by Plantlife!

All of this, just as the podcast side.

There's a news hour, too. Often sharing information that's being listed on Vox news and sites, but with more detail or correcting the sillier elements.

Because of course, Alastor is powerful and like Vox when he's in his element (the radiowaves) he can split himself across them to do his thing. Theoretically he can produce up to four separate shows / podcasts / audiobooks at once... if feeling well and at a moderate level of power. The current thing hindering him is this damnable wound, though.

It leaves him exhausted and irritable.

However, having soemthing to do while seemingly debilitated helps. He'd go mad otherwise. And the influx of interest feeds him, literally, with the power to circumvent it's poisonous effects.

Could he theoretically get the immediate help and support of the soppy princess and ask for her father to heal it? Technically yes. Would he rather sleep with every Vee, in a televised special, than do so? Also yes. By which he meant, he'd rather die, thank you very much.

He got a little cocky, or perhaps his exhaustion from the wound isn't helping him make decisions very well, because he accidentally reads one of his classical books in his non-filtered voice one day. Vox IMMEDIATELY questions how the fuck-... because he knows Al.

He KNOWS that's Al's voice. How did this new tech overlord get it? Did they have an alliance? Were they FUCKING?! The TV drives himself made with jealousy, as he is known to do... and confronts Al, releasing the video of Adam near bisecting the guy to all of Hell and starting a fight.

"Who is he? She? Them? You got your ass handed to you so bad you'd sell it to save yourself?" Vox snarls, and Al, with no context is like ?????? 'What on earth are you talking about, you silly little picture box?!'

"Your real voice, I heard that other tech fucker use it... I know you have a partnership, and I wanna know why you went to THAT person and not me? What do they have that I don't? What part of you did you sell for that?!"

And Alastor laughed, growing larger, towering over the Vees. "Oh you insipid little fool you were always so blind to the truth even when it's dangled in front of you..." and his voice shifts between different 'hosts' for the podcasts, and different readers for the audiobooks. "Surprise! Turns out I CAN do your job, and manage it far better than all three of you little fools..."

"Hey, I didn't hear any content that challenged mine..." Val points out, drawing his guns.

"Hmmm, perhaps, but I could always contract that work out. Fascinating how many people are more interesting in listening, compared to watching, depravity..."

"...you can't have any of my bitches!"

"I don't need them, I can use their voices if I wish." He wasn't going to, but he needed the moth angry enough to misfire.

Velvette seemed more amused, "How'd you learn to use a computer there, grandpa?"

"Why it's quite easy, I have no idea why everyone assumes that just because I like a certain aesthetic, I'm ignorant of the whole tech thing. I reprogrammed Vox's circuitry more than once, after fights, so he would heal properly... everything else is far less complicated than technobiological surgery."

"...you also did something to you, I can feel it." Vox snarled. "Your tech is singing out, it's not our brand, where the fuck did you get it? Why now? I would have helped you upgrade if you just joined us..."

"And be part you? HAH! You'd turn it off anytime you were mad with me, and I'd rather not live by anyone's whims, picture box. It's nothing drastic, merely some additionally compatible tech to-... ah but that would be telling. Nothing I couldn't do originally. It merely makes it easier."

"Oh fuck off with that, ciervo, you still got humbled by that idiot angel. This is just bluster..." Valentino grinned.

"I believe the phrase is 'Fs in chat' for your overworked braincells, is it not, Miss Velvette?"

The doll snorts out a laugh before she can muffle it. "Not just a tech upgrade, eh? You learned some slang. None of me followers'll believe it."

"Hey, can we focus? Kill the fucker! He's injured and he's fucking with out profits with all this free shit he's handing out."

"Hmmm, about the only kind of fucking I'd do with you, I'm afraid, Vox."

Explosive transformation to overlord forms and kaiju-esque battle that results in a rather damaged shirt that unfortunately for the Vees, shows an undamaged chest save a faint scar. Although the flash of manly fluffy deer chest results in Vox bluescreening and he's down for the count... but not all of him. Which is terrifying when he's the size off a skyscraper.

"Do you... need to take him somewhere to spare his dignity?" Alastor pauses, pointing. Velvette breaks off a swipe, looks at Vox and groans.

"Why the fuck is he like this?!"

"I've been asking myself for decades..." Alastor said, reaching across the airwave to twine his static with Vox, trying not to shudder, and convinces a subroutine to trigger the shrinking back to regular size. He'd done it a few times when they were friends, only worked if Vox was out or open to it. Unfortunately, he'd worked out how to reverse-engineer the process.

You didn't sleep near Vox. For various reasons.

Val has paused, "Are we still fighting...?"

"I mean, I'm game if you are, my good moth bt I suspect you may need to scrape what dignity the picture box has left off the floor and take him back to your eyesore of a tower. You're more than welcome to try again in future... but if we could schedule it in, that's preferred, I have a number of shows coming to their conclusion and the public may kill you if they don't receive the finales."

Vel and Val are willing to defer, Val carrying Vox out of the place because Vel wants Nothing To Do With That Shit. Exhausted with her weird old men.

Alastor may have suggested they change the tv's name to Viagra, given he seems to be consistently having such a response. Val nearly drops the TV as he whirls in shock to grin at the fact Al has dirty jokes now... it's like opening a library book and being slapped with a fish by the nearest librarian. You just didn't see it coming.

Unfortunately, the hotel inhabitants and half of the city saw the fight and are now aware that the Radio Demon was behind the whole podcasts/audiobooks/news thing...

Some feel it makes sense and are kind of delighted to know where to send their scripts. Others have to write frantic letters about how the FUCK he got their voice, and yet more are stunned the old timey radio guy knows what a computer IS...

"What the fuck, bellhop?" The king asks, tactfully, restoring the front 'lawn' area as best he can from the damage there. Several of the shrubs up the driveway have been annihilated and yes he is mad about it, he planted them by hand with Char Char as a bonding activity last month. "Cute little illusion you got going, but if you really did get whacked with Adam's blade, you'll need my help with that."

He is grinning too much for someone offering aid, already thinking of how to force the demon out for a bit of magical first aid.

"No illusion, your Lowness, it healed with enough feedback from souls engaged in my show..." Alastor replied, gesturing at his damaged shirt. "I'd offer for you to touch but I'm too busy to light the offending skin on fire to burn away the recollection of your grubby little hands."

"Are you KIDDING ME?!" Vaggie is launching at Alastor, and only Charlie tackling the woman saves him from being bodychecked into the pavement. "LADY D'EATH JUGGSINTON THE FIFTH?! YOU COULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN ANY OTHER VOICE FOR THAT SHITSHOW?!"

"Hah, NO. She reminded me of your angstier nature, my dear... it's a compliment."

"I'm going to kill you. With my spear."

"Do try, and I will read the seuel series that the author is churning out as we speak, in your voice also. Or perhaps I could do it in the voice of the lieutenant... Lute was it? The new series is from the perspective of her spurned lover..."

"Al, please. NOT HELPING!" Charlie gritted her teeth.

"Well I kinda liked some of the gossip podcasts... and that one about the Fears or whatever that was. Spooky but fun in a fucked way." Angel volunteers, shrugging. "Vags, unclench... it's pretty cool. I'm kinda disappointed you didn't use me for the new demon erotic novel by Chuck Tingle, tho, Al... it's a masterpiece and I'd be perfect!"

"I... had considered it might be taken out on you by the moth if he assumed you were collaborating with another overlord. And the sound effects required seemed unusually salacious... I usually need to record a sound to use it in future, and where would one even find a container of jelly in this place?"

"...what? Oh... OH no I got ya. I've done erotic podcasts. Fuckin' hilarious seeing people standing around blankly whispering things into a microphone, moaning and then slapping wet towels on surfaces. I can get you some more authentic sounds if ya want, deer daddy..."

"...I'm concerned about what that wording means if I say yes, deer boy, so... we shall negotiate in future. Now Valentino knows who is producing the content he can be certain you are not 'actively involved' as it were."

"You a hugger? Wrong answer, it's happening. Look at us being all good with our feelings and shit..." There really wasn't any arguing with six arms squishing you, and f a vvery quiet bleat of surprise escaped, then he would deny it unto his second death.

"So, why didn't you just say you were hurt? What's the point of all this? You HATE tech stuff." Husk gestured, in general, to all of Al.

"...various reasons. And it was far more amusing to undermind Vox and his little crew this way."

"Then why not tell us..." Husk paused, then grinned. "Wait, you didn't want us to know 'cause you were embarrassed you had to turn to new media methods to heal it yourself, aren't you? Stubborn fucking ass. Well now you've gone and done it... there's a whole new generation of demons and hellborn who like your shit, you gonna just stop it now their engagement or however that works fixed it?"

"I am willing to finish the narratives at their end, but yes. The interest has waned now that I am no longer hindered."

"Al, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Whatever for, Charlotte? The matter is dealt with and at an end."

"No, shut up for a second you're not getting out of this that easily. I mean, I'm disappointed that you thought we... that I wouldn't help, with that, from Adam I mean."

"It wasn't anything I couldn't manage for myself." He shrugged, she really didn't understand how overlords worked, did the poor girl?

"But you shouldn't have HAD to, that's my fucking point!" Charlie yelled, briefly losing her temper and sucking her more demonic aspects back in.

"Duckling, he's not worth losing your temper over... the Overlords are suicidal at the best of times. Just let them get at it... you're just too young to have learned not to care yet. Bambi here could have asked for help with that boo boo at any time, but they won't... none of them would. I'm surprised your little angel didn't sense it, it was as irritating as an alarm going off the whole time..." Lucifer soothed, and got a GlareTM.

"...you knew. You knew one of my friends was potentially dying-"

"Not that bad!" Alastor interjected, and then disccussed the pros/cons of biting Angel's hand when one went over his mouth and another petted his hair. ("Shhh, Smiles... the people with some sorta emotional intelligence are talking...") Okay, he was definitely going to bite him.

"...-and you didn't think to tell me? Or help? Dad?" There was a termulous quaver to that tone that forecast tears. The King was immediately panicked.

"Wait, no, no I mean, yes but... I don't like to heal people without their consent, you know? It's not a good look..."

Charlie sniffed. "I mean, I get that... but if you said something, I could have like, sat on him and talked him into it..."

The sound of a record scratch rent the air. "Nhu ank ooo" muffled from behind Angel's hand as the spider laughed.

Lucifer flicked his attention that way. "Well... I suppose my main question for you, Bambi... is why you went to such trouble to avoid our attention. I know you big tough overlords have no sense of self preservation or care for the lives of others... but this seemed excessive."

Oh deer, the ex-archangel seemed to be... thinking.

That couldn't possibly end well.

"In fact, now the angelic taint-..." he pointedly ignored angel's giggling at the wording, "has passed and I'm focused on you... I'm sensing something else we're going to need to talk about."

Al couldn't stop his ears from going flat. Ah.... fuck.

Lucifer reached out a hand towards Alastor, and Angel actually moved them a step back. "Hey, he don't like touch..." said the man who had just about mummified him. "Surprised he hasn't eaten me yet."

Red eyes regarded him, the hand curled, as if grasping something and tugged as a lilac chain appeared in his grasp running back to the collar on Alastor's throat.

"How do you know my wife, Bambi?"

"...fkk"

"You can say that again, Smiles, what the FUCK?!" Angel gapes, dropping his hand.

"Well, your dear wife wanted someone to keep an eye on Charlotte and was willing to kill a LOT of OVerlords before finding one that she liked for the role." he shrugged. "Quite unfortunate."

"Wha-... don't you fucking lie to me, I'm the Devil himself. Lilly would NEVER-..."

"Yes. She would. And you know it. You may have been in the pits of despair in your little palace, but even you must have seen the bodies of sinners being piled about... she wasn't subtle."

"No... those were-... she was healing them, and it didn't work. Angelic steel..."

"Well, I know medicine can't have been that evolved in Eden but playing 'hokey pokey' with angelic steel isn't exactly known for bringing health and vitality to sinners." Alastor deadpanned.

A chorus of 'you put the knife right in and you take the knife back out, you put the knife back in and you twist it all about... you do the hokey pokey and you turn around... that's what it's all about!' played softly.

"Wait... I kinda... think I sort of remember something like that... but it's all mixed up in my head."

"Yes, she sang to you to muddle your memories when you walked in, once. That was about the moment that most realised how far she was willing to go to get her way..."

"No, you're lying."

"Afraid not."

"What was she even testing for, then? In your sick little game, how does this benefit anyone for my WIFE to-... what? Torture sinners? To make a babysitter for Char Char? She had ME. I'm the strongest thing in hell, nothing gets through me to her..."

"And yet, Adam did, because you were stuck in your own head. Oh don't get pissy, you were trapped for various reasons but its the truth. Lillith was concerned that there would come a time when Charlotte needed guidance and support... and she was willing to take the time to find the right person to safeguard it."

"How though? Nothing you said makes any sense..."

"She wanted someone who had no intentions towards her child, who was also rather resistent to angelic steel... and then she meddled to see how that could be fortified. Simple, really. Its fascinating, but the more angelic steel you survive, the harder it is for it to kill you outright."

Charlie looked like she might throw up.

"H-how many died for me?"

"Oh don't worry dear, it was only a handful. there were others she wiped the memories of and returned to their roles... she needed the infrastructure of Pride to remain stable enough to support your endeavours in future."

"But... what about you?"

"Nothing more or less than what others have done." He shrugs. "Do stop your pity party, it won't change the past and the blame is not yours."

"What exactly does she want you to do? The orders on here are obscured, that shouldn't be possible, I'm the Devil!"

"As you keep repeating, yes, indeed you are tiny one. But she merely required that," and here Lillith's voice emanated, taking the King and Princess out at the knees. "You will protect Charlotte, keep her safe and guide her to the best of your abilities, she has her father's ideals and heart, it will get her killed if someone more realistic doesn't step in. You will not divulge the secret of angelic steel to her, or raise arms against Heaven personally. She can't learn of that yet. And you must keep my foolish ex-husband from Charlotte... the two of them together will draw Heaven's attention. Oh, and Alastor... see if you can get Charlotte to make a deal for her soul... I will need that to keep her safe in future. Do not fail me, or I will start killing those important to you..."

"S-Sh-she wanted you to take my soul with our deal?" Charlie sibbed, hearing a side of her mother she couldn't believe was real. "That-s not-..."

"You have a DEAL?!"

"Oh unclench little king, it's for a favour. Technically I fulfilled the requirement for a deal without fulfilling the request for her soul... under the guise of protecting Charlotte."

"Did Mum have anything to do with your... ability to do the new tech things?"

"Yes and no, like Vox I have some technobiology that allows interaction with radiowaves and things along that spectrum... I could have used what I had to do this. However, she apaprently added upgrades I hadn't been aware of until recently, her version of a reward for not raising arms against Adam or some nonsense."

"But... she could have just healed you? She can do that?" Lucifer frowned, not liking the version of his wife being painted here. Ex-wie, apparently... that had stung to hear.

"She could have. Yes. She's quite ticked about not getting Charlotte's soul on her chain, indirectly... and the shield. She felt that was... overextending the bounds of her commands."

"...is there a plan? Is she coming back from...?"

"Heaven? Yes, but not yet. She's in an odd little dimension of her own, being pampered by angels... why would she ever come back here?"

"Ah... shit." Lucifer seemed on the verge of tears.

"Angel, you may need to release me and comfort the king."

"Oh it, Deer Daddy."

"...I will kill the moth myself to free you if you promise not to call me that one more time."

"Don't tease like that, I nearly ruined my shorts...' Angel stuck out his tongue at Al, who roleld his eyes. Vulgarity was par for the course with dear Angel about, unfortunately.

"C'mere, Short King, feel the soft fluff and know comfort..." Angel said, holding the King face first into the fluff. Charlie was having her hair stroked by Vaggie.

"Well, if that's all the theatrics and question and answer sessions for today, I really must be... going somewhere there aren't so many sobbing people." Alastor nods to them all and dissolves into shadow.

Then startles as he's thrown back into physical form as the King snaps his fingers, pointing without even looking at him.

"Oh no you don't..."

"Don't you ever do that again, your lowness, unless you want to know what it feels like to have your own atoms forcefully reassembled..." he snarls.

"If you could be less of an ass for a second, I have more questions..."

"And I have no answers for you. She's likely to gouge out an eye for all I've revealed so far, or just because she'll be in a Mood that we've won. Her little pocket dimension was by the grace of Adam after all..."

"It was WHAT?!"

"Ah... fuck, did I not say such?"

"No you didn't!"

"Well, she also had a deal and-..." the collar goes taut.

"Do stop talking, deer. I feel you've failed in your task quite enough for one day..." said a very cold tone, as they whirl about to find the Queen on the steps of the hotel. In the blink of an eye, she has something shiny buried to the hilt in Alastor's chest. "Be a good boy and hold onto that for me while I greet my daughter...?"

----------

ETC.

[breelandwalker]

so, I know you've been vending at a lot of different craft fairs and witch markets for awhile now (sadly, too far away for me to attend!). would you happen to have any tips for someone looking to do the same at their local fairs? thanks!!!!!! ❤️

Sure! To start, brush up on three things - networking, recordkeeping, and people skills. Get an idea of what's going in on your area, talk to the organizers, see what the particulars are for the events. Here are some questions to ask:

What's the venue like? (indoors, outdoors, parking, accessibility)

Do I need to bring my own table and chairs?

Is there electricity / wifi available?

What is the table fee?

When is the event and how long does it run?

Is there a theme or target audience?

Is there advertising being done for the event? (Signal boost!)

Based on the answers you get, you can start putting your stock and setup together.

Do as much as you can WAY ahead of time. If you need to make things, start now. If you need to buy things, give yourself at least a month before an event to make sure everything arrives in time. Get yourself a 6-foot folding table and a comfortable folding chair or camp chair for events where they're not provided by the venue. Sign for Paypal, Venmo, and Cashapp as well as a card payment processing service like Square to give your customers the most payment options possible. And of course, plan to carry some small bills for cash patrons. (You don't need a register or cashbox, a simple bag of appropriate size will do. I literally use a pencil case that says Resting Witch Face. Works great.)

You'll want to get some displays for your merchandise. The type will vary depending on what you have, but it should be simply and sturdy and preferably easy to pack in and out. Vertical visibility is important at these events, so if you can find some kind of stand or tiered display, that will help you get noticed. I'd also suggest some simple clear plastic standups that you can put a printout price list and a basic sign in. A table banner helps people notice your table from afar and you should definitely have business cards to hand out with your shop info and socials. (I use Vistaprint for both.) Decorations are nice, but don't overload the table with them. They should augment your setup, not overwhelm it.

You may also want to get an 8x8 or 10x10 popup canopy and canopy weights if you plan to do outdoor events. Also, GET A COLLAPSIBLE WAGON. Best investment I ever made was a $45 collapsible wagon. It fits in my backseat and makes hauling things in and out of venues SO much easier.

Keep track of everything you spend related to your endeavors, including event fees, supplies, stock, setup items, displays, signage, business cards, and gas and food on the day. Keep those receipts - you can deduct them on your taxes later to offset your earnings. (Because registering as a business can be a pain and comes with fees, but if you don't do it, you may owe money for not collecting sales tax. Put aside some money for that tax bill, just in case.)

Prep your setup and stock the night before an event. Check your merch, charge your card reader (and bring a fully-charged auxiliary power pack and cord, just in case), make any updates to your inventory or pricing that you need to. It really cuts down on stress when you're loading up if you know you've already get everything set. I suggest reusable shopping bags or clear plastic bins to make things easy to haul, plus they can double as storage.

Plan to leave as early as you need to in order to account for traffic and pit stops. Pick an outfit ahead of time so you don't have to dither over clothes. It should be something appropriate for the event and the weather that looks neat and clean and is easy to move around in, including comfortable shoes. (Look to other vendors for examples.)

Make sure you bring water, snacks, and anything you'll need to get through the day, i.e. medicine (headache pills and stomach medicine at minimum), energy drinks, a fan for hot days, an extra layer for cold ones, etc. Get to the venue as early as the organizers allow. The more time you have to park, load in, and set up, the less stressed you'll be. Make sure things are arranged in a way that's accessible and makes sense. Place signage where necessary to explain items and pricing.

GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS. TRUST ME.

During the event, you're gonna have to do a LOT of socializing, so prepare for that as best you can. Try to stand if possible when there's a lot of foot traffic so you're more noticeable. Be personable - you don't have to grin constantly, just try to keep a pleasant expression and greet people as they pass, especially if they look in your direction. Don't be afraid to invite passersby over if they pause to check out your setup. Welcome them in, invite them to check out your stuff, and let them know you're happy to answer questions. (And ALL questions are good questions. There are no dumb questions. Even if the question is the dumbest thing you've ever heard or it's the fifteenth time you've been asked that day.) Chat and banter a bit where possible. If you can get people smiling or laughing, they're more likely to stick around and possibly purchase your wares. Make sure as many people as possible take your card when they leave.

Yes, you will be exhausted when the event is over, even if you're a naturally outgoing person, and you'll still have to break everything down, haul it out, load your vehicle, and drive home. If you happen to have somebody who can help you out, that really comes in handy.

In any case, know your own capabilities and personal limits and plan for that when you're deciding where to vend. If a venue is too far away for your comfort or doesn't have what you need or the table fee is too high (be wary of any thing over $75 for a single day event), don't sign up. If an event is too long or too far outside your target audience, don't sign up. If you don't have an appropriate setup or don't have the stock / can't get it in time, don't sign up. If something about the event or the venue or the organizers rubs you the wrong way, DON'T SIGN UP. Talk to other local vendors to get an idea of where to go and what to expect. Most will tell you right away what works, what's good, and what to steer clear of.

This is all just the basics. You'll learn a lot more when you start to vend, as far as what your individual needs are, where to go to find reliable business, and how best to connect with local venues and customers. Keep records of everything you do (spreadsheets are your friend!), network with organizers and other vendors, and practice that sociable game face.

And trust me - if a disorganized introvert with social anxiety and ADHD and absolutely NO sales experience can figure out to do this, I think pretty much anyone has a chance.

Good luck!!!! 😁

[katyspersonal]

Sigh... as if the government didn't get ridiculous enough, in 2025th they are planning to straight up track down anyone who uses VPN via their internet/phone providers. Not certain yet whether there will be a fee or legal trouble for it. And after they've made internet literally unusable without VPNs by semi-blocking YouTube and blocking Twitter and Discord, as well as planning to fully block YouTube. 🤡🤡🤡

Doesn't help that our country's alternatives have total content control where literally nothing can be posted without approval of some corrupt people in power, so everything, from political opinions that aren't obnoxiously nationalist to doodles of gay ships (being queer is literally illegal here lol) is a legal trouble too. Well I guess I don't have to be concerned of "being online too much" if soon fandomry will become literally unusable beyond posting on ghost-town websites (such as this one), I might as well cling onto this "terminally online stuff" while I still can tbh. 🙄

Jeez. Every other day in this failure of a country I bless my whole miserable fate for having no plans in life whatsoever, as well as choosing Tumblr and other ghost sites instead of stuff like Insta (also blocked here, and it is illegal to say the name of this site on local websites 🤡) of Twitter. I literally have nothing to lose except easy access to fandomry stuff like references and fanart, imagine how much more fucked I'd be if I had any significant online presence at all? I guess being a crestfallen since young adulthood + making enemies of especially crazed fanatics online payed off XD

[platosshadowpuppet]

1

"I still think there should be a discount".

"You want a discount on your murder investigation?"

"Yeah, coz they were only half alive, weren't they? So stands to reason this wasn't a full murder. Hence, a discount".

I stared at the landlord, flabbergasted. Gnomes have a reputation for being practical, dispassionate people, but this seemed pretty cold, even by those standards.

Mind you, he was a landlord.

"I'm not doing it at a discount. If you don't like my rates, you can always go to the human police. Hell, while we're at it we can bring in the whole circus: building standards, health and safety, even HMRC. Get a real party going".

He looked up at me, with a hurt expression on his green and grizzled countenance.

"There's no need to be like that", he said, dolefully, "it's nothing personal, I'm just a business man. Paying full whack isn't good business, that's all".

"Yeah, and what about being the landlord with the unsolved murder in his building? How's that for business?"

He sniffed, conceding the point.

"Fine, full whack".

We went back to staring at the pile of ash. The gnome was right about one thing; judging by their room the poor sod hadn't really been living.

The walls were plain white, peeling in places and decorated solely with damp. The only furniture was a pinewood box filled with soil, lid askew and the contents spilling out onto the floor.

Scattered around there were several sad little piles of possessions. Cheap looking clothes, worn out shoes, odds and ends.

It wasn't a place most vampires would have been caught dead in.

Sticking his hands in his pockets the gnome turned to look expectantly at me.

"Well, go on then".

"Go on then what?"

"Do whatever it is you do, turn into a fox and sniff around. Or whatever".

I drew myself up to my not very imposing full height, pulled my battered trenchcoat tighter around my wiry frame and glared down my nose at him.

"I will be doing no such thing". He didn't need to know that I actually couldn't do that anymore.

He shrugged.

"Didn't mean to cause no offence, just thought that's what you would do, as a fox spirit"

"God".

"What have I done now?!"

"No, I'm a fox god, not a fox spirit. And for your information, the highly trained mind of a detective is a far more powerful tool than the nose of even the most magical fox.

"and now we've settled on my fee I'd like to get to work".

I crouched down next to the nearest of the piles and started poking at it with a biro.

"If you don't mind seeing yourself out, I work better without an audience".

He looked surprised by the sudden dismissal and swithered for a moment.

"Oh... right, well I'll be off..."

Before remembering that this was his building and he was my employer, however temporary.

"And I expect results. Fast! First thing on my desk, Monday!" He blustered.

"Hmm", I said non-committedly.

He stomped off. I didn't feel the need to inform him that this was, in fact, my first ever murder case and that I had no idea what I was doing whatsoever.

I was sure I'd pick it up as I went.

I sighed and sat back on my heals. The pile of clothes in front of me was as lacking in clues as it was thick with mildew. Though I'd scoffed at the landlord he was right that a powerful nose would be useful right about now. And though I couldn't provide that anymore I knew someone who could...

I'd just have to hope she'd forgotten how angry she was with me.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

(kink conflict anon) Thank you so much for your advice. In hindsight I can see that I was already quite triggered and was dehumanising and minimising the other people involved in this, even though I didn't want to, and I was out of line. I definitely don't want to come into the issue swinging fists, and I was planning to start with asking questions about their plans to get more information before trying to talk about my own problems. Thanks for answering even though it made you really angry, and sorry for my contribution to that.

I'm not really in community with these people in a meaningful sense. I've been trying to enter my local kink community over the last couple of years, partly to heal from the conversion therapy telling me that being kinky as a man was evil, but I haven't had much time to build up relationships. And I don't have any crossover at all with the people who are starting this push because I don't go to their groups due to the gender segregation. From what I can tell it seems like very few people in the whole community have any kind of conflict resolution or post-sexual-assault support training, which is a big problem.

I've been thinking about bailing out completely, but someone I do have a bit of a relationship with asked me to work on getting the community's trans group up and running again, because they think it's important for trans people to have a group of their own. I can say no, but I've been looking at whether it will be possible. At the moment it's on hiatus because neither of the people in charge want to run it, and they're refusing to hand it off to anyone else; they've said they view the main leadership as untrustworthy and don't want to bring more people into the main group's orbit, and they seem to have conflicts with the people who would be available to run it. I got asked because I'm someone they don't have pre-existing conflicts with. Unfortunately doing this is almost certainly going to bring me into contact with the big struggle that's happening.

When it comes to making "I statements", I worry that saying something like "I get scared when people tell me they hate men, because it reminds me of my conversion therapy" will constitute an accusation, even though it's a general statement rather than talking about a specific person. Since what I experienced isn't well known, I find that people sometimes interpret it as an accusation against them, because they don't have practise managing their discomfort about it.

Also I just wanted to double check: if I do end up involved with this group, would it be okay to take them those dos and don'ts as suggestions for their structure? I figured you wouldn't have told me them if not, but wanted to check.

You don't need to apologize, my anger was not at anyone in particular, more about the situation you were describing and how needlessly harmful to everyone involved it seemed to be.

It sounds like leadership in this community is fucked. I'm not saying don't get involved in trying to fix that, but I **am** saying that if it will harm you to fight this fight, you should either leave it to someone else or simply work with others to make your own space and grow it from the ground up to be more of what yall need. Sometimes people are just looking for a fight, and this community sounds hostile as fuck.

Please feel free to bring along the do's and don'ts, and more importantly, feel free to reach out to me privately and off anon, and we can discuss the possibility of me consulting on this issue more directly. I would be more than happy to PROVIDE the training it seems everyone in a position of power here lacks, and while I do charge a fee for this, I am always more than happy to discuss and negotiate this to some extent for a good cause. The do's and don'ts I listed are general guidances I'm fairly sure are universally necessary in any process, but they are not an actual guide on how to execute on these kinds of skills and ideas, because that would need to be a tailored response. I'm perfectly qualified to provide this directly but do not ever do so anonymously and generalizably on the internet.

[wolfliving]

Meanwhile, in Brickland

Cory Doctorow:

Analog companies can raise their prices, or worsen next year's model of their products. *Digital* businesses can *travel back in time* and raise the price of something you already own, but need to pay a "subscription" fee for. They can reach back in time and remove features you've already paid for. They can even go back in time and take away things you already own. The omniflexible, omnipresent digital tether between a device and its manufacturer creates *so many* urges that they can't resist:

Are you one of 4,000,000 people who built "smart home" products from Wink into your walls, ceiling and foundation slab at any time since they started shipping in 2014? Surprise! Now you have to pay a "subscription" for all of those gadgets or they'll *brick your fucking house*:

Did you buy a "Mellow Sous Vide" gadget? Surprise, it now costs $48/year to use that gadget!

Did you buy an Exogen ultrasound device to stimulate bone growth after a fracture? Surprise, it bricks itself after you've used it 343 times! Enjoy your e-waste, Hopalong!

Did you *buy a Ferrari performance sports-car*? Surprise, it bricks itself if it detects "tampering" - and the only way to un-brick it is to connect it to the internet, so you'd better hope it doesn't brick itself deep in an underground parking garage. Oops!

Did you buy a Peloton treadmill? Surprise, your $3,000 "smart" treadmill no longer works in standalone mode - unless you pay $480/year, that treadmill is now a clothes-drying rack:

Did you buy an Epson printer? Surprise! It will brick itself after you print a certain number of pages, *for your own good*, because otherwise its ink-sponges might leak:

Did you get - no, wait for it - *did you get a neural implant?* Surprise. The company's new owners don't want to continue supporting your implant, and they won't let anyone else do so either. So now, *part of your brain* has been bricked:

This is like a lifetime money-back guarantee - *for companies*. Any company that experience's seller's remorse can cancel or alter the transaction, retroactively. It's as if Darth Vader opened an MBA program whose only lesson was *I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it further":

Darth Vader has the Force. Corporate enshittifiers have something even more powerful: IP law. Companies can cleverly arrange overlapping layers of IP - anticircumvention, trademark, patent, trade secrecy, terms of service, cybersecurity law, contracts - to criminalize otherwise legal activity, like reverse-engineering, jailbreaking, creating alternative clients or third-party parts:

That means that companies know that they can enshittify to their heart's content without fearing a competitor's disenshittification products. Raise the price of ink all you want, because you've figured out how to criminalize generic ink cartridges:

That's a lesson Spotify took to heart. Aaaallll the way back in 2022, Spotify started selling $90 "Car Thing" tablets - little car-vent-mounted gadgets that made it slightly easier to connect your car stereo to your Spotify account. Now that a suitable interval has gone by, Spotify has decided to remotely brick every one of these solid-state devices, no later than December of 2024:

Now, this may seem like a loss to all those Car Thing owners, who are out $90. But consider this: our descendants are *gaining* thousands of pieces of immortal, infinitely toxic e-waste.

So there's that.

Then there's this: Jason Koebler just published a breakdown of a leaked sSamsung repair contract on 404 Media, revealing how Samsung requires its "independent" repair partners to trick you, abuse you, spy on you, and literally destroy your phone:

First: every time you bring a phone to an independent Samsung repair shop, the company has 24 hours to notify Samsung, providing your name, email, phone number, address, the IMEI of your phone, your warranty status and complaint.

Then, the technician is required to inspect your device for any evidence that you have had it serviced by unauthorized technicians or fixed with third-party replacement parts. If they believe you have failed to act in accord with Samsung's shareholders' interests, the technician is required to *immediately destroy your phone* and notify Samsung.

(This is radioactively illegal, and has been since 1975, when Congress passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects your right to use third-party parts:)

Why does Samsung do this? They can't help themselves. It's in their nature.

[ivygorgon]

An open letter to the U.S. Congress

IMPEACH TRUMP. AGAIN.

1 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

Beginning Day 1 of Trump’s second administration, Congress must open an impeachment investigation based on the following grounds:

1. Violations of the Emoluments Clauses The Emoluments Clauses (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8; and Article II, Section 1, Clause 7) prohibit presidents from profiting from foreign or domestic governments. The Founders understood these clauses to provide a critical safeguard against corruption, particularly corruption of the executive by foreign powers. Trump has violated these clauses by refusing to divest from his business holdings. At least five foreign governments pay a combined $2 million per month in fees for their units in Trump World Tower; and because all five of these foreign governments are currently paying Trump these monthly fees, Trump is in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause from the moment he took the oath of office.

2. Corrupt and Unlawful Campaign Practices Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign included violations such as offering regulatory favors to oil and gas executives for donations, coordinating unlawfully with super PACs, and accepting prohibited contributions from Elon Musk via X (formerly known as Twitter) and via Musk’s million-dollar “lottery” scheme that paid out prizes only to individuals who would publicly support Trump. He also engaged in racist, xenophobic rhetoric by referring to immigrants in Aurora, Colorado as “blood thirty criminals” from whom voters have to be “rescued”, threatened physical violence, including murder, against political opponents, a U.S. military commander, journalists, and protesters, and spread dangerous disinformation about U.S. hurricane disaster response among other things.

3. Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Justice Trump’s pardons for January 6 insurrectionists—including seditious conspirators—constitute an abuse of the pardon power. Trump himself engaged in insurrection on January 6, 2021, inciting hundreds of violent insurrectionists to storm the Capitol in order to try to overturn an election that he lost. His co-insurrectionists seized control of the Capitol, disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, assaulted law enforcement and journalists, vandalized the Capitol and individual congressional offices, and threatened the lives and safety of our elected officials and law enforcement. He has blocked investigations and accountability efforts, shielding himself and allies from the consequences of their actions in the insurrection. In the face of a president abusing his power, as he has done here, Congress has a responsibility to follow the mandate of Article II, Section 4 (the Impeachment Clause) of the US Constitution and initiate an impeachment inquiry.

Congress must act decisively: By initiating impeachment proceedings, Congress will uphold its constitutional duty to safeguard democracy and hold the president accountable. Failure to act risks setting a dangerous precedent and further eroding public trust. The time to act is now.

▶ Created on January 25 by Free Speech For People

📱 Text SIGN PHYWFQ to 50409

🤯 Liked it? Text FOLLOW IVYGORGON

to 50409

[rjzimmerman]

Electricity That Costs Nothing—or Even Less? It’s Happening More and More. (Wall Street Journal)

Excerpt from this Wall Street Journal story:

Most people pay a fixed price for each kilowatt-hour of electricity they consume throughout the day. The price is set by their power company and only changes at infrequent intervals—once a week, a month or even only once a year.

Van Diesen, a software salesman, recently signed up to receive electricity from two providers that charge him the hourly price on the Dutch wholesale power market, rather than a fixed price that resets monthly or annually. When the price of electricity falls low enough, smart meters in his house begin charging his two electric cars.  

Wholesale prices swing wildly each hour of the day, and even more so as a larger share of electricity flows from wind and solar installations. Because the generation costs of wind or solar farms are negligible, market prices will be near zero when there is enough renewable power to cover most of a region’s electricity demand. 

Electricity market dynamics get weirder when renewable-energy producers don’t have an incentive to stop feeding power into the grid, usually because of government subsidies. Then grids can be flooded with excess power, pushing prices into negative territory.

Van Diesen said he’s made 30 euros, equivalent to around $34, over the past five months charging his car, enough to cover the service fee from his power supplier, a Norwegian company called Tibber.

“I’m charging the car for free,” said van Diesen, who is part of a group of clean-energy enthusiasts in the Netherlands who call themselves green nerds. “To me it’s also like a hobby and a game—how far can I go?”

Doing laundry in the evening? The electricity could be free a few hours later when demand dies down and the wind picks up. Likewise, in regions with lots of solar power, charging an electric vehicle in the morning is usually far more expensive than powering up under the midday sun—or whenever the price is right.

In the U.S., most states don’t currently allow such real-time pricing, but many think that will change. Already, in some of the world’s biggest economies from Western Europe to California, the occurrence of zero and negative wholesale power prices is growing fast.

Wholesale prices across continental Europe have fallen to zero or below in 6% of all hours this year, up sharply from 2.2% in 2023 and just 0.3% in 2022, according to data collected by Entso-E, the group of European transmission system operators. In markets with lots of renewable capacity, this year’s figure was higher: 8% in the Netherlands, 11% in Finland and 12% in Spain. Analysts expect those numbers will grow as more solar panels and wind turbines are installed.

The changes sweeping Europe’s electricity markets, which were accelerated by the energy crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine, show what could happen in the U.S. in a few years when renewable capacity reaches a similar scale. In 2023, 44% of EU electricity was generated by renewables, compared with 21% in the U.S.

[eaglesnick]

The NHS will last as long as there are folk left to fight for it” – Aneurin Bevan

I’m no fan of Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak. Sunak is completely out of touch with ordinary people and Starmer will promise just about anything to get himself into power and then break those promise when it suits him.  However when it comes to the future of the NHS I feel it will be safer under a Labour government than one run by free market, neo-liberal Tories.

From a purely selfish perspective  - something the Conservative Party excels at - the NHS saves all of us a small fortune. When your child needs medical care it is free at the point of use; when your parents need medical care it is free at the point of use; and when YOU need medical care it is free at the point of use.

Of course we pay for this through taxes and national insurance contributions but the clue is in the phrase “national insurance”. Medical treatment in Britain, is, at the moment, paid for through collective funding. It is a system based on community, social responsibility, and the old fashioned concept of caring for your neighbour. . Aneurin  Bevan, the "Father of the NHS” said:

“No society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means."

It is a sad fact that Conservative Party members, many of them rich individuals who can afford private medical treatment, have been undermining the NHS because of their unwavering adherence to the ideological belief that all things run by private enterprise are good while all public sector institutions are bad. . The Tory’s will, of course deny this, claiming the NHS is save in their hands and that they have no plans to privatise it.

 Lets look at the facts.

Despite Prime Minister David Cameron promising there would be no cuts to the NHS this was the headline in the Daily Mirror when the Conservatives took over from Labour in 2012.

“David Cameron cuts NHS spending by £500million.” (06/11/12)

Two years later and we have this headline from the Guardian:

“David Cameron accused of hypocrisy over £1.4bn ‘raid’ on NHS funding." (06/07/2012)

By 2014 NHS staff were on strike because of the Tory government refused to give them a 1% pay rise. Rows over poor pay and under-funding continue to this day.

While Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary patient experience and staff moral took a dramatic turn for the worse. Despite presenting himself as a “champion of patient safety”, targets were missed, waiting times increased, and the very fabric of some hospitals began to crumble, leading to Hunt being labelled “the man who ruined the NHS”. (Open Democracy: 08/07/22)

In 2016 The Independent ran this headline:

“Jeremy Hunt co-authored book calling for NHS to be replaced with private insurance.” (10/02/2016)

Is it any wonder the NHS has been seriously under-funded and run down when the man in charge was an advocate of private medical health insurance? Millionaires like Cameron (£40m) Hunt (£15m) and Sunak (£651m) can afford to pay for expensive medical care but the rest of us are not so fortunate.

This brings me back to the purely selfish reason we should vote for the party most likely to protect the NHS. Below are some AVERAGE costs for private medical procedures and treatments in the USA provided by Statistica 2021

Heart valve replacement…….$170,000     £133,390

Heart bypass………………….......$123,000     £96,518

Cornea (per eye) ……………......$17,000       £13,339

IVF treatments ………………......$15,400      £12,084

Hysterectomy ………………….....$5200          £4,080

In addition, Americans have to pay for their stay in hospital. This fee is on top of medical treatment costs. According to Debt.org (30/11/23) the price for the average stay in hospital of 4.6 days is $13,262. (£10,406)

Whatever your political leanings, the protection and restoration of the NHS should take precedent over all other electoral considerations because we will ALL need medical treatment at some stage in our lives be that as a child or as an adult.

We know the Tory mantra "private sector good public sector bad” just doesn’t live up to reality: we only have to look at our polluted waterways to realise this. Whether Keir Starmer would be any better at protecting the NHS from profit motivated private companies is a moot point.

With headlines like:

“Can Wes Streeting’s private sector plans save the NHS?” (Guardian: 14/04/24)

and

“Labour’s Wes Streeting just used the SUN to talk up NHS privatisation” (Canary: 08/04/24)

we cannot rely on the Labour Party leadership to protect the NHS from the profiteering private sector, not least because Wes Streeting has been paid £175,000 from donors linked to private health firms. (National: 14/04/24) There is no such thing as a free lunch so one doesn’t have to wonder to hard what these “donors” might want in return for their money!

Even so, I feel there are those within the Labour Party who would work very hard to stop the leadership of the party from running down the NHS to the point of collapse, as is the Tory plan, so with great reservation I will be voting Labour in the coming elections.

Save Our NHS

[jellymellydraws]

Masterlist ~ <<Previous Chapter ~ Next Chapter >>

Astarion x Dark Urge Chapter 15 Rating: E Tags: Angst, Fluff, hurt/comfort, slow burn, two guarded people fall in love so hard it makes them stupid

Chapter Summary:

Astarion begs Rose to gossip about Gale's super secret but very obvious condition. She learns that the resident sassy elf might be starting some rumors about her promiscuity. Withers makes his services available, for a fee. With all their scouting and prep done, the whole camp marches towards the Selune Temple.

Whether it was foolishness, desperation, and a deliberate step towards openness: Gale revealed there was something going on with him. Eyes were on her as she departed from the wizard���s tent. The questions were clear on their faces, but she wasn’t going to be the one providing answers. They had to know that much, by now.

Rather than entertain their curiosities, she continued towards the command tent. Aside from distributing the magical items, she still had to prepare her own pack for their visit to the Selune Temple. Anything could happen once they arrived, and she was going to be prepared.

Goblins could be wielding more powerful weapons, or have new mastery of magic. Drow soldiers could be hiding within the shadows. Spiders as large as the arachnid matriarch could be lurking in the rafters. All of this was a possibility. Not to mention: surprises.

Detestable surprises.

Of course, hoping to do this prep in peace was as reasonable as hoping a fish could breathe air. She didn’t need to look up at the shadow which stalked over to her. She already knew who’d be ballsy enough to ask. Only one very nosy and gossip hungry elf: Astarion.

“We all saw that— you can’t honestly believe that you can pretend none of us saw that!”

“I can, and I will,” Rose couldn’t help the small smirk which snuck across her face.

Astarion didn’t understand the concept of ‘minding his own business.’ That was a cute little trick he pulled that morning— toying with his tone to imply he was being coy, stating he heard nothing but sounding like he did. His words spoke true, his tone tricked. 

Clever man. Too bad he sucked at committing to the act when very valuable information came to light. In this case, bright purple lights emanating from their wizard. But oh, his desperation to know what was going on was the sweet confirmation she was waiting for. He had absolutely no clue what happened between her and Gale that morning.

The elf wasn’t going to leave it alone. Not until he knew what the hells he saw. Even if that meant stalking after their leader while she meticulously prepared her pack for the rest of the day. She tried to feign her next steps a few times, looking one direction but turning towards another. He kept up with the fancy footwork, and somehow managed to keep up with her speed.

”Right outside his tent,” the elf continued, “what was that— he hugged the damned things and—“ he crouched next to Rose as she sifted through their potions crate. His voice suddenly hushed, “can he make our stuff more powerful?”

”Wouldn’t that be something?” She sassily answered, stowing a small healing potion in her pack and tying it closed.

“Do you know how useful that would be?”

“I do.” She stood up, turning towards the rest of the camp.

”You still aren’t going to spill, are you?”

”I’m not.”

She playfully bumped her good shoulder into his as she walked by him. He groaned with defeat.

But he continued to follow.

Alright, fine, she’ll give a little. What was a little fun before heading into uncertainty? 

Rose turned on her heel, arms crossed in front of her chest as she faced him. “How about a trade?”

Astarion’s brows raised, before a tempted smirk crossed his features, “A trade? For?”

“Information,” she offered, stepping closer to him as her words softened, “Gale said you have quite the imagination, I’m still intrigued: what exactly did you say to him this morning?”

“Oh, my dear,” his finger hooked beneath her chin, gently tilting her face towards him, hovering closer, “I just asked him if you left him satisfied with…” he pulled away with a devilish smirk, “whatever it was you two did in that tent.”

“Gods above,” she stared incredulously, “you asked him if he fucked me in there?!” 

He burst into laughter. She dragged her hand down her face, only briefly stopping to pinch the bridge of her nose. Her cheeks darkened and she could hear her blood rushing into her ears. This only made him laugh more boisterously. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one having fun, here? 

Mission: failed. Miserably. No— not miserably. 

Laughably.  

“You think I’d be so tactless as to ask outright?” He gasped, remembering to act scandalized once he regained control of his amusement, “Well, maybe I’d ask you, but Gale?! He’s much too, erm,” he circled his hand in the wizard’s direction, searching, but finding nothing but a frustrated tut, “he’s Gale. ” 

She knew she should’ve changed assignments. Of course she should’ve! She knew better— she knew Astarion better!

“But,” the elf continued, much to her delight, “if you weren’t having a quick one in there, what was all the sneaking for?”

”He entrusted me with a private, personal, matter,” she stated with finality, despite his pout. She rolled her eyes playfully towards him, “he’ll divulge the details when he’s ready. Or I’ll do it when I find it necessary for the camp to know.”

“I thought we had a trade,” he continued to poke his lips out, dramatizing his pouting.

”We did, and I kept my end of the bargain. We talked about something private, and I won’t share the specifics. That’s it.” She smirked at him, triumphantly. “Don’t sulk, I’d do the same for you.”

“Hm, I suppose you would ,” his tone shifted. Less playful. “Seems you owe it to me, afterall.”

”What is this about?” Her eyes narrowed warningly. Sounded like their fun was over. 

“Heeding your advice,” Astarion answered plainly, pretending to examine his nail beds, “something about favors?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of a favor owed,” the words felt like an echo as she recited them. 

“Yes, that was it,” he shifted his gaze towards her, lifting a brow at her cautionary expression, “at least you can remember some things.” He hissed his emphasis, not-so-subtly slicing with his words. 

“And what is it that I owe you for?” Her tone dropped out of its playful lilt in response. “Remind me.”

“Oh nothing much,” he began counting on his fingers, “just for keeping quiet about your quirky little bursts of murder. Or perhaps for being so discreet about your memory problems, especially considering how easily Lae’zel reaches for her blade. Oh, and you know, Shadowheart asked me about your scars— I kept that to myself too, in case you were concerned. Quite a debt you’re accumulating, it seems.”

Her eyes widened with disbelief. A speech given several nights ago, a mantra that came to her in the moment that she gave no thought towards. It meant more to him than she intended. He was keeping score in a game she had no intention of playing.

And yet, she had a finger on a piece, in need of completing her next move.

“The favors thing doesn’t apply to the camp,” she clarified.

“Sure it doesn’t!” He scoffed, throwing a hand up flippantly, “you just gave Gale whatever he asked for?”

”Yes!”

”Must not have been so important then, if he doesn’t need to pay you back.”

Her blood simmered as he glanced at her from behind his nose. Through her fury, she saw a slight smirk tugging at the edge of his lips. 

No. No, he would not trick her into whatever the hells he wanted. Whatever outburst he hoped to pull from her, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

”I’m not falling for this,” she finally managed after taking a controlled breath, “I’m not going to tell you what he wanted. I’m not going to tell you what that magical light show was about. I’m not going to tell you anything.”

”And why’s that?” His red eyes burned towards her. The creases of a scowl began to form.

“Because I take care of my team,” she articulated slowly, “no favors required. If you need anything Astarion, I’ve got you; just ask and I’ll see what I can do.”

He stared at her, brows furrowed. Examining her face for traces of a lie, of deceit, of trickery. “Just ask ? Just like that?”

She nodded, “just like that. Exactly like how we got you that violin. If it’s that hard to believe that I’m a woman of my word, that’s your problem. Not mine.”

Waves of expressions washed over his face like phases of the moon. Everything from doubt to relief to disbelief flashed over him. Watching him closely, she was just realizing how weary he looked. Bags had begun forming under his eyes, which in turn made her see how pallor his face was. In short, he looked like hells.

Her eyes couldn’t help but soften. She released another heavy sigh, running a hand through her violet locks as she pushed back her frustration.

“Astarion,” she met his gaze, sincerely, “if you need the score to be settled, we’ll go over who owes whom later. I have to focus on our mission right now.” 

He said nothing as she left towards the edge of camp to finalize prep for the afternoon.

The living corpse marked an open scroll with a quill that never needed to be dipped in ink. No one knew where he found such a thing. He muttered in a voice that forever carried from the beyond, faintly echoing at the end of his words.

“Withers,” Rose announced herself as she approached. He didn’t move his eyes from his task. Frustrating as it was, she became accustomed to it. At least, in some capacity, she knew he was listening. “We’ll be departing soon, can you handle watching over the camp?”

“I shall be here in thy camp, for whenever thou hast need of my services.” A practiced response. 

If his voice didn't hint at his age, his manner of speech could make it obvious. She was sure it was in the range of twenty years to twenty centuries. 

“Services like....watching over the camp?” She pressed, somewhat sarcastically.

But, to be fair...would he actually do that? Someone was ALWAYS back at camp to keep watch, never just Withers. For the most part, he might as well not be there. He haunted the outermost edge of their camp, hardly said a word, and hardly made a sound. If no one else saw him, she’d be convinced it was her mind playing tricks.

There was still time for that. Best not to get too sarcastic, unless she wants to accidentally curse herself further.

Finally, he paused his scribbling. His next line of thought needed his full attention and effort, it seemed.

“A mending of threads between life and death.” He lowered the scroll, eyeing her dully, “that is what I can offer.”

Her brow raised, intrigued, “go on.”

“For a pittance of coin: should thou or any of why compatriots perish, I will cleave soul to body once more.”

Both brows raised. “How much?”

“200 pieces of gold.”

Her eyes would've popped out of her head, had they not been firmly tethered to her skull. Suddenly the price of Astarion's violin felt like copper pieces by comparison. Gods, they haven't even been to a proper storefront! Where in the hell's would they get that amount to do coin?!

This was a joke, right?

It had to be?

This was Withers they were talking about-- where the hell would he even spend that money?!

...this was Withers she was talking to. No, this wasn't a joke.

No, he probably wouldn't answer where the money would go.

“Huh, well...that’s,” she adjusted her stance, trying to make light of the price. “That’s a pittance of an assassin’s contract.”

“I know.”

She shifted her weight again, chewing her lip as she stared at the living corpse. She took a quick glance around, making sure the coast was clear before lowering her voice, “do you know anything about me; my bloodlust?”

“Yes.”

“Keep talking,” she demanded.

“For a pittance of coin--”

“How much?”

“--should thou or any of thy compatriots perish--”

“You already said that--”

“I will cleave body and--”

“Withers.”

Uninterrupted by her attempts to disrupt him, unphased by her frustration, he continued. As she rubbed her temples, a dull thudding started to come on as he completed his speech.

“Are you going to charge me,” she quickly interjected, before he could start another rehearsed line, “if I ask you to watch over the camp?”

“No.”

“Okay,” she sighed with relief. “One last thing, then: if the owlbear shows up, give it some food.” She pulled a small parcel from her pack, passing it along to the animated undead being. 

Wrapped carefully in a piece of torn cloth, were pieces of meat that had been dried overnight while traveling. Some of the last pieces of meat that she had for herself, but untouched. Withers held the package with an open palm, as if he collected payment from her. He said nothing. 

“Well then. That's that.” Rose turned on her heel, ending the interaction on her own terms (seeing as the skeleton wasn’t going to). From her pouch, she removed her journal and a piece of charcoal, opening to a fresh page towards the back, “I guess we’ll…” she muttered as she scribbled words to the page, “start a revival fund…”

The entirety of the camp marched their way through the destroyed village. With their reputation of being True Souls, the guards were eager to ask Rose if she needed anything.

An escort. They needed an escort.

Utilizing one of the goblins, they were able to walk by the guard post with ease. The power of their status continued to intrigue Rose.  A thrill ran through her veins with every passing acknowledgement. ‘Yes True Soul,’ ‘right this way, True Soul,’ ‘the temple is just up ahead, True Soul.’

Very few people would question their reasons for being there, none dared to ask. She could get used to this.

Once they were beyond the guard post, their escort was dismissed and free to return to their position by the village.

”Here we go,” Shadowheart sighed, “walking right into a goblin camp. Most would think we’re insane.”

”Aren’t we?” Astarion hummed with a smirk.

”Speak for yourself.”

Rose couldn’t help but shake her head at the banter behind her. They approached the wooden bridge, leading to a stone entrance that was dirtied over time. Statues of similar form to those in the village guarded each side, both in various states of destruction. The bridge was decorated with spike traps, and whatever railing existed had been torn from their posts.

From the looks of it, the goblins were prepared to destroy this bridge, if they needed to. Her eyes scanned along the top of the wall, looking for signs of guards and other goblins who they needed to be wary of. No one watched atop the walls, despite the bits of activity she saw beyond the doorway. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rose asked Alfira, who stood beside her clutching the lute in her hands. The bard hadn’t said a word as they got closer, and most of the color drained from her face now that they were mere steps away from the heart of the nest.

“I have to be, right?” She tried to chuckle, weakly. 

As they approached the bridge, their footsteps began to feel heavier. Rose’s heart thundered in her chest, the hairs on her arms began to raise. Reflexively, she grabbed Alfira’s arm, stopping immediately.

“What’s wrong?” The tiefling asked, looking around with caution.

“Hear my Voice,” a feminine voice spoke calmly, steadily. “Obey my command.”

“Shit!” Rose fell to her knees, head aching to the point of her vision blurring.

“Is it the tadpoles again?!” Alfira’s voice started to sound distant.

The others behind her were all brought to the ground, straining to get up or even move.

Then everything went dark.

“These are my Chosen,” the voice continued, echoing around her. “They speak for me.”

A soft light forced her vision to focus on three figures before her. Her chest tightened. Fists clenched. Blood boiled. The longer she stared, the louder her head pounded.

An old hardy elf stood at the front of their formation, looking down at her with an unfeeling expression. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel he was annoyed by her. Disgusted. He wore heavy armor, carrying himself like a commander would. But the voice she heard in her head was feminine, it did not fit this man. His chest piece was illuminated by a colored gem.

Behind the elf was a human man wearing a draped coat adorned in gilded thread. He did not look as old as the elf, but his face was aged by a lifetime of troubles. She saw it in the creases of his brow, the tiredness in his eyes. Old enough to be tired, but young enough to have fire. His smile was easy, sleazy, but oh so charming in a dangerous way. Arrogance oozed from his stance as he looked at her with a cocked brow. Intrigue. Curiosity. Another pang in her chest, joined by a sickly turning in her stomach at the sight of him. She wanted to scream. She couldn’t. Embedded in his shimmering gauntlet was another gem, much like the elf’s, which softly illuminated his features as it glowed.

Opposite of the human was another elven woman-- elven-like, more precisely. Pale was the only descriptor appropriate for her. Pale hair, pale skin, pale eyes. Pale like the corpse she deserved to be . Rose clenched her jaw. The desire to drown this woman in her own blood grew. How beautiful she would be, a blank canvas covered in red. The woman’s grin appeared to grow, burning down onto Rose. Taunting her. She was frozen in her stance, licking the curve of a red blade, which glowed with another gem centered in its hilt. Rose reached towards the blade, but the weight of darkness forced her hand to the ground.

The voice continued.

“Aid them, and you will be worthy to stand beside them. In my presence.”

It was tempting. Delicious. 

Power.

Authority.

Next Chapter >>

[dansnaturepictures]

Celebrating BBC Springwatch at 20 

This is more something I post about on my other social media accounts, but since one of my favourite programmes on TV returns tonight and it’s celebrating two decades now since it began I felt like saying a bit about what it means to me and looking back over some of my highlights. 

A key reason I always highlight now as to why I love Springwatch, Winterwatch and (when it was on in a more fuller way) Autumnwatch is that it’s my hobby and main passion in life on screen for an hour a night for a time. That’s just the tip of the iceberg with all the online content of course, Springwatch in particular feels more a festival and celebration of life than just a TV show, and particularly in my younger days I was glued to the online nest webcams. But it goes so much deeper for me as looking back when I first got into birdwatching which got me into all wildlife Springwatch was one of the first programmes I watched about nature and it really captured my imagination and excited me so much. A key thing with that is there are many wonderful and breathtaking natural history shows on offer, but what sets the watches apart is it focuses on the UK’s wildlife. So things I do see and strive to see which makes it really relatable and useful for me. And with the format of mixing live/webcam footage, feature films, explanations and discussion it feels as though through my TV screen I’m out enjoying nature, which was especially powerful in my school/college and working in the office every day times where I wouldn't necessarily be out in nature during a day.

The show has provided us with many fascinating nuggets of information, powerful looks at the plight of species and habitats, spellbinding films and narration, excitement and the innuendo and comedy. From Water Rails nesting to butterfly films, sticklebacks to the brutality of nature in a Nightjar nest, Badgers, live Beavers, countless inspiring films showing wonderful people who work so hard for nature and for us all to have access to it, the hilarious moment Bill Oddie ruined a sound quiz by saying “Hey, we’ve got a Buzzard” and much more in between, it so often delivers. I think Chris Packham sums up the content on the shows so well with his famous “That’s what you pay your licence fee for” line.

Another big thing I love about the watches is they’re our shows, the viewer clips, photos, questions etc. are so fascinating and engaging also. I have been lucky to experience this first hand during 2021’s Springwatch when reacting on what was then Twitter to the team seeing a “Midgenado” at Wild Ken Hill by reposting a photo I’d taken of one in Dorset earlier in the year and they used my photo on air in the next episode much to my delight. On a completely separate note it was surreal in 2023 when a brilliant wild holiday we had in Anglesey coincided with Gillian Burke presenting part of the final week of Springwatch from the island with us visiting many of the same spots. I love seeing wild places I know pop up on screen and have largely by chance clocked up a few of the host locations from all the watches among places I’ve visited now. A great thing about the watches is it is for everyone, I get as excited about it as much now as I did when I was a kid just getting into nature. I feel you could be an expert and/or a professional in nature or someone who has never been interested in nature and you’d both enjoy and learn from it. 

This show helps so many and a strong community forms around it. Another strong feature on the show that has developed is the mindful moment, 90 seconds of a film just showing nature with no music or narration which are so soothing, the sort of thing that really helps with mental health which I know the show does well. The Springwatch and Autumnwatch of 2020 and 2021’s Wintetwatch were perhaps the three most important series, if I remember rightly there were lockdown restrictions for all or part of all three. I’m so amazed that they could all go ahead but logically thinking of the type of show it is it makes sense it could be done around restrictions, and with so many people isolated and many in positions where they couldn’t get out into nature it was a real tonic for many.  

In this photoset is my Midgenado shot as well as some photos of me with a couple of the presenters at Bird Fairs over the years, me and my Mum with Iolo Williams and me with Simon King. I very often at the end of the series thank the whole team and it does blow my mind every time how they manage to produce such high quality live broadcasts from remote locations and with stories constantly developing. The faces of the show have become my idols over the years and many of the presenters and filmmakers have inspired me in many ways. Thank you the watches, I can’t wait to see what the next three weeks hold and here’s to the next decade. 

[shotgunrider428]

Urgent Humanitarian Relief for Evacuation from Gaza

Dear friends, supporters of humanitarian causes,

I am Mohammed Emad, and I write to you with a heavy heart and a plea for urgent assistance during this time of unprecedented crisis for my family.

For the past nine months, we have been caught in the relentless crossfire of conflict in Gaza. Our once peaceful home in Khanyounis has been reduced to rubble, and we now find ourselves displaced in mawasi khanywns, living in dire conditions in a makeshift tent on the streets. The war has not only robbed us of our physical shelter but has also destroyed our dreams to live normally. The daily struggle for survival is compounded by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and essential medical supplies.

Our primary objective now is to ensure the safety and well-being of my loved ones through their urgent evacuation from Gaza. This campaign is our lifeline, aimed at raising critical funds to cover immediate expenses. These include exorbitant border crossing fees, transportation arrangements to a place of safety, and essential provisions to sustain us during the precarious journey ahead.

Your compassionate support, regardless of the amount, will make an immediate and tangible impact on our lives. By contributing to this campaign, you are not only providing financial assistance but also offering hope for a future free from fear and uncertainty. Your generosity will empower us to rebuild our lives with dignity and security, beyond the devastation we have endured.

I humbly ask for your solidarity and compassion in our cause. Please consider donating to our campaign and sharing our story within your network. Your voice has the power to amplify our plea and reach individuals who may be able to assist during this critical time of need،We have been in danger for a long time and have not reached our goal. My family and I are in danger. I ask for your support, even if it is just a little

Thank you deeply for your kindness and generosity. Your support is a lifeline we desperately need, and we will forever be grateful for your empathy during this challenging chapter of our lives.

With heartfelt appreciation and hope, Mohammed and family

Of course! I'll support however I can, starting with this. To everyone seeing this, here's the link to Mohammed's GoFundMe:

Please donate and support if possible! If you're unable to at this time, then at least reblog to help spread awareness!

I made sure to check if it was vetted and it seems like it is. According to peoples notes on Mohammed's blog, @90-ghost confirmed the campaign as legitimate, just when it was under a now terminated account. I wasn't able to find anything else on it myself, but there aren't any red flags either, so I'm trusting peoples' word on it!

I wish the best for you and your family, and that you're able to meet your goal!