#so like....whay do i do with this information????

[thestamp3d3]

so like....how many coincidences before u start to accept u might be having auditory hallucinations

[gingerswagfreckles]

It's not fucking zionist to follow the news you fucking idiots. I cannot take this shit anymore. Jesus fucking christ. I am obviously not talking to Palestinians in the first post I am talking to moronic tumblr bloggers like you who wear it as a badge of honor that you don't read the news and accuse anyone who takes an issue actually seriously of using "zionist dog whistles." And try to then find reasons to tell people that if you DO think beyond a slogan, you're One Of The Enemy, actually.

I'm literally on the train home from a free Palestine rally, I'm not a fucking Zionist! What is wrong with you fucking people! Stop throwing words around until they mean literally nothing! I made a post informing you guys that they are discussing the possibility that Israel did in fact bomb that hospital in the NY Times and now that's zionism?? You people are so fucking proud of being ignorant it is disgusting. Taking this shit seriously isn't Zionism you fucking asshole, you are just too proud of treating it like a sports match to care.

Like literally can you even read?? My point in that second post was that if ANY of you actually opened the news, you would realize that they ARE reporting on the possibility that Israel bombed that hospital. But clearly at this point you guys aren't even capable of reading tumblr posts, so I really don't know what I fucking expected!!

I think people need to understand that when someone says the situation in Israel/Palestine is complicated they are not necessarily saying that the discussion of who the oppressor vs oppressed is complicated. The Israeli government has been oppressing the Palestinians for a very long time, that is clear, and it is not complicated to understand that at least since the 80s they have had dramatically more financial and military power to keep control of the territory in the way they like.

However, it is reductive and dismissive to insist that there is no complexity in the potential ways to move forward to bring peace to the region. Despite what people on tumblr.edu like to believe, "Israel should never have been created" is not a practical solution to an incredibly heated geopolitical situation in the present day. Israel was created and it does exist. 10 million people live there. 74% of the population is native born and the country has existed for 75 years. Hand waving these fact away with the opinion that "they should move back to where they came from" may make you feel good about being a Radical Leftist, but it does not give anyone a road map for how exactly millions of people without dual citizenship are supposed to just up and evaporate. Nor does it acknowledge the reality that 21% of Israelis are Arabs, the very people you are claiming to want to give the land back to.

Insisting that there's nothing complicated about expecting an entire country's population to willingly dissappear with no consequences is not a productive way to think about this conflict. It ignores the many massive superpowers that have an interest in proping up different states in the region, the power dynamics involved in any land back movements, and the inevitably negative consequences of totally dissolving an established state without a plan. It is also completely and almost comically unrealistic, so much so that it makes it hard to believe that anyone who's opinion starts and ends with this idea really gives a shit about anyone who lives in the area as much as they care about their online leftist clout.

There's nothing complicated in understanding that the Israeli government is and has been maintaining an oppressive apartheid state for decades. It is, however, very complicated to come up with a realistic way to resolve some of the most intricately entangled land disputes on the planet without plunging the region into total chaos. Not everyone has to be deeply educated on every geopolitical situation, but it is very hard to take people seriously when they know nothing about the politics or history of a region and yet insist that there is nothing complicated about it at all.

There's a lot of people on this website who are getting dangerously smug about their own ignorance, and are starting to go down Qanon type anti-intellectual paths in the name of being sufficiently radical. Not knowing the details of a very convoluted land dispute isn't something to brag about online as you call for intentionally reductive solutions. You can support the Palestinian cause and be aware of the oppression they have faced while also holding off on calling people trying to do real analysis and de-escalation work bootlickers. We need to get control of the urge to fit every global issue into a simplistic YA novel narrative structure that appeals to Western revolutionary fantasies.

[mariesoliver]

Missed a deadline with my boss cause i was ill the past 2 weeks but i was sort of better a day or two and i hoped i would make it so i didn't tell her i was ill (i did tell my daily supervisor) but then on the day of the deadline she mailed me to ask why i hadn't send the draft yet and THEN i had to tell her i was ill which is SO MUCH WORSE then if i had just mailed her beforehand to tell her i was ill and probably wouldn't meet the deadline but i HATE disappointing people and i feel like i have already postponed deadlines way too often especially lately cause i was going through a serious mental health crisis which i told her about but then i said i was feeling better and aaghhhh i hate disappointing ppl

[brightest-stars-if]

if may i ask for one favor (that i ask with no sense of entitlement and that you may feel completely free to refuse), should you ever want to edit the demo:

i really love picking the culturally significant names you provided (Calista and Basil are my favorite, respectively). would it be possible to come up with one more cultural name but have it be unisex, and then have that one name be put in both the m!MC and f!MC name options?

overall, i think it could just be interesting to see whay a unisex name looks like from this world that is so heavily gendered. and i also think it could be of comfort to any players outside of the binary who, while willing to play a character within one of those said binaries, may feel a unisex name option of in-game cultural significance as a salve (i say that as a they/them who leans moreso towards one gender end of the spectrum than anything else)

but if you want to hear why i specifically ask for this indulgance, it is a bit convoluted. usually only come up with one MC per i.f. game, and i think it'd be really fun to have this "one MC" have an alternate universe as a male and as a female. and normally, if i felt that inkling, i would just fucking do it lmao BUT i usually also feel no connection or drive to pick one of the pre-suggested names. so then i just pick a unisex name that fits within the game in question and manually type it in per replay. BUT i so love when fantasy games (especially i.f. as i so rarely see it done) gift the player names that have a cultural significance to the world they are in. so i wanted to ask if that could be coded in for selfish reasons too (tho i do genuinely believe in the former reasonings as valid; i just also dont project my they/them gender identity into my MC within this game, so im personally not upset this world doesn't have a Genderless Child MC option. and a huge part of this is thanks to your well-polished craftsmanship in how one of its main focuses of this story seems to very well be, in fact, the arbitrary futility of the binary with characters assigned in these two (semi-)strict gender roles. so like. i am being selfish in this favor request being for indulging my interest in "play one MC but switch the genders and see how the story impacts this specific personality as things go on + haa a culturally significant in-universe unisex name", but yeah, also, i do think it could be a comfort to other fellow nonbinary people and i do think seeing how this heavily gendered fantasy world would construct/react to a unisex name would be fascinating from a world-building/character-reactive perspective. bc it doesnt seem unusex names are too common, apart from Lux themself's name. and as an example of a character-reactive perspective, i bet m!Lux was worried about [unisex named m!MC] being a possible girl until informed otherwise that [unisex named m!MC] was another boy. ans, in a world-building sense, i also wonder if Lux and [a unisex named MC] would be treated differently bc of the seeming unpopularity of unisex names; but Lux has the protection of their father as king, whereas [a unisex named MC] has, though many protections, less than Lux and may be more often given the proverbial "a boy named Sue"/"a girl named Freddie"/"the initial elusivity of a child named Sam" treatment of others' distaste/mocking of their name, especially if it is or is not a true 50♀️/50♂️ unisex name. tho, again, i am only asking for one unisex name and to have that one unisex name be in both m!MC and f!MC's name options, im just saying not all unisex names are regarded with the same reputations of "unisex". but if youd like to add multiple unisex names of varying "it's unisex but tends to more often be a girls's name/it's unisex but tends to more often by a boy's name/it's unisex and perfectly divided between both genders in popularity" i would never step in to stop you lol)

but yeah, again, no expectations of entitlement towards this and you have every right to refuse, as it is your game 🤷 i just thought "eh. worse that'll happen is a 'no' lmao so whats the harm in asking??"

regardless: thank you for reading this far, i know i rambled a bit towards the end there. im a name-nerd, and so i LOVE it when authors say "this pre-suggested name has meaning in-game 👀", and the differing reputations of unisex names being dependent got me excited lol but i digress. thanks for the excellently fun game!! have a great day! 💗💕

So I read through this, and then I thought about it. And I figured yeah, I absolutely don't mind including a gender-neutral name option for the MC!If it makes people feel more comfortable, I don't see why not. And it's just a good option to include regardless. It will appear in the naming options after chapter 2 is uploaded.

Regarding Lux's name, honestly them having the ONLY gender neutral name was not intentional. It's just that if I'd named then Lucius/Lucia, for example, then I would have had to just call them L, and the thought of that didn't appeal to me. And besides, the meaning of their name is an important connection to the game. So that was my reasoning for Lux's name.

Every other character I named was off of meanings I'd found, pure vibes, and/or both. So the lack of gender neutral names was not intended to create a social bias against them, it was just a coincidence.

For the gender-neutral name I'm adding, however, I'll probably add some flavor text. If you choose it, then the MC's namesake is a woman. And so reactions to the MC being named after her will, occasionally, vary due to that. So it's sort of "a boy named Sue" situation, but not exactly.

TL;DR: yes, I'll add at least one gender-neutral option.

[wildshona]

Finding Amelia

One day in August last year (2023) Chris could see i was looking sad andd he doesnt like to see that so he put his arme round me and asked what the matter was. i told him it was my sisters birthday and i love her and missed and her and i didnt know where she was.

he looked thoughtful 4 a while kissed me and got me out of my moodiness by putting his hand up my skirt and well basically took my mind of things 4 a couple of hours.

as so happens wen a problem needs solving and it is beyond Chris he called Richard in so the next day im sitting with richard with a glass of wine in my hand and answering questions.

whays her full name - Amelia Mhairi W.....

date of birth: I told him

when did they go to the states - 21st August 2020

there was other stuff description i said she had just found out she was pregnant wen she left.

there was just her and dad, don't know which airport they went to, i thought dad was going to work in Virginia.

Richard took notes and said he knew some people and he would see what he would so. considering how he had dealt with Michael and Stevie i trusted that miracles wud happen.

it was about ten days later wen i am sitting with richard in his flat and he tells me that he has found Amelia and my dad. They lived near Langley in Virginia and there were now three of then because there was a child called Zoe.

His friend had found the immigration easily and the rest had followed in fact they had the information within 24 hours of him asking. they didnt know what the set up would be at the house so they had watched my dad's routines before approaching my sister when he was going to be away for a while because she didnt go out much unless she was doing soem shopping and only seemed to go out with my father with her. sounds about right i thought. he would be wary after i had run away.

anyway the man knocked on her door and said he had called because Shona wanted to know if she was alright. She burst into tears looked around and invited him in. she was really pleased to hear i was alright, obviously the man didnt know how close to not being alright i had been but still.

he learned that all her post was opened by my dad and that she didnt own a phone or have access to the internet, she was only given enough money for shopping for the house so she had no money of her own not even a bank account and her passport was locked in a safe.

if there was a way would she want me to be in touch

oh yes please.

we'll b in touch.

so Richard was now filling me in. he could arrange a post office box and for her to have a phone and my numbers if i wanted.

of course i wanted how soon

couple of days a week at most. but best if Amelia did the calling on the phone cos she wud know when it was safe.

but she has no money - Richard and his friends would sort that out. and if amelia wanted they could get her a passport for her and Zoe, which was the daughter's name.

i was so emotional it took me an hour to calm down wnough to really thank him they way he deserved.

[godmodebeginswithlesbians]

ive seen some posts like "xenologue!alcryst is the opposite of canon!alcryst but xenologue!céline is just normal céline but Extreme" but like. i dont think thats whays goin on here exactly

like, lets look at céline, yeah? her canon! character traits are, like, most prominently is her kindness, followed by her devotion to her people, followed by the least shown one, which would be how she's willing to do just about anything to protect her people.

now lests look at alcryst. most notable: his imposter syndrome and utter self hatred, his love/caring/admiration/whatever the word im looking for is for people, specifically his family (esp diamant) (to the point where its his personal skill), and finally, barely shown, he is shown to be... maybe not like full on bloodthirsty but like yknow? (thinking mainly about how he ends up threatening ivy in the chapter 11 post battle talk) (also about how luna (negates/ignore's half of foe's defense and resistance) is a skill locked to him) (probably as a counterpart to sol (which is locked to diamant), but oddly fitting)

in both cases, the second trait at least a little bit informs the first and the third, yeah? so to me it looks like the scale has been reversed, really, rather than their xenologue counterparts being their opposites. like, theey are, but like on the same sliding scale or smth yknow?

[roxineedstosleep]

ADD means... by Roxi

Or... funny things about growing up with neurodivergence when there wasn't as much awareness about it m and yet you had a diagnosis:

That the easiest way for your parents to understand your diagnosis (parents who work in health-related fields) is that your brain has bad wiring and that your distractibility is a permanent thing. That your parents don't understand how you can hate and love Jell-O, and not know how to explain to them that when the Jell-O batch is new there is no problem, but when it's been in the fridge too long the hard parts make you want to puke... but love the thick juice with chunks of aloe vera. Having to explain to them how your school uniform sweater is terribly itchy, and if you add the seat belt they are sentencing you to the most frustrating car ride of your existence.

Corrected yours teachers cience speech blurp up an entire encyclopaedia, but not been unable to express why your math exam’s answer is correct.  

Been bad at lying... but been good at making excuses time to time. That neither you nor they can explain to them how you can fall asleep at school and come home to sleep more hours and still get cranky in the morning... nor do they understand how you can go three days without sleep and not be affected by it. That you and your brother have to constantly explain to any family members how it's okay for him to crush you when you're lying down so you can relax and really concentrate.

That is ok to not know how to express emotions in the same whay or in the expected way thant other people do. Your parents are getting divorced? ok, that pretty sad and I’m here four you (yeah, that with a poker face, but full of real and good intentions). You give my for my birthday a simple ragdoll bunny?  and I'm just normally happy because you remember I wanted a rabbit toy ( I would cry and shout like if I won the Lottery ). Not knowing how you haven't grasped any of the information you've been studying for weeks by every possible method... but perfectly remembering the price and discounts on your brother’s and yours favorite cheese perfectly. Forgetting your cell phone in the fridge, but always carrying so many things in your favorite purse that anything you need will be there.  Getting frustrated by getting lost or confusing the line of travel on your bus every day, but finding your way to the right place if you are walking there. That you can be a master in charades, but no clue about enything else while you’re distract.

[rhaenin-writing-time]

As the second season for HotD comes out, do you think you’ll want to change anything in your story to include parts of it, or are you planning to act only on the first season and F&B? And even if you don’t include any actual story parts from season two, do you intend to include themes or commentary on it in your plot?

I'm going to answer this in more detail on the next chapter. Which should be... soon I hope. But I'm definitely cutting it off at season 1 and leaning more into the book. Season 1 was heavily flawed, but season 2 is a yike and I don't want to have to account for all the CANON they're breaking and the other weird decisions most of which were made in the quest to try to frame it as a 50/50 conflict rather than letting the themes of the book shine through. Baela and Rhaena, for example, had such clear characteristization in the book that they've thrown away in part to make the Blacks look worse by making Daemon look worse by keeping him separate from his daughters (which contradicts not just the book but also his characterization in the show as someone obsessed with family. Not to mention that ot does t make sense logically how they act like driftmark and dragonstone are worlds away, or that Rhaenyra, who even made sure her grieving son saw to Baela and Rhaena's emotional needs, would EVER let Daemon get away with it even if he tried. Which is why they don't try to justify it they just... keep them a part. And because baela's characteristization is so tied to Daemon, especially later on, she's left kind of... "generic targ girl in background" and the writers try to attribute her "rogue" qualities to Laena - which also messes with Laenas characterization and reraises the question of why the hell she didn't just take her kids and her dragons and go home if she wanted to. And of course, because the book first sets up Baela's character and then contrasts the twins to further characterize them through their differences, it means that Rhaena's chacterization gets erased. And not just erased, but replaced with nonsense that was added to lend sympathy to Aemond. Because the difference between the twins in the books had nothing to do with a made-up "targ kids and teens without dragons are deprived" idea and everything to do with how they fit differently into gender roles. But of course, hotd is determined to erase the underlying themes regarding misogyny and reactionary politics whenever it can. So I stead, we get... a Rhaena who wants to be a... cardboard cutout targ girl and the only thing that makes her different is that she doesn't have a dragon even though that conflict doesn't make sense which is why not once is it addressed WHay she does t have a dragon if she wants one so bad, because in the book it was just that 1. She was young and had many years left before it would be considered noteworthy 2. It wasn't a big deal 3. The fact she had the eggs before the war started suggested that as she approached the age where a dragonless targ would start to think about claiming one, she instead made a personal decision that she'd rather raise one from a hatching. Because we're talking about a (book)Margaery-esque girl who wore her baby pink dragon like an accessory. Why would she feel "pathetic" for being entrusted with her siblings and doing diplomacy with the Vale? And if she did, why does she not simply ask to claim a dragon, or try to claim a dragon, a d why are those questions not even addressed? Because they can't answer them. So if they can't, I'm not going to bend this fic around trying, especially since so much is scoped and/or written out already.

And that's just ONE of the issues. And believe it or not, the Alicent/Cole issue is actually related to the Daemon & his daughters issue. So... the books, and we're going to pretend that hotd is a "competing, close account" that has a lot of correct information in the first volume, info that contradicts F&B like ages and dates, but grows more dubious as it continues.

Lol k maybe not "I'll answer this in more detail" and instead "I'll answer this more clearly."

[davekitties]

oops I got high and rambled about gender my b

ironic that I only wear black (mainly) and my top 3 favorite pokemon are sylveon, skitty, and shiny virizion. the color pink, a longstanding enemy of mine, yet I still have a rather soft spot for it. to me, pink is defiant, but idk if others see it that way. a color chosen to represent women in today's society, scorn upon those who wear it "wrong," praise to those who do it "right." growing up, I always hated pink: it represented everything I never wanted to be. I never wanted to be a home maker and cook and clean and also work 40+ hours a week and take care of children. this terrified me as a child, and I grew to detest anything that would link me and femininity, ie., the color pink. I can't explain the rage my mother unleashed upon finding all the baby dolls I hadn't been playing with under my bed (re: at least a dozen). there were also unopened barbies and other baby/doll related toys and my mom grabbed one she'd gotten me recently and said, angrily, "come on, we are going to Walmart to exchange this for something you'd actually want." I, naively believed that I had finally gotten it to her, as I clutched my new giant stuffed orca plush I had found on clearance for $9 (she had spent like $40 on the gift we returned and I told her to keep the rest to make her feel better). but it was just one battle in the war to "make me a woman," something I never wanted to be.

eventually I would end up conforming to their ideals and standards (loosely) of how I was "supposed" to act and behave. I was too broken down, depressed, and tired of fighting. it was easier (on the surface level) to conform than it was to continue to fight. even still, though I tried my hardest to fill this role imposed upon me, I still loathed pink. anything but pink. pink was the personification of womanhood and why I hated living my life like this.

I was 17 when I first heard the term transgender. at first, I didn't get it (I'm a little dense sometimes), but then I kept reading the definition on that computer in the GT room that was being used to host the first ever meeting of the school's first ever GSA club. when I thought I finally understood it, my first thought was "yeah, makes sense," and then I moved on. I liked my skirts and my dresses, I liked to put on makeup every day, I liked to cook dinner every night, I didn't mind bending over backwards for everyone in my life.

when I was 19, it was a like a slap in the face one day. talking with a friend, it finally dawned upon me I didn't have to do this; I didn't have to *be* like this. I was... distraught, to say the least. a lot of things clicked into place for me (being a "tomboy," not liking "girly" toys or shows, always wearing "boys" clothes, having the feeling like there's something missing), and it *hurt*. what do you *mean* that I don't have be a woman if I don't want to be? this thought kept running through my head, along with the anger of everyone who forced me into being more feminine than I ever wanted to be.

I wanted to scream. I was so angry that it took 19 years of my life to find out that I didn't have to be a woman, that I could be literally *anything* else. it wasn't pink's fault. pink was whay I imagined was oppressing me, but it wasn't a simple color, it was society at large.

I'm older now, not as angry any more, but still sad. its not good to imagine how your life would have turned out if you had known information sooner, there's no use in speculating. I am what I am, neither man nor woman, and it's because of that that I feel comfortable enough to embrace pink again. pink has been a constant throughout my life, and I kind of hope that never goes away.

[cccrhirdb1]

week 6 presentation

some tiny notes from what people said about mine!!

catherine didn't tell us until most of the way through that we had to make notes and I also forgot to as well. anyway here is an image I took of some of the things that the others said. The one major thing I got from it was probably more questions on how I made it rather than what the work is about. printmaking is a dying art form that I aim to revive!! oh lots of people also said they really liked the colours i used!!

notes from crit /\

we had a chat beforehand saying about how we want the space to work in order to make it good/safe so we all felt like we could share. some of the things I recall from that list were;

make the space informed (do we have to say anything about the work)

presenting to a small group of people

actively listening

introducing ourselves and pronouns

uplifting one another

giving sound and reasonable critisim

saying what we like about the work beyond 'liking it'

give time to speak

ask informed questions

that is all i can remember but there was more.

my intentions/final thoughts about the piece.

we were posed three things to make sure we shared when talking about the work

my topic of choice was matariki! I didn't really know much about the cluster of stars or the holiday so I wanted to use this class/assignment as a way to do some research and find out some more info (go a little deeper). So through researching I found this method of preserving/passing on knowledge called mahi whai (also known as cat's cradle) which I can recall doing in primary school!! anyway i was really drawn to it as a way of preserving knowledge and sharing a story/remembering a legend as such. I thought it would be an interesting idea to like think of a child being entertained by playing with their string as they woke up in the early morning to join their whanau in viewing matariki. they could compare their strings and patterns to the stars in the sky and realise the real life reference to their game. so I compositioned the piece to look like such! upwards looking/view of the string to see the stars.

I used a method of printmaking known as multi-block relief printing using woodcutting as my chosen method (i have never used linoleum and am afraid to). Mostly because for the idea I had reduction woodcutting wouldn't work as I needed multiple elements to overlap and interact and reduction printing will not work with that - also i don't really need shadows or anything so just having multiple blocks is better!! anyway qualities of the print is like using a process such as relief printing or printmaking generally can bring up connotations with crafting and craft mediums (as printmaking has been used in history for book making and other kinds of commercial printing it is not very popular as a fine art or a way of making art). because of the commodified nature of printmaking it isn't always viewed as an art and therefore i am in a way referencing the renaissance of matariki as a nationally recognized public holiday and printmaking as a fine art. making connections to how both are viewed under their historical context.

I have already outlined some of my intentions so i dont think there is much else to say other than i really enjoy printmaking so I wanted to use this medium for my crative component.

[mojaves]

20-28 for seb >:^)

ehehehe babygirl time 2.0

20 + 27 answered here

21. What’s one secret of theirs that could potentially ruin a relationship they have?

he doesnt really have any secrets. if anyone wants to know anything about him, he will tell them. maybe he would be very vague about it, and he'd dance around the information a bit, but he will let them know only what they need to. the only thing that could potentially ruin everything for him is his past with arasaka, which he was more of an unwilling participant in rather than actively taking part in it. he didnt have any say in anything there, but that does Not matter to the clients he has. if they see his name tied to arasaka theyre immediately going to think he's not trustworthy, or still working with them in Some capacity, even though he has 10000% cut all ties after they tried killing him that one time

22. Are they a dog person or a cat person — or something else?

CAT 10000% mostly bc he has never met a dog before in his life. and has a cat of his own [frankie stromboli, but everyone, including seb himself sometimes, has to call him Mr. Stromboli out of respect]. his cat is like a son to him, and has entire conversations with him on a daily basis. also holds him like a baby.

23. What's one childhood memory they've never forgotten?

he and his siblings broke into a bakery and stole a bunch of food once and they all had to run like hell before they got caught <3 they dropped a lot of the stuff they stole but they still made it home with a good amount of cakes and cookies so it wasnt a complete failure. he got in a fuckton of trouble for it, but it was worth it, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

24. Do they have any phobias?

extremely claustrophobic. he WILL throw up if he's in a small space for too long. also pretty terrified of needles which is not very fun considering he had to deal with them every day while he worked at arasaka, which, if anything, made his fear of needles Worse. but even then it's like, very specifically syringes. tattoo needles???? he does not care. but a syringe??? anything could be in that. he doesnt know whay it will do to him and he would rather keep it as far away from him as possible.

25. What's one thing they're utterly incapable of doing without the help of someone else?

admitting that he needs help <3 HWGSHDHD he is very bad at it ok!!!! he needs to be yelled at before it gets into his brain that hey maybe his jaw shouldn't be hanging on by a thread and he should let someone fix it for him actually. which, again, is an entirely different problem. he will admit he needs help [eventually] but will not accept the help. even if it is actively killing him [stupid]

26. What's one topic they could never get tired of researching or learning about?

OLD CARS he loves old cars SOOOOOO much. he has a few of his own and he is spending his free time learning everything he can about them.

SPACE TOO. especially constellations. he needs to know where they all are and what their names are. and if they dont have a name, he is giving them one. he wants to get to the point where he knows exactly where they are even when it's the day and he can't see them

28. Who, if anyone, do they dislike the most?

his father is pretty high up on the list, and was his most hated person for a WHILE, but that spot was overtaken by his ex wife, alana, bc she basically ruined his life and left him with SOOOO many issues, and also almost got him killed MANY times. so. i think he's allowed that one. his old boss who she cheated on him with is also very high on the list - not only bc of the cheating but also bc he had a very big role in arasaka completely fucking him up and screwing him over. he cannot catch a break <3

[sadclowncentral]

many people have become disillusioned with space exploration. and with elon musk and jeff bezos dominating the media landscape with their PR stunts, this is more than understandable. but if you want to get your fascination for outer space back, i invite you to do the following:

1. curate your feeds! block mentions of people like elon musk and jeff bezos on all platforms. us thinking space is just about them is exactly whay they want. i promise you they have never said anything of importance, and their grande empty promises being heard benefits no one - except them.

2. look into local space programs! space is everywhere, not just in big american cities, and whether it's a small satellite built and operated by enthusiastic university students or a small local government funded research facility, you will find a program near you doing its best to tell the public about their mission -  and how it benefits you.

3. do your own research! making information publically available is part of the space ethos, and many many earth observation satellite missions put their pictures up for you to peruse. take a look at your country, the ocean, and every other place on earth that piques your interest. many space agencies even have courses that teach you how to use the data, and what for!

4. ask questions! from space webinars to q&as with astronauts to launch livestreams to aerospace conferences, there is ample opportunity to make sure that your tax money is used for space programs that you find useful. every space agency also has a point of contact that will be happy to answer your questions!

there are so many great and fascinating space missions working actively to better life on earth that simply aren't funded by billionaires and cannot blow millions on marketing. but they are doing their best to reach you and are just waiting for you to reach out to them in turn. outer space is a province of all mankind - and it is your right to stay involved and to stay hopeful.

[niuniente]

I gotta say- while I don't always have the same beliefs as you- esp spiritually- something about how you talk about them is just so earnest - and i can't describe jt but it's really a good thing. You seem extremely grounded in a good way and it's easy to tell your passion and that you really do believe and care about whay you share. What i'm truing to say is I like your vibes a lot

You have to be earnest about who you are - whatever that is to you. Everything else is shrinking your own self in fear (of what everyone else will think of you).

By doing so, others are encouraged to be who they are, too :3

That's pretty much the basic line of my spirituality, underneath the other details and bits of deeper questions. I was a teenager when I said "Life is simple but we humans make it complicated" and that's pretty much how the spirituality in its core is. Kinda same was as the quote "The God created a man [and didn't intend or need more] but man created religions [as otherwise it was way too simple]".

The more I study and have studied and lived this path, the simpler and less important (for the lack of better word) it becomes. It's nice to know about different spiritual topics and be well-educated in them, but what matters the most is to be kind, be yourself, completely and without judgement, and treat others with kindness and equality.

Everything else (spiritual information and knowledge) is just to help you to understand YOUR own life and aid you to become more authentic and loving towards yourself. Don't push it on others. Share, if you want. Those who will listen will listen, and those who don't agree with you aren't your concern.

Also; Do No Harm, Take No Shit.

That’s a good spiritual motto!

[oflgtfol]

im running around towards the last hour of my shift and this lady calls me over and shes like. where would smocks be. and i was like oh over by the t shirts but im not sure if we have them in stock, i havent seen them in a while. if you like i could go check to make sure? and shes like. no thats okay. where else do you think i could find them. so i was like oh im not relaly sure what other stores would have them but i could google it if you want and she was like no thats fine too i could just google it myself. so i was like oh okay is there anything else you need. no? okay and then i went about my business again and then she pulls me over some time later like 10 mins later maybe and she asks if we sell school folders and im like. no we dont sorry. (because this is an arts and crafts store not a stationary store. we dont sell standard school supplies here) so i can tell shes unhappy by that but theres no way i can really sugarcoat it because its like. we literally just do not sell folders here. the closest thing i can point you to is like, ART PORTFOLIOS ?? which are needlessly expensive for what you’re looking for, and also arent even what youre looking for in the first place? so i just said no we dont and left it at that. i asked if she needed anything else again and she said no but thank you etc so i go back to what i was doing and then ten minutes later she walks up to me and i say hey did you need any help? and she just says. Whats your name? and i tell her. and as i say it i see her staring at my nametag. and then she looks me in the eyes and says “i found the smocks actually. you were wrong, [my name], you do actually sell them.” with like the weirdest most passive aggressive tone and she just. she just like fucking walks away and im just utterly baffled and i say to her back, as she walks away, “i said i wasnt sure if we had them in stock right now” but she was already walking away so i dont think she heard me. and at first again i was just confused cuz i thought we had been polite before so for her to be so weirdly hostile out of nowhere was really jarring and then like five seconds later i realized she had asked for my NAME and it just hit me like. what the fuck was that? like is she going to go complain about me, specifically now? like is she going to like fill out a survey and say “oh BROT fucked up, BROT ruined my day” like am i going to get in TROUBLE for singlehandedly making the store look bad? all because this woman must have misunderstood me when i said i wasnt sure if we had any in stock at the moment, she must have thought i was saying we dont sell them period ???? but then beyond just the threat of it, it just. really bothers me how passive aggressive it is to specifically single out my name like that just to chastise me. over something as stupid as a smock. to cop a tone at me and use my real name over it

had my first ever customer that made me almost cry (:

[legendsoffodlan]

Protecting the Pride

*A brief fic of Byleth and Leonie after their marriage at the end of Verdant Wind.*

Summary: Assassins infiltrate Garreg Mach with he intent of killing High King Byleth and his family, conveniently forgetting that both King and Queen won the war at the tip of their own blades

Rating: T

Ships: Byleth x Leonie (Leoleth). Implied Claude x Petra (Claudetra)

-

The false king would die tonight.

Not just him, but that peasant whore he had married and their bastard child too. All of them would pay for their crimes against the Flame Emperor, the only true monarch of Fodlan.

The idea of those slaves of the Goddess, sitting on the thrones that rightfully belonged to her Eminence filled the assassin with rage. That the beautiful dream of a world made free had bee so cruelly crushed was enough to dry a man to madness.

But tonight Lady Edelgard would be avenged.

The assassin crept through the silent halls of Garreg Mach towards the royal nursery where the false King’s brat now slept. The information had come straight from one of their guards. It was amazing what enough ale and the right amount of coin could buy. He would slit the little bastard’s throat and be done with it. His compatriots should already be dealing with the royal couple.

As had been promised, the doors were unguarded. The assassin poked the door open as slowly as possible so as to not make a single sound. He knew that he had been incredibly fortunate thus far, and it would be just like fate to undo him now, when he was so close.

But the door made no sound, his luck held.

He crept in, silent as a mouse, towards the crib at the far end of the room, his poisoned dagger raised. He had been fortunate, the Lady Edelgard must have blessed his mission. It was perfect.

There was movement from the corner.

Before the assassin could blink, something sharp and segmented wrapped around his throat. He stopped with a gurk sound, the blades digging into his skin and the knife clattered from his hands.

Within a moment he realized that the Sword of the Creator was around his throat.

‘No... no, no, no!’ hethought desperately to himself. But, sure enough, the king himself stepped out from the shadows, a dark scowl on his face.

“H- how-” the assassin managed to choke out under the withering gaze of High King Byleth Eisner.

“The guard you bribed was not as drunk as you thought,” said Byleth coldly. “He reported to us as soon as he sobered up. My child is not here. They are safe in Abyss with Underlord Yuri.”

No. No, no, no! this could not be how it ended! The assassin felt tears well up in his eyes. “No- no- the- The Lady! She must-”

“The Lady?” said the King, a slight sneer in his voice. “You speak as though she was a God.”

“She was!” cried the assassin, desperately looking for an exit. “She was my Goddess!”

The King merely shook his head and tightened the grip of the sword. “Surrender, and you will be given a trial.”

Before the assassin could spit at Byleth, denounce him and his offer of mercy, the door creaked open.

Desperately, the assassin hoped it was his comrades, come to back him up. Perhaps they could rush the king together, overpower him.

But no, it was High Queen Leonie, waddling in, craddling her pregnant belly with one hand and brandishing her spear with her other.

A bloody spear.

“Sorry, love. They didn’t surrender,” she said apologetically, and the King bowed his head in regret.

The assassin saw his chance. In a single fluid motion he drew his spare knife and hurled it at the queen, hoping to slay her or the infant in her belly before the King slew him. He may have lost, but perhaps he could prevent these tyrants from claiming victory.

The last thing he saw before the segments of the Sword of the Creator tightened was the Queen deflecting the knife with ease.

-

Leonie quietly eased her way into her and her husband’s shared room. A room, she idly realized, used to have been Rhea’s. Pushing that thought aside, she made her way over to her husband in the adjoining garden where he stood at the balcony, contemplating the stars.

He smiled when he saw her coming and wrapped her in a loving embrace. And, for a moment, they allowed themselves to revel in the feeling of safety the other provided.

But the moment passed and Byleth spoke. “How was Jeralt?”

Leonie gave a light chuckle. “Tuckered out from his fun night with Uncle Yuri. Didn’t even question why I were putting him to bed in the Guest Room.”

Her husband sighed and scowled. “I thought the war would be the end of it. We stopped Edelgard. We stopped Nemesis. That should have been it.”

Leonie grimaced. “We both knew that Edelgard’s support ran deep. It stands to reason it wouldn’t end with her.”

“He spoke of her as though she were a Goddess,” said Byleth grimly, and Leonie gave a bitter laugh at the irony.

They were silent for a moment, ghosts of the past swirling about their heads like flies about a carcass, before Byleth spoke again. “I’m writing to Claude and Petra in Brigid tomorrow. I’ll arrange for them to accommodate you for the rest of your pregnancy.”

Leonie’s head spun at the sudden subject change. “Whai- what?!”

Byleth wouldn’t look her in the eye. “You’re in danger here. Both- all three of you are. Tonight proved that. In Brigid-”

“Now hold on here buster!” she snapped, grabbing him by the shoulders. “I ain’t going anywhere! This is OUR pregnancy, and we’re seeing it through together, got it?!”

Byleth returned her grip. “I can’t put you at risk. Any of you!” he said, his face desperate, and she knew his mind was going back to that awful day so many years ago, when his father was taken from him.

“Love, I’m going to be at risk no matter where we are,” she said firmly. “I signed up for that when I married you. I’m the Queen, I’m always going to be in danger.”

Byleth released a shuddering sigh. “I- I know. But... when I saw that bastard throw that knife at you...”

“We’ll handle it,” she assured him. “No matter what comes next. Because that’s what we do. We’re a team, remember.”

He swallowed past a lump in his throat and managed a smile again. “I’m sorry, Leonie.”

“hmm,” she said as she pulled him close. “Kiss me and I’ll forgive you.”

And there, beneath the light of the full moon, he did.

[cccrhirdb1]

week 4 my matariki book

things I like in my book I found !!

while researching matariki, I found it increasingly difficult to find any information beyond surface level stuff like what all the stars stand for and why matariki is important as a national holiday. So going to the massey library i picked up this book by libby hakaraia which goes a bit deeper into things related to matariki. really good resource for this class!!!

notes on some of the pages

author's note - just thought it was a sweet message about why the book was written - it's not nessarily to share all information about matariki but it definitely helps to expand knowledge on different bits about matariki.

my pages where i found out about mahi whai and used to then inform my artwork!!!!! really interesting pages and story. this is also the same guy I found a video of on youtube chatting about mahi whai. he outlines that it's a form of keeping knowledge for people of all ages - not just children.

this page tells me about how matariki was important in different ways; measuring time, navigation, crop and food growing.

proverbs help to share what maori believed matariki to be about - the myth of where it came from too.

this page was really helpful because it explained further why maori believe matariki signals the new year - all because of crop growing. and about how the maramataka works - a lunar system in collaboration with a environmental. makes you think about what will happen to all these systems as climate change gets worse and changes the environment.

im not sure which months are supposed to be the 'extra two' in the maramataka but i think it's a really smart idea to allow your community time off to spend doing things other than working to make food!! (working to survive) you instead can give them time to relax and talk and make and build skills.

i like this page because it outlines how even just the look of the stars had an impact on how the year to come would be - or at least they thought it did.

i think the pleiades is the other most popular name for the cluster (other than matariki) although i don't believe anywhere else in the world they view it the same way (new year) so it might be the more common name for the cluster but i just never knew because i do not live there. also interesing to know more about pleiades and the names of all the stars. and how they are connected to other greek stories such as orion

never realised the subaru had the stars on the side of the cars !! also goes into a bit about the matariki cluster and how different cultures around the world view it

different names and beliefs of matariki across the world!! very interesting how many of these different cultures aligned the stars to be woman or signify women

another page/person that talks about the different iwi believing in different things and how you have to be careful when talking about it because it can actually anger them alot.

then they expand on how/why this is, eyesight, place on nz, height etc. explaining why different iwi's believe there are different amounts of stars in matariki.

i find it really interesting that back in 2004 there are calls/movements about starting matariki as a nationally recognized public holiday. also found it funny the argument of the lunar calendar thing here when we already have easter, which also aligns with a lunar calendar system which is why it moves across march and april - so it's a bit silly to argue that a one day holiday would be harder to arrange than a three day holiday don't you think?

just wanted to note the emblem for the maori king movement again - which i also found in another book. obviously matariki was important to them and their iwi so they included it on their emblem. one notable thing is that there are only seven stars, could be because the iwi believes that matariki only has seven stars in the cluster (as some iwi/hapu do)

i like the connection of matariki to other mid winter celebrations like winter solticles etc. also how this quote already outlines how matariki is a celebration for everyone - not just maori (book came out 2004)

i liked this poem, reflects on how the new year is celebrated in maori culture vs western with friends and drinking vs with family and connection. puts into perspective how different each culture is and how this has affected time based celebrations such as a new year.

just a good page to tell you about what the maramataka looks like in comparison to the gregorian calendar we follow. same as giving you the maori names for the seasons and for the months. although I think that because the maramataka is based more on lunar/environmental factors the months don't lie up as nicely as they do here.