#the price should not be the only deciding factor.

[phantasm-echo]

POV: you wake up in the middle of your own autopsy with force powers then immediately get brainwashed into falling to the dark side

I was reminded of the fact that I haven’t drawn inquisitor!fives’ autopsy scars in way too long so here I am, delivering a few too many Fives 💀

Anyway I know I don’t post much about the AU on here so props to anyone who knows what’s going on here even slightly, I’ve decided to nerf siren!echo (who WAS part of this AU yes I know quite random) but since him being turned into a siren kinda limits what I can do with him story wise he is now an AU of the AU.

That means the name I came up with for the au (dead mean walking/swimming or dmw(s) as I’ve been tagging it) is kinda irrelevant. I’ll just call this the inquisitor fives AU but if you have any AU name suggestions feel free to drop them.

Here are some of the major factors of the AU:

It gets worse before it gets better

(WARNING: there are quite a few heavy topics covered in the AU such as torture, dehumanisation and su*cidal thoughts, so pls read at your own discretion)

- fives wakes up in the middle of his own autopsy with force sensitivity, then gets brainwashed into falling to the Dark Side by Palpatine. As an Inquisitor, he does not remember anything about his life because those memories were blocked by Palpatine.

- Palpatine discovers that Fives is essentially immortal, and any injuries inflicted on him will heal no matter how bad.

- when echo gets rescued from skako minor, he is recalled to Kamino for experimentation, first of all so they can figure out what the Techno Union did to him, second of all to see how he survived his injuries. Nala se, who knows that fives came back to life, theorises that since he and echo were tube twins they share the “immortality”. He is kept on Kamino for VERY extensive experimentation where terrible things happen to him (cough vivisection cough lobotomy) and so never joins Clone Force 99 even if he did work with them on Anaxes.

- Fives in this time is sent out on many missions by Palpatine that involve him unaliving many people, and after the rise of the Empire he hunts a few Jedi.

- Fox, who throughout the war had experienced many blackout missions where he woke up afterwards covered in blood, is the last living Coruscant Guard commander. (Thorn dies, stone vanishes one day, Thire mistakes Vader for a Jedi and pays the price) Despite the best efforts of his son secretary Dogma (no way!?) Fox has very little will to live, is extremely depressed and borderline suicidal, he would like nothing more than to bite the dust, but still feels he has a duty to the very few remaining corries and so tries to keep it together (he is failing)

- one day Palpatine decides he doesn’t need Fox to do his bidding anymore since he has much better assets at his disposal (Fives), and decides it would be ironic to sic his pet clone inquisitor onto Fox. Fives still doesn’t remember anything, and only knows that Fox is responsible for the main scars on his body and believes fox is the reason he doesn’t remember most of his life, and so sets out to kill fox. They battle it out (ref to that one animation wip I posted) and fives is on the verge of killing fox (who didn’t really try to fight that much, like I said he would very much like to die and dying at the hand of the vod he “killed” seems fitting to him) when he gets a sudden vision of echo.

- all fives knows is echo is extremely important to him and must be rescued and that snaps him out of palpatine’s control. He knows he probably can’t rescue echo alone, and since fox has already been betrayed by the empire he decides “fuck it” and basically kidnaps fox and they run. They make a deal, that once echo has been found, Fives will put Fox out of his misery (fox feels that fives should be the only person to kill him, and only goes along with the plan because he refuses to let anyone else kill him)

- fox and fives proceed to go on an intergalactic road trip to “rescue echo” even though neither of them know how to do that. They become closer friends throughout, and fives slowly regains bits and pieces of the Before

- meanwhile during the destruction of Kamino, the bad batch stumble on echo and rescue him and he stays with them for a little bit before leaving with Rex

- meanwhile Dogma helps the rest of the remaining Corries desert, kills too many storm troopers, and tries to go after his buir fox and the bastard inquisitor who kidnapped him

This is the main stuff you need to know for the AU haha so if you’ve got new name suggestions I’m all ears ty!!

[madamedramatics]

I think of Mass Effect, and the brain train reroutes me to Shakarian thoughts. I don't make the rules. I just follow them.

Now then,

Hear me out. Plz. I'll only be a second of your time.🩷

Turians are sort of a homogeneous society that likes predictability, rationale, integrity, honesty, and all that jazz. Since they have to be selfless, always putting the whole before one's self, they are more than likely not very materialistic meaning whenever they do give or receive gifts, it's a rare moment and probably something that reflects quality or some sort of sentimentality.

Now imagine the beginning of Shakarian's relationship. We have Garrus reading up on human cultures where a large chunk of human societies have gift giving sometimes all year round, which varies in price and other factors. Then imagine Shepard being stumped on what to get Garrus as a gift because she doesn't want to cross cultural boundaries and get something that isn't meaningful to him. The first date happens, and Garrus gets Shepard something super sweet and cost efficient, like a handmade card, so he doesn't come off as desperate (according to the forums he's read) and Shepard gets Garrus the most expensive gun money can buy. Neither knows the other has done their research. Garrus thinks he looks like an asshole by not sticking to his values, and Shepard thinks she looks desperate for such a new and budding relationship since Garrus got her something small but sweet.

They both loved the gifts they received, but they felt internal turmoil about the gifts they bought. Then it comes down to the awkward confession that they both looked up what to do when it comes to gift giving. They both decide they should probably just ask each other from now on about any questions they have since their relationship is neither strictly turian nor human. It's human AND turian, meaning they should just do what feels right for each other and no one else ❤️

[patrophthia]

cruel summer | regulus black

pairing: regulus black x reader

genre: fluff, song fic, love confessions (?), regulus is a attention seeking piece of shit (affectionate), clingy reg, not beta read

wc: 1.1k

this is request ! i’m sorry it took so long, i hope you liked it!!

tag: @tr4ppola

Your favourite pastime activity was lying. Little white lies, that is, lies that were so obvious that everyone knew not to take them seriously. Like saying you were a muggle whilst you cast a complicated spell, or saying that you had once dyed your hair a colour that you swore to never do, or saying that you were —in no ways, involved with Regulus Black whatsoever.

Sneaking around though, was on the other end of your favourite things to do. You like Regulus too much so you let that factor slide through.

It's as if you only ever see him during the quiet nights where no one could ever spot you. You know that that isn't how a normal relationship should function but the red flag tends to look white when you look at it through rose tinted glasses.

More often than not you feel like you earned him, a (semi) bad boy who was wanted by everyone in school. He was a shiny toy with a price and you know damn well you bought it.

The meeting spot is different this time, a room within a room in the room of requirement. He'd only told you to meet him at the room of requirement at ten and you showed up right on time only to be met with confusion.

In front of you were a set of doors, circling around you as you stood over stained glass rings, blue merged with pink then pink into purple where the centre of the room was. Instead of figuring out how to find him on your own, you call out to him, "Regulus?"

"Down here," he replies, you look down onto the glass pane and furrow your brows when he is nowhere to be found. "Stand at the centre, sweetheart."

You do as you were told, watching as the glass dips under your weight; you can hear the mechanics working, it unlocking steps for you to take. Once you finally meet Regulus, you cock your head to the side with a teasing smile. "An oddly complicated way for just a booty call."

Regulus frowns, "this isn't a booty call, ma chérie." He moves towards you, and you let him place his hands on your hips. "I just missed you."

You roll your eyes and Regulus thinks that while the devils may roll their dice, he was sure angels spend their time rolling their eyes at him and his behaviour. But then again, what doesn't kill him makes him want it more. And you were just that.

Opposite does attract after all.

"You shouldn't miss me so often," you fixed him a look. "My friends are starting to suspect where I go so often."

It's his turn for Regulus to roll his eyes, albeit more elegant and poise then you ever did. "This is your fault," he groans, burying his head in the crook of your neck. "We wouldn't have to be doing this if you just told everyone about us."

Regulus had decided to keep your relationship a secret at first, wanting to test the waters and after the first few months went smoothly. So smoothly that he'd found himself smitten with you. He wanted everyone to know, he knew that it was weird for him to claim you but he'd like people to know that he wasn't willing to share.

But you think a lot, way too much at times, and decided that no, you do not want people to know about the two of you. Because, you wanted him all to yourself, you liked him too much for other people to know.

"I'm sorry, my love," you say first, a hand reaching up to brush back his outgrown curls. "I promise it won't be for much longer."

Contrary to popular belief, Regulus Black was a clingy person, so touch starved and clingy that you pressed a kiss on the top of his head for good measure.

He stills for a moment, obviously planning something before he presses a kiss to your neck and pulls away. "Would you still love me tomorrow?"

"What?" You splutter, confused on why he decided to bring tomorrow up. "Of course, I do."

"Thank you, mon amour. I love you too." He says before asking. "My game's tomorrow, you're coming to see me right?"

"I always do," you tell him and he smiles. "Why are you asking me this?"

He makes a face. "Just trying to make sure my girlfriend won't run away before my plan unfolds."

Slytherin were losing, and the longer you watched Regulus not even trying to seek out the snitch the more you realised that he was throwing the game on purpose.

You stood up from your seat in the stands and found your way to the railings. "OI! BLACK!" You call out and he turns to you distractedly. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THE SNITCH IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU."

He turns away, looking uninterested. "I can't see a thing, sorry."

You were starting to get annoyed now, confused on when Regulus had gotten this kind of attitude but you chopped it up to how being dramatic more often than not runs in the Black family.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" You yell, your voice loud despite the hundreds of others also yelling the same thing at him —albeit with a little more colourful words than you were using. "WHY AREN'T YOU PLAYING?"

"I want you to tell them," he says instead of answering your questions. You're a bit confused on how you can still hear him over the sound of support from the other where their Seeker was actually doing the job. "I want them to know."

"KNOW WHAT." You began to yell when it dawned on you. He wants you to tell everyone about your relationship. "ARE YOU CRAZY?"

He shrugs. "Do you want me to win?"

Knowing how pouty he could be if he didn't, you steel yourself for what's to come next. "REGULUS BLACK." You yell and you can see the other team's seeker dive towards the snitch. "I DON'T WANT TO KEEP SECRETS JUST TO KEEP YOU FOR MYSELF ANYMORE."

The crowd goes quiet, waiting to see the scene unfolding before them. Of course it was another Black brother hoarding the attention all to themself, creating a scene as they stole the spotlight from everyone else.

So you prepare yourself, screaming for what it's worth. "I LOVE YOU. AIN'T THAT THE WORST THING YOU HEARD DURING A GAME?"

The other team's seeker loses sight of the snitch, audibly gasping at your confession towards his rival. The snitch continues its way around the pitch.

"NOW PLAY THE DAMN GAME SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW HOW COOL MY BOYFRIEND IS."

The snitch finds it way a few feet above Regulus' head, you want to laugh at how this was playing out. The snitch was just invested in this as everyone else.

The snitch holds his spot and everyone watches with bated breath because, one, the game seems like it was nearing the end, and two (the much important reason they were watching) was that they wanted to see how Regulus would react.

His eyes look up from his broom and meets yours, it took him a few seconds before he broke away. Looking up, grinning like a devil at his now second prized possession (with the first being his chérie of course).

He reaches his hand up, easily snatching the snitch with a breath-taking grin. He clutched onto the snitch tightly, and a second wave of anxiety hit. What if he'd mistaken something else for the snitch amongst everything that had just happened?

Finally, Regulus unclasped his fist, letting the snitch hover above his palm. And as the game officially reaches its natural ending. The announcer's voice started up.

"It looks like Black has gotten the win this round," the announcer says first, their tone playful. "And would he be a black brother if he didn't get the girl as well?"

And then, since you had always been outgoing, so outgoing in fact, that everyone in the castle knew of you and your habits. So just to be sure, the announcer adds, “this isn’t one of your lies right?” 

You can’t help but smile at that, Regulus had always found your smile infectious so, naturally, he found that it was useless to even try hiding his smile from you as he awaited your answer. 

“Why would I lie to you about this?” 

— from bee: i hope you liked this! and is what you’d imagine when you’d sent in the request! feed backs/reblog/notes are appreciated!! :]

[democratthatlovesguns]

How greed is the main factor driving inflation.

And why didn't the Biden administration rollback the tariffs that the Trump administration set in place, if it would have reduced inflation?

Okay so, unlike MAGA republicans, the Biden administration knows that it's important to listen to expert economists on topics in which they recognize they have a great deal of bias. And the Biden administration knows how to weigh the options available and determine what is best for everyone regardless of political party.

The truth is, removal of the Trump tariffs would only have improved inflation slightly and temporarily, but the cost of removal would possibly come at great risk to the American people. That is what the experts said, and their expertise was what Biden trusted in keeping the tariffs; it was not because they were the magic potion solution to a recovering economy that Trump would have you believe.

Biden's actions, of course, are in great contrast to Trump and let's state just one example, Obamacare. Trump was shown and told many times that repealing Obamacare would result in very negative outcomes for a lot of Americans. Did he give one fuck about that? NO. He tried multiple times to repeal the law completely, and replace it with "a concept of a plan."

Back to inflation.

In the last three years, late 2021 to present, many people saw themselves rethinking their careers and their choices in life - without taking money too much into consideration. Great news for opportunist assholes like Kevin O'Leary.

What happens when a large portion of the population decides to "reinvent" themselves? Usually it means they're willing to take a pay cut to obtain an entry level position in a career they always wanted or wanted to at least try OR it means that they take a leap and try to run their own business.

That's great news to owners and shareholders of large corporations: A large wave of entry level applicants to non-union jobs. Greed dictates, as Kevin O'Leary does, that you should fire the guy working forty-hour weeks and earning his living wage after twenty years of consistent quality work; greed says "fire that guy and hire two new guys at minimum wage and if you can, no overtime pay."

And the greed does not end there.

Using "inflation" as a pretext large corporations were able to drive down the price of labor across the supply chain. Look at how many owner operators in the trucking business went out of business ... Look at why Yellow Logistics went bankrupt - they could not pay the living wage "rate" that the union needed for it's workers. A surplus of available labor in the industry resulted in starvation wages, literally. Read some of the stories out there, there were truckers literally paying to take loads instead of earning from taking loads.

And it wasn't just the truckers, people in the background like freight brokers also took big hits "because ... inflation."

So what did assholes like Kevin O'Leary do to help consumers and small businesses?

Owners and shareholders were enjoying substantial savings in manufacturing labor, transport, retail workers, all granted because "inflation" and people became scared of losing their jobs. Did they pass on the savings to consumers? Sure, in the MAGA world with alternative facts (fiction) that's presumably what they did. In the real world, they jacked up prices ... "because ... inflation."

Small retail business didn't stand a chance either. Large retailers could always negotiate massive discounts on wholesale purchases that mom and pop shops could never leverage to compete with. Anybody starting a small retail business soon found it was better to go out out business than continue to lose money.

So corporate leaders enjoyed substantial savings across the board and continued to raise prices for consumers ...

AND THEN THEY REPORTED RECORD PROFITS! IN SOME INSTANCES, MANY TIMES THEIR WILDEST PROJECTIONS.

Look at the collusion in the meat industry and companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola if you need more details.

Yet, Elon is able to convince half of the American people that "big cuts" are necessary to reduce America's debt. He's certainly not going to cut money that gets funneled to his pockets, for sure. He is going to cut social security and Medicare because we all know how frivolously old people spend their money. I mean, I understand.

It's like Senator Ron Johnson said, "Senior citizens have misused social security and that's why I want it to sunset."

TBH, many a time, I have had to drive to the club ... the strip club ... to drag grandma out of there. She's in there all like "make it rain bitches" while tossing fitties and hundeds in the air and buying everyone round after round of cognac. Grandma is all like, "fitties for them titties"! And I'm all like, "Grandma you incorrigible lesbo! What about your insulin and your rent?!" [I can use the word lesbo because I have zero lesbian friends ... That's not my preference, I just have a "military look" and people make assumptions (not unfounded).]

Anyway, so what do they do when Kamala Harris states that safeguards against price gouging should be rolled out to help the American people, and that corporations should be taxed more to pay for social benefits like health care and education (that will never be paid through bullshit trickle down economics)? They send a complete dumbass anti-Semitic asshole like Mel Gibson to call Kamala Harris low IQ and stupid when it comes to economics.

To clarify, Kamala Harris understands economics much better than Mel Gibson ever will. She also understands greed and what it can drive innocent sounding people to do.

Yes, ideally, corporations would pay zero tax ... But in such an ideal world, everyone employed by the corporation from the janitor to the CEO would earn enough from a forty hour work week (not a one hundred hour work week as proposed by Elon) to afford housing, food, health care, transportation, and everyone would still have a little left over for a Sunday steak dinner with the family and a little entertainment. This ideal world will never come to be, not because it's impossible, but because greedy assholes like Elon don't believe workers "deserve" such an existence as lowly employees.

WE DON'T TAX CORPORATIONS TO BE ASSHOLES, WE TAX THEM BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES THEIR WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE EARNED.

The people that will suffer the most under Elon's rule on government spending will be the children, the elderly, the mentally or physically disabled. When you cast your vote, have them in mind, and ask yourself how much should they suffer so that Trump, Elon, and their billionaire friends can grow their "ego" wealth.

[hirocimacruiser]

■Civic Type R VS. Pulsar VZ-R・NI Ver.II

What is the difference between the two?

=TEXT /Monobu Takehira

The Pulsar V Z-R N1 version II debuted as the most powerful NA 1.6L.

In this class, we cannot forget the Civic Type R. Its high potential and pure sports qualities have been featured many times in our tests.

Not only races, but rallies,

the Civic Type R is a big hit

His abilities are widely acknowledged by everyone.

So what are the differences between these two cars, which one is more attractive, and which one is worth buying? I think this sums up the points of interest to readers.

Pulsar VZ-R NI Dirt track and gymkhana A cars (numbered categories)

Version II (hereinafter referred to as N-version)

and Civic Type R (hereinafter referred to as Type R.

The base models of the N1and Type R are the Pulsar VZ-R and Civic SIR, respectively. It's easy to compare the two cars, but the N1 version and Type R are completely different.

First of all, the engine is noteworthy, but the N-version is superior in both performance and excitement. Compared to the N-version with 200ps/18.5kgm, the Type R has a record of 185/16.3kgm. There is a clear difference in the specs, but the same can be said about the physical sensation when driving.

However, the Type R engine is no joke. It is full of racing know-how, and with special specifications, it has the potential to easily exceed 200ps if you sacrifice a little drivability. The high-revving power that easily exceeds 8000 rpm, VTEC is activated and the excitement of the sound and the sudden change in sound are just the thing to get excited about. However, the N-version is still superior to the Type R, which is impressive. However, when it comes to the completeness and sportiness of a sports model, the Type R is the winner. The N-version certainly has a lot of tuning, but it doesn't have as much work done on the body and chassis as the Type R.

In addition, the Type R is equipped with a cross transmission, quick shift, strengthened brakes, a helical LSD, and power steering tuning, all of which improve the driving performance.

The position of the brake pedal and accelerator pedal have been improved to make heel-and-toe easier.

This shows just how much the Type R is a model that focuses on driving. In fact, when comparing the two models, the difference is clear. The steering, brakes and shift controls have a very direct feel, and the suspension on the highly rigid body also shows excellent road contact. It may be a cliché, but the driving experience of the Type R is truly one of "being one with the car." The direct feel and linear driving experience provide high driving pleasure.

The best engine is definitely N-type, but the Type R is better in terms of driving perfection and sportiness. However, if the N-version is polished in the same way as the Type R, it will be a great sports car.

He has the qualities to be a great leader.

In conclusion, the Type R is more attractive. The deciding factor is that it is about 700,000 yen cheaper than the N-version. What's more, it's also nice that it's not a limited production. If the N-version establishes mass production technology for the engine it should be cheaper.

There is a difference of about 700,000 yen in price, but the Civic comes with options such as air conditioning, power windows, and mirrors (177,000 yen). The Pulsar comes with air conditioning as standard equipment, and a set of sunroof, power windows, etc. costs 130,000 yen.

Pulsar VZ-R 2,698,000 yen II

CThere is a difference of about 700,000 yen in price, but the Civic comes with options such as air conditioning, power windows, and mirrors (177,000 yen). The Pulsar comes with air conditioning as standard equipment, and a set of sunroof, power windows, etc. costs 130,000 yen.

Pulsar VZ-R 2,698,000 yen II

Civic Type R 1,998,000 yenivic Type R 1,998,000 yen

PIC CAPTIONS

Pulsar VZ-R N1 Ver. II

Compared to the previous N1, the car's height has been lowered by 15 mm and the tire size has been changed, resulting in a significant improvement in driving performance. The car also features seats with the same shape as the GT-R.

civic type r

Although it is not as powerful as the N1 Version II, it still delivers 185ps. The revs and power feel are comparable to the Pulsar. Fully equipped with Recaro and other features, it's under 2 million yen!

[georayn]

ok i'm not a hater of the idol format but wtf sm

I'm writing (and now posting) this on october 13th which is the day SM entertainment announced the departure of Seunghan from RIIZE. I'm not a RIIZE fan and don't even know some of the members' names, but I can speak on this company's lack of commitment to their artists as a NCTzen... yeah we've been through a lot and apparently briizes are being obliged into following the same steps, unfortunately.

I just wanted to quickly bring the topic of fanatization of idols to the table. as westerners, it's pretty easy to say that the whole idol format is weird and all just because it's not the way we do it here, so I'm not intending to fall into this discourse and hope nobody does. with that said, it's still pertinent to reiterate that the limitless idolization of real people can not be healthy after a certain point.

this whole situation was able to make a really old problem related to this VERY explicit. I've seen a bunch of korean "fans" depict it in the way of "this is just how our culture works, of course you foreigners wouldn't understand", when in fact the real danger of all of this is basically an issue that originated almost exclusively from your country/region that we fortunately almost do not have (on this level), so our exterior view on this should be of help.

of course, I'm not trying to start an international war here (every time humanity has done this it was not a good idea), so it is also of importance to highlight that the west and other parts of the world obviously have their own problems (big ones in fact) and not all korean fans reacted the way that I described, in fact it was probably a small portion, but it was big enough to make noise that SM judged unavoidable.

˖ ࣪⊹ ִ┈┈┈┈ ♰ ┈┈┈┈ ⊹ ִֶָ𓂅

well, here's the thing. the problem is not just in the way these "fans" reacted, but also in the way SM decided to judge their reaction as acceptable enough and chose to nod to their wants at the price of everyone who wanted his return, which includes themselves 1 day earlier and also the group members.

I've determined that the extreme negative reception by some "fans" was totally inadequate and the reasons can be compressed into: 1- past actions, specially pre-debut, should not determine the character of an idol currently; 2- when someone pauses their activities for such a long time, they probably stopped and reflected about what they did and changed to a better a person; 3- all of the previous shouldn't apply to Seunghan because, let's be frank, he only dated someone and smoked???? and even if he still actively does these, you shouldn't externalize your own concerns and have an affect on his well-being just because of the fact that you felt fooled by these silly things when he promised nothing to you. in addition, none of those were in front of the cameras, but they apparently are such deeply rooted problems in korea that they just stopped listening to the complaints.

you know who could have the power to change all of these factors, even if slowly? the companies. after all, they're the ones who decide what the rules are. some would say that the public's wants determine the rules just as much, and I actually agree. the thing is: SM's decision might seem the most profitable/stable to them now since the outrageous "fans" have a very strong opinion at the moment, but that will surely hurt them so much on the long run. and yes, I am also talking about money, so profit isn't even a last resource to defending this decision.

we've had and are still having problems of members departing from their groups in kpop so often, and SM is an incredible contributor to this issue. of course, in some cases, it has been the right thing to do when there are logical and concrete motives (ex: the taeil case), but when the reasons come from actual inappropriate reactions from the public exclusively, you should condemn their act and support the sane and actually healthy way of dealing with this. yes, you might get hit with some short term backlash and maybe a lot of it, but, especially if you are a big and resourceful company like SM, you should understand that your actions also have long term consequences.

from my experience, ever since NCT started to destabilize as a big concise project, my will of supporting their work has just fallen off. of course, I still love the boys and all the effort they put in their music, performances and other varieties, but it is essential to understand that most of the work put into the NCT brand as a whole comes from their company. because of this, it is hard to keep on buying merch, showing up to their events and getting excited for new projects that will probably get hijacked by SM. again, I am not a briize and have not followed their way to the point we are now, but I assume they have gone through similar cases of neglect.

with that said, a message to SM: people will keep losing their trust on you. you guys are too comfortable with the status that lee sooman has taken years to establish, and this equally gradual loss of trust is exactly what will make your reign fall off. you should not side with the crazy behavior of some sick "fans" for commercial success because that is purely a trap; you guys will feel the strong impact after some years, or maybe even less.

ok so I did not expect this post to be my return to blogging, but all of this was so absurd that I felt the urge of exposing (in my point of view) all of the problematics of the situation.

I am working on a new post though! i much prefer writing about subjects of my interest that do not involve any news so I hope that it can be well recieved by you guys :)

see you soon!

P.S: sorry for any English or even factual mistakes! you can correct me if you want, I appreciate the feedback!

[seenoversundown]

Amongst The Stars: Chapter Three

Josh x Quinn (Nonbinary OC)

Warnings: Misgendering of a nonbinary character, Men (that’s it. That’s the warning), Wallet chains, Jake being Sweet. Word Count: 4.1k Summary: Josh has always loved love,  and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance. Author's Note: We are officially on our regularly scheduled programming. Every monday, babies. I hope you all enjoy this one and the little dual POV action. I just had to get quinn back in there for a little bit at the end :)

Can't Take My Eyes off You - Frankie Valli  “Pardon the way that I stare There's nothin' else to compare The sight of you leaves me weak There are no words left to speak”

I can’t stop thinking about Quinn after they leave. Every little thing I do draws my mind back to them. I know it’s wrong, and I shouldn’t be, but I am jealous of their partner. God, Josh, you sound insane. Pining for a person you’ve met one time, being jealous of their partner. Their partner doesn’t respect them, so their partner doesn’t factor in. Sometimes, I wish brains functioned like an etch-a-sketch because I try shaking my head to clear those thoughts, but it doesn’t quite work, and I end up with a minor headache. Oh well. I walk back up to the front of the store, disinterested in actually working now that my day has been positively derailed by a lovely and mysterious person in a pair of beat-up Doc Martens. 

I stand by the front registers, waiting to greet customers as they walk in. Hobby Lobby has never been my favorite place to work, but it really isn't so bad when you're a manager and can choose to fuck off on the clock if you want to.Which I do. I want to fuck off on the clock badly. I look down at my watch, noting that I only have 20 minutes until I can clock out for the day. There's no sense in starting a new task, I smile to myself. I'm pleased I've managed to time my “greeting responsibilities” so well with the end of my shift. I stand around for a minute, bouncing back and forth on the balls of my feet, and I let my mind drift back to Quinn. Their lips looked so plush and biteable. It should be illegal that they nibbled their lips in front of me while I didn't have the option to offer my assistance. 

I ponder their lips for another moment before my mind slips back to their concerning comment. “He’d done a lot worse for less…”  My eyebrows furrow as I try to imagine a situation in which I would be anything short of sweet and kind to Quinn. 

I meander out of the first set of sliding doors and step into the area where only the ugliest furniture goes to die. Goin’ to the Hobby Lobby lobby, I sing to myself as I take stock of the atrocious seasonal items that no customer would ever think to purchase. That's a lie; old women exist. I walk the area and make a mental note to bring the feather duster out tomorrow to tackle the growing piles of dust that inhabit the, reasonably, rejected items. I run my finger along the gilded frame of one of the paintings that’s propped up atop one of the fucking ugliest baby pink chalk-painted tables I've ever seen. Of course, it's chalk paint, I shudder. My thoughts return to the painting; it’s massive, at least two and a half feet long—a highland cow with fluffy hair covering its eyes and an inexplicable crown of leaves resting upon its stupid little horns. 

“Oh, Bessie,” I whisper, pulling my finger back from the frame and examining the dust that came with it. “They could never make me hate you. I may hate everything in this sad room, but never you.”  I decide to check the markdown schedule tomorrow because, as much as I love this goofy little cow, I will never take her home at full price. I do have some standards. 

As I'm about to turn around and head back into the store proper, I hear the entrance door slide open as a man about my age, give or take, walks through. 

“Oh! Hey, man. Welcome to Hobby Lobby,” I greet him.  “Lookin' for a dude named Josh.”  Me? I take a second to look him over. Curly, blonde hair that sits a bit too close to his eyes. Nondescript black tee with baggy jeans. A wallet chain attached to his belt loop. A fucking wallet chain. What year is this? Well-worn Adidas sneakers. He seems safe enough. A bit worse for wear, but he doesn't seem scary. 

“Ah, yep,” I stick my hand out, offering it in greeting, “that’d be me!” He looks at my outstretched hand and scoffs.  Okayyyyyyy, maybe I misjudged.  “I just wanted to talk with you, man to man.”  “About…”  “About you flirting with my girlfriend,” he cocks an eyebrow.  “Not sure what you mean, champ,” I let out an awkward chuckle.“Don’t pull that shit with me, man.”  “I’m afraid I really don't know what you're talking about. I haven't said more than ‘hi, welcome to Hobby Lobby’ to a girl in weeks.”  “So, you're gonna act like you have no idea who Quinn is?”  I narrow my eyes,  putting two and two together. This is Quinn’s shithead partner.  “I don't think they’d appreciate you calling them your girlf—” “I don't exactly care what she’d appreciate right now,” he cuts me off, “I'm here to talk to you.” 

Oh, so he reallyyyyyyyy doesn't respect them. Noted. 

“Yeah, so,” I roll my eyes, “you can talk at me, but you're not talking to me until you show some respect.”  I watch his face contort in confusion, quickly morphing into anger. “Why should I respect you?” He spits out quickly.  “Are you delusional? Just stupid?”  I can't help but laugh at the look on his face  “I’m not asking you to respect me,” I continue, “I'm asking you to respect your partner. It’s ridiculous that you're in here, trying to talk to me ‘man to man’ while you're misgendering them.”  I watch as realization dawns on his face.  “Come on, you know I didn't mean that.”  “I’m assuming you’ve been with them long enough to know better,” I watch his eyes slowly shift away from mine, “not that length of time has anything to do with respect.” 

His eyes fall to the floor, properly chastised. 

“I—”  “For what it’s worth,” I cut him off, “from the few minutes that I talked to Quinn today, in a purely professional capacity, I think they deserve better than whatever it is you have to offer.”  “Hey—”  “AND, don't forget that they’ll realize that one day. And when they do, someone will be waiting to treat them better.” 

I check my watch.  Time to gooooooo! 

“Anyway,” I pause, narrowing my eyes at him in a silent gesture to get his name.  “Craig.”  “Anyway, Greg, my shift is over. I don't intend to mention this to Quinn the next time I see them, and I’d suggest you don't either.” 

I turn on my heel and book it to the break room, practically sprinting by the time I make it to the double doors. I push through, throw my smock on one of the hooks above the time clock, and punch out. Finally, finally, I sit on the worn-out leather couch across from the lockers and let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. 

“What the FUUUUUUUUUUCK,” I lean my head back and groan. 

I didn't have “getting accosted by a fucking freak” on today’s bingo card, but I suppose I'll have to tick it off regardless. Who does he think he is? Who do I think I am? I don't talk to people like that. I pull out my phone and send a text to Jake, chuckling at his nickname in my phone. I'm five minutes older, and I will never let him live it down. 

Me: I think I messed up  Kiddo: Elaborate on that?   Me: No 

I slide my phone into my pocket and stand up from the couch, shaking some of the nervous energy from my limbs. I’ll explain everything to Jake when I get home; I just need him to know I may be in a mood. 

I let out a long sigh and slowly made my way out to the front of the store, praying to whatever gods existed that Craig would be gone by the time I got there. I thank all my lucky stars as I walk out of the first set of sliding doors and find myself alone. I glance once more at my girl Bessie, then head out to the parking lot. I glance in every which direction, ensuring that Craig isn’t hiding anywhere, waiting to pop out and murder me. Perhaps I am being dramatic, but my gut tells me you cannot trust someone who wears a wallet chain unironically. And I always follow my gut. 

I make it to my Jeep truck and sigh as I plant myself in the driver's seat, connecting my phone to Bluetooth and clicking into my Apple Music Discover Station. Occasionally, I find something new that I enjoy. The opening notes of a pop song filter over the speakers as I back out of my parking spot and pull through the parking lot. Sam would hate this; I’ll have to add it to the bar playlist. 

I bob my head to the music, driving down the road back to my apartment “I’m your dream come true when it's on a platter for you…” For some reason that brings Quinn to the forefront of my mind, I can’t help but think about what a piece of shit Craig was to me today. I hope he’s better to them, but something tells me he isn’t. The things they said about him today…My stomach clenches thinking about it. Someone like Quinn deserves the world, and Craig is obviously not giving it to them. I could. Okay, no, that’s crazy. 

I sigh, pulling up to the stop sign next to the bar that Jake owns. We’ve lived in the apartment above it for years, but the prior owner finally decided to sell it, and Jake took him up on the offer. Jake got a job down at the docks when we were freshly graduated from high school; he decided he didn’t care about college and just wanted to set himself up with a good job that would pay him enough to put money back in savings and have a little spending money on top, and in Portland… That’s the docks.  Not that he ever needed spending money; he didn’t (and still doesn’t) ever do anything for himself. He’s always been too busy taking care of everyone else. I can’t even remember the last time he took a nice girl out for dinner. 

I pull into the back side of the parking lot and slam my car into park, practically jerking my key out of the ignition and running through the backdoor of the bar, ready to see my twin after the horrendously long day I’ve had. 

“Uh, hey, bub,” Jake greets me from behind the bar with a confused wave.  “Hey, kiddo,” I sigh, sitting at the bar top, “can I get a salty dog?”“Sure thing, gin or vodka?”  I raise an eyebrow at him, signaling he doesn't need to be in customer mode with me.  “Surprise me.” 

I watch as he takes a bottle of Tanqueray gin from the top shelf, pours a measure of it into his cocktail shaker, and then adds grapefruit juice, lime juice, and ice. He shakes it, then strains it into a highball glass rimmed with salt and slides it over to me. 

I take a sip, and, of course, it's delicious. Jake indeed found his calling here — no one on this earth can make a cocktail like he can. 

“Perfect as always, Jake.”  “I don't make them any other way,” he starts, “now, wanna tell me about how you ‘think you messed up?’”  I slam back the rest of my drink and shake my glass, asking for another.  “Slow down, you're gonna drink me out of house and home,” Jake scolds, but prepares another one, nonetheless.  “I need a little help loosening my lips.”  “Get real, you've never had an issue talking in your life. If anything, you're too good at it.”  I roll my eyes but secretly know he’s correct. I'm a known yapper.  “I resent that, you know.”  “And I don't care, stop changing the subject.”  “Fine,” I huff, “I got into a fight with a customer today.”  “Physical or…”  “Verbal, obviously. Do I look like a scrapper?”  He chuckles, wiping non-existent dust off of the spotless bar top.

“Anyway, some crazy dude wearing a wallet chain, of all things, came in and yelled at me for hitting on his partner.”  “What?”  “Yes, Jake. A wallet chain. In 2024. I was baffled, too.”  “No! Not that, you weirdo. He yelled at you for what?!” “Oh, he thought I was hitting on his partner.”  “Well, were you?”  I sit and think for a moment. I wasn't not flirting with them, but it wasn't my initial intent.  “Maybe a little,” I sigh, “I didn't realize they were in a relationship. And I do have eyes. They were too cute. I had to try and shoot my shot or whatever the kids say.”  “You’d ‘shoot your shot’ with a wall. I’m honestly shocked this is the first time this has happened.”  “I resent that, too.”  “Add it to the list.”  “Anyway, I think the guy was just insecure. But I may have been rude to him.”  Jake slowly blinks at me.  “You were rude?”  “I know,” I laugh, “he just brought it out in me.”  “How rude were you?”  “Well, I jumped his ass for misgendering his partner.”  “That's not exactly rude,” Jake jumps in, “it’s quite the opposite, I'd say.”  “I’m sure he didn't feel that way.”  “Why do you care? You did what was right; plus, it’s not like you'll ever see this dude again. Hell, you probably won't even see his partner again. No harm, no foul.”  My stomach flips at the thought of not seeing Quinn again. We don't have time to unpack that. 

“Yeah, you're probably right. I’ll never see either of them again and, as of right now, he hasn't reported me to corporate. So, no need to stress.”  “Exactly right, bub.” 

I finish up my drink and set the glass down. 

“Thank you, Jake.”  “You don't have to thank me, I’ll always be on your side.” 

I reach out and pat his arm. 

“Also,” Jake starts, “I don't know the situation, but it’s pretty serious if you actually act rude to someone else. So, don't discount those feelings.”  What is he saying? I fix him with a confused look.  “I don't understand.”  “Look, Josh,” he sighs like he’s preparing to explain physics to a five-year-old, “I’m not telling you to get in the way of their relationship. But, if the opportunity to explore this arises, don't let that opportunity go to waste. It’s no small thing that you felt connected enough to this person to do what you did today.” 

“You know, I did tell the guy today that if he doesn't treat them right, someone else will be there waiting. Maybe I’m that someone.”  “You could be, if that's what you wanted.” 

I simply hum a response. Jake has given me too much to think about. 

“I appreciate you lending me an ear, brother,” I shove my stool back from the bar and stand, “but I have chores to take care of upstairs. Text me if you need a hand down here.”  “Will do.” 

I open the door to the apartment that Jake and I share above the bar. Home sweet home, finally. I kick my shoes off and walk into the living room, planting myself on the couch, thinking about Quinn the whole time. Something about them piqued my interest. I can't help but feel that if we’d met at a different point in time, we’d be together right now. That's ridiculous. You've spoken to them for a total of 3 minutes. 

It is true that I've only spoken to them for a few moments, but I noticed them the first time they ever came in while I was working. I've watched them from afar, hoping to find a way to actually converse with them. I was shocked when they found a way to converse with me first. Jake may joke about how I’d hit on anyone, but that's not true. I’m nice to everyone, and I'm flirty with a lot of them. But Quinn is different. And it's unbelievable that I feel that way. I don't wink at every single person I see, nor do I tell them how important their work is. I certainly don't get into verbal altercations defending other people. Verbal altercations are reserved for when someone is talking shit about my family. So, what makes Quinn different? I keep replaying our interaction in my mind. I got butterflies when they complimented my tattoo. I was practically shaking when they pulled me in for a hug. I was angry on their behalf when they insinuated that they don't have people who support them. 

What. Makes. Quinn. Different. 

I never act this way about strangers, but it's as if their soul called out to mine, and mine answered. It's the only way I can explain the way I handled Craig. I called him GREG just to piss him off. I never do shit like that. But he was an absolute chode. He kind of deserved it. I can internally debate whether he sucks or not all night, but it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t speak like that to people, and if Quinn, sweet, curious Quinn, weren’t involved, I likely wouldn’t have spoken to him that way either. Regardless, I really need to find a way to get closer to Quinn. Good job; that sounds so creepy. What I mean is that I feel a soul-deep need to know this person. I don’t know in what capacity because it seems as though I’m entering their life a little late for it to be romantic. Which is what I want. But I could be just in time for friendship. I’ll take it if they truly want to extend the offer, but only time will tell. 

When Craig makes it back home, shopping bags in tow, Willa and I are roughly two and a half sheets to the wind. 

“Well, well, well,” Willa points an accusatory finger at him as he walks through the door, “The prodigal Greg returns.” I can’t help but snicker, knowing how much it pisses him off when: 1) Willa is here without warning 2) Someone calls him by the wrong name. 

“Hey, Willa,” He plastered on a pained smile. Willa turns to look at me, shock written on her face. That may be the nicest he’s been to Willa in months. Craig walks into the kitchen and places his bags on the counter. 

“Didn’t realize you were going to be here,” He half shouts from the other room, “But you’re welcome to stay for dinner if you want.” “Does he even know how to cook?!” She whispers. “He knows how to heat food up,” I shrug. “I’m making Eggplant Parm.” My eyes light up. It’s my favorite meal. “Maybe this is his way of apologizing,” I whisper to Willa.  She rolls her eyes but cuts me a devious look. “That sounds great, Craig. I’d love to stay if you’ll have me.”

“You girls just stay in there, and I’ll have it out in a jiffy.” “Jiffy?” Willa mouths, fighting back a laugh. “Girls?” I mouth back, shaking my head, and Willa’s face instantly sours. She knows that Craig has a hard time with my pronouns and prefers to ignore my identity. This is a regular point of contention in my relationship with Craig and, by extension, my relationship with Willa. I don’t understand why he does it, and she doesn’t understand why I let him get away with it. I don’t understand why I let him get away with it. He is quite literally just a man. 

Willa and I fall into silence for a moment before she grabs my hand and stage whispers just loud enough that Craig may hear. “I bet Stock Boy wouldn’t misgender you.” I hear a small crash from the kitchen, and I clap one of my hands over her mouth. “Stop!!”

I feel her tongue dart out and lick between my fingers, and I let out a squeal. I pull my hand back from her mouth and wipe it on her shirt. “You are an absolute monster. I’m not sure why I allow you to call yourself my friend.” “Oh, Quincy,” she lets out a cackle, “You wouldn’t know what to do without me.” 

I roll my eyes, but it’s true. She is the only thing that has kept me sane since we moved to Maine. She’s my rock. Kind of sad that your own partner isn’t your rock, Quinn. Willa picks up our empty wine glasses from the coffee table and shoots me a wink before heading into the kitchen. Surely, this will be fine. Willa trapping Craig in a room could not possibly cause anything terrible to occur. 

I can hear their muffled voices just enough to make out their conversation. ‘So, Craig. What did you get up to after Gamestop?’ I wince, waiting for his response to that emphasis. Willa has always been phenomenal at telling him that she knows precisely when he’s messed something up.  ‘Oh, uh. I just stopped by the grocery. Wanted to make it up to Quinn.’ Interesting.  ‘You were gone an awful long time to have just stopped at the grocery.’ ‘Mmm, yeah, well. I had to figure out what to make and how to make it. I’m not exactly a chef over here.’  ‘That’s an understatement,’ I wince again. What is she playing at? This situation is already precarious. ‘But, I suppose you get half of a point for trying. We’ll see.’ 

Willa walks back into the living room with two more glasses of wine for us. 

“He’s–” She starts at full volume before I shush her, connecting my phone to the Bluetooth speaker in the corner. Once the music starts playing at an acceptable volume to cover our conversation, I motion for her to continue.  “He’s lying. I can smell it on him. He didn’t just nip over to Hannaford and come home.” “I mean, obviously. He was gone for like three hours.” “You don’t care that he’s literally lying to your face.” “Technically,” I poke her side, “he lied to your face. And no, not really. If he came home and decided to be sweet for once, I’m not gonna question what it took to get him there.” “Quinn,” She says softly, reaching a hand out to pat my leg. “I know, Wills. But, just let me have this for the moment.”

She hums a non-response and drops the conversation. 

I should have questions. I should care. But, if he’s going to be sweet, I’ll take it where I can get it because these moments are becoming fewer and further between. 

“Dinner’s done,” Craig pops his head into the living room, “Y’all’s plates are already on the table.” Willa and I scramble to the kitchen table.  “Thanks, babe.” I kiss Craig's cheek before sitting down. “It looks great.”  “Anything for you, babe,” He beams. 

I see Willa’s lips quirk up in a slight grin and brace myself for whatever she’s about to do.

“So, Quincy. I’ve got a photography project I’m working on, but I need some supplies. Wanna come to Hobby Lobby with me tomorrow?” I let out a massive sigh as the color drains from Craig’s face, and I begin mentally preparing myself to do damage control, but Craig impresses me.  “That would be nice, Quinn. Y’all can get out of the house for a little bit. I’ll stay behind to clean up around here.” 

Willa sits in shock, clearly not expecting that response. 

“Oh, and Willa,” Craig smiles at her, “If you want to stay over tonight, I’ll take the couch. Don’t want you to drive home after you’ve had all that wine.” 

Maybe he’s turning over a new leaf. 

Even if Craig has decided to be a bit nicer after his moment earlier; I still can’t help the little shock of excitement that rushes through me at the thought of being able to see Josh again so soon. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I want to learn more about him. He’s the most compelling person I’ve met in a long time, and perhaps he feels the same about me. 

I’m excited to see if our friendship may blossom. 

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[chloe-caulfield94]

A Miracle I Chose Not to Perform - a LiS fan poem

On a surprisingly sunny and warm day in October

a genuine miracle was about to happen

In spite of the consequences of their actions

(and fitting conclusions to their character arcs)

emerging from the ocean and coming their way

the following wonderful people would be spared:

A promising young artist would be allowed

to keep making his haunting works

after just a brief three year stay

in an institution run by those

who clearly fail to comprehend

that in pursuit of real art

sacrifices must be made

Some shallow graves simply need to be filled

with whores

I mean sluts

I mean models

if truth and beauty are to be discovered

An ambitious businessman would be allowed to keep

the spirit of entrepreneurship alive

by selling his intoxicatingly enticing wares

to the most challenging customers of all – schoolchildren

And I’m sure that such a nice, hard-working man

would soon find a new, suitably young match

to replace the one he killed with his product

One that would understand

that after a hard day’s work

(and tasting his own stash)

a “man” has the right to explode into a blind rage

A devoted school principal and brave boys in blue

would be allowed to keep supplementing their incomes

(which are absolutely inadequate, when you factor in how much they care about the people they teach, protect and serve)

with envelopes coming from

a pillar of local community

for keeping the young artist’s career

under wraps

A valued member of the student body

would be allowed to teach

many a more stuck-up prudes

a lesson using her phone camera

having never been made aware

that other people have feelings too

All those wonderfully revolting things

would be allowed to happen

for a low tall Price

of just one murdered girl

What is the murder of a single girl

if it allows the putrid entrails

of a scenic Oregon town

to keep on churning

An irrationally angry girl

who had the audacity to confront

the boy who'd merely roofied her

Big deal!

He only wanted to

do something beautiful to her

and he would have

had she not unceremoniously fled

while she was still alive

How rude!

But you can’t expect class

from a scholarship kid in tattered clothes

Forgive my sarcasm dripping from the page

I will now speak plainly

The miracle described above I chose not to perform

I decided that just this once

friendship

should carry more weight

than the cruelty of evildoers

One ghoul pierced her heart

with a bullet-tipped spear

Another placed a red crown of thorns

on her forehead

Conquering her fear she didn’t cry

„Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani”

No, instead she handed me

the final nail

and begged me to hammer it

so that others might live while she would die

But despite her bravery

in the face of oblivion

(or perhaps because of it)

a blue-winged seraph was sent down

to defend her life

Nobody would miss her

the promising artist said

and if I had let her cross be raised

I would’ve proven him right

Nothing ever is worth someone

being murdered

Nothing ever is worth someone

dying alone, abandoned, hopeless and afraid

And for that reason

unlike two millennia ago in Palestine

expiation was denied

to those who required it the most

but deserved it not

I made sure of that

by pulling the would-be Christ of Arcadia Bay

down from her cross

Even though two nails

had already been driven

her hands, feet, heart and brow

bear no holes

My supposed crime is digging out of her heart

a bullet fired by

the promising artist

Shouldn’t the fault lie with the one

who aimed the gun and pulled the trigger?

I never claimed to be a hero

and if saving a friend's life is a sin

then I’m the greatest sinner

(and unrepentant one at that)

Once you cut out all hope

from your own friend’s heart

and you nail their body to a cross

once you’re smiling over their coffin

bloody knife and hammer in your hands

once you selfishly reduce

the light of their life

to a memory locked away

in your brain

then you can judge me

But know that

I don’t care about the verdicts

of ghouls

Isn’t it written

that whoever saves a life

is considered to have saved

the whole world?

So by digging the bullet out of her heart

I saved her world

my world

our world

the world

She was the Price to be paid

for sparing Arcadia Bay

from its fate

I refused that bargain

because who in their right mind

would pay with the world

for a town?

All the fine people described at the begininng

casual in their cruelty

banal in their evil

learnt an important lesson

(and for some of them it was their last):

sometimes hatred and disdain sown

become a Storm reaped

So on an unsurprisingly cold and stormy day in October

the miracle turned out to be

how such a tiny town could've fit

so much cruelty

before it burst at the seams

and that the seeds of the Storm

sown by its dwellers every day

took that long to yield crop

[mariacallous]

As Israelis reel from the shock of the gruesome assault by Hamas militants over the weekend, Palestinians are bracing for a retaliatory ground invasion of the Gaza Strip that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday would reverberate for generations.

More than 1,000 Israelis have been killed, infants and elderly among them, while more than 100 people have been taken as hostages, complicating Israel’s pursuit of Hamas. Some 900 people have been killed in Gaza as the territory, one of the most densely populated on Earth, has been pounded by Israeli airstrikes that have hit mosques and a crowded market.

Foreign Policy spoke to Khaled Elgindy, director of the program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli affairs at the Middle East Institute, about the timing of the attack, life in Gaza today, and the need for the international community to lay down guardrails as Israel prepares its response.

This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Foreign Policy: Why did Hamas decide that now was the time to launch these attacks in southern Israel? Do you see any kind of particular external factors that may have prompted this moment?

Khaled Elgindy: The triggers for this were many. Obviously, the whole context is 56 years of Israeli occupation with no end in sight. And this suffocating 16-year blockade on Gaza, which, as you know, has been the source of many rounds, many different eruptions over the years. Now you have the most extremist government in Israel’s history. Violence in the West Bank has ratcheted up. It’s been the deadliest year in the West Bank in two decades. You have a dramatic spike in terrorism by settlers. Various rampages through different Palestinian villages mostly in the north, and with more or less impunity from the Israeli army, sometimes even with the assistance of the army. And on top of it, there are these regular and increasing encroachments at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. It’s not a coincidence that Hamas named this operation the Al-Aqsa typhoon.

In the midst of all of that, the Arab world is moving on. The new game in town is Saudi-Israel normalization. The two-state solution is off the table. Palestinian freedom is off the table. Washington is distracted with other issues; it’s not a priority. So I think all of those are the context in which they’re saying, “Look, right now, Palestinians are the only people paying the price for the status quo.” The status quo is extremely comfortable for Israel, and the rest of the international community is complacent, because most of the costs are borne by the Palestinians. So at its core, Hamas’s calculation is to radically overturn that calculation.

FP: What came to my mind over the weekend was that the response to these attacks is only going to make life for people living in Gaza more intolerable. So what was their endgame here?

KE: That’s the million-dollar question. I mean, I’ve been struggling with what exactly is their endgame. They knew that was going to produce a much bigger response than anything they’ve seen before. But then that ought to tell us something about the mindset that goes into that. If you are prepared to launch something as outrageous and audacious as this, knowing full well what the consequences will be, then that tells us something about the sense of despair and the sense of desperation that exists. What does it take to push people to that sort of an act, not just in terms of killing other people, but also knowing the cost that you yourself will pay?

Look at Gaza, especially; suicide rates are going up. It’s not only that they’re living in miserable conditions, but it’s that there’s no end in sight. The Palestinians live in this state of despair, and we should be very, very afraid of despair, because people will do just about anything. That’s not in any way to justify, but it’s not a little thing to get to a point where you do something that ultimately is totally self-defeating.

FP: How do you think this is going to impact support for Hamas among Palestinians?

KE: At a superficial level, they will get a boost in their popularity. Anyone who is seen as inflicting damage on Israel is going to win points among the Palestinian public—especially in contrast to the leadership in the West Bank, where the contrast couldn’t be more stark. Here are the guys—[the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank] Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] and his people—they play by all the rules, they’re against violence, they’re for negotiations, they want to do things the right way. They jumped through all the hoops of the international community about institution building and finances and all of these things. Yes, they’re corrupt, but the corruption comes from the stagnation of Palestinian politics, the fact that there’s no parliament, there’s no oversight, which itself is a condition of the occupation. The U.S. and Israel don’t want elections; they don’t want a genuinely representative government that probably won’t be committed to things like security coordination with Israel.

So they do all the right things. They coordinate our security. And what did they get? Well, it’s a lose-lose, because they’re seen as collaborators by the people. That they’re subcontractors for Israeli security. But what did they get? Are they rewarded for their compliance and jumping through all the right hoops? Have they gotten the state? No, they haven’t.

It doesn’t matter if Palestinians play by the rules because it doesn’t get them anywhere. And so the Hamas option looks much more appealing. Because, even if there’s a cost, well, we’re paying costs anyway. Every day, we’re losing land. Every day, we’re losing people, homes—villages are being evacuated, depopulated in the Jordan Valley—and so we’re losing anyway. At least they’re doing something. So I think that’s the mindset if you’re a Palestinian. The choice between the two, Hamas will pay a price for sure, but maybe they’re calculating that that price will be offset by being seen as the new vanguards of Palestinian liberation and maybe the future of Palestinian leadership.

FP: How would the PA feel about seeing Hamas brought down?

KE: What does it mean to bring it down? You can kill all the leaders, which Israel has done. Remember back in the early 2000s, they killed the no. 1, 2, and 3 in succession, and there will always be someone to replace them. I don’t think you can just erase a political movement or political idea, whatever you may think about it.

This is another reason why I’m frustrated: There are no grown-ups in the diplomatic world who are calling for some reasonable, measured response and not falling into emotional reactions to everything.

FP: But if I may push back there, the nature of these attacks feels like it was designed to provoke an emotional response.

KE: Yes, of course. And that’s normal. We’re human beings. My hope is that once cooler heads have prevailed, after that initial shock has worn off, you need to sit down and think about rational responses.

There needs to be pushback, to say 2.3 million people—civilians in Gaza—did not have responsibility. They’re not responsible for the carnage that happened over the weekend in Israel. Otherwise, we’re just kind of buying into the same logic as the terrorists.

FP: What are you hearing from your contacts in Gaza right now about what the situation has been like there over the past 48 hours?

KE: The situation is horrific. Most people I know in Gaza are fleeing their homes to relatives’ homes where they think there’s less likelihood of being attacked. But there’s really nowhere to go, because nobody knows what the targets are. The targets are very malleable. And we’ve seen apartment buildings, all kinds of civilian infrastructure—anything and everything can be a target.

Israel doesn’t have a very good track record of protecting civilians. And now, given the rage in Israel, it has much less appetite to think about any red lines. They are still human beings. When you hear the Israeli defense minister refer to 2 million Palestinians in Gaza as human animals, we should be afraid of that. We should be concerned by that. Because they will act on it. When you dehumanize your enemy, then anything and everything is possible.

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

You have a real niche taste in music

Ah- I don't know if I would call it niche per say but rather extremely refined and self curated. A lot of it amounts to me exploring and trying to constantly expand my knowledge on artists I might not know but have heard in passing. We are fortunate to exist in the age where something like Spotify exists and is widly accessible. A way that I look for artists is mainly through vinyl hauls on YouTube, I pull up Spotify in a different tab on my phone, and whenever an album looks even remotely intriguing or like it sounds of the genres I like, I add it to the library for later.

You gotta love an album a lot if your gonna spend money on a new vinyl; unfortunately the prices are godawful to buy multiple albums at one time but seeing someone talk about their vinyl collection and haul is something that I go to for recommendations. Album artwork is a good factor too! If it looks cool then why not, Spotify being so accessible makes the barrier of entry to consume an album almost without effort. If you listen to the album later and its not your jam then it too is a learning experience. Maybe that album didnt register for you at that time too, theres some albums I come back to months after a first listen that click and I enjoy. You gotta really have an open mind and not be afraid to discover something different thats out of your comfort realm. Its extremely fun for me, especially too when a friend or someone in passing mentions an album or song. Chances are even if I'm not engaging with you at the time and I see the post I'll pull my Spotify up and add it to my library. I'm always interested in figuring out what there is that's out there.

Obviously you dont ever have to approach music this way, if you are someone who only wants to listen to one or two artists then thats cool!!! Music is subjective and its something your supposed to enjoy as a whole. If it makes you feel good and happy then thats what matters.

Too- I find that sometimes an artist wont always click and sometimes its just the album itself. Not all artists have good albums, you dont need to consume all of an artist's catalog to "be a fan" you can just like one album by them. That's some of what I do. I try an album, like it, move on. But the trick is to try to figure out your favorite genres as well and find artists that fit within them or people who like those artists but also additional artists.

So- Examples of this is I like Phoebe Bridgers, yeah? Well this girl I watched mentioned Radiohead - Which is kind of not toward the same genres at all but you get the point. She liked Radiohead so I decided "Well maybe I should try to see what this album sounds like" and at first Radiohead was HARD to get into. Super slow for my taste, but a different youtuber said that In Rainbows was her favorite album, so I tried that one. And guess what? It clicked. I love In Rainbows. Then I went back to Ok Computer and it made sense. You just gotta approach it all with an open mind and not be afraid of trying something you might not like in the end, in every case its always a learning experience to help you refine your taste better!!! Also albums too sometimes need relistening for you to get a better feel for them. I can go on and on about music but I will leave it here. My taste is niche if you say it is anon, but I just know what I like lol

[kangoneko]

Squirrelflight's Choice

"I hope the mistakes I've made, I've made out of love."

Hello all! Today I'd like to discuss the character of Squirrelflight in the hope that I can help spread my interpretation of the character. I hope you'll continue to the end, and if my post changes your mind about her in any way, I would be so happy.

This will largely be focused around her choices surrounding the kits she chose to raise at Leafpool's request. Spoilers from Squirrelflight's Hope and other books that released prior will appear here.

In this post, I want to argue against the idea that Squirrelflight only took the kits because she thought she was barren, and argue that what she did was the best choice considering the circumstances. I believe this interpretation not only makes for a stronger, more cohesive narrative across all of these books, but also makes logical sense.

Let's start with the events surrounding Leafpool's pregnancy and the sisters' decision to raise the kits in ThunderClan under the lie that they were Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's biological children.

This decision had many factors surrounding it. The first being that Leafpool couldn't go forth with her plan to raise kits outside the clans with Crowfeather after Cinderpelt died and leave ThunderClan without a medicine cat. On top of this, the novella Leafpool's Wish reveals that Leafpool was told by her warrior ancestors that she had to have her sister raise the kits in ThunderClan, leaving her with little other option but to lie that they weren't hers.

Many people criticize this decision from Leafpool, for multiple reasons. For one, she could've stepped down as a medicine cat and raised them herself. For another, she could've pretended that they were random kits she found instead of ones related to her and Firestar. And while I see what they mean, it just wouldn't work out.

The whole reason she decided to come back was to be the Clan's medicine cat, and there is no way she would be allowed to continue being a medicine cat after it's revealed she not only had kits, but that she had them with a warrior from a rival clan. That's two codes broken for the price of one. On top of this, StarClan told her to do it. Her kits are special, part of a prophecy about being Firestar's kin. It simply wouldn't work if she just pretended they were some random kits. Keep in mind that this lie was never intended to come to light, and since two of her kits were blessed with magic powers, her secret would've been discovered in no time. StarClan must have known this, hence why they told her to tell that lie specifically.

But we're not really talking about Leafpool, are we? We're talking about Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight herself has faced criticism for going along with this decision, chiefly surrounding her keeping it a secret from Brambleclaw. While people acknowledge that StarClan directly told her to lie to everyone that the kits were Brambleclaw's, some still think she should have told him. Especially since Brambleclaw, when the kits' parentage is revealed, says he would have gone along with her lie.

And to address that, we need to take a look at Squirrelflight's arc in the novella Leafpool's Wish.

Despite the fact that there is a perfectly serviceable Moonkittii video summarizing the book, many people misconstrue the events of it and say things happened that really didn't. The most egregious of these mistakes is thinking that Squirrelflight only took the kits after Yellowfang told her she was barren, as well as largely ignoring a lot of her agency in her decision to take them.

When Yellowfang lied to her and told her she was barren, Squirrelflight was very upset. But while she told her sister that she loved her and would do her best to help her as much as she could, she still steadfastly refused to take the kits and lie to Brambleclaw and the rest of ThunderClan in the process. She only changed her mind after the kits were born, when Feathertail visited the two sisters and urged Squirrelflight to reconsider. Squirrelflight, having then realized how much she had grown to care for the kits, agreed to take them so that they could live the best lives they possibly could in ThunderClan.

Squirrelflight not only struggled with the decision, but also refused to change her mind until they were already far away from the clan. This is understandable, considering how dishonorable and painful lying to ones kin and clanmates can be. Keep in mind that she was even doing this for her sister, the cat she was closest to, and yet she still had trouble going along with it.

Taking all of this into consideration, why would she have risked the chance that Brambleclaw rejects them? Better yet, why are we taking Brambleclaw at his word that he would have still accepted the kittens if he was told the truth? Keep in mind that after the lie is revealed, Leafpool steps down as a medicine cat out of shame. Brambleclaw's position as deputy is incredibly important to him, with his ambition for power being his main character motivation throughout The New Prophecy. Lying to ones clan is incredibly dishonorable, and after the truth came out, Brambleclaw would either step down out of shame or feel pressured to by his fellow warriors.

But let's not make him sound entirely self-centered, either. Lying is not always an easy choice. Making Brambleclaw keep the lie makes him complicit. There's kindness in not involving him, in making him an innocent party. Brambleclaw already has to put up with a lot for being the mirror image of his father, but for it to be found out that he played a part in such a serious lie? It could be proving everyone who doubts him in the clan right. Not only this, but the kits would feel betrayed by both of their parents if the truth ever came out. I can't imagine that any of these thoughts hadn't occured to Squirrelflight, a cat who already felt uncomfortable lying herself.

Ultimately, while I could neither feasibly blame Brambleclaw if he did reject the kits nor say for certain that he would, I don't see why it's so unbelievable to expect him not to, especially when Squirrelflight herself grappled with the decision. The sisters both needed 100% from him, nothing less. And Leafpool didn't get 100% from Squirrelflight until weeks after the initial proposal.

I believe Brambleclaw is only able to so confidently say he would keep Squirrelflight's lie because he has already come to love the kits as his own, similar to how Squirrelflight only agreed to take them after she came to love the kits as a mother. To take him at his word is an entirely unfair criticism of Squirrelflight's decision. Anyone can say they would have done something, but actually doing it is another matter entirely.

Anyway, acknowledging that Squirrelflight had agency in the plot of Leafpool's Wish also makes Squirrelflight's Hope make a bit more sense than it normally does. While StarClan taking zero responsibility for the lie about the kits' parentage is insulting, Squirrelflight still made a choice--her own choice--to go through with it. And I like this about her. I like that she tried to help her sister and give the kits the best life they could. They not only got to grow up knowing who their kin was, but they grew up with two loving parents as proud warriors of ThunderClan, all while not having to face the prejudice of being half-clan kits or kits of a medicine cat. The aftermath when everyone found out was undeniably terrible, but I love how you can see the decision had actual merits. That it was understandable. That it was human.

Squirrelflight to me is such a selfless character, it saddens me to see people scorn her when she was just trying to help her sister. It also sucks to see the narrative of the books treat her so poorly, and for Brambleclaw to ignore her attempts to mend things between them for so long, a decision he later regrets after he comes to understand why she did what she did. It sucks to see this treated as an "everyone was bad" issue when it's more like everyone was right, in some way, but that some handled the fallout worse than others. That there was more heartache than there needed to be, and that the sisters are not the source of the problem, but a result of the systemic problems that surround the clans and the Warrior Code as a whole.

Thank you for reading! This post was mostly born of a desire to scream into a voiceless, unfeeling void about how much I love Squirrelflight and how much I want other people to love her, too, but if You (hypothetical reader) got anything useful out of it, then I'd love to hear your feedback! Let me know if you want to hear me yell about any other warriors characters. Or don't, I might just do it anyway. ฅ^•ω•^ฅ Toodle-oo!

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

So i have always wanted a boa imperator, but first i need to move out of the house as my parents don’t like snakes ((any other reptile is fine, so i don’t get it))

So

That means i have to ask, can one take care of a boa imperator on disability benefits? Or should i get a job too?

I'm afraid that disability benefits can be too variable for me to say. I can give you a rough estimate of the cost to help you decide, though!

On a monthly basis, boa constrictor's aren't super expensive snakes. You can probably budget in the realm of $20 for food a month, just depending on how expensive the feeder rodents available to you are. Substrate will be more expensive since BCs need large enclosures - as a baby, a $10 8 quart bag of mulch will be plenty, but as an adult enclosure deep cleans might run up to the $50-100 range depending on where you get your substrate. You only really need to deep clean a snake enclosure every few months as long as you're good with spot-cleaning. The exact expenses of the heat sources you use will vary depending on what you choose - as an example, ceramic heat emitters are about $40 but they'll last a few years.

Your biggest challenege might be enclosure upgrades. As an adult, BCIs average around 5-8 feet, and I recommend a 6 foot enclosure at least for them. The price point for those can vary wildly depending on where you get it (ask around at a reptile expo to see if there are any local sellers, they're often cheaper and great quality), but they're not cheap enclosures. You'll be looking at a $700 price tag at least, but the good news is you will have a few years until the snake is big enough to need it. I know it can be very hard to save money on disability, though.

That also applies to potential veterinary costs. Before getting any pet, I think it's a good idea to make sure you'll be prepared in case of unforseen medical emergencies.

There's no hard-and-fast answer here, really. I'd encourage you to sit down and plan out expenses and consider if a large snake could fit into your budget along with factors like food, rent, etc.

Good luck!

[solhrafn]

I went Full-Fuji! (GFX One Year Review)

One year ago, I decided to ditch my Nikon DSLRs for a Fujifilm GFX 50R.

The GFX's sensor is larger than a full-frame sensor with a crop factor of 0.79

A little over a year ago, I still was using a few Nikon DSLRs to do just about anything. For portraits and landscape, I had a very respectable D810. Enough megapixels to provide some room for cropping and a decent dynamic range for most situations. For action and hobby-wildlife I had a D500. A durable mini-tank with performance that to this day would be hard to dismiss even in the light of mirrorless flagship innovation.

However, the question of my camera-future slowly crept into my mind. Was it time to change and upgrade into the Nikon Z system? Switching to a Z7 would indeed have been a sensible move, adapting older lenses while getting the sensor of the D850 in a smaller, cheaper body with an ecosystem of native lenses with the optical quality up to specs for the next decade. On paper and elsewhere, it should have been the obvious choice. Yet my answer to this question was a resounding "no" and I went against reason to set my sights on a Fujifilm GFX 50R. I took that model over the S because I enjoy the rangefinder form factor.

In hindsight, the smartest of all moves would probably have been to remain with what I had, adhering to the ancient photographic wisdom: "lenses are more important than cameras". My kits could have kept me satisfied for probably another 10 years if we are being honest. I could have stayed within the F mount ecosystem and could have taken advantage of its downright insane price drops to get top-of-the-line lenses for peanuts instead of selling the farm on a whim, however carefully considered it might have been.

These old and trusty Nikon DSLRs got sold off to finance the 50R

The truth is that after fifteen years of walking the beaten paths camera-wise, I wanted to shake things up. I longed for a change of pace. I felt confident enough in my practice to know what type of photography I would want to engage in for the foreseeable future. I also felt confident enough that I'd be able to answer the call of the occasional assignment using a camera system that would have a non-negligible amount of drawbacks. The challenge even seemed like a fun new variable to add to contracts. Thus, the choice I made for my photographic future has been one born out of love rather than made from a place of reason.

When I think of good photographic memories involving the process — how photography is approached with mind and body — I immediately have two very different ideas jumping to mind and each has an ideal type of tool that best suits it. Neither of these are about efficiency. Neither of these are about performance beside niche-performance, perhaps. But that, is more of an acquired taste and it also comes at a price, but we'll see about that later.

The first idea is an instinctive and spontaneous approach, form of feral and visceral active meditation, akin to Daido's rabid dog method; roaming the streets clear of thoughts and letting the subconscious take the helm. Shooting, shooting, shooting and discovering everything later. No plan, only image-taking. No clear framing, no image-reviewing, no judgement to pass, no threads to weave. Only arrange and make sense later, if there's any of that to find.

Results using the "rabid dog" method, using a Fujifilm X100, 2014

For this type of photography, the Fujifilm X100 was the tool that instantly clicked with me. The "poorman's Leica" is an apt way to describe what the X100 represented when it came out. I got the original 12mp camera in 2012 as a fun but capable toy to bring along my Nikon D700, until the shutter release button (which also is the on/off switch) broke off in 2020 after one power-up too many. I have since replaced it with a Fuji X-Pro 2 with the XF 18mm F2, 27mm F2.8 and 50mm F2 lenses. To this day, such small Fuji bodies are my tool of choice for this kind of photographic mood (and of course, for family pictures).

Fuji X100 later replaced by the X-Pro 2 as street photography go-to.

The second photographic process that I tend to naturally gravitate towards stems from my first year of photography school, during which all projects had to be done using film and would have us deal with the whole process (that is to say; shooting, developing, printing, framing, and displaying our work ourselves). It is with nostalgia that I look upon the memories from that time.

There sure is something inherently different in figuring out what to do with the exposures one has left on their film than being able to inconsequentially shoot within two hours three thousand pictures through which you can almost immediately browse. The latter is of course more practical and a welcome technological improvement, but the former brings an unhurried and deliberate focus that I find both refreshing and appealing.

When I think of my strongest recollection of touching the quintessence of the analog experience, the days of using my Mamiya 645 immediately come to mind. Such sluggish, heavy-as-a-couple-bricks box-machines compel one to being careful and purposeful every step of the way. I need that too.

Mamiya 645 Super, since sold to finance GF lenses.

I have for the longest of time considered getting a more serious medium format camera but some quick-math with the price of film, chemicals and photographic paper made me realize that digital medium format was actually much more worth the investment while most definitely retaining some of the core characteristics of its analog counterparts. My love for the film process couldn't hold up against all the advantages of going digital, especially when buying second-hand.

Using medium format always felt like journeying inwards. It has allowed me to spend long hours in daydreaming-states paradoxically laced with an acute awareness of my surroundings. When thinking about medium format, I can recall the soul-washing quality of some of the winds that swept my cheeks while I was standing next to the tripod waiting for the exposure of the 50iso film to finish.

States of contemplation. Another kind of active meditation?

Of course, any camera can provide this type of feeling, but of all of the digital cameras available, medium format is the one type that will weigh you down the most and dictate the pace you work at.

Telepanoramas created with the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Notice how these two ideas are almost the ends of a spectrum?

The first one is nervous and agitated, highly reactive, while the other is composed, meticulous and invites introspective fugue-states, yet they both share one vital element in the way that I approach them in that they take the practical considerations out of the picture to leave more space for what is going on within me.

The setting up of the camera or lack thereof becomes an excuse for something else. Maybe it isn't a surprise, that my adhd-ridden brain experiences this inexorable attraction for both these approaches. For they are in essence, two sides of the same coin, with each side matching different, specific and fluctuating needs.

Let's dive in!

After selling my DSLRs, I started looking for a good second-hand candidate. After a month or so, I found a barely used GFX 50R sold with a 50mm 3.5, a couple additional batteries and an L-bracket to boot. The price was rather attractive for the bundle, so it seemed like the time to take the leap. After a short but excruciating wait for the package to arrive, I finally was able to join the larger-than-35mm-sensor club.

How it started

My first few months with the camera had me immediately blown away by the difference in output. The higher resolution and the sensor's qualities made the (very much existing) noise hardly noticeable when downsized to small printing or screen-viewing sizes. What also immediately struck me, was the looks of the images the camera produced. Images taken with the GFX feel more "3D" to me. It is a very peculiar and hard to describe feeling. I suspect it is a combination of factors; the depth of field of the larger sensor and the very smooth transitions between what's in focus and what is not that it permits, the colour depth, and the quality of the optics. I've seen many Youtube reviews, read forum threads or been in discussions on Discord about GFX cameras where people (who more often than not don't own one) will maintain that these qualities don't exist at all. After a year in the system I can confidently state that they're wrong.

I can't really put my finger on what causes these differences as I am not as tech-savvy as I could be, but it is still clear as day. To use a pretty apt analogy, I would say that the difference between full-frame and (crop) medium format is akin to the difference between aps-c and full-frame cameras. Are they deal-breaking? Not necessarily. For some people they can be. Are they noticeable? Definitely. It is especially funny to me to see medium format cameras being dismissed by such a many full-frame shooter who at the same time, is constantly bashing aps-c sensors.

Don't you love to pixel-peep? Omnomnom (imagine with 102mp!)

This being said, I will always fully stand by the statement that full-frame cameras are the more sensible choice as they are better all-rounders by design. High-res cameras like Sony's A7RV or equivalent are also better high-iso performers than the aging IMX161 sensor that the GFX 50 series uses, which sees its operational limit at around 6400iso (but the GFX 100 would be another matter entirely). A top-tier full-frame camera is evidently more practical, lighter and cheaper without any deal-breaking image quality difference to what the medium format niche can offer. When all costs are factored in, the choice would seem self-evident. If you consider medium format, it should be understood that you know this before committing to any bigboy sensor. Or don't heed this and make people who buy second hand happy, as GFX gear loses almost one third of its value once it hits the second hand market (a consequence of too many people jumping on the medium format bandwagon only to realise — way too late — that it wasn't for them).

Are we cooking yet?

I need to talk about the GFX's files for a little bit; I'm a raw shooter only — which hopefully you'd have guessed — (in my opinion anyone buying into a medium format to shoot jpeg must have cognitive issues or too much money, or possibly both) and I have to say that when I opened the raw files to give the sliders their very first +100/-100 or +3/+4 EV from base iso (or any combination of these) I was utterly floored by how well the files could handle such an ungodly beating.

This isn't a joke, I promise.

This type of camera makes the slider memes come true, to a point where for the first few months, my ability to edit properly was severely impaired by the glee I experienced while pushing everything way too far. I believe it is not an uncommon symptom at the start of a medium format journey. It takes a while to come back from that and simply be able to tell yourself "ok here, maybe less dynamic range would be a good edit". I'm getting better at this as I consciously try to avoid overcooking.

Clean recovery? Can do!

On the image-taking side of things, the major change for me with regards to file-handling is that I'm almost systematically exposing for highlights now. Adding 3EV and boosting shadows in post when shooting at low iso is inconsequential in terms of image quality as there won't be any visible noise whatsoever on the output, unlike my aps-c cameras that will show noise even at base iso. Similarly to many other aspects medium format manages well, this is something I got used to very quickly.

To adapt or to not adapt, that was the question, here's my answer:

At first, I tried adapting my old Mamiya 645 lenses to the 50R. It was useful in the sense that it allowed me to enjoy different fields of view at no cost but it quickly felt like a plaster on a wooden leg. I'm not someone who enjoys the manual focusing as a default and I've grown more and more intolerant of the optical flaws of older lenses as time went by. I realised that it wasn't a viable long term solution for me and quickly chose to sell all my Mamiya cameras and lenses to finance native glass for the GFX.

My experience adapting? It was alright but not at all ideal.

Which lenses then?

Getting into the GFX system I promised myself I would make no compromise whatsoever on optical quality and directly aimed for the 250mm F4 (mainly for tele-landscapes) and 110mm F2 (mainly for portraits). The grind felt long but it really wasn't, as I managed to secure both lenses from the second hand market within 6 months. It is only later that I added the 35-70mm "kit" lens to my arsenal to fill the wide-angle gap I had. As I seldom feel the need to shoot wider than short-tele fields of views, this is more of a lens of convenience.

The difference between adapting older lenses and using native glass was night and day to me. Two things made this the better choice in my view: first, I've been actively seeking the "clinical" quality of modern optics. I do not care much for the "character" of older lenses especially not if the word is used to help one overlook a lens' unforgivable flaws. Second, while there sure are lenses worth adapting out there, this come at a cost for the adapting to be worth it (the cost of an AF-capable adapter and of course the cost of the lenses themselves) which I saw as a waste of my limited resources. I told myself I wasn't going to make compromises, remember?

One year after switching, I am now knee-deep into the system, having sold most of my Nikon gear as well as my Mamiya medium format film-cameras to acquire some of the incredibly hard to resist GF lenses.

After a year of transforming a heap of dormant gear and side-gig revenue into new lenses, I also noticed that the representation I had about the worth of money also changed radically when gear was concerned.

A little over a year ago, an XF lens priced 800€ definitely seemed like a steep investment I'd try to find alternative choices for. Nowadays, 800€ is a mere budget lens in my mind. Seeing the price tags of GF lenses doesn't make my head spin anymore and this is somewhat worrisome for the thrifty Dutchman living in the back of my brain.

With the announcement of the 500mm F5.6 lens being in development (a focal length I definitely miss from my Nikon days, I'm a sucker for ultra-telephoto landscape photography), I fear I will manage to push my monetary boundaries further back yet, which I will help achieve by selling my X-T3 video-oriented kit.

APS-C: you're dead to me.

An unforeseen consequence of my GFX switch was that my aps-c cameras were pretty much relegated to the bottom gear drawer and seldom used barring a few notable exceptions (such as a wedding gig) where the need for its autofocusing speed was greater than the need for image and file quality.

To reuse the analogy I made earlier; my X-Pro 2 and X-T3 have become to me what a micro-four-thirds camera would be to a full-frame camera user. Getting into Fujifilm's medium format system prompted me to think about how I use my cameras and to what end. The realisation that there is a clear split in my photographic approaches I evoked at the very beginning of this article is the result of that thought process.

Although I will sell my X-T3 because it feels superfluous and I want to stop my video gigs completely, (and because my need for GFX lens money is still great), I would never part with my X-Pro 2 nor the few XF lenses that I have as they serve a totally different purpose to that of the GFX's.

Having a compact, fast, discreet yet still capable camera that can be casually put into a pocket is an advantage that I would be a fool to part with. The X-Pro is a more practical choice for street-photography, documentary in less-than-favourable conditions, as well as for family pictures, when packing a brick of a camera and two bricks worth of lenses for a walk in the park in suboptimal weather would be met with a tired roll-eye from my spouse.

My dear X-Pro, I'm Never Ever Gonna Give You Up

Of course there have been many occasions for which I have chosen to take the challenge and went into these situations with the GFX. However, I wouldn't want the GFX to be the only option at my disposal in such cases.

For example, during the last wedding I shot, when the dining room got darker and the guests started moving around a lot (and dancing), the switch to aps-c cameras was absolutely necessary because of how difficult it was to consistently get acceptable results in poor light and with subjects making erratic movements. When you are held under a result-delivering imperative, you have to be able to honour it.

Packing a Fuji GF or Fuji X kit can be a slightly different experience

"Megapickles don't matter!"

This was an idea that I lived by just a few years ago. I changed my mind. I still believe that megapixels don't matter when you don't have them. Just like one should shoot with the camera one has / is able to afford. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but all these technical niceties just make one's life more comfortable. Cropping, denoising through file reduction algorithms, or enjoying detail endlessly because one can, these are just the icing on the cake. I just happen to like my cakes with more icing than cake now.

Regarding resolution specifically, it's been another area in which there seems to be no possible coming back. Nowadays, every time a manufacturer announces a new camera and I discover they plan to fit it with a 24MP sensor I dismiss the information entirely. It doesn't register anymore. 32-36 is the new 24 in my mind now and it's sometimes difficult to come back from those expectations.

This being said I have no issue using lower resolution aps-c that I own and could perhaps even have fun with a X-Pro 1 because then the output quality wouldn't be my prime concern. It is only concerning new releases that my interest dips firmly for "low" MP cameras.

Did I tell you that medium format AF sucks?

Before I conclude this one-year review, let me hammer this point in with a two-handed mace; it can't be understated, especially for the GFX 50 series which uses contrast detection — the autofocus will throw you back to the early 2000s. Be ready to be stuck on single point, single AF mode because that's the only thing that will be consistent enough.

Then let's not forget other factors that add to the bad and make it worse; the shutter lag is half a second, the sensor readout speed is 1/4th of a second, and the time the shutter takes to clear the large sensor in combination with the camera's high resolution means you'll need higher shutter speeds in order to get rid of motion blur when shooting handheld (count about one stop faster than usual). Those would be valid reasons as to why a less niche camera system makes more sense for a lot of people.

The final comment:

Despite its sometimes dramatic drawbacks, I definitely have found the pleasure I sought when I originated this system switch. The change and the adapting my process is engaging and makes me think more about what I do, what I use, when and why. This is a win on its own.

All in all I feel like I am still at the very start of my journey though I've had the opportunity to test my GFX 50R in a wide array of situations in the past year (portrait, landscape, documentary) it seems like the way forward is clear and also opened for plunging deeper into this incredibly fun (but needlessly expensive) rabbit hole.

The upcoming 500mm, the prospect of finding an original GFX 100 (with its weirdly appealing tiltable EVF) are ideas that will — for the foreseeable future — definitely keep pulling me back in (and emptying my pockets).

Fun! Fun! Fun!

[krikeymate]

After the end of VI the core four must’ve spent a WHILE in the hospital. I feel like being in the hospital would be really difficult especially for Tara after the ghostface attack. I feel like Tara’s fear would be even worse in the hospital in 6 because after 5 she could think of ghostface as gone and in the past but in 6 tara now knows that ghostface can return and I can imagine her taking longer to heal her wounds because she’s so paranoid in the hospital and cannot rest. I also feel like Gale would help the core four out and find them somewhere to stay after 6, somewhere where their friends weren’t brutally murdered yk.

That Galaxy brain thought is so sexy of you.

Tara totally has a fear of hospitals now.

I feel like Sam & Tara didn't actually spend a lot of time in the hospital post-6. Sam had the cut to her right arm and the stab to the front of that shoulder. Tara had the bullet graze to her left arm, stab in the back of her left shoulder, and stab in the abdomen. The only wound there that felt like it was deep was Tara's abdomen wound, the other stabs could be considered quick and shallow.

Tara's abdomen wound definitely requires surgery, exploratory at the least, if not to repair any damage inside. The shot of them walking off is nice and all, but we'll just assume they were walking towards a free ambulance.

I think Tara spends a single day in the hospital, Sam by her side the entire time. They try to make her leave at the end of visiting hours, but it stresses Tara into a panic attack so bad they have to sedate her. Given the special circumstances, they decide to let her stay. Not that they had a choice, Sam was not leaving after watching the nurses hold down her little sister - scrambling to remove the tube in her arm and escape the bed - as Tara begged her not to let them: don't let them, Sam please, please, don't, I don't want to fall asleep Sam please, please don't let them, Sammy please don't leave me.

Standing there and letting them do that was the hardest thing she's ever done. When Tara demands that Sam sign her out of the hospital in the morning (against medical advice, they want to keep her in for observation), she doesn't argue. Tara would just do it herself if she doesn't. Sam spends the entire time waiting for Tara to bring it up, terrified to face Tara's anger. Or worse, her betrayed face. But she doesn't. Tara just curls up against her in the back of the taxi, clutching her hand.

I think Sam would be hesitant to accept any help from Gale. Gale's help always comes with a price, she knows that, she's seen it. Gale convinces her to let her help her find a new apartment, a smaller one still close enough to the campus. Sam allows Gale to haggle the rental price down to a much more affordable rate and hesitantly allows Gale to sign as a guarantor. Gale hands her a cheque, a worthy sum given she is the star of her latest book. Sam nearly rips it up in her hands, but Gale knows her weakness: if you won't accept it for yourself, accept it for your sister. She's got her there.

Chad, Gale and Kirby definitely spend a while in the hospital, and Mindy probably should still be in hospital but she clearly had checked herself out. I honestly don't know if I vibe the Core 4 actually living together post-6. I feel like Mindy should have been living with the sisters in the first place and it's weird that she wasn't. Which means there was 'other factors' which put Chad and Mindy (presumedly) into dorms. Those factors would still be there post-6.

[author-chan06]

Asmodeus & Me

Asmodeus:

General Personal Info:

Name: Asmodeus

Age: 16,000,000+

Pronouns: He/Him

Gender: Cis Man

Orientation: Pansexual, Pansexual

From: Helluva Boss

Canon Compliant Personality? Mostly

Relationship With Me: Boyfriend

Backstory Of Us:

(This is an S/I) I’m a Hellborn demon. I’m actually from Wrath, but had moved to the Pride Ring for convenience of a job, but because of the inconvenience of leaving every year because of the Exterminations and just in general the issues that come with living near Sinners, I saved enough to be able to move again. Of course, there was also the issue of where to move to. But after looking at certain factors— such as how the Sins are that rule the certain rings, and what exactly each Sin really represents— I decided that moving to the Lust ring was the best option, and that it might actually be nicer than Pride and Wrath.

Wrath brought back too many memories that I would rather forget. Envy was too competitive for me. Sloth was too boring. As much as I loved partying sometimes, being around that type of thing constantly would just tire me out, so not Gluttony. And I’d heard enough about how much of a piece of shit the Greed Sin was to know that I should stay away from his ring.

So Lust it was. I’d heard a lot of good things about the way Asmodeus ran things there— apparently he put a lot of weight on consent of all things. Which actually made sense when I thought of it, I just hadn’t expected it— and I knew the work would be easy to find there. I simply would work as a waiter in one of the many many clubs that littered the place. They also paid pretty well, because Asmodeus said they had to. Another way to spread Lust probably. Can’t have a lot of sex if you’re worried about bills and being homeless. Or at least that’s what I kind of assumed.

Even with the little amount of money I had saved up, I had been easily able to find an apartment that I was able to rent for the month with that money. It was kind of amazing. The Pride Ring, thanks to the Sinners, actually had insane rent prices, even if they often got fucking destroyed because of turf wars and Exterminations, or maybe because of. Either way, it meant I could focus my time on finding a job. So I sent out an application to a couple of different clubs neither, and— just because why not— I went ahead and sent my application to Ozzie’s. Of course, I never believed it would get it. I wasn’t a known demon, and I was hardly that hot. But… I did get the job. At Ozzie’s.

I was almost in hysterics as I stared at the acceptance letter. That… I had not expected. Of course, any other job that sent back confirmation of a job I immediately chucked out. Ozzie’s paid enough that I would never need another job, and it would give me free food and drinks during the day. There was no way I would give it up for any other club.

Before my first day, I started practicing carrying trays and the like, and I bought an entire new wardrobe, making sure I looked Masc while still looking… well, looking like I worked at a club that was supposed to arouse the clients. A bit weird, but nothing I couldn’t work with. I knew that they would probably train me there, but I wanted to already know the basics so I wouldn’t immediately lose this job when they realized I’d never had a job at a sex club/lounge before.

My first day got there quickly and too slowly, and I didn’t feel nearly ready when I put on my best outfit and started walking towards the club. I got in by showing the bouncer my acceptance letter, and he pointed me towards the back of the club. I hesitantly smiled and thanked him before slipping into the rooms. It was beautiful, and I felt a bit like a celebrity walking through the area without even having to pay. I couldn’t believe they were going to be paying me to be here. I felt a bit… overwhelmed.

And that only skyrocketed when I turned the corner and the Sin himself was there, talking to another Hellborn about something. Asmodeus was in front of me and I didn’t know what to do. I felt myself freeze, staring in shock. Sure I’d known it was possible I’d meet him, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. And even if I’d known it would happen, I hadn’t actually thought about what I would do if— when it happened. And I still had no idea where or what I was supposed to be doing, or who was supposed to be training me for my new job. I was going to slip away, once my legs started working again, but then the Sin and the Hellborn turned, and I locked eyes with Asmodeus himself, who didn’t seem surprised at all by my being there, not like me at all. I probably looked like a deer in headlights.

Asmodeus though was surprisingly chill, he actually showed me where everything was, and introduced me to some of the other waiters. He even introduced me to the Hellborn he was talking to before— Fizzarolli, his right hand and Mammon’s mascot. I knew he had looked familiar before— and complimented my outfit. He said it fit the club, and me, very well. I wasn’t sure what to say to that so I stumbled over my words enough that he laughed and told me that I should get used to that type of thing. If I was going to work here, he said, then the customers would no doubt say even more graphic and complimentary things to me. I didn’t really believe that, but I knew I would be fine with that. I didn’t tell him that the reason it was so flustering to me is because he was the one that said it. I might have only just met him, but he was… impressive. Very very impressive. And getting a compliment from him was… nice.

After that first day, I was much more confident in my ability to do this job, and Ozzie— he told me to call him that— told me that he wouldn’t always be around the club but that he would be visiting often, and if I had any questions to just ask the other workers if he wasn’t around. He also told me that if he was there that I should be able to talk to him if I need so, and then he left— with Fizzarolli. I was pretty sure those two were dating. I learned later on that they were.

The job was really nice actually. The other workers were cool. Even though it was a sex lounge there was no harassment. And I’m not going to lie, the sex that was had was fucking awesome. I was living so much better than I ever had before. I didn’t realize it could be better than it was already, and then it was.

Fizzarolli had apparently been watching me, and he offered me a role in one of his upcoming performance at the Club. It would basically be a one night promotion. And I immediately accepted. I had always liked the idea of performing, but had been too worried to actually do it. But if I was performing with Fizzarolli, well I believed that he was also really impressive— I was under no confusion as to why he was Ozzie’s right hand— and that if anyone could teach me it would be him.

While we practiced together, we actually got closer, and before long I considered him one of the only people I would call my friend, and I hesitantly told him that— yes, I knew that Ozzie and him were dating but— I had a crush on Ozzie, and he grinned before telling me that he didn’t mind sharing— me or Ozzie. That’s when we started dating, and he started pushing me to hang out with Ozzie, promising me that obviously Ozzie would be willing to date me, even though I’m of lower class. Hello, he’s dating Fizzarolli already, isn’t he? But I thought Fizzarolli was obviously better than me, not only was he just… amazing. But he was also an amazing performer. So Fizzarolli decided that actually now I was a performer. I would be performing with him whenever he did at the club until I decided to tell Ozzie I liked him.

As I started performing, Ozzie started coming to the club more often and Fizz teased me endlessly about it. I would shrug it off, saying that it was only because when I performed Fizz was also performing too. So the next time when I went out to perform Fizz disappeared. I panicked for a moment, before I saw Fizz give me a thumbs up from the curtains. I cussed a bit and flipped him off while the audience couldn’t see him. But I took a breath, and let him introduce me, telling the audience that it would just me tonight and to make sure to give me lots of love and silent applauds— another things I loved about this jobs— before the lights flipped on, and I started my performance.

I had expected for Ozzie to leave once he realized it was just me, but I found him the audience and he had stayed. He stayed for the entire performance. It made it a bit harder to focus, but it also made the moves easier, and by the time the performance was over I was ready to jump and kick Fizz, and ready to hide in my bed forever. I’m sure my red face was visible to everyone. Even Ozzie, so far away.

Before I could do any of that, Ozzie caught up with me and commended my performance, and I flusteredly thanked him for the compliment and before I could realize, I continued talking, telling him that Fizz did it without asking because I told him that I didn’t think that he, Ozzie, came to watch me, and that I didn’t believe I was amazing enough to catch a Sin’s attention. I only realized what I’d said when I looked up and Ozzie looked shocked.

The shock faded away to amusement and he said something about Fizz saying about the same thing when they’d gotten closer, before he seemed to straighten up, and offered his hand. I wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted, but I gave him my hand, and waited. His hand was so much bigger than mine, and I held my breath as he kissed the back of my hand and asked me if I’d officially like to join Fizz and his relationship. He told me that he’d been captivated by my from my first day, but that it had gotten deeper than just that once Fizz had started coming home after our practices happy and bubbly. And then watching me perform… He told me that he’d like to learn more about me, to learn what Fizz loved so much and learn to love it as well. And though I was speechless, I nodded my head, and watched in awe at the way he seemed to glow at the confirmation.

We’ve been dating ever since, and though I still sometimes have a hard time believing that someone so powerful and sweet loves me, Fizz and Ozzie are always trying to show me, and I will always try to show them that love back. This is so much better than I ever expected to get, and it will only continue to get better.

Relationship Info:

Anniversary: April 27th

Ship Name: #arimodeus

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS for a SANDWICH AND A SMALL COFFEE! JESUS fuck! It had roughly the same ingredients as the avocado toast but also salmon and formatted as a sandwich, there were NO PRICES on anything (first warning sign!) but a crew member said her avocado toast was EIGHT dollars and my coffee was 5 meaning they charged me an extra TWELVE DOLLARS to add salmon and one more slice of bread to the avocado toast ingredients. I also saw them charge me an extra .75 cents for oat milk in my coffee after I said I had no preference on milk type. Oat milk is the default type listed on the coffee I got. But apparently it being standard for that drink does not mean that it's factored into the drink price!

Our smartest crew member decided not to get food here bc not only were there no prices on the store menu she also couldn't find any listed anywhere online and found that shady. Good for her. I can't believe everyone thought this place was so good (they came here when I missed a hitch) that they decided to come here again. This place is lousy with cafes we could have gone to literally any other one. What is wrong with them. My crew lead was literally like "oh you should get food here it'll be a while before we stop again" AND DIDN'T MENTION THAT A SMALL SANDWICH WITH NO SIDES IS TWENTY WHOLE DOLLARS!