#this is very appropriate for a work environment

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Ohhhhhhhhh this is like. My personal catnip.

Okay, so the easiest and shortest thing to answer: Hynafwr Onnen (drop the G). With that said, Steff and I went back and forth on this, because if it were an oak you would say Hynafwr Derw, rather than Hynafwr Derwen, so possibly Hynafwr Onn would be more formally correct? Which makes me think it would be more appropriate for a Wise Old Tree.

But it could be a character point. If your Wise Old Tree is down with the kids and trying to modernise regardless of the correctness of the grammar then Hynafwr Onnen works (or others could refer to him as such); otherwise, Hynafwr Onn is probably more formal and Correct. However, I am going to ask my inlaws as a trump card, because they are among the Greatest Translators in the Land.

RIGHT THEN LET'S TALK ENVIRONMENT I'm so excited I'm so excited

First up: I would love to see your fantasy map. I also do pro-bono work in telling people if they have consistent and sensible physical geography in their maps to avoid what I call the Mordor Situation, if that is of any use to you.

Um, Let's throw in a read more, This Bitch Lengthy (yeet)

Second: So, your broad strokes idea is pretty correct. Fun fact! There is no scientific or internationally recognised difference between a hill and a mountain. Most countries go by height, but different heights (I think in England they say it's 1000 feet? Which would get you laughed at by an Italian.) BUT in Wales we go by, essentially, land use - if it's tamed, it's a hill. If it's wild, it's a mountain.

(A similar quirk - we use 'woods' or 'woodland' to mean a native stand of trees, and 'forest' to mean an artificial plantation. This is the opposite to America. Why do we do this? Unknown. But your characters would most likely say woods instead of forest.)

There is a bit of a tree line to the mountains, and we have a lot of upland plateaus - these are peat bogs. In modern Wales they are very degraded, but in fantasy Wales they'd probably be great. There's a shit ton of faerie mythology about them, too. In the lowlands there's also a lot of wetland areas - Wales is very, very wet.

I could also bang on a lot about geology here, but I shall restrain myself and say that the broad notes are: slate in the north, so craggier mountains; coal and limestone in the south, so flatter mountain tops and also more waterfalls and caves. BUT those are broad differences, you still get craggy in the south and waterfalls/caves in the north.

Third ANYWAY LET'S TALK TREES!!!! :D :D :D

This might blow your mind a bit, but there are literally only two conifer species that are native to Wales - juniper, which is a very rare upland shrub, and yew trees, which tend to turn up in graveyards specifically, having been deliberately planted. That's it. No others. No pine, no fir, no larch, no spruce, nothing.

Our native old growth forests are broadleaves, almost exclusively (maybe the occasional yew? Super rare though unless one was planted nearby.) There's a bunch of ways we can categorise woodlands hang on hang on let me just squeal in excitement that you've asked me this question

*distant screaming*

aaaaaAAAHH okay I'm back

Okay I am going to split these into Two Forest Types

1: Temperate Broadleaved Forest

This is similar to what you find in continental western Europe, but slightly different because More Moisture. We generally define these by moisture and pH, so a wood can be wet or dry, and it can be acid, neutral or alkaline. When I say wet or dry, think ground conditions specifically, though. All of it gets rain, but if the water hangs around in the soil a lot and means you need wellies to traverse unless you want to be in ankle deep mud for ten months of the year, it's a wet wood; if it drains away quicker, it's dry.

Acid USUALLY means uplands, alkaline USUALLY means limestone bedrock and therefore potentially caves or waterfalls.

Wet Woods

Specialised habitats! Sometimes called alder or willow carr. The canopy is mostly willow and alder, with some downy birch. Occasional oak, aspen, wild cherry. But overwhelmingly willow and alder, they're thirsty bitches that love wet feet.

If they're acidic, they have less in the way of undergrowth - mostly purple moorgrass and a load of mosses - but the trees themselves are likely to be a tangled mess. If they're neutral or alkaline they have a bit more floristic diversity, like a wet meadow - most likely a pretty carpet-forming thing called opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, but also meadowsweet (traditionally added as a flavouring to mead), marsh bedstraw, and cleavers (which you are legally obligated to pick and stick to the back of whoever you're walking with, but also has edible leaves).

These will be difficult to go off-road in! These are WET underfoot, so muddy paths form in the drier bits and people stick to those. The untouched bits can be proper bogs. I personally once sank to the knee in an unexpectedly and deceptively boggy bit. In was an Experience. Fortunately the ground did not eat my welly that day. I escaped with it. Others are less fortunate. Many such examples.

The edges of these might be coppiced by locals wanting a replenishable resource of firewood, mind, because will grows like a fucken weed in water.

Pictured: wet.

I should also say: these are often not very pretty woods. Those two pictures are, but mostly these are tangled muddy messes that are not, to a layperson, especially beautiful woods. I mean, they are TO ME, I love them. But they look scratty and ugly to many, ESPECIALLY if they're coppiced regularly, because willow grows back aggressively and messily. Here's a very typical example:

I see beauty in this, but many do not, I know.

MOVING ON

Dry Woods

NOW we're talking!! This is the good shit!!! This is where the biodiversity doesn't need to be as specialised, so it leaps up. The structure varies a little depending on the dominant canopy - beech and yew woods are fucking stunning, especially in autumn (autumn beech woods were the inspiration for Lothlorien in fact), but don't have much in the understorey because they shade it out. They are also only naturally occurring in the eastern half of the country, though - further west is too wet, and beaches HATE getting wet feet. They are finicky princess bitches. If they get wet feet their favourite thing to do is drop branches on people without warning.

Pictured: autumn beeches! Note the lack of undergrowth.

By contrast, the big guns of Welsh ecology - UK ecology, really - is oak woodland.

Oaks are slow-growing, long-lived, and community-minded. A single oak tree can harbour up to 250 other unique species, which is the highest number of any Welsh tree (second highest is actually willow, at 200). These are the big boys. The MVPs. Climax community, the most loved, most treasured, most recognised even by people whose only exposure to nature is the time their Volvo ran over a sheep. Unlike beeches, they happily share the canopy with others - alkaline areas often feature ash primarily (and these tend to be the woodlands we archetypically think of as classic), but also elm, downy birch, hazel, lime, rowan, field maple, elder, beech or yew. Neutral areas are silver birch, rowan, holly, hazel, beech, sweet chestnut, hornbeam and elder. Both feature tonnes of diversity in the understorey, from brambles to ferns to flowers to grasses and sedges - a brambly bit would be hard to get through (they grow at the edges/clearings where there's more sunlight) but the others would be possible, if inconvenient:

FUN FACT: half of the entire world's inventory of bluebell woodland is in the UK! This includes Wales. Springtime sees the woods turn blue, especially the month of April (flowering is March to May, roughly). Google 'bluebell woods uk' for the most wonderful set of images you've ever seen, and then consider how much more vibrant they always look in person. God they're so good. I'm rambling.

We have two native oaks: pedunculate/English oak (grows in lowlands, is twistier in shape) and sessile/Welsh oak (grows in uplands, is straighter in shape), but oaks are glorious sluts so they constantly hybridise. Fucking stunning trees. Nothing like 'em.

TWISTY

To round off, a dry acid wood is more limited - oak and birch in the canopy, and the understorey is mostly heather, bilberry, grasses and moss. Much easier to go off-road if needed, although heather and bilberry are both great for concealing uneven ground. These are mostly found in uplands.

BUT! This is all temperate broadleaved woodlands! Brace yourself for the best one:

2. Celtic Rainforest

MY BELOVED

This is also known as Atlantic rainforest, temperate rainforest, etc. You find it in the west of the country, where there is so much rain that it tips over into rainforest - just temperate rather than tropical, because the temperatures are still mild with a pronounced four season cycle. These are found in a handful of places around the world, but are classified as a globally scarce habitat-type that needs protecting.

These are not precisely the same as the wet woods I described above. Sometimes they have a lot of crossover; but, the characteristic here is precipitation, not necessarily constantly-saturated ground. So there's more tree diversity for one thing.

But you want to see the biggest difference? How you can spot them?

Remember, this is a normal wet wood from the temperate broadleaved woodland category:

Soggy. Wet. Yes, sure.

NOW FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE RAINFOREST:

So. Much. Green.

<insert "rey-I-din't-know-there-was-this-much-green-in-the-universe.gif">

You cannot imagine the diversity of mosses and lichens and liverworts. These things are green all the way down. The mosses DRIP from the trees, sometimes literally. Bark is just a surface for moss.

Look at this shit:

MOSS

Some of the species here are globally scarce. Things like lungwort and hazel glove fungus and so many mosses. Canopy is mostly oak, ash, hazel and birch, but you get others here and there. Look, here's lungwort and hazel glove fungus:

Tonnes of insects, so tonnes of bats and birds, too.

The big noticeable thing in these, though, is the air. It's humid all the time; it actually smells green, and clean; hard to describe unless you've been in one. There's less seasonal variation in these, too - temperate broadleaved woodland has warmer summers and cooler winters (not by loads, but a few degrees in it.) These are moist. Personally, when I walk in these my asthma behaves itself better.

God. I could honestly keep posting rainforest pictures. I love it so much. It's my baby. Sorry I need to go and jump up and down to settle my limbic system hang on

*distant screaming*

Okay I'm back let's talk about:

WILDLIFE

Now this is fun because we get to include extinct things! Or extirpated, anyway.

So, predators: the big guys would be wolves and brown bears, both now lost.

Mesopredators: red fox, pine marten, Eurasian lynx. Lots of birds of prey - the red kite is our national bird, which you COULD keep, but that's more of a modern development because Wales was the only place in the UK that hung onto them, and they survived and thrived here because of us (we are v proud). Buzzards are super common, followed by sparrowhawks and kestrels. Once upon a time, sea eagles were a big thing - now lost, but there are reintroduction projects being considered. Ospreys and peregrines are a bit rarer, but making a comeback (so would have been common). Our commonest owl is the barn owl.

Songbirds: the most common are robins (also thought to be psychopomps because of the red breast, traditionally; some people even today have the folk belief that a robin who follows you - which they do to see if you'll disturb the soil for them to get worms - means the soul of a dead loved one is visiting you), sparrows, tits, blackbirds and thrushes, corvids (crow, raven, Eurasian jay, jackdaw and magpie; magpies are often considered unlucky and have Lore attached to them). Gulls at the coasts. But, coastal environments have burrowing seabirds like puffins, storm petrels, etc - the island of Skomer is one of the most biodiverse places in the temperate northern hemisphere. On mountainsides without trees, skylarks abound - they're ground-nesting birds, and if you stray too near the nests, the parent will shoot up into the air singing and then fly away, to try to lead you away from the nest. Kingfishers on rivers. Commonest anseriforms are mute swans and mallards.

Common mammals: wild boar! Deer, but only red deer and roe deer. The others were introduced for hunting. Weasels, stoats, otters and badgers, but NOT POLECATS (introduced by the Saxons). Hedgehogs. Hares, but NOT RABBITS (introduced by the Romans). Woodmice, harvest mice and doormice, but NOT RATS (ships). Field voles. Water voles. Shrews. Bats. Daubenton's bat is especially fun because it likes hunting over water bodies, where it looks like it's skipping over the surface. All UK bats have pug faces, like they flew into a wall. Red squirrels, but NOT GREY SQUIRRELS (introduced by the Victorians and now killing the reds).

Fishes: sea trout is known as sewin in Wales, and was an important food staple - salmon, too. In West Wales in particular they used to make small boats called coracles to fish for them, the making of which is now known as a heritage craft. There is a unique-to-Wales endemic species of whitefish called the gwyniad that is exclusively found in Llyn Tegid.

Coastal things: other than the burrowing seabirds and the gulls mentioned above, Atlantic grey seals abound, as do harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphins. Laver is the Welsh name for the seaweed the Japanese call nori, and is used to make the food laverbread (chopped, mixed with oats and bacon fat to make patties, then fried and eaten with bacon and cockles.) Cockles in the south! Birds such as oystercatchers, plovers, etc.

Reptiles: this is more limited, but our lizards are the slow worm (common and also legless, like a snake), the common lizard (Nice Faces) and the sand lizard (lives in sand dunes.) Snakes are grass snakes (commonest) and adders (venomous but shy), but for your story we probably would have also had the smooth snake, which would be a sand dune/coastal situation too (so they could eat the sand lizards - they're also a constrictor species).

Amphibians - frogs, toads and newts. Probably the most interesting one of these is the great crested newt - very endangered now, but fine in your story.

Invertebrates: lots of butterflies and moths, lots of damselflies and dragonflies. Annoying Insects include mosquitoes (no dangerous pathogens, we don't have the climate for it, but ITCHY), gnats, fleas, and ticks (at the point you're writing, no Lyme disease - again, pre-climate change, we didn't have the climate for it). The Welsh honeybee is quite dark, much more black on it than other subspecies. Many bumblebees. 7-spot ladybirds are commonest. Another endemic species is the Snowdon beetle, a subspecies of rainbow beetle found on yr Wyddfa (hence the name.)

Plants: I've given you quite a lot, and yet we could still be here for hours! The Snowdon lily is another endemic one, again found on yr Wyddfa (plus a couple of other nearby mountain slopes in Eryri). Our bogs are mostly sphagnum mosses and cottongrass, but sundews are our native carnivorous plants up there.

I could bang on and on about this, so I shall stop there

So finally! Food on the table!

Game meats would be appropriate on a lord's table - venison, boar, hare, etc. Farmed meats would be mutton/lamb, maybe goat, maybe beef. Pigs were introduced a bit later, but it's up to you if you want to include them and so have bacon/pork. Oh, here's a fun detail: it's one of those pieces of received wisdom that valley lamb has more meet on it, but mountain lamb tastes better (and honestly, can confirm.) There's a poem about sheep rustling even:

Mountain lamb is sweeter But valley lamb is fatter I therefore deemed it meeter To carry off the latter

So, mountain lamb was a rich man's food.

Likely a lot of river/seafood, though - poor people in particular fished a lot, but this would also make its way to the rich, especially salmon (sewin might be slightly more of a pauper's dish?). Oysters and cockles and the like, potentially, though those would again be more common for the poor. I mentioned cockles and laverbread, and yes, but they're traditionally breakfast foods.

Cheese, mind, the Welsh have deep cultural connections to cheese. Bread, especially white bread for the rich. Not so many vegetables, but wild garlic grows in wet woods in spring, and could be preserved in a chutney for all year round; onion, carrot, turnip, leeks, and brassicas like kale/cabbage would work. Mushrooms, too.

But, here's a fun cultural point: dining custom. First of all, no weapons in the dining hall. They stay outside. Second of all - presumably to reinforce the safety of this - once the knife goes in the meat (as in, to carve up the carcass to serve everyone), the dining hall doors are closed, and Do Not Open until the meal is finished. This is a whole thing in the tale of Culhwch ac Olwen, because Culhwch just barges into the hall to demand a favour from Arthur even though the doors had been closed. Rides in on a horse, too, he's a proper little cunt about it.

OH OH ALSO

The bard! Wales has a long tradition of bards, who would travel from court to court as well as between inns in the countryside. They were like living newspapers, bring news in song form from elsewhere and spreading it about. In a court, a bard could ask to play, and would be invited in. If they sang well enough, they would be offered a chair at the lord's table, which is supposedly the origin of us awarding the Chair to the winning bard in the Eisteddfod.

If the lord didn't pay them well enough, they would compose a satirical song about him calling him a tight-fisted willy, and then spread it about the country. So bards actually had enormous social power, and even lords didn't want to upset them. Skilled ones were highly in demand. Most were men, but there are examples of female bards, the most famous being Gwerful Mechain.

This is a billion words long, so I shall pause here. Absolutely do not be afraid to hit me up for any further info though, including if I missed anything you asked for.

Hi hello! I'm writing a story in my original world, set in a Fantasy Wales. A King Arthur Returns type story, if that matters.

I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about Welsh ecology? And possibly also some cultural details?

Thanks ahead of time! And I understand if you decline or don't respond!

YES OH MY GOD YES HELLO

[silna-pdf]

My Connor doll whispered in my ear and told me to draw him in his shorts

[beeelderly]

the compulsion to voice the conversations in my head out loud get stronger the less sleep i get

[bananonbinary]

maybe im just a grump but honestly i treat stuff i dont want on ao3 with a very "i do not see it" kinda attitude. like, yeah, i think trollfics are annoying, and a friend made a strong case recently for why it's not really an appropriate place for ai-generated stuff either but like. any time i see something like that my response is "damn that's annoying" and then i ignore it.

there's very occasionally been like, actual campaigns to annoy users (like that time assholes put like 300 tags on all their trollfics to "protest"(?) something??), and in those cases i'll actually bother to report people, but if its only like 2 people that annoy me i don't see much point. they can go be annoying out of my sight i dont care.

[fairuzfan]

I do want to say re:food appropriation, for Palestinians it is a very very very sensitive issue. I don't know a single Palestinian who doesn't react vehemently to calling food "Israeli." One, because you have to recognize that this is within a larger pattern of completely erasing Palestinian identity, and two, because food is an essential core part of culture, where historical, familial instruction should be acknowledged.

I find it incredibly.... insulting to say "well food can be exchanged between cultures and people, so what's the big idea?" and neglect the fact that even within the Levant, there is a diverse array of cooking styles. To call certain dishes "Israeli" especially within the context of how the state of Israel was established, plays into the erasure of Palestinians.

It's often necessary to attribute the food we eat to specific cultures. For example, I, a Palestinian, would never claim ownership over Macarona Bil-Bashamil, or Yalenji, because they're "Arab." That's just not how food culture works. Different cultures, different climates, different environments all contribute to the food we eat and the clothes we wear. Food in itself is political because of how heavily it is tied to a location in which things are grown and raised.

Food is what builds community. Women, young and old, pass this knowledge throughout generations. And ESPECIALLY between peasant families that grow and raise the very flora and fauna we rely on in our dishes. This is a professional sort of knowledge that we celebrate and consider incredibly important. To strip our very food of our identity is not only insulting, but negates the centuries worth of food culture we've established in favor of homogenization. So yes, it IS possible to appropriate food, especially when you do not acknowledge the centuries worth of knowledge shared.

[savanir]

DP x DC prompt [11]

Vlad is planning something big, something powerful and he’s using his wealth and connections to make it happen. Danny realizes that his parents' tech and his friend's aid isn’t going to cut it, and brute forcing the matter as Phantom is just going to ruin his reputation permanently.

What he needs is another different fruitloop, and thankfully for him the world is pretty damn full of them.

but he needs a very specific fruitloop, the one with a big company, advanced high end tech, so much money they don’t really know what to do with it and preferably they gotta be an absent figure, because Danny is on a mission, he’s not looking to get a new parent (he has his own)

and after some searching he finds his guy

Oliver Queen

Now he just needs to get in on that, and he decides to do that by using what little he managed to remember from Vlad’s “you will be the heir of Dalv,co” rants and Sam’s ideas on environmentalism. cause Queen apparently cares a lot about giving back to the little guy.

Which is great! very important, even if his business kinda suffers from how he goes about it (but Danny can help with that! somehow! he’ll figure it out, can’t be that hard) 

We can’t all be Brucie Wayne, but we certainly can try.�� 

So anyway, shouldn’t be too hard, he’s got some history in the field of environment stuff what with the whole purple back gorilla thing.

and Ollie takes one good look at this smart enthusiastic black haired blue eyed teen and is like, “oh neat! my very own Tim Drake Wayne” and he just goes with it.

Danny’s hidden power of drawing in rich people is truly something to behold…

Oliver is more than happy to just let Danny do whatever he wants as long as it doesn’t break the law or look bad on him, and no drugs, he was very clear on that.

and Danny is like great, I can now work on undermining Vlad and ruin his plans!

but then… Dinah…

“Oliver Jonas Queen!”

oh shit, full named…

“You are not going to do a repeat of Roy!”

Dinah is very effective, and the whole thing starts small enough.

Oliver personally shows him around in the company, makes sure to introduce him to the important folks.

that evolves into occasionally checking up on him, making sure he takes the appropriate amount of breaks.

then he takes him to a baseball match, he had multiple tickets… would have been a waste to refuse.

Then Dinah insists he tags along for dinner in a restaurant (there were some others, it was actually not awkward at all somehow, quite nice really), this grows into dinner at the penthouse.

It's when Oliver expresses the desire to teach Danny archery, telling him there are a lot of things in the sport that are also applicable to business stuff that Danny comes to a sudden and violent realization.

He's being parented!

[wishful-seeker]

Tips on how to avoid being unintentionally ableist

1. When a disabled person says they cannot do something, and you wish to offer solutions, do not make a solution that involves them powering through pain, or something thats not accessible to the disabled.

Example:

Disabled person: "washing dishes hurts too much and i cannot do it."

Abled person: "what if you did one dish at a time throughout the day?"

This statement is not respecting that this disabled person just said they "can't". Always respect that. No matter how simple the task would be for you.

Disabled person:" i think ill use plastic silverware so i don't make dishes."

Abled person: "plastic is bad for the environment!"

This statement shuts down the most accessible and disabled friendly option that this disabled person can actually do because of the abled persons personal beliefs. This is not helpful, and ableist.

Better yet, instead of offering solutions, ask them directly "is there anything you need that you do not have that would help you do this?" This allows the disabled person to think about what would work, and they will always have a better idea of what would work than you do.

To add on to this, when we say we have no more energy to solve a problem or do a task, or change our lifestyle, we mean it.

2. If you feel discomfort when a disabled person is talking about their health, good and bad, that is ableist. Your discomfort is coming from a place that deams disabled peoples very existence as a bad thing and you need to fix that.

For example:

Disabled person:" this week has been rough pain wise, ive been through a lot, felt like my body was on fire. Lucky i got new meds though and i think they're helping!"

Abled person: "can we talk about something else, this is a bummer."

Disabled people should be able to exist freely without worrying about your personal comfort. Do you really think its appropriate to tell someone in constant pain that their life is making YOU uncomfortable?

3. Do not treat disabled people as tragedies, do not romanticize their old life or put their current one down.

For example:

Disabled person: "yeah my life is pretty difficult sometimes, ive lost a lot but i still have happy moments."

Abled person: "it makes me so sad to see what disabled people go through :(. You used to love rock climbing and running, i would love to see you move around more again."

This statement is putting more value on the disabled persons abled past, and ignoring their life as a whole.

4. Do not avoid speaking to disabled people because it hurts to see your loved one disabled.

For example: my grandmother avoids conversations with me because it hurts her to see me in pain. While she has good intentions it leaves me being unable to be close to her. This is very isolating to the disabled.

5. Do not stop inviting your disabled friend/loved one out even if they are never well enough to attend. Unless we specifically ask you to stop asking if we can go out, good chances are we want to know you still care because again, disability is very isolating.

6. When a disabled person says certain things in their health have gotten better or worse, do not challenge this because you don't see a difference.

For example:

Disabled person: "yeah things are getting a little better"

Abled person sees disabled person using their wheelchair like usual: "i thought you said you were getting better?"

Better and worse are usually small changes only the disabled experience, its not like abled people healing from a broken arm. Better to a disabled person could mean they can stand for 10 more minutes.

7. Do not expect disabled people to ever be abled again, and again, do not put more value on an abled life.

For example:

Disabled person:"I have been using a wheelchair for 2 years."

Abled person: "oh you're young, im sure you'll be walking around in no time!"

This statement invalidates and ignores the disabled persons current life by hoping they get a more abled bodied life. Its fine to hope disabled people get better, but you don't get to decide what better looks like.

Hope this helps, stay punk.

[visenyaism]

genuine question why are charter schools to blame for decreased literacy in your opinion? Because of the remote learning aspect or smth else also?? I went to one & honestly did better with it than traditional hs but I had very high reading comprehension already, had no busses in my area & no parent that could drive me to school so it was a pretty specific situation where that environment worked out better for me

Well I’m glad it worked out for you but institutionally charter schools are so detrimental to public education. Let me explain why:

The principle behind charter schools, that increased competition will force public schools to be better, frames education as a product rather than a public utility. If education quality is determined by the free market, the winners and losers are children, which is just a morally unacceptable outcome to me.

Shouldn’t ignore that the school choice movement started as a way to advocate for the perpetuity of segregation. On average charters are more racially segregated than publics.

The way in which public schools receive funding varies state to state, but most states do some amount of funding per pupil. What that means is that when students switch from public schools to charter schools they take that per people funding with them if you’re leaving an underperforming public school that’s underperforming because it’s underfunded you are making the problem worse. Not everyone can leave.

Charter schools can legally kick students out if they want to. This means if students stop performing well, or if disabled or english-language learner students need extra support, they can just be removed. A lot of “charters have higher test scores” is just charters only admitted high-performing and low-need students, which puts even more of a strain on public schools.

They are really unregulated. Many “charter-friendly” states have minimal accountability measures for charter schools in a way that leads to many running the gamut between negligence to committing literal fraud instead of providing free and appropriate public education. Charter networks are multibillion dollar businesses this system gets exploited by private equity all the time.

That lack of regulation or accountability also shows up in disciplinary outcomes. The school to prison pipeline is already unforgivably bad in a public environment, but unregulated charter schools often implement draconian “zero tolerance” policies that result in black and brown students getting treated like they’re in a police state. Public schools can’t suspend or expel you or call the cops on you for how you wear your hair. They can’t escalate to dramatic consequences as quickly or do a 3 strikes demerit system. There are no legal guardrails against this in charters.

Often exist to circumnavigate teachers’ union contracts and other labor laws. This means teachers at charters are often overworked, underpaid, micromanaged, and have EXTREMELY high turnover. The additional strain on teachers and overrepresentation of first-teachers who burn out in the system and get replaced makes for bad educational environments in a lot of places.

All of these are even more of a problem because of the way that charter networks like KIPP were marketed as a way to fix public schools in black and brown areas, and have just kneecapped public schools while providing students with subpar educational outcomes instead.

[rachiller]

I’ve been so absolutely sick in da head about [redacted] and it’s all for nought but at least I proved to myself I can be a big girl about it and not throw tantrums at work like I’d really like to

[tarotofhope]

PAC: ♥︎♡ The Moment they realize they are in love with you ♡♥︎

(Please Read My Pinned post *IMPORTANT NOTE* before selecting a Pile)

Pick an Image by meditating and selecting the image you feel called to. You can be attracted towards more than 1 image. If you are not able to select maybe this reading isn't for you.

♥︎ Pile 1 ♥︎

Cards: 9 of Wands, The Devil, The Tower, Empress, 2 of Swords.

Welcome to your reading, Pile 1. Your partner is aware of their feelings because they can feel that it is different with you. There are aware of your struggles, both past and present. You can meet them when you're out of a tough period in your life, when you'll be beginning to stand on your own and when you'll start clearing up all the previous mess, your previous issue can be related to finances, romantic or platonic relationships. See, not every love story is going to be the same because not all people are lovey-dovey and so they cannot express their feelings in a romantic manner. Also, there's not always going to be a specific time of realisation for everyone, for some people it's an everyday process. They feel it everyday when talking to you, being in your presence. I think you see them, talk to them or hang out with them everyday, and if not, very frequently. It is going to be a slow and steady process, nobody is going to be impatient here. They see you shining brightly in your light, they think you're very brave and beautiful and they have so much respect for you. It doesn't matter if you guys decide to get married or not, but I can say that this is going to be a long term relationship. They will let you know but in the most subtle yet assuring of ways, because they don't want to scare you, you would be feeling the same for them, but you might hesitate because of past experiences, so they might be the one to let you know first. You might also be very indecisive and doubtful about this connection in the beginning, but with time you'll become sure and confident.

That's all I got for you, my dear Pile 1.

Love, light, peace and hope to you..🌸🍁🌻🌼

♥︎ Pile 2 ♥︎

Cards: 2 of Pentacles, Queen of Cups, Strength, The Sun, Empress.

Welcome to your reading, Pile 2. Your partner and you could be work colleagues or your relationship could somehow be work related. There's a lot of stress and pressure, or it could involve a busy schedule but they see you thrive in that environment. You are unfazed. You're unbreakable. They see so much emotional maturity in you, so much inner strength and determination to earn what you deserve. They see you everyday at work and they're in awe of you everyday. They're just somehow too scared of you, to let you know. They think you might reject them. They're also someone to keep their feelings bottled up, and also because you have a professional relationship with them so they think they can't just hop towards you with a romantic proposal, it might not look appropriate. You guys might not be getting time for yourselves, to open up more or hang out much. They think you're very beautiful/handsome and they really like your habits and work ethics and so you would make a great partner. It can be so that, in the beginning, they only get to observe you, admire you and your work from afar and then maybe you both get a project to work on as a team, or they get to talk to you at office parties or meetings(not the usual formal office talk)..something like that, and then you get to know each other better, you start going out together by taking out time from your busy schedule. Somehow, other people at work might get the hints, you won't be able to keep this relationship a hush for a long time. Office romance is forbidden in some places, so you guys might be careful. They will let you know that they love you when you've gotten far into the relationship, but otherwise, they'll express in other ways through their actions. I think even you are this way and because you guys are the same, there is this silent kind of love and you're both okay with it.

That's all I got for you, my dear Pile 2.

Love, light, peace and hope to you..🌸🍁🌻🌼

♥︎ Pile 3 ♥︎

Cards: 3 of Wands, Kings of Swords, Queen of Swords, The Hierophant, 4 of Pentacles, 8 of Cups.

Welcome to your reading, Pile 3. You might be someone who lives far away from your family due to work. They think you're very free and independent. Nobody can tame you. They like your free spirit. You come across as very intelligent, smart and clever. You guys could be in a long distance relationship. You both don't get to catch up a lot or if this is not a long distance relationship, you guys might be travelling together everywhere, you look like best buddies more than romantic partners to other people. You guys could be childhood friends or just friends before becoming romantic partners. So this connection is far deep rooted or there is a lot of familiarity between you two. You both would come closer to each other one step at a time, realising you're both compatible and inseparable. You could be very unconventional but rooted deeply in your culture or if not this, you could be unconventional and firm in your beliefs, whatever your beliefs may be, you don't like others telling you what to follow and what not to. They like how you speak and stand up for yourself and others. The King and Queen of Swords both came up means you both have smart and sharp minds and open-heartedness towards different cultures and religions, you guys also like to communicate and debate a lot. You guys might even like to pull pranks on each other. You're both fun loving. You both respect each other's beliefs and need for space. Whether or not you know each other for a long time, you guys still seem to have gotten along well too soon in the beginning. There's a lot of friendship and mutual respect between you two, you both match each other's freak very well. Even if you go your seperate ways, you might still choose to stay friends.

That's all I got for you, my dear Pile 3.

Love, light, peace and hope to you..🌸🍁🌻🌼

♥︎ Pile 4 ♥︎

Cards: The Moon, King of Cups, The Empress, The Devil clarified by 6 of Cups, 2 of Cups.

Welcome to your reading, Pile 4. You guys could be leaving a toxic person or an unsuitable career behind when you meet this person. You guys could both be divine masculine and divine feminine partners in this union. They love your femininity because it doesn't matter what gender you belong to, the cards are showing too much feminine energy here, which belongs to the person reading this pile while your partner has a lot of masculine energy. They love how you're mysterious, secretive, intuitive, emotional and sentimental. You wear your heart on your sleeve. They must've been impressed by you at first glance itself. They'd think that you're just their type, you just fit their criteria of a desried partner. You look well put together, well dressed and they'd think you're cute too. You might have short to average height and some of you might even have a curvy figure or a round face which they'd definitely adore. I'm getting so many 18+ messages in this pile, but I can't mention them here. They love how you both look so well paired up when you stand besides them, like you were made for each other. They love how you're nurturing and caring and they'd like to be the provider. You both give yourself equally into the relationship, it would look like a proper traditional couple. I'm also getting marriage vibes from this pile, this relationship can end up in a marriage if you guys want that because I can see that at least one of you is interested in creating a family with the other. You both like children and/or pets.

That's all I got for you, my dear Pile 4.

Love, light, peace and hope to you..🌸🍁🌻🌼

♥︎ Pile 5 ♥︎

Cards: Ace of Swords, The Emperor, 9 of Swords clarified by 2 of Pentacles, The Hanged Man clarified by Death.

Welcome to your reading, Pile 5. They started falling for you when you both talked, your very first conversation might have made them think deeply about you afterwards. It's the way you speak, clearly and genuinely, with no extra sweetness nor bitterness, neither cringy nor too loud/soft, just perfect, to the point. You don't talk to impress, you just talk what's on your mind and in your heart. They also love how you think before you speak, you don't just blabber anything. They admire your intelligence and smartness. They might even love your voice. They love to communicate with you, all the things that you like and dislike, because they like to see your gestures and expressions, your hand movements, your body language, the way different emotions pile up on your face according to the nature of your conversation. They think that you're also very knowledgeable about many things. They love how you're not a people pleaser, whatever you feel comes out on your face, you don't entertain people who don't value you, you don't play pretend/you don't play mind games either. Whether you put all your cards on the table at once or not, whatever you tell them about yourself is genuine, your compliments, your love, hatred, everything. You come off as very assertive and honest to them while you may appear arrogant or rude to others when you speak in a straightforward manner. You might have been pressed in life a lot, which made you the way you are now. You might have been stripped of your self-esteem and self-confidence, you might have been stuck and trapped in a mentally traumatic situation, which eventually made you direct, stubborn in your beliefs and straightforward, after so many efforts, and you won't take this down for anybody and they respect this.

That's all I got for you, my dear Pile 5.

Love, light, peace and hope to you..🌸🍁🌻🌼

Thank you so much for being here. I post PAC readings every Tuesday and Friday. Do love and support by reblogging, liking or following.

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[pigeonpeach]

Jealous harbingers

Warning: yandere like tendencies or behaviors but not fully. Also ofc jealously and violence

Characters: Childe, Capitano, Dottore, Pantalone, Arlecchino, Columbina, Sandrone

Childe is definitely the worst when it comes to jealousy. He’s number 11 so he’s eager to rise up the ranks, but he also refuses to bring you around the other harbingers because he worries they’d use you to get to him. And it would work. Hook line and sinker. Even if its innocent. The only harbinger he’d let you around is Puncinella and that’s because the guy is like family to him so of course he doesn’t mind. But if he must he has you close 24/7. He cuts off his colleagues if they get too comfortable and is quick to show displays of affection as of means to dissuade anyone. He also will leave enough hickies to make you look like a dalmation

Capitano is actually very calm when jealous. For the simple fact that scenario is incredibly unlikely to happen. No man is stupid enough to flirt with his partner, especially when you’re consistently guarded and accompanied. Not even Dottore would risk his wrath. But if some idiot does decide to try they won’t last long. Like at all. He will just grab them by their skull and toss them like they’re a lingering piece of garbage. He will not leave hickies on you however because with his strength that could actually do serious damage and he just refuses to risk hurting for that. He will likely have you wear his insignia in some way on your outfit if you go out without him.

Dottore is worse but hes good at covering for it. Like Captiano he is less likely to let you be alone in public without him or underling. But he knows you’re a beautiful sight so you would catch a eye or too. You won’t know that the underlings avoid your gaze because the last few that lingered their gaze quickly became test subjects of some horrible experiments. He is also not stupid enough to show you off to the other harbingers. You’re likely in your own wing of the lab building in a comfortable environment with attendees far from where any colleague of his is allowed to go. Although he will probably get jealous of his clones. The younger segments are more neutral towards you but the older ones are more likely to try and hold you or kiss your hand while he’s not in the room. It’s quite a mess for him.

Pantalone is not like Dottore in that he will show off his prized jewel in the appropriate settings. They wear custom matching outfits meant to clearly indicate they are his, jewelry paralleling his own, with a hand on the waist at all times as he mostly dominates conversations with strangers or colleagues. He is proud that you are his. He makes it well known. In public he is usually not so touchy minus holding you. But if he notices the lingering gazes and jealous stares he gets he won’t hesitate to stoke those agitation as a way of showing dominance. For instance he may pull you into s dance in which he keeps you pressed so close to him. He may pull you in for a quick kiss or a long one depending on how mischievous he is feeling.

Arlecchino

You’ll need not to deal with such things. More likely than not you’ll be busy in the orphanage. The rare occasion she allows you to accompany her is for special events she thinks you would enjoy. Often times your shared children are also brought as body guards to you. So you won’t be left alone. If any would be suitor comes by they’ll swiftly redirect them and engage if they get violent. But if a harbinger were to try their luck…. Arlecchino will not hold her tongue nor keep up appearances as she pulls you from the conversation and kindly reminds said harbinger to keep their hands to themselves. Once you’re home safe and alone however her teeth with be in your neck making enough hickies to make you into a leopard.

Sandrone

You are her most prized possession by far. Beautiful puppets and such. She is seldom seen in public or in events. Often sending underlings in her stead. It helps she’s also not nearly as social able or diplomatic. But she is a very jealous lover. She hates the idea of anyone else having eyes on you. She may subtly influence you to stay by her side more and more. Not even the most arrogant harbinger would dare to challenge her.

Columbina

She is actually least likely to be jealous. She’s a odd woman. But if she didn’t think you would stay loyal then she wouldn’t have let you out of the house today anyways! Your attire is tailored and customized to match hers. Sometimes you dawn a veil as she thinks if she sees your pretty face too much she’ll loose all restraint and just get carried away with you. Truly a strange woman. Not even the most reckless of harbingers would challenge her.

[jaythes1mp]

Do you think readers' lives would be different if they were a deer hybrid?

Fun Fact: Did you know that cervids (from the deer, deer and elk family) are considered extremely sensitive animals. When suffering severe stress, such as when captured or rescued, for example, the animal's reaction can cause what is called 'capture myopathy' ', which compromises the organism of these animals.

I do, actually. Because, another fun fact! In June of this year me and my roommate saved a baby deer who was laying next to her mums dead body (she was less than 48 hours old). Fortunately she wasn’t injured. We were extremely lucky to be living next to a wildlife specialist, our neighbour, who’s been looking after Astrid and will continue to until she’s old enough to be relocated. Thankfully this wasn’t the first deer that’s been brought to her. So unfortunately I'm very acquainted with that fact.

She’s still striving strong though! These were the first pics taken of her.

Anyway, how they’d react:

Batfam x deer hybrid reader

With Damian's exceptionally caring nature when it comes to animals, he has already meticulously planned out the perfect environment for your deer forms comfort. He has considered every possible scenario and tailored everything to ensure your contentment as well as a space to meet all of your needs.

The young Wayne would thoughtfully strategize and visualise your reactions to every minor action or stimulus. He would carefully consider the most appropriate responses and adapt his behaviour to ensure a positive and nurturing environment for you. Even if the environment in question was one that you were forced into.

The bats would handle your transformed state with great caution, disregarding if your human mind was in control when you were transformed or not. Given your affiliation with the Cervidae family in your animal form, the Wayne family would be especially mindful and considerate of your natural tendencies, behaviours, and instincts.

Despite Dick's intelligence and expertise as a vigilante, being second only to Bruce Wayne himself, his impatience would become apparent within the twenty-ninth attempt to approach you for some affectionate ‘big brother cuddles’. Assuming you’re an adult or older teen, you would be extremely skittish and resistant in your deer form to his advances and attempts to get close, if not completely avoid his presence altogether, let alone let him cling to you for a ‘snuggle.’

Jason wouldn’t comprehend why you’d consistently conceal yourself, in both forms, hiding behind the couch every time he arrives, or why you involuntarily freeze at the sound of his motorcycle, or even why you instinctively flee at the slightest hint of him standing or making a move. But despite his confusion, he doesn't hold it against you. He’s witnessed the horrific experiences and trauma the children of Gotham City are subjected to, and if hiding and evading is the way you cope with what you’re going through, then he’s willing to wait patiently for you to feel secure in his presence. As your sibling, he vowed never to give you a reason to fear him. He knows just how overwhelming it is in this new environment, and he’s not planning on giving you any more reasons to be frightened by them.

Tim would find it easier to deal with your distressed nature than the others, opting to monitor you through the security cameras, allowing him to work on his cases simultaneously, rather than being overly affectionate with you. This way, he could keep a watchful eye on you without having to directly interact, which allows him to multi-task and focus on both keeping you safe and solving his cases.

Despite Jason and Dick no longer living in the Manor, Bruce would likely be the one to spend the least time with you. However, he's not neglecting you. He makes a conscious effort to rearrange his busy schedule, keeps certain days free every week, and meticulously plans time for some quality family bonding. Even if the quality time in question only consists of him quietly sitting in your vicinity, sipping on some freshly made tea while reading the newspaper, he cherishes every moment that he gets to share with you. Simply being near you is enough. Because you're his child, and he's not planning on fucking that up ever again.

[101maverick]

Damian Wayne Ah Ghul with a reader who is super shy? Like she meets his family and she's practically hiding behind Damian? No pressure, but I'm just a naturally shy person myself.

A/n: I've been thinking of a meeting like this for a while now! tho in my daydreams the reader is a lot more bubbly and stuff, but this one is super fun too! I think I might write them both out :) When it comes to Damian I tend to envision him around his canon age (12ish I think?) because it gives me agency to explore puppy love and I find it so cute! Plus I'm a sucker for school shenanigans hehe🤭 Here Damian is around 15-16 :) Hope you enjoy!! If you like my work, please consider reblogging and checking out my other works through the master list in my pinned post<3

Word count: 1642

Meeting the Family

Your hands are clammy.

Not even overtly so, just enough to make you uncomfortable, to get that unbearable out-of-place sensation one always gets when something's slightly wrong and it feels like life has decided to point a spotlight to it.

You nervously adjust your dress' skirt, fiddling with the hem to make sure it sat at just the right height. You had spent an embarrassing amount of time picking it out, having Damian come by your house earlier than necessary to make sure your choice was appropriate for this occasion, along with your hair and what little makeup you had decided to put on.

He had assured you countless times that you 'could never be anything less than far above standard' , and while that did put you at ease you still have to do your best to relax as you build up the courage to enter the house, Damian waiting by your side.

You and Damian had started 'dating' around three months ago now, and this was your first time meeting his family.

Whenever you think back to how he proposed to you a chuckle curls your lips upward, remembering how out of your depth you felt as he announced his intent of 'courting' you while he held a baby kitten out to you.

The memory loosens you up a bit, and you nod to Damian, who rings the doorbell. He's been holding your hand the whole time, something you find extremely sweet. He gives your hand a squeeze.

Sooner than you'd like, the door opens and you are greeted by the Wayne family's butler, who your boyfriend had informed you is basically like a grandfather figure for them.

He’s an older man, standing tall in a prim and creaseless suit despite his age. His eyes crinkle as the corners of his mouth uptick just the slightest bit, remaining composed as he greets you two.

“Ah, Master Damian, you have finally returned with our guest I see.” He says, looking at your boyfriend. He then turns to you. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, miss…” he trails off.

You can feel your cheeks burn up, and your tongue tangles up as you haste to give him your name. You try to downplay the stutter as much as you can, and rush through the rest of greetings and pleasantries. “It is very nice to meet you as well, mr. Pennyworth.”

Mr. Pennyworth just nods curtly and opens the door wider, making space for you and Damian to enter. "I am glad, miss. Please, follow me to the sitting room." After a nod from Damian, he turns around and starts walking down the hallway to the left of the grand staircase the Manor's foyer opens up to.

The ceiling is extremely tall in this part of the house, two stories high at the very least. The ancient mahogany of the staircase is intricately carved, and the deep, rich blue-green carpet covering the steps gives the entire ensemble a much more regal look, with the way it matches the curtains that are pulled apart to let in all the midday light from the six-feet tall arch windows. It feels way too regal for someone like you.

Damian, on the other hand, looks completely in his element. Not only is this his house, he just fits in with this sort of environment, this regal, sophisticated, high-class one. The blue-green of the curtains and carpets makes the emerald of his eyes pop, and the dark mahogany compliments his tanned skin, reflecting the golden glow of the sun.

Looking at him, you feel a bit surer of yourself, and you straighten your shoulders to match his stance. You're just meeting his family. You can do this.

Mr. Pennyworth leads you to the sitting room. Damian's entire family is lounging there, the majority sitting up while a few rest on the plush couches and chairs. The moment you step foot in the doorway, all conversation stops and all eyes turn toward you.

You can't do this.

————————————

Each of the Wayne family members are here, it seems, and the more you stand there the more you want to crawl out of your skin.

All of these people have been gathered here today for a family lunch because you have come over, and dang if that doesn't make you feel like the inconvenience of the year.

Only a fool doesn't know about how important each of them is, and you certainly aren't one.

Richard "Dick" Grayson, world-class acrobat and notorious heartthrob since his teens, and he surely has better places to be today than here. Keeping up with all of his connections is basically a full-time job, with how Gotham socialites are.

Jason Todd, recently come back from his years-long trip around the world, could be playing golf with the Prince of England right now instead of meeting his youngest brother's high-school girlfriend.

Timothy Drake, at nineteen is C.E.O. of Drake Industries and Bruce Wayne's representative for Wayne Enterprises, right now he could be closing billion-dollar business deals.

Duke Thomas, had graduated from high school at sixteen and at eighteen is in the most prestigious chemistry program in the Continent, he could be studying for the cure of cancer right now.

Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne's only daughter and an extremely elusive person for the media, you're sure she'd much rather a virtual stranger wasn't snooping around in her family's home.

There are also two other people, a red-haired woman that looks to be around Dick Grayson's age and a blonde girl around nineteen.

And, of course, there's Bruce Wayne in the flesh. Billionaire, philanthrope, C.E.O. of Wayne Enterprises, arguably the most important person in Gotham and certainly the richest person in New Jersey. One of his charities is always in sight every time you turn a corner on the street in Gotham Proper, his company's name is plastered on almost every single electronically device you can find, and his name is always in the mouth of the press, making headlines day in-day out.

Oh Gosh, you can already imagine it. 'Lowly peasants thinks she can date his son, Brucie Wayne obliterates her and her dynasty'.

Before you know it, your breathing has become laboured and you're standing pressed to Damian's side, trying to fuse with his shadow.

You have no idea how you're gonna hold a conversation with all of these people.

Damian, bless him, saves you. "If you all could quit ogling my beloved like imbeciles, we could go on with introductions." His chin is held up high, and he takes turns staring into each of his family members' eyes, as if daring them to object. With the way he's standing, his body almost covers you, giving you a blanket of security that allows you to relax.

The rest of the room's occupants regain their composure, and Mr. Wayne breaks out into a blinding smile, coming up to you.

"Pardon me! We just hadn't heard you coming down the hallway is all. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Mr. Wayne holds out his hand, and you shake it. His grip is gentle. "Come in, please, make yourself comfortable."

Damian guides you to a couch next to which is a window. The rays of sun catch in his dark hair, reflecting almost-blue. He looks at you, and as he does so you relax. Damian may rarely show it but he has an extremely expressive face, and you have learned to read it.

Right now you read sureness in his jaw, calmness in the set of his brow and something warm and reassuring in the slightest widening of his eyes, the one that happens specifically when e tilts his head downwards to fix his gaze better in yours.

"I must admit I've been waiting for this moment for a good while, I was very curious. Damian has talked a lot about you."

Your eyebrows raise. You start fidgeting with Damian's hand in your lap. "Oh, he-he has?" It comes out as a mumble. You'd beat yourself up over it in normal circumstances but as it stands, you're just glad you are talking at all.

This thought is overshadowed by an eruption of laughter from further inside the room.

"Oh yes he has, the brat has been talking our ears off all day for months! By how he talks, he thinks you've hung the moon and the stars in the night sky." A cackle follows the sentence. You're pretty sure your cheeks are on fire.

Next to you, you notice the tips of Damian's ears turn darker. "Quit your complaining, Todd. It is not my fault if everything you do is subpar compared to her every action."

"Da-Damian!" You whisper-yell next to him, "You can't just say that!"

"Oh, don't worry," Pipes up someone from a chair. You recognise him as Timothy Drake. "Seeing as you've put up with him for months, I think we all believe it. It takes the patience of a saint to do that." He says, a slight smirk on his face.

The rising of cackles in the air and the indignant squawk from Damian pull a little giggle from you, and you squeeze Damian's hand while Dick Grayson placates him.

Mr. Pennyworth, who had disappeared down the hallway after you had reached the sitting room, reappears at the entrance. 1679

“Masters, Misses, the lunch is ready. If you may follow me to the dining room…”

“Thank you Alfred.” Says Mr. Wayne, and after a curt nod from the butler everyone files out of the sitting room.

As you take your place next to Damian at the dining table, listening to Damian and Timothy bicker, you feel more at ease than you ever hoped of feeling while waiting on the front steps.

Your hand is warm in Damian’s still.

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A/n: I wish I had been able to put more Damian/Reader interaction in this but in order for it to work in my vision of their eventual relationship I need them to be alone so unfortunately it couldn't happen for this pic :( I do have more Damian x Reader requests in my inbox tho so there's a high chance I'll be able to expand on it! Plus I'm considering making a list of head canons for Damian and Reader's relationship >:)

[fungalpieceofextras]

Things I wish I saw more of in living weapon whumpees: a non-comprehensive list from being around actual Marines and army people

They can and will sleep anywhere... except an actual bed. The moment you give them access to an actual bed with a mattress and sheets, their immediate instinct is to make it up in barracks style, not sleep in it. The moment they're expected to sit and wait and/or have no expectations of them, they lean back and enter a light doze.

Caffeine addiction. Usually through pills, sometimes through special caffeinated gum. This pairs with the weird sleeping habits.

When they ARE guaranteed eight hours of rest, at least two of them are spent maintaining equipment/ their uniform if permitted. When they wake, they're up and ready for whatever comes next in under five minutes. This includes making up the bed.

If it's not the bare minimum to keep them functional and armed, they don't have it. This is going to be especially true for LWW's who were raised in the lifestyle and/or brainwashed after abduction from civilian life. Watches, jewellery, spare clothes, even non-obtrusive things to occupy them outside of training like books or a phone are not things they have without stealing or being given a gift by someone around them.

Paired with above, they have no preferences for what they do get. If someone above them fucks up and gives them too-small or too-large clothes, they just make it work and take the punishment they don't deserve at inspection time. If the only toilet is a bucket on the floor, they use it without complaint.

Their language when speaking freely is something the fuck else, like for real the shit that comes out of their pieholes is unbelievable! A "fuck" every other word!

They only speak when spoken to, and when they do, it's in what I like to call a Sir Sandwich: "Sir, [response goes here], Sir", usually in a very flat and (if appropriate) loud tone. "Sir" can be considered gender-neutral in this case and is meant to denote someone in authority, not a masculine someone specifically.

Buzzed hair on men, pixie or chin-length bob on women, though if your LWW is the only woman in a mostly masc environment, buzzing her hair can be a deliberate tactic by her captors/superiors to dehumanize her.

Food aggression. They inhale their food, they never eat anything that takes time or effort to prepare OR to consume (salad, omelette, pancakes/waffles, steak, etc.) and if the situation calls for it they can and will eat with their hands no matter how nasty their hands are. Permission to sit down for more than ten minutes and actually TASTE what they eat should be alien to them during recovery/leave if they get it.

Hazing. Sorry, but if your LWW is in a group with other soldiers or LWs, they're going to experience some kind of unpleasant/humiliating/dangerous initiation ritual, ESPECIALLY if the team is going someplace dangerous or going to be together for long stretches of time. Stealing clothes while your whumpee is in the shower, mocking them for things they can't control/weren't aware were 'weird', anything and everything that would get them screamed at or punished by the commanding figure on an individual basis. (For my NSFWhump peeps, yes this can include SA or harassment and often does, especially for women and effette/less masculine/nerdy men.)

Exercise as punishment. This can be extra labour, a pointless task they can later be yelled at for not stopping by curfew after not being told to stop at a given time, or even just the classic "drop and give me twenty!". Hitting or otherwise physically abusing a trainee is a federal offense, but for a LWW it depends... are you leaving a mark? Can they still perform as intended?

Just. The irl army is already pretty horrible and I don't see anyone making use of that.

[mountkennedie]

Late Nights

Edward Cullen x reader

Summary: you have a cozy night with edward

warnings: none

A.N. this quickly became one of my favorite fics ever written

"Edward?" You asked. Currently you splayed out horizontally on your bed on a cool fall day. The sweater you were wearing provided you an extra dose of comfort to the general energy of the room. Edward, your boyfriend, was laid parallel to you. His dark blue sweater matched yours. The color coordinating plaid fleece pajamas were also a nice touch on the pair of you. It was something cute you've always wanted to do, couple twinning. And Edward was willing to do whatever to make you happy.

"Yes?" He maintained a easy going smile while looking at you. You had been rereading A Wrinkle In Time. An easy read of course, but always put your mind at peace. Edward didn't have a book to read or really anything to pass time. He says he is perfectly content in your company, but you still wonder what he would be doing had you not been here. Probably pressing those same piano keys in infinite rhythms until disturbed.

"What is your favorite color?" A very innocent question. But what is the harm in that? The both of you have shared some crushing memories and experiences, you may as well know the mundane as well.

His smile grew and his eyebrows knitted. "Blue. Why do you ask?" He didn't have a genuine serious undertone behind the question. He was always trying to learn the way you were. Being unable to read your mind made you a puzzle he reveled in attempting to crack. Every time he would expect you to act in a certain way, you gave him a surprise in return.

"I was curious," you turn on your side and face him. Edward being Edward, he mirrors you. "You seem like a lover of blue. But I could also see a deep green. Like forest green," your voice was kept quiet. The wind looting the leaves can still be heard as you speak. You didn't need to speak so soft, your family was away for the night. You could scream for all that mattered, however keeping a small vocal presence felt appropriate. Anything louder than a calm word would be disturbing the peace of the environment.

His face pinched up for a moment, but then returned to his normal expression. "I fell out of love for green a long while ago. Blue is so rarely seen here, at least in the sky," he finished that quip with a cheesy smile. "Blue being rare has given itself a new place of importance," his eyes glanced down to your sweater then back into you, "in my heart."

Your bodies both hanged off different ends of the bed, luckily your heads were in the same placement. So when you lifted your hand to rest on his cheek, it wasn't a far reach. Your thumb brushed the cool skin, Edwards eyes never left yours for a moment. The golden iris' were filled with adoration. His hand came to rest on yours. The chill adding to the comfort he was already bestowing.

"What do you think mine is?" You whispered.

"Purple, for sure," he answered without even thinking. And of course he was right.

"Asking Alice counts as cheating," he leaned into your hand and chuckled. The kiss he left on the palm made you smile a little harder than you already had been.

"I didn't cheat," he spoke into your hand. "Everywhere we go shopping, your eyes are drawn to the same three colors. Green, black and purple, with a special affinity for purple. Oh and you wear a lot of purple in the pictures of you on your family's mantle."

"Am I that easy to read?" He pressed another kiss to your palm. He shook his head lightly at your comment.

"If only," he joked. After his joke the wind picked up outside, this time accompanied by a steady flow of rain. You sat up and looked at him, he copied you once again.

"If you ran home fast enough, how wet would you be? Would you even get wet?" He listened to your questions while helping fix your hair that had flattened due to laying down.

"Well I would get wet regardless. Probably not too bad but definitely damp." He finished his work and pulled you close to him so your entire body faced him. "And is this your way of kicking me out?" He chuckled again at his smart remark.

"It is very thoughtful that you worry on the safety of a hundred year old vampire." He placed a kiss to your eyelid, "I'd be sure not to run too fast. And I am fully comfortable staying in for the night. But," his voice matched your previous tone, "you must sleep tonight. I want 8 full hours."

"No you are staying." You threw your arms over his shoulders, your faces a few inches apart. "I don't want you outside, especially running in this weather. The roads are slippery," your tone changed to one more serious.

"I was going to sleep!" you argued. "...once I finished the next chapter of my book," you hoped the small smile you sent him would win him over.

"Of the book you've reread numerous times?" You didn't respond, only looked at him and shrugged. "Fine," he always gave in to you. "At least let me read it to you."

You smiled and got comfortable under your covers. You pulled back your comforter for him to join you underneath. He smiled and shook his head. But still wanting to do whatever makes you happy, climbed in. You clung onto his arm, he responded by kissing your head. You were convinced he read the book in a soft, quiet voice on purpose. Because no matter how strong your will to finish the chapter, you still were whisked away into sleep.

[raguiras]

What's this?! Spade of Storms is canon in the game now?! /j

Finally finished this Spade of Storms WIP from early June 😅 Click for better quality!

Reblogs are very appreciated ~

「 Bonus versions & ship ramble below the cut! 」

♤ More Deuce x Allen: ♤

SHIP INTRO: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

OTHER ART: 1

Ship blog: @spade-of-storms

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♤ Ship ramble ♤

There are many reasons why Allen and Deuce are perfect for each other (list), but a fair share of said reasons are rooted in or can be traced back to one massive, highly important core point: these two have extremely similar experiences in a reversed order.

Said experiences shaped their personalities, goals, insecurities and "masks" — all of which are highly important factors for Deuce and Allen's relationship development.

So today, I'll be talking about how their backstories influence Allen and Deuce's relationship.

Something I noticed is that if Spade of Storms weren't dating, they'd pretty much end up experiencing at least parts of each other's backstory... and end up in a super miserable state.

Allen is a former honor student who overworked himself to the point of burning out, all because he was a people pleaser and his stellar grades still weren't enough for his teachers who expected nothing but the absolute best from him. Additionally, he had to suppress his true self and interests because he was expected to be a model student in every single way, and anger was something only "bad" kids felt.

Sounds familiar? Deuce is unknowingly on the path to end up in the same situation, except in his case, the fact that he can't seem to achieve better grades no matter what causes him even more distress. If he actually ended up becoming a honor student, Deuce would experience a ton of additional pressure, not to mention that he's already struggling to hide the delinquent tendencies that are a fundamental part of his true personality... Sure, "honor student" sounds like a nice and admirable title to have — but the reality behind it is cruel, and Deuce isn't aware of that yet.

Which is why I gave him Allen.

A large part of Allen's trauma is rooted in his past as a honor student and the crushing expectations people (including himself) threw at him, and he desperately wants Deuce to watch out for himself and approach his goal of becoming a honor student carefully and logically rather than bite off more than he can chew and end up drowning in even more pressure, self-suppression and insecurities. Allen doesn't want Deuce to experience all the negative sides of being a honor student and instead supports the Heartslabyul student's goals by working towards them with a pace appropriate for Deuce, helping him study through actually unique methods specifically tailored for Deuce, and — most importantly — giving Deuce a safe and healthy environment where he can be his 100% authentic self and learn how to properly get his impulsiveness under control at the same time.

And the other way around? How does Deuce's past help Allen?

Deuce quit being a delinquent because it not only disappointed his mom, but also caused him a lot of trouble and massively stained his reputation. While Allen can handle his own delinquent tendencies just fine on the outside, his anger is actually much worse than Deuce's, not to mention that he has incredibly violent fantasies about the people he can't stand...

So far, Allen hasn't done anything bad. But Deuce, despite being a delinquent at heart himself, is able to calmly remind Allen to not do anything he might end up regretting or that might stain his reputation, especially since this is a major fear of Allen's. Deuce's worries and loving way manage to keep Allen in check, no matter how strong the Ramshackle student's hatred for society grows.

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Now, HOW exactly are they able to help each other grow? WHY did they form intimate levels of trust to begin with? And especially, why can Allen actually efficiently help Deuce in the first place when nobody else can?

All will be revealed in the next issue Spade of Storms explanation post >:)