#we will survive but it will be a struggle

[schoolhater]

hey guys i was contacted by abd al salam to promote his fundraiser.

along with the daily struggle for survival in gaza, the lack of access to basic necessities of life such as food, water, and shelter, he has been targeted by a popular zionist blog for harassment. i recommend looking through that post and reporting the blogs mentioned for harassment

on top of the humiliation of living through a genocide, and the humiliation of going from being self sufficient to asking for money on the internet, zionist harassment online is another humiliation palestinians suffer every day. please spare him that indignity and donate or reblog posts about his fundraiser. follow him on @abdalsalam1990 for updates on his life. thank you

#4 on the gazavetters spreadsheet

*also, just because he is close to his goal does not mean he does not urgently need money. we do not know how much of that has reached him and how much he has spent. the cost of living continues to rise exponentially.

[communistkenobi]

Mohammed asked me to share this on my blog, as he believes it might not get the attention or support it needs if shared from his smaller blog. He is supporting his family in Gaza right now, raising funds so they can evacuate. He generated these images to catch people’s attention.

Their GoFundMe is verified (row 178, entry 174). They are extremely close to reaching their goal, 95% of the way there!

Here is the link to their fundraiser. A lot of donations they’ve received are small, so even €10 helps a lot!

For those who don’t know Mohammed’s story and that of his wife, Enas – they are a family living through the war in Gaza, trying to survive. For anyone who wants to read their full story, this post shares their journey:

Link to the story on Tumblr🌻 https://www.tumblr.com/mohammedalanqar/763972515274031104

And for those who want to help, here is their GoFundMe page ♥️

Link to GoFundMe https://gofund.me/9e59696a

[salam-and-sadaqah]

Abed – @abdelraouf – is isolated and trapped in northern Ghazzah.

Having been separated from his family, Abed's intense hardship is being compounded by his loneliness. Abed's wife and two young sons managed to evacuate to the south – however, they are now struggling to collect basic supplies to survive. Abed's family is suffering and they need urgent help.

Abed has written about his situation here

Reblogged by @/gaza-evacuation-funds here.

Abed's GFM is currently at €175. We are aiming to support him with reaching the short-term goal of €3,000 as soon as possible.

Please share and support this campaign. Every donation, no matter the amount, can make an immense difference.

Photo Credit

[ahmedalnabih54]

📢🚨My name is Ahmed Alnabih. I am 33 years old, married, and part of a large family with three brothers and four sisters. We once lived in Gaza, where I grew up and built my life. But today, my family and I are living in a tent, in unimaginable conditions—surrounded by mud, soaked from the rain, and overwhelmed by uncertainty.☹️

The Israeli army ordered us to evacuate our home in Gaza. With heavy hearts, we fled south, taking only what little we could carry. Not long after, we received the devastating news that our house—our home—was completely destroyed. Everything I had worked for, everything that held the memories of my family, was reduced to rubble.😭😭

Now, we live in a tent, struggling to stay dry, to stay warm. The rain beats down on us as the ground turns to mud beneath our feet. The cold seeps into our bones at night, and hope feels more distant with each passing day.☹️

I never thought I would find myself in this situation, forced to rely on the kindness of strangers to survive. But here I am, asking for help, not just for myself but for my family, who have lost everything. I want to rebuild a safe home for my wife, my brothers, and my sisters. I want to give them a future, something to hold onto when everything else has been taken away.🥹

Please, if you can, donate. Every little bit brings us closer to rebuilding what we have lost and giving my family a sense of safety and dignity once more.🙏🫂❤️

Vetted by @gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #186 )🇵🇸

Here is love and war!

To donate click here⬇️🔗

@90-ghost @heritageposts @neechees @butchniqabi @fluoresensitivearchived @khangerinedreams @autisticmudkip @beserkerjewel @officialspec @xinakwans @batekush @appsa @nerdyqueerandjewish @butchsunsetshimmer @biconicfinn @stopmotionguy @willgrahamscock @strangeauthor @bryoria @shesnake @legallybrunettedotcom @lautakwah @sovietunion @evillesbianvillain @antibioware @akajustmerry @neptunerings @explosionshurtyo @dlxxv-vetted-donations @vague-humanoid @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @sar-soor @northgazaupdates2 @feluka-blog-blog @dirhwangdaseul-archived @jdon @ibtisams-blog @sawasawako @memingursa @schoolhatergirl @ot3 @lapithae @ryo-yamada @opencommunion @anneemay-blog @tamamita

[ahmadashi1]

My family is being destroyed, friends.

Here is my story. My name is Ahmad, a 25-year-old from Gaza. Today, I am suffering from hepatitis due to severe contamination in the water and food. My mother, who is 65 years old, also suffers from multiple chronic illnesses, which adds to her struggles.

We have endured harsh times, losing our homes and watching everything we worked for fall apart. Now, we have almost nothing to live on—no food and no clean water. Our lives have been completely destroyed, and we have no one to turn to after God but you.

We appeal to you to help us reach our fundraising goal so we can buy essential food and medicine to survive these difficult conditions. Your support is our only hope to continue living.

Please donate to his gofundme or chuffed so they can afford the medicine they need.

10 USD = 103 SEK. gofundme takes 3 SEK off each donation. 5-10 SEK means giving pennies. Feel free to spread this message, add your voice, or reblog it to help a family in need. Every share can bring us closer to the support we desperately need. vetted by : @90-ghost @bilal-salah0

Our home was our safe haven, the place that brought us together in moments of joy and sorrow. Under its roof, we shared beautiful memories, from family laughter to the warmth of gatherings during holidays and special occasions. Every corner held our stories and memories; each part of it bore witness to a moment in our lives.

Today, nothing remains. The destruction took everything, as if all our memories vanished along with it.

#el-shab-hussein

@irangp

@tamamita

@dlxxv-vetted-donations

@campwillowpeakvn

Donate to Help ahmed family evacuate from the war & resume their live, organized by ahmad alashi

Note: 1 SEK equals 0.091 Dollar 1 Dollar equals 10.96 SEK D… ahmad alashi needs your support for Help ahmed family evacuate from the war &

GOFUNDME.COM

[buttercuparry]

Quick poll! Please read till the end and don't skip !!!

many of us are currently in the middle of a semester or are sitting for our exams. We have the comfort of studying in peace and having access to all the important resources that may help us succeed in our career- however not all of the students are as lucky. For example my friend Marah ( @freepaleatine95 ), was a student of engineering and now has been struggling to survive through a genocide. Her family needs your help to buy essential items for winter- the rain almost drowned her sister's tent and they have not being able to buy warm clothes or blankets. So please boost and donate; please remember that Marah's family consists of nine members, one of whom is a new born baby.

Currently $54,737 USD.

Vetting

Tagging for reach

@appsa @turian @timetravellingkitty @schoolhater 

@aces-and-angels @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @malcriada @jezior0 

@neptunerings

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@transmutationisms @sylvianritual

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@armysurplus 

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@three-croissants 

@fly-sky-high-09  @maoistyuri @noble-kale 

@rhubarbspring @tiredguyswag

[mswyrr]

As a millennial and somebody with a PhD in US history, this isn't the same at all. This guy is full on working to be a dictator. During his first term, he pushed for the military to massacre civilian protesters, and people pushed back. Now he's appointing a far right fox news host as the secretary of defense and planning an executive order to purge disloyal generals from the military.

Oh and the far right fox news host loves atrocities

That's a man (and/or his more organized christofascist and/or billionaire backers) planning and preparing a change of leadership so he will be listened to and obeyed this time when he says massacre those protesters.

Oh and the scotus gave him a blank check of immunity from prosecution for anything he does in office. So there will be literally no consequences if he does what he's wanted to do the whole time with the military he's fitted and fashioned into his own personal goon squad.

I'm not saying there's no hope or chance to live a good life and act for justice. But it's pretty unfair to not let people know the stakes and scope of the threat so they can make smart choices for their longterm survival. We can and should survive. But this is going to be a generational battle and people have to stay alive for that and for each other, not based on falsely rosy pictures of the situation. Generational battles have won before, but we need everyone alive and caring for themselves and each other and clear-eyed about the scope of the threat, not constantly shocked by what this creature and his backers are.

Jamelle Bouie has a very well researched and insightful pov on what this election means you can watch here and, as he describes it, we will be struggling over its outcome for 25 years minimum. Best case scenario.

So, I guess as a middle range millennial, I now get to tell all you young queer kids that what you are feeling right now is exactly how it felt in 2004 when we re-elected George Bush, and not only that but many states put in bans against gay/same sex marriage at the time.

This is probably not comforting, but it is true, and it helps me when I feel hopeless: For every revolution there is a counter revolution, for every step forward there is a step back, that things may not be good forever but they will not be bad, either. That we clawed our way to get where we are and we can claw our way forward from here, too. Talk to your queer elders, the ones who have been here before and will be here again and who threw bricks at Stonewall.

When I was a child, if you got AIDS it was a death sentence. Now it isn't. Now you live on.

So I'll quote angels in america: You are fabulous creatures, each and every one. And I bless you: More Life. The Great Work Begins.

[veganthranduil]

(This is a slightly re-worked version of my 2021 Terror Camp talk on the subject. You can request access to past recordings via the TC email.)

In a show full of unapologetic imperialists, Harry Goodsir, beautiful cinnamon roll (too good for this world, too pure), is often exempted from the scrutiny that other characters are subjected to, based on his ‘innocent’ nature and his good intentions. I argue that precisely these characteristics that are most formative for his imperialism, but that his imperialism is not legible to us because it is the same form of imperialism we* still practise today. As the character who seems most modern to us because he is, in many ways, quite liberal, he serves as a prime audience surrogate to excuse, and to question our excuses of this imperialism.

We may think of empire as an unapologetic entity, too large to deny its own existence. The fact of its violence is all-encompassing. In the eyes of those who suffer from under it, the empire cannot be ignored—but there are also those who depend on its invisibility for the functioning of their world. This is a story about how the empire hides itself from itself, through the story it tells about itself.

The origins of empires fall together with the historical emergence of liberalism in the 18th century. Mehta (1999, p. 194) writes on this co-emergence:

“It is tempting to see the triumph of liberalism and the concurrent extension of the empire as either discontinuous facts that do not relate to each other or as plainly contradicting each other, and therefore casting doubt on the authenticity of the former. The thesis of discontinuity misunderstands the role of liberalism generally, and especially in this period. From its very inception in the seventeenth century, liberalism had been much more than a mere political doctrine with a local reach. By the early nineteenth century and with added vigor through the course of it, it was a robust mindset with a confidence in its global vision. This liberalism did not mysteriously get transformed into some demonic urge to rule the world the instant the British ventured beyond their shores. [...] liberalism and empire were tightly braided threads such that their separation would have resulted in the fraying of a well-woven mental and political tapestry.”

At the same time, liberalism, in its elaborations as a theory, is at odds with many aspects of empire. Liberalism, on the one hand, relies on the resources and globalisation provided through colonisation. On the other hand, the liberal tradition purports that its values—individual self-determination, basic rights, democracy, or tolerance—hold the world over. These liberal values extend rights that the empire violates and denies. This is not to say that liberalism has not also served as the argument in struggles of liberation and for rights. The language of liberalism can be used to challenge liberalism and demand inclusion, just as the language of liberalism can be used to dismantle it. Suffragists successfully did the former. The globally resurgent radical right is succeeding in a strategy of normalisation that is achieving the latter. What I am saying is that within liberalism, which is caught between needing the empire for its political survival and being at odds with the fact of empire in its moral system, there is a particular rhetorical trick that hides the empire from liberal eyes. Even today, we western liberal subjects deflect when it comes to the existence of this connection.

I use Jeanne Morefield’s concept of “imperial deflections” (Morefield, 2014). She defines an imperial deflection as “drawing critical attention away from the liberal empire’s illiberalism by insisting upon its fundamental character.” It’s a bit like a magic trick: showing you the card by acknowledging the empire’s illiberal acts, and then drawing the attention away from it. Morefield examines British liberal thinkers around WWI and US liberal thinkers post 9/11 to show how the liberal justifications of empire are surprisingly similar in both instances. In both pre-WWI Britain and post 9/11 America, liberals insist it is impossible for them to act illiberally—because they have always been liberal, because they are at heart liberal, or because the long arc of history bends towards a liberal society in both cases. It is these deflections we can see Goodsir employ in the show, at different times, and with different degrees of success.

Goodsir as an Audience Surrogate

At numerous junctures in the show, we are encouraged to view the world we are presented with through Goodsir’s eyes. He, like the viewer, has never been to the Arctic, and approaches it with a sense of wonder. The audience is encouraged to empathise with him through small moments that endear him to us (such as when he insists that he, too, can haul the boat-sledge in 1x02 and promptly falls over, inexperienced at hauling as he is.) In episode 1x02 Goodsir as a viewpoint character also becomes explicit when we hear his testimony after what happened to Lieutenant Gore. Although all members of the sledge party are interviewed offscreen, it is his point of view that we hear and believe, and that helps us makes sense of what we just saw happen. The fact that the captains interviewing him are sceptical of his account just solidifies putting the audience in his corner.

What most solidifies Goodsir as an audience surrogate, however, is his ideology and therefore his position in the show as a “modern” character. My argument is that it’s precisely Goodsir’s liberalism that allows us to identify with him.

Goodsir as a Liberal Subject

Goodsir’s role as a scientist (an anatomist first, and then also a doctor) position him closest to Post-Enlightenment liberal ideas about scientific progress, rationality, and also a new form of masculinity. Goodsir is a decidedly “modern” character, especially when contrasted with other characters: Goodsir is less set in his ways than most of them. While describing the bear prints, for example, the captains are dismissive of his description while Goodsir is sceptical but not dismissive of the idea that the bear could have tracked them to the ship. (He is, of course, very set in other ways, for example in his total embrace of class hierarchies.) He is also positioned in contrast to Stanley’s overt racism when Stanley refuses to perform surgery on Silna’s father.**

Goodsir’s approach to life is informed by his belief in science. We are given little hints throughout the show that approaching things from a detached, scientific angle gives him comfort. When David Young dies, Goodsir is distressed, but the first thing he does is check Young’s pulse. Similarly, he can perform Young’s autopsy only after covering his face, reducing him from “person” to “body.” His account of Gore’s killing, likewise, is focussed on the observable details and reads more like a scientific report than a report from a man who witnessed a traumatic event.

This rationality and distance from emotion is also indicative of an alternative masculinity. The show contrasts Goodsir’s liberal masculinity with the more familiar “male warrior” masculinity of the sailors that surround him. In episode 1x03, Goodsir’s demand of an escort back to the ships is played for a laugh, though immediately undercut when the Tuunbaq does attack the hunting blind, leaving him the character with the more realistic risk assessment. Goodsir embodies an alternative hegemonic masculinity: a liberal masculinity that expresses itself not in outbursts of aggression but in a distancing from emotion. When Goodsir seeks to test his lead poisoning theory, for example, he entices Jacko with gentle words to eat from the food he suspects to be poisonous. He is aware that—should his theory be correct—he is killing the monkey. We are reminded of his gentle words to David Young and realise, perhaps, that his gentleness is not backed up with a deep concern for the person/animal he speaks to. In both cases, the knowledge that can be extracted from dead bodies supersedes sentimentality. Neither masculinity, one might extrapolate from that, offers a way out of the predicament these men find themselves in. Neither can serve as the basis of a new kind of living with each other.

Goodsir’s Liberal Deflections of Empire

Goodsir’s character is an interesting case of nominative determinism. There obviously was a historical Harry Goodsir, but this is not the man we are looking at. We are looking at the fictional “good sir” who was, at first glance, written as the only good man among imperialists. At second glance, however, his name itself becomes an imperial deflection. While other characters make their investment in empire clear from the beginning, Goodsir’s is perhaps harder to spot. Sir John has already failed at one imperial endeavour and is adamant to prove himself. Fitzjames’s stories illustrate that he has no qualms with the mission of empire. But at various points in the show, Goodsir is seen to express discomfort with the logic of action that imperialism dictates. He wants to save Silna’s father (even though he ends up making things worse for him and the crew in the long run.) He expresses discomfort at the treatment of the body of Silna’s father, while he himself tries to be respectful of Inuit customs (though, once again, making things worse by burying his charms with him.) When Francis wants to ask Silna how to kill the Tuunbaq, Goodsir does not translate the question, perhaps out of a sense that “these matters are quite private in her culture.” It is because of this discomfort that Goodsir becomes the prime apologist of empire. The other characters do not feel like they have anything to be sorry for, and therefore do not need to invent justifications. Goodsir employs these justifications at various moments in the show, but two instances stand out for their similarity in phrasing and context, and the differing extent to which Goodsir believes them.

The first instance of an imperial deflection is when Goodsir brings supper to Silna. She has just been kidnapped by Hickey, Hartnell and Manson. When Goodsir introduces himself to Silna, he has a first moment of realization of the meaning and scope of empire and his place in it. He explains their purpose (“For our economy. For trade.”) and seems to have a moment of self-awareness that those are neither good reasons for dying nor for killing. A moment later he points at himself, hoping to introduce himself. “Goodsir,” he says, which is both his name and also an insistence that while the policies that brought him here may be flawed, the men sent to die were good men, not deserving of the scorn we direct at them for the imperial policy they carry out. “This is not how Englishmen act,” he says, despite evidence to the contrary that Englishmen have, in fact, just acted this way. This is the first instance of a textbook liberal deflection: insisting on the character over the actions of empire. What does it matter for Silna that he means well? The helplessness is emphasised by the abrupt ending of the episode after Goodsir’s desperate introduction.

The second time Goodsir insists on the character of Empire over its actions is in quite a different context. A hunting party has just massacred an Inuit family, people that Silna knew, and now Silna is being exiled from Terror Camp. Goodsir knows that it’s safer for her to go, but selfishly wants her to stay. He feels for her, and perhaps feels he must offer some sort of apology for the behaviour of his co-nationals. Then he tells her: “I wish you could come to England and see for yourself. It’s not like we are here. People there are good.” Once again, he insists on the fundamental character—the “English” character—of the empire that exculpates them from the crimes they commit abroad. But even in the speaking, he appears to realise the futility of this deflection. This second deflection is followed by a word spoken in Inuktitut for which no translation is provided.*** Silna reacts with a small smile and a nod of her head. The choice not to subtitle or translate Goodsir’s last word to Silna can be read in various ways, but it remains first and foremost a place to which we—the liberal audience at home—cannot follow Goodsir, who has been our surrogate up to this point, implying perhaps that he has taken a step that we have yet to take in confronting our own imperialism.

Both of Goodsir’s deflections follow violence done to Silna (or threatened against her.) In the first instance, it’s her kidnapping by Hickey and his associates for which Goodsir first apologises, then makes excuses; in the second instance it’s the violence that will be done to her should she return to Terror Camp, as well as the violence done to other Inuit. In both cases, it’s Goodsir’s job to draw attention away from the liberal empire’s illiberal actions by insisting on its liberal character. The extent to which he succeeds—or fails—opens up these liberal deflections of empire for us. Goodsir is not an uncritical liberal audience surrogate. I watched The Terror for the first time during the March 2020 lockdown, and hearing “For our economy. For trade.” hit hard for me as a person living under a capitalist system where economic necessity is continuously valued over human life. Goodsir realises, in justifying, the hollowness of some of his justifications, even as he fervently holds on to others.

Goodsir stays alive long enough to witness all the ways that Englishmen may act, and is made to participate in them. His disillusionment with his co-nationals at the end is nearly complete. But his commitment to liberalism, I would argue, remains.

In the end, Goodsir returns to science. His final vision is that of the beauty that no doubt inspired his career, the wonder that he told Crozier he still feels. But it’s also a vision that remains within the ordered boundaries of the liberal empire: the specimens are foreground on a white background, they are separated from nature, standing contextless and only for themselves. Goodsir’s final vision is that of the liberal imperial project, realised.

* When I write “we,” I am, of course, aware that not everyone reading this falls under the umbrella of Western liberal subjects that this “we” assumes. Like Goodsir as an audience surrogate, this “we” hopes to function as a mirror of reflection for our own deflections of empire. I do not understand myself as a “liberal,” certainly not in the sense that most US-Americans use the term. I see liberalism as the bedrock of how we do politics in the 21st century. In that sense, we are all “liberals.” From the position of someone who is a “liberal,” as a subject of a liberal democracy, I do not exempt myself from the category of people that has, at various points in their lives, made excuses for empire, knowingly or unknowingly. These rhetorical strategies, so ingrained in how we talk about who we are, make it all-too-easy to fall into the trap of convincing ourselves that there is something redeemable at the heart of our empires. We must make these strategies explicit to recognise their falsity.

** Stanley’s refusal did not come out of an assessment of the futility of the procedure, which might have spared Silna’s father further suffering. In that sense, both Goodsir (in his belief that his knowledge can save the man) and Stanley (in his racist refusal of medical aid) fail Silna and her father, because neither of them centre the well-being of the man.

*** I am aware that you can find this translation in many metas written about it. Do not come into my comments to tell me what it means. I looked it up.

Bibliography

Bell, D., 2014. What is Liberalism. Political Theory 42, 682–715.

Hooper, C., 2001. Masculinities in International Relations, in: Manly States: Masculinities, International Relations, and Gender Politics. Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 79–116.

Mehta, U.S., 1999. Liberalism and Empire. A Study in Nineteenth-Century British Liberal Thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

Morefield, J., 2014. Empires Without Imperialism: Anglo-American Decline and the Politics of Deflection. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

[starrrcane]

The Underworld Beneath Piltover:The surface

Summery: Sevika x nurse!reader who has graduated from a university in Piltover and has been stationed in the Undercity to provide services to those who cannot afford it, where she meets sevika.

Warning: none for this chapter. But eventual smut

Notes: this is my first multiple chapter fanfiction, if this does well I might actually write multiple parts. This takes place pre-act one season 1

Piltover had always been a city of stark contrasts—gleaming towers of progress, their glass facades reflecting an unyielding sun, while the Underbelly beneath it writhed in shadow. The bustle of innovation and intellect existed above, while violence, desperation, and survival ruled the depths below. But for you, freshly graduated from the prestigious medical university of Piltover, there was only one truth: the city was a place of opportunity. It was a chance to prove your worth, to be a part of something larger, something that would make your parents proud. That is, until your advisors handed you a peculiar assignment.

"Go to the Undercity," they had said, with a sort of dismissive finality. "We have an agreement with a businessman named Silco. He runs some operations down there, and you’ll be helping with whatever injuries his people get into."

Silco. A name you had heard whispered in huddled corners, spoken with a reverence that both intrigued and unsettled you. You had expected it to be just another simple job—work with the injured, make your rounds, keep the peace.

You were wrong.

---

The hum of the city above was a distant murmur as you stepped off the rickety elevator that took you into the depths of Zaun, the Underworld where little sunlight reached, and the air was thick with the smell of chemicals and oil. The people here lived in constant struggle—fighting for their survival, for any scrap of hope in a city that seemed to ignore them.

At first glance, the place was dark, chaotic, and a little terrifying, but the further you ventured, the more you realized it was a world of its own—raw, dangerous, but oddly familiar. A place where only the strongest survived, and in your case, the most skilled healer.

"Welcome to your new home," said a voice from behind you, cool and composed.

You turned to see a woman—tall, with dark hair, and an aura that radiated control and authority. Her eyes, however, were sharp, like knives. Sevika.

She was Silco’s right hand women. You had heard of her, of course, the enforcer, the one who kept things running smoothly in the shadows of Zaun. Her reputation preceded her: cold, efficient, and—at least from what you had gathered—somehow untouchable.

"Silco has assigned me to show you around," Sevika continued, her tone as neutral as ever, though there was a slight edge to it that suggested she wasn’t exactly thrilled by the task. "Don’t expect any luxury here. This isn’t Piltover."

Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at you, though there was no clear sign of animosity. Just... wariness. A wariness that somehow felt more personal than professional.

"I don’t need a tour," you said, trying to meet her gaze with equal intensity. You could handle this. You had been trained for this. "Just point me to where I’ll be staying."

"Right down the hall." Sevika gestured toward a door that was far less polished than what you were accustomed to, but you would make do. You had no choice.

"And I assume you’ll be living nearby," you added, though it was more of a statement than a question. You had heard about her proximity to Silco’s operations, and the way people spoke of her hinted at a strange, almost familial bond.

She paused, just for a second, before nodding. "Right next door."

The words hung between you, their meaning ambiguous, like a challenge in disguise.

Sevika turned on her heel and walked away, her heavy boots clicking against the steel floor. You followed her down the hallway, your mind racing. There was something about her—the way she carried herself, the way her eyes lingered for just a fraction of a second too long on your face—that made you uneasy. But there was more to it than that. There was an unspoken tension, a magnetic pull between you that you couldn't quite define.

---

Later that evening, in the solitude of your apartment, you began to unpack your things. The room was sparse, though functional—a bed, a small desk, a few shelves for supplies. You could almost hear the hum of the city outside, the pulse of it echoing in the walls. But it was quieter here than it had been in Piltover. The silence felt almost oppressive.

The window overlooking the dim streets of Zaun cast a pale light over your work, and for the first time, you allowed yourself to think about what you had gotten into. This was no ordinary assignment. Silco wasn’t just a businessman, as your advisors had suggested. He was a kingpin, a figure in the underworld of Zaun who controlled everything from crime to the very air they breathed. And you were here to heal his people—his *henchmen*, as some called them.

A knock at your door interrupted your thoughts.

You opened it to find Sevika standing in the hallway, her arms crossed over her chest, as if she were weighing whether or not to speak.

"I’ll be going on a supply run tonight," she said, her voice low. "We’re going to need you to patch up some of the boys once we get back. Nothing too severe, but... be ready."

You nodded, still uncertain about the woman who stood before you. She was cold, distant, and appeared to have no interest in making friends with you. But there was something about the way she stood, the way her gaze flicked over you with a strange intensity.

She was trying not to care.

"Sure. I’ll be ready," you replied, though you couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes lingered on you for a moment longer than necessary before she turned away.

"Good," Sevika said, her voice just a little softer than before. "Don’t get too comfortable. The Undercity has a way of breaking people."

And with that, she walked off down the hall, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

---

In the silence that followed, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. Sevika was difficult to read, but you could feel the tension between you—subtle, unspoken, yet undeniable. She was trying her best not to like you, to keep her distance, to remain indifferent. But that was fine, you thought. You didn’t need her approval. You had your own mission.

Still, the more time you spent in the Underworld, the more you realized that there were some things—some people—that couldn’t be ignored.

And Sevika... Sevika was definitely one of them.

[mutualaid680]

Dear Friends,

I am Ahmed from Gaza. I never imagined my life would turn into this plea for help, but war has taken everything from us—my home, my brother, and many loved ones. Now, my wife and I are left struggling to protect our two children amidst the destruction.

We are doing everything we can, but without help, our chances are slim. Any support, no matter how small, could mean the difference between safety and despair for my family. Your generosity will give us a chance to survive and rebuild a future for our children.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this and for any contribution you can offer. Your kindness can make a world of difference in these dark times.

Here is the link to support: chuffed

With gratitude,

Ahmed and Family

[dwarf-vader-of-middle-earth]

Another way to look at it:

>The pharmaceutical industry capitalizes on human suffering and profits off our pain. They take what we need for survival and a good quality of life, then put it behind unreachable barriers by charging fucking thousands for a single month of medication, holding said design for the medication under lock and key for the specific purpose of not allowing anyone else to profit off their design, thus they reap the benefits of us normal folks forfeiting our life's savings to survive and let them thrive.

>Art is an industry of alreay impoverished folks struggling to just enjoy their lives and who make things for folks to enjoy, but it isn't necessary to have art in the same way it is to have medication that keeps your body functioning and alive. Artists design one of a kind pieces for people to buy as they wish, and they pour years of work into what they do for the sake of enjoyment more than they do profit. They don't intend to make billions by watching everyone else suffer, and they have a right to protect what they make especially since it's, y'know, not a fucking thing you need to keep your damn organs from shutting down which will kill you.

>You have no choice but to buy medication to keep healthy.

>No one is forcing you to buy art.

>pharma companies monopolize on medication and restrict access to it thanks to intellectual property

>"I disagree, people dying because they can't access the medication they need is an arbitrary unimportant scenario, have you thought about my art?"

alright then.

[momin4449]

Save What’s Left of My Family—The Reality is Harder Than We Can Bear🔗👇👇❤️‍🩹🙏🙏🌸

-Donation link (GFM)

My dear brothers and sisters, I write to you with words weighed down by pain and helplessness. My family is at the mercy of cold and hunger, struggling day after day in tents that offer no protection from the winter that cuts through us like ice. Our children tremble; their faces pale, searching for warmth and a morsel to survive.

We need you. We have so little to keep us alive. Your donation could be the lifeline that saves souls from a painful fate. Even the smallest contribution makes a difference. Every bit of help is a life, every bit of support is warmth, and every extended hand renews hope.

Donate, even a little, and you could save a family from the bitter cold of winter.

-Donation link (GFM)👇🙏🙏😢❤️‍🩹

The campaign was documented by @nabulseye on Vetted Gaza Fundraiser List @90-ghost @sar-soor @bilal-salah0 Number [ 129 ] (click here)

@kahin

@timetravellingkitty @meaganfoskin @briarhips @mahoushojoe @mazzikaty

@rhubarbspring . @schoolhater98 @pcktknife @transmutationist @sawasawako

@figure-models @irhabiya @commissions4aid-international @wellwaterhysteria

@deepspaceboytoy @post-impressionisms @junglejim4322 @kibumkim @neechees

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@amygdalae @ankle-beez @communistchinaaesthetic @dykesbat @watermotif

@chilewithcarnage @sayruq

@appsa @anneemay @dailyjermasparkle

@rainbowsnowflake @saint-oleander

@jackironsides @f4rfields

[eiyriny]

Since I'm being jumped by JC antis for pointing out their double standards, let’s dissect the debts owed by Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, shall we?

Wei Wuxian's Debt to the Jiang Clan:

Wei Wuxian’s debt to the Jiang Clan is immense by ancient Chinese standards. He was saved, taken in, raised, and trained by them, essentially given a new life and a future as a cultivator. In traditional chinese culture, this kind of debt would require a lifetime of loyalty and service to repay. However, Wei Wuxian chose to protect the Wen Remnants, a decision driven by his personal moral beliefs and sense of justice, effectively putting his principles over his obligations to the Jiang Clan. This choice made it impossible for him to repay his debt in the way ancient values would have dictated, as he directly went against Jiang Cheng's leadership and the interests of the Jiang Clan.

Jiang Cheng's Debt to the Wen Siblings:

Jiang Cheng’s debt to Wen Qing and Wen Ning is also significant—they saved his life and ensured his parents' bodies were returned with dignity. The expected repayment from him would traditionally involve some form of reciprocal protection or aid, such as offering them sanctuary, advocating for their safety, or using his influence to speak on their behalf. However, as the new leader of the Jiang Clan struggling to rebuild after the Sunshot Campaign, his first duty was to his own clan's survival. Repaying this personal debt to the Wen siblings would have required protecting the Wen Remnants, which would have risked his clan's stability and political standing. In the end, his obligations as a sect leader took priority.

The Double Standard:

So here’s the issue, antis love to criticize Jiang Cheng for not sacrificing everything to repay the Wen siblings, judging him by the standard of traditional cultural values. But when it comes to Wei Wuxian, they switch to a modern standard claiming "children aren’t expected to repay their caretakers," to dismiss his debt to the Jiang Clan. If we’re judging both characters by the same standard of "repaying debts," the fact is, both made choices based on their circumstances. Jiang Cheng prioritized his clan's survival, and Wei Wuxian chose his moral beliefs. To condemn one while excusing the other is just hypocritical.

[3liza]

everyone arguing with material analysis/assertion about how art is a "luxury" has rarely if ever spent rent or food money on art, if they even pay rent or buy their own food, and if they did that would be considered extremely dysfunctional, and thats what i/we mean. artists are not providing a necessary service.

our plane crashes in the Andes and you are not particularly excited about my "can draw that Playboy centerfold of Marge Simpson from memory" like that is not an essential survival skill. lots of extremely skilled workers work in luxury artisan and craft jobs, it's not an insult to say even a very famous and very talented and influential artist is not producing a commodity necessary for the furtherance of human life. none of us are doing that, no matter how we stretch and strain the definitions of "essential" or even things like "morale" or "group identity". i will burn my copy of Finnegan's Wake to stay warm and thats what it comes down to.

i get foamy crazy snarling and biting about the idolization and obfuscation of what artists actually do because it is a labor issue! the public conception of artists as people possessed of a divine talent they dont consciously work to develop like any other skill, and the public idea that we are simply pleased and privileged to make art all day and "not work", something people say to my face every time i get asked "what i do", is largely responsible for the absolute dogshit reality of how subsistence and working class artists have to survive. we usually dont have health insurance unless we're so poor we qualify for medicaid AND live in a state that will enroll us. most of us are too disabled or crazy to go to a real job every day. most of us have tried, over and over, to enter the normal workforce, and have failed, and been forced to develop alternate skills that allow us to make rent in the ten hours per month we're actually functional. many of the artists i know work from bed because standing up is dicey. this has been turned into a charming eccentricity of famous artists and writers instead of people wondering why a person would need to stay in bed all day and take the enormous bother of bringing their stupid pens and paper and writing board or typewriter or whatever to their bed instead of just getting up and getting dressed and going to work. ive done this, i spilled ink in my sheets. its a huge hassle.

and artists play along with this mystique because people dont want to buy paintings from sadlords! they want to buy paintings and books and marge simpson nudes from cool guys who get a lot of chicks and wear rockstar outfits and party a lot, because of the transitive properties! of course!!! this is basic marketing!!!!! and if the artist doesnt play along they turn into Sad Story Artist where they're doing emergency commissions and posting about how sick they are all the time. this is not cool or fun or sexy. it's a sand trap and its very hard to recover from. im struggling with this right now!

famous and successful artists and writers are constantly ending up 60-90 years old with cancer and multiple sclerosis and dementia, being the subject of some sort of public, last-ditch, humiliating GoFundMe because painting paperback covers fr 60 years means you dont get a pension, you often dont even have kids who can take care of you, you dont have life insurance, you dont have health insurance. 'died penniless and alone' is one of the stereotypical artist endings for a reason, that is not fiction. this happened to more artists than i can list on two hands. look up what happened to Peter S. beagle, the guy who wrote The Last Unicorn. you write a book like that you should be set for life, right? NO. thats not how it works

i'm not saying 'all artists are disabled and working class or poor' because that isnt true, observably. nepo babies and trust fund artists exist, obviously. but they take an outsized portion of the spotlight when the public thinks of the concept of "artist". they are not actually the norm. the average artist is probably making under 40k and living in extremely precarious circumstances and has had periods of homelessness, illness, extreme debt and/or bankruptcy.

this is true even for the 'successful' artists. having one or two or ten good projects and being a household name does not save you from just not having the safety net provided by a normal career path. i was very close with a major, famous 2000s network television creator and team that you have heard of. they won awards, they changed culture entirely, they were a big deal. one of them was turned down for a half dozen projects by the same network that made millions or bilions on their franchise over several years (each pitch is completely unpaid btw, imagine carefully preparing a PowerPoint for morons for months at a time for no reimbursement and thent he morons ask you if you can put a teenage witch looking for her lost cat in the alps in it and you're like, haha, well, it's a 4 part hard sci fi miniseries set on Europa and takes place entirely inside a pressurized lander settlement, i mean Ridley Scot said he was interested already and he pitched a bottle episode about a carbon monoxide poisoning, soooooo....and the executives look at each other and they're like "it's jst not really what we're looking for right now, thanks for coming in" and you go to coffee bean and tea leaf and kill yourself and thats sort of what its like. i made that example up it didn't actually happen i'm using an illustrative example), worked on a canceled film, and just. gradually ran out of money. thats what happens. that guy ended up slowly selling off all his belongings, getting roommates in a one bedroom apartment, and then eventually having to just live on a friend's couch for years. famous guy. you probably know his name. another major member of that same team ended up in GoFundMe/commission hell for years (might still be there) because they had to take care of their two dying, dementia patient parents by themselves. these are people who go to GenCon and sign autographs for four hours at a time. THE PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE OF THIS SHIT and i'm sick of it. im sick of going to a gallery opening night ("vernissage") and drinking bad wine and having a guy with an email job that pays six figures and benefits tell me being able to push "undo" on the computer is cheating. that's a real example, that has actually happened to me. more than once.

artists currently have zero labor protections whatsoever. all of us are undercutting each other in an unregulated market and relying on welfare and private insurance and not having families or buying houses. zero security until we get so old all our illnesses and dysfunction finally ground us permanently and then we get turned into a charity case by fans (humiliating) or just fade away into ghosts and die

whats my punchline? idk i dont have one. it's possible and likely that any given artist you meet is permanently in precarity and will be until they die, even the famous ones. the culture of selling art demands that artists do not admit to this in public unless shit gets really really bad. i guess my point is you should know this, as a person who looks at or listens to or reads things that people have made for your amusement, not for your survival

[tareqayad]

Save Our Lives, Please!! 🙏🏻🥺🍉

Hey everyone, I’m Tareq, writing this from Gaza. My family and I—13 people in total, including my two kids, my brother’s two kids, and the rest of our loved ones—are living in extreme hardship, surrounded by fear and destruction every day. We've been displaced over and over, desperately searching for safety in a world where "safe" doesn’t seem to exist. Each time we leave a place, I pray it will be the last time we’re forced to run. But this nightmare continues, wearing us down until we’re physically and emotionally drained.

I've lost so many loved ones already—my childhood home, my friends, my old life. Now, it’s just me and my brother, @mohammadayyad1 , trying to keep our families alive and away from the ever-present threat of death. Every day, I wake up feeling like this might be our last. We all know death is inevitable, but we're not ready yet. We dream of a chance to live freely and with dignity, away from the trauma of war and violence.

We’re surviving in a flimsy nylon tent, barely big enough for three people, with no privacy and none of the basic comforts a person needs to feel human. The heat during the day is unbearable, and the cold at night seeps right through us. My brother’s wife is six months pregnant, and it breaks my heart to think of bringing a newborn into such dangerous, insecure conditions.

Every morning we’re greeted by the sounds of war, the smell of smoke, and the dread of the unknown. Tanks and helicopters have surrounded us on more than four occasions, and every time we somehow make it out, I wonder how much longer we can go on like this.

I don’t want to die, and I don’t want my family to die. 🥺

We need your help to survive. Your donation could make all the difference, providing us a lifeline and a way out of this nightmare. Together, we can change the future of a family on the brink. Please, join us in this struggle. Help us survive.

@ghost-and-a-half

@annoyingloudmicrowavecultist

@feluka

@marnota

@toughknit

@flower-tea-fairies

@the-stray-liger

@vivisection-gf

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@girlinafairytale

@celadonwanderer

@paparoach

@furiousfinnstan

@forgetfulrecord

@flyskyhigh09

@aflamethatneverdies

Hello everyone, my name is Mohammed and I live in Gaza.

The occupation has destroyed my educational journey 🛑🚨.

I have always dreamed of becoming an engineer, but the war, which has destroyed schools and universities and halted the educational process, in addition to the loss of many students' lives, has greatly affected my ambitions and led to a loss of passion for education. Now, all I wish for is for this war in Gaza to end..

I ask for your help in gathering support to save me and my family, and to leave Gaza so that I can continue my studies and achieve my dream of becoming a skilled engineer.

I need your help to raise money to save myself and my family and to leave the Gaza Strip, so I can continue my education and achieve my goal of becoming a skilled engineer.

I am working hard to achieve this goal despite the challenges I face in my daily life here. Life in Gaza is filled with difficulties, but I am determined to continue my education and achieve my dreams, no matter the circumstances.

Note :

Vetted by @gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #160 )

Verified by me @a-shade-of-blue

Vetted by ButterflyEffect Project 🦋, my number verified on the list is ( #599 )

Vetted by PaliLiberation 🍉, my number verified on the lis# is ( #95 )

Vetted by forpalestinedisc

@wellwaterhysteria @warm-mangoes-with-chai @enchantedbook @ear-motif @queerstudiesnatural @runawaycarouselhorse @raelyn-dreams @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @real @mysharona1987 @maester-cressen @mr-puff @mobiused @malcriada @sayruq @sar-soor @narcotizando @nabulsi @belleandsaintsebastian @palistani @princessinasuit @finalgirlabigailhobbs @anyonghalimaw @appsa @ashwantsafreepalestine @ashwantsafreepalestine

[amjo429]

We are enduring a severe crisis, facing unimaginable levels of hunger and a terrifying scarcity of basic food resources. Prices are rising at an alarming rate, and even something as essential as flour has become incredibly difficult to obtain. When we are lucky enough to find it, it costs us $80, only to discover that it is spoiled, infested with insects, and carries a strong, unbearable odor🤢💔

Despite these unbearable conditions, we are doing our best to feed our children, even though it feels like we are fighting battles we cannot even begin to count. For nearly two months now, there has been nothing, and we are struggling to survive with what little we can manage to gather.

Every day feels like a war for survival, and we are left with no choice but to keep pushing forward,,,

@stcuttlefish @finalgirlabigailhobbs @excruciatingdespair @neptunerings @butchmagicalboi @buttercuparry @galaxynextdoor @lesbiansagainsttheatre @lesbianmaxevans @bagholes @pikslasrce @the-ballerina-battle @jasmineloren @stupid-dumb-bitch @allgreysanatomy-confessions @tododeku @thecoffeedesk @salamispots @brutalgeneration @a-shade-of-blue @ibtisams-blog @itberice @brutaliakent @maggmagnolia @amaraabbz @ng-katherine @robertstiltskin @fancysmudges @three-croissants @quicksillver @empty-blog-for-lurking @sunmooneclipseandstars @ot3 @transmutationdice @galactic-mermaid @gay-nidokings @vermintine @wrenvibes @neonsbian @comrademango @plantfae @dalekofskaro99 @kisaragihoney @scamguy @feluka @heba-2015 @rudyknight @gorillawithautism