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tarotwithavi · 2 years

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Let me hype you up tarot series

Part 1

Part 2

P3 : your next glow up

My masterlist

3 4

Paid readings

__________________

Pile 1

Hello pile 1! You'll be having a beauty glow up. You'll look so much more beautiful that people will start to fight over you . And you'll know it. You'll be confident and abundant. You will realise that you are enough and start caring and loving yourself more . Your new energy will attract a lot of attention. You will get a lot of male attention and many proposals too . They will definitely be attracted to the new energy you'll embody. I'm specifically getting a younger male with light brown or blond hair. He will be either younger or look younger, but one thing is for sure that he will be a little immature. You'll definitely pay more attention to yourself . You might reject a lot of boy. And they'll think of you as a heartbreaker. You won't hesitate to stand for what you believe. And you'll no longer care about other people's opinions. You are going to face your demons with so much confidence. You'll embrace your dark side too. You'll be grateful for what you have and won't hesitate to showcase your talents. You will be proud of how far you've come . I see that you'll start a new business or start working by yourself for you living. This will consume most of your time but you'll be happy. A random message is that boys will be fighting to have you lol. But i see that i male will be prevent them to come to you or to propose you. Something like scaring off other guys.Maybe your friend or boyfriend could even be brother or father. These males could be old classmates or boys who you had a crush on but they never acknowledged you then. But Something to do with your childhood. I'm getting that you might have a little fight or argument with your friends or someone from your Friend group can get into a fight .

Some random messages : orange, a white dress, virgo season, Halloween, success, pay attention to your health, yes!! If you have a question, abundance, you're ready, good luck, moon.

My Masterlist

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Pile 2

Hello pile 2! Your glow up is going to be so intense and transformative that even the current you will wonder how you changed so much. From style, face, body, aesthetic everything will change about you. I don't want to use the word death but it's like a death of the current you and a rebirth of a new you. You'll be given so many opportunities in both love and money matters. You'll likely move to a new place and work there. You'll transform into a very respectful person . Someone Very wise with their words . I am seeing a marriage in the near future could be yours or someone in your social circle. I am seeing a garden with a lot of birds there and grape plants . I'm hearing " I'm standing on the ashes of who I used to be" You'll be just like a Phoenix , rising from the ashes of your old self. You'll likely move out of your country for higher education or leave the place you used to live in. A lot of people will gossip about your glow up. A lot of big and happy changes for you. You'll make alot of new friends who have different cultural backgrounds. While reading this post you might think that this all will never happen or that you'll never become what I'm describing in this reading but this is you pile 2!! Yess! You! . The future has so many good things in store for you . You'll be surprised to know them . At some point you might think that you're lost and will never find your home? Like somewhere you can be YOU. You'll successfully overcome your fears, worries and these tense situations. But now please pay attention to your work. Some good news is on the way. And you'll get alot of compliments from different people.

Some random messages : happiness, marriage, someone new is entering your life, in the near future, a new love , a new job , yellow, 1111 , business proposals, bouquet. Beetle , peacock, rainbow.

My Masterlist

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Pile 3

Hi pile 3! If your attracted to pile 2 make sure to check that out too. Pile 3 you'll have a new way of looking at the world. You'll become very successful . Random but think about a yes or no question quickly.............picked your question? And the answer to your question is..... Yes Not YESSS! Yes but yes. you'll earn alot in future and definitely improve your finances . And you'll travel alot like a lot could also be change of mindset but you'll move very frequently and fast. I'm getting a lot of earth energy for this pile. Very grounded energy. Not matter how rich you become you'll always like a simple lifestyle not the rich kind of like partying, buying costly stuff and all that . You'll help alot of people with your money. I'm seeing the you might open a organization to help people or could also be that you'll donate alot. But no matter the situation you'll do alot of charity work. Pile 3 you might have seen alot of miseries and sorrows of poor people and the people who are in need of help and you always wanted to help them and you definitely will. You'll be very hard working and can become a workaholic but it won't affect your health. For some I'm getting that you have been rich since birth or have a very rich family sort of like born with a silver spoon and might havebecome lazy because you thought you already had everything and you don't need to work but you will encountered something that you'll move your mind set and after that you'll definitely start to help other people and you will realize that your parent's money is not your money and you need to work for yourself. I'm getting that you'll have a personality development. And someone will be attracted to you after this. A new love relationship.

Some random messages : plenty of material things, you are highly thought of, new journey, opportunity or a windfall, you will be shown the way, lighthearted and carefree, legs, money path, huge pride, a lot of luck.

My Masterlist

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Pile 4

Hello pile 4! Maybe you should try checking pile 1 too... I'm seeing that you might be manifesting two different things at this time , maybe love and beauty? . Or your mind Might be occupied with two things right now. But in the future you'll become more attractive and charming. And a lot more famous and popular . You'll have many good things like fame, money, beauty but i feel like you'll always be unsatisfied with these or your health might not be good all of the times. I am also getting that you do not desire money or fame, your desire love and that is what you actually want and you'll get it . A young man will approach you with lots of love and you guys will have a very amazing relationship. You both will connect spiritually. And with things relationship you'll have your final awakening. If you believe you can attract anything.

For some people I'm getting that you are very popular right now and always get along with everyone. But for some reasons you health might get bad or you'll just cut other people off for sometime like away from the social life. While you're resting A friend will visit you and tell you what others actually saying about you in your absence . And this'll change your perspective of people and you'll start to avoid them and start working on yourself and work. You'll become successful and then the people who said bad things about you will be like "what?!! How did it happened! How do pile 4 become better then me " . You will cut off a lot of people because you saw their real faces. You will earn alot of respect from people . I am hearing " You should see me in a crown " .

Some random messages : cyan, light blue, authority, knowledge, intuition, spirituality, wealth, virgo, dark woman, money will be coming you , protection from harm, honor and respect ring, a new door

My Masterlist

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I hope you liked this reading!! Please reblog ot really helps me a lot.

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gracefulserpent1207 · 6 months

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I feel like people are forgetting that the SAG AFTRA strikes were not JUST about getting better pay for actors and writers. Another very big benefit of the strikes, that is more overlooked than people care to admit, is protection against AI.

The reason why people overlook the damage that AI does to actors (including voice actors) and writers (as well as many others) is because people just aren't educated enough on it and this is because it is being advertised to be this amazing, technological advancement that will save the economy when it's actually the complete opposite. AI is damaging the economy because it is putting so many people out of jobs. Not to mention the fact that strikes are usually concentrated around getting better pay for people, so when uneducated people hear about the SAG AFTRA strikes, they tend to assume that it's because the actors/writers that are striking are just asking for more money (which they ARE doing and which they have the right to do because the pay they get stinks) and so avoid the other, equally important factors.

There are so many cases where I've seen AI being advertised/used in a "positive" way recently. This included a boy from my college mentioning how he couldn't be bothered to do the homework that had been set, so he just used AI to write his homework for him. Are we really seriously going to allow this to happen? Are we seriously going to allow young people to neglect their education and use AI to fake work for them, getting them target/expected grades that are much higher than what they're actually going to get, giving them false hope?

Another example from what I've seen includes an ad on TV for a new phone that used AI with the camera, and boy did this ad piss me off. Part of the ad sees a group of teens taking a picture, in which they are all frowning, with this phone. They then use the AI included with the camera to edit the picture so that they are all smiling. Why? Was it not easy enough to ACTUALLY smile? If not, was it because they genuinely aren't happy? And if that's the case, should we really be sending a message to TEENAGERS to just hide the fact that they aren't happy and fake a smile instead? Use AI to cover up the fact that you're struggling? No. No we should not.

I know a lot of people reading this probably think I'm reaching or overreacting, but AI does genuinely have a long term effect in these cases.

But I think the most common, most damaging example of people using AI that I've seen is from social media, specifically TikTok but other platforms as well. And this is the use of AI voice filters.

The SAG AFTRA strikes have worked hard to benift actors of all kinds, including voice actors, and the reason I'm drawing so much attention to this fact is because people just aren't getting it into their heads how DAMAGING AI voice filters are for voice actors. Several voice actors have already lost their jobs from being replaced by AI that can replicate THEIR voices, the voices that form part (the most important part) of their identity. Not to mention how damaging it can be for voice actors' dignity to hear their own voice coming from something else, especially considering how this "something else" can replicate within MINUTES what they had to perfect for YEARS. Voice actors put so much effort into getting their voices to be perfect for the role that they're playing, yet AI undermines that effort by imitating those "perfect voices" within minutes. Voice actors actually care about their roles/characters and the fans that love these characters. AI does not. All it does is copy. Yet companies would rather have heartless machines working for them than real life people who actually care about bringing characters to life for fans.

And you wanna know what the worst part is?

Apparently, those "fans" would rather hear AI voicing their favourite characters too.

Because it is YOU (the fans) who create, use and/or like AI voice filters on TikTok/Twitter/Tumblr. It is YOU who cannot accept the fact that your favourite character's VA didn't say the crappy line you came up with at 2am that you commented to them on Twitter, so instead used AI to make the character say it yourself because OBVIOUSLY you're gonna drop dead if you DON'T hear them say that line. Obviously, you can't go on with your life without causing a completely innocent and good person to lose their job AND their dignity for your own entertainment.

Another VERY big issue with AI voice filters is that the majority of voice actors whose voices I have heard being used with AI have specifically said that they do NOT support AI and do NOT wish for people to use AI to replicate their voice. Obviously, some people may not know this, but others do and they choose to ignore it. This does not just go for the people who create the filters. It goes for the people who use and/or show support for it too (such as liking videos that use a filter, etc. ) because you are spreading the use of AI and making companies more aware of it and how easy it is to use, and are therefore causing actors to be replaced. How would you feel if you heard your own voice being used by strangers without your consent for their own entertainment?

So for that reason, I am going to say what most people are just too scared to say:

Fans are just as responsible for the SAG AFTRA strikes for using AI as the companies that have been treating actors/writers like shit for years.

If you have EVER created/used/liked/reblogged/reposted/shared/etc. a video that uses an AI voice filter, please please please PLEASE go back and delete/unlike the video, and NEVER do it again. Do NOT interact with videos using AI voice filters AT ALL. If you get a video on your TikTok fyp, it's not that hard to just scroll past and ignore. If you're still not sure what kind of videos I'm referring to, a good example of a popular AI voice filter that I've seen recently that people need to STOP using is a filter of Luz Noceda (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles, who has specifically NOT given consent for AI replications of her voice to be used) and Hunter Whittebane (voiced by Zeno Robinson, who has also specifically NOT given consent for AI replications of his voice to be used) from The Owl House singing She Wolf by Shakira. If you have EVER interacted with this filter, please go back and undo however you interacted with it and spread this message to others.

I'd like to end this "rant post" by saying that I am NOT in anyway an actor/voice actor, but I am an aspiring writer. I remember one day earlier this year seeing something on the news about how companies were considering replacing human writers with AI and how in a certain amount of years, human writers may not even be needed anymore, and this scared the shit out of me because writing has ALWAYS been my dream and I thought my future was over before it had even began.

So in conclusion, PLEASE spread awareness of how damaging AI can be (for actors, voice actors, writers, etc.) and PLEASE make sure to NOT interact with it when you see it being used, unless you are asking another person to stop creating/using/interacting with it. And if you see a VA asking for people to NOT use AI to replicate their voice, just do the bare fucking minimum and respect their wishes. Your life isn't over just because you didn't get to hear Luz and Hunter singing She Wolf. Put the livelivoods of other people before your own entertainment. Thank you.

P.s. I'm gonna tag this post with fandoms that I've seen use AI for replicating voices (to spread awareness), especially if a VA from that fandom has specifically asked for it not to be used. Feel free to reblog and add tags of your own for any fandoms that you think I've missed.

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sunnysam-my · 3 months

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Dark Academia is a subculture and it isn't problematic, just misunderstood.

I am so tired of people that aren't a part of this community shitting on dark academia literally any time it gains popularity again, claiming that it's pretentious, elitist and racist. It's not problematic, at least not in a way most people criticise it for.

What all of those people don't seems to understand is that there's the dark academia aesthetic and there is the dark academia the subculture. Even when they do understand they still put people who are only interested in the fashion and overall vibe together with people who are dark academia.

Why is dark academia a subculture?

First let's start with what even subculture is?

It's a cultural group within a larger culture, often sharing a collection of values, beliefs, rituals and traditions. Despite what many believes, it doesn't have to have any connection to music, like Star Trek and Star Wars fans, but there's no need for having a shared fandom at all, like the gays, bikers and youth.

Participation in the dark academia subculture is not limited to following a specific set of fashion. It suggest preferred activities, hobbies, philosophies and lifestyles. The focus is on reading and expanding one’s horizons, on becaming the best version of oneself no matter the cost, especially by engaging in classical literature, history, foreign languages, mythology, art and philosophy. On top of that DA is actually connected to certain music (classical and neoclassical) and fandoms.

The (incorrect) criticisms:

1. One of the more common criticisms of dark academia is that of its superficiality and pretentiousness – that it is more a fetishisation of intellectual life than real intellectual life. "Instead of being a reading society, it's a Dead Poets Society cosplay." This is just simply untrue. Yes, there are people who are purely here for the aesthetic and vibes, but they aren't part of the subculture. People who are genuinely part of this community do read all those books, write poetry, journal e.t.c regularly and try to be well educated.

2. The money issue. Now this is where it gets funny. Dark academia is often called classist and racist because of it's "idealised vision of the academic lifestyle in which the money is simply there". Obviously in places where higher education is strictly financially driven studying is a bitch. Nowadays there are even a lot of doctors who are homeless, especially in US. But DA is mainly a European thing, and in a lot of EU countries studying isn't that expensive, it's not cheap either (books costs a lot and not working doesn't help), but you don't need to pay for a good education, you need to study hard and compete with others to get good education.

This however is not a dark academia problem. It's a harsh reality. One that we need to fight with. Getting higher education shouldn't make you get into a debt. It shouldn't make you sacrifice social life for studying all your life only to end on the streets.

3. "Eurocentric obsession". This is so dumb I don't even know to say. How can you possibly call people, mostly from Europe, problematic for being fascinated by Europe's history, it's past culture, Greek mythology, mostly European philosophers (but American too), Latin that is still fucking taught at many schools here, etc. All of things are taught in schools here. There is nothing wrong with you being obsessed with Asian royalty and making it part of your personality, but God forbid, you, a white person, are obsessed with the best parts of your history and culture 🙄.

4. Another criticism of dark academia is that it encourages unhealthy behaviour, both physically (caffeine overconsumption, smoking, drugs) and mentally (perfectionist, constant competition). The pursuit of perfection comes at a price. The entire idea of DA is to study as hard as possible so you can reach enlighten. It's workaholism, except it's school, not work. Now this is why I think dark academia isn't problematic in a way people think, but is misunderstood.

A melancholic comforting dream

It's easy to understand why people think DA is unhealthy or fake. Nights spent studying, writing essays for hours on end, drowning in books and writing excessive notes. For many this sounds like a nightmare, but dark academia romanticise it. It see it as the true joy of university life. At the same time there's taking joy in reflecting on what is irretrievably lost, pessimistic and melancholic.

In reality most people in this community are overworked neurodivergent, usually twice exceptional, youth who struggles mentally. So many people are twice exceptional and it's very obvious. The hyperfixetions, the love for linguistics and humanities, the hate of math.

For many Dark Academia is a coping method.

Staples of dark academia fiction explore intellectualism, classic literature and self-discovery, but also the struggle of fighting for your identity, the way humans are shaped by their trauma, the way they destroy themselves to be better. The word "dark" in Dark Academia is primarily about those dark sides of the human nature, not just the dark colours of the DA aesthetic.

If you think that Dead Poets Society romanticised suicide or Kill Your Darlings academicly motivated drug use then you're the crazy one here. People loved those movies, because of how relatable they were, even the suffering.

Studying is a bitch. If you make it fun then you are less depressed about the fact that you don't have the choice to not study all night. It's not just nostalgia for what you haven't experienced, but what you have to endure all your youth. Some people are forced to study to be the very best and sacrifice their (social) lives, because the system is so broken, but if you can make it into your own, comforting, time - it's better. Sure, the movies and books have lots of harmful copying mechanism, but irl (or in this case online) this community encourages healthy methods like reading, making art, journaling, acting etc.

I do think there's a lot of to talk about when it comes to, for example, sexism, and I do agree DA needs more diversity than just white cis man, but like I said, it's not problematic in a way most people criticise it for.

#dark aesthetic #dark academia #dark acadamia aesthetic #dark academism #subculture #dark academia subculture #mental health #relatable #autism #adhd problems #problematic #coping mechanism #light academia #chaotic academia #dead poets society #kill your darlings #neurodivergent #intellectualism

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eighthdoctor · 9 months

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I've never done any kind of proper historical studies -- everything I've learned is from high school, from reading things on wikipedia, from history podcasts, and more rarely (because I rarely have the patience to read) from books. So I... hardly know anything about specifics. The kind of intimate knowledge of the inner workings of empires and peoples that a college educated student would have.

This might sound odd but... it's a bit reassuring to me that even someone who's spent years studying those two specific subjects doesn't feel comfortable saying for certain what any individual person, or group of people may have been experiencing at any given time. That the environment people lived in was so *vastly* different that one can only have clues as to what people felt, how they experienced the world.

All that being said, and I do apologize if this is another too-vague or too-broad question -- do you feel as though your college studies have changed the way you relate to the past?

So I wanna unpack some of this a little bit, because you're closing off some avenues I don't think you need to close off.

College students do learn about specifics, but the thing that's really being taught in college is how to think and learn. Skills, not facts. Part of what made that conversation with the history majors so memorable is that it highlighted how much is different between majors in that regard.

Sociology vs psych might be a valuable example here: Rule of thumb, sociology teaches you to approach issues on a population level, groups of people; psychology teaches you to approach issues on the individual level. There's very few areas where either is 100% right to the exclusion of the other, but it's useful to know which lens (a) you and (b) your source is using, if you're going to be reading about, e.g., the causes of poor academic performance in American boys. Psych says this is due to a rise in ADHD; socio says our classrooms aren't suitable for...anyone, but especially people who have never had to sit still and be quiet (ie, boys).

WHAT you learn in college is HOW to learn. (It's also, crucially, a period where 1, you very often have nothing else to do BUT learn and 2, you are paying a gazillion dollars for the privilege of learning, so you're heavily incentivized to actually do it. Free activities are easier to stop doing than ones you paid to do.)

It's how to navigate databases, how to read articles (peer reviewed or otherwise), which resources to trust, what it MEANS to trust a resource, how to read with different lenses, how to find information at all, what sorts of conclusions are reasonable or specious to draw from that information (aka: how flimsy can your argument be before your professor will tell you to find more evidence), when to apply certain techniques...

* Enormous caveat: if your professors were any good. Some of them aren't. Many of them aren't. If your professors universally suck, you'll come out with a meaningless degree and student debt, which is not ideal.

But theoretically, at least, the purpose of 21st century higher ed is to teach you how to learn.

Then you go apply it.

All of which is to say: The granular factoids I have on call about 15th and 16th century explorers did not come from college; I didn't take a single class on that era. They came from books and articles and online resources. College taught me how to evaluate those books (although common sense plays a huge role here) but the rest of it was self driven.

Here's the other thing: None of that knowledge is paywalled.

While the decline of Google makes finding some of these resources harder, I highly, highly recommend just searching things like "how to judge a history source" and "basic resources for social history" (a guess based on your focus on 'inner workings of empires and peoples'). Then read a bunch of links (please first filter for obviously AI written pages!).

THEN ask yourself some questions: Where did those links disagree? Are there areas they all agreed on? Was there something that 8 pages agreed on but 2 did not? If it seems like a key area, go check who's written & hosting those links, and consider what they might (or might not) know about the field. (If r/askhistorians and PragerU disagree on a definition, you can bet which one I'm listening to.)

After reading a bunch of pages, you probably have MORE search terms and MORE questions. Repeat. Repeat.

I just mentioned r/askhistorians: For this sort of thing, I would read anything with the Monday Methods flair. Start here. That page was last updated 5 years ago but it DOES link to 3 years of mostly weekly posts on how historians think. 100% free. No college tuition required.

Podcasts are great resources. r/askhistorians is fucking invaluable. I would murder for the r/askhistorians modteam, no questions asked.

Reading is a learnable skill! Reading history books is very learnable! I stopped reading print material for 2 years, and when I was getting back into it, I set myself an alarm. 15 minutes a day in the evening when I had nothing else going on. Start with fiction if you're out of the habit, YA would be my recommendation, then start expanding.

There ARE history books with audio versions out there and you can check your library system for those; I don't vibe with audiobooks so can't provide any specifics, but I know they exist. Most history books won't have recordings, though--what you may be able to do if you check out or purchase a digital version is use a text-to-speech program or screenreader to read it to you. This obviously has some drawbacks :P But it's an option!

So: Did my degrees affect how I interact with history? Yeah. I'm not discarding the impact of my education, I had some really phenomenal classics teachers. But they're not the only way to get that result. There are other routes to the same destination.

#asks for ts #jennifermoriarta #ask more questions about who is writing this and why!#history #long post for ts

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coral-island-player · 3 months

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Spark's other parent

I know the identity of Spark's other parent. Long post under the cut

Ok, so this is about a game called Cattails Wildwood Story. I wholeheartedly recommend it, it's sometimes described as "stardew valley but cats" and while there is no farming, the relationship system is quite similar, and maybe even better in some aspects (dialogue for every relationship stage which is 12 if you marry the npc, specific dialogue for when your hunger or health is low, getting gifts, you have a birthday, etc.). But if you're reading this, you probably already know all that! So, let's get into it.

So, the identity of Spark's other parent has never been explicitly confirmed, however I have a strong theory on who it may be.

Often it is speculated that Spark's other parent is a member of the Forest Colony. Or another colony. And while it seems likely, there is one singular piece of dialogue from Ember, which you get at 3 hearts, that puts all that into question.

"I spent some time as a house cat, (Name). Well, sort of. The humans let me come and go as I pleased, but they always left out food for me. It was a decent life, but I could never go back to it. That's when I met my ex. Too many bad memories associated with that time in my life."

So from that dialogue we find out that Ember used to be a house cat and that they met their ex partner and the other parent of Spark during that time. Is there a game where Ember is a house cat and we can find out more about them?

Well, there is.

So, for those of you who are familiar with the Warrior Cats book series (and that's probably 99% of Cattails players. It's not needed to enjoy or understand it, as even the game developer hasn't read it, just the field guides because his little sister wanted a game about her favourite book, but worth a try if you want to understand how Cattails became what it is today), you might have heard of a game Warrior Cats Untold Tales.

It's a game that was made by the Cattails developer. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's an old game that you can download on your computer for free. It's very low quality when it comes to graphics and gameplay, but hey. It's better that 99.9% of what you can find on mobile for free. It's basically a very early version of Cattails when it comes to mechanics. If you take Cattails and take away Stardew Valley, you're pretty much left with a higher quality version of WC:UT. It's an oversimplification and obviously Cattails is more that the combination of these games. Just trying to give you a general idea what it's like. It's worth a try - after all, it is free. There will be spoilers here for the part with Ember - because as you probably can tell, they are in the game.

So, as you play the game, you might encounter a cat named - yeah you guessed it - Ember. They're a kittypet (the clan cats' name for a house cat) and willing to show you their house and let you visit them and possibly live there if you pay 40 reputation points (representing the fact that it's dishonorable for a clan cat to accept anything from humans). Now if it wasn't for that one piece of dialogue, I'd just think that it doesn't take place in the same universe - but given what Ember said, it probably does.

When you visit Ember, you find out they live with an owner named George and a little kitten named Fuzzy who you can play hide and seek with. But you can also find a passage to BloodClan (for those of you who don't know, it's a group of street cats that are kinda evil and look like Charlotte). There is one cat that is white (unfortunately I couldn't find a high quality photo, just look up "warrior cats untold tales thrash"). His (that's right, that cat is referred to as "he") name is Thrash (not a typo, that's legit his name. I was today years old when I found out his name isn't Trash) and he can actually live with you and Ember and Fuzzy! If you let him live in the owner's closet, he will give you something every day, but Fuzzy won't play hide and seek with you anymore because Thrash is mean and Fuzzy is upset that you let him in the house.

So, it is plausible that Thrash and Ember fell in love when that happened and had a kitten. Now, I have no idea how Ember got to the Forest Colony, but I am almost certain that Thrash is Spark's father.

Also that means that Spark is half BloodClan (unlike Charlotte)

#cattails wildwood story #cattails game #warrior cats #bloodclan #Spark #Ember #Cattails ember

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bloodofgrapes · 1 year

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May I ask what your top tips for appearing more masc are prior to hrt? No matter how basic, I want to hear them (im desperate) (esp voice-wise)

Well anon, as with all things, your mileage will vary. Are you looking to be fully stealth/cis passing? Do you want to simply feel more masculine? Think about what you really and truly want, not what your friends or society or anything else may tell you, but what YOU specifically would enjoy doing. There is no one way to be masculine, and what works for me may not work for someone else.

With all of that out of the way though, here are a few things that helped me specifically. I'm stealth in real life, and I prefer to be... more or less conventionally masculine. My partner put it aptly: "you look like a boring office worker."

Take fashion advice from cis men/cis oriented groups. No offense to my fellow trans masc/trans men, but taking fashion advice from them is often a case of the blind leading the blind, at least if your goal is to be cis passing. You can dress well and look presentable (I certainly do), but don't put male fashion on a pedestal, because even the best dressed cis men don't--this is just what they're familiar with and they're going about their day the same way you are.

Clothes can get you a good portion of the way there, because I was functionally stealth even prior to starting testosterone (though I will confess a large amount of genetic luck), but if you dress and act with confidence, most people won't put much more thought to you than what is immediately apparent.

Your hair will also massively help you: men tend to favor fairly plain and boring cuts. A traditional cut will help you look more masculine than anything that requires a blow dryer and copious amounts of gel. I'm a boring (and lazy) person, so this suits me just fine, but I know this can get dull really quick to a lot of people, but that's just the way it is. That said, always, ALWAYS get your sideburns and nape squared off rather than tapered, I swear it's like the only irl cheat code for masculinity. The little details are usually what count the most.

On voice, you're in luck. Far too much emphasis is put on having a deep baritone that would put James Earl Jones to shame. You don't need a deep voice to sound like a man, but you do need to consciously keep your speech patterns and the way you speak in mind. Pay attention to the cis men around you, not what you see in media--most of them really don't have voices that are particularly deep. But you'll notice that they don't pitch their voices and inflect the way that women are typically taught to. This has nothing to do with genes, these are purely social skills, and while it's a pain, they can very much be learned by anybody who works at it. Cis men tend to speak much more flatly and bluntly, and use fewer words to get their meaning across (which is a good skill to have no matter your gender, in my opinion). When I put on my Woman Voice™, it's not so much that I speak in a higher pitch (though I do), but that I draw out my words and speak a little more theatrically. A simple "hey, how are you doing?" becomes "Hiiii, it's SO good to see you again, how have you been!"

That's a pretty stark difference! And again, this is just what works for me. I have not cut out any parts of my personality or toned down who I am, not least of all because I'm a pretty flat and monotone person to begin with, but I do restrain certain aspects of how I present myself, particularly with people I'm not close to.

I'm sorry that this is a long winded way to say "dress appropriately, get a decent haircut, and flatten down the way you speak", but I do try to be cognizant of the fact that you can feel and present masculinely in more ways than there are grains of sand on earth. All of the above are things that help me feel better and more comfortable in my own skin, and are not necessarily what I would prescribe other people to do to feel right in theirs. Only you can know what works best for you, which is why I prefaced this with advising you to think long and hard about what would make you happy and comfortable.

That said, if any of the above appeals to you, do a little research. I enjoy browsing Reddit's Male Fashion Advice sub, not least of all because you see an enormous range of fashion that goes beyond t shirts and jeans. Look for men that have face shapes similar to yours to see what kind of haircuts flatter them, and study the way that the men in your life speak, gesticulate, and generally act. Study them like they are animals in a zoo and it's your life mission to document them, and you'll pick up a lot. I hope this helps!

#things that will pull my out of my hidey hole #I've been gone for about a week because I've been busy #but I can never turn down the siren call to try to offer advice where I can #I am again sorry this is so long winded but I hope it helps you anon #I also try to avoid some.... discourse over the concepts of passing and stealth #which I didn't even bother touching on here #I feel that people should do what makes them happy #for me being stealth and cis passing is happiness #anyway I hope it helps to anon or anyone else who might read this

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liquidstar · 25 days

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I have an OC ask! Although more specifically, it's a question about the worldbuilding of the setting your OCs are in.

What's the deal with these Guilds that all of your characters seem to be a part of?

Why were the guilds created? What do the guilds do? How does one create a guild? How does one join a guild? How does the ranking system of the guilds work?

(I realize you were probably hoping for questions about specific characters, but all the questions I could think of are worldbuilding ones)

Oh PLEASE don’t be sorry! I absolutely love these questions and I’m SO excited to ramble about worldbuilding!!!! Thank you so much :D

It might be a lot, I’m going to sort of bulletpoint through this to make it easier. Otherwise it’ll become WAAAYYY too long and hard to read 😅so you can just skim!! you’re not under any obligation to read this in detail lol im not heartless

Either way I super appreciate the ask and thank you for going out of your way to send it!!!! it gives me a reason to jot it all down too so tysm <3

Oh PLEASE don’t be sorry! I absolutely love this question and I’m SO excited to ramble about it!!!! Thank you so much :D

I’m going to sort of bulletpoint through this to make it easier, otherwise it’ll become WAAAYYY too long and hard to read 😅 you can skim you’re not under any obligation to read this in detail lol

SO as for how they were created:

★Powers (ethos) started developing in people, not long later monsters started to pop up. Villages and travelers need help as monsters become more and more of a threat. ★A new job, “hunter,” becomes a necessity. Hunters are people with powers who can fight the monsters. Pretty straight forward. Hunters charge money in exchange for their services ★Fees become extortionate since the job is a necessity. Since hunters are still rare it’s easy for one person or group to have a monopoly in a specific area. ★To prevent this, groups of hunters band together to make larger activities centralized to local hubs throughout wider regions. Guilds. ★Eventually the kingdom takes over the guilds itself, making them function as an extension of the kingdom's defense forces. The kingdom heavily pushes guilds but at the same time passes laws to regulate them and have more direct control. ★Groups who refused to participate in the kingdom’s enforcement of these rules were considered illegal- Dark guilds. Because of this they end up taking on more unethical missions, functioning like organized crime rings. In some places they may function as mafia-style protection brackets. ★Individuals are allowed to continue work as solo hunters, however many choose not to because being affiliated with a guild gives way to more benefits (better access to missions, higher pay, often a place to live, and quick access to help from other members). ★Guilds are also considered a potential gateway to becoming a bonafide knight, however nowadays part of a knight’s duty is also to suppress the guilds and keep them in line with the kingdom’s wishes. ★It’s important to understand that the guild system was about control. The laws passed to prevent extortion had become excuses for this, and the dark guilds became examples of what is “bound to happen” when not following this law, when in reality it was the kingdom itself that pushed them there, by limiting options outside of their direct control. ★Control was very important at the start of all this, since there was a lot of panic. Panic isn’t good. Suppression and control are important, things need to be kept under lock and key. It’s really weird that monsters popped up around the same time as the powers did, right? Suppression and control are important.

For what guilds do, (how they’re made, how you join, and the ranking system):

★Like I said above, they’re centralized hubs for hunters within certain regions. But what exactly does that entail? Well ★Missions requests along with rewards will be sent to the guild from other areas within their region. Hunters within the guild will accept them and do the jobs as they need to be done. ★For more immediate problems there may be people stationed at certain “problem” areas. Also, over time, smaller guilds aside from the main one have started to form which can be called on for more immediate help too, they just won’t take on the big jobs. ★Otherwise guild members tend to live at the guild's housing, typically dorms. ★All missions have a star ranking to go with them! From one to five. One star being very easy entry-level missions (Ones where you might not even have to fight anything but just act as a guide) to five star missions being “There’s a very good chance you will die trying. Good luck!” ★Members of the guild are given a ranking of their own by the guildmaster. It’s a weighing of their skill and experience. So if you’re an expert but still a newbie to the guild, you’ll still have to spend some time proving yourself as capable before climbing the rankings. ★Naturally, the more stars, the higher the price, so there’s a lot of incentive for people to work their way up. Five stars might even be scouted as knights. ★When you first join a guild you’re a no-star. You’re expected to shadow people on their missions until you’re a fully fledged member with your own star(s). ★The sign-up process is different for each guild, but mostly it just consists of talking to the guildmaster. Some will let you join on the spot, others may ask for a show of your skills, or even a requirement to pass certain tests. It will depend on the guildmaster and how they conduct things. ★If YOU wanna be a guildmaster there are pretty much two ways to do it. Either you get the title from the previous guildmaster or you go and start your very own guild! Maybe you’ll even grow it big enough to join with the big ones someday. Who knows? ★But the process of actually creating a guild is a lot more bureaucratic. It’s gotta be kingdom approved and everything, and then you have to get people to actually want to join. But it’s been done before, so it’s worth a shot.

OK NOW this part wasn’t really in your questions so I wouldn’t even blame you if you stopped reading here but I wanna ramble about each Specific guilds lore (At least the relevant ones)

★The main guild is Nova Stella, and though a few generations ago it was considered a “rising star,” it’s pretty well established as the main guild of its area by now. The current guildmaster is Venus, and while she can be very particular about how things are run, she doesn’t actually care much for the kingdom’s laws. It’s Venus’s rules here. As a guild, they’re all technically doing a lot of stuff they’re not allowed to be doing. Stuff like, you know, having members who are former pirates or just straight up some mystery guy they found, or taking some mission requests under the table to avoid the bureaucracy which is borderline dark guild behavior. Nova Stella takes a very “people first” approach. Don’t snitch to the knights or else. ★Gladiatoria is the opposite- it’s the current #1 ranked guild and you don’t get that far without fitting into the perfect mold. Its guildmaster, Mars, personally trains all the members with a militaristic philosophy. Might makes right. It’s not an environment suited for most people, there’s a lot of pressure to succeed. People can say whatever they want, but the guild does have the results to back it up- It’s actually relatively new, it was only founded about 30 years ago, and only became a household name within the last decade. The guildmaster is a very determined person. ★Pandemonium has similar aspirations, though it’s technically been around for years it’s also only blown up in notoriety ever since Satrn, the most recent guildmaster, took over a few years ago. This is mainly because his approach has been to challenge other guilds for their control over a certain area- effectively turf wars. Is this ALLOWED? Kinda, it’s an old practice that people don’t really expect to happen anymore. And that’s how you get ‘em. ★Dragon Tree is so much more chill than any of the previously mentioned guilds. It’s not a huge guild, but it’s an old one. It’s been functioning inside of a tree for decades now, since before the current Guildmaster, Uranus, was born. It’s a respected guild, though it has a reputation for eccentric members. They mostly just value nature and want to keep peace, which is a hard philosophy to hate. ★Owl Feather is an even older guild, one of the very first guilds in fact. Since it was founded by a scholar, it became a guild dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge alongside the typical guildwork. Rather, the two go hand-in-hand. Despite the guild’s age, current guildmaster, Mercury, is one of the youngest at only 28. She doesn’t really act like it though, so please do not test her on this. As all previous guildmasters have been, she’s very dedicated to spreading the messages of their founder. ★Lunar Flare is just here for a good time. And that’s not a misspelling, it’s a pun! It’s a guild with a lot of flare, filled with people who love the arts, with a passion for bringing joy to people. To some, this may seem like a simple gimmick to attract attention and missions, but the core belief of their founder and guildmaster, Jupiter, is different. People don’t just need to be saved physically, people need joy, people need art. He believes art is a way to give hope to people who need it, to spread morale. So a guild filled with hunters and artists is killing two birds with one stone. But he would never kill a bird, that’s just mean. ★Cobalt Heart is a fairly old guild and the first official naval guild, though guilds themselves had already been established for a while by that point. All its members specialize specifically in naval and seaside missions, though they may occasionally take on other ones too. Of course the current guildmaster is Neptune, and he’s already training his son to take over someday. Cobalt Heart is also well known for being just really fucking cool.

There’s also guilds that aren’t really guilds:

★The Timber Scouts are kiiiiind of a guild. Kind of, not really. It’s basically just boyscouts/girlscouts, but as a training program for kids who wanna get into guildwork. The current guildmaster (Generous title, they’re more of a troupe leader) is Ceres, who is truly stressed the fuck out on account of The Children. ★The knights, mentioned throughout, are basically who uphold the law and control the guilds, but they’re also the main defense of the kingdom itself. Meaning any mission beyond a 5 star automatically goes to them. The highest ranking knights are the Zodiac knights and the official court of the current ruler. ★Tartarus, a dark guild. Led by Pluto, who stands at a fearsome 5’0, it’s a guild filled with bandits and outlaws. There are no rules for the jobs they take on; they can be your protectors or they can be hitmen. Though it would be pretty hard to feel safe around this group, knowing they might decide to sell your kidneys on the black market. Who knows. The rule of Tartarus is every man for themselves. They aren’t a family, they’re lone wolves who happen to be working together. Don’t be surprised if you end up stabbed in the back. ★The Sisters are… Not really a guild at all. Not even a dark guild. They don’t do missions (legal or otherwise) the same way that any other guild would. So it’s not fitting to call them that. Perhaps an organization, an alliance, people with a common goal, it wouldn’t even really be wrong to call them a cult. They have plans, they’re working towards them. That’s the main thing. Calling each other “sisters” doesn’t help with the cult allegations either. All I can say is someone get that 10 year old outta there.

AND YEAH THAT’S IT.

Unless I have any blindspots but it’s getting very late for me so I should probably wrap up my ramblings. Thank you for reading this far if you did, I appreciate the question a lot and I’m really happy I got to ramble as much as I did <3 ty and goodbyebye

#finn's ocs #once again thank you and goodnighty

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satancopilotsmytardis · 10 months

Note

10 with either pairing (whichever you think works best)?

Prompt: Accidental Stimulation

Pairing: Shigadabihawks

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: None

Spying on the League of Villains is already a dangerous job but it gets a lot worse once he's actually introduced to the rest of the villains. Because Hawks very, very quickly learns that for all that they are a bunch of ruthless criminals, they are also very touchy. Nearly blew his cover and stabbed Shigaraki the first time the man had reached out and caught his elbow with a near-deadly touch to pull him out of the way as Toga came barreling into the room. But he had managed to keep his composure, hadn't blown his cover, and now was trying to get used to people touching him all the time. Knows he could ask them to stop but he doesn't dare intentionally alienate himself from the group in any way.

Really feels like he's going to lose his mind though because Dabi and Shigaraki in particular, have gotten into a really terrible habit of touching his wings specifically.

Should probably be elated that the two of them drag him off to go over the information he brought from the HPSC this week, means that they might let something slip about how they plan to use it. But he's having a very hard time paying attention because about ten minutes ago Dabi had reached out and pulled on a primary, not hard enough to hurt, to get his eyes on a specific sector and the patrols he would expect around the wee hours of the morning. Wouldn't have been bothered by that, had given his reply, expected the hand to leave his wing. It didn't. Dabi had kept on working, asking Shigaraki about... something. Probably something important but he had been completely distracted because Dabi's too hot fingers had kept dancing along the edge of his feathers. Light, flitting touches along the edge of his barbs, stroking slowly along his primaries. Hawks did his best to keep his feathers from fluffing, had just tried to shift his wings to gently break the touch. Dabi hadn't even looked at him as his grip tightened automatically and Hawks stilled. That had been ten minutes ago. He's not even sure if Dabi's noticed what he's doing. Usually loves to watch him work, kind of always taken off-guard at how involved he gets when he's working. Had always had the man pegged as more lazy with those constantly half-lidded eyes. Did not know that he would get so absorbed in the conversation that he wouldn't even notice that he's petting his wing.

But Hawks has more than noticed. Is using every ounce of his control to keep his breath from trembling, to keep from letting his feathers fluff, to bite back little chirps and trills because Dabi keeps moving his hand along his feathers. Petting him. And it feels good. Fuck. Doesn't normally let people touch his wings, doesn't usually keep them on in bed, didn't know that a constant stream of sensation would start to make his skin so hot. Is really glad that his pants are loose and they're crowded around a table because otherwise one of them would have probably taken notice of his half hard cock. This is humiliating and when he tries to shift his wing away again, Dabi holds tighter again, fingers going a little hotter. Still talking to Shigaraki about something, still not paying him any attention. The fingers tightening on his barbs makes his whole wing shudder without his consent. His feathers opening up a little more. Can't fight that as a tremble starts to go through him.

Dabi's hand shifts for a second and Hawks is about to breathe a sigh of relief, but the fingers don't retreat. Felt the feathers moving under his touch and then his hot fingers are pushing deeper into them, higher along them, into the softer down and Hawks nearly collapses against the edge of the table. Bites his tongue so hard to keep his trills inside that he tastes blood. Couldn't have even guessed how good it would feel to have his fingers pushing into the softer parts closer to the base of each feather. The pleasure is sharp and stinging along his nerves alongside his mortification. Needs Dabi's hand off of him. Needs to figure out how to open his mouth without moaning, how to ask without alerting him to what he's doing.

"Hawks," Shigaraki's voice cutting through the haze. Shit, he starts to turn his attention to the other villain. Doesn't do it fast enough. Shigaraki's hand reaches and settles against his other wing. More blood on his tongue because his touch sinks deep into his already wide feathers, hand so much cooler than Dabi's, could kill him in an instant if he slipped. Doesn't kill him, doesn't slip, sets his hand against a wing and pauses as Hawks tries not to tremble apart. "What's going on with your wings, hero?" Asks as he spreads four fingers wide and presses into the softest parts of them.

He can't figure out how to speak, takes too long because Dabi shifts, "You okay, pretty bird?" Takes too long to answer because he asks while tugging on a primary again and he can't stop it this time.

A tiny trill sneaks out of his throat, his face flushing darkly when it does as both of the villains go very still on either side of him. Oh god. Should definitely be sharpening his feathers and getting ready to move because he is definitely about to die, that or he needs to kill them to save himself from his mortification.

Shigaraki recovers first, moves even closer, dragging his hand through his feathers until he's as close as he can get to the base of his wings with his jacket in the way. His voice lower and amused when he speaks again, "What was that, little bird?" Doesn't have a chance to try and answer again before he's deliberately stroking through the down again. Can't stop the harsh pant that leaves his lips as his wings tremble sharply under the ministration. "Does this feel good, hero?"

Dabi hums then. "Why didn't you say something before, dove?" His hot hand shifting, curling into his feathers, then giving them another tug. Hawks' legs go shaky, his cock achingly hard now, has to brace himself against the edge of the table to stay upright. "Would've stopped if you'd said something." Lightens his grip, pulls back until just the very tips of his fingers are trailing along his feathers. Can't stop the desperate trill that leaves him at the sudden loss of sensation. Dabi's grin is shark-like.

"Don't tease him, firefly," But Shigaraki's hand is still moving much more gently through his feathers, fingers going down to the very base of them. "Do you want us to stop, little bird?"

Coos desperately before he can stop himself. But the hands start to move away. "No, please, please--"

Barely has the words out of his mouth before Dabi is pushing in closer, pulling at his feathers again as he wraps the other hand around the back of his neck and drags him into a rough kiss. And Shigaraki shifts closer too, nipping along the edge of his jaw as his other hand joins the first working through his feathers. Has him moaning against Dabi's mouth as he licks his way inside. Knows he can taste the blood on his tongue too.

Heats his hand more deliberately as he tugs on his feathers roughly again. Hawks keens, his cock aching and dripping, so hard it hurts. "Think we can make him cum like this, Duster?"

"I think so, look at how flushed and desperate he already is." Shigaraki sounds amused, Dabi's eyes are shining with heat and mirth, hand moving away from his neck so Shigaraki can catch his chin and pull him into a kiss as well. Moans when Dabi's hands move along his feathers, to the base as well, still rough and far too hot.

They don't touch his cock, keep kissing him, nipping along his jaw and the thin strip of skin not hidden by his high collar, keep murmuring in his ears,

"You're so cute all red and needy, angel."

"Are you getting close, sweetheart? Must be. Look at what a mess you're making all over your uniform."

Is gripping so hard on the edge of the table that he won't be surprised if his talons have cut through his gloves as they push his pleasure sharper and sharper until all he can do is whimper, "Shigaraki--" hands still gentle, but insistent as they move along the bones. "Dabi!" His hands burning and pulling sharply at the same place on his other wing.

It's a miracle he doesn't let his feathers sharpen as he cums. Bigger miracle that the two villains see how shaky his whole body goes as the pleasure rushes through him and Shigaraki hooks an arm around his waist as Dabi catches him by the arm to keep him upright. Can't find words through the haze of his orgasm, just starts to trill dazedly as his feathers shiver.

Dabi hums again, self-satisfied and amused. "Come on pretty bird, we can go get you cleaned up."

Shigaraki's arm tightens around his waist, leans in to murmur against his ear, "Or we could make you more of a mess. Up to you, little bird."

Hell of a choice to have to make. Not a complicated one though as they keep touching his wings lightly as they wait for his response.

Thanks so much for submitting! Still accepting prompts from this list!

#shigadabihawks #mha fanfiction #writing prompt #prompt response #kink prompts

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star-sim · 2 months

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hiihii, 🦊 anon back here !! Im gon be info dumping u the shii cuz u said u were invested, but if u dont want to readall of it I completely understand cuz like I wrote a whole ass shii 😭😭

--------

okay so like there's thay copycat, let's call her P !! technically, she's been a friend since last year, but I didnt really consider her as one cuz she mostly talked with my other two friends from our closest friend group n like nobody else. (we're a group of five without her) She sorta randomly appeared, but I ofc didnt mind cuz its always nice to meet new ppl n make new friends yk ??

(extra thingy for this year => one friend changed schools to another city, another doesnt hang out with us anymore but does online, n then there's another who isnt in the same classes so we only see each other during breaks. so its just me n another friend, (let's call her F) she's has been my closest friend since years ago so far !!

Okayokay now on to the real shii; since the new school year, P asked the school if she could be in the same class as me and F (because we're always together). so practically, P is also my classmate now. BUT !! I've noticed she favours F more than me, which doesnt bother me much bc we all have preferences at some point 🤷‍♀️ HOWEVER its getting a bit uncomfy because she's slowly been like starting to copy me and seems to be trying to exclude me to get closer to F ever since school started

Im insecure about friendships, so I get jealous when I see F paying more attention to P than to me (at least Im self aware 😞) oh, abt the copying part, I have a list to explain omllll !! for instance, I have an online school timetable with a specific colour palette (we have our own from our school's app but I'd like to use my own [another one] cuz then its a widget) she saw it and asked about the app n then the next week, she did the same thing with the exact same colors for each subject ?? Its not a big deal, but its abs noticeable.. like I get it u wanna use the same app cuz Ik how handy it is but using the same colours is starting to become extra .. then theres the school stationary, especially the pencil case and highlighters. I have a clear see-through pencil case and pastel highlighters (so coquette) n after two months or somewhere around that, she got the same ones. AGAIN, not a huge deal, but then she started comparing highlighters and saying she should have bought the same ones as me (?? Girl tf) Its frustrating because she's indirectly indicating that she wants to be or have the same shii as me 😭 n I dont like that. Ik some ppl do but I jst dont

Another example is my headphones. I have specific ones (JBL I lub em sm), n in December or smth, she also got the same ones but in pink (I have black ones) Its not about the headphones themselves tho, but the fact that she claimed we have the same ones when they're CLEARLY different. It's a fcking pattern, even with little things like a pocket mirror that she suddenly wants after seeing mine ?? 😭 "oh, I want to have one too now n use it like u" *proceeds to buy n never use it anyways* 💀

oh oh, then theres the issue of her comparing grades (no like wtaf) my average is at least 70%, which Im abs content with, but I wish I had more motivation to study m improve 😞 ahe studies n has an average of 74%, which is great for her ofc !! but she constantly YAPS abt having higher grades n being smarter, not realizing the difference between being book-smart n actually intelligent like girl theres a diff between the 2 yk 😭😭

P is actually fcking starting to get on my nerves, especially after half a year of this bs .. the friend who changed schools was like the mother of the group, n I miss her a lot (she's coming back next year tho, yippie !!) P seems to be trying to exclude me from the friend group n from my bestie F :( I havent told anyone else cuz like Im afraid theyll jst think Im overreacting, but I did confide in T ( the transfer student friend, lets call her that !!), n shes on my side (duh ofc cuz she also noticed from last year how she only sticked to F) but I dont want to tell F herself cuz I dont think she'll believe me. I used to feel happy and comfy being myself before P joined in, but now I feel like Im constantly being criticized n copied :// Its even worse bc she made fun of my cat's name !! (Like, I told her my cat's name cuz at one point we were talking abt cats n I told her I had gotten a new one that summer. atm she was doing that gossip whisper thingy to somebody else n when I told her that she had to be honest and confess she was making fun of my cat's name she went like "ohhhh, for a cat name !! I thought a human name" n then fake smiles omfl ..)

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ANYWAYSSSS, TAKE CARE 😽 love ur fics Istg I dont think I'd survive here w/out ur writings Im not joking 😭 ur fics r like one of the only ones that I'd even WANT to read no matter the 10k+ wc (thats a lot for me n I prefer short ones, but ur longer ffs r like TOP TIER MWAH)

-🦊

oh girl ur stronger than me bc P would make me yell....

u and F are like for-lifers.... the friends that you keep when things change are the ones that you need to CHERISH FR

i think ur like 100% valid for the friendship jealousy, i get SO jealous too ur like real for that. like looking at these individual examples it doesn't come off that P is trying to copy you.... but when you look at it ALTOGETHER as ONE BIG MASSIVE PICTURE.... yikessss

i cant stand P sorry... like the excluding thing is making me seethe

AND THE CATS NAME THING WOULD BE MY FINAL STRAW GIRLLL STAY IN UR OWN LANE

i don't think ur overreacting, ur like 100% valid for this one

i am SO on your side

imo i think it's important to talk to F about this... and if she does not react well then drop her!!! if your best friend cannot take your feelings into consideration then that's not good!!

i'm glad that you like me fics btw!! it means a lot <3333

thanks for stopping by 🦊 anon!!! mwah mwah love you (and lmk if i need to air raid P)

#star-sim #vanya-talks #★: 🦊 anon !!

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ukrfeminism · 2 years

Text

Every day in Scotland, four pregnant women will be the victim of domestic violence.

At what should be one of the happiest times of their lives, the women will be beaten and bullied by a man, usually the father of their unborn child. Sometimes the violence will end in a miscarriage.

Yet, unlike in England and Wales, there is no specific offence of ending a pregnancy through violence or abusive behaviour in Scotland. One woman is determined to change that.

Nicola Murray from Perthshire is currently campaigning for 'Brodie’s Law', which would create an offence of “contributing or attempting to contribute, through violence, abusive behaviour, deception and/or coercion to the ending of a partner’s or ex-partner’s pregnancy”.

Her activism is rooted in harrowing life experience. She suffered two miscarriages after being violently assaulted by her then-partner. In 2013, her ex, Stuart Hunter, knocked her down with his car. She was six weeks pregnant and lost the baby. Hunter was convicted of reckless conduct and ordered to pay £300 compensation.

Nicola says she later lost a second child after being attacked by another partner. This time, after she had recovered from the loss of her son, whom she named Brodie, she set up a charity in his name to raise awareness about the issue and to support women who, like her, miscarried through domestic violence.

It was Nicola who earlier this week revealed the scale of the problem. Her Freedom of Information request to Police Scotland shows that, from 2017 to last year, pregnancy was “flagged” in 7,310 domestic incidents. That’s an average of 1,460 a year – four women a day.

The information came too late for Nicola’s appearance at Holyrood’s Public Petitions Committee last month, where she argued for a change in the law, but she did find cross-party support.

Labour MSP Paul Sweeney pointed out that other parts of the UK have a specific offence of “child destruction”, with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The SNP’s Fergus Ewing said he was “sorry” that the system had failed Nicola, and the committee convener Jackson Carlaw said consideration of the petition will continue after the summer recess with a roundtable discussion.

Following this week’s revelations, a Scottish Government spokesperson told the Daily Record that ministers had “followed the powerful evidence given to the Petitions Committee”, adding, “while the legal issues are complex, we will always give close consideration to the arguments made”.

Domestic abuse is on the rise in Scotland. Last year, Police Scotland recorded 65,252 incidents, an increase of four per cent compared to the previous year. The Scottish Government baldly noted, “this is the fifth year in a row this figure has shown an increase”.

The cost-of-living crisis that threatens us all could trigger a further increase. A study last year by Edinburgh University’s Centre for Research on Families and Relationships shows not only that pregnancy is a particular risk factor in domestic abuse cases, but so is financial insecurity.

The centre found that women on the lowest incomes are far more likely to experience abuse, but, contrary to all stereotypes, their investigation revealed that the odds of a woman being attacked increased with the level of her education.

Researchers discovered that the combination of being in the poorest household income groups and having a degree was associated with a much higher predicted prevalence of reported abuse.

“It is not clear why this might be the case,” they concluded, but I could hazard a guess. The misogyny that drives violence against women and girls is not peculiar to men on low incomes or without a degree, and women from all backgrounds are at risk of abuse. Domestic abuse is, and always has been, a problem for the whole of society. And trends suggest it is getting worse.

The latest series of Love Island is a case in point. Only this week, domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid contacted ITV about the "misogynistic and controlling behaviour" on the show and criticised the producers for not including "an understanding of controlling behaviour in relationships" in its inclusion training for contestants.

Frankly, the very premise of Love Island, where beautiful young women are reduced to sex objects desperate to “couple up” with a male contestant to stay on the show is, at best, sexist. It’s the Benny Hill Show for the Instagram generation, only far more sinister than the 1970s comedy. It glorifies misogyny and cruelty, the very roots of violence against women.

Women’s rights are fragile, in constant need of nurturing. Scottish ministers need to do more than give “close consideration” to the issues raised by Nicola Murray and others. They must act. A simple amendment to the 2018 Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, to include a specific offence of killing an unborn child through violence, is surely a straightforward solution.

And Scotland should have its own Domestic Violence Commissioner, just as there is in England and Wales, where Nicole Jacobs was appointed three years ago. She provides national leadership on this urgent social issue.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on a Victim’s Commissioner but given the widespread prevalence of domestic violence – and the often-hidden nature of the crime – it requires a particular focus.

In the foreword to the consultation, Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, says the government “will listen to people with lived experience – victims, survivors, families…”

But listening is not enough. From today until the consultation ends on Friday, 28 pregnant women will be abused in their own homes. It’s time to act.

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m34gs · 9 months

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Disregarding any canon video games presented in Twisted Wonderland, what so you think are the house warden's favourite video game(s) (if it is a game series)?

Ooooh, disregarding the video games canon in-game, you say? Ok! Mwahahahahaha. I am so excited for this ask! I will stick to video games I have played at least a couple times.

Riddle- Riddle is someone I think would enjoy mobile games. I picture him enjoying the brightly coloured ones, so something like Candy Crush; where he can follow the rules and progress linearly, as the gods intended. I think he'd also find it a bit relaxing because, while it does work the brain for finding patterns and strategizing when to use certain power-ups, it's not overly difficult and the stakes are low. He can do it in between rounds of studying. Yes, you heard me right. When you study with Riddle, every session feels like a battle round.

Leona- I don't think Leona feels very strongly toward video games in general. If he were to choose one he enjoys, I think he'd want a mentally stimulating one; something like a puzzle or strategy game. But I don't think he'd want one too plot-heavy because it would require a higher level of effort, and he just wants to relax. I think he'd like online Mahjong Solitaire. It's not like he has to pay attention to a story, but he still gets the mental stimulation of finding patterns and figuring out a strategy (strategy matters so much. I have to use the undo button so much when I play because just because a move is 'possible' does not mean it is 'right'). It's also a rather quiet game, so he could put on some relaxing background noise and play until he's ready to take a nap or go to bed.

Azul- Azul likes the simulation games. Specifically, the business simulation ones. I think his favourite would be some good ol' classic Papa's Pizzeria. It starts off slow, and he likes to see how far he can get. Every time he plays, he's challenging himself to make it a level further. I honestly think Azul thrives when his attention is split; so jumping between the pizza stations and customer orders for him is no problem.

Kalim- I think Kalim would like the appeal of an open world game; one where he can travel freely and do things as he feels like doing them. I think he could be very creative but that he would want the ability to pick up and leave creative projects as the mood strikes him. He's doing this for enjoyment; it's not a job. Also, I think he'd really like the idea of in-game pets. That's why I think he would like Minecraft the most. He can tame dogs and cats, he can farm animals, he can mine for resources, he can build as little or as much as he wants, and he has an entire map to explore with no time-sensitive quests or NPC's following him around.

Vil- Honestly, I don't think Vil has an opinion on a whole lot of video games. I think he finds them enjoyable, but that he's for the most part neutral to a lot of them. I do think Vil gets lonely and wants to spend time with friends, and I think he'd enjoy a video game that can be played as a group. So, for Vil I chose Mario Party 8 (because that's the version I'm most familiar with). I think he would like the cute little character designs, and I think he'd love that he can play it with Rook, Epel, Yuu, and Grim. There would be a lot of fun and laughter and I think that is something he's been craving since he was a child; a group of friends he can just relax with and be a little silly with, and not have to worry about making sure he looks really good at all times because it's silly and it's fun and honestly no one is good at all the minigames.

Idia- Idia seems to enjoy games with stories, and especially games with heroes who have odds stacked against them. Not to focus too much on Idia's inspiration, but I do think Idia would really like Hades. I think he'd enjoy the ever-changing layout of the underworld, that he'd like trying different routes and the different weapons and upgrades you can get. He'd enjoy the sarcasm of the main character, and I think he'd like the art and aesthetic of the game. Also, the music is fucking fire. I love it. Slaps so hard. I think Idia would like it too!

Malleus- I think he'd like Giga Pets Explorer. For those who don't know, it's a Giga pets game that comes with a little giga pet you can have in your pocket and carry around to take care of, but it also is a TV game, with another pet you can do quests and missions with on the big-screen. You can even plug the little handheld giga pet into the TV controller and the little pet will follow your larger pet around (this also gains you access to specific areas, though I can't remember exactly which ones - I think either an island or a beach-. If I seem to know a lot, it's because my sister got one for her birthday one year when we were all still in elementary school and all three of us would play it in turns together). It's canon that Malleus likes little pocket-pet games and wants them to have friends, and so I think he would absolutely love this game. Lilia might have to tear him away from the controller to eat and do schoolwork though...lol.

There you go, those are my picks for the Housewarden's fave video games, ignoring of course the video games already canon to the game. LOL. Hope you enjoyed my answers, and let me know what you think! Which video games would you assign to each Housewarden?

#twisted wonderland #housewardens #headcanons #video games #my headcanons #kimium #thanks so much for the ask friend #could you tell Leona was the most difficult for me to figure out?#I love him but he really needs to figure out some hobbies that are not just 'nap'. LOL

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awkwardgtace · 8 months

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Character development questions!!

Alessia 💃

Melody ✍️

Felix 😄

Corus 🙂

Ryder 🚗

Feel free to talk about them in general or in any specific AU you might have in mind!! (You don’t have to answer all of them)

tumblr almost stole this one from me! Ask Game

Most of these were kind of general answers since they sorta follow through on the character more than the au. If I did have specifics for any it would have been mentioned though!

💃: How do they feel about dancing and are they any good at it? Do they prefer solo, partnered, or group dancing? (Alessia)

Alessia in all aus loves dancing, but isn't very good at it. So she prefers dancing with partners and groups. If she's giant she especially loves getting to dance while holding tiny partner(s) close. If she's small she doesn't mind just getting pressed against a giant chest and being part of the fun. Standing on a hand she has fun too especially when it's giant smiles sent her way.

✍: What does your character’s handwriting look like? Do they write letters often? What other contexts do they usually write in, if any? (Melody)

Consistently horrible handwriting. Like bad enough when it's just for her eyes that other people will struggle to read it. If she slows down and takes time to write it's much more legible.

In general she doesn't write letters, but she writes notes a lot. For games, something to remember, or to help her stay awake when she can't keep her hands busy. it's often things that only make sense to her.

😄: How can you tell when they’re really happy? What sorts of things make them happy? How often do they smile? (Felix)

You can tell Felix is really happy usually by how he talks. There's a difference in the tone he uses, more emotion to it. A bit softer and higher pitch too, though the pitch change isn't much. He gets happy when he finishes working on a design/outfit. Spending time with people he's close to, even if it's nothing he's too interested in. Doubly so if he's a giant because he knows he scares them. He also gets ecstatic when people where the clothes he's made them. Smiling is a bit more rare and harder to catch. He'll only really smile when he thinks no one is paying attention to him. He has a reputation usually. Although if you're someone close to him you'll see a soft warm smile pretty often.

🙂: What are three of their personality traits that others would generally consider positive? (Corus)

Protective, he's definitely the friend to go to when you need help or just want to feel safe. optimistic, generally thinks things can and will work out Trusting, he takes a lot at face value when it comes to people. He's not naive, but he has trusted the wrong people. He'd never take the risk when it's a serious danger though (like showing a tiny mira to someone his size, or a tiny corus walking up to a human he doesn't know)

🚗: In a modern AU, what kind of job would they have, if any? (Ryder)

I actually hinted at this a bit in the oneshot (that might be an AU now) where Rhys is a borrower who likes to play pranks. Ryder would run a store probably on etsy where he makes resin printed minis and paints them. For something a bit better he'd run a game store. The guy is very much the dungeons and dragons/general tabletop games nerd and would make a living out of it. The part of him that started with war has to keep up somewhere :D

#awkwardanswers #gt ocs #ty for the ask #genuinely always smile when i see you in my notifs #oc: ryder #oc: alessia #oc: melody #oc: corus #oc: felix #made yesterday much more fun to get to think about these answers!

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sanstropfremir · 2 years

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what do you think makes a well balanced group. your kepler ask mentions how skills and personality is important but is there a secret formula that you think is most potent. there are groups where each member is good at a specific thing, and groups where every member is equally skilled in dancing and singing. on one hand, if a group has the dynamic where everyone is equally skilled in all aspects it may make them lackluster. but would it be appropriate if say, 1 member is a weak dancer and the strongest vocalist and vice versa the same group has a strong dancer and weak vocal. maybe this dynamic would work in a small group, but not a large one? the trouble with large groups being, if all members have the same skills no one pays attention to them, or there will always be a standout member of a large group because realistically a group with 6 members and up cant be equally skilled with z e r o quirks or differences

well. this is kind of a multi-faceted answer, because although i don't think there's a specific 'secret formula' for a perfect group, kpop already has a structure that members get slotted into that actually does work. so yes, but also no? it's complicated.

so the whole system of assigned positions is essentially the formula that makes a well balanced group. that's literally the point of each of the positions; they're there in order to organize the roles so the group is balanced. now, do companies get it right all the time? no. do fans agree with it? absolutely not. but that IS what it's there for, and, in my opinion, it does work. most of the time. i think it's stupid and naive for fans to argue for equal line distribution yadda yadda because being a vocal is not going to be everyone's strong point. a main vocal SHOULD have the majority of the singing, that's their job. a main dancer SHOULD be leading dance breaks etc, that's their job. and an assigned centre SHOULD be in centre position, because they're there to be the hook. i've talked about how centre position is important before so i won't hash over that again, but my point is that those assigned positions aren't random, they're there in order to establish a balance within a group, so that people know what your place is. it's a job description.

however, those are just general positions, and obviously not every person and group has the same distribution of skills. what actually makes a balanced group is the people in that group understanding that they need to be balanced. no group is ever going to have the same interpersonal or skill related dynamics, but if all the members understand the parts they play and work together to fill in gaps and create a unified image, that's what makes the whole thing work.

of course this also feeds into my own personal beliefs about group composition, which i think are probably uncommon: i don't think there should be any large groups at all. five is the perfect size, seven is fine, nine is the MAXIMUM. groups larger than that have difficulty maintaining focal points and also have a higher likelihood of having filler members who may be able to keep up technically, but don't do much other than bolster numbers. everyone jokes about nct being too big, but the reality is that nct almost never promotes with more than nine members in a subunit, because sm intimately knows that if a group gets too big, it gets messy. you keep the member numbers down, and all those members have more of an equal reason to be there, even if it's not 'equal' in the songs or performances. there's a lot of other things that idols do that require different skills that aren't used in performance, and those are distributed differently depending on the group.

obvs none of these are hard and fast rules, and often a lot of groups settle into shapes that go beyond their 'job descriptions' and that's fine, because they're usually working through that together. it's all about negotiation

#sorry my theatre related conflict resolution skills are bleeding ALL over this lmao #i think bc theyre so ubiquitous ppl have kind of overlooked assigned positions but like. they ARE there for a reason #and i am actually a proponent of a centre position i think theyre very important #there SHOULD be someone that stands out. you have to hook people into the group somehow #idk maybe this is a hot take or whatever but idol groups are not 'just about the music' and fans who say that are being naive #should idol groups make good music? yea sure. but in no way is it the only thing they do #and to ignore the stage performance and public interaction side of it is stupid #all of it together is what makes the experience + is part of the job #if you enjoy a group just for their music that's fine. i do that too #but don't pretend that's all the conversation is about #kpop questions #idk maybe this might not make sense to ppl but the way i see is that a kpop group is kind of like the company of a show #like you've got main actors and supporting actors and other ppl that have different positions that do different things #that all help keep everything running the way it should be #so ppl asking about equal line distribution is like someone demanding that a supporting actor should take some of the main's lines #like why? that makes no sense. that's not your role #like obvs the analogy is not one to one. but kpop groups ARE a crafted narrative #text #answers #also i think ppl just dont understand anymore that supporting parts are in fact very important to the makeup of a group #being in a supporting role does not make you lesser. you just have a different function #something something the current standard of individualism and constant drive to 'be the best' or whatever #ruined any understanding of community and communal work #n e ways. idk if this even makes sense anymore

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welcometomymaddness · 2 years

Text

YouTubers’ Hero Academia — The Irish Lads #4

<{Used naepyonnn’s bnha student maker wip to make this. Don’t know which side of his avatar’s face the metal is on but this is the only side I could put it on.}>

Brian

His quirk gives him immensely strong bones made out of some kind of metal.

His bones take longer to heal than normal bones, but damaging them is more difficult. His bones have a higher specific heat capacity than every other body part and are thermal conductors. Any scars he gets reveal his bones to some degree, making him look like a cyborg or android to some.

Wants to be a hero to legally beat people up.

He is naturally aggressive and enjoys fighting, especially to blow off steam.

Very observant + amazing memory = undercover hero in the making.

He isn’t too thrilled at this since it likely means he will have to control his temper. The pay did begin to sway him.

Standoffish but heavily involved in group shenanigans when he’s around.

He’s the most likely Lad to be off doing his own thing or hanging with others ( in Brian’s case, the Banana Bus Squad ).

The “eldest child” of the Lads.

He can be the most responsible and level-headed or he can be the most brash and self-serving.

Stats

Power: 3/5

Speed: 2/5

Technique: 3/5

Intelligence: 6/5

Cooperativeness: 4/5

Despite being in detention near enough every day and general rowdy behaviour, Brian puts commendable effort into his training. To make up for his quirk’s limited range of usefulness, he is insistent on the use of weapons; a friend of his in the support course is making sunglasses to help with his aim as well as data gathering.

#YouTubers’ Hero Academia #YTHA #YTMHA #The Irish Lads #irish lads #Brian Michael Hanby #Terroriser #The Gaming Terroriser #Banana bus squad #Banana bus crew

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magnetic-regent-magneto · 2 years

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 GOLDEN TRACKS AU [Shaw & Magnus]

AU:

with @sebastianshaw

In a world where medieval fantasy meets Art Deco 1920s, families and mobs have taken over various parts of the grand city of New Genosha, Max "Magnus" Eisenhardt rules the steel and mechanical industry and created the first, consistent cross-country train system. The Acolytes, who have the regional radio under their whim, follow his lead. It took a revolution for them to get power and more powerful groups intent to get a piece. Former alliances and enemies quickly go out the window for new eras.

(aka. the Shaw and Magnus Noir Edits finally have their Plotline!! Inspired by Streets of New Capenna)

[ First meetings and impressions. ]

This specific club, had a most unfortunate position among New Genosha’s streets.

Where usually various homes and factories were endangered by the iron-suspended bridge above, shadowing the labyrinth of streets, this golden-clad club did not budge. Each time a train dashed over the tracks of the great bridge above, the walls, glasses of champagne and a chandelier trembled.

The force did not throw over, or ripped something from the ceiling, but it interrupted the tunes of any singer and band. The gold, magic-induced neon lights, candles and pretentious get-ups of this society made up for the shadowed landscape. The purple-tinted grand mosaic windows lit up with the headlights of an oncoming train before all returned to the same. The club’s program had been sorted accordingly ever since. A train passing through meant a break or the end of a performance. Singers had to keep their schedule or fall on stage.

With the truly pointedly timely train system, there was nothing not appointed for. Just aside from the bar sat a horned, pale imp, studying the radio with an expression of focus as if his life depended on it. For its unfortunate position, it was one of the richest clubs in the main station district. Perhaps the richest one belonging to the Eisenhardt’s from this to the factory district.

It had to be because of its determination to keep the chandelier stapled to the ceiling.

Magnus sits at one of the red-velveted card booths, positioned on a higher part of the club, away from the well-lit stage. The metallic buttons on his vest and coat shine in the colors of the mosaic and chandelier. The pipe at the corner of his mouth sheds just the faintest light unto his handsome features.

While all others the like were occupied by dapper creatures and indulging in games, with cheating of all their kind, he sat back with a pipe, pen and paper. Sketches of machinery, motors and electrical constructions powered by forces of magic and magnetism had been brought unto the sketchbook within the past few performances and trains leaving per schedule.

Max recalls the feel of the wires and cogs, the way the machinery rattled not too differently from the club every once in a while. It whistled and carried the stench of oil and mad-flying fire in its core. Now it was but coal on paper. His fingertips look not much less black than the day he worked in the old factories to create the very machinery he sketched.

Those days passed. Not enough. The coal lingers in his fingertips, the heavy load of the work is a ghost in his bones and the smog one in his lungs. What a mess, he thought, he had cleaned up. Just before his pen once more finds the paper under the faint electrical lights, a note is slipped underneath it. The radio man leaves quicker than he dares eye the Lord.

Guests are arriving.

Not ones commonly found in a club beneath the main station. The great river split New Genosha into its districts, brutal enough to be a city defined by borders of wealth and family insignia.

Eisenhardt had his monopole of mechanical industry, trains transport and radio like a vein running just from the core of split canals to the outer industry districts. To have unfamiliar ‘guests’ cross the banks and canals on party boats to come pay a humble visit to a trembling club, meant business.

The bridges came down, they extended the shore. They sent the electricity and magic through the network. But the telegrapher used to be quicker, Magnus notes. The foyer is left in a ruckus of workers grabbing coats, guards giving each other signals and the bar getting ready for what might be an onslaught of people. Perhaps with an intention of an onslaught in their minds and loaded guns.

The performance has stopped for the minute, cheers fill the room and in the next moment the onlookers patiently eye their watches.

The doors swing open. One dashing man steps inside. A train rattles the walls. The performance continues. A waiter points towards the upper velvet booths and offers a few glasses of mixed drinks in various shining colours. Guards have their eyes fixed on the man whose face was one difficult to get out of the newspapers- especially the economics section. The Acolytes had their field day reporting about his newest endeavors.

Sebastian Shaw was nothing alike a dirty, mortal mediocrity. Magnus' heart lunged into his stomach and his face showed the bit of anger. What a strange new kind of business this would become. He could only anticipate it in his greatest preparations. But there was no need for them. For now. He extends his hand.

"Sebastian Shaw. You could have surprised me with your sudden visit if not for your heads-up."

There was none. He almost threatened to smile. But the visit of one of the greater economic lords would have come sooner or later.

With the revolution just passed, there was little that could surprise him.

@sebastianshaw

#muse:magneto #--FEAR BREEDS RAGE || RP #muse:sebastian shaw #—GOLDEN TRACKS || AU

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katiebtslover · 2 years

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Strange By AgustD and RM Analysis

The track begins with a simple piano melody, almost gentle as if to ease the listener into the rest of the track, and then drops into a trap beat, standing testament to how essentially hip-hop the beat is.

As the song begins, it's like an explosion of sound and music, the choices made in production adding incredibly to the overall texture of the song. Suga's voice is pushed to the back of the track, and the autotune is clearly a stylistic choice, but it works perfectly for the specific feel of the song. Suga begins, likening "dust" to "lust" and questioning what we see. It seems to be a play on words since dust can make vision difficult, and lust is said to blind us. He asks if life is pain or joy, questioning god himself- that age-old question that has plagued so many of our greatest thinkers. His words are cynical, he believes life is just a system, with survival caught in the space between conflict and war, like bated breath, like the moment of breathlessness before sleep, like an afterthought. He likens his life to his "capital"- as though he's stating that his life is all he has, and even that he would set as collateral for his dreams, as though he would give anything, pay any price for his ambitions. He sings that hope is like morphine for him, and though morphine is a drug, it is often used in medicine to soothe chronic or acute pain. It seems Suga is saying that his hope keeps him going, and at the same time sets him up for a higher fall- morphine can ruin just as much as it can save, and takes far too many lives. He speaks about how the rich just keep getting richer, how nothing satisfies their all-consuming greed, and how they covet even poverty. He says that life is a zero-sum game(this means that if one has more, another must automatically have less- the opposite of the concept of "creating wealth" which is so important to capitalism) He speaks of polarization- and that word has so many meanings and implications. It can mean a stark division of public opinion into two contrasting schools of thought, which BTS definitely achieved. People either love them for their raw honesty and the way they buck the status quo or hate them for it. There is little to no in-between for those who listen carefully to their music, especially not on the kpop scene. But the word "polarisation" also means the action of restricting light in one direction- wholly or partially. And this restriction is what BTS has never succumbed to. They've never picked a lane, and they've always spoken about the important things in life and society. He sings about how this polarization is the ugliest flower in the world- but the truth is that all flowers must come from somewhere, and this one might bloom the dirty soil of hate, racism, xenophobia, fear, war, or violence. He asks us who suffers and who benefits from such divides- the divides between rich and poor, the divides between war and peace, and the answers to such questions are never comforting. We all have heard that a one-eyed man rules the kingdom of the blind- but is that really true? As humans, we are so afraid of differences, we attack those who don't look, speak or opine exactly like us. He speaks of how a healthy man in a sick world would be the mutant- we prefer what we know, not what would be better. He contemplates that the one with his eyes open in a world that has closed its eyes is the victim- implying intentionality on the world's part, as though we have purposely refused to see the truth, and so even those who do see it are helpless to change anything, as good as blinded. He says that peace and war are both extremes- isn't it strange? But we, as a society, only call the latter group extremists. RM's verse begins, and it looks like a play off of Suga's verse. He speaks about how "choice" is an illusion, how all the choices we think we have, are given by the "capital" (perhaps calling back to Suga's statement about his life being his capital, but meaning an authority like a government in this case- a play on connotations, if you will). Suga had spoken of life being a system, and RM builds upon that, singing that no matter how wealthy we are, the only difference among us is the quality of the collar around our necks- the fact is that everyone is collared nonetheless. ++

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