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tinydeskwriter · 2 years

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Traitor- Part Two

singer!reader

TRAITOR ; EXTRA

summary: in which H and Y/n met for the first time since the break up.

word count: 2923

A/n: Y/n is mean in this one, but I swear, I tuned down from what originally was supposed to be. I know a few of you guys asked me to tag you, but in the spirit of fairness, I would ask who want to be tagged to send me a Ask, is easier for me to see you there than in the comments. As some of you may know, I already choose Y/n’s New Man, and he’ll already show up in the next Extra. Some of you asked if there is a chance os reconciliation, the answer is: I don’t think so, but… read and tell me what you think.

TRAITOR- PART TWO: Heartless.

2021, April 08.

She had chosen a light pink Zimmerman oversized dress from the 2020 collection, it had been a gift from Gemma and Anne for her birthday that year, it made her look soft and accentuated her belly with grace, she paired it with white Gucci Mule Princetown shoes, and a straw bag 'a la' Jane Birkin. Her hair was loose and brushed in beach waves. Rings covering her delicate fingers, and nails are painted a delicate shade of pink, and a large sunglasses by Dolce and Gabbana protecting her eyes.

Y/n looked very soft and motherly.

She had agreed to meet Harry at Full Stop Management's office in early April, even though Jeff told Lia that lawyers weren't needed, still, the manager knew better than to take his word for it, the woman, who had managed Y/n's career for the past ten years, categorically stated that Jeff and Harry would have a full team in the room, publicist, lawyers, the whole circus, it was after much insistence that the singer agreed to Camilla's presence at the meeting. Now Camilla might look harmless in her ultra-feminine clothes and flashy Louboutin heels, but the woman was a shark, not just any kind, in court she was reputed to be a cannibal, a shark that devours other sharks.

Y/n really hoped there was a team waiting for them, she didn't want to be seen as the person who was going for the attack. So far all her actions have been carefully planned to not be seen as aggressive.

The singer was accompanied by her manager, her personal assistant, and Niall —who had been staying at her house since she returned to LA, Zayn and Gigi had also been seen in town with their friend, a rare sighting in the case of the Bradford bad boy—, two bodyguards went together to make the security of the two Brits in case of the presence of paparazzi and fans.

It's safe to say that Y/n was surrounding herself with friends with all the publicity that now surrounded her breakup.

Whenever the singer was seen in public, she was accompanied by friends, and loyal friends at that, who quickly surrounded her to protect her from the paparazzi lens and the harassment of fans. Kendall had shielded her friend with her coat and glared at the paparazzi when the two were photographed in Santa Monica; Justin had asked for respect and for them to back off as he guided Y/n to the car with Hailey just behind on the exit from Nobu; Dakota wasn't afraid to show the middle finger when the paparazzi screamed for them as they left a little café in Malibu; hidden between Florence Welch and Mark being led away from the crowd, while Lady Gaga chatted with fans; she was snapped by fans shopping for children's items with Taylor Swift and Blake Lively in a nice little boutique in Manhattan in late March; and she was caught casually strolling through the Farmers Market in Brooklyn accompanied by actors Pedro Pascal and Oscar Issac, with Elvira and the couple's two children a few days later.

Her friends were showing support both publicly and privately.

People she hadn't been close with before, because of Harry's insecurity, had gotten bigger roles in her life. She was finally allowing herself to have male friends who weren't mutual friends.

The Lincoln Navigator pulled up in front of the building, quickly being surrounded by paparazzi and fans, easily a crowd of a hundred people. Y/n looked at Niall as he swore.

The security guards got out of the car first, and only when they managed to clear some space between the paparazzi did the Irishman open the door, getting out first and helping his friend out. The cameras were on them the second her feet touched the ground.

They clearly had been tipped that there would be a meeting that day.

Y/n held her head high, eyes hidden by dark shades while walking behind her longtime friend, hand gripping the crook of his elbow. Niall led the way, leading the group of women into the building.

As the paparazzi took pictures they didn't throw too many invasive questions at her. There were also fans around, Y/n noticed, she smiled faintly and waved at some who were shouting her name in support and even accepted the flowers they offered her. In the court of public opinion Y/n was the victim, this was crystal clear, a young woman who had loved a men too much and had been cheated on and left for a new lover, a modern more Hollywood and glamorous version of what Lady Di had been.

The singer had gained five million and a half new followers on Instagram since the Grammys, and a few thousand more after her interview with Hailey.

“Jeff must be shitting bricks,” Lia smiled a little when they were safely in the lobby. “His golden boy is not so golden anymore.”

The group found Camilla already waiting in the lobby, the lawyer greeted everyone cordially, and Y/n affectionately. They headed for the elevator, the way from the ground floor to the office floor taking place in silence. When the door slid open an assistant, whom Y/n recognized by sight, but couldn't remember the name, was waiting for them, the girl smiled at them, greeted them politely and guided them to the conference room.

For the first time since December, Harry and Y/n were in the same room. His emerald eyes following her as she moved around the room.

Her ex was sitting between Jeffrey and an older man in a suit. His side of the table was filled with older men in suits, and a stern-looking woman that Y/n recognized as Karen, leader of the PR team.

"I thought we weren't going to involve lawyers, Jeff." Lia said in a sarcastic tone as she greeted the man.

At least Jeffrey had the decency to blush.

"Y/n...How are you?" The singer looked at Harry, his hoarse voice sounded almost breathless.

He looked fine, at least physically, definitely not dressed for an important meeting, his hair was cut short in a retro haircut—was probably already filming My Policeman—, and he looked tired, with bag under his eyes, she could see the guilty and sadness in his eyes. Good.

Bella had sent her the tabloid piece reporting Harry and Olivia's breakup, with pictures of the woman moving out of his rented house and all, the older woman looked miserable and sloppy —and Y/n would deny it until the end, because you never push another woman down to build yourself up, but she felt a little bit of satisfaction reading the comments about how Olivia was a downgrade compared to ‘Goddess’ looking Y/n, those are probably left by her fans, and how he had probably just settled for Olivia after the breakup—.

The young woman sat in the chair Niall pulled out for her, her hands protectively over her stomach, in an involuntary gesture.

“I am doing better now.” It was the only answer she gave, and it was already more than he deserved from her.

Harry leaned slightly across the table. "Can we please talk?" He looked at the people around them. "In private." His people seemed ready to get up and leave the room as soon as he gave the cue, but the four people accompanying Y/n looked at her, making it clear that they wouldn't move without her saying something.

Y/n sighed, taking the sunglasses off her face and laying them on the table, she looked at the man she once loved more than life itself with cold eyes. To Harry, she looked more goddess than woman, and he swallowed hard, deeply regretting all the bad choices he'd made that had led to him losing the love of his existence.

"The time for private conversations is over Harry." The woman had her eyes fixed on her ex-fiancé. "Now we're here to discuss how to go forward and move on, and leave all that happened where it belongs, in the past." They both knew she meant not just the suffering and pain he had caused her.

She meant him, and the years they'd spent together. The good and the bad. He was now only a piece of her past. He had no place in the next Act of the show that was her life. If before he had been one of the protagonists of her life story, now he had been relegated to a minor supporting character.

"I miss you, Love, everyday and every hour, I know…" There was desperation in his voice, Y/n could hear it clearly, but she came to the shocking conclusion that she didn't care.

"You have no right to miss me." She interrupted him without mercy. "That was your choice Harry, you chose this, you knew what your decisions would cause, you knew the pain you would inflict on me, and you did it anyway."

He looked at her stunned, he got so used to his sweet Y/n that he forgot she had a bite in her.

"Babe, it was a huge mistake, we could..." He tried, more desperate than ever, he wasn’t used to the coldness in her eyes being directed at him.

"We could," she agreed, some aggressiveness in her eyes, "We could have gotten over what you did, we could, I loved you enough to try, but you broke up with me and started dating her like I was nothing in your life, as if the eight years we spent together didn't matter, as if we weren't planning a wedding." The woman was looking down at him, like a queen to a dirt peasant. "So when you miss me, remember, when you had me I wasn't good enough."

Niall squeezed his friend's hand on the table in support.

Everyone around them stayed in silence, just watching the heated interaction between the former couple. It was almost pitiful too watch.

At this point there was nothing Harry could say to make her forgive him. After what he'd put her through, after how he'd made her feel… She didn't even want to talk to him, there was nothing he could say to make all his mistakes go away.

Lia cleared her throat, looking from her client to her ex cautiously.

"Okay…We are here to resolve the division of jointly acquired assets, I think it's best if we stick with that for now." Lia interrupted before either Harry or Y/n could say something else.

Jeff nodded, he's never been much for confrontations, he looked at Harry once more, the younger man looked absolutely miserable with his hand buried in his hair, but nodded in agreement to move on, his emerald eyes never leaving the woman he had shared his life with for the past eight years. Harry's manager took the folder offered by one of the lawyers.

He looked at the client one last time before his eyes focused on Y/n's face. He'd almost forgotten how gorgeous Harry's ex-fiancee was in the months since he'd last seen her. The singer had a kind of neutralizing beauty, and the pregnancy glow only seemed to accentuate it more.

"Harry has decided to give up his share of joint estate in favor of Y/n." Jeff said looking at his client's ex-fiancée, he opened a leather folder he had in front of him, reading the summary. "The £15 million Hampstead mansion in London, the $5 million Tribecca apartment in NYC, the Lake Como Villa, and the $9 million Sunset house in Los Angeles, other minor properties are also listed in the folder." The manager exhibited the portfolio with the properties and documentation already draw in the woman’s name.

Y/n scoffed, it wasn't like she needed it, her bank account was bigger than his, but Harry was so predictable in his guilt, she knew this was him trying to minimize her anger, to buy her forgiveness, letting her keep the houses she had carefully made into homes for them during the last few years. As if in eight years he hadn't known her well enough to know she didn't care for material things.

But she knew, it was also about the babies, even if they haven’t gone there yet.

Jeff slides the folder into Lia’s direction.

"You just need to sign." The lawyer sitting next to Harry said offering her a pen.

Lia passed the folder for Camilla to read.

Y/n looked at Harry, she was still wearing her mask of coldness. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"It's the least I can do," He said with a barely perceptible smile, "I know how much you love these houses, and how much you've put into making them a home, it wouldn't be right..."

It wouldn't feel right for him to continue living in them, or to take someone to live with him. That was a line he never crossed, he never tried to take Olivia to one of the houses he had acquired with Y/n.

"A house is just a building Harry, that was never what I really cared about." Y/n said, but signed the papers when Camilla gave her the OK, the singer took the pen and signed the sheets on the marked dotted lines.

"It's not like I'll be able to live in any of them now, anyway, too many memories..."

"Sell it, have it demolished, set it on fire, they're yours to do with what you want," the man said running a hand through his hair in despair. "This is me trying, Y/n/n, but I don't know what to do to get your forgiveness, what gesture, what to say..."

Y/n glanced in Camilla's direction briefly, and the lawyer simply picked up the folder she had brought with her and pushed it towards Harry's lawyer.

The pregnant woman watched the lawyer read the document with a stoic expression, looking from Camilla to Y/n from moment to moment, the man wiped the sweat from his forehead before leaning towards Harry and Jeff, and explaining in a whisper what the document was about.

“Y/n…” Harry stared at her with questioning eyes, hurt written all over his face.

"That's it H, that's the way to my forgiveness, it won't happen now, but eventually..." She shrugged and said in an emotionless tone, looking at him with a bored expression.

"This is basically me giving up my unborn children." Harry said swinging the folder over the table.

"That's you giving me control." Y/n said calmly. "That's you respecting my choices and decisions, this is you trusting me like I always used to trust you."

“Are you this bitter and heartless?”

“Oh, you didn't go there...” She said with a bitter laugh, shaking her head and briefly looking at the table before looking up and facing Harry. "I had a heart, it was kind, soft, big, and trusted blindly, but I gave it to the wrong person, and that person was careless with it, and now I have a broken heart." Every word she uttered was like an insult to the man in front of her. "This, right here, is the result of your carelessness, I used to think you were the best man among men, now I realize that you're not that bloody great." The calm with which she spoke, made it even worse. "I'd rather be heartless than have my heart broken by someone who doesn’t deserve it."

Silence hung over the conference room until it was interrupted by one of Harry's lawyers.

"We can fight for custody in court..."

Y/n turned his head towards the lawyer like a snake ready to attack.

"You do it, I dare you." The pregnant woman smiled predatorily. "I'm not someone that can be threatened, or put into a corner, I have the financial means to drag out a legal battle for years, and I want to see you find a judge here or in England who would take away custody of my children in Harry’s favor." She turned to Jeff. "And in the meantime, H is going to be convicted in the court of public opinion, his career is going to suffer, because if you guys try to come against me, this was just the beginning, the EP, the interview... I'll do worse, you never saw me being mean, I'm going to turn it into an album, I'm going to Oprah, I'm going to drag his and her name through the proverbial mud."

She never looked more like the lioness Louis joked she was than at that moment.

It was already an unspoken rule around haute couture dress-rooms: if designers wanted to see their pieces showcased by Y/n and her friends, Olivia was persona non grata. It wasn't something Y/n started, but Kendall and Bella were petty enough in her name.

"I don't want you in my life, it still hurts to look at your face." The singer sighed and said more calmly, this time looking at Harry. "And I can't say that I'll forgive you, or that one day I'll be ok with co-parenting with you, but I have no intention of banning Anne and Gemma's access to the twins, and that's the best I can offer right now."

Harry sighed in agreement with a sad smile, he had tears in his eyes and ran his hands over his face before picking up the pen from the table and pulling the papers towards him.

He stared at the dotted line for a few minutes before scribbling his signature.

#harry styles imagines #harry styles imagine #harry styles

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vgperson · 2 years

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Vocaloid Highlights: October 2022

Thermal anomaly detected: these songs are mega super ultra hot! Highlights Archive

========== Stand-Outs ========== Tick-Trick Even So, We Breathe. GEDO (Heresy) PaⅢ.AGITATION Machli Queer Creation Hermit Beat Mega Super Ultra Hot Come Be By My Side Puppet Muppet A Super Huge Dragon is Targeting You Thermal Anomaly Super-Resolution Destructive Activity Or Perhaps Me In the Subway Shashaten Killer Spider Shock!! Don't Kill the Fairy Tale Misery Loves Company Wind Payload Let's Die Together in a Celebrity Girls' Club Until My Cheeks Dry Up Sequel

========== Worth Your Time ========== Jamais Vu Goodbye, Nameless Days Rouge Pilgrim No Step No Life Edge of Midnight Halfwit Fake Fur Necromance Love Intervenir Urchin and Jellyfish Anticlockwise TYQOON ・・・・・・ Alice's Magical Happy World Angel Wings. fake yummy? Nonstop Medley! Tricolore Mixer Kingdom of Sun Gravity Night Record Pastime Window Fish Lovely Assassin So As To Love Xscarlett Wheel-Spinning Library In Vitro Akrasia Wonder Ruins Love Crane Game Ordinary Ressentiment Pure Can't Get Down From This Pill Bug Intricate Romance Battlefront Mrs. Time Jump Goodbye Starry Sky Fixity Hindsight (Hindsite) Whirlwind Serpent Girl Or Whatever. Go Die Somewhere I Can't See Hyper Infection BATTLE CRY To Parent-Minded You. Unicorn Girl 404 Ressentigirl Underworld Spectrum Cepstrum Silver Twins Flower Poem HYPERMARKET Innocent Universe Reincarnation If It Has a Long Nose, Is It An Elephant? Tame Pollination Our Voice Genius Summer Solstice Descends Eriscript The Kid Shallows Music Voyage futur Wandering Speed of Light Getting Hazy (Baby's Breath) Pro-and-Con Melancholy Uni ÅMARA (Far-Future Computer) Cyber Voice Gaming Girl Prouvé False Hope Ultra Rare Is Life Only Goodbyes? Tef Going to Meet You Seaside Lonely Melty Cream Soda The Crossroads of the Seasons Cyber Cider DREAM PLACE Ra-Ra-Ra-Rafflesia Anemone Andante GOODBYE7DAYS Silver Screen Piñata (Blank) Bunnin Anyone TOKYO NEON GIRL Hollow Fox's Song Season Lens Lavie I Like the You In My Head Masterpiece Selection MAGENTA Bewitching Poisoning Trigger Happy

#vocaloid #vocaloid highlights

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sirfrogsworth · 5 months

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I am so confused.

Even when this lens was first released it was $850 brand new.

Does he think people aren't going to check current prices? Did he get scammed and overpay originally? Not to mention eBay gives you a suggestion for pricing.

I really wish I hadn't sold my lenses. There was a point where I had a major decline in my health and I could no longer make comedy for my main website. At the same time, my parents were getting sicker and needed more help. We were also struggling financially. I was so depressed and I was sure I'd never do photography again, so I sold most of my lenses.

We needed the money at that moment, but in the grand scheme of things, the lens money barely made a dent in our situation. Not to mention, we got a small inheritance from my grandmother soon after, so that increased my regret. It took me years of scrounging and saving to build up a collection of 5 lenses. None of them top of the line, but all of them a good value for their performance.

Thankfully I kept the lens I used to take pictures of Otis—my "puppy lens." But my ultra wide, my macro, my tele, and my portrait lens... all gone.

And now I am trying to figure out the cheapest way I can do what I want to do with photography and I'm remembering just how expensive this hobby is. But I think I need to figure this out because I have had a substantial boost in my mental health since I started taking photos again.

A good 50mm could serve several roles. I can add extension tubes for macro. It is about 75mm on an APS-C camera, which is good for portraits. The wide aperture would allow low light photography. Combined with my Otis lens, all I'd be missing is telephoto and ultra wide angle, but honestly I never did much of that anyway. Though ultra wide angle photography is probably the most fun you can have taking pictures—even if the photographic uses are rare.

I did get a Nifty Fifty for my trip to Orlando. I wanted to see if I could get away with using a $100 lens. For the price, it is surprisingly good. And it is the first lens I recommend to anyone starting photography—as almost every camera brand has its own version. But I had several issues trying to make it work for my needs.

It's not very sharp, which is actually fine for shots taken at a distance, but would be a deal breaker for product photos and macro shots which are very close up. Those require as much detail as possible, especially if you need to crop. When you are trying to show people the fine hairs on a bee's body, a soft image just isn't going to have the same impact.

It also does not nail focus consistently and it back focuses (it focuses more behind than in front). Which is a deal breaker for my efforts to use less energy. When I did my portrait shoot with Katrina, I had to do many test shots and look at them on the computer to make sure I was getting them in focus. I was going back and forth and getting up and down. In the end I had to use a smaller aperture and higher ISO to get increased depth of field. And even then the tip of her nose was soft in the photos. Not to mention the added noise from raising the ISO.

This Sigma is a wonderful lens. I'm trying to find a good deal used, but it's still out of reach for now. I have no idea what my financial future is right now and until I know for sure that my brother will release my inheritance in March, I have to be more careful with my budget.

I am going to sell all of my studio lighting gear and use those funds to help me set up a new studio upstairs. I'm hoping that will cover the new lights I will need, but I don't think it will be enough for a lens. Someone suggested a site where I can turn my yard into a dog park, so I am looking into that. I might also see if I can get some gigs restoring photos for people, but it is so difficult finding clients.

Every problem has a solution. And maybe the universe will do me a favor and keep my brother from being terrible just this once.

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classychassiss · 1 year

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Maybe this is a hot take but I’m always a bit disappointed when people read the part about Orion Pax lamenting about Six Lasers and not being allowed inside as only a 'haha' moment and use this to paint him as privileged and out of touch, and completely gloss over the fact that he’s openly talking about an arbitrary form of segregation he is beholden to.

Like this is a genuine plea: I would really like to encourage you all to approach the Aligned Continuity - the novels, the games, TFP and Covenant - all as parts of one big story and read about them, at least a basic summary, all in some capacity. Transformers Prime is only one part of a bigger story and its the one that deviated the most and I think if you engage with all the material with an open mind and DON'T import any ideas from IDW or other continuities, what you will get is a story that is distinct and tragic and rooted in Cybertronians being a colonized people and how they deal with the repercussions afterwards.

And listen, colonization, imperialism and slavery are in the fabric of Science Fiction: most stories you engage with in Sci-Fi, especially older ones, have elements of this and its not always progressive. I think its become so codified that people will gloss over it and not think about what that means. But I really want to encourage you to read the Aligned Continuity through a non-Americanized lens, and really think about whats going on. Because this isn't new to Transformers, but we rarely ever see them on other end, and I personally believe that their societal issues being rooted in Quintesson ideas is important. I think that their world slowly losing energon and stagnating and on the precipice of self-destruction is important.

And I want you to think about this, and this language, and the actions they take as a previously non-ultra violent race into who they become during their war, and think about which characters choose to perpetuate that same colonial violence. And I also want you to acknowledge that no one in Aligned is SO privileged that they were somehow untouched by any form of violence, there is NO ONE in this universe who doesn't, at the very base of their character, understand that something is wrong and that their collective choice to not face that trauma head on is a big part of that. That the layers of shedding those held ideas is a difficult and ugly process.

And I want you to think of the parable of the War of the Primes and how Alpha Trion laments that in the end, the notion that any Prime is somehow 'eviler' because of some arbitrary belief that some of them were 'closer in spark' to Unicron was, in fact, wrong, and that truthfully ALL the Primes had been traumatized by Unicron but they allowed themselves to become divided and didn't communicate their growing anxiety and apathy and rage and it resulted in all of them participating in some form towards their tragic downfall. And I want you to think about Cybertron and the Quintessons and the war they have later on

#transformers #maccadam #tfp #aligned continuity #transformers prime #media analysis #I know I sound petty but I dont like IDW and TFP being seen as interchangeable outside of a definite AU because people only ever import lik #the worst ideas like empurata or fannon like slave coding and its like #there already IS That in ALigned: its just either done by Quintessons or Decepticons down the line #I think you need to really think about the fact that Megatron was given a fake matrix and a group of people #And rather than set them free he jumped to using that new influence to turn them to attack the autobots #THINK ABOUT THAT PLEASE #and think about why you treat the matrix as you do when it and Primus have been repeatedly VIOLATED and why you think its evil and scary #please Im begging you to try and view Aligned through a nonwhite and non american lens #i will hold your hand through this. lets take ibuprofen together #chass blabs #long post

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quirkymarshmallows93 · 1 year

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The westernization of Poland as exemplified by flagship fast food restaurants

Hi everyone! It's time for a full-on blog post, I'm talking paragraphs and shit. This will be another then and now comparison post, also set in Warsaw, Poland, now with multiple sections.

The First McDonald's

On June 17, 1992, McDonald's opened its doors for the first time on Polish soil. That day, the taste buds of 45,000 Varsovians would discover the hyperstimulative combination of the Big Mac, French fries, and fountain Coca-Cola, the American counterpart of a traditional meal of kotlet mielony (frikadelle), ziemniaczki (potatoes), and kompot (homemade juice). At 8 AM, the ribbon was cut by Jacek Kuroń, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy, who was asked to be present in exchange for a donation from the company to the impoverished children of Poland. Also in attendance were cultural figures such as the coach of the Polish soccer team, Kazimierz Górski, and poet Agnieszka Osiecka. The opening and the fanfare surrounding it was as much a celebration of Polish culture as American culture. The building which housed the restaurant was located on the facade of the Sezam department store, a staple of the communist era, providing a juxtaposition of life in the Soviet Bloc and in the West.

Above is the restaurant the day of its opening, and below is the modernist building shortly before being demolished and after its shuttering in 2014.

The location of the fast food joint is at the corner of Świętokrzyska and Marszałkowska streets, two main thoroughfares in midtown Warsaw. Following the closure of the seminal McDonald's, a new restaurant was opened just slightly east of its forebearer. Below is a comparison of the locations, with the emblematic Palace of Culture and Learning in the background of both photos, the latter photo being taken in May 2023.

The department store was replaced by an L-shaped high rise building visible to the right of the present-day McDonald's, with Sezam still occupying the ground floors. The replacement McDonald's is not as grandiose as the original; however, these days one can walk several hundred meters in any direction and come across another one of the company's franchises, which now number 517 in Poland.

The Stillborn Taco Bell

A while back I posted photos from the 90s of an ultra-rare combination Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC restaurant in the center of Poland's capital. These are likely the only images, on the surface web at least, of the lone Taco Bell which operated for merely a few months in the country, according to PortalSpozywczy.pl. Evidently, the chain's offering didn't quite align with the market's tastes. Still, memories of the restaurant's presence live on online, with a dormant Facebook group pleading for its return to Poland. A Reddit post links to an article about Taco Bell's unsuccessful entry into Central Europe, with commenters reasoning that currency exchange rates in a nascent free market economy made fast food a luxury for consumers, and that the Polish customer simply deemed Tex-Mex adjacent food too exotic, especially when compared to the already unfamiliar offerings of hamburgers, pizza, and fried chicken by competitors.

While visiting the city for a few days, I decided to photograph the site to contrast between 30 years ago and now, as I did with the site of the first McDonald's. Below on the left is the restaurant pictured in 1993, while in the center, the site in 2023. I tried to take the photo on the right from the same vantage point as the 90s image, but the frame isn't quite identical since the lens of my iPhone SE camera doesn't have as wide of an angle. Also, it appears that the restaurants’ signs have been moved back, rendering them not visible from where the photographer was standing in 1993.

Below on the left is the second of the two rare photos, showing the northwest corner of the building. On the right is my recreation.

For some context, the restaurants only occupy the ground floor of the building. It was built as one of Warsaw's handful of pavilions, which were meant to showcase cultural exhibits and provide a space for various expositions. Built in 1968, the complex bears the name "Zodiak", and remains a venue for architectural exhibitions and events, itself a post-war modernist structure. The astrological theme is currently slightly subdued, as the original pavilion featured a neon map of constellations on the building's facade, and a cosmic-inspired mosaic, which was replicated in the renovated building as pictured below.

Back to the fast food chains. The most obvious difference is the erasure of the Pizza Hut and its replacement with a Starbucks café. The pizzeria was relegated away from the street and toward the interior of the block. Gone are the branded trash cans and tiled enclosures, which were cleared to make way for Starbucks' tables and umbrellas. It's clear that Pizza Hut was running the show here thirty years ago, having prime frontage and dominant branding in the complex. Burger King has also invaded Yum! Brands' former fort, now nestled between the still-strong KFC and the Pizza Hut that let itself go. Today, just like thirty years ago, this site is still an example of an old order public institution, here an exhibition space for architecture and design, coexisting side by side with iconic American foodservice brands.

Communism to Capitalism: the Failed Attempt to Convert a Socialist-Nationalist Symbol into an Outpost of America's Largest Export

A similarly famous pavilion to Zodiak in the capital is the nearby Cepelia, which was constructed in 1966 to house a gift shop with the purpose of "solidify[ing] the rural identity of [Poland as] a socialist nation." That's a tall order for patterned mugs, kitchen towels, and woven baskets, but the store was a staple of Warsaw until May 2019, when it closed as a result of the building being sold. The ownership of the building was privatized following the creation of the Third Republic in 1989, and the company which owned the pavilion had been in a state of bankruptcy ever since, while the company which operated the store became the spiritual successor to the brand Cepelia in a schism of sorts, still profitably in charge. Before the closure even took place, McDonald's proposed the construction of a new restaurant in honor of the original vision of Cepelia's architect, Zygmunt Stępiński, after the land's change of hands to a new developer. The fast food giant went as far as saying that the design would go beyond this dream, because building technology had advanced between 1966 and the modern day in such a way that even more remarkable architectural features could be added. However, in 2022, it was announced that the redevelopment into a McDonald's would not take place at the request of the Masovian voivodeship's historical commission. The future of the pavilion remains unclear; meanwhile, McDonald's has not had a true flagship location in Poland since 2014.

Above, from left to right: Cepelia pictured in 1971 in the evening, Cepelia pictured in 2019 with its architectural elements obscured by advertising, and a rendering of the McDonald's which was to replace the pavilion while replicating its original distinguished design.

Fast Food Ephemera: Taco Bell's Free Drink Coupon

Back to Taco Bell. While researching more about its Polish presence, I found a photo of a coupon for a free medium drink with the purchase of any combo posted by a Reddit user.

I figured I could exclude it from this deep dive into the world of Polish fast food, as it didn't add much value to the analysis. That is, until I looked at the bottom of the coupon and noticed its expiration was at the end of March 1997. This shattered my view of the world, to put it hyperbolically. It was my understanding that Taco Bell was only around for a few months in 1993! This is the historical consensus at least. The only explanation for this could be that the coupon was simply valid for a few years instead of the standard few months, as the chain saw a bright future ahead for itself in Poland. Also, since we're here already, it's interesting that, at least in this promotional material, the brand emphasized its vegetarian offering, perhaps since all of its competitors served beef or chicken as their core products. This is the only piece of ephemera I could find online for Taco Bell's Polish presence, but the failure of Taco Bell in the 90s reminded me of the double failure of Dunkin' Donuts (now just Dunkin') in Poland. Buckle in for some more franchise lore.

Dunkin' Pączki?

The coffee chain operated in Poland not only from 1996 to 2002, but also from 2015 to 2018, when the company attempted to reenter the market. When searching for traces online of the company's first presence in the country, I could not find a single photo of a Dunkin' Donuts branch, but something arguably more interesting: a dormant Blogspot blog devoted to a similar mission as this post. Its author posted four entries, all in 2006, and one of them was of ephemera from 1999 that advertised DD's offerings.

Clockwise, from the top right, we have three pamphlets side by side advertising the chain's seven locations in the city of Warsaw, a brochure featuring photos and detailed descriptions of the product offering, complete with pronunciation tips; a flyer which brags that because the donuts are made with vegetable oil and not butter, they contain 40% fewer calories compared to traditional Polish pączki (quite bold of them); and an ad showcasing frozen coffee through iconic 90s graphic design. 14 years after closing its doors in Poland, Dunkin' Donuts came back, making the same mistakes, so I've included below a photo of a storefront with signage proclaiming its grand opening for August 11, 2016, in the city of Łódź, and below it a tweet from the company's Twitter account, stating, "We're coming back, and for good this time! :)" Foreshadowing at its finest.

My take is that Dunkin' Donuts did not have the correct marketing approach when coming to Poland. In other European countries, the chain was able to succeed despite, or likely because of, its emphasis on donuts, since in those cultures, there was room for a novel pastry, and the rest of the shop's offerings - coffee and sandwiches, mainly - could complement the American-style donut. Dunkin' begged Poles to understand that their pastries are unique, but we just saw them as shitty pączki. When the core item, already disliked by the average consumer, is in the place's name, it's no surprise that the rest of the product range didn't catch on and that customers weren't coming in. Perhaps if Dunkin' makes another comeback sans-donuts, it may be more fruitful given the company's shift to a "beverage-led" strategy in recent years. As they say, third time's a charm.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading! I'd like to acknowledge that this shit took me literal hours to conceive of, research, do my own field work for, write, edit, and publish. I was almost late to my great aunt's apartment for dinner because I took those pictures of the old Taco Bell! I know my worth, and what I'll say is that this quality content that you bitches get for free on here should be behind a $500 paywall on ScienceDirect, I'm just so philanthropic I could cry. Now give me my honorary history, marketing, and sociology PhDs. But seriously, I don't know which niche of the internet this sort of thing fits into, but that's the beauty of Tumblr and its randomness. For the most part, I'm just writing this for myself, to put my thoughts into words and try to make sense of capitalism and globalization.

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businessupsideindia · 6 months

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Top 5 Reasons to Purchase iPhone 13 Mini

While the tech world buzzes about the latest and greatest smartphones, the iPhone 13 Mini remains a compelling choice for many users. Its compact size, powerful performance, and exceptional camera system make it a versatile and delightful companion. Here are 5 top reasons why you should consider purchasing the iPhone 13 Mini in 2023:

1. Pocket-Sized Powerhouse:

In a world of increasingly large smartphones, the iPhone 13 Mini stands out with its 5.4-inch display. This compact size makes it incredibly comfortable to hold and use with one hand, a rare gem in today's market. It easily slips into pockets and bags without feeling bulky, making it perfect for users who prioritise portability and convenience.

2. Performance Champion:

Despite its size, the iPhone 13 Mini packs a punch with its A15 Bionic chip. This powerhouse processor delivers incredible speed and responsiveness, handling demanding tasks and multitasking with ease. From gaming and video editing to running multiple apps simultaneously, the iPhone 13 Mini performs flawlessly, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable user experience.

3. Captivating Cameras:

The iPhone 13 Mini boasts a remarkable dual-lens camera system that captures stunning photos and videos. The improved sensor and sensor-shift stabilization system deliver exceptional low-light performance, allowing you to take beautiful pictures even in dimly lit environments. The ultra-wide lens adds versatility, capturing breathtaking landscapes and group shots with ease.

4. All-Day Battery Life:

Despite its compact size, the iPhone 13 Mini boasts impressive battery life. It easily lasts through a full day of moderate use, allowing you to stay connected and productive all day long. Whether you're browsing the web, streaming content, or capturing memories, the iPhone 13 Mini ensures you won't be left hanging with a dead battery.

5. Timeless Design and Premium Build:

The iPhone 13 Mini retains Apple's signature design aesthetic, featuring a sleek and stylish glass and aluminium construction. It feels incredibly premium in hand, exuding a sense of quality and durability. The flat edges offer a comfortable grip, and the Ceramic Shield front adds an extra layer of protection against accidental drops and scratches.

The iPhone 13 Mini: A Compact Powerhouse for 2023

If you're looking for a smartphone that offers a perfect blend of portability, performance, and camera prowess, the iPhone 13 Mini remains a fantastic option in 2023. Its compact size, powerful A15 Bionic chip, exceptional cameras, and impressive battery life make it a versatile and delightful companion for everyday use. So, if you're tired of bulky smartphones and crave a device that fits perfectly in your hand and your life, the iPhone 13 Mini might just be the perfect choice for you.

#iphone 13 mini #iphone #apple #apple phone #apple products

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gabriella-nastasja · 1 year

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Clueless and Legally Blonde Redefined Bimbo-Core

by Gabriélla Siebritz

Two movies that are now considered cult classics have redefined and reshaped society’s view on femininity (more specifically hyper-femininity), through the lens of two bubbly blondes who love pink.

These two films put its female leads at the forefront of showcasing how women embracing femininity doesn’t make them any less valuable or less smart than the other less “blonde” women featured in each of their respective stories.

Throughout both movies, the leads (Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, played by Reese Witherspoon, and Cher Horowitz in Clueless, played by Alicia Silverstone), are consistently doubted because of their shared blonde heads of hair and love for traditional femininity that they outwardly express.

These two films address the stereotype of “dumb blondes”, and the presumption that women who are overtly feminine must be simplistic bimbos. Cher Horowitz and Elle Woods are two characters who proved that yes, the patriarchy was wrong: you can be both beautiful AND smart at the same time.

Ultra-feminine women depicted in the media are often depicted in a negative way; either they’re a gorgeous demon bombshell using their beauty to commit horrors unto unsuspecting men (think Jennifer’s Body), the mean girl (think Regina George from Mean Girls), the airhead (think of Marilyn Monroe’s characters) or, the opposite to the less-feminine and “more relatable” main character (think Brooke Davis versus Peyton Sawyer from One Tree Hill or Jessica Stanley versus Bella Swan from the Twilight movies).

In short, femininity = negativity. They’re boy-obsessed, mean and “catty”, fashion forward and makeup dependent, and sometimes they’re even murderers.

During the storyline of Legally Blonde, Elle is made the butt of many “dumb blonde” jokes because most assume, upon looking at her, that she is not serious enough about anything other than herself.

From the jump, Elle has been underestimated, most notably by her boyfriend and parents who are meant to love and support her, thinking/assuming that she’s not cut out for law school, which is Elle’s goal throughout the film.

Elle is not dumb (she got into Harvard after all), but others rarely see past her “blonde hair and big boobs”, assuming that because she enjoys shopping and has a fresh manicure, she must be shallow and dim-witted.

At first, Elle’s motives for taking the LSAT’s and getting into Harvard Law are mainly to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner, played by Matthew Davis. He (fake) sympathetically breaks up with her one night, because according to him, he needs “a Jackie not a Marilyn”, for the future of his career.

After being dumped by Warner for not being “serious” enough (she says, “So you’re breaking up with me because I’m too...blonde???”), the peppy sorority blonde follows him to Harvard Law School - where we get the iconic phrase: “What, like it’s hard?”- to win him back at first, but later it’s to prove him (and others) wrong.

Legally Blonde sources its comedy from juxtaposing Elle’s bright-pink bubbly attitude and wardrobe against the prestigious and intellectual atmosphere of Harvard Law School.

Elle ultimately proves her doubters wrong, not by conforming to their expectations, but by demonstrating her worth while remaining true to herself. She’s shown to be ambitious, driven and dedicated to her studies, all while maintaining the same beauty routines she’s always had.

Aside from Elle, everyone is dressed in muted or neutral colours. For example, Elle’s “rival” at the school, Vivian Kingston, is seen wearing predominately blues, browns and blacks in her clothing while Elle always has a touch of pink and obvious “girly-ness” present in her clothing, whether that’s through the hot pink pleather jacket and skirt she has on upon arriving at Harvard, or simple butterfly clips that keep that her bouncy blonde curls in place.

Elle’s appearance is central to her character because it’s what people use to pass judgement and make assumptions about her. The entire film’s premise is that yes, Elle is a proud blonde, but she’s not a dumb blonde.

And the same thing can be said about Cher Horowitz, the main character from Clueless, another and similar coming-of-age comedy about a self-empowered blonde girl.

Cher also initially seems like a vapid valley-girl, others often seeing her as some “ditz with a credit card” (it’s assumed by other characters that Cher is nothing but an airhead, i.e that she’s “clueless” about life and only cares about herself), but the film shows there is nothing wrong with what Cher likes.

Although Cher’s story is more subtle and complex than Legally Blonde, as Cher does have some flaws, and the film is not built around proving others wrong, the premise is the same as Elle’s story.

While Cher may not be tackling law cases, she (just like Elle) is continuously trying to better herself as a person and do good for others without giving up her personality and the things she enjoys.

Cher has a subtle intelligence of being aware of how the world works without sacrificing her personality. As a rich and privileged white girl, Cher actively steps out of her bubble and works on herself but doesn’t change herself to achieve that.

Like Elle Woods, Cher has a detailed knowledge of fashion, unabashedly enjoys makeovers, and carries a pen with a poofy-pink end, even helping her father with his upcoming trial-casework.

While Legally Blonde and Clueless successfully advocated for the stereotypical blonde girl, other movies not-so-subtly demonize hyper-femininity. Such examples are the High School Musical trilogy and Mean Girls.

Mean Girls’ main character, Cady Herron, is the embodiment of the “not-like-other-girls” trope; she’s not fashion forward like the “Plastics” of the film (the popular, hyper-feminine group of girls), she’s not concerned with her appearance in the way that they are and she simply “doesn’t get it”.

Throughout the duration of Mean Girls, Cady pretends to be one of the Plastics at first to help her friend Janice Ian enact her revenge upon them for bullying her in previous years, but as time goes on and Cady spends more time in the company of Regina George (again, another blonde) and her squad, she becomes just like them.

She becomes obsessed with a boy, obsessed with her appearance, unconcerned about her academics, and becomes a horrible friend to Janice and Damian.

It isn’t until she denounces the world of hyper-femininity and reverts back to who she previously was, that she is viewed as a good person.

Regina George (the supposed villain of Mean Girls) and Sharpay Evans, the antagonist of the High School Musical movies are both young, blonde girls who have a bright wardrobe and outwardly show an interest in hair and makeup; both of these characters are shown as “evil”.

Sure, they haven’t been the nicest people but Sharpay is clearly ambitious and driven towards her dreams and goals of being on Broadway, and Regina (although scheming and malicious at times) was quite a smart person - in my opinion - in how she manipulated others. Let’s also not forget that Regina isn’t the only villain; Janice and Cady were just as bad.

The abovementioned female characters throughout this essay all proudly showcase their girly-ness as not something to overcome, but rather something that can be embraced. Another great example is the Barbie Dolls franchise; Barbie has over 200 careers, all while maintaining her signature pink colour palette.

There is no need to demonize femininity in the media. Shockingly, women can be many things at once.

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dairedara · 10 months

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I found your account just for by that I follow the "Christianity" tag and you seem neat and cool; I have a question, what on Earth is the story behind you having such a complex and novel belief system? It's just, really kinda rare for people to "do their own research" to an extent of coming away with spiritual practices that look like a fancy salad with a bajillion different parts, y'know?

Hi!! Thank you for this question, this is a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while now :)

I was raised in lukewarm Christianity— baptized Lutheran, went to church usually just for events or with non-denominational friends. Because I didn’t go to church regularly, my faith developed in a very individual sense. I have always felt connected to nature and seen it as divine in some sense, which I think influenced my pantheism later in life.

I had a crisis of faith very young. I went to an ultra-Christian summer camp with a friend, which was a lot of fun, but also basically my introduction to modern fundamentalist Christianity. There were sermons twice a day, between the swimming and the flag football, and I distinctly remember borrowing my friends’ “kid’s Bible” which had a bright pink cover because for some reason my dad’s KJV from the 70s was unfit. (I didn’t think much of that at the time, but now I do think that kind of radicalized me. I think that so many modern Christians are only ever exposed to the Bible through a specific lens, and therefore can only possibly come away with the interpretation of their pastor/denomination/youth group leader/translation instead of developing their own genuine, unadulterated view of the Bible.)

But anyway, our camp counselor took turns interviewing us, and when it came to me she asked me this question: when did you know you were saved?

I was nine years old, had absolutely zero life changing experiences under my belt, and was also incredibly devout. I answered: I always knew, because I was raised with the fact that Jesus loves me and he died for me. She wasn’t satisfied with this answer and kept pushing me until she gave up. The question greatly confused me, and when I came home, it triggered a chain reaction. I realized I couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment in my life that would explain my religiosity. I prayed for some sort of sign that I was doing the right thing and received nothing in response. I became, in essence, an atheist.

In middle school, I got my first tumblr account, and I learned about Wicca through that. I’ve always been interested in world mythology and I thought it was insanely cool and insanely right that people still worshiped the gods from those stories, although at this point the only pagan faith I knew of was Wicca, and for some reason I thought you could only pick two gods, one male and one female. Since I liked Celtic myth, I picked Cerridwen (Welsh) and Lugh (Irish). This lasted for like one week, and then I found out about Hellenic (Greek) polytheism, which felt much more right to me. I started doing a lot of research into reconstructionism (basically, using the tools available to us to replicate, as accurately as possible, the religion and religious practice of a person from one of these ancient polytheistic societies). Recon tumblr was very dramatic in the early ‘10s, it probably still is, and I was intimidated and amazed at the same time. Around this time I also got introduced to the theological debate scene and was really interested in the mechanics of belief.

A year or so into this, I had what was probably the most intense religious experience of my life. A whole-ass vision, during a time where I was awful mentally, and in the middle of a crazy thunderstorm. I won’t go into the details here, but it pivoted my path a little and I became interested in Roman polytheism. I built a relationship with the Roman gods Juno, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Jupiter, Minerva, and others. I also got super interested in the idea of religious syncretism that is pretty much exemplified by mid-to-late Empire religion, and encountered deities like Mithras, the Egyptian Isis and Osiris, and Etruscan deities. At this point I was a baby Latinist and experimented with composing my own prayers outside of the very proscriptive rituals in Roman tradition. It was a very comfortable and beautiful practice for that time in my life, and it grew into a very easy rhythm.

My shift to Celtic paganism was pretty sudden and intense. I felt very lost in my identity and began exploring the religious practices of cultures through my genealogical research. I always that Braucherei (Pennsylvania Dutch magic) was cool, as a PA Dutch person, but I couldn’t wrap my head around using the Bible for that kind of mystical practice. I explored Welsh paganism because I have some Welsh roots, and read the Welsh epic Mabinogion. This is a really fascinating work because it seamlessly incorporates indigenous tradition with a Christian framework. Unlike the Irish cycles, it’s not set in pre-Christian Europe. The characters believe in God, they make Christian oaths, and yet they have supernatural abilities and lifespans. The first branch is particularly of interest to me because the character of Pwyll is put into the medieval archetype of the God-honoring feudal lord, and yet he’s relatively unconcenered when he meets Arawn, the king of the Otherworld (also known as Faerieland, etc.). I then read the Irish Cycles, which do lean a bit more Christian-y because of the very strong monastic tradition in Ireland, but they’re no less cool and definitely struck a cord with me.

Meanwhile, in my academic life, I was graduating high school and trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do in college. I’ve always wanted to do Classics, but I began to become super obsessed with Medieval Latin and the early church. My best friend’s family had recently converted to conservative Catholicism, of all things (this was incredibly weird for her), and asked me to go to Christmas Eve mass with her because her parents wanted her to go with them. I readily accepted because it was a Latin Mass, and it was a lot of fun for me because church Latin is very easy and I got to translate something other than Virgil and Livy.

I became really interested in trying to reconstruct what someone in the early British or Irish church might have believed. Christianity in Western Europe was not introduced in a particularly violent manner, unlike what we see outside of Europe or even just in Slavic nations. Indigenous traditions were not systematically erased. Instead, Christianity diffused throughout the culture. It is very likely that my Gaelic and Brythonic ancestors at some point worshiped pagan gods at the same time they honored Christian Saints. St. Brighid, after all, was either syncretized with or is a development of the Irish goddess of the same name– I, personally, treat them as a single entity and she has done so, so much for me. In modern pagan (and Christian!) spaces, Christianity and Pre-Christian traditions are treated as two completely separate, incompatible worldviews, but if that were really true, this transitional period wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have religions that draw from both like folk Catholicism or Haitain Voudoun.

My journey to pantheism was pretty easy, all things considered. While I was worshiping Celtic gods alongside venerating Saints and the Archangels, I was coming to terms with the fact that I did really and honestly believe in fate. In neopaganism or modern spiritual spaces in general, you sometimes see this idea of “the universe.” As in, everything happens for a reason, and the “universe” is bringing you certain things or taking them away. I kind of organically combined this notion of the universe with my belief that nature is divine (which I suppose could be called animism) and came out with what I think could be called Spinoza’s pantheist god. I never felt a moment that drove me to God because God is everywhere, and there is no separation, in my mind, between the mundane and the divine. Gods and Saints and Angels and even our deceased ancestors are intermediaries between it and us.

Here’s a list of some beliefs of mine that I didn’t mention specifically mention but I think are important nonetheless:

I believe God(s) exist because every single culture in the world has religious traditions of some sort and similar ideas of religious experience, even if those cultures did not ever interact. If we can trust our physical senses to determine reality (ex. I am touching my laptop so I believe it exists physically) then our spiritual experiences are real and valid.

The God of Abraham specifically made a covenent with the Jewish people and so “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” only applies to that tradition– I also do believe that Adonai/YHWH, based on anthropological evidence, is a member of the Canaanite pantheon and therefore no more or less “powerful” than any other little-g god. YHWH, in my opinion, is not the same entity as the pantheistic God, which encompasses him and then literally everything else ever.

The Bible is not inerrent but everything in there is in there for a divinely inspired reason, even if that reason is so we can understand past cultures and historical context.

Religion tumblr is very weird for me because I can’t tell if I fit into the Christian or the Pagan space more. Christo-pagans are not that accepted in the pagan community and the idea of fate or “everything happens for a reason” is very controversial. Obviously it’s confusing for most Christians, too. Feel free to ask about literally anything– my faith is definitely a Frankenstein’s Monster situation!

#asks #this is so long I’m sorry lol #celtpol #christopagan #pantheism

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hisuian-history-makers · 1 year

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[Headcanon snippet; Besides rare Pokémon, evolution items, and shards, random everyday things can be found in space-time distortions. A famous case of this is Ginter finding the Rotom-compatible appliances which don’t have any external plugs. What do we find after farming the distortions for rare encounters?]

—-—-—-—

“Most items and Pokémon from inside space-time distortions disappear once they disperse.”

Uxie’s mental voice snapped her out of looking over the various items. It was surprising to see a lake guardian so soon after the red-sky issue.

“I thought so until some modern potion bottles didn’t go away,” Caitlin replied. “Worried Com—Kamado confiscated these during my exile.” He lost any respect she had despite knowing what was supposed to happen. There were some differences from the game like Beni disguising himself as Rei which didn’t happen in it at all...

The lake guardian nodded before floating down to her collection. A jar of shrunken Pokéballs was what Uxie interacted with psychically first. Caitlin watched as the legendary sorted them by type: normal, great, ultra, safari, net, dive, premier, heal, quick, and one beast ball. All were fortunately empty when she found them. She noticed they could be mistaken for marbles so stored them in a glass jar. Many, many, many potion bottles made up a nearby pile.

One of the most common modern-day items she found regularly. So much so that the surveyor debated using them as water bottles.

A stone crown-like rock sat beside what she thought was a shed baby Onix tail. Slight laughter came from Uxie upon finding the ticket signed by Looker. They uncrinkled it using Psychic and put it atop the spell tags. Caitlin placed two boxing gloves connected to springs next to a plain red card. Some items like the zoom lens made her question how Pokémom were supposed to hold them. Or how the Orb held items inflicted their status conditions.

Several berries sat in a bowl nearby just in case a Toxic or Flame Orb leaked again. Moving on, some non-battle-related items surprised her when they were left behind. Any clothes found needed a good cleaning with Wash Rotom and Anthe to patch major tears. Maybe it was a bad idea to let the clothier with modern clothing, but then again Arceus created the Arc-Phone.

For some reason, fire-type shampoo existed albeit more closely resembling oil. She had a massive everstone collection from failing to pick up evolution stones in distortions. Items like soda cans had to be melted down because they genuinely didn’t belong in the past. Pencils were okay to use out in the open as long as she was carefully using them up. The escape rope’s durability had been downplayed since Scizor and Steelix played tug of war with longer ones.

While she was reviewing her collection, Uxie found a user manual for the tent she privately used on long expeditions. They seemed to be smiling as they read through each page. Said galarian-manufactured tent at the moment was hidden in her Ursaluna’s den for safekeeping. It held up well against the weather in the Icelands.

If only most of the items she found weren’t broken, then Caitlin could remain stress-free.

—(My first actual snippet! A little wordy yet I like what I wrote. Distortions can be messy.)

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #snippet #heacanons #self insert #si!caitlin #random items spawn as well #space-time distortions #uxie #past uxie loves future stuff

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bigshot · 1 year

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YOU HAVE JUST DIED.

↳ what loot items do you drop?

COMMON: Broken eggshells, colored blue like a robin's. Pieces of broken merchandise, salvaged from the dumpsters of big box stores. A tattered black blazer.

UNCOMMON: A ring made of thorns, hardened and impossible to break. Wearing it is agonizing, you feel much weaker than ever before yet capable of so much. Throw it away.

ULTRA-RARE: A scarf made of strings like a guitar's, smooth and warm to the touch. Wearing it makes you feel stronger in some ways, yet weaker spiritually. It strangles you.

LEGENDARY: A pair of tinted sunglasses, one lens fuscia and the other bright yellow. Wearing them makes you feel stronger, like someone is protecting you. Somehow, you begin to have better luck in making money and desire it more. You will never be alone again.

Tagged by: @amoirsetpacis Tagging: BE THIEF!!!

#Repost Meme #death cw

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redstainedglasses · 1 year

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You Died

What loot items do you drop?

Common: Golden Bell or Cluster of Bones

Trinket. A tiny golden bell that rings pleasantly. Can be sold for a high price at most shops.

Consumable. A small bundle of various bones. Used in both cooking, for a hearty bone broth, and simple necromancy spell casting. Can be sold for a cheap price at most shops.

Uncommon: Gilded Shadow Gauntlet

Weapon. A gauntlet crafted from shade. A melee battle item that deals both physical and magic damage. Has a 15% chance of cursing the target if hit successfully.

Rare : Vertebrae's glasses

Accessory. A rare pair of red glasses once belonging to the demon Vertebrae. These lens will provided the wearer with the ability Demon's eye. Allows the player to view their opponents health points and weak spots. This item is cursed and if worn will cause the player to forget 1-3 of their magical abilities.

Ultra-Rare: Vertebrae's Jester Crown

Accessory. An ultra-rare cap made of gold and shade that once belonged to the demon Vertebrae. This item does not appear to have any effects on the wearer. Its bells ring pleasantly.

Legendary: Gilded Elixir

Consumable. A golden revitalizing potion that fully heals the user and boosts all stats by 120% when used. Has a pleasant warm aura and a sweet metallic taste. If this item is used while wearing Vertebrae's Jester Crown it unlocks the ability to wield shadow magic.

tagged by @xxlordalexanderxx thank you! ♥

Tagging: @blindedmewithscience @spiiderwiick @cyberneticlagomorph if you guys wish to as well as anyone else who may want to give it a go!

#[ Meme Mischief ]#[ Vertebrae's Clown Guidebook ]#[ clown sightings ]#rodentbloodart #--blood #--bones #--death mention #//*sobs* I thought it'd be fun to practice item art with this and spent WAY too long this sjdflkajkj DFJLKJ #--long post

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analog-cafe · 1 year

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New on Analog.Cafe: "Mamiya U — an Ultra-Rare Compact 35mm Film Camera" — I came across Mamiya U compact 35mm film cameras by chance back in 2020. Its unusual design — a square window cut out within a plastic sphere for a round lens with a stark blue ring — screamed ‘80s Terminator chic. Unfortunately, every single copy sold had a disintegrated shutter button, amongst other issues. — [ Click the link to read the full post. ]

#film photography #filmisnotdead #35mm film #believeinfilm #ishootfilm

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ziparumpazoo · 2 years

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Just a reminder if you live in the northern hemisphere, it’s fall migration season. Juvenile birds like this young cedar waxwing, as well as other birds passing through, are more prone to window strikes at this time of year. (The birds that live in our yard all summer know which are trees and which are reflections, so we rarely if ever have bird strikes the rest of the year).

Bird strikes can be prevented by hanging things on the outside of your windows to break up the reflection of the sky and trees that disorients birds. Exterior roller shades are a good option, but you can also use something as simple as strips of masking tape.

This little guy hit the window this morning because I hadn’t put down the outside roller shades yet. He’s fine - flew off right after I took this picture (I have an ultra telephoto lens, so I was a good distance from him), but if you do have a window strike, check if the bird is breathing and upright, then give it space to recover. Most birds will recover fine on their own if they are upright, they just need time.

#birds #bird strikes #migration season #oh the indignation of the loony toons frying pan to the face!#is what that bird’s expression is saying

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the-enzyme · 2 days

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My April 2024 toy haul got here three days ago! I'm super happy with the Sasuke Chougekisen Figuarts Zero figure. Mine unfortunately has a misplaced left eye, but it is an inexpensive figure, so I guess the factory errors will be there, even if it is slightly more than an average prize figure. Ironically, I've rarely encountered many prize figures that have factory paint erros -- I own a bunch of multiples for most Sasuke ones, although I haven't unboxed many, the ones that I have don't have any sizable paint app mistakes. Just my very first Masterlise Sasuke with the rinnegan eye had a major eye misplacement -- wihci really sucked, because he was so freaking expenisve for a prize figure! I have still to fix that eye. Still, I am happy with how this figure looks in person. I feel the boxes are too big and not justifiably so, for the size of the base and figure overall. The huge box just makes s/h from Japan that much more expensive, and it really has me frothing at the mouth… lol! I hate larger than life boxes for tinier figures, when they could have easily fit them plus the base in a much smaller box. DX I don't know when I'll be able to ship my second one from Japan, but I hope it doesn't have the eye misplacement as well.

From left to right bottom row: BanDai Namco Figuarts ZERO [Chougekisen] Sasuke Uchiha -The Light & Dark of the Mangekyou Sharingan- "NARUTO Shippuden" Non-Scale Figure; Medicom Ultra Detail Figure No.760 UDF GROGU TM SERIES 2 Macarons & No.758 UDF GROGU TM SERIES 2 Blue Butterfly; BanDai Banpresto Rebuild of Evangelion Q posket Kaworu Nagisa Plugsuit Style B (Game-prize) Non-Scale Figure; Taito Kuji Hatsune Miku 39 (Miku) no Hi Commemorative Kuji 2nd season C Prize - Chokonto Figure Kagamine Len & KAITO Non-Scale Figures; Square Enix Final Fantasy VII Keychain Sephiroth; Medicos Entertainment TV Anime "NARUTO Shippuden" New Illustration BIG Acrylic Stand Werewolf ver. Sasuke Uchiha; DIG Pripra Lady Torso Plastic Model.

I love the Sephiroth keychain! It's so much larger than I thought it would be and has a nice weight to it (I'm not going to use it, I don't use keychains, let alone "collectible" ones). Of course I love the Sasuke acrylic stand, I wish I could stop hoarding those... I'm also super happy with the tiny Pripra Lady Torso plastic model, it's super adorable IRL. I'm only sad I didn't get a second one to actually build. I find these tiny model kits super cute in their packaging (as the hoarder that I am), it makes me not want to remove them from their packaging to actually build. I know, I suck! DX I've finally got the "B" version of Kaworu the plug suit Q Posket figure. I own the student uniform "A" version as well, and one of my goals is to get the "B" version of that, one day as well! And a second one of whichever versions of the plug-suit so I can unbox one… yes, I am a shameless hoarder!!! The Taito Chokonto figures are adorable, I might get doubles so I can have them displayed -- I'm also tempted to get the other characters, despite me not collecting much other than a few random Kaito and Len ones. Grogu is just a bonus, because I'm not really into the series (I don't watch/follow any of that universe), I just thought those UDF looked adorable, and I got them for that reason alone.

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