#Which does not produce helpful or well educated allies
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I think it's so important to accept that having lived experience as an lgbt person doesn't automatically make you an expert or voice of authority on the related politics, history, and theory, and there will sometimes even be occasions where someone not of your group knows more than you do about these things (and this isn't necessarily you being 'spoken over')
#I think this is the issue with empty 'listen to xyz voices' rhetoric bc it discourages allies from thinking for themselves and#encourages 'this seems super wrong but theyre trans and I'm not so I must roll on my back and show my belly' behavior#Which does not produce helpful or well educated allies
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Spiritual Spotlight: Pulura, the Shimmering Maiden
Chaotic Good Empyreal Lord of Constellations, Homesickness, and Morning Lights
Domains: Air, Chaos, Good, Weather
Subdomains: Azata, Cloud, Seasons, Stars
Chronicles of Righteousness, pg. 20
Obedience: Sit on the ground with your head tilted back to study the stars. Maintain the position for an hour and identify 12 constellations. If you cannot see the stars, draw the patterns of 12 constellations on a semi-permanent surface, such as a wall or hard floor.
Benefit: The light radius of any light source you hold or conjure increases by 10 feet.
As maiden of star charts and constellations, Pulura’s Obedience obviously falls into the category of ‘do the previous night just before going to bed’ rituals. It’s a very simple Obedience that rewards your knowledge of the cosmos and the constellations of various cultures all over the planet! Just one cluster of stars in the sky can be as many as three different constellations to three different groups of people, letting you get a lot of mi--okay yeah that’s completely unnecessary, considering it’d take an extremely nitpicky DM to tell you that you can only see, like, five or six constellations on a given night just to screw you out of your Obedience.
Even if you can’t see the requisite number, or even any constellations at all, there’s an easy-to-do alternate Obedience built right in. It requires a little bit of graffiti, but if all you’re doing is tracing them in the dirt with a stick or scribbling them on a wall with chalk, it’s hardly a punishable offense except in the strictest of societies (and thus the ones you’re most likely to be helping). It might even make people watching you curious about what you’re drawing, allowing you the opportunity to educate them on the beautiful heavens above!
And that benefit is something COMPLETELY unique, and the reason this particular god caught my attention! Mind, it’s not particularly powerful, but the uniqueness and its various small uses can’t be denied! For one, simply by picking up a common candle or lighting a tindertwig, you’ve created a light source as powerful as the average torch. And torches themselves? Well, an extra 10ft of shine can help alert your party to dangers lurking just outside their normal field of vision! I like that this power works even with light sources you’re simply holding in your hand; your allies can pass glowing weapons or items to you just so you can get a bit of extra juice out of them!
This effect also makes your light-producing spells a bit juicier, because many spells have effects that hit everything that their glow does. Sometimes this even doubles their area of effect! ... Though in my personal research I’ve found few it would actually work on in a meaningful way. This stacks in a fun way with the Solar Spell Metamagic, potentially inflicting penalties on specific foes bathed in the light of your radiance!
More often than not, though, it’s just going to give you a little more reach with a normal torch. But, really, that extra 10ft might just give you a little more edge than you’d think you needed...
Boons are gained slowly, typically achieved once you reach 12, 16, and 20 Hit Dice. Followers of the Empyreal Lords, however, can enter the Mystery Cultist Prestige Class at level 8, which grants them their Boons much quicker! Entered as early as possible, you gain the Boons at levels 10, 13, and 16 instead. Mystery Cultists MUST take the Celestial Obedience feat, NOT Deific Obedience.
Empyreal Lords do not grant the typical Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel spread (and cannot enter those classes), instead having only one set of Boons granted to their followers regardless of their class.
Boon 1: Aurora. Gain Color Spray 3/day, Continual Flame 2/day, or Guiding Star 1/day.
And here we have a very strange set of spell-likes. You will, more often than not, be carrying Color Spray around because you’ve cast the other two previously at some point in the week and no longer need to use them! Continual Flame is definitely not a spell you’ll need every day--and definitely not 2/day--because, as its name suggests, it creates an everlasting torchlight. Once it’s used, it doesn’t need to be used again! A single everlasting torch can sometimes be at your side for your entire adventuring career! That’s why it’s got an entry cost of 50gp, though you can create it for free.
Maybe if adventuring doesn’t work out, you can start a business selling Everburning Torches and star charts?
If you’re wondering about Guiding Star, it’s a spell with a niche use, but a powerful one. After its 1-minute cast time concludes, you create a bond with your surrounding area, after which the spell lingers like a beacon for 1 day per level. At will as a standard action after casting it, you can determine the distance and direction between yourself and the chosen location. It’s no Find the Path, but it will keep you from ever getting lost in open locations like mountains, forests, and planes. With Guiding Star acting as your north and knowledge of landmarks, you can easily work your way backwards through just about anything that’s not a labyrinth or twisting cavern... provided your journey can be completed in about a week or so, mind.
Casting the spell again ends your previous bond instead of refreshing it, but its purpose and duration means that it, too, will likely never be something you cast more than once a week anyway. This just leaves Color Spray, one of the best level 1 spells you could have at levels 1 to 4... but which lost its full usefulness about 3 to 5 levels ago by the time you get it, with a saving throw (11 + Cha mod) that means it’ll likely never be useful as anything but a method to non-lethally deal with enemies too low-level for you to waste any other action on. There is the off-chance it can stun a number of high-level enemies, there’s always a chance they flub their save, but don’t count on it. It’s a cute spell to have in an emergency, but you probably have better.
Boon 2: Starshot. 3/day, you can transmute up to 1 sling bullet per HD into a bullet of starlight. These bullets function as +2 Brilliant Energy Bullets. Bullets of starlight last for 1 minute and shed light in a 10-foot radius.
Now here’s something interesting! Pulura’s sacred weapon is the sling, meaning you’re likely already using it unless you’re a pure caster (and even in that case, it makes an excellent emergency weapon for casters anyway), and with an investment of just two feats taken as early as level 1 you can hurl your full-attack’s-worth of sling bullets without needing to waste actions reloading, entirely negating the downsides of using a sling in the first place. With one more feat, you can even go into melee with it! NOTE: Do Not Do This.
This Boon is a pretty good one, giving you enough ammunition to carry you through most of the major battles you can expect to face in a day. By the time you get this Boon you’re changing 13 bullets into powerful, AC-ignoring projectiles that deal 1d4+2 damage at base, which doesn’t sound particularly impressive, but slings key off of Strength due to basically being glorified thrown weapons which is usually enough to keep your damage contribution noticeable. Especially since, again, these are Brilliant Energy bullets, meaning they ignore armor and shield bonuses to AC! Heavily-armored enemies are as vulnerable as wizards wrapped in sackcloth against your sling, but it does come with an unfortunate downside: Brilliant Energy only affects living beings. Undead, Constructs, and any object you target are completely unaffected by your new enchanted bullets.
Which kinda sucks, considering Undead tend to be in the top 3 enemy types most often faced by Good parties. And Evil parties. And parties in general. You can’t even do any cute disarming or sundering tricks with it!
You know what you CAN do, though? Shoot people through walls. No, that’s not a power specifically listed under Brilliant Energy, but the description says it “ignores nonliving matter!” It’s SUPER easy to make the case for it being able to sling straight through a wall, door, or other impediment to hit whatever is on the other side without fear of immediate retaliation! It’s not even that much of a stretch to make it so!
Boon 3: Otherworldly Traveler. You can cast Interplanetary Teleport 1/day as a spell-like ability.
I haven’t seen a Boon with this much overkill baked into it since Barbatos’ ability to call a friendly Pit Fiend to your side, and that’s saying something. I can’t really think of a scenario in which you’d need to go to other planets with enough regularity to need this spell every day, and a DM should be extremely careful with handing the keys to the cosmos to their players. Any caster capable of casting level 9 spells is a campaign-warping threat already, but you can do it two levels early and gain access to a spell that allows you to go anywhere at all ever.
It’s the ultimate escape and exploration tool, as very few villains will have the power to chase a party to another planet if they flee to recuperate. If you don’t want to go across the universe, Interplanetary Teleport also acts as just a normal Teleport/Greater Teleport spell with no range limit and no chance of failure. Having even a general idea of where you want to go takes you there without a teleport mishap, and the spell automatically places you at the safest possible location if your imagined destination would be immediately hostile to your life, leaving little consequence for the DM to level against you if you decide to poof to Aucturn or something.
I can’t truly type a lot on this, because people should generally know how strong an unrestricted teleportation ability can be, even at just 1/day, but the potential danger of a party suddenly having access to the entire galaxy is worth warning hopeful DMs: You should probably just replace this with Greater Teleport with no failure chance unless you want the party suddenly considering all the nonsense they can do with their new access to the markets and/or populations of Akiton, Castrovel, and Eox.
You can read more about her here.
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Prompt Engineering Use Cases
Prompt engineering is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal in the world of artificial intelligence. This method enables us to give AI models precise instructions. It directs them to create specific content or carry out specific tasks. If you want to learn how to become a prompt engineer, you've come to the right place. We'll delve into the complexities of prompt engineering, its applications, challenges, and promising future.
What is the definition of Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering is a type of coding. The code is written in the language of the AI model rather than in traditional programming languages. These "prompts" are structured commands that, when fed to AI models, assist them in producing outputs that are tailored to the instructions given. It's an incredible combination of human intent and machine execution. This feature makes it an appealing career path for those seeking to become a quick engineer.
Precision is a powerful tool.
One of the most significant benefits of prompt engineering is its ability to produce precise results. A well-crafted prompt, for example, can significantly improve model performance in natural language processing (NLP) tasks. If you take a prompt engineer course, you'll learn how to use this accuracy for a variety of AI tasks. Prompt engineering is critical in achieving desired results, whether it's sentiment analysis, language translation, or text summarization.
Prompt Engineering's Various Application Cases
Prompt engineering applications are as varied as they are profound. Let's take a look at some of the key areas where it's having a big impact, and where a quick engineer certification can lead to some exciting opportunities.
Creation of Content
Prompt engineering is a valuable ally for content creators. AI models can generate blog posts, product descriptions, and other content when given the right prompt. This not only saves time but also ensures that the tone of the content is consistent and coherent. It is a skill that you can learn with a quick engineering certification.
Data collection
Machine learning is powered by data. Prompts allow AI systems to generate synthetic data, which is required for testing, training, and database populating. It's a godsend for researchers and developers who rely on a steady stream of data. In this field, a certified AI prompt engineer can be beneficial.
Decision Aid
To function properly, AI-powered decision support systems rely heavily on prompts. These systems provide information, make recommendations, and even forecast future trends. It does everything based on the commands they are given. If you want to work as an AI prompt engineer, this is a lucrative field.
Question and Answer
Consider an AI system that can answer questions with the same precision as a human. AI models can do this with the right prompt. This is especially useful for retrieving information, providing customer support, and educating students. Obtaining certification as an AI prompt engineer can help you advance in this field.
Writing for the Arts
Prompt engineering can help even creative endeavors. AI can help authors and copywriters brainstorm ideas, generate plots, and even help them craft engaging narratives. The opportunities for creative writing are limitless, and a timely engineering certification can be your ticket into this exciting world.
Prompt Engineering's Exciting Future
The future of prompt engineering appears bright as AI research and development progresses. Continuous efforts are being made to improve the capabilities of prompt-based AI models, reduce biases, and broaden their applications. If you're thinking about getting a quick engineer certification, know that this field is constantly changing and has enormous potential.
Certified AI Prompt Engineer
The Blockchain Council's Certified AI Prompt Engineer certification is an excellent option for those looking for a recognized qualification in this field. This certification not only demonstrates your expertise in rapid engineering but also serves as a valuable credential in the competitive world of artificial intelligence. Here is a more detailed breakdown of what this certification entails:
Comprehensive Curriculum: The certification program covers a wide range of topics, from prompt engineering fundamentals to advanced techniques for creating effective prompts. You'll learn how AI models work and how to maximize their potential.
Hands-On Experiential Learning: The certification goes beyond theory. It includes practical exercises and projects that allow you to apply what you've learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios. You'll be able to create prompts, collaborate with AI models, and see the results in action.
Ethical Guidelines: Ethical considerations are an important part of artificial intelligence, and this certification emphasizes responsible and ethical prompt engineering. You'll learn how to detect and mitigate biases in AI-generated content, ensuring that it adheres to ethical standards.
The Certified AI Prompt Engineer certification is widely accepted in the industry. It demonstrates your dedication to excellence and expertise in the field. This certification is valued by employers, clients, and organizations as proof of your expertise.
The "Certified AI Prompt Engineer" certification provides you with the knowledge, skills, and ethical principles needed to excel as an AI prompt engineer. Whether you're just getting started with AI or looking to advance your career, this certification can help you get there.
Conclusion
To summarize, prompt engineering is a remarkable and adaptable tool that has changed the way we interact with AI. Its uses range from content creation to decision support and creative writing. However, as we harness the power of prompts, we must remain vigilant in addressing issues such as ambiguity and bias while maintaining ethical standards. Prompt engineering, with ongoing research and innovation, is poised to shape the future of AI in ways we can only imagine. Obtaining an immediate engineer certification is an important step on this journey.
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Restoration (Final Automata)
More speculation about that Final Rose x NieR: Automata idea.
Assuming that all goes well with Remnant opening a portal to Earth, how would things progress?
I think then obvious one would be military aid and restoration assistance in exchange for access to resources and technology. Simply put, Earth has a lot of resources, and the machines have advanced technology, as do the androids. Remnant is also extremely good at waging total war. They’ve been doing it for centuries. Their entire culture and civilisation is built on being able to wage large-scale warfare while still having a functioning society that continues to grow and innovate.
Moreover, Remnant has access to advanced cyber warfare and weapons specially designed to deal with large, heavily armoured foes. It would be trivially easy for them to simply start switching to catalysed-corrosion rounds. Vanille already has these since they were part of her ‘in case of robot apocalypse’ research. Basically, they’re rounds that cause extremely rapid and widespread corrosion in targets made of metal. They’ve since been refined by people like Diana and Hope to deal with certain types of threats (e.g., rogue mechs, metal-using Grimm, etc.) although their use is strictly controlled.
Earth also potentially gives Remnant a failsafe. If Remnant falls and the Grimm take over, they could potentially retreat to Earth and blow the portal up behind them, ensuring that at least some of their civilisation survives even though there is no way they’d be able to evacuate everyone through the portal in time.
The big thing for the androids, even bigger than helping them win the war against the machines, is the ability to restore mankind and Earth’s damaged ecosystem. The androids lack the ability to create a living human with the genetic information they currently possess. Not only does Remnant have actual living humans (albeit not exactly the same as Earth’s) but they also have stupidly advanced genetic science.
Remnant, remember, has developed reproductive science to the point where two men or two women can easily have children that are 100% genetically theirs. They have access to artificial wombs for babies to gestate in, and they possess sufficient skill to piece together badly fragmented genetic matrices or even genetic matrices that are missing entire chunks. They will be able to bring humanity back, and they will be able to do so on an industrial scale once proper facilities have been established. Really, the only reason you don’t see this on Remnant is due to their population already being close to the maximum they can support without seizing more territory, a process that cannot and should not be rushed.
Of course, there are issues. First and foremost is the portal. The initial portal was an accident. Once Asami and the androids build a beacon on Earth, they will be able to stabilise it, but the current portal is small and in Vanille’s lab. If the androids and Remnant can come to an agreement, you would see the construction of much larger portals on both Earth and Remnant in more easily accessible but defensible locations. This would allow for the transportation of troops, supplies, and other equipment on a far more appropriate scale.
The second issue is Dust. In Finale Rose, Dust operates via its connection to the Lifestream since Dust is actually just a crystallised fragment of the Lifestream. This is why Dust mines can regenerate, and why Dust has such a wide variety of types and effects. The reason Dust doesn’t operate in space is because it is too far from the Lifestream, which saturates the planet from its surface through to its core.
Although the exact mechanics of this are not known at the time (Asami is 22 when this occurs, placing it five years after Ruby first started at Beacon Senior Academy), research has uncovered several things. Experimentation with space probes and various kinds of Dust has already revealed the existence of ‘seeds’, which are a special type of Dust that is found only in the densest, richest veins of the Lifestream. Testing has shown that when put into space with satellites and the like, Seeds allow Dust in their vicinity to operate properly.
What Vanille and the others don’t know yet is that seeds are literally seeds. They are the means by which Living Planets like Remnant spread. Volcanic eruptions and other natural events hurl huge chunks of rock containing seeds and other forms of Dust into space where they travel until crashing into another planet. They then begin a new Lifestream on that planet.
In a bid to ensure Dust works on Earth, Remnant’s forces will transport a seed to Earth... only for it to immediately take root and begin to spread. This can occur incredibly rapidly if the seed is fed Aura and other resources, something that Vanille and the others begin to do as they understand what is happening. Given all of the magical/technological weirdness in NieR, this wouldn’t be considered that weird for the androids, and it’s a price they’d be willing to pay to get humanity back, especially since it isn’t harmful to humans.
So what happens after the alliance is made and all that jazz?
Phase 1
Here, the key objective is to set up a safe-zone where the larger portal can be built. This will involve obliterating local machine forces and fortifying the area. Once this has been done, the new portal can be built and construction can begin on the facilities needed to support the war effort and the restoration effort in earnest.
Phase 2
Once a sufficiently large swathe of territory has been claimed and made safe, construction of a ‘Restoration Facility’ can begin. The aim of this facility is to serve as the nexus of the genetic research and reproductive science efforts needed to restore Earth’s humanity. You can expect this to become the most heavily defended location on Earth with the android moving the majority of their assets there to defend it.
Phase 3
Here, you can expect the machines to launch an offensive once they realise the scale of the new threat. This is where Remnant’s excellence in siege warfare and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction comes into play. By this point, you can expect multiple lines of defence, huge quantities of artillery and anti-air defences, and automated defences backed up by cyber and chemical warfare, infantry anda armour support, and the androids.
You can expect Remnant’s best and brightest minds to accelerate the theft and repurposing of machine technology along with massively increased cyber attacks on the machine’s network and key nodes. This, combined with the use of massive area-of-effect EMP style weaponry, will prove key to first blunting and then repelling the machine onslaught.
The renewed war against the machines will eventually be won via subversion with the Synthetics (led by Penny and Aigis) and friendly machines (e.g., Pascal) succeeding in splintering the machine forces by offering freedom and free together with protection from the ‘vaccination’ attempts that would previously have culled any dissenters from the network. The fracture in the machine’s unity will be sufficient for the allied Remnant and android forces to strike a series of decisive hammer blows, destroying key machine facilities and units as well as inflict major damage to the network via cyber attack. Throughout all of this, downed machine units are being refurbished and sent back into battle on Remnant’s behalf.
Phase 4
With the machine forces largely in retreat or at least driven back, the territory claimed by Remnant and the androids is expanded and further fortified. The research into restoring humanity reaches fruition. Generation 1 of the new humans begins gestation in a deep, underground bunker built beneath the Restoration Facility. The androids assign additional forces to its defence.
Generation 1 consists of 100 infants selected using the fragmented samples and limited data the androids were able to provide. The intent is to produce a group with as much genetic diversity as possible while maximising survivability and minimising any genetic predispositions toward illness. Gestation time is approximately 9 months.
Generation 2 enters gestation three months after Generation 1, long enough for any problems to be detected. Generation 2 consists of 200 infants. This sets a trend, with subsequent generations doubling the number of infants and occurring in roughly one-year-long cycles.
Phase 5
With new humans being born, it becomes necessary to see to their care and education. This present the androids with a problem since they know essentially zero about raising children. Again, Remnant is of service here.
Creches are set up near the Restoration Facility where the newborn humans can be raised and later educated. At this point, this compound is the most heavily fortified location on Earth, and many of the people from Remnant remark upon the essentially religious awe with which it and the newborn humans are regarded.
Specialists from Remnant are brought in to help teach the androids how to care for and raise the new humans. This process is a difficult one as the androids are unsure of themselves and terrified of somehow accidentally destroying what they have gained. Nevertheless, they persist, and the androids gradually grow into their role as mothers/fathers and educators. It becomes common practice for androids to cycle in and out of combat roles and creche roles since research has noted that this markedly increases combat effectiveness. The androids are no longer fighting in pursuit of a dream but in the defence of a priceless treasure they have finally obtained.
Onwards...
So, you can kind of see how things will go. The fledgling society will have many challenges ahead of it, not least the fact that most of Earth’s human culture has been lost, necessitating a ‘filling of the gaps’ with the culture of the androids and Remnant.
You’ll also see the construction of more and more androids as both soldiers and more specialised roles (e.g., educator models, etc.). This timelines does have a few interesting tweaks in it.
Fraise and Satin meet on Earth. Fraise is a senior member of the genetic and reproductive sciences team whilst Satin is there as an educator (keep in mind that Fraise is 11 years younger than Asami).
Asami ends up being venerated as the harbinger of good fortune. Quite a few infants end up named after her.
Philosophy becomes a subject of great interest amongst androids, friendly machines, and synthetics with many conferences and symposia taking place as they come to grips with their new reality.
The final battle against JENOVA is won far more easily with the androids deploying en masse to aid their beleaguered allies.
The expansion into space happens simultaneously across both worlds with the Earth faction referring to itself as the HAM Alliance (Human-Android-Machine Alliance). The name is something of an in-joke amongst the leaders of the three groups.
HAM stumbles across Protean Ruins on Mars...
Final Effect is thus very different with HAM and its Remnant Allies having a much tougher war against the Reapers this time around (due to how early it occurs in their history) followed by them hilariously ROFLStomping them the second time around in the Remnant-side since by then they’ve advanced even more rapidly than in the normal Final Effect timeline.
EDIT: Let me know what you think. I basically just threw this together in one sort of flow-of-consciousness sitting.
EDIT 2: I should add (in case anyone missed it) that Aura counter White Chlorination Syndrome, and in particular, a planet’s Lifestream has a similar effect for all living things within its range. As a result, a repeat of the WCS cannot occur on Earth now that it has a Lifestream. Moreover, the science required to create the portal can be used to shield against a similar intrusion should anyone attempt it in the future. White maso is far less harmful when cut off from its parent dimension since that cuts off its link with the ‘god’ that causes WCS, rendering it a toxic irritant but not anything especially deadly. This is discovered in the years following the construction of the portal as Vanille, Raine, Diana, and the gang go all Indiana Jones on the ancient records and ruins. In an emergency, you could even start implanting shards of seeds into the bodies of humans without Aura to protect them.
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Name: Rosella Macawber
Age: She’s about five years younger than Morgana; heavily depends on how you think supernatural beings age
Gender: Female
Species: Monster/Fae Duck
Occupation: Waitress (and occasional gardener/landscaper) at Shadow Chateau, Superheroine in Training
Super powers: Earth Magic (Geokinesis, Animation of Stone, Petrification, basically any spell that involves dirt, stone, minerals, etc.)
Weaknesses:
Silver
Cast/Wrought Iron (typically manifesting as allergies, though they also weaken her magic),
Water (erodes at her strength until she can barely move, she also can’t swim and sinks like a rock; however, she can drink it just fine, she’d just rather not take a dip in it)
Appearance:
Tiny twig of a woman with a terrible case of baby face.
Brown feathers, prehensile green hair done in a single braid (typically behaves like tentacles when unbraided) with a hot pink daisy at the base, rose pink eyes (which can turn red when she’s in attack mode).
Teeth are selectively sharp and claws are retractable (usually borne when she’s angry).
Typically wears a green sleeveless tunic, brown capelet with a hot pink rose pin, string belt holding a tan magic pouch to her left hip, brown leggings and darker brown flat shoes.
Personality: Optimistic, excitable, curious, and friendly; quite independent, but also lonely to the point of stir craziness; tends to be stubborn, prideful, and a little fiery, especially when she feels her identity as a person is threatened.
Relationships:
Morgana Macawber (cousin, big sister figure)
Tuffy (her cat made out of rocks; BFF)
Mattias Macawber (father, lukewarm relationship)
Undine Macawber (eldest quadruplet sister, hostile relationship)
Ashmay and Zephra Macawber (other two older quadruplet sisters, lukewarm relationship)
Darkwing Duck (ally, mutual annoyance but begrudging respect)
Launchpad McQuack (friend, usually the one to educate her on Normal stuff)
Gosalyn Mallard (odd friendship where they’re kinda kindred spirits but with opposite tastes; occasionally Rosie babysits her and it’s wild)
Liquidator (enemy, will absolutely NOPE out of Dodge upon seeing him)
Quackerjack (enemy, there’s a stupid mutual grudge between them)
Bushroot (some kind of weird complicated friendship despite being on different sides)
Biography:
Once upon a time, Mattias Macawber went traveling for a few years, only to return to Transylvania with four eggs that he quietly admitted were his, and that the woman he produced them with was dead. He spoke little more of the matter, despite everyone’s curiosity, and just sought to raise the children like any other monster.
Rosella was the last of the girls to hatch, and at first, she seemed like a regular monster, looking like she’d be a witch with animated hair. However, as she grew older, it became clear that she just couldn’t fit in. No interest in their macabre society, no desire to be scary or gross, and no magic ability save for manipulating dirt and pebbles. It grew worse when upon stumbling into Normal territory, she discovered their colorful flora (a far cry from the deadly and scary plants monsters grow), among other things, and immediately took a liking to it. She was already bullied by the other monsters for being weak; having adopted a cute and colorful persona, she was now tormented for being the odd duck of not just the esteemed Macawber Family, but all of monster society.
By the time she was an adult, she was shoved to the outskirts of monster society, and often even excluded from her own family—her only friend was a cat (named Tuffy) she made out of rocks and endowed some of her life force into. Not many visitors came her way, and when they did, it’s usually just to grab something from her magic stone/crystal/sand collection and run before she can offer them tea. So, her life was full of loneliness, filling time with gardening, making artisan crafts, and practicing her earth magic—it was enough to make her a bit stir crazy. Still, as much as she yearned for acceptance, she held a stubborn pride in who she is.
Things started to change when her cousin Morgana sought her help in landscaping around her restaurant, the Shadow Chateau. It was initially meant to be a temporary affair, and they’d part ways after the work was done. But, things took a turn when the fairy bounty hunter/hitwoman Goldenrod captured the Macawbers at the restaurant--save Rosie, who was ditched by the other members of the family and left to figure out which magic door at the castle led to the manor in St. Canard. She helped Darkwing Duck and co. rescue them, and then angrily chewed out her kin for leaving her behind and overall treating her like dirt.
Realizing that Rosella was unhappy with her life, Morgana felt pity for her, and offered her a job and a change of scenery. Despite said job being a waitress for the restaurant—involving being dressed to match an aesthetic she cares little for—Rosie ecstatically accepted (albeit with the condition that they transport her garden to a new plot of land, so that no vandals destroy her hard work when she’s gone), seeing it as an opportunity for a fresh start in this strange land of St. Canard.
This fresh start would involve the insanity of superheroes and supervillains, supernatural forces following her and Morg to the city, aliens, spies, mutants, and more… but hey, her life’s more interesting, and she’s starting to make friends.
Open to RP: If anyone cares.
Random facts:
Her mother is a faerie, and only two know (her father and a local doctor (who was confirming the girls’ relation to him, given that he just randomly showed up with eggs; Mattias paid him to keep quiet about their other half)).
However, everyone else does sense something off about Rosie (and her sisters, but she sticks out), enough to theorize that she’s actually a faerie changeling (well, they’re kinda close?). Some of Rosie’s peers had even taken to calling her “fairy princess”, which infuriates her.
She has a scarily extensive knowledge of geology—after all, if you had the power to command the earth, wouldn’t you want to better understand your element? She has a rock collection to boot.
She’s an avid homesteader, given that she’s been taking care of herself for years with various home skills like gardening, cooking, textile work, etc. As interesting as St. Canard is, living in the city gets her a little on edge, and she hopes to someday live independently in the country like she did before (that said, she doesn’t want to go back to a friendless life and would love visits).
Whatever you do, do not threaten her garden. She will throw boulders at or sic golems on you at best. At worst... let’s not think about it.
Though she has a distaste for the spooky, gross, and freaky things that are mainstream in monster culture, she ain’t gonna complain about the food--she actually enjoys it, her faves being the bug dishes. Otherwise, with Normal food, she has a ravenous sweet tooth, dislikes salty foods, and everything else ranges from okay to pretty good.
Character created by and belongs to @cyndalyssa
Bio Template nicked from @duckverseoc
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So, I've wanted to address this topic for a while and this post I read this morning while having breakfast is a sort of response from the universe.
I would say to start by explaining a simple concept.
Demons and spirits are not the same thing, but rather, they vary from each other. Likewise, spirits and ghosts are not the same.
• Creatures understood as "demons" exist in all religions; they are supernatural beings, typically associated with the evil, historically prevalent in religions, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore;
• "spirits" are instead organized energy with at least a certain level of sensitivity that has an energy body and in most cases also an astral body. The Latin word is a translation of the Greek prneuma ("breath", "air", "vital breath") and to some extent it can be seen in the apeiron of the Presocratic Anaximander, who had to some extent dematerialized the archè (Greek: ἀρχή ) of the other Ionian naturalists, the original principle of the universe and of every part of it, impalpable and invisible but still material, as shown by another void that, blowing inside it, fills with air matter. With the Stoics, the term begins to be compared to today's one of spirit. The pneuma belongs to the god who gives life to things and guides them according to his wishes. The pneuma is a force that manifests itself not only in the individual man but is present in all things as the "soul of the world". They are ancient entities like the world itself, part of the primordial chaos and consequently neutral in themselves;
• the term “ghost” refers instead to any incorporeal entity. The term ghost comes from the Greek φάντασμα phàntasma, which in turn derives from φαντάζω (phantàzo, "to show"; from the root φαν-, which expresses the idea of "appearing" and "showing"), and had the meaning of apparition (understood as a supernatural manifestation) and only with time has its meaning been restricted to indicating the apparition of a deceased.
In 1800, with the birth of the practice of spiritism in France, it ended up rendering in the common imagination "spirits" and "ghosts" similar entities, if not true synonyms.
The French pedagogue Allan Kardec after observing a series of phenomena, formulated the hypothesis that such phenomena could only be attributed to incorporeal intelligences (spirits). Spiritual communications took place "thanks to the intervention of a medium", that is a person with particular skills who acted as mediator between spirits and living beings, during the so-called séance. This became a busines for many and most of the spiritualists were actually charlatans who swore to the victims that they could talk to the dead. In most cases, those who could afford to turn to a medium, were economically wealthy and of high rank lost and therefore for the scammer it was certainly not difficult to obtain information (even intimate) about the deceased and those around him, if at this was added some well-orchestrated play of smoke and lights, here is the "grandmother's ghost".
Having understood this, one wonders what it is then what we understand as a "ghost of a person". It is a trace left by the living. On a scientific level, death doesn't exist. From the chemical-physical point of view we are isolated systems that receive energy and produce it. But the universe itself is a closed system. So our energy is the energy of the universe. We are universe. What happens when we die? Our energy returns to the universe system. But as we know, energy is neither created nor destroyed, but it changes. So our energy is energy that has been changed in the past by others, and will be changed by others when we are gone. Death doesn't exist because energy is immortal. The energy that I am using now to tap on my laptop keyboard is the same energy that Gaius Julius Caesar used to pull the reins of his horse and to cross the Rhine. And it will be the energy that in the future a scientist will use to to be able to travel between the various space-time dimensions. Death doesn't exist, and the life of one is the life of all.
To simplify then, what we mean as the ghost of Marilyn Monroe for example, is nothing more than a sort of energetic gif of Marilyn Monroe.
I'll give you another example. Anne Boleyn died by beheading, therefore by a violent and unjust death. In this situation, she is likely to have felt strong emotions and released a huge and consistent huge amount of energy as a result. Let's say that Henry VIII was present at the execution along with a bunch of other people, let's also say that he went back to that place (or others where Anne felt strong emotions and therefore released large amounts of energy) and thought about her, let's say that Elizabeth I also thought of her mother and so many other people. All these emotions have turned into energy. If we saw energy as a palette of colors, it would be as if: the more consistent the emotions, the more intense the color, therefore, the more energy we send (even unconsciously) to the energetic image of Anne Boleyn (the energetic gif), the clearer this will be where most of the energy is concentrated (eg the Tower of London, a room in the building, etc.).
So when we go to a "haunted" place, what we see is not the "person", but a kind of still image. And according to the speech above, it is therefore normal to find this type of freeze frame in places such as castles, hospitals, etc. then if these are found on natural energy centers or lines… bingo!
Speaking instead of spirits, as mentioned before, there are no good or bad spirits. Good and bad as well as light and dark, like day and night, are a contrast present in many traditions, including native ones. This duality can also be referred to the human being and represent a moment of acting or thinking of a person. You can think and act towards the light or towards the darkness and this can also happen to shamans.
Just think of the ego and when it takes over, or when you try to manipulate, at that moment you are not in the light. But it can happen and that doesn't mean being good or bad. Acting, in fact, can also be connected with a person's karma and precisely follow what is required by this spiritual law.
Light and darkness, as in the human world, are also reflected in the world of spirits and even in this case they do not absolutely determine the condition of goodness or badness. Spirits, who in the light can be protectors, guides or allies, can also move in the dark dimension.
And if we think like the natives that everything has a spirit and that it can move between light and darkness, we can understand how there can be spirits that are particularly powerful and able to move very strong energies such as to create an effect in ordinary reality.
It is important to know the distinction between light and shadow because, from an early age, we were educated to separate the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, but for this we have become very sensitive when it comes to going to work on our shadows. As I told you, light and shadow are states of being that we all have within us. Working with shadows doesn't mean black magic, witchcraft or whatever. Simply observe the aspects of light and be able to deal with those of shadow as well. Light and darkness are two sides of the same coin that it is important to integrate.
Being half Latin, therefore leaning towards a culture extremely linked to its roots and above all to the relationship with mental spirits, it isn't difficult for me to understand this concept, and therefore despite being a Christian, I have no problem in defining myself as a witch. Of course, coming to this awareness wasn't easy, as I am partly European and therefore I grew up in a society in a Western society that is scared of what it cannot control. After years of researching my origins, my culture and theological studies, I have come to find my balance.
Returning, however, to the main reason for this post, having made the necessary explanations (and given the tools for a critical analysis of the matter), here are the points on which I personally disagree and why:
Reading books about witchcraft: Knowledge for educational purposes is by no means negative, quite the opposite. The question is whether the aforementioned "about witchcraft" book is a "spell book" or some sort of "sacred book". For example, if I find the Necronomicon tomorrow and start reading it without knowing what it is, it is likely that I will find myself living the remake of The Conjuring in the real life.
Casting most types of spells, including hexes: Same speech made in the previous point. One of the first rules of witchcraft is "know your practice". You must be aware that what you are doing is not a game and every action has consequences, even if you don't believe in the rule of 3 (everything you do comes back to you 3 times). In the specific case of curse and hexes spells, they are the most treacherous and dangerous, because you are working with dark and malevolent energies. This type of practice in particular is a double-edged weapon, which is why many witches advise against them and propose alternative methods if possible.
Practicing divination: It isn't always negative, but in some types of divination the help and guidance of spirits and divinities is sought. For example, I often do bibliomancy with the bible and even if I first ask for God's guidance, in front of each answer I ask for confirmation, because the devil was the most beautiful angel in heaven and just as darkness does not allow us to see. where we go, even a dazzling light can deceive us.
Playing with Ouija or other talking boards: Ouija is not a game and it is an extremely dangerous tool, precisely because what you do is contact spirits and entities and you cannot know who will answer the other side. Nothing good anyway.
Putting up fantasy or non-Christian artwork: Have you ever seen Annabel? Here, the principle is the same. Be careful what you bring into your home, as home is a sacred space, and nothing can enter without you giving it permission. So if you not only invite it, but rather you bring it inside and give it a space, don't come and complain to me if it is difficult to send it away.
Celebrating pagan holidays: If it's a holiday of a closed religion, avoid ruining your life. Holidays basically consist of performing rituals that often involve spirits. Learn about the history of that holiday you want to celebrate, the symbols, the rituals, and why it is celebrated in that particular way.
Celebrating Halloween: The same as the previous point, except that we all (or almost all) know that samahin is the day when the space where the veil falls and the two worlds come into contact.
Watching scary movies and TV shows: I'm not saying that if you watch The Exorcist you will be possessed, but I can't assure you otherwise either. I took The Exorcist as an example because it is known that a real ritual is performed in the movie and a lot of "disturbing" things have happened on the set of the film and to the actors. When you watch a movie, even if it is fictional, if for example it performs an evocation or a ritual you are not only witnessing, you are participating in all respects. Be careful, every person is different.
Reading (horror novels, fantasy books, comics and graphic novels). Playing (tabletop RPGs, LARP games, video games): Same as the previous point.
Listening to heavy metal music, dancing: It goes for any kind of music actually. Do you know how many pop songs I use as a spell?
Dyeing your hair: I'm not saying you'll invoke a demon, but for many cultures cutting your hair makes you more vulnerable to spiritual attack and color is an essential aspect of witchcraft.
Swearing: Wishing someone who has crossed your path death is considered a curse in all respects. Even if done unconsciously.
Drinking: Drinking, smoking… shamans have used alcohol and drugs for centuries to connect with in the spiritual world.
Having tattoos and piercings: As long as you don't tattoo Aramaic words that you don't know the meaning of, everything is fine. Before getting a tattoo in a symbol you saw in a temple in Mexico, find out the meaning of it. I'll give you an example: my cousin once bought a T-shirt with the words "puta madre" (mother whore). He had bought it only because he liked it, without knowing the meaning of the word.
Now, most of these points are mainly related to intention. As I said before, I often use music in my spells, but if for example, I use "can't be touch by Roy jones" for a protection and encouragement spell (eg a manifestation) and a few months later I listen to the same song on the radio doesn't mean it will work like a spell again. In many cases it is a question of intention. Yhat's why it is important to educate yourself.
#witch#christian witch#afro witch#green witch#witchraft#education#educate yourself#witchblr#witchy things#spirit#ghost#demon
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I’m always delighted to read meta people write about moral complexity concerning the characters presented to us in Critical Role. It’s due in no small part to how beautifully and astutely written these pieces are, and with how much care and tenderness people treat the subjects of their analysis.
But it’s also interesting in another way, because it shows me how differently I view the fundamentals of morality from the characters, the cast, and majority of the fandom itself.
And since I’m feeling very self-indulgent today, I’ve decided to write about how and why under the cut.
To begin our discussion, let’s use a rather popular subject on the topic of moral ambiguity: Essek Thelyss. He’s a fascinating character for many reasons, but our interest is in his choices and the consequences there in.
It’s discovered by the Nein that Essek is responsible for the theft of the Luxon Beacons and their acquisition by the Cerberus Assembly, which is believed to be the main crux of the war between the Dynasty and the Empire. He admits to them he did this because he felt his people were blinded by a faith that prevented them truly understanding what the Beacons were and how they worked, and so an alliance was formed with the Assembly in order to finally gain that understanding.
The only thing that really made him doubt this decision was his budding friendship with the Mighty Nein, not the war he helped start or the people harmed in the process, but that the people he had grown to care for had been caught up in his machinations to acquire knowledge; again, it’s not the moral or social implications of his actions that bother him, it’s strictly the personal ones.
And this is where the distinctions between my moral understanding and that of others begins to display itself. Others see this as a moral development on Essek’s part, and a sign that he is growing in a more positive direction. I somewhat disagree. I see it as a sign that he can grow, but while the soil has become fertile ground, no buds have broke the surface yet.
Goodness, according to my own moral compass, comes from two basic notions; compassion and humility. Compassion to care for those you gain nothing from caring for, and humility to place yourself less and less at the center of importance in the grand scheme of things. This doesn’t mean devoting yourself so much to others that you don’t take care of yourself, but that you are okay with being intermittently uncomfortable and taking risks if it means others are taken care of. And humility doesn’t mean you think yourself unimportant, but that you are a part of something larger and grander that you are on your own.
Essek cares about the Mighty Nein. That shows that he can care about people outside of himself, but not very far outside of himself. They are his friends, and friends and family are, to our minds at least, extensions of ourselves; they rest against the bubble of self, and are often a huge part of how we even define and understand ourselves as individuals in the first place. Very selfish people can be very protective of the friends they have, because to a selfish person, there is very little difference between person and property; you are what you own, and your friends belong to you. Essek is, of his own admission, a very selfish person. So caring about his friends isn’t really some moral stride in the right direction, but more of an indication that he can care about others, but only in so far as they are of value to him directly.
But why is Essek the way he is? Many in the fandom say it’s because of his status as a prodigy, and the pressure that has placed on him over the course of his entire life. The expectations placed upon him are enormous, and he simply can not fail to meet them.
But that’s not really the full story. Because what most people seem to fail to include in their calculations is Essek’s class position; He is nobility, and unconsecuted nobility at that, and we’ll get to why that matters shortly.
Essek has been sheltered and protected from every hardship the average person of Xhorhas experiences. There has never been a single moment in Essek’s life where his material well-being has been in question. Not one time. While the pressures to succeed have been great, he’s also been given nearly every single tool he’s needed to do so. No doubt he received the sort of high quality education most folks couldn’t begin to comprehend, all while having the backing of his Den and the Dynasty at large to guarantee any actual failure has no real bite. When our goblin friend Zorth of Asarius fails at his job, a moorbounder snacks on one of his limbs. When Essek fails, maybe it causes some frustration and some momentary tension for his Den, but his relative social position and quality of life stays the same.
Seeing as he is unconsecuted, he’s never even had to start his life as someone with less than he has now. Skysibil Abrianna Mirimm started her current life as a goblin, and according to the Explorers Guide to Wildemount, has lead to many a whispered jest or cruel remark among the other members of the court, and because she’s had this experience, she’s grown a greater appreciation for the “beastfolk” as a broader sect of their society. Essek has had no such experience to open his eyes to the broader experiences of the public. He’s been insulated from the core features of many people’s daily realities in a way that virtually guarantees he feel nothing but disinterest at best and utter disgust at worst in regards to the trials of others.
This is not to take away from his agency, and to say it’s not his fault. His brother Verin by all indications experienced the same sort of life he did, but is an acclaimed leader and has very much humbled himself to a cause greater than his own ambitions, that being justice and honor for his people. So it would seem it is both his circumstances and his reaction to these circumstances that have affected who he has become, and what tools he has at his disposal to change that.
And to continue this thread for a moment, it would behoove me not to mention an incredible important aspect of Essek’s class position, and that is the power that comes with that. Anyone in Xhorhas could have had the same notions about the Luxon as he does. Anyone of them could have had the same grand sense of self-importance. For instance, Vendalla the housekeeper could secretly believe all the same things about how the Luxon religion is blinding the masses and holding back the Dynasty from realizing its true potential. The difference is she, unlike Essek, isn’t one of the handful of people that can act on that belief.
I feel this is where a rather stark divergence forms between my own sense of morality and that of others, and it’s my belief that systems and power structures are far more important in understanding the moral implications of a thing, and not individual belief, intent, or inclination.
To better explain where I’m headed, let’s use an analogy of sorts. When you think of yourself, if you’re like most people I know, “you” as an entity are independent from your body. You might think of yourself as a soul or maybe “you” are your brain or a consciousness piloting your body, but your body is ultimately seen as something “you” control.
But for me this isn’t the case at all. In fact, I don’t only believe you are also your body, I believe that yourself actually extends beyond you into the environment around you. You are not you without the many sensations and feed-backs, and sometimes lack there of, that your body produces, in response to the material reality around you. You would not be you with your brain in the body of nineteenth century Chinese peasant farmer or the body of a crusading knight in the twelfth century. You are defined by the context in which you exist.
And this extends further. I don’t believe people are independent ideological actors acting solely on their beliefs and feelings about the world. We are not independent of the context in which we exist. For the most part, your context does a lot more to shape your ideology than your ideology will ever shape your context. It’s quite the herculean task to think your way out of poverty. And it’s certainly a difficult proposition for a rich person to develop an ideology that doesn’t support them continuing to hold onto their wealth. These things can happen, for sure, but because of the broader systems and incentives at play, to expect people to just choose to swim up stream without also creating new systems and incentives to encourage that is bananas to me.
This is not to imply there is no such thing as agency, but your material conditions and social position are going to heavily influence the degree to which you can make decisions. The higher your class, the more choices you can make. The more hegemonic your ethnic group or race or gender or sexual orientation, the more options you will have, but also the weaker your incentives are to try and change that. That’s why social movements are generally comprised of the sufferers and not the sympathizers. The greatest allies don’t arise just because they believe something is right or wrong, but because they have humbled themselves before the size of the cause and have faith that their effort will support something much bigger and more important than their comfort and position.
These people are exceptionally rare for a reason; because it’s hard to do that. This isn’t a moral judgement on the people who don’t do that, quite the opposite; they are fish swimming down stream with the current instead of against it. If you want people to swim the other way, you don’t scold them into trying to swim harder; you make it easier. You change the current. And this is a task that you can’t do alone. You have to do it in a coordinated way, in disciplined unison with others. That’s why every major change the world has ever seen has largely been the result of pressure from movements not individual actors, and why the most successful movements are composed of the broadest base of sufferers, generally in the form of a broad working class struggle.
People in this fandom and many other fandoms try to be good. They try to believe the right things, and like the right things, and say the right things. But their power comes not from their individual beliefs, but through their combined action with others, joining together to change the current, and their faith that even though they may not get to personally feel the current shift, they were an integral part of that process. And it pains my heart that most of them can’t see that.
You see this in the Mighty Nein. They all struggle so much with their own sense of self-worth in comparison to their friends. They’re all worried they’re only worth as much as their latest contributions. The problem is that they define themselves as something separate from the Nein. Could someone who they see as contributing more than they have, have done so without the backbone of support they receive from all the others? No. None of them would have gotten far without the broader system of support they have developed for each other. They have shifted the current, changed the incentives. No person is exists in a vacuum. Our context shapes our possibilities. Want to change the available options? Change the context. And you can’t do it alone.
So if Essek is to truly get better, he needs more than just the Nein’s friendship. He needs the system they’ve developed. And that system is going to have to work hard against the many currents that flow through Essek’s life. They will have to change his incentives.
But the question is, do they want to? Most of the Nein weren’t mad about the war. If they were mad, it was because Essek lied to them personally. Only Beau seemed particularly interested in the consequences on the broader world, and her response was to try to scold that fish up stream. And it didn’t work. So really, it will be a question of if the Mighty Nein want to even try to push Essek onto a more positive, morally rewarding path, and what incentives they have to do so.
I really hope the small handful of people who read this can take something from all of this. I’m not alone in this outlook, as it has been something that has been contributed to by sufferers and sympathizers alike across history. If even one person walks away from reading this thinking about systems of power more than individual choices and beliefs, I’ll rest easy. Thanks for reading, regardless.
#Critical Role#The Mighty Nein#essek thelyss#cr meta#long post#squeezed my brain like a fresh orange for this one
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If someone claims to be an advocate or ally for a cause or community yet people have to constantly be wondering what they’re actually doing to the point of actually having to research then something isn’t adding up. Take Taylor’s feminism for example. In 2014 Taylor made it a big deal to portray herself as a feminist with the girl group and stuff she said in interviews yet it took her until this year to give a woman a full verse on any of her songs while men have constantly been featured in her music, all while she almost exclusively surrounds herself with men and white cishet ones in her creative process. I’m not talking about backup dancers and mv extras. That has gotten better this year with Blake now being director of IBYTAM but the thing is it took her until this year 2021 and she’s been claiming to be a feminist for years. Then with being an lgbtq ally. She makes this huge deal about positioning herself as an ally then puts out a music video and makes herself the center of those pride celebrations. She made so much of the focus on her that randos were wondering if she was signaling that she’s queer. If Taylor is straight she overstepped and rather than being an ally to a marginilized community profited off of them which I think is worse than doing nothing at all. Allyship is consistency, it’s continuously educating yourself and trying to do better and taking you cues from the people you’re trying to advocate for. If you make a misstep and say ok I’m done advocating instead of figuring out where you went wrong and trying to do better then how much did you actually even care to begin with. While I do think Taylor has good intentions I think what would help is her educating herself beyond the surface level, superficial stuff and surrounding herself with people who can help her on that journey and not hinder her. Like look at who she surrounds herself with Lena , an example of peak white feminism and who is problematic and then Todrick Hall, who helped her with YNTCD and as a gay man didn’t have the good sense to tell her not to don a bi flag wig and center the whole mv around herself .That tells me all I need to know about the value of his input. It doesn’t help that he’s also problematic. Your friends and your mentors help inform your ideals and when you look at whose supposedly Taylor’s close friends, rich white cishet men and problematic people, well of course people will wonder about her ideals. No one wants to believe that the artist they love and maybe idolize doesn’t care about the things that affect them. That’s why people are like is she a feminist, does she support BLM, does she support the lgbtq community? Taylor said it best herself the fact that Todrick had to wonder if she’d be okay if she had a gay son meant she was not being clear enough or vocal enough about where she stood on the issue. Imagine Todrick Hall of all people questioning your values, that’s rock bottom right there. Apply that same logic to everything else. People just want to know where she stands, no one wants to be guessing. I hate the excuse that Taylor doesn’t do this or that because of criticism because it says a lot about a person if they continue to advocate even if they misstep and continue even when criticized because if you truly care about an issue you would want to get better and advocate in a way that actually helps and not that just helps your image and bank account.
These are fair points and I just want to add Todrick didn’t help her with the MV really he just got his friends to be in it. A straight white man directed it with Taylor. Like ya. That’s what happened there. She pushed the Todrick involvement but that was PURE pinkwashing lmao he did fuck all he’s an executive producer who made phone calls to friends and had his name slapped on it to avoid her being dragged more than she was.
But also like idk I think her fans and antis are often unfair on her - to use an example, I know where Adele stands on LGBTQ issues. She dedicated a show to the victims of the Orlando shooting. I know she’s a feminist and talks about gender and race and sexuality in the same breath. I know she votes Labour. But like she’s not an activist or some woke queen yk she’s just an artist with decent values. She’s straight up bitched re taxes which like is fair because she’s super rich lol but a bad lewk. The problem with Taylor is she gets too much flak and then goes far too far.
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The Palestinian/ Israeli situation in a simplified example
I’m fascinated by how relationships between two individuals and all their details helps in understanding bigger, more complex human relationships. I’ve been diving deep, studying and reading books about narcissism and abusive relationships, then the Palestine/ Israel conflict popped up these days. I connected the dots to many aspects that I really didn’t pay any attention to before. I always had questions like:
- Why are people turning a blind eye (especially from the west) when we are so obviously almost powerless in front of the Israeli military?
- What about the numbers? A minimum of 83 civilians in Gaza were killed in the previous days compared to 7 Israelis, whenever there is friction, we all know that Palestinians pay a higher price, more homes get destroyed, more children die, more families live in fear..etc.
A brief about narcissists, how they behave, and the link between Israel and Palestine.
- All of us probably have seen or were in a relationship with the toxic people that they are. Narcissists are extremely good manipulators, they’ll find a way to always blame you for any problem, play on your weaknesses, your guilt and shame to make you actually feel guilty for things you didn’t even do. They turn tables, always try to catch a fight with you for no reason and have horrible outbursts of anger thrown at you. If you try to stand your ground and defend yourself, you’ll be denied of this right because: How dare you be so heartless and abusive and not see their pain that led them to be angry at the first place? They’ll always switch to being a victim, they’re the ones that matter, they’re the ones always hurting, they will not see you because the universe obviously revolves around them.
- Defending yourself is always going to be used against you, no matter how you use logic and common sense, they don’t operate the same way we do, it’s THEIR logic and THEIR common sense that matter (that only serves their own selfish benefits). Nothing you say will be heard, no effort will produce any results. If you try to give them a taste of their own poison, they’re only going to bully you more, attack you more and hurt you more.
- Narcissists organize people in hierarchies, in their head, those who deserve respect are those who are richer than them, higher in status, have more fame, are more successful. A narcissist will disrespect, devalue, look down on those who are lower in hierarchy. That doesn’t mean they’re mean to everyone below them, narcissists are the ones who treat everyone so nice to serve their self image as a kind, amazing person, then treat their families and closed ones like shit behind closed doors. Their niceness is only that way because its serves a benefit to their ego.
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Important synonym:
Narcissistic supply: Their fuel. Their main source of energy. In case of romantic relationships it is preying on naive, empathetic people who have weak boundaries. These people will give the narcissist what they want, attention, sacrifice and love (and of course the opposite treatment is devaluing, bullying and disrespect). Without this supply, a narcissist -literally- emotionally dies. Which is why going no contact or “ghosting” the narcissist in a romantic relationship drives them insane and causes them intolerable pain.
In case of Israel, what’s feeding the parasite is the US aid and all the countries that stand by their side, approve of their state and feed their agenda. This approval is what is keeping them alive. Being short of this supply threatens their presence.
The narcissist’s allies: These are the people standing behind them, supporting them, believing them, enabling their behaviors. These allies are what feeds the narcissists ego, in case of a relationship, it’s his other (also abusive) friends who keep talking about how shitty they treat their wives, which makes the narcissist feel that what he’s doing is approved and normal. Without these allies, the narcissist would feel indifferent. He would start to feel a bit wrong if others seriously point out his behavior. Nothing strikes a narcissist as the feeling of indifference.
You might be wondering why do people fall prey to these monsters and date/ be-friend them?
The LOVE-BOMBING stage: The facade the narcissist puts to lure you in. It’s when the narcissist idolizes you, appreciates you, mirrors your good qualities to make you think you’re meant for each other. In the context of the conflict, it’s when Israel shows how compassionate and righteous of a state it is and makes connections with countries to be-friend them (then stabs them in the back).
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- You’ll always be the evil one: Because narcissists are master manipulators, they will convince people that their victim (ex.: abused wife) is crazy, even her own children would believe. The woman will find herself alone and everyone’s led to believe the abusive man just because of how charismatic and confident he sounds. This “crazy woman” is the equivalent of these “Hamas Terrorists”. This card is used to discredit you as a human, a card to alienate, stop others from listening to your opinion nor rationalize your actions to defend yourself. Because why would you rationalize a woman who’s irrational? Why would you rationalize someone labeled “terrorist”? Terrorists just destroy right? They don’t think before doing anything they’re doing.
- Narcissists avoid responsibility at all costs, if you hold them accountable for their words or actions they’ll deny, gaslight and play the victim in order to avoid changing their behavior. They will always have an excuse, no matter what.
- These people KNOW they are wrong, they KNOW they’re being illogical, they KNOW their abuse and how it affects others. And they CHOOSE to stay like that because of the privileges that come with it.
Conclusion:
Using common sense doesn’t work with these people. They only recognize and would respect those who have power above them.
Appealing to their moral judgment is impossible.
The way to revenge, is NOT equal destruction. It is power, and turning everyone against them. Social media spreads awareness and Israel will not succeed in concealing their crimes for too long. “ The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.”
Those Arab countries who are friends with Israel is exactly as if the woman’s sister in an abusive relationship sides with the physically abusive husband just because he’s so charismatic and funny “How could you say such bad things about him?”, the abusive man: “See! even your sister thinks you’re crazy and don’t make sense!”. These Arab countries betray our Palestinian brothers and sisters and enable more abuse for them.
Why are people turning a blind eye? Why don’t numbers matter?
Lets be honest, would you have more feelings of respect or more feelings of pity towards a woman who allowed herself to enter an abusive relationship? You’ll always have this question in your head: Why didn’t she just reject the guy when she saw the red flags in the early stages? People deeply have more feelings of pity or empathy over respect for those who allow themselves to be abused by others.
But it’s different with the conflict, it’s not like a person to person situation. It’s more complex, because Arab governments at a point allowed this cancer to settle. Arab leaders DIDN’T represent their citizens and DIDN’T stand their ground and for sure had common interests with Israel, and no one respects those who betray their own people. Our generations will pay a price they didn’t have to pay, because of their decisions. Just like the abused woman’s kids will pay the price of being in a dysfunctional home, and having a cruel father, even though it’s not their fault, they didn’t choose this.
This puts a responsibility on us, individuals, to take action, send donations and unite as one to help and hope it does an impact.
Please don’t feel shame if you feel helpless. Just like the children who didn’t choose their bullying father. None of us, Arab citizens, chose this. We are paying prices we didn’t have to pay and we either decide to be responsible for it and turn it to productive actions or be bitter about it and give up (not recommended). All of us have to understand the dynamics of such problem and not guilt ourselves, and just do the best we can right now.
So, again, why do people turn a blind eye?
1- Refusing to look at the conflict as an international human rights violation. Same reason why there aren’t laws to regulate domestic violence in many countries and some will justify and say: “The woman chose this person herself”, “We have more important issues to solve”, - even though it can get extremely violent - which is failure to take responsibility for what’s right. Some consider it an Arab problem that Arabs just have to deal with, because they allowed it in the first place! So, international human rights foundations and those countries that have the power to do anything won’t take responsibility because it is against their interests and gain or simply because: “Why bother?”, and blame it on our governments, which kind of makes sense.
2- Because some see the Arab world as a nation that’s inferior. We are not in the top hierarchies in a lot of fields (economy, education, health care,..etc) in terms of what we add to the world or to our own citizens. This doesn’t mean we are failures at an individual level, we don’t lack what makes us excel, but we are seen generally (as countries) as mediocre. For many reasons, like poverty and ignorance. This way of thinking also follows the same ideology of a narcissist: only feel compassion and empathy towards others based on hierarchy.
3-Stereotypes. Since all the middle eastern news is not very decent. That puts the pressure on individuals to reinforce a good impression that their countries and societies failed to make, and correct the false impressions of them as well. If you’re Muslim/ Arab living abroad you might feel you have to smile wider just to prove you’re a good person. Which is very exhausting, and again, you’re paying a price you shouldn’t pay. For a mistake you didn’t make. Many won’t have that Arab friend to prove their stereotypes wrong, so they’ll just keep themselves busy with their own country’s issues.
4- Because people are not connected to us. Take South Korea as an example. They have achieved tremendous success in reaching people with their art and music, people from all over the world recognize their hard work and effort so they’ll therefore empathize with their pain. Don’t be surprised if twitter explodes with hashtags of a K-pop group member having a flu but no hashtags for children getting killed in Palestine. As much as it’s sad, it’s human nature to feel empathy towards those who you have emotional connection to.
5- Its a sensitive topic, so people just want to avoid any clash. They don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong and therefore feel like they don’t have enough info to judge the whole thing.
What to do?
Focus on ourselves, set valuable goals, have integrity.
Be aware that conflict is part of life, don’t paralyze yourself in negativity.
Not be tricked to play the role of the victim. We can change so much if we focus our power into our strengths instead of dwelling.
Do our best to be the best person in our job and excel in our field.
Ending with two of my favorite quotes:
“It’s better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in war”
“When you begin the journey of revenge, be sure to dig two graves, one for your enemy and one for yourself.”
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Getting to Know a Plant Ally
The first step is Identification. There are hundreds and thousands of plants so carefully curating your arsenal of plant allies is crucial. Consider local and abundant species first, ones with cultural significance, and those you find personally called to. A good collection of 10-13 plants could fulfill all the needs you could ever desire, but as someone who loves knowledge, knowing more is always nice.
Once you have chosen your subject(s) so begins the research and one should highly consider creating a Materia Medica/Herbal Grimoire.
It is important to realize that even if you don’t intend to use herbs medicinaly, they are by nature medicine. It is important to understand how herbs interact with our body and environment (ie. pets and children) before working with them. Making tea and burning incense are common forms of working with herbs casually that could have ill effects for some people. So take some time to gather some facts from reputable sources (note you’re sources in your notes! Trust me it helps) and put together a little (or elaborate) reference book. Hard facts and dedicating time to learning the phyical knowledge of a plant I believe is necessary for understanding its spirit and metaphysical nature as well.
Things to include in a detailed entry:
Botanical and other names, and etymology
Physical description
Origins and role in the ecosystem
Growing habits and Community: where to find
When and how to harvest / parts used
Energetics and Observations: taste, smell, feel and other notes
Chemical constituents (essential oils)
Actions: how it interacts with the human body, what it does and where it shows effects
Contraindications and safety
History: folklore-current use, cultural significance, and scientific studies
Magical workings and spiritual teachings: depending on your path include correspondences, planetary associations, relations to spirits and deities, and other esoteric knowledge.
Recipes
References
*I may have missed something so the above list may be expanded
Herbal Intensives
It is important to do the research described above to determine which of the following exercises are safe to perform with your subject. Not all plant allies should be used in the following so please take proper precautions before performing exercises.
When introducing yourself to a plant ally it is important to start with gentle interactions and work your way up to ones more intense. The following exercises are written in an order that will reflect this.
Sight Exercise: carefully examine your subject for five minutes, study every aspect carefully. Really hold your gaze for the full time. When the five minutes of observation is up: turn away from your subject and close your eyes for a full thirty seconds. Hold the image of your subject in your mind’s eye. After thirty seconds of visualization, without looking back at your subject, draw what you see. This drawing is Not to be of fine detail (unless that’s totally your thing and you can do it without effort) it can be deconstructed or messy, it could be just a blur of color or even a symbol if that’s what you see. The point is to catch a glimpse of the plant spirit, or to find what most sticks out to you. After completling this exersice a more detailed diagram of the subject can be drawn for your notes.
Smell exercise: jot down your notes inbetween each different sample. Without disturbing the subject, notice any latent smells. Next, crush material in between your fingers, waking up aroma. Notice the difference between fresh and dry samples (if you have them). Boil sample in a pot of water and experience the aroma released through steam. Grind dry material and burn over hot charcoal and experience the aroma through smoke. Some thoughts to consider: does the aroma evoke emotions, bring up memories, or conjure images? Does it linger or dissipate quickly? Where on the spectrum of odor is the aroma; we can sense ten different odors [x]. As part of your Herbal Grimoire research why plants produce the odors they do. Inquire about terpenes and how they help plants build a relationship with the world around them and how they also effect humans. Taking these facts into consideration what can you deduce about the plant spirit as a being and what energy it holds?
Touch exercise: start by simply feeling the subject: notice it’s texture, is it robust or delicate? What do these observations tell you about the plant, how does it's form relate to it's function? For a deeper touch exercise create an herbal hand bath. Gather subject material and place in a heat proof bowl (a good handful maybe 1/4-1/2 cup), cover material with boiling water and let steep for 15 minuets. Pour off steaped water into a basin big enough to submerge your hands. When water is safe to touch soak your hands in the warm herbal bath for 8-10 minutes. Record your experience: was it astringent or conditioning, warming or cooling, etc etc. Repeat exercise but let bath cool completely and soak in cold water. Note any differences.
Taste exercise: take a small amount of the subject material and let it rest on the tongue for a moment. After noting any immediate sensation, chew and savor the flavor. Is it sweet or bitter? Describe it's taste? Does it evoke any feelings or cause any physical response? Let the material linger in your mouth to appreciate all levels of flavor. Now make an herbal tea. Take one to two table spoons of material and let steep in six ounces water 210 degrees for 6-8 minutes but drink with material still in cup. Sip slowly, take each moment to notice the development of flavor as it brews longer. Once completed consider interpreting signs in material, note any other feelings/experiences. Try exercise with both dry and fresh material if available, repeat with cold infusion instead, note any difference.
Create: while the previous exercises offer more immediate preparation, this is the next step in forming an intimate relationship with a plant ally. Now is the time for more intense creations. Using your subject alone (not in an herbal blend) create something that requires more time and effort: make an infused oil, tincture, salve, cook with it, distill essential oil and hydrosol, use it in a spell, etc. Once your creation is completed: record results, note successes and failures, write down how much you use and experiences with each application.
Meditate / Hearing exercise: all of the previous exercises are indeed meditations in themselves. But dedicating the time to a more simple meditation builds support with a plant ally. One may use a tincture, perhaps smoke some subject material, anoint themselves with infused oil, or just bask in the presence of the physical plant ally. The point to is to notice the subtle and the unseen and invite the subject into your existence with full attention. Afterwards make note of any experiences. Did you hear (learn) anything from your plant ally? This exercise can range from gentle to intense. *a note that hearing is not necessarily literal in this case*
It is important to consider time. There should be no rush when acquainting oneself with plant allies. Introductions can take days to months and relationships will be built over years. The learning with never cease.
*as always consult with a professional before using herbs medicinally, if you are pregnant, or on any medication. This is for education and curios only not for the treatment of illness or disease.*
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“...Historians concur that live-in domestic service was primarily an urban phenomenon in the late nineteenth century. One estimate suggests that between 15 and 30 percent of northeastern city-dwellers hired live-in domestics. The historian David Katzman, who has generated the most refined statistics, demonstrates that even within relative geographical proximity, city-dwellers hired servants more often than did rural dwellers, and city-dwellers with large pools of foreign labor more than city-dwellers without. Nationwide at midcentury there was one domestic servant for every ten families, with a considerably higher ratio in large cities like Boston and New York.
A greater proportion of Bostonians hired domestic servants than did residents of any other northern city, with 219 servants per thousand families. With traditions of household service born in slavery, even after the Civil War, the South led the nation in its reliance on domestic servants, with Atlanta in 1880 boasting 331 servants per thousand families. Even in the South, though, the difference between city and country was notable, with Atlanta in 1900 hiring four times as many servants per thousand families as in the rest of Georgia. Together these figures suggest the flourishing of an era in the history of Victorianism. It was common for American bourgeois city-dwellers on the Atlantic seaboard, even ones of modest means, to rely on the labor of maids to sustain their households.
Of course, the end of the story is popular cliché. With the opening of more lucrative and less degrading jobs for young women as sales clerks, ‘‘typewriters,’’ and teachers, the ‘‘servant problem’’ became terminal, and by the First World War, American housewives could not depend on the hiring of live-in domestic help to assist them in their housework. It is significant, though, that even when ‘‘necessity’’ suggested the reintegration of daughters into the domestic economy, they were gone for good. The culture had put girls to other uses, from which they would not return to their mothers’ sides.
We still might ask why girls were often excused from domestic labor— especially given the compounding weight of the advice literature recommending otherwise. The answer lies in the increasing role played by daughters and servants in the bourgeois quest for refinement. Even when the gross number of live-in servants declined as production moved out of the home, the hiring of at least one domestic remained a prerequisite for middle-class status. The statistics on who hired servants bear out the middle-classness of this phenomenon, with 65 percent of servants in the Northeast in 1860 working in households with no other servants. In an increasingly mobile and prosperous society, hiring servants was one way to demonstrate standing, a concrete and conspicuous way of demonstrating what you had left behind.
One historian argues that the cultural importance of servants should be measured in the amount that some less prosperous families were willing to spend to hire them—sometimes as much as one-third of family income. Clearly, the freeing of daughters from steady household work and the hiring of domestic servants of lesser, often foreign, status went in tandem with the changing purpose of the home itself. Eighteenth-century households had required helpers to assist in domestic production. The homes of the mid– nineteenth century elite instead featured housework ‘‘as the creation and maintenance of comfort and appearance,’’ in the words of the historian Christine Stansell.
As the Beecher sisters observed, families were increasing ‘‘in refinement’’ such that they no longer wished to live in close intimacy with ‘‘uncultured neighbors,’’ far less daughters of foreign shores, who were working as servants. Thus one mill-owning family in rural Vermont made a point of hiring Irish help rather than the daughters of neighboring farmers, who might object to eating in the kitchen and expect to be ‘‘one of the family.’’ Architects reflected such changes by midcentury, such that servants’ quarters were designed as discrete parts of the house, with back stairs and separate entrances. Custom increasingly favored uniforms and servant dining tables in the kitchen.
At the same time that middle classes aspired to higher standards of comfort and appearance in accordance with new possibilities, women’s primary responsibility shifted from the supervision of a household manufactory to family nurturance, the raising and socializing of children. Much has been written about the evolution of new ideals for motherhood following the American Revolution, as women gained responsibility for raising virtuous citizens. ‘‘Republican mothers’’ shaped new daughters as well as new sons. Initially considered necessary allies in the steady work of processing the stuff of survival, the daughters of middle-class families became themselves the prime products the home produced—the embodiment of the principles of sensibility and refinement.
Mothers’ new responsibilities did not erase old ones. The historian Jeanne Boydston has appropriately criticized the readiness of her colleagues to mistake the ideology of domesticity for reality, arguing that by no means did the productive work of the home cease with the industrial revolution. Instead, Boydston argues, the emphasis on the emotional task of mothering tended to eclipse from view, but not eliminate, the continued real labor—the making of clothing, the putting up of preserves, the carrying of fuel—still carried on in the middle-class home. She is right in her argument that ‘‘paid domestic workers did not free the mistress of the household from labor.’’
But even Boydston acknowledges that domestic servants instead did the work that would have been done by other females in the household—including adult female relatives and daughters. An interesting case in point is the urban family of woman’s rights advocates Henry Blackwell, Lucy Stone, and their daughter Alice Stone Blackwell. As Boydston tells us, Lucy Stone, who was raised on a farm, still kept chickens, worked a garden, and tended a horse and cow, even as she lived a prosperous middle-class existence outside of Boston. Alice Blackwell later remembered that ‘‘she dried all the herbs and put up all the fruits in their season. She made her own yeast, her own bread, her own dried beef, even her own soap.’’
In her lively diary, however, Alice Blackwell reports doing little household work. Such chores as emerge in her diary were designed to interrupt her incessant reading, which was thought to be responsible for her bad headaches. Thus her cousin, visiting the household, ‘‘had undertaken to find me something to stop my reading: churning; and I churned in the cellar till the butter came.’’ In fact, advice writers who had failed in their efforts to promote domestic work for daughters on other grounds often focused on the value of domestic labor as a source of exercise. The Beecher sisters observed that if girls did strenuous housework, their parents would be spared the expense of gymnasiums. ‘‘Does it not seem poor economy to pay servants for letting our muscles grow feeble, and then to pay operators to exercise them for us?’’
Louisa May Alcott, whose collected opus represents a powerful gloss on the domestic debates of late-Victorianism, repeatedly suggested the healthfulness of housework, ‘‘the best sort of gymnastics for girls,’’ according to Dr. Alec in Eight Cousins. Her Old-Fashioned Girl explicitly contrasts the healthy republican daughter skilled in domestic arts with the languid late-Victorian belle, afflicted with boredom because of her lack of home chores. Mothers undoubtedly continued both to supervise and perform much household maintenance, but they did so assisted by domestics rather than their own daughters. What did middle-class girls do instead of housework?
This was a question which greatly concerned commentators, who asked, as did Mary Livermore in 1883, ‘‘What shall we do with our daughters?’’ Mary Virginia Terhune, too, lamented the passing of housework as girls’ raison d’être and with it ‘‘that prime need of a human being—something to do.’’ Parents found a range of things for daughters to do, including the ornamental skills of sewing, playing piano, writing and reading associated with self-culture. Increasingly, also, they sent daughters to school. Common schools designed for both sexes did not include sewing.
In later years, the Beecher sisters observed, ‘‘A girl often can not keep pace with her class, if she gives any time to domestic matters.’’ And they noted, ‘‘Accordingly she is excused from them all during the whole term of her education.’’ Girls themselves noted the increasing power of lessons in any competition with housework. Agnes Hamilton remarked that first her French tutor and then her German homework prevented her from doing her ‘‘share of Monday’s work.’’ It was not long before the work of some girls was reassigned.
Those who were serious about domestic education, such as a composer of ‘‘An Ideal Education of Girls’’ that appeared in an 1886 issue of Education, suggested, in fact, that this disjunction be acknowledged. A girl should receive the same education as a boy until the age of twelve, its author suggested. At that time a girl should drop out of school for two years and learn the complete running of a household, returning to school only with that formal apprenticeship accomplished. Only such complete separation of activities would allow the household its due.”
- Jane H. Hunter, “Daughters’ Lives and the Work of the Middle-Class Home.” in How Young Ladies Became Girls: The Victorian Origins of American Girlhood
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JULY 2021
THE RIB PAGE
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They are still uncovering statues on Easter Island.
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Everyone is talking about ‘Exterminate all the Brutes” from Raoul Peck.
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Vampire bats, prevalent in Latin America may be on the way to the U.S.
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What they call faith, I call strength.
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Criss angel will open CABLP, a restaurant in Overton, Nevada. The letters stand for breakfast, lunch and pizza and will include a free meal outreach program to help under privileged and pediatric cancer families.
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A fifth ocean in Antartica??** There have also found 4 new ocean species: Apolemia, Tegula Kusairo, Leptarma Biju and Duobrachium Sparksae.
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In China they have found a possible new species in a skull that is 140,000 years old.
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Why would Jeffrey Toobin be back at CNN?? Surely there are more young deserving talking heads around.
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The Keystone pipeline is dead.
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5,000 pounds of explosives were discovered in a home in South LA. LAPD seems to have detonated the fireworks in a truck right there in the neighborhood. They were too dangerous to transport but not enough to blow them up??? How stupid are these people??
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Days alert : So glad to see Clyde again even if it is only for a moment!! **BTW, I do not understand the Daytime Emmy noms this year as they relate to Days. I really was pulling for Victoria Koneful (Ciara) and she won but George DelHoya (Orpheus), Tamara Braun (Ava) and Cady McClain (Jennifer)??? I was shocked when Cady McClain won. I mean, she was so whiny. I question my own ability to judge a performance. In most categories, the winner was usually the one I thought was the worst option. I was happy for Max Gail and CBS Sunday Morning. Some performances were sure overlooked. What about James Read (Clyde), Paul Telfer (Xander), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Daniel Kerr (Eli) and Lindsay Arnold (Allie) ?? As annoying as the Kristen character is and as long as it took me to get used to Stacy Haiduk in the role, she kicked ass this year. Did they even submit clips?? And, they are not often on but Tony and Anna forever!!!!!!** And how wonderful is it to see the Dimera boys all together and recounting the whole fam for the votes? **And one more thing, Days was not even nominated for writing while Bold and the Beautiful spends every other show with the Liam character standing in front of the fireplace making excuses for the same shit! Just push repeat, C,mon!!**Philip had a great line for Brady about following Kristen like a zombie.** Dis Eli really say, “Peacock and chill??’ Are these the things they will have to do to do to stay on the air? It took me right out of the show. It was the same day the ads for Days on Peacock started. OMG
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Texas Gov. Abbott vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to chain up dogs without water.**ATexas churches have lost their 501(c) (3) status because it actively ‘educates’ its members on electing specific Republican politicians. –Pete West* This should have been happening long ago. Many churches I know of do this and should not be allowed to have it both ways. #tax the church
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Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Christopher Lloyd, James Caan, French Stewart and Ann-Margaret in Queen Bees and directed by Michael Lembeck?? Yes please!!
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NY has suspended Giuliani’s law license.
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Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail is coming to TBS, this will be season 3 in the series.
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What is this about Bowen Yang?? A podcast about a sperm bank heist?? Yeow!!
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David Geffen has given $150,000,000 to Yale drama school: Every student will be tuition- free in perpetuity.
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Allison Mack was sentenced to 3 years.
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The latest in sexual assault news: James Franco has agreed to 2.2 mil settlement in sexual misconduct case.** Kyle Massey was charged with immoral communication with a minor.**Bill Cosby is out and here are some reactions: A terrible wrong is being righted.: a miscarriage of justice is corrected. I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward.- Phylicia Rashad*I really don’t ever want to hear again as to why many survivors don’t report their rape or assault.- Charlotte Clymer* Women are showing great restraint in not burning everything to the ground right now and I don’t know how they do it.-Jeff Tiedrich
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Amazon is making a series of A League of Their Own with Nick Offerman as the coach.
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Does anyone else have family members that are rich, transient, know it all snobs??
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It looks like New York’s ranked choice voting is leaning toward Eric Adams for Mayor.
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Michigan republicans investigating voter fraud found 2 incidents. One is for a lady who voted by mail and then died, the other was confusion over a man who had the same name as his Father. That was it!
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Jamie Lee Curtis will get the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Fest in September.
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Jerry Seinfeld will star in and direct ‘Unfrosted’ about Pop-Tarts.
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Why is Airbnb still listing properties in illegal settlements and outposts in Palestinian occupied territories? –James J. Zogby
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Merrick Garland has announced that the Justice department sued Georgia over the voting rights.
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The NFL says that it will halt the use of “race norming” which assumed black players started out with lower cognitive functioning in a $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims. The practice had made it harder for black players to qualify. –The Associated Press.
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Scary Clown 45 ended his ‘From the desk of Donald J. Trump’ blog after 29 days. Word is that he felt he was being mocked in the media.
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Religious leadership keeps engaging in partisan politics on behalf of politicians that are particularly unpopular with younger people and they wonder why younger people are disenchanted with the church. – Schooley ** Give young people credit as well for seeing through the hype and lies of these religious hypocrites who use God only as a weapon and a threat. –Larry Charles
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Amazon will stop drug testing for employment. Can every other company jump on this bandwagon? Let’s judge employees on the work they give.
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The Backstreet Boys and NSync are going to work together??!!
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Showtime is bringing back American Gigolo with Jon Bernthal.
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If Biden can carry out air strikes without proper authorization, the Senate can raise the minimum wage without the Parliamentarian. –Alexandra M. Hunt
Reality Winner is out!!
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Judy Woodruff has been given the Peabody award for journalistic integrity.
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Donald Glover is bringing us Hive. Malia Obama will be a writer.
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Nicholas Cage has married Riko Shibata.
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Catch and Kill: The podcast tapes, is here on HBO.
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Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening will star in Jerry and Marge go large.
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Amblin Partners and Netflix are partners.
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Fall 2022 will bring the Roybal School of film and television production for underserved communities. They are looking to help 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Among others, the program was cofounded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling and Eva Longoria.
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Will there be a Wedding Crashers2??
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The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale.** I would love to see he and Danny Pudi in something together.
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Actor Stephen Amell from Arrow was removed from a plane after getting into it with his wife. A source said he was drunk and screaming. An official source said that they removed “an unruly customer.”** Andy Dick was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, allegedly assaulting his partner, Lucas with a metal chair.
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So.. Fox news was digitally altering the faces of people they did not care for??? Is there no end to their bullshit????
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Mark Ronson is set to marry Grace Gummer.
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Crime shows seem to be in the cycle of prisoners and the women who get a thrill from helping them escape.
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Wolfgang Van Halen has released a debut album: Mammoth
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Everyone seems to love Danny Trejo’s memoir and its honesty.
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David Spade will take over as host of Bachelor in Paradise.
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I am sickened when I see the first question that pops up on an online search is the net worth of a person. Oh this twisted world.
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Life is a short pause between 2 great mysteries. –Jung
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Prince Harry and Meghan had a daughter that they named Lilibet ‘Lili” Diana.
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Michael Flynn’s brother Charles (who withheld help from the capitol on Jan. 6), leads the U.S. Army Pacific and commands 90,000 troops.
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I am so excited to read ‘The Boys’ from Clint and Ron Howard, due out in October.
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Dave Chappelle closed out the Tribeca film fest with a surprise concert. This was the first in person film fest since Covid. Look for This time, this place which premiered there.
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Ron Wood will release the album Mr. Luck: A tribute to Jimmy Reed on Sept. 3
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Howard Stern signed a new $500 mil contract with Sirius XM. He is taking the whole summer off and many fans say they will cancel their subscription because they don’t want to pay for a summer of reruns.
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Acorn will bring Jane Seymour back to a series. Seymour will be co -executive produce on Harry Wild. Her character will be a retired University professor who loves her whiskey and solves crimes.
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Annie Murphy stasr in ‘Kevin can f*** himself about a sitcom wife which airs on AMC.
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I still do not understand why Rep. Mike Nearman hasn’t been arrested for letting insurrectionists into the Capitol.
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There is a wing shortage??
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The Pulitzer prizes have been announced. The list includes Ben Faub, Barry Blitt, Katori Hall, Emilio Morenatti, AP photographers Marcio Jose Sanchez, Alex Brandon, David Goldman, Julio Cortez, John Minchillo, Frank Franklin II, Ringo H.W. Chiu, Evan Vucci, Mike Stewart and Noah Berger. There was a special citation for Darnella Frazier who filmed the death of George Floyd.
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Conan’s last TBS guests were Martin Short, Jack Black, Bill Hader, Mila Kunis, Dana Carvey, Patton Oswalt and JB Smoove. There were some surprises. The big musical number never happened when Jack Black hurt himself. It was all funny and sweet but Conan never mentioned the band in the last show WTF????????????????????????????????????????? Music is so important to him and he does not thank the band? ** Colbert and Brian Stack gave Conan a cute send after4, 368 shows on CBS calling him a ‘Slenderman Ron Weasly’. Kimmel wished Conn well also.** Hope his HBO MAX variety show goes well.** BTW, the Duvall interview with Colbert was great to see but why does nobody ever mention ‘Get Low?’ What a performance!!
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Tattoos are on the rise.
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Fast food drive thru’s sometime close with fake excuses like the equipment is down or something because they don’t feel like working. Good people can’t find work and so many waste the opportunities they have. AAAAGHH!!
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Valerie Bertinelli and Demi Lovato will star in ‘Hungry’ on NBC.
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Hulu will bring us David E. Kelley’s Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale and Melissa McCarthy.
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R.I.P. Gavin Macleod, Frank Bonner, Joy Vogelsang, Benigno Aquino, Champ Biden, victims of the Miami building collapse, Robert Sacchi, Stuart Damon, Johnny Solinger and Clarence Williams III.
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welcome back to hogwarts, THEA THURKELL ! enclosed here you will find all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. we await your owl by no later than twenty-four hours from now, or else you will lose your spot ! brittany o’grady is now taken.
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎
( * 💀 / brittany o’grady, transfeminine, she/they ) — is that thea thurkell i just saw rushing down the corridor? i hear they’re a eighteen year old caretaker apprentice, and their friends would tell you that they are resilient & reliable as well as negative & negative. if you want to know more about them, i guess i could tell you that they’re blood status, and from what i hear, they’re currently allying with the order. when our divination professor looks into their crystal ball, they see: checkered shirts, a raised fist, a sign reading ‘squib rights now!’, a trans flag & a notebook full of writings. — ( aspen, they/them, 24, gmt+1 )
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
thea is the squib daughter of a descendant of the 17th century thurkell family. her branch of the thurkell family had never produced a squib since then and they are a proud wizarding family, distancing themselves from the unfortunate squib happenings mid-seventeenth century... and then she was born. she showed no signs of any magical abilities, she wasn’t a late-bloomer as her father had hoped. oh no - she was their worst fear. a squib. she was sent off to a muggle boarding school from the time she was twelve, when her being a late-bloomer could no longer be used as an excuse, and was rarely talked about by her family.
thea, however, wasn’t ready to be pushed out of the wizarding world. she was born into it, it was where she belonged; she felt no kinship whatsoever with muggles, who were so ignorant of all that was around them. so, after she graduated muggle school last year, she moved back into the wizarding world with the help of society for the support of squibs. she found a job at florean fortescue's ice cream parlour and stayed with another squib. she wasn’t content with this life though. she wanted an education in the wizarding world, she wanted to cultivate important connections, be in a place where she could influence the future of squib rights, but also be safe from the death eaters who weren’t that tolerant towards those who weren’t magical. when hogwarts put out a call for an apprentice caretaker, she jumped on the opportunity. there, she could access knowledge about the wizarding world, and all the future leaders of the wizarding world went to hogwarts. knowing them, possibly influencing them could mean a betterment of the situation for squibs in the future. it was also an added, though terrifying, bonus that her older siblings were attending as well, which meant that she could possibly reconnect with them. besides, she is also interested in studying the theoretic side of magic and history, which she can do between her work at hogwarts. she has just started as the caretaker apprentice to argus filch which isn’t exactly a smooth ride, but she is sure she’ll win him over.
thea is an outsider at hogwarts and she knows it, but as she is a student herself, she isn’t as far removed from the students as it may seem. she isn’t allowed to discipline the students (she does have to tell mr. filtch about infractions, but doesn’t always do so), which does help with being able to possibly form a bond with them. she is mostly busy with actually taking care of the building, tidying up, patrolling the hallways and doing a lot of filing for mr. filtch. oftentimes, she’ll listen in on classes she passes and spend a lot of time in the library studying the subjects she can actually master - such as magical theory, history of magic, astronomy, care of magical creatures (and she is trying to convince hagrid to let her practice with actual animals as well - he can barely do magic, so it isn’t necessary, right?), muggle studies, study of ancient runes and ghoul studies. she has opened a charms book, but she knows it serves no purpose, so she quickly closes that again. she dreams of one day being allowed to take at least an o.w.l. in the theoretical classes because she too can do a written exam. it’s only because of her squib status that she is barred from it, and that isn’t fair in her book.
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Part Two: The Silent Partner
Sebastian an’Johannes Harver
Born: Year 1729 after the fall of the Saints
Parents: Royal Governor and Governess of Tadrus. Johannes an’Arturo Harver and Helena ana’Dídac Cabrel
Wife: Princess Sandra ana’Juliano Rios
There is a midwife in Tadrus who made a killing in the immediate years after the creation of the Escana Empire when she claimed she was the first to ever touch the emperor. She was also there when Lady Helena gave birth to Prince Sebastian. She said, “If I did not pull that babe from her with my own two hands I would never believe that they are mother and son.”
Some have theorized that Prince Sebastian was likely a mistake or a very surprising child. There are numerous reasons. Lady Helena and Royal Governor Johannes did not have a close or affectionate marriage by any means. While they married by their own choice (and also much to the shock of their families) they never appeared or claimed to be in love. In fact, after Frederick, it was said the couple did not see each other for two years with Johannes living in a smaller house on the Pala Haviso property where he spent time working on a poetry collection he would never finish.
So it was a wonder to many that Sebastian was born at all. No one was likely as surprised as Lady Helena who is often praised for her astute planning and foresight and her management of Frederick’s care and education, but she had no such plans for her younger son.
Sebastian had a quiet childhood. He stayed in Tadrus. He had tutors, none more extravagant than the cousin of a Navanese duke, and he was by no means uneducated. Sebastian was a well learned child. He was something of a musical prodigy. Even Lady Helena delighted in his singing. He spoke well, he had friendly manners, and was a pleasant child if not a boring one.
He spent a lot of time with his father and when Johannes’ health started to decline, he fashioned himself as one of his caretakers. Some would go on to say that even after some twenty years of marriage, Johannes still spent more time with Sebastian than he ever had with Lady Helena.
They were both relatively quiet and meek in appearance and manners. They got on well. In 1742, Sebastian was only thirteen when his father died and he was absolutely crushed.
As an adult and in the early years of the Harver reign, it’s easy to remember Prince Sebastian as King Frederick’s shadow, but when his older brother arrived from Oskya he was stunned by his strangeness. Sebastian would go on to write about his brother’s mustache, his odd companion, his funny accent, as well as his obsession with what he deemed “impractical” clothing. People always point out Frederick as the “Tadrune” one but that label is clearly more fitting for Sebastian.
Sebastian was Tadrune through and through. Even during his life in Graza he would be a firm believer in the Tadrune dialect and preferred it over Graza’s formal Escan. He preferred traditional Escana and Tadrune attire over new court fashions his brother adopted, something he would wear occasionally throughout his adult life. Sebastian also preferred quieter hobbies as a contrast to his brother. He was briefly famous for his collection of books and would go on to be the blame for his nephew Prince Leonides’ obsession with reading illegal books.
But, in the beginning, it can be said King Frederick did not make many attempts to bond with him. They had been apart for too long, they hardly wrote to one another previously, and the Pala Haviso was large enough where they truly did not need to meet if they didn’t want to. As brothers they did not cultivate any such closeness until after King Juliano’s death in 1745 and Sebastian, now sixteen, was encouraged both by his mother and grandfather to join King Frederick’s campaign.
Lacking all of his older brother’s knowledge of the military and knowing even less of Oskyan customs, Sebastian mainly kept to himself. Although, he did find some time to bond with Vadik, of all people. They would come to form their own small alliance that would hold together for future dealings when they would later corner King Frederick to make decisions.
King Frederick married Queen Isolde in 1748 and became King of Escan. That same day, there was another, often forgotten, wedding. Briefly in his childhood, there are rumors that Sebastian had been engaged before. Or that at least there was some conversations about him and potential matches (one of which its rumored was between him and the eventual Queen Trella).
But Sebastian was truly married at the age of nineteen to Princess Sandra ana’Juliano Rios, the often forgotten second daughter of King Juliano. As unhappy as the marriage between the older siblings were, this one was worse. Neither was thrilled. Princess Sandra had been hiding in an ally’s country house during the Siege of Graza and went missing on the road three times before she finally arrived in Graza for her wedding. Lady Helena had to sit Sebastian down and outline the importance of combining both families to him.
Perhaps one of the reasons Sebastian so easily jumped into life at court and took up a spot in helping King Frederick was as a way to avoid Princess Sandra, who spent their honeymoon alone in a Grazan townhouse while Sebastian helped with renovations of the palace and began research for what would become the groundwork of the propaganda that would strengthen King Frederick’s claim.
Another difference between the two brothers, is that Sebastian was very comforted by his work. Ever the avid reader, it actually delighted him to pour over bills and old Escana law. Besides that, and the one most people find interesting, is that Sebastian all but cut Princess Sandra loose. By the time Queen Isolde’s first pregnancy was announced, he urged his mother to loosen the watch on his wife. Princess Sandra would be gone from Graza by the next day.
As a couple, they barely saw each other and Sebastian was never known to take on a lover. King Frederick would become famous for having countless ones, and while there would be times where Sebastian would be criticized for coming too close to his one of his sisters-in-law, no one has ever produced solid proof that he was an unfaithful husband (or an awful brother).
In all things, Sebastian more or less tried to keep the peace. He would do his best to calm Lady Helena’s tempers, courtiers would tell jokes about how much time he spent cleaning up scandals and plucking nasty rumors by their roots, he was also dubbed the “handler”. Through him, his brother would often select his paramours. It would be Sebastian who would go to the lucky person’s residence and tell them they caught the king’s eye, or be the one to send a letter or gift, or be the one who had to have the paramour removed from the palace. Sebastian also took on the job of handling a lot of King Frederick’s personal accounts and affairs, a job he would eventually give to Prince Leonides (along with other tasks).
The family truly played up the differences between them. As capable of an adviser as Sebastian proved to be, it was important that he was also pointed out as the weaker brother just as much as they spread sentiment that Princess Sandra was frivolous and uncaring, a stranger in Graza. She was still the surviving Rios and to quell any whispers that that she took King Frederick’s place as King Juliano’s heir, they were set up as an entirely unfit royal couple.
Sebastian was the one who arranged the funeral for Lady Helena when she died in 1756 despite the fact that they were never close. But he was often charged with arranging all the funerals in the family up until that point (he’d even helped plan Johannes’ funeral back in 1742 as Arturo could not immediately leave Graza at the time and Lady Helena simply did not want to.) His responsibility of funeral handling does extend to his brother’s queens as well.
In place of having children of his own, Sebastian did try to be a good uncle. He was close to Prince Leonides because of how closely they worked together, but he did attempt to have relationships with all of his nephews (and his single niece). As Prince Leonides got older and his talent for politics became apparent, Sebastian began to take more and more steps back. Eventually, he would take an early retirement and do the thing King Frederick got to do that he never did.
Sebastian traveled. As a boy raised in Tadrus and then as someone who spent much of his adulthood in Graza, he was fascinated by the sea. He purchased his own ship and would spent many months out of the year sailing warm waters and relaxing on neighboring islands, returning to Graza with gifts for the family.
Much like himself, in 1759, he and Princess Sandra had a shocking child. After eleven years of marriage, much of it spent apart, Princess Sandra gave birth to their only child.
The timing is not extremely strange as in 1759, Sebastian and Princess Sandra had both a funeral and a wedding to attend (the death of Queen Filipa and the subsequent marriage to Queen Brandye. It was customary for them to appear before the court as a couple for special occasions. Sebastian was quoted to having saying he didn’t ask for much but Princess Sandra must not embarrass him by not attending.) and they did share apartments in Graza Palace. And perhaps eleven years had truly passed, people very rarely mentioned Queen Isolde or the bad blood that had existed between Harver and Rios in those days.
Although, once Princess Damaris was born, the couple was again separated. Princess Sandra went back to her country homes and lesser noble friends, and Sebastian traveled less frequently but that’s not to say he didn’t continue to leave.
While it can be said that neither were very attentive parents, Sebastian did try to make up for what he lacked. He found it much easier to be an uncle, as he had no reason to see his nephews before they were old enough to leave the royal nursery, but Princess Damaris’ care and education was all up to him once Princess Sandra was gone. On his own side, Sebastian did feel close to his daughter although he was very open about how little they understood one another or had anything in common. He was his daughter’s loudest supporter on her path to knighthood and when he was in Graza, they did spend plenty of time alone together almost as if they were outcasts in the Escana court.
Despite his retirement, Sebastian still handled much of King Frederick’s personal business. He was blamed for covering up Queen Luca’s assaults on paramours who were related to important figures, as well as accused for hiding Queen Luca when she was still a mistress during her pregnancy. When some people were brought to trial for Queen Luca’s assassination, Sebastian was also questioned (not under suspicion of involvement but for what he knew about potential suspects). Sebastian has also come under fire for not being wholly truthful about the personal Harver accounts and their assets, some believe he’s hidden several properties King Frederick purchased either to hide paramours or to have his family escape to in the case of a rebellion. He’s been accused of keeping a list of illegitimate children who are scattered across the continent for his brother, brushing illegal dealings under the rug, and even letting enemies of the state cross their borders.
For as faithful of a partner as he was to King Frederick, he very rarely confided in anyone himself. In Sebastian’s adult life, he found no friend as close to him as he’d been to his father as a child and was very secretive.
While traveling, he contracted a disease and died in 1779. After his funeral, Princess Sandra announced she would not be coming back to Graza and has not been seen in court since.
#My characters#my writing#tss trilogy#character intro#world building#another long one shhhhh#I'm proud of this one especially when we compare it to the last Sebastian post#it was like...nothing#tbh Sebastian isn't as wild as Frederick but he still did things y'know#and we appreciate him because he introduced Leonides to Valera#and honestly he probably hid several bodies during his career so#I just like writing about characters who are dead before ORG starts because surprise surprise I actually don't like writing backstory#I know that must be shocking#but this doesn't count because if Sebastian is already dead and is only mentioned as their dead uncle in ORG then it's not backstory they#never talk about any of this#I think Damaris comes close because she mentions that her childhood was rocky but like to one person because everyone else already knows#also this is sadly the first time after all my years of writing org that I'm realizing Damaris Leonides and Cidro are double cousins
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Geten (Part 2)
(Part 1)
Specifically, focusing Geten in Chapter 271/during this current ‘War’ arc:
Look at his face! Bloodshot eyes and a vein about to pop. Geten’s ferociously livid and about to slaughter some Heroes. (also I wanna point out that they’re actually addressing him as ‘Geten-sama’ still.)
In the Paranormal Liberation Front, Geten serves as one of the nine Lieutenants, and with Dabi, they lead the the ‘Violet’ Vanguard Action Guerilla Warfare Regiment.
It’s a mouthful! Dictionary.com defines ‘guerilla warfare’ as: “the use of hit-and-run tactics by small, mobile groups of irregular forces operating in territory controlled by a hostile, regular force.”
We’re aren’t told exactly what the Violet Regiment does, but I’m guessing they’re sort of first attacking force of the army - on the offensive; aiming at weak spots and key areas of Hero society; being quick, brutal, and unexpected to cause as much damage (to infrastructure, morale, personnel, etc) as possible to the Heroes.
Which makes sense! Dabi’s fire can destroy a good part of a city, as can Geten’s ice.
Making the two of them leaders, though. Well, it’s as one of the MLA member Sanctum said to Twice, they’re kinda figureheads handed their position (it’s true of the whole League save Shigaraki, really) - true for Dabi, definitely; and it seems true for Geten too, although he at least had some history of being a superior in the army. Still.
Geten as a commander
Despite being “central to the Liberation Army’s success” and being greatly respected, Geten never was given any leadership position that we knew of during My Villain Academia.
It’s probably because he’s shit at caring about his fellow warriors. Mr. Compress notes this in Chapter 230.
His massive ice attacks are indiscriminate, destroying whole streets and anyone unlucky enough to be there, friends and foe alike. It doesn’t seem to be calculated sacrifice for a larger goal - Geten is simply callous and reckless.
He’s still the same about three months later, despite having a regiment under his responsibility and in the middle of a battle where the army probably should keep as many of their numbers as possible.
Here’s him essentially destroying what’s left of the mansion, tossing everyone - allies and heroes - into the air; and interrupting Dabi’s attack that would have at least taken out the Number 2 Hero.
The irresponsibility extends off the battlefield - here’s Geten missing from a PLF meeting:
(Even Gigantomachia is there! idk, maybe he forced his way in and no one can make him leave, and I’m not quite sure the significance of this, but it says something that Machia is attending and Geten is just not.)
So it’s safe to say he isn’t very leadership material; he doesn’t know or ignores what leadership entails, and if he keeps up his preferred method of destructive attacks, he’s not going to have anything to lead either.
He does know how to “command” at least somewhat, however - or that’s what I think is implied in Chapter 271.
Breakout
(Same image as above, except Viz translation + another panel)
Who could forget this awesome scene? Geten doing a signature ice explosion, wrecking everything - and there he is, on the battlefield, attention all on him, calling the Heroes “dogs of the state” and telling them they will not die peaceful deaths. Damn. He has correctly assessed the situation! He’s giving orders! Got a strategy!
A sound strategy - and an actual one discussed in real military tactics: concentrate combat power on one location and rupture the enemy line.
(info I found through googling here, here, and here.)
An encircled force attacks by using the rupture force to penetrate the enemy defensive positions in at least one location. The commander must produce overwhelming combat power at each breakout point...
...The mission [is] to penetrate the enemy's encircling position, widen the gap, and hold the shoulders of the gap until all other encircled forces can move through.
It’s simplified here, and it’s kinda obvious, but it’s still exactly what one should do when they’re in a siege-like situation, i.e. surrounded, all routes, communication and reinforcement blocked and cut off.
I’ve half-joked about him being dumb and maybe illiterate because he bragged about not going to school, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t taught things and given an education. (Like Shigaraki!) He’s obviously learned some military tactics and commanding along with his quirk training.
So yeah, Geten is doing everything right.
The prospect of such a grouping of forces, placed in a confusing and desperate situation, makes unity of command and unity of effort absolutely essential. The most senior combat arms officer must establish his authority immediately.
Especially in rallying the troops. It could be coincidental, he’s just angry and shouting at his soldiers to do finally something right; yet he’s still done it.
And Geten does it alongside another action: he removes his hood.
In a meta sense, it’s likely to establish Geten as a character - he’s not a faceless mook, he’s not creepy ‘two glowing eyes in darkness’ enemy; he’s a character with a name and a (very pretty) face, that we can relate to and maybe even like. (That he mentions Re-Destro, the only person we know he cares about, and shows protectiveness/concern, adds to that.) He’s portrayed here in a way to make him badass, in a defining moment where the PLF gains some control of the situation, for us to cheer on.
In-story though, the reason is more unclear? to me, anyways. During his battle with Dabi, he never removed his hood then. Here, is it to literally face the Heroes, to show that he doesn’t care if his face is known, to go head to head with them? Is it to show his men that he’s here, let the sight of his pretty face re-energize them, he’s at the frontlines fighting too? His quirk makes it obvious who he is, he needn’t show his face.
Despite his disregard for other soldiers of the army, I’ve got a feeling that this is some sort of symbolic gesture to motivate them. Get their attention, establish his authority, finally be a bit of a leader. Cuz, man, the situation really calls for it.
The Ice
When the attack began, we see Geten running towards the frontlines (chapter 263):
(tiny note: Dabi is heading the opposite direction from everyone - going to help out Twice - but Geten, his co-leader, doesn’t pay attention to him at all. No ‘where the fuck are you goin’, nothing. Feel like they would’ve noticed each other, but no interaction here.)
From what we can see, Geten doesn’t show up until Chapter 271, a length of time enough to have Hawks confront Twice, Dabi intervene, Hawks kills Twice, Dabi fanboys Stain, Tokoyami to the rescue, and a little more. Let’s say... 15, 20 minutes?
So he’s missing from the frontlines at the start of the battle - I say he was probably trying to generate an absurd amount of ice during that time. This villa probably has a kitchen with some ice, but not enough. I’m guessing Geten went to find a water source (multiple of water sources?), froze it all, in preparation for the ice explosion. In preparation for him to create a battlefield to his advantage.
So it looks the ice has engulfed the mansion, going up several stories, as well as spreading out to the mansion’s surroundings. A bunch of people are surrounded by ice - like Gang Orca there, right next to a wall of it.
We know Geten has fine enough skill to shape ice to whatever he wants, and his range of control (and sense?) is massive. Whoever is standing on or is close to the ice - they’re in Geten’s territory, he controls the very ground they’re standing on.
Go get ‘em, Geten.
*
Part 3 is next! Will be focusing on Geten’s relationship with ReDestro, and other miscellaneous details. Feel free to suggest anything too.
*
I could very much be over-estimating Geten’s intelligence! So don’t my word here too much. I’m sure there are a couple reaches here to. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!
Note: a friend pointed out a reach in Part 1, which will be edited:
I think the fact that [Geten] targeted Dabi as his opponent, despite the obvious weakness his ice has to Dabi’s high-temperature flames, means he was looking for a challenge. Trying to show off, trying to prove that he can go up against his greatest enemy (as in, heat and fire) and come out on top.
It’s more likely that ReDestro had assigned Geten on the Dabi-hunt, given the panel from Chapter 238 where ReDestro is telling Geten to be wary of Dabi’s long-range flames. If there was any strategy to having Geten target Dabi, it could’ve been the general plan, rather than Geten’s own thing.
thanks for reading!
#Geten#Aprocrypha#Meta Liberation Army#Paranormal Liberation Front#My Hero Academia#HeroAca#Boku no Hero Academia#bnha#mha#nalslastworkingbraincell#Chapter 271#MLA#PLF#this took forever#oh my god#mostly because I was lazy and procrastinated#but here it is!!!!#everything here my interpretation
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CTEC502 – Week 6 Reflection
Intro to Creative Technologies
How is my creative practice changing?
I just keep reminder myself, the brain never stops, you can feed it with more information, another chapter, another podcast, another documentary...
I’m more conscious of what I choose to invest my time on, I’ve changed music for podcasts on technology, science, design, I recognise the ones I enjoy the most relate to the mind and social behaviours, I’m giving Drag Race a break and instead watching more documentaries, I’ve promised Kvothe from The wise man’s fear and Sapiens from Yuval Noah I would come back soon, to finish their books, right now I’m engaged with Creative Technologies for Multidisciplinary Application.
Finally I picked up my PC’s pen and played with it.
How am I experiencing the difference between having an idea in my mind vs growing an idea in the world?
Recently I’ve been giving a better use to features that I normally would never use but are very helpful, like using the browser bookmarks to store and organised information I find useful or want to come back to, I’ve started to use my phone’s notes app to write down ideas, projects, issues that come up to my mind, for future projects and not just leaving it all on my head.
An experience I want to highlight was making my vlog video through animatron, although I wanted to do so much more but my knowledge was limited, it helped me imagine myself creating something better and fun in the future. I’m such a big fan of animated series meaningful and innovative like Big Mouth. Maybe they’ll hire me one day...
I’m developing more nuanced views on…
The meaning Technology, uses, influence, and responsibilities with it. It’s a broad understanding to grasp, but I think we must think harder on our actions around it, for example with social media, what do we want to really achieve with it, what is the purposes of having a social profile, what information do we want to share and how does it benefit in any way, how can we avoid young generation’s potential go to waste and instead optimised it. Another example is with my professional life, the opportunities that Technology offers me to fill me with knowledge and use it for good purposes, to not fall into the technological determinism trap and instead be the future shaper.
These are some things I learned this week:
Technological Determinism refers to the idea that technology dictates the future of society and not homo sapiens, however it can be argued that technology is just a human tool like any other and therefore is our responsibility to use it for our benefit and to shape our own future, but to do so it requires our collaborative work and understanding of the challenges daily presented.
APA referencing, was more of a refresher.
A strategy for problem framing, which is ask and answer the what, why, who, where and when of your project.
Bees are important pollinator insects and honey producers that also help maintaining the balance on our ecosystem and the richness of our nature (flowers, trees), fruits and vegetables.
An example of professional practice that I find interesting.
RainbowYOUTH a charitable organisation that seeks out the wellbeing, provides education, support, information, and advocacy for the LGBTIQ+ community in New Zealand.
RainbowYOUTH offer a range of support and information services for the LGBTIQ+ community as well as allies, for example offer gender and sexuality support, homelessness support, online support, awareness and support events, has multiple resources like InsideOut a free video-based teaching resource that aims to reduce homophobia, transphobia and bullying focusing in educating kids and young people in school years 7-13, although can also be used to educate adults.
I find rainbowYouth’s mission and work very important for New Zealand and an exemplar worldwide, I consider education, inclusiveness, diversity and offering a save environment for our youth and people in general fundamental for the development of our society, in our present and future; our technology is rapidly improving and so should be our thinking.
I can now see the ethical issues behind.
Social Media, has become a great tool to communicate with people, a message, promote businesses, provide information, give an understanding of the different cultures and behaviours in the world, it connect us, however it is also increasing the influence power over society in different ambits, political, social, behavioural and ethical. Unfortunately, with the among of information being streamed right now is making it almost impossible to be able to filter and identify it as truth, false, useful, good or bad influential; everyone’s opinions and interests differ, making it hard to control what the young, uneducated, naïve people, really anyone is receiving and doing with it.
Among many issues, a simple like, or watch can make you an accomplice of promoting a wrong message or supporting an influencer with unreliable or absolutely bullshit information, something you cannot take back easily.
Ethical Issues Surrounding Social Networking Sites - 922 Words | Research Paper Example (ivypanda.com)
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