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rucbarthatbowtiesarecooldw · 7 months

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Sunday Morning Session

Sweet is the Work

Conducting: Dallin H. Oaks

Go Forth with Faith

I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus

President M. Russell Ballard, Q of 12

Joseph Smith and the first vision

We are blessed by Joseph’s ministry

We have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ because Joseph was worthy to get the plates

It is important to ensure your children know you believe them – and believe in them

Be a little better, a little kinder, a little more prepared.

He’s our Savior and Redeemer, our best friend

President Emily Belle Freeman, YW President

The Jesus Trail

The five finger promise

He doesn’t ask us to face challenges alone. He will invite us to walk with Him

He has promised to walk with us in the way

Jesus will meet us where we are, as we are

His is a mission of condescension – He will meet us where we are as we are

Staying where we are won’t bring us the deliverance we seek

It’s the covenant relationship that saves us

Just like a marriage, the wedding date is important but ultimately it’s what comes after

What relationship do you want to have with Him?

If you want to live in a continuous covenant relationship with him

Your place or placement on the path is not as important as progress

It’s not the course alone that will save us, it’s the companion our Savior

Adilson de Paula Parrella, 70

Witness through actions and words that Jesus is the Christ

Take upon you the name of Christ

Spain – attending a small church meeting

Brazil story

Everything in church (talks, testimonies, etc) should be about and focused on Jesus

Elder Quintin L. Cook, Q of 12

This is the time to prepare to meet God

Be the peacemakers

Have a peaceable walk among the children of men

Be peaceable followers of Jesus Christ

Which act of the play am I stuck in?

There are three acts to the play (in the plan of happiness), which act are we going to participate in?

If you come in to the performance in the third act of the play you will lack the context of what happened prior

Praise the Lord with singing, music and dancing

If you are sorrowful, call on the Lord with supplication that your souls may be joyful

Being joyful and relying on Heavenly help through prayer is a great way to be peaceable

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal – Hymn Come, Ye Disconsolate

Come Ye Children of the Lord

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Q of 12

The Greatest Short Story ever told

The prodigal son Luke 15:11-32

#livingmybestlife

He will help you and shelter you no matter what has happened

Even after you squander your entire inheritance

“It wasn’t just an empty stomach that bothered him, it was an empty soul”

Even when you feel no longer worthy, and decide that you must be only worthy for the lowliest roll in the Fathers house, He instead celebrates that His child has returned home

He will unconditionally allow us to return for forgiveness and mercy

It is always possible to go back and become renewed

It is never better to stay lost – Heaven will rejoice at our return

Some of us may wonder if its even possible to go back, if its better just to stay lost. But Heavenly father will run to us!! And embrace us!!

“It is not possible for you to sink lower than the light of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice shines” - Elder Holland

The Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you

Your return will not diminish the blessings of others

Coming back is not an easy thing to do. It may be the toughest choice we make. But Christs power will enter our lives and transform it.

Together we will rejoice – for Jesus Christ is our Strength.

Hear the Father’s voice beckoning us to follow the road that leads home.

W. Christopher Waddell, 1st counselor Bishopric

Ephraim’s rescue

Bring as many people as you can safely home

Hero worship can be taken too far – you can look beyond the mark and lose what is essential – Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ has done everything that is essential for our journey through mortality toward the destiny outlined in the plan of our Heavenly Father. -Dallin H. Oaks

We need to be careful in choosing our hero, so that our hero worship does not become our golden calf

If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, then you need to consider carefully what choices you have chosen

Any choice other than choosing the kingdom of God will fail us

Turn to Him, follow Him, choose Him.

It is by choosing Him, the King of Kings, that we choose the kingdom of God.

Hark All Ye Nations

President Henry B. Eyring, 2nd counselor 1st Presidency

Pray and heed promptings to gain inspiration and blessings

Think and pray about Helaman’s sons Nephi and Lehi

Helaman 11:23 (whole chapter tho)

We need the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost – we desire it, but we know that it sometimes isn’t easy to achieve

Remember the sacrament promise

We can be guided by the spirit minute by minute

Purity brings power

Don’t give in to fear, He is there. Repent

Don’t succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or does not hear us.

Of all the things the Holy Ghost testifies of, the most precious for us is that Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of God.

Your experiences will be unique and the spirt will guide in the way best suited to you and your experiences

He loves you and He hears your every prayer

The Holy Ghost is sent to faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ

Your relationship with the Holy Ghost is unique to you

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

#ldsconf #genconf #tumblrstake #church of jesus christ of latter day saints #sunday morning session

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fishedeyelenz · 7 months

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OC Emoji Asks for Camille!

💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

🍟 FRIES - do they order food often? or they prefer to cook their own food?

🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

🎵 MUSIC NOTE - what is their playlist like? their favourite artists? do you associate a particular song with them?

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

Thank you for the ask!!!

Collision- she is very quick to bury her grief and anger, coping with the bad things that happen to her by going "it is what it is", "it was mean to be this way, no use of crying over it". This kinda burying of her feelings causes her to be passive aggressive and sometimes a downer. Sometimes when she's sad you can see her with years in her eyes but she seems to never break down. Only if she's very close to you she will she cry in front of you. Somehow is a good shoulder to cry on though. When she has Bean however it'll be very hard for her to cope with her daughters negative feelings, however she let's her get them out, as she doesn't want her showing them down like she does.

Family- Camille is an only child, Canadian born. Her mother was french Canadian, though she doesn't speak much of french anymore since her mother was institutionalized while she was a kid, as her mom developed schizophrenia during her early childhood. Her father is a good dad, very supportive but also wasn't really sure how to deal with her grief and anger, and always told her she was too strong to feel these emotions and tried to distract her from them to a fault. Maybe told her once in a moment of vulnerability that it scares him when she feels like this. In the sgmcatv timeline after college she got married to a man who was both physically and eventually emotionally distant to her, and they divorced after 15 or so years of marriage. Because he was always busy with work and business trips they never had children, which is a shame since Camille loves children. In the rits timeline there is ofc Billy who after a few years of knowing each other impregnates her with Bean. She loves her daughter more than anything.

Fries- she very rarely orders her food , instead opting to cook for herself. She's a pretty good cook I think. Likes making soups and casseroles and all that good stuff. Can bake too, though her cakes usually turn out lopsided.

Masks- Yeah, of course. I mean, primarily in the job sphere, as she is a teacher/mentor, depending on the timeline. She has to take a certain professional pedagogical approach with them of course. In the private sphere, she does put up a stoic mask, always choosing to be a calm mediator even when she's boiling inside. Billy is probably one of the only person she is truly vulnerable with. She also tries to mask some of her weirder traits and behaviors with okay results.

Music note- She likes music in general, her fav artists being Talking Heads, Blue oyster cult, Pattie Smith and The Beatles. Doesn't really have a playlist as she listens to records primarily, but I do have a spotify playlist for her ( https://open.spotify.com/playlist/74HKr6Ffb0rtiDgNffbo54?si=8KztgDKhQQKEuyIKaeDXLg ). You can kind of see what songs I most associate with her there.

Rainbow- she would say to not get too hung up on things that aren't working, and let things go. It's okay to cry and to be mad and vulnerable and her negative emotions aren't terrible things she should purge. In the sgmcatv timeline she would tell her either to have a serious talk with her husband early on or to divorce him earlier.

#oc: camille #Ask #Sorry it's taking me a while got quite a few ask <333 thank you all for asking though love to answer them <33 #For the person who asked about Lily - will do it but might take a while #Questions are making me think and will help with developing her

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jeagerism · 3 years

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i think im lost again

+ word count : honestly idek, ill take a guess at maybe nearly 700-800?

+ characters : levi ackerman, armin arlert, mentions of eruri and eremin (armin and levi r not shipped fuck out of here)

+ warnings : season 3 attack on titan spoilers, mentions of death, modern!au, levi is basically a dad without being a dad (does that make him a dilf??), angst i suppose

+ summary : erwin was always good at this, levi thinks. people stuck to him like glue.

+ author's note : this is just a personal modern!au headcanon that i ranted to a friend abt and decided to make it full out

in modern aus i see eren as looking up to levi, bc he ooks up to him in the manga in some ways, levi cares abt his wellbeing n shit

well armin, since he was chosen to live over erwin, he'd look up to erwin in a modern au

and when erwin dies in that au bc ofc he has to die, armin is still a teenager.

i like to think that they all lived in the same town as kids, and erwin always looked out for armin since he had no one else other than his friends.

he basically lets armin live with him when he's not with eren, who also has no family and sort of couch surfs between jean and sasha - sasha's dad loves eren for whatever reason so he stays there a lot, and welcomes armin and mikasa with him - and so erwin and armin r close

and levi is always around, so he sees armin a lot, even if he takes care of eren more - he lets eren stay at is house on nights when he feels like hes overstayed his welcome at sasha’s.

but levi still cares abt armin bc he sees how erwin cares abt armin and levi is in love with the blond facebook dad

but erwin died when armin is like 15, so he still needs someone to look out for him

and erwin asks levi to do that, bc he trusts him and knows levi would take care of him just like he had

anyways, he asks levi to take care of him and levi does

but armin is a 15 yr old who just lost yet another person who cares abt him

and even tho hes grateful that levi cares for him, he misses erwin so much.

he acts out bc of it bc hes a kid going through trauma and its what kids do. he starts acting even worse than eren and eren is a fucking demon spawn

armin and eren share a room, even tho levi had two empty rooms so they could have their own, and eren has stuff in the other room but armin doesn’t like the dark so eren stays there with him.

and levi isn’t really good at taking care of kids in the traditional way.

he wakes them up every weekday for school by telling them he'll kick their ass if he has to take them himself - but he'll still drive them when it rains or its cold

he doesnt really know how to cook bc erwin always did that, but his notes app is full of recipes erwin always recommended that were easy to follow bc he was always worried that levi always ate too much cold leftovers from days before and noodles

armin knows hot to cook pretty well bc erwin taught him but he enjoys laughing at levi failing at cooking simple shit - he burned water somehow

but levi still tries so its fine

he tries letting armin know hes welcome, and that he can ask for whatever he needs

he'll leave him lunch money on the counter

and when he notices armins jackets getting a little too short around the wrist he drops a new one by his lap when he sits on the couch

he pulls the blanket all the way to his chin if he falls asleep on the couch.

he'll mention he's going to get a haircut when he notices armin's hair getting longer, and says he can go with him if he wants

but armin still acts so off.

before erwin was gone, armin always acted happy, even though he never had much, and levi feels guilty knowing he cant do what erwin did for him, but he's doing this for erwin, and knows erwin wouldnt have put armin in his care in the first place if he didn’t trust him

i see taking care of armin as the task that keeps levi going, just like how killing zeke is what keeps him alive in the anime.

both promises he makes to erwin and wont give up on until he’s fulfilled it

but one day armin just disappears. he doesnt come back after school with eren like usual. so he and levi try calling him and get nothing. eren offers to go look for him and levi tells him to stay safe n waits back home to see if armin will show up there

and he does like 5 mins after eren leaves.

and levi feels his chest just deflate with relief. it was cold outside, and armin was out there alone.

his cheeks and nose r red from being outside for so long

when levi asks where he's been, it comes out harsher than he meant, but its just bc he was worried, and armin rolls his eyes and asks why it matters

levi tells him its bc he's a kid and doesnt get to just disappear without a trace whenever he wants. levi never minded armin doing whatever he wanted - within regulation - but most times he knew eren was with him, or mikasa, someone who would call him if something happened

and armin says “you're not my father.” and starts taking off his jacket and stuff

“yeah, but i am the person who's taking care of your ass.”

and that seems to make armin a little more ticked off than he already was, bc he turns to levi and says, “well i never asked you to do that.”

to which levi replies without thinking, “no but erwin did”

levi and armin never talk abt erwin, ever.

its like an unspoken rule between them. its not that they arent as comfortable with each other - they arent anyways but - they just dont do that, talk abt how they feel abt erwin, and him being gone

armin looks like hes gonna cry before he just says “well i wish it was erwin that was still here instead of you”

ALMOST AS IF HES SAYING HE WISHED IT WAS LEVI THAT DIED INSTEADDD

and levi is suprised that armin would ever, it hurts a little, and he just nods in agreement and says “me too.”

armin doesnt say anything back to it, he just turns and makes his way to his room, slamming the door behind him

and levi is exhausted. in his head he wonders how erwin had done it - balanced college and a job and a fucking teenager

but then he remembers that erwin was erwin, and hed always been good at that type of thing

people stuck to him like glue

thats the first night he lets himself admit that he misses him

he feels like he’s failing at the one thing erwin asked of him

when eren shows back up, levi apologizes for not letting him know that armin had came back

but eren just tells him that armin had texted him when he’d arrived - i have a hc that eren and armin were each others first crushes but uhebdbsi

he tells levi that armin had said hed went to the beach

erwin used to take armin to the beach all the time before he died

he’d collect shells with him, and the ones that armin really liked, he’d give them names

he still has one called smith from the last time erwin had taken him to see the ocean

a few weeks go by after that

they never really talked before, but now it seems almost even worse

the silence that they normally exist in feels empty

but everything felt empty without erwin

eren lets levi know where theyre going to be whenever theyre not home, when theyll be home, etc

levi never asked for him to do that, but he does it anyways

levi’s thankful for the near suicidal maniac at that point

even though he always was

he saw a lot of himself in eren, and he sees a lot of himself in armin too

levi and armin never really apologize to each other, but one night when levi’s attempting to cook, armin walks in the kitchen and watches him place things on a pan

“you’re putting them too close together.”

armin steps beside him and tilts his head to the side, as if hes gesturing for levi to move

and he does, letting the younger and taller boy move the prerolled croissants further away from each other on the baking tray

“they never wouldve cooked all the way through like that,” armin tells him

with a scoff, levi mumbles that he sounds like erwin

armin pauses for a second, before sliding the pan in the oven. levi tells him how long the packaging said they went on so that he can set the oven timer

armin sets it for two minutes longer, and levi’s heart aches

erwin did that, too

“i miss him”

it slips out without him meaning for it to

and he thinks he’s ruined armin’s head again, when he’s supposed to be someone this kid can look up to

but he doesnt leave

armin just leans against the oven and nods “me, too”

after that, things arent bad anymore

sure, it takes awhile for them to completely warm up to each other, but they manage

enough that armin sits in on levi’s cooking sessions just to point out what hes doing wrong - something that helps, bc pretty soon levi is learning

he cooks him, armin, and eren an entire meal without burning anything

eren laughs when armin tells him that the man had forgotten to grab an oven mit and had stuck his entire hand in the oven to grab a pan

levi raises his eyebrow when he notices the way armin blushes at eren’s laugh, of all things

and they talk abt erwin more

they have more to say about him that eren, and its just something the two of them share, so they tend to save it for little moments, tiny snippets of things that remind them of the blond

after about a year, things are good

armin asks to have his 17th birthday at the beach, and who would levi be to say no

levi doesnt particularly like the beach, he detests sand, but its for armin, so he’ll do it

its for his kid

him and erwins kid

at the party, he finds a smile coming to his face when he sees armin actually laughing and having fun

kid had been through too much hell at 17, so he deserved to be happy, even if it was only for a few moments

on their way home that evening, eren and armin passed out from a day of swimming and running on the beach - levi made the both of them bring extra towels to save his car seats from salt water and sand

eren’s head is on armin’s shoulder, and the blond’s is resting atop eren’s head

when they get home, the two of them trudge towards their room, but armin turns and holds his closed fist out to levi

with a raised eyebrow, levi holds his hand out and lets armin drop something into his hand, before the boy pivots and continues his shuffle to his and eren’s shared room

levi glances down at the object in his hand

its a shell

armin names it erwin

#attack on titan imagine #attack on titan #aot #snk #shingeki no kyojin #erwin smith #levi ackerman #armin arlert #eren yeager #snk imagine #aot imagine #shingeki no kyojin imagine #eruri #eremin #aot headcanon #snk headcanon #hc

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yetremains · 3 years

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"SHIP!" (for our two polys plz)

THE CHAOTIC SHIP MEME. send in “SHIP!” and I’ll tell you…

This is going under a read more because HOO BOY THIS GOT LONG

@sonxflight @kathexismania @bastardsunlight

OT3 Hanzo x Yang x Ryou

Who is more likely to do some shady stuff for the other? You say this as if all of them might have the occasional grey moments if they need to. It's not exactly something they would be wanted if such a thing gets pushed, but the most likely to do this most is probably Hanzo, and he'd probably hide a body if he had to do so.

Which one playfully calls the other a bitch and which one sarcastically calls the other an asshole? Hanzo and Ryou would call each other these all the time along with other such comments and call outs. 'Bitch', 'Bastard', 'Asshole', 'Horn dog', etc etc. Yang will watch them go at it, and calmly respond 'You're both pretty and both horndogs, ya lil shits. Should I get water for you before the angry make up?' Yes she is teasing.

Which one is more likely to purposefully act in a way that will make their partner jealous? I don't see any of them really making each other jealous on purpose. However they might just make them get excited or worked up somehow. Tight pants possibly, show more curves or more skin here and there, work out clothes. They will probably tease one another as well. But the most possessive and hungry of them is Hanzo hands down. He's going to be the one whose attention is grabbed so fast.

Who is more petty / passive aggressive when they’re upset? It depends on the situation and just what might set them off. Ryou is very much the 'kill them with kindness' petty, he will care but also call the others out. Hanzo is very much more the strong worded and action one, because he has already been through so much and runs strongly on his emotions. He might be the more active. Yang meanwhile just might take the crown of passive aggressive if push comes too shove, but it would take a lot for her to get there.

Which one is most likely to get into a fight on the other’s behalf ALL OF THEM WILL?????? Just imagine someone hurting one of the others, or coming down as a threat for all three- and they just start pulling out various weapons from who knows where.

Which one is the most likely to bail the other out of jail? Yang would bail them out of jail if she had too do it, without hesitation. Or any sort of thing really. Good at making plans, ideas, strategizing, as well as managing to be a damn good word smith if she needs to be. Having her talents as well as money to back it up will cover just any sort of bail.

Who is more likely to initiate mischief of any kind? And does the other stand back and watch or try to stop them? Depends really on the trouble or little shit plans that are cooked up. Yang can absolutely be playful and mischievous, all with the goal of wanting the other two to laugh or smile. But Hanzo will no doubt top this chart with how he will get really into it. It takes Ryou to keep both of the other two from going too wild. Of course, if he gets in on it? Oh all bets are off because no one will expect it, Ryou can and will win.

Which one purposefully annoys the other one to see how long it takes for them to snap? I don't see any of them really purposefully annoying each other, but maybe it just ends up happening, especially if they had an argument or are feeling petty. Just trying to push buttons if push is going into shove.

Which ones gets protective because ‘only I’m allowed to bully you!’ Hanzo, is this a question? He's always protective of those he loves, and will go off if he needs to. He'll tease and bully lovingly, but if anyone else dares do it otherwise that no one is okay with, he's gonna get big angy. Angy fire boi.

Who is the one to apologize first when things are pushed too far Yang. She can't stand knowing things went way too far and will immediately own up, take responsibility. Make up for something gone wrong and god damn mean it. And help calm situations for the other two as well, if something gets far too heated. She has always been very good at translating things into easier words and communication... Until it needs to be words for her own life and betterment or opening up, then words fail horribly.

Who one ups the other when they proclaim their love? (”no I love you more” “No I love you more.”) This title is taken no doubt by Ryou, because of his ways of handling things and those he loves. He'll make damn fucking SURE you know he loves you, and just how much. He don't play no games. Sure maybe there is the whole 'love you more' goofing off. but he'll end it and win. . .

OT4 Hanzo x Ryou x Johnny Cage x Yang

Who is more likely to do some shady stuff for the other? Much like before, Hanzo no doubt, however... In this particular event, I feel Johnny would be more than willing right alongside Hanzo in that event. all of them are fully capable of doing this, but the ones that would be first are Hanzo Hasashi and Johnny Cage.

Which one playfully calls the other a bitch and which one sarcastically calls the other an asshole? Again, once more, you have Hanzo and Ryou starting it off! Those two just turn the entire event into an art form, back and forth, then from the background you hear Johnny chime in 'JUST KISS' in that exact over dramatic movie tone. Yang can't even make her response, she is going to end up wheeze giggling.

Which one is more likely to purposefully act in a way that will make their partner jealous? Again, not really wanting too make jealous as the goal first per sey, but certainly get each other riled up. Again, teasing moments. But consider, Cage is someone well known, and will no doubt end up making the others get that sort of hungry jealous going on accident. Hanzo will however lay his claim, Ryou and Yang know he fucking will.

Who is more petty / passive aggressive when they’re upset? Similarly, the ranged of emotions and reactions would shift depending on situation and what might have set them off. Each one of them reacts and handles such in a different way. But if all 4 of them have had an argument of some sort that really grind-ed their gears, then I feel the most passive aggressive might either be Ryou or Yang, and the most petty would be Hanzo and Johnny. Depending on the subject matter.

Which one is most likely to get into a fight on the other’s behalf This is an entire squad of individuals who can and will snap someones neck if they have too. If the word smiths of Yang and Johnny Cage can not resolve something, then Hanzo and Ryou absolutely will end it with combat prowess instead.

Which one is the most likely to bail the other out of jail? I want you to imagine the dead pan stare Johnny Cage would give if he has to bail someone out of Jail, let's be real. He's been through some dark times and seen some really twisted sides of the world. both from Kombat and from being in Hollywood so long. That is a man that has seen some shit and knows what the hell can go down behind the scenes. Not just in a fight.

Who is more likely to initiate mischief of any kind? And does the other stand back and watch or try to stop them? When you have two americans that can get extra and feed off each other, then oh you bet there will be mischief aplenty. But at the same time, Johnny Cage would also probably encourage Hanzo's tendencies to be just as much of a little shit and cause pranks on each other. eventually it would be a 2 v 2 playful war. Who is with who changes from time to time.

Which one purposefully annoys the other one to see how long it takes for them to snap? Maybe not purposefully annoy each other, but as humans things just happen. but if it gets down too it, maybe Johnny Cage would be the one that pushes the buttons most. Has that way about him, he can get under peoples skin because he knows how they work. All of them would probably try and get things solved before anything in the end.

Which ones gets protective because ‘only I’m allowed to bully you!’ Hanzo 'fuck around and find out' Hasashi. This man now has gone from having so little to loose, and then suddenly so much too loose. And even if it is just name calling or vicious mockeries, nothing life threatening, this is a man who will not stand idly by if someone takes the wrong step. Ryou has the bamboo ready at all times no doubt, it's always out when it's required and can be feared. But Hanzo will go the extra step and mile.

Who is the one to apologize first when things are pushed too far Here nothing much changes, as Yang still will own up and apologize of the situation goes beyond what it should, too much of a heart and doesn't wish too hurt those she loves. She has always been good at understanding people with a strong heart and empathy. This is probably a reason why she can try to help diffuse fights that are threatening too boil over with some of her other friends, the woman has a good sense of things.

Who one ups the other when they proclaim their love? (”no I love you more” “No I love you more.”) Yet again we have Ryou in the top spot here no doubt. Oh yes, we have Hanzo the emotions driven man who can be intense and god damn will go head over heels for his loved ones. But Ryou will take moments he can to show that affection in any way he can, big or small. He's a loving soft man. But oh boy, Johnny Cage will give him a run for his money since that man no doubt would love too spoil the others when he has the chances to do so. If they let him.

#sonxflight #sasorikigai #bastardsunlight #OT3 VERSE #Triad Of Wrath. Peace. Balance #OT4 VERSE #Quad Squad Rollout #(( my exhausted brain running on pure caffeine and shit posts ))#(( forgive my mess of brain scattered thoughts ))

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merigreenleaf · 4 years

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Unexpected Inspiration Series: Concordia’s Art Magic

Blythe could only assume that if Adair was holding a paintbrush, the jar in his other hand must contain paint or ink. Then again, it was Adair. It could just as likely be grape jam. And to think, she'd finally got herself unsticky from Sol's glue fiasco this morning. With some trepidation, she held out her hand. Adair dipped the tip of his brush into the jar, then drew a quick blue swirl on her palm. At least that solved the mystery. It was, in fact, paint. "I wouldn't call a paint smudge much of a glow." "Give me a minute." This time Adair didn't return the brush to the jar and instead held the tip of the bristles just far enough away that they tickled Blythe's skin. She fought back the reflex to close her hand so she wouldn't disturb whatever it was he was trying. When nothing happened for a long while besides Adair gazing intently at her hand, Blythe mouthed to Etri, "What's he doing?" Etri tapped his finger against her wrist, calling her attention back down. She had expected nothing to change and hissed a sharp intake of breath when it had. The swirl was still there, but now there was an aura of purple about an inch away from her skin. When she moved her hand, the strange glow stayed with it. Etri leaned closer for a better look. She pried her eyes away in time to catch Adair looking pleased with himself in an embarrassed sort of way. "So all Weavers' hands look like this?" "Yeah, but not just our hands. Picture that covering your entire body and you get a better idea of how we glow." Blythe made a face and wiped her hand clean on the paint-stained cloth he handed her. "Blech. I'll pass." -Excerpt from an early draft of Colorweaver (Book 1)

Concordia as a whole is filled with artists, craftspeople, inventors, and creative hobbyists. The culture has art at its center and almost everyone joins in, even if it's just a way to pass the time rather than as a vocation. It's a drive passed down from generation to generation and the reason for this is that art magic runs deep in the blood of Concordians. History and myth have blended together into stories telling of how the first Concordians-- several struggling, displaced groups of people who joined together to survive-- asked for help in driving away a threat and to help keep their small population safe. Legends say that the constellations came down from the sky to teach magic to the people. Centuries later, these magics have become the nine types of art magic in Concordia.

(Info about the art magic below!)

Here are the types of magic. These are represented in the moodboard from left to right, top to bottom.

Wordweaving (Glow color: red) These Weavers work their magic into words, both spoken and written. These are the poets, the storytellers, the actors, the writers. They're the ones who can affect emotion or, in the case of my morally ambiguous main character, influence someone's thoughts for a short time. This is probably the most dangerous or easily corrupted of magics, but considering the tests that go into becoming a master artist and the checks in place after someone does, this hasn't been a huge problem. (Dray has just made it a problem by avoiding any real training, which is also not a usual thing-- nothing Dray has done with their magic is correct, if you get down to it, and it means that they are going to have Consequences sooner than later. But I digress.) Another example of how this magic can be used is in the scrolling marquee in front of the theater the characters visit in book 1.

Colorweaving (Color: purple) These are the artists whose tools are ink, paint, pencil, charcoal, etc. They're essentially illusionists with the ability to make what they draw/paint move around on whatever they're using as a canvas. Adair has this magic and while he'll sometimes use this to make animated paintings, his career as a cartographer has him creating interactive maps. As the series progresses, he figures out that if he paints on himself or someone else, he can change their appearance. He may even work out something that Colorweavers have forgotten they once knew how to do: by drawing on the air, it's possible to create a believable 3D illusion.

Timberweaving (Color: dark green) Woodworkers and carpenters, obviously, but their magic does more than just allow them to make sturdy creations from wood. Not that this is anything to scoff at-- this is why the oldest Artisans' houses haven't fallen over despite being built on stilts and almost every generation adding a new room or even a new floor. This magic can also make wood as buoyant on air as it would be on water and is a frequent way transportation is built. Not all vehicles hover a few inches off the ground, but this does include the "float-wagons" my main characters call home. Those are something of a cross between a motorhome and a house and can be driven (albeit slowly) around.

Terraweaving (Color: orange) These are the Weavers who work with stone and clay, sculpture and pottery. Way back in Concordia's history there was a Terraweaver who used to sculpt trainable dog-sized animals to give companionship and help to those who needed it. Not just by way of a service dog-- one of the things she made for a gardener friend was a pet that doubled as a planter. The more traditional ways of working this magic are the ability to work stone as though it were soft clay and putting their magic into buildings to make them more steady and solid, much like the Timberweavers, or to make them resist fires.

Oreweaving (Color: red-violet) These Weavers frequently have chemical or heat magic and often use this to etch, shape, and manipulate metals. They're the jewelers, the smiths, and are probably the most "inventor" group of the bunch. Sol tends to use his light/heat magic in a similar way to how the arcane metalworkers would (softening and shaping metal in his hands), so there's some overlap here in terms of heat with the glassworkers. The reason for this is Oreweaving was originally a kind of lightning magic. You'll still find it used as a kind of "battery" when an Oreweaver works with a different type of Weaver on a project. This could be to extend the life of the magic in something else, because eventually all magic inside a creation will run out and need to be recharged, or it'll be a backup battery. Concordia relies on wind, water, and solar power, so magic is only ever a backup or a way to store power they already have.

Savorweaving (Color: pale green) The Weavers who work with food and drink. What they cook doesn't burn, produce stays fresh longer, herbs don't lose potency or flavor after they're dried, food keeps longer or can be made to be more filling. They're the reason Concordia has the equivalent of refrigerators. These artists can also influence the taste and strength of flavor, and I bet they can look at a person and guess what their favorite foods might be.

Glassweaving (Color: gold) This magic involves heat and/or light. These artists are the reason why Silveridge has so much stained glass! As well as using this to make super-strong glass, some Glassweavers use this magic directly by putting it inside glass globes to be used as lamps. Portable heating, like something to keep in your pockets to keep your hands warm? Probably also had a Glassweaver involved. Concordia's mail system is via pneumatic tubes that run about twelve feet off the ground, and while a few different kinds of art go into creating these, the tubes themselves are made of magically-influenced glass.

Songweaving (Color: blue) This magic involves sound and voice, although in terms of pitch and changing how you sound, not the verbal influence of the Wordweavers. I have a character in later books with this magic who can make her voice sound like anything, as well as throwing it so that the sound appears to be coming from somewhere else. This is also the reason that Concordians are able to record sound and music, as well as amplify it or play it at another location simultaneously.

Threadweaving (Color: blue-green) These are the fiber artists, the spinners, weavers (small "w"), knitters, tailors, etc. They can put their magic into clothing and fabric to make it warmer or cooler than it would otherwise be. (This suits Concordians well because current fashion calls for lots of layers of embroidered fabrics and they live in a warm climate.) This can also make clothing protective, usually against things like weather, but it is also how the Protectorates are able to stay safe without needing to wear something heavy that would look like protective gear. Remember the floating homes I mentioned earlier? Some of these are propelled via large fans, sort of like a hovercraft, but some are made with sails on the roofs. Whether it's land or sea, these sails can propel the vehicle forward even if there isn't much wind and can quite likely store some of the wind for later, should it be a still day.

Not everyone in Concordia has magic particularly strongly: some are only good at never burning what they cook, some have simply a pleasant singing voice, some are above average at writing poetry. Sometimes these people will make this part of their careers, sometimes it'll only remain a hobby they enjoy. If the magic is particularly strong, though, it requires additional training and those people are considered Artisans. There isn't a lot of difference between an Artisan and a craftsperson when it comes down to what they create; the only real difference is that an Artisan has magic as an extra tool, so their end results are different. Considering no two artists ever create exactly the same thing anyway, this means that there has never been more importance placed on the Artisans versus craftspeople. Each person will only ever have one type of art magic; even if they carry several types in their bloodline, one will be dominant and only this one will be usable. Each of the nine types of art magic has its own color that glows in both the artist and the creations they make. Only those with decently strong magic can see this, but it does mean that a lot of people, clothing, objects, and locations in Concordia have almost a stained glass look to them if it's something you can see. Part of the reason buildings in Silveridge are made with white stone is because of these glows. Silveridge is where a large percentage of the Artisans live, so it became a tradition to build and paint in white, then add colorful embellishments. Otherwise think about how badly paint colors might clash with the glows used to create the things in the city! Even if most people aren't really aware of how magic glows, they've embraced this aesthetic. Concordia, and Silveridge in particular, is all about aesthetics.

These are just some examples of what each kind of magic can do. Concordians are always coming up with new ideas-- sometimes those ideas work great, sometimes they fail spectacularly. Either way, the artists and craftspeople are constantly creating. Their art magic allows for greater technology than their world might have had without it. Concordia freely trades their creations, so most of their world has access, as well. At some point I'll talk more about Galanvoth, the country that considers itself Concordia's competition.

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This moodboard is for @homesteadchronicles theme of “craftsmanship” because how could I not talk about Concordia and their art magic when most of my series involves this. :D In the future, I'd love to talk more about the Artisans, the history of Concordia’s magic, and just more world building stuff in general.

Tagging my series list! Let me know if you want on or off the list, it’s all good. And as always, please add me to any writing tag lists you have, whether you’re on my list or not. I love reading about writeblr projects. :)

@homesteadchronicles @ageekyreader @lynnafred @the-gay-hufflepuff @oceanwriter @desperatlytryingtowriteabook @muffindragon227 @theguildedtypewriter @toboldlywrite @wchwriter @dreameronthewind @shadow-maker @pen-for-sword @loopyhoopywrites @emptymanuscript @madmoonink @perringwrites @megan-cutler @elliot-orion @thatwriternamedvolk @indecentpause @writer-on-time @ravenpuffwriter @siarven @musicismymoirail @lady-redshield-writes @bluemartlet @reeseweston @worldbuildingwren @hiddswritingrefs @cay--scribbles @focusdumbass @enasroterfaden @missrobinswritings @joshuaorrizonte @zofiehelen @kainablue @kalis-scribbles @inspirited-goddess

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livvywrites · 5 years

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MYNERA

Day of Wishes

The Day of Wishes is Hope’s main holiday in Mynera. It is celebrated during the first new moon of the new year.

The celebrations don’t begin until the sun has gone down. Once the stars start coming out, people turn off all the lights inside their homes and in the streets, save for a single candle that they carry with them. People start filtering out into the streets, the fields, onto rooftops, balconies, and anywhere they can get a good spot to see the sky.

People chat quietly in groups, holding their candles carefully. It’s considered bad luck if your candle goes out or something happens to it—though this is a superstition that has been waning with time. If something happens to the candle, some will replace it, while others will consider their chance lost.

Most groups/families bring snacks and drinks with them, to share as they wait for midnight to come.

When midnight finally does come, there is silence. Elenai across the country close their eyes and tip their heads back. They reflect on the last year—on their successes, their failures, things they have gained, and things they have lost. It’s a very personal moment, and no one can tell you how to do it “right.” Then, they start thinking about the year to come—their hopes and dreams, the things they most want. Holding those thoughts clear in their minds, they blow the candles out.

After that, people start filtering back inside, heading to bed. The next day continues as usual.

It’s considered bad luck to tell people what you wished for—except for your lover.

Life Festival

The Life Festival is perhaps the biggest holiday in Mynera. It takes place at the end of the harvest season, not long before winter sets in and the rains begin coming to the kingdom. It’s a celebration that takes place over the course of several days, with five key events.

The first event is the scarecrow burning. It’s considered bad luck to use the same scarecrow each year, as birds are clever creatures and may begin to start recognizing them. So instead, farmers pack them up with extra straw and maybe some offerings from the harvest before lighting fire to them. These are often turned into bonfires, which Elenai gather around. There’s laughing and dancing and singing, and oftentimes kids will slip off to tell scary stories.

The second day brings the farmer’s fair. Anyone who grows produce, whether in gardens, farms, or orchards, brings along their best picks of the bunch. These picks are then judged against each other, based on type. There are prizes for largest, smallest, worst looking, best looking, and other things. Once the prizes have been given out, the produce is then used in cooking, to make delicious pies and other goods, which are put aside in preservation rooms for the final day.

The third day is a repeat of the second, but for livestock. The deerlike da’lia are taken to a track, where their riders compete in a race. The higher levels have obstacles, while the beginning ones are just a straight race. These are lighthearted events, generally occurring after all of the more serious competitions have already finished. Other livestock are judged by size and occasionally the kinds of tricks they can do, or their output. (For instance, largest eggs from a chicken.)

The fourth day is more sedate. By this point, all of the food for the feast has been separated, which means its time to begin packing the rest of it into storage for the town to last through the winter. Enchanters have been hard at work on preservation boxes. People show up from all around town to start packing everything away, and storing it according to instruction. To keep things from getting dull, though, many of the children show off their talents. Usually a play is organized by the local priests and priestesses. Music will also be played, and sometimes games are played.

The fifth and final event is a large feast. This is the main event. All of the local farmers, butchers, hunters, etc. will bring their most plentiful foodstuffs to be cooked up and served for everyone. Many people volunteer as cooks; people volunteer china and silverware. The feast begins at sundown, and everyone gathers into the host building. Usually one of the temples, though in the capital, the feast is often hosted inside the castle proper.

Coming of Age Ceremonies

Birthdays are a time honored tradition in Mynera. Much like the Day of Wishes, birthdays are believed to be a day to focus on your hopes for the next year coming—and for reflecting on the year passed.

Every year, the birthday celebrant is greeted with well wishes and reminders of how happy their loved ones are that they were born—and how hopeful those loved ones are that they will have another good year to spend together. Handmade birthday gifts are tradition—food, bracelets, blankets, etc—though bought gifts are just as good.

Some birthdays are more special than others.

At 10, Elenai are given their first plant. Some never get another, but most go on to have several. Taking care of a plant is a first step towards responsibility and adulthood, and reminds an Elenai to appreciate the smaller things in life.

At 11, Elenai are eligible to start an apprenticeship of their choosing. Some apprenticeships require you to be older, however, and thus you have to wait until your 14. (These tend to be things like smithing, woodcutting, working with the rangers, etc.)

At 12, a young Elenai goes to pick out their first da’lia—a deerlike species native to Mynera. It bonds with Elenai, which increases their lifespan. It doesn’t live as long as Elenai will, but it still lives a good portion of that time. It’s a very important moment for a young Elenai.

At 13, all the young men and women of Mynera are invited to a special dance, held mid-summer. It’s a small thing, meant to let them get to know each other. It’s generally held at the local temple, and chaperoned by adults. Anyone between 13 and 21 is allowed to attend.

At 14, all apprenticeships become available.

At 15, an Elenai is legally allowed to purchase their own alcohol, and imbibe as they wish at celebrations and meals. Prior to that, alcohol is a little more restricted—though it isn’t uncommon to see anyone over the age of 10 having a glass of wine with their meal.

At 16, any betrothals are announced. These aren’t common outside of the Myneran heirs and nobility.

At 21 or 24, Elenai usually graduate from their apprenticeships. And after this, are eligible to leave on their pilgrimage…

Pilgrimage

Despite the name, there’s little religious about this tradition. However, an Elenai is not considered truly “adult” until they’ve completed it.

The pilgrimage has no set destination, only one goal—leave Mynera, for at least a period of six months, and come back having learned something. Some young Elenai leave Mynera for another town and take up an apprenticeship among other people. Others have an adventure. Still yet others ply the trade they already know. There are no rules.

During this time, they meet many people outside of what they knew growing up. They encounter different cultures, ethnicities, trades, and ideas. The goal is to listen and observe these things, form your own opinions, and come back a little wiser than before.

There are a couple of exceptions to the pilgrimage. The next High Priest/ess, Sage, and Monarch have a destination. It isn’t revealed until shortly before they leave, though people know it’s on the other side of the continent from Mynera. Their journey takes at least two years, and during this time, there is very little news of them. When they finally return, they are considered fit to take their job as soon as the current title holder steps down.

Weddings

Weddings are a Big Deal in Mynera, particularly to the nobility. Weddings are most often held in the spring and the summer, and take place primarily outdoors.

Both couples typically wear white, pale yellow, pale pink, or pale green. Flowers are braided in their hair, or a flower crown placed about their brow, or otherwise incorporated into their outfit. Couples typically go barefooted. Both of them carry a bouquet.

Vows are stated near or over running water—whether from a fountain or river. A flower is dropped in the water for each vow. When all the flowers are gone, the couple will pull the other into a kiss.

After the immediate wedding ceremony, the couple heads to the temple or the family’s house. There is feasting and dancing, and the family’s offer well-wishes and advice for their future. Sometimes gifts are given, to help the couple start their new life together.

When sundown hits, the couple goes off alone. Together, they exchange quiet wishes over a candle—for health and happiness, for the strength to get through their arguments, for a long and happy life together. They blow the candle out together, and the first of many nights as a married couple begins.

Death

Myneran dead are taken to Death’s chapel as soon as they’re found. Family members are given a chance to say farewell to the body before it is entombed, though not everyone takes this chance. The body is divested of clothing, and wrapped in a special, biodegradable shroud. They are then buried, with a seed or many seeds planted over them, turning their gravesite into a small garden—a headstone near the front to mark their final resting place.

[Further reading under the cut, because I went a bit overboard!]

ILLUMINARA

New Year

Order is the god of time, and how better to acknowledge that then by saying goodbye to one year—and welcoming a new one?

Services are held at the temple. People pile in and listen to the priest/ess talk about the previous year, on the eternal march of time, on letting go of regrets and acknowledging that which has already happened. Then comes the talk of the new year, of the things to come and look forward to, the changes that one must bring to their lives, and a reminder to move ever forward and ever onward.

When the service ends, people celebrate the new year in their own homes, based on their own traditions. Most of these traditions typically involve alcohol in some way.

At midnight, the temple bells are rung, signaling the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Many people also throw empty (or not) bottles at the wall, before setting to cleaning up the shards.

Founder’s Day

A celebration of the founding of the Magus College—and as a result, of Illuminara. A speech is given by both the current Viscount and the Archmagus, talking about Illuminara’s most notable achievements of that year and any upcoming things. They also speak of Illuminara’s history, of it’s founder Talynth Lumina, and of how far the College has spread since its initial presence on Eldora.

The College holds a show to display all the talent that its student body has to offer. There are illusionary shows; grand firework displays; feats of incredible magic and power; and epic mock-battles. It’s a grand event, that lasts all day and well into the night.

Solstices

Both the Winter and Summer Solstice are a big deal in Illuminara.

The Summer Solstice is characterized by a large gathering in the market, where people sell things they’ve brought back from their travels, or that were delivered via merchant ship, or were created in the enchanter’s labs. You can find many wondrous and odd things there—pearls form the eastern seas; pens that never run out of ink; enchanted journals that allow people to communicate over long distances; exotic spices and herbs; and other things besides.

There are also festivities in the Illuminaran gardens. Rudimentary magic shows are put on by students. You’ll also find musical performances, mock-fights, children’s plays and puppet shows, and various card games and tricks.

The Winter Solstice, on the other hand, takes place primarily indoors. It is characterized by a large feast, followed by offerings to the dead and departed. The feast begins at sundown, and is immediately followed with much dancing, drinking, and laughter—these things believed to stave off the chill of the longest night.

Sunup brings families making the trek to the tombs, where offerings are laid on graves and prayers are said. This is believed to put the spirits at peace, so they don’t travel to the mortal realm and question why they were forgotten—or take revenge at being forgotten.

People don’t sleep during the night on the Solstices. This is believed to invite troubled spirits or other unwelcome visitors into your mind or home. Mirrors are also covered during this time.

Masquerade

A Chaos-oriented holiday that takes place mid-winter. It’s a bit like an exclusive party, and the invite list is very short, though you get many gate-crashers.

People dress up in elaborate costumes, generally made themselves. They assume a personality or identity unlike their own, and show up to get drunk, feast, and generally have a night of revelry. It’s not considered a true masquerade until the entire party has ended in some state of debauchery.

Coming of Age Ceremonies

Among the nobility, a party is thrown during their child’s 16th birthday. This is when the prospect of marriage first enters the table. They are introduced to each other, while their parents speak over their heads about what the family has to offer. It’s considered bad form, however, to actually begin accepting any marriage proposals until the child has turned at least 18.

Weddings

Weddings are often elaborate in Illuminara, especially among the nobility. After all, a wedding is the binding of two family lines, and it’s only proper that their families put their all into making it a celebration to remember.

Tailors often find themselves backed up, as they’re hit with commission after commission. Everyone wants to be the best dressed outside of the wedded couple—and oh, the wedded couple have to look stunning. What’s worn often depends on what’s “in” at the moment—or the couple’s own unique tastes, which can start a new fashion trend very easily.

The whole city often turns up to the ceremony, or at least most of it. They bring with them food, well-wishes, and gifts. Vows are taken in the city’s primary tongue, Parinaran, and are long-winded, grand speeches that make their love sound like something out of an epic folk tale.

After the vows are exchanged, there is feasting and dancing, with much music and celebration. People often get drunk. Very drunk. The parents usually get the drunkest, embarrassing their children spectacularly. Speeches are made, gifts are given, and cake is eaten.

The ceremony is complete when the newlyweds step up to ring the marriage bells at the church, whose sound can be heard all the way down the mountain.

Death

Funerals can be soft, quiet affairs or quite elaborate. The commonfolk tend to prefer the former, while the nobility tend towards the latter.

The body of the deceased is dressed in finery. Flowers are tucked into their hands, pressed between their lips, tucked into pockets and crevices. They’re made to look as beautiful as possible, as if they’re only sleeping. The body is laid out in display, preservation spells to keep it from beginning to rot, and all of their friends, family, and passing acquaintances come by to pay their respects.

Then, a small funeral procession follows the Priest/ess of Death inside the tunnels, where the body is encased in stone. An epithet is inscribed into the stone, and there are several long moments of silence before the procession finally leaves.

Once done, people generally head back to the home of the deceased, to tell the happiest stories of their lives and achievements. Non-mourners might come by with food or a tale or two of their own.

About a week later, any will is dredged up and read, and the long process of dividing their belongings falls to those nearest and dearest to them. Or to the servants, depending. Life goes on after that—though there are still days taken to remember those lost.

SLAEYR

Ainerah Election

While not a holiday in the strictest sense, it is an annual event that calls all of the Slaeyr clans together every 500 years. As such, it does end up being a celebration, used for catching up (and showing off) among the clans.

While the ainer are busy deciding on who should be the next ainerah—or if their current ainerah should stay on—the people mingle. Goods are traded between the tribes. Blankets, tents, weapons, and other things. Knowledge is shared, of their own surrounding areas. There are feasts or approximations of them. Young people from all clans gather together to go hunting.

The most anticipated events, however, are the competitions. Because what is a near-immortal race without a touch of recklessness, and of course, impulsivity? While the older generations can’t always say that they approve, they also rarely do anything more than observe—knowing that, if it’s outright forbidden, the young ones will just do it in secret, and get even more seriously hurt. These competitions include hunting contests; races; tree climbing; magic use; wrestling; sparring; and even storytelling competitions. The suggestions for what to do next often get more and more absurd, until finally, the festivities have to be broken up.

Birth of the Slaeyr

The celebration of their creation, when the very first Slaeyr was born and claimed.

Songs are sung, and the area is lit by the magic of majeria—the special energy that Slaeyrs create. It’s believed to be tied to the emotion evoked from music, but no one has managed to tap into outside of a song. It can be awakened through the act of playing an instrument, dancing, or singing—though it requires some active participation. The magic swirls around the camp, beautiful and wild, a sort of benignly chaotic force. This magic is eventually directed into a healing or protective force around the area, leaving it better than they found it.

While it can be difficult for Slaeyr to find food, they do their best approximation of a feast, which everyone who’s able contributes to in some way.

They all speak the Slaeyr’s primary tongue on this day, rarely lapsing into Common or other languages. It’s considered a sign of respect for those who built the language, as a way of acknowledging their unique Slaeyr-ness.

The main event of the night happens later, when the feasting is done and the music has calmed. It still plays in the background, with low vocals or chants done. The people gather ‘round the clan’s most prolific and talented storyteller, who then tells the story of the Slaeyr’s creation—often complete with illusionary re-enactments.

Coming of Age Ceremonies

Slaeyr birthdays are marked by several things. First, a step back in the food queue, to allow the younger ones a chance to eat.

At about 5 years old, a Slaeyr born to the clan will join up with their clan. Prior to that, they typically grow up in another city—usually whichever one the clan spends their winter in. Slaeyrs don’t usually join any earlier.

Between the ages of 10 and 12 is typically when a Slaeyr born outside the Slaeyr people is claimed. Claimings can happen earlier and later, and it isn’t entirely uncommon to do so, but mostly, it’s between 10 and 12. This is when they join the closest clan and begin their training. Slaeyrs born to the tribe begin their own magical training as well.

At 15, Slaeyr begin joining the hunters and the gatherers when they leave the clan to find food. They can also join in on the other hunts as well—when Slaeyrs go out to make the world a safer place. Usually by taking a stand against rampaging monsters, like the fearsome hydra.

Weddings

Slaeyr don’t often get married, even if or when they do plan on spending their lives together as a couple. They may engage in a brief commitment ceremony, where they exchange some symbol of their love, however, but that’s the extent of it.

Death

When a Slaeyr dies, their body is burned. Most of their ashes are then scattered somewhere relating to their element—blown away in the wind for air; scattered in the forest for life; pressed into stone for rock; washed away in the river for water; mingled with the campfire ashes for fire; and laid where they burned for spirit. A small portion, however, is pressed into a locket or amulet for immediate family members. This could be locks of their air, a portion of ash, or even a tooth.

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cmarionthewilkid-blog · 4 years

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C.O.N.S.U.M.E.D

What happens when we consume more than we need? What happens when our choices are influenced by societal pressures of how things should be? Part 1 of my reflective journal will aim to provide a glimpse at two weeks of a working mom, head of a house of five, who also coincidentally adds event planner often to her job tasks.

Day 1: I specifically started my consumption journal on Friday, October 25. The day before a large case competition I was hosting on campus. Day 1 starts like most every other day of my life. The 20 minute drive to daycare, followed by the usual ice cap pit stop at Tim Horton’s. This day is special though, with the pressures of ensuring everything was just right for our judges and sponsors. I stroll off to Ferme Beaulieu to spend $328 on gifts. I am thinking that at least I am buying local products (honey, herbs, ketchup aux fruits) and feel pretty great about that. But why do I feel obliged to buy gifts at all? Wouldn’t a sincere thank you be enough? I guess according to Jonathan Porritt (2011), I have fallen victim to consumerism at its best. Somehow, I feel OK about it though.

A quick stop at Dollarama for gift bags, disposable coffee cups (cringe!), and plastic plastic trays. Finally, a $148 trip to Provigo for snacks for the case competitors and coaches. Oops, did I mention the trip to the t-shirt printer to pick up the 60 red printed competition momentos. Let’s add the 250+ pages I printed that day! As I sit here and reflect on the necessities (needs) of running a case competition versus expectations (and wants), I come to the realization that most of what I have purchased is simply there to enhance image.

Day 2 (October 26): Tim’s ice cap (check!). 60 Donuts, 60 pre-packed lunches, 24 cans of Perrier, 60 cans of soft drinks, 40 coffees in disposable cups, 100 plastic glasses of wine. Today, I am completely influenced by materialism and keeping the “image”. Let’s keep in mind that I work for a business school and that comes with some rather large assumptions around how things are supposed to look and be. Not to mention, I am hosting five people from the company who is sponsoring the event, so I need to keep them happy and ensure the event lives up to their expectations. I am reminded of Amitai Etzioni, (2012) and his sentiments about “keeping up with the Jones’”. It is true, when one party sets a certain expectation, we all rise to meet, or better, exceed them.

Today; however, my biggest disappointment was food waste. The boxed lunches were good, but about 25% of people didn’t eat all their meal. Almost 100% of the people didn’t eat the dessert included. We don’t have access to compost, so it went to the trash. Above the clear environmental impact of my event, I am reminded of the fact that one fifth of the world’s richest people consume 45% of all the meat and fish (Shah, 2014). Despite the company providing compostable cutlery and cups, I feel guilty that I sent so many things to the landfill today. To top it all off, Sodexo served a less than stellar menu at the Gala dinner (veal sous-vide). I swear I wanted to eat it, but alas, two bites in and I am done. More to the trash. Exhausted and mentally drained, I wonder to myself where the balance between convenience and waste needs to come into play. Why can’t we have compost stations on campus?

Day 3 (October 27): But first, my ice cap! A friend’s child’s birthday party today so I scramble to get things together. I run to Provigo to grab stuff for mini pizzas to share (forgot my grocery bags, so plastic it is). My friend insisted on no gifts at the party, which I wanted to accept, but quite frankly couldn’t. I’m glad I didn’t because apparently no one else respected it either. I think about this social obligation more deeply (Goodwin, Smith, & Spiggle, 1990). I try my best to make a compromise, we opt for a movie day among friends instead of a traditional gift. I am hoping this small intrinsically motivated action may decrease future landfill waste in the future. Nonetheless, we are filled with waxed juice cups and plates. Back to the Provigo to grab something for the family for supper. I grab peppers in a plastic bag, sausages in a styrofoam package, pasta sauce in a glass bottle, cheese in plastic packaging and pasta in a cardboard box. Nothing much to compost or recycle unfortunately.

Day 4 (October 28): Monday and back to work. Ice cap, yup! I am starting to get quite the collection in my office recycling bin. My boss just commented on it. I guess it is a bit of an eye sore..haha!

Two trips to Provigo today. One at lunch to grab George’s bread, deli ham, Coaticook cheese, carrots and dip. Next stop on the way home from work for supper, chicken, baby potatoes and stuffing.

Day 5 (October 29): If you haven’t guessed by now, ice cap time! Today, my brother (who lives with us) did a fridge clean up. Sigh! I can’t believe how much stuff we threw away. Past date, wilted vegetables, moldy fruits. Why don’t I just throw money directly into the garbage can? Is it normal that the first thing I think about is wasted money? According to a study by Graham-Rowe, Jessop, and Sparks (2014), wasting money is indeed a major motivator to minimize food waste. Inspired by this revelation, I am determined to have leftovers for lunch and transform the chicken salad sandwiches tonight for supper. I don’t even have to stop at Provigo today! WOW!

Day 6 (October 30): IC (that’s all I will say). Wednesdays are always tricky because I am running around and teach a class at night. It is one of those days. I grab lunch at Subway (steak sub, chips and a drink) -> garbage.

Run to Provigo after work and grab steak, carrots, potatoes and gravy from Provigo and throw it in pot to cook. I also realize that I haven’t really bought any candy for Halloween for my students in case class. $65.30 later and we have meat and candies! I’ve also been putting out chocolates outside my office door for students.

Day 7 (October 31): Another ice cap to go please. I don’t even eat lunch today. Now I realize we have no candy for the kids. Drive to Walmart and $68.03, we’ve got goodies. No lunch again, and we go to a friend’s for supper. Off with the 4 year old trick or treating in the rain. She gets a pail of treats, we have 2 boxes of stuff leftover.

Day 8 (November 1): Day of the dead? I think so! Actually order breakfast with my ice cap at Timmy’s this morning. No lunch today. We decide to go shopping after work today as my brother has a 40% discount at L’Equipeur. $218.58 later, my husband enjoys new shoes, jeans, sport jacket, t-shirts, and a pair of sneakers for my mom for Christmas. Oh wait! Marlee needs new winter boots, so $86.22 later, we have new winter boots for her. I also see the cutest dress boots at Marshall’s (fake baby Uggs). I suppose these is what the marketers are hoping for. Top it all off with super for the family at Guido’s. (Wow! I have really been eating like crap!) Day 8 hurt the bank account! Day 9 (November 2): Maybe I should actually buy some groceries for my empty fridge. I sludge off to Provigo early Saturday morning to spent near $200. At least I have meat, veggies, fruits, and some of the other basics for my family to actually live on. Stop at Tim’s on the way home for the usual.

Day 10 (November 3): Beautiful breakfast with family (and an ice cap). Spent the day making food (soup, roasted chicken, pasta sauce, etc....). Trying to cut down on the restaurant stops this week. End up at the library with some dear colleagues from GSE503, so I think another ice cap is in order to stay awake (and leftover Halloween Candy).

Day 11 (November 4): Check that thought. Day went to hell, running late, dead tired, no breakfast, grabbed Rima for supper. Fridge full, but I don’t even care at this point.

Day 12 (November 5): Today is a new day! I started making iced coffee at home! No Tim’s! I actually did not spend $1 today! Why do I feel so great? Apparently it is something referred to as perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE). When is comes to sustainable buying practices, this PCE is influenced directly by guilt and pride. This becomes important because it means that as a consumer, my behaviours could be modified by using emotions (Antonetti, & Maklan, 2014).

Day 13 (November 6): Another no spending kind of day! Feeling all pride and no guilt! Maybe Atonetti and Maklan are on to something!

Day 14 (November 7): Last day of recording! No ice caps and going strong. My husband and I are feeling like we need a little extra family time, so we go out for supper at Mike’s with Marlee. We follow it up by a little Chocolat Favoris. I asked myself why we went to Mike’s again? What a waste! A quick stop by Provigo to grab snacks for my basketball girls. I make an orzo salad plus pull together fruits, yogurt, cheese and granola bars.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to see if I actually made some changes and what this whole process has meant for me. Until then, I leave you on this note: Waiting on the World to Change

REFERENCES

Antonetti, P., & Maklan, S. (2014). Feelings that make a difference: How guilt and pride convince consumers of the effectiveness of sustainable consumption choices. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(1), 117-134. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/24033218

Etzioni, A. (2012). You Don’t need to Buy This. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/FN3z8gtDUFE

Goodwin, C., Smith, K.L., & Spiggle, S. (1990). Gift giving: Consumer motivation and the gift purchase process. In NA - Advances in Consumer Research. 17, eds. Marvin E. Goldberg, Gerald Gorn, and Richard W. Pollay, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, 690-698. Retrieved from http://acrwebsite.org/volumes/7086/volumes/v17/NA-17

Graham-Rowe, E., Jessop, D.C., & Sparks, P. (2014). Identifying motivations and barriers to minimising household food wasteby. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 84, 15-23. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.12.005

Porritt, J. (2011). The trap of materialism. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/DtwXryPNciM

Shah, A. (2014). Consumption and Consumerism: Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism

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jaaryl · 5 years

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jaaryl (or if someone beat me to it, daaron)

Some answers are going to be based on the rewrite of my Daaron fic which is going to be set during 9.16 (that one day I will get around to finishing I swear lmao).

So, spoilers for that I guess lol.

1. Who makes the first move and how?

It would have to be Daryl.

Even though Aaron has the most experience dating another man/ person in general, I have no doubt in my mind that he would find it incredibly daunting to even try and proceed a relationship with Daryl. His friendship with Daryl is one of the few bright spots of the apocalypse and it would absolutely break his heart if he scared him off or was rejected.

Since my fic is set during the 9.16 blizzard, the two of them are going on ahead to collect supplies at the next way station and, of course, it has to have the cliche trope of Aaron being all heroic and pushing Daryl out of the way of cracking ice so he’ll fall through instead… all while they are escaping ice zombies. Cue the trope of them cuddling naked for warmth and waking up with an awkward situation yada yada.

Aaron: [incredibly embarrassed and freaking the hell out] This doesn’t have to change anything.

Daryl: [also incredibly embarrassed and freaking the hell out, and just fresh off thinking Aaron could of so easily died one (1) day ago and not wanting to waste what time they have together] Ahhhh I kinda want it too????

2. Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better?

Being seen as outcasts still bothers them a lot, even if they try their best not to show it. No matter how far into the apocalypse, or how important they have become to the success of the communities, there will always be those douches who look down on people for being different. And the best thing about Daaron is how leaning on each other for support and having each other’s backs when they are feeling this way is literally the foundation of their relationship.

3. Who is the most romantic?

Aaron’s the obvious choice with his tendency to be extremely tactile and handing out affection left and right while also giving away huge gifts, like the bike. However, Daryl is incredibly sentimental, and loves and cherishes that bike like it’s one of his most precious possessions, and he also shows his love by making sure the people that he cares about are well provided for. So, it’s for you to decide.

4. Who can’t keep their hands to themselves?

Daryl is extremely touch-starved but he is also pretty awkward when it comes to asking for affection. Aaron is a mix of very tactile, begging to give hugs and super lonely.

So, once Aaron figures out that Daryl wants to be touched more than the occasional hug, handhold or brush of arms all bets are off. I can only imagine how bad it will be when they get into an actual relationship.

5. Who says ‘I love you’ first?

I feel like Aaron has said those words long before they started dating, “Daryl, I love you, but no,” and completely mean them (both platonically and romantically). So, the moment Daryl says the words back for the first time…he is kinda worried Aaron’s smile is going to split his face in half.

6. Who would they ask if they ever had a threesome?

Season 5: Eric, for obvious reasons.

Season 9: Paul, most definitely, hot, gay, single and already someone they both trust completely.

Post 9.08 though? Ah, no one? Aaron is literally the only male character that Daryl is close to lmao.

7. What do they get up to on a night out?

I doubt there is much to do datewise beyond the wall, even for two bamfs like Aaron and Daryl. Maybe fortnightly overnight camping trips when it gets too stuffy in Alexandria and they need to escape for a bit.

On the nights that they have the house all to themselves, it is pretty quiet. Just the two of them hanging out, kicking back beer, pressed up against each other, talking about mindless topics, and having sex etc.

8. What do they like in bed?

Daryl: when you said “magical in bed” this isn’t exactly what I was exp-

Aaron: *holds up 8 of hearts* is this your card

Daryl: *softly* holy shit

Aaron knows that Daryl doesn’t have a lot of experience in the bedroom department, and is happy to help guide him. I see Aaron as someone who is super into foreplay and body worship, especially on someone like Daryl who needs all the touch he can get and is v receptive to praise kink. As Daryl becomes more confident I do see him taking charge a little more, maybe some manhandling etc and he doeeesss have an oral fixation, always putting things in/exploring things with his mouth so take that as you will lmao.

9. What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other?

Honestly, Aaron is pretty hard to embarrass. Like, sure, he does embarrassing things but he’s always the first one to laugh at himself. Things like his over-the-top dorky dances to make Daryl laugh, his celebrity impression of people Gracie has never even seen, or heard of, and she is super embarrassed about when he pulls it out as his party trick, his off-key singing to Disney songs with Gracie and trying to get Daryl to join in (AK can take Disney nerd Aaron from my cold dead hands these people have solar panels and the kids have definitely seen movies).

10. What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a desert island?

Damn, I can’t cheat and answer with ‘a book on how to build a raft’ or ‘survival guide for dummies’ because they are both very survival competent lmao.

For luxury items: Daryl’s crossbow and Aaron’s knife.

Ahhh I am worst at music questions! I can see Daryl being a sentimental loser and bringing Rick’s terrible music with him even if he hates it.

Ross apparently headcanons Aaron’s favourite song as “Hand in Glove” by The Smiths, so why not?

11. What do they hide from one another?

Their unspoken feelings uwu (lame).

12. What first changes when it starts getting serious?

Their relationship status.

13. When do they realise they should get together?

There has always been something simmering under the surface of their friendship. From the very beginning, Aaron has been incredibly fascinated by everything Daryl Dixon and Daryl in return has found comfort, acceptance and an overwhelming amount of fondness towards Aaron.

It has just never been the right time to explore the unspoken thing between them. But after the six-year time jump, Daryl is finally in the right emotional place to settle down and Aaron has been ready for a long while. Daryl is confronted once more that the world is a dangerous place when Aaron almost dies again (in the fic) and the prospect of leaving their relationship open-ended weighs on him heavily.

14. When one has a cold, what does the other do?

Aaron has been run ragged by the worrying he has done about sick Gracie all week (even just a cold in the apocalypse is a scary thing for Aaron with all that he’s lost). He probably got one good day in before his own immune system came crashing down hard. Daryl feels a little useless that he can’t really help him get better so he goes out and hunts whatever bird he can find so he can cook him something at least resembling chicken soup, and distracts Gracie for the next couple of days so he can get some rest.

15. When they watch a film what do they choose and why? Who gets the final vote?

In this house, we appreciate animated films and since Lydia and Daryl are not really accustomed to the broad range of them they get the final vote. It would probably be Jungle Book (after years of rejecting civilization they finally rejoin it) or even something like Spirit (refusing to let anyone tame their wild).

16. When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together?

Do I need to answer this one lmao?

17. When they find a time machine, where do they go?

Try and change the events of 8.02? Saving Eric and having the three of them adopt baby Gracie? Changing the events of 9.08, so Paul lives and Jaaryl can happen? 7.01, so Glenn lives? 9.05, Rick never blows up the bridge? 9.15, so there are no pike deaths?

Ahhh there are just so many options, these two have such a sad life!

18. When they fight, how do they make up?

19. Where do they go on their first date?

Out on a hike in the woods, a picnic is involved.

20. Where do they go on holiday?

You and @boltsandashes have given me major daaron beach day feels, it’s an absolutely adorable visual. Aaron making sure Daryl has the best day possible visiting the beach for the best time? I dieeee.

21. Where do they get nervous about going with one another?

They are still both not the biggest fan of parties unless it is a family event with people they like.

22. Where does their first kiss happen?

Waystation cabin.

Aaron makes sure to ask him if it’s okay if they kiss for the first time after they are already in a heated grinding session, the goober.

23. Where is their favourite place to be together?

Beyond the walls and out in the woods hunting, hiking, exploring ect just like old times.

24. Where do they first have sex?

Waystation cabin.

25. Why do they fight?

Pissed at each other for being so damn self-sacrificing (“Whether we make it or not, we do it together,” remember that, asshole?!)

26. Why do they need to have a serious chat?

Aaron’s first priority is his daughter’s happiness so it is pretty crucial to find out where their relationship stands before it gets way too deep (which good luck on that one), it would be different if Gracie wasn’t in the picture but she is so he needs to know if Daryl is 100% on board with being a parent to her or not.

27. Why do their friends get annoyed with them?

The shifty way they try and keep their relationship under wraps.

There’s nothing strange about Daryl moving in with Aaron, they are both close friends, right? But what is strange is Aaron turning up to every council meeting absolutely glowing and grinning ear to ear, and Daryl being a super nice to everyone in Alexandria.

Are they sick???

It goes on and on until Gracie accidentally spills the beans when she excitedly tells Judith that her daddy and Judith’s uncle are dating(not that Gracie knows all the details of their relationship or anything it’s just what she suspects lol).

They probably going to get married one day, and it will make her and Judith related!

So, Judith goes home and asks her Michonne if Aaron and Daryl are dating, causing Michonne to finally connects the dots on why the hell they have been acting so weird.

28. Why do they get jealous?

Aaron is super jealous over how cool Daryl looks on a motorbike, while Daryl is pretty jealous over how well Aaron can articulate his words to describe how he is feeling.

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love?

When Daryl is being absolutely precious with Gracie, Lydia and Dog. It makes Aaron’s chest tighten and his heartbeat frighteningly fast. Those are the moments that Aaron wants nothing more than to raise a family and have a future with him.

Aaron is probably being dorky af just to make Daryl laugh, for real not just an under the breath chuckle. Every time he pulls one from Daryl, Daryl can feel his heart expand tenfolds.

30. Why does it work (or not work) between them?

Oh man, I could write an entire essay on why these two are perfect for each other but to really simplify it: they already have a super strong bond, they are comfortable with each other and trust each other, both relate to feeling like an outsider, both like kids, they have history, their personalities balance each other out etc

It’s one of Daryl’s healthiest relationships on the show I don’t think there are any reasons why not?

#daaron #aaron twd #daryl dixon #twd

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korinsu-t-blog · 5 years

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May 20 // Shibuya + Meiji Shrine

Got up super early again today, the jet lag is still strong but at least it’s not as bad later in the day. After lounging around all morning until 10 (I did cook some pasta on a tiny little burner, which was fun), we set out for two places: the Shibuya shopping district, and then a shrine to the Meiji Emperor, the man who almost singlehandedly ushered in the modernization of Japan within a single thirty-year reign. There was a lot of walking involved, but all in all it was pretty cool.

First, Shibuya. We got off the metro after a lengthy ride to find a statue of a famous dog, whose story you’ve probably read somewhere. It’s the one that would come to the station and wait for its owner every day, even after its owner passed away. I guess that dog sets the bar for getting a statue in your honor.

Shibuya was absolutely packed, but honestly I’m sorta getting used to defining new levels of crazy-jam-packed. You’ve got the subway packed, which is close but not uncomfortable. You’ve got the Shibuya packed, where it’s wide open and there’s a lot of people milling around but you can still make your own way. Then there’s the urban market hell that is Harajuku, where the alleys are tiny, the crowds are shoulder to shoulder, and it’s mass chaos.

After following Mr. Smith around Shibuya to a famous manga store (which didn’t open until noon), me and another guy named Austin split off on our own to do some looking around in a less conspicuous group. There’s still a lot of people staring at us, but they’re pretty good at hiding it. It’s very rare that you’ll actually turn around or catch someone’s eye and see them looking at you directly, but the other guys have noticed it a lot too. People always look right away though, it’s interesting. Anyways, Shibuya. We ended up on the fourth floor of a department store that was selling $8K suits and noped right out of there, then eventually found our way to a Uniqlo store that had some great shirts, all really inexpensive. Uniqlo is great, but it’s primarily JPN based and it’s hard to find their good stuff in america. After that, we wandered around a bit and decided to look for food. We happened to pass by a place roasting meat on a spinner like a gyro shop, and the rest was history- it was suuuuper good.

Portion sizes are very small here, but people make up for it by snacking a lot. If you move here though you’d get to a normal weight pretty fast, just cause it’s hard to find big portions and everything more or less just tops you off instead of making you super bloaty-full.

After Shibuya, we went on a twenty minute walk to a shrine to the Meiji Emperor. This was a Shinto shrine (Shintoism is the native religion of Japan, unlike the imported Buddhism) and after his death, the Meiji was deified, and got a cool temple to boot. This park is absolutely massive- 170 acres of forests and temple- despite being in Tokyo, the most stacked and demanding real estate market on the globe. Just goes to show you how important the work this guy did was to the people. It’s hard to describe what the forest is like, but it’s surreal how big it is. Everything is usually tight and homey, but then you get to the forest and the canopy is like five stories above you, everything is suddenly quiet, and it seems so massive in comparison to everywhere else. The Edo Museum was the only other time I’ve felt it, it’s really like stepping into an alternate slice of the world.

We saw an improv street performance as we were coming out of the forest, it was a lot of fun. A small four man group doing acrobatic tricks, it was a neat little ten minute show and a good break. After that, we walked to Harajuku, the ostensible home of youth culture and fashion of Japan. I don’t know how much I believed that, because it was more like market hell, if I’m being honest. Crazy packed, not too much stuff aimed at guys, and just not that great, especially to end the day. Maybe we went to the wrong part? I dunno.

Me and Austin ended up catching an early ride on the trains back to the apartments, but I think everyone is grouping up tonight to eat in and watch the game of thrones finale. Should be fun.

[The Shibuya mass crossing. The pedestrians have their own turn where all cars have to stop (it’s like a 9-way intersection) and people can cross and go whatever way they want. Also, that Starbucks used to be the largest in the world before one in China beat it. Starbucks is pretty big here, too.]

[Yes dad, I did find an outback. I’m pretty sure I’ll never see something like this again, because it was all the way off on a side street behind the 109 in Shibuya.]

[A cat cafe. I thought the poster was really cute. These are cafe’s with a bunch of cats roaming around in them, it’s a bit of a novelty here.]

[We passed by the 1964 Olympic Arena on our way from Shibuya to the Meiji shrine. Apparently it was once quite the marvel of engineering.]

[This is Austin. He’s a 4th-year Japanese / Psych dual major. I’m going to post at least one dumb picture of each person in the group by the end.]

[A shot of the inside of the shrine to the Meiji emperor. It’s hard to really get a feel for the size of this place, it’s so wide open and spacious compared to the rest of Tokyo that it feels like its own little corner of the world.]

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Reading analysis and stuff

So we had two readings, one on the Japanese explosion of soft power and the other on the modernization spurred on by the Meiji emperor.

The modernization one was pretty obvious- the emperor, reinstated by one of the clans after the Shogunate (dictatorship) was destroyed when its weakness against Western power became apparent, did massive work in writing charters and helping turn Japan into a Constitutional Monarchy. He honestly did a ton of work, and it’s fitting that they immortalized him with this forest and shrine right smack in the middle of Tokyo. He earned it.

Much more interesting though, was the reading on Japan’s rising influence in the modern world by means of soft power. You’ve probably heard of the term before. It’s not power in ships, armies, and weapons- it’s the power of setting trends that other people want to follow, making things other people want to consume, and- in part- determining the course of various aspects of global culture. For America, by far the most dominant source of soft power in the world, this comes from industries like film (Hollywood). Japan in particular has seen a huge rise in their soft power, primarily through projecting and cultivating their unique forms of media (manga, anime) and becoming the trendsetting culture of fashion in youth and young adults. Much like how the soft power of the west made the Japanese conform to their ideals of clothing, architecture, etc. under the Meiji emperor, so to has the cycle reversed and many countries are following the trends in clothing and media put forth by Japan. Their soft power, the ability to set trends and have others want to follow them, really is a marvel; and you can see many slices of how the country cultivates its power in the varieties of shopping districts and their brands that have a global, trendsetting presence. Japan has commoditized and weaponized its global appearance of “cute” factor, and it’s made their passive influence on global culture one of the few non-American sources that continues to grow, even to the point of setting trends for some parts of American and Western culture.

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braincoins · 6 years

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Unnamed Urban Fantasy World-Building Bible

Okay, so at this point I’ve got most of the world built and relevant history gone through. As such, HERE COMES AN INFO DUMP. Some of this was in the previous post, but there honestly wasn’t a lot there. This should hopefully whet your appetite for what’s to come.

Keep in mind that this is sort of “first draft” world-building. Things may be tweaked, thrown out, or altered later. (Also, the Blades section under “Lost Swords” formatted all weird, but it’s still legible, so I don’t feel like fixing it)

------------------- Cast of Characters -------------------

Keith Ward – orphaned son of Steven and Carol Smith (nee Krolia Kogane). Grew up in an orphanage with no knowledge of his parents. Immediately after high school, enrolled with the CPD and entered police academy, where he met Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane. Graduated and is a full-time CPD officer; his partner on the force is Iverson. Is still very close with Shiro and looks up to him like a big brother. Human with unknown elf heritage.

Katherine “Pidge” Holt – daughter of Samuel and Colleen Holt (nee Gunderson), younger sister of Matthew. MIT freshman who finds out her father and brother have both gone missing: Sam from his job as a CISA compliance officer at Galaxy IT Services and Matt after having taken a leave of absence from his job as a Computer Forensics Examiner at the CPD to go try to hunt up Sam. They’ve been missing for six months, and Pidge drops out of college to come back home to find them. Human Normie.

Darius “Hunk” Garrett – child of Dwayne and Ellen Garrett (nee Jorden), younger brother of Jasmin, older brother of Aliyah. The Garretts are Masks. Hunk is an alchemist who has a mobile lab based in a food truck. He also serves food, as would be expected. He learned both alchemy and cooking from his father, and he’s very close to his family. He also studies physics (as he believes it helps with his alchemy (and it does)) and is a very handy mechanic, keeping his old food truck up and going when it probably should’ve given up whatever ghost it had years ago (he bought it from a junkyard and fixed it up himself). His older sister is a bank teller but had no interest in alchemy; his younger sister is learning alchemy but wants to be a veterinarian. Human Mask.

Lance McClain – child of Scott and Juanita McClain (nee Garcia). Middle child in a pack of 8 children; Juanita’s widowed mother also lives with them. His two oldest siblings have moved out and one has started his own family (the other’s in college). The McClains are Masks, and Lance grew up with Hunk, as they’re the same age. They’ve been best buddies since grade school. Lance is a musician, and a very talented one, and he’s learned many powerful spellsongs. Spellsinging is considered a form of alchemy, using soundwaves, vibrations, pitch, tone, and rhythm to affect one’s environment instead of the more usual chemical, medicinal, or culinary forms (that Hunk knows). Lance chafes at the Masks’ rules but obeys them. However, he’s started noticing that he’s spellsinging when he doesn’t intend to be. Human Mask.

Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane – child of Kenichi and Yumiko Shirogane (nee Shimizu), older brother of Ryou. Shiro always wanted to be a police officer, to protect and serve. He felt it as a calling. Out of high school, he went to community college to study criminal justice, then enrolled in CPD’s police academy, where he met Keith. He graduated top of his class and became a CPD police officer. His partner is Harris. While at the CPD, he met and befriended Matt Holt. He wonders about Matt’s sudden leave of absence, but assumes his buddy is dealing with family stuff (as he said before he left) and is busy. Human Normie.

Allura ve Alfor, Princess of Altea – daughter of King Alfor and Queen Aetheria of Altea. Allura was trained in diplomacy, leadership, magic, and combat by her parents and her father’s advisor, Coran. She doesn’t know alchemy, but she knows her father’s code that he wrote his notes in. She is an excellent shifter, able to alter her appearance at will, though it takes energy to keep any form that is different from her normal one (how much energy depends upon how different the form is). Fortunately, she has an incredible reservoir of magical energy along with her own life force. Forbidden from joining the battle against the Dark Lord & Lady, she survived and agreed to be sealed away rather than forego her vengeance entirely. She is focused on avenging the death of her father and her people. At the last second, her four pet mice jumped onto her and became frozen in the crystal as well. One of the last true elves alive.

Coran vu Hieron – Royal Advisor to King Alfor before his death. Coran was a loyal advisor and friend and would gladly have gone into battle with Alfor had he not been tasked with protecting Allura. To that end, he also agreed to be sealed away, to stay with and watch over the princess. What he lacks in magic and shifting abilities he makes up for in seemingly endless knowledge. After he acclimates to 2018, he takes the somewhat more human name of Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe (he may have gone a bit overboard). One of the last true elves alive.

Honerva ve Cree/Haggar – Royal Advisor to King Alfor before she succumbed to darkness. One of the best alchemists of her day, aside from the King himself (who was strong in magic as well as alchemy). While he focused on training the human alchemist Myrddin, she believed that alchemy might not be wholly good. Using the motto of “all light casts a shadow,” she began searching for that shadow, hoping to set boundaries on such power so that it would not be misused. Instead, she went too far over that boundary and wound up corrupted by the Dark Lord Zarkon of the Daibazaal realm. His true form cannot be comprehended by normal mortals, and so she summoned him to this world by letting him take the body of Alfor’s best friend: Aetheria.

Zarkon twisted Aetheria’s body to suit his own needs, making it more powerful and less recognizably humanoid. He took her blade and warped it as well, making it his own dark weapon. And he took Honerva as his bride and high priestess.

Honerva began experimenting on humans and elves, using her knowledge of alchemy and her access to the dark energies of the cosmos to see what could be done to make them more powerful and more useful to Zarkon. She also began summoning the minions of Zarkon to this realm in preparation to conquer it. Alfor and Myrddin went to confront and stop her, with the army of Altea behind them. The battle was fierce. Myrddin, Alfor, and his generals (Blaytz, Trigel, and Gyrgan) fought against Honerva and Zarkon directly. The generals fell one by one as Myrddin shifted from trying to kill their opponents to simply containing them. As Alfor was killed, Myrddin managed to seal Honerva and Zarkon into a magical vault in another realm.

In Myrddin’s records, Honerva is only ever referred to as Haggar or the Dark Lady, just as Zarkon is only ever the Dark Lord. He had known (and loved) Honerva (though she had never returned his affections) before she succumbed to darkness. He could not reconcile the woman he had known with the creature he had fought, and so he gave her a different name.

Haggar desires only to serve her Lord and husband and to increase his power as well as her own. True elf corrupted by ancient dark magic; essentially a Dark Elf.

------------------- People, Places & Things -------------------

Alchemy – the combination of science and magic pioneered by the elves. Alchemy in its strongest form could potentially manipulate reality itself (essentially by fudging the rules or finding loopholes), but most modern alchemy focuses on the interconnections between all living things and the world upon which we live. Alchemy is most commonly thought of as chemical in nature: brewing potions, making salves & ointments, etc. There are myriad medicinal applications. Alchemy can also be used in combat, for self-defense, and in any sort of creation/manipulation endeavor. Cooking, baking, painting, writing, singing, playing an instrument, even assembling a piece of furniture or an engine. A strong understanding of physics can help open up the possibilities of alchemy.

Altea – Kingdom of the elves, destroyed 1,445 years ago. Its last crowned monarch was King Alfor. All alchemy originated in Altea. The kingdom was destroyed in 573 CE by the forces of the Dark Lord Zarkon and his Dark Lady, Honerva/Haggar.

The Church – as in the organization of Christian faith, most especially the Catholic Church. While it is true that the Church saw magic as antithetical to the power of the One True God, it was the destruction of Altea that truly convinced the Church that magic led to darkness. They characterized Zarkon and his armies as the Devil and his demons, and those who continued to do magic or alchemy as being like Haggar. At best, an alchemist would unwittingly bring evil into the world; at worst, they were an active helper in the schemes of the Devil.

As monotheistic faiths - but most especially Christianity - grew, magic became vilified. Even suspected practitioners were exiled or killed. Most of the people who were hanged, burned at the stake, etc. for witchcraft were actually perfectly innocent, normal people. A few were Masks, either because of their use of alchemy or because they were taking the fall for true magical beings, as their oath requires. A vanishingly-rare amount were actual magical beings, and, of these, most were Shifters, not Witches.

Elves – What happens when True Fay interbreed with True Shifters. The elves helped the humans create alchemy, believing that science and magic could enhance each other and lead to a greater understanding of the cosmos. They also wanted to give magic-less humans a way to help themselves. Elves were long-lived, but not so much so as Fay; a typical Elf lifespan would be about five centuries. In 2018, the only Alteans/True Elves left alive are Princess Allura (Alfor’s daughter) and Royal Advisor Coran.

Fay – Sprites, pixies, gnomes, goblins, fair folk, wee folk, etc. The Fairies of legends and myths. Fay are typically mischievous and very scrupulous about their rules. They often delight in deceiving others with these rules, but clever people can find a loophole to turn the outcome to their advantage. Ever since the Rise of the Church, Fay have made themselves scarce in the world. Ironically, despite the Catholic stronghold in Ireland, the Fay are most easily found there, where the native people have seen no problem in worshipping the Christian God and still respecting the rules of the aes sídhe.

Technically the Fay live in their own realm, Faerie, separate from the human world (which makes it all the easier for them to hide away). This realm is not unlike Daibazaal from which Zarkon hails, in that it is a separate realm of reality with its own rules and natural laws. Faerie is a much nicer place than Daibazaal though. Fay are extremely long-lived, with normal lifespans in the millennias.

Galra – Technically the word “Galra” is Altean for “monster.” In 2018, it most commonly refers to the Galra Cult: the cultists who worship Haggar and Zarkon. They are the descendants of elves and humans who followed the Dark Lord and Lady before their defeat (but somehow survived the battle). Most cultists are human, but many have elf blood (even if extremely diluted) in their veins. They know only what’s written down, so they have no idea that Haggar has any name other than that; they are unaware that “Galra” is not really what they should be called (similar to how Neo-Nazis are unaware of the origins of “Nazi” as an insult). But they are fanatically devout. However, some people do leave the Galra; they’re typically hunted down and killed.

Krolia was a member of the cult before she left, changed her name to the more inconspicuous Carol, and married Keith’s father. She was pregnant when the Galra found her and she barely escaped with her life; her husband wasn’t so lucky. She stayed hidden and on the run; when she gave birth to Keith, she took him to a Safe Place zone and left, hoping to spare her son from the bloodthirsty cult. Eventually she found others who had left the Galra; they’ve taken her in. She’s tried to keep track of what happened to her son over the years but is still too afraid to contact him. Just in case.

The Journals – King Alfor had five journals of alchemy, all written in a personal code of Alfor’s own devising. The first is a simple notebook, recording the alchemical knowledge already extant in the world. Volumes 2-5 are Alfor’s, Myrddin’s, and Honerva’s notes and experiments with alchemy, along with anything they could find about what others had concocted. They came up with new ways of constructing experiments, discovered more truths about the world, and became powerful. They established new concoctions and rituals, new potions and spells. The fifth volume specifically details the rules of alchemy as they were known to the three of them and sets out a method for safely and effectively using alchemy to create “on the fly” as it were, rather than just memorizing tried-and-true methods. The Masks have volumes 1 and 3 of Alfor’s journals; the Galra Cult has volumes 2 and 4. Volume 5’s whereabouts are currently unknown to the world at large, and that is because it was hidden in a place that only Allura knows.

The Lost Swords – A legend told in Mask families about five swords hidden from the world by Merlin, who feared their awesome powers would be used for evil. The Lost Swords will only appear when humanity stands upon the brink of destruction.

In reality, these are the five enchanted blades Myrddin made from the swords of Aetheria (Blade of the Black Lion), Alfor (Blade of the Red Lion), Blaytz (Blade of the Blue Lion), Trigel (Blade of the Green Lion), and Gyrgan (Blade of the Yellow Lion).

Blade of the Black Lion – originally the sword of Queen Aetheria, corrupted by Zarkon’s dark energies. It was cleansed of its taint through the focused enchantments of the other Blades, thus it was technically the last “created.” It is the most powerful blade and carries a minor, basic sentience. It seems to… remember its past and struggle with it. Its wielder’s desires can easily tip the blade back into darkness. Myrddin tied it to the energies of the sky, of storms, and of the cosmos. It can call and channel lightning; temporarily blind people; lift its wielder into the air and enable them to fly short distances; push people back (or even knock them down) with powerful storm gusts; and allows its wielder to use magic. Like all the blades, it also protects its wielder from its own element. It also has the unique ability to temporarily “borrow” powers from the other blades, so long as that blade’s wielder focuses on doing so. (For example, for the Black Blade to borrow the Red Blade’s power, Red’s wielder must stand still and focus their will on channeling their power to Black. This often leaves them vulnerable.) When the Red Blade’s power is focused to the Black Blade, it can send short bursts of super-heated air towards the target. When the Green Blade’s power is focused to the Black Blade, the storm winds can narrow and snap like whips, able to draw blood from many rapid, powerful (but small) attacks. When the Blue Blade’s power is focused to the Black Blade, it creates torrential rain and full on thunderstorms in a localized area. When the Yellow Blade’s power is focused to the Black Blade, the blade becomes unbreakable and its wielder is granted an impenetrable shield wall (in front of the sword itself) When all other Blades’ powers are focused to the Black Blade, it elongates (though doesn’t become heavier), strengthens, sharpens, and burns with a magical flame. The Black Blade can cut through reality itself if its wielder wishes. Regardless of the Black Blade’s alignment, it will never, ever, ever harm Allura. Wielded by Shiro

Blade of the Red Lion – originally the sword of King Alfor, who sacrificed himself to buy Myrddin the time he needed to seal Haggar and Zarkon away. Tied to the energies of fire, of passion, of purity. It can call and channel flames and protect its wielder from the negative effects of heat and fire, including all forms of radiation. The blade is always burning hot to the touch to all except its wielder. Wielded by Keith

Blade of the Green Lion – originally the sword of General Trigel. Tied to the energies of growing life, of vitality, of logic. It can call and channel strong and/or thorny vines. The blade is envenomed with a virulent toxin that will lead to paralysis and, eventually, death; only its wielder is immune to it, as they are to all poisons. They cannot be harmed by any animal or plant found in this realm. Wielded by Pidge

Blade of the Blue Lion – originally the sword of General Blaytz. Tied to the energies of water, ice, and emotion. It can call and channel water and protect its wielder from severe cold, as well as allowing them to breathe underwater so long as the blade is drawn and in their hand. The blade is freezing cold to anyone save the wielder. Wielded by Lance

Blade of the Yellow Lion – originally the sword of General Gyrgan. Tied to the energies of the earth, of stone, of unity. It can call and channel rock and stone, very useful for forming walls and shields. It protects its wielder from suffocation or paralysis, though its blade will petrify anyone (other than its wielder) who touches it. Wielded by Hunk

Masks – humans who are aware of magical beings and actively help hide them from those who would destroy them. Technically, Masks are as non-magical as any other human, but they still have access to alchemy. They take their charge of not revealing the existence of magic to normies (other humans) very seriously. Masks were as likely – if not more so – to be killed in witch trials and purges than true magical beings were, though the vast number of those killed in these witch hunts were innocent normies. Masks take an oath to protect the magical elements of the world with their life, but such a sacrifice has not been needed in many centuries. Technically they have typical human lifespans, but alchemy is often as good as and sometimes better than medicine, so it’s not uncommon for Masks to outlive normal humans by a decade or so.

Myrddin – known to most of humanity as “Merlin,” he was the greatest human practitioner of alchemy ever seen. Alfor apprenticed him when Myrddin was still a boy, and the two became fast friends. Myrddin was also smitten with Honerva, but she never returned his affections, and he never spoke of them to her. Still, he counted her as a friend, and she was friendly with him in their interactions.

Together with Alfor and Honerva, Myrddin helped create the bulk of extant alchemy in the world today. He also chronicled his life and the fall of Altea. He went mad after sealing away the Vault, the Blades (Lost Swords), and Allura & Coran. He became known as Myrddin Wyllt (Myrddin the Wild), a madman – some said a prophet – who wandered the land until his death.

Normies – humans who are unaware of magical beings or the existence of magic or alchemy as anything other than historical beliefs of superstitious peasants or the elements of fiction. It is rare that a normie is made aware of the existence of magic, but it happens occasionally. Usually a normie is then tasked with protecting what they have found; if they do not agree to become a Mask, they are typically killed or branded as crazy.

Shifters – those capable of changing their shape. True Shifters can look like anyone and can even take animal forms (thus giving rise to legends such as kitsune and werewolves). They can stay in whatever form they want for as long as they want and still retain their identity and minds (though Shifter hybrids – Elves and Witches – usually don’t have this ability). Shifters do not have animal-like senses unless they are in animal form, and even then they have the same advantages and disadvantages as those animals would have. Of all the magical beings, the Shifters are the ones who most carefully hide their nature from the world, as many of the legends of their kind paint them to be ravening beasts. Given ideal conditions, Shifters can live well into the 300 range, but nowadays it tends to be closer to 210 – 220. (Fast food hasn’t helped.)

The Seals – Magical locked doorways created by Myrddin. The first was a complete accident: Myrddin was trying to find a way to contain Haggar and Zarkon’s power when he saw King Alfor run through by Zarkon’s sword. The shock and horror (plus his already pumping adrenaline) enabled him to create the Vault and lock them away in some other realm. He had no idea how he’d done it.

He used alchemy to enchant, create, and link the five Lion Blades/Lost Swords, and then sealed them away in the same realm (though keeping them inaccessible to the Vault). The seals on the Swords were tied to the seal on the Vault so that when Haggar and Zarkon were released back into the world, the Swords would be, too. However, having no idea how else to create the seals, he re-focused on the trauma of that moment when Alfor was cut down. He replayed the horrible creatures he’d seen, the true power of what lurked in the darkness of the Daibazaal realm, all the friends he had lost. Rather than letting himself heal from his mental and emotional wounds, he continued to gouge them open, one seal at a time (for each Blade).

He used this same technique to enclose Allura and Coran in life-sustaining crystals and then to lock them with the same seal. The crystals will return to the world when the Blades do, but they can only be truly unlocked when in the presence of any one of the Blades. Then both crystals will be unlocked. This was a complicated sealing, and it took the last of Myrddin’s sanity to complete.

Undead – These are creatures created by magic (usually Fay or Witches) rather than being inherently magical beings. Usually they’re what modern Western culture would call “zombies” (in the sense of being unintelligent rotting shamblers; they typically aren’t cannibalistic unless created to be so). Ghosts can occur if someone dies from a Witch’s hex or a Fay’s curse.

Vampires – NO.

The Vault – The prison Haggar and Zarkon were sealed into. That prison was then cast into an alternate dimension (neither Daibazaal nor Faerie). This was the first seal and it was not tied to the others (though the Lost Swords’ seals were tied to the Vault’s). The Galra Cult eventually found a way to dissolve the seal, breaking open the Vault and returning Haggar and Zarkon to the world, about a year before the start of the story.

Witches – True Witches started out as human/Shifter hybrids (just as Elves came from Fay/Shifter unions). They look human except for golden eyes (still human eyes, just golden in color). They have limited ability to shift, and most take utilitarian forms such as a bird of some sort for travel, a fox or wolf for hunting, and a mouse, rat, or snake for spying. Staying in that form for too long will threaten their identities as they become more and more animal-like. Most Witches focus their increased energy reserves (from the Shifter blood) on doing magic. Modern Witches often do alchemy as a useful supplement, but historically it was considered a dilution of magic and no proper Witch would be caught dead doing that sort of thing. Witch magic tends to be very nature-based, and though most try to put more good than bad out into the world, a Witch crossed can be a VERY dangerous thing. A True Witch dying before 100 is almost unheard of; some have made it to 200 but that’s pretty rare. 150’s about a good average.

#Voltron #urban fantasy AU #eventual Shallura #world-building #writing #long post is long #with my apologies to Tumblr mobile users #because the Tumblr app is craptacular

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recentanimenews · 3 years

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Memoirs Most Charming, Part 1

I’ve read a handful of charming memoirs lately, and more are on the way!

I’m a Lucky Guy by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. This was a reader suggestion from Anne!

Here, Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. (writing without sister Ernestine, his sometime collaborator) recounts various happenings and misadventures from his early adulthood, beginning in 1929 when he’s headed off to college and ending somewhere around 1946, when he has returned from serving in the Navy and resumed his career as a newspaperman. These include things like going out for football whilst scrawny, being mistaken for a gun-toting gangster whilst attempting to hide booze (prohibition was still on) from the cops, pranking an odious professor (and, later, an odious superior officer), and repeatedly failing to live up to the standards of a demanding admiral to whom he has been assigned as aide.

On the whole, I found all of these stories entertaining, though the sole moment that made me laugh out loud was when Frank’s soon-to-be wife and mother-in-law completely excused the lascivious behavior of his friend, which a moment before had scandalized them, upon learning he was Methodist (their preferred denomination).

“You don’t think he’s a Ten Commandment breaker?” I asked. “Why, I’d trust him any place,” Liz said indignantly. “So would I,” said her mother. “I’ve always said that people shouldn’t be judged by circumstantial evidence.” “You’re so right,” I assured her. “Probably,” she continued, fishing around for a likely excuse, “probably—well, probably the doctor sent that girl over to your apartment to change the boy’s bandage, again, before he went to bed.” I was tempted to break into a high-pitched giggle, but I looked at Liz and caught a warning. “That’s probably just the way it happened,” I nodded gravely.

Unfortunately, it does seem Frank shares a little of the antipathy toward overweight people that his sister possesses. I don’t mind when he accurately describes a person’s physical characteristics—if a bosom is ample and an abdomen abundant, there’s really no getting around that—but when he makes comments about fellow student Sallye—whom he later proclaims to be “a real friend”—like no “male student in his right mind” would give her their fraternity pen, it’s just unnecessarily mean. True, Sallye has a tendency to be loud and overbearing, and I’m fairly sure that’s part of what he meant, but not the whole of it.

That criticism aside, I did enjoy this book and I’m glad I read it. Thanks, Anne!

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle Initially, although it was an enjoyable read, I wouldn’t have classified this “sortabiography” from the Monty Python co-founder as charming. Idle recounts his childhood, school days, introduction to the world of comedy, the formation of Monty Python, the run of the original series, and the Python movies without a tremendous amount of detail. He does elaborate more about his independent endeavors, and I especially appreciated learning more about the creation of The Rutles. Using the song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” as a sort of framework, Idle chronicles the various circumstances after The Life of Brian where he was called upon to sing it, ranging from Graham Chapman’s funeral to the Royal Variety Performance to the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

As is common for a book of this type, there is a lot of name-dropping, but in this case a lot of the names were people I genuinely like, like Harry Nilsson, George Harrison, David Bowie, Stephen Fry, Peter Cook, Robin Williams, and Eddie Izzard. And, too, Idle toots his own horn rather frequently, which is admittedly justified when you’ve accomplished as much as he has, and makes sure readers know there were times in his life when he was having loads of sex.

Where he really shines, though, is penning touching tributes to friends who are no longer with us. My husband and I listened to Idle read the unabridged audiobook version together, and by the end of the chapter entitled “George,” we were both in tears. The chapter about Robin Williams is no less lovely. I cannot stress enough how wonderful these two chapters are; they alone are worth the price of admission. It does make one wonder why he doesn’t delve so deeply into the character of his comedy partners, and only makes a few mentions of Terry Jones’ dementia, but perhaps it is because they were all still living in 2018, when the book was published. I shall have to find out whether Idle penned any tributes to Jones on the sad occasion of his passing last year.

Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson I’d heard such good things about these books, but my reaction to Life Among the Savages wasn’t what I expected. True, some of the “lightly fictionalized” anecdotes Jackson relates are somewhat amusing, like the family’s struggle to find a house to rent in Vermont, or insisting to the hospital intake person that her occupation is “writer” as opposed to “housewife,” or her son’s fascination with all the gory details after he gets hit by a car. But the vast majority of the stories involve her children behaving badly, and I had very little patience with these at all.

I imagine that other mothers sympathize with these episodes. Perhaps they see their own experience reflected, and so they laugh but also feel all warm inside, in a loving, maternal way. Not so me, I’m afraid. No, whenever the son showed arrogant condescension toward his mother, or her daughter became intolerably fixated on proper decorum, or one kid or the other was insolent and disrespectful, it just made me angry. In fact, I might have said “Shut the fuck up!” aloud a time or two. This is why it is probably a very good thing that I am not a parent.

Thankfully, Raising Demons contains less of that sort of thing (though significantly more than none). I really loved the section in which Jackson waxes nostalgic about her adolescent obsession with making clothespin dolls and her snarky description of life as a faculty wife (who is expected to have “hemming dishtowels” among her hobbies). The story of how she got a new refrigerator was a highlight, as well.

You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism by Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar Having seen and adored whimsical clips from The Amber Ruffin Show, I was very excited to see that Amber Ruffin and her older sister Lacey Lamar had written a book together. Although the topic is racist incidents the sisters have endured (mostly Lacey, who lives and works in Omaha), the approach at least attempts to be light-hearted. These aren’t stories where someone gets hurt or dies; instead, they elucidate the kind of crap Black people are just expected to swallow or forget.

I did laugh a few times, particularly at Ruffin’s effervescent line delivery—I listened to the unabridged audiobook read by the authors—but after a while, the unrelenting wave of absolutely flagrant ignorance and hate becomes overwhelming. The commentary on the stories is funny, but the situations themselves are stressful and horrible and eye-opening in the most abject, despair-inducing kind of way. I have never been one to deny that racism exists, but I admit to being surprised and horrified by a lot of these stories, espcially the awful things done to kids. A beautiful drawing torn to shreds, a group of teens accused of stealing car keys when none of them is old enough to drive, kids threatened at gunpoint by a crazy neighbor but nobody calls the cops because who will the cops believe… I also feel terribly naive for being surprised.

I’m glad I read this.

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay and Nuts in May by Cornelia Otis Skinner Note: The former was co-written with Emily Kimbrough.

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay recounts the three months in the early 1920s that two young American women spend abroad in Europe, written when they are older (“Emily and I have now reached the time in life when not only do we lie about our ages, we forget what we’ve said they are.”) and nostalgic for more innocent days. It’s written in Cornelia’s voice, though Emily provides many of the details, and tells of the time their ship ran aground, the time Cornelia caught the measles and evaded quarantine, the time they met H. G. Wells and Emily made an embarrassing first impression, the time they mistook a brothel for a boarding house, the time bedbugs gave Cornelia a swollen lip “shining like a polished tomato,” the time their dogs piddled in a swanky Parisian restaurant, etc. For the most part, it’s quite amusing, but there are a few comments that expose the girls’ ignorant attitudes regarding people of other races and sexual preferences.

Rather than focusing on one particular adventure, Nuts in May is a collection of humorous yet unrelated anecdotes Skinner wrote for publications like The New Yorker. Topics include but are not limited to: actors being asked to lend their talents in aid of charitable organizations, a Protestant family’s audience with the Pope, people who laugh at anything, dizzying real estate transactions, and being interviewed by Dr. Kinsey. Occasionally, the tone turns more domestic and reminds me some of Shirley Jackson, such as in “Bag of Bones,” when Skinner’s son insists that the bones they find on a Colorado trail belong to a dinosaur, or “Those Friends of His,” about her son’s reticence on the origins of his friends who come to visit. The latter also makes reference to a car “teeming with hamsters,” which is a phrase and a visual that I adore. Indeed, there were quite a few giggles to be had, and I reckon I might seek out more of Skinner’s work in the future.

By: Michelle Smith

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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archiveofprolbems · 3 years

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Crypto Currency and the End of Capitalism (Part 1/2)

The technological ingenuity of the blockchain is a development that should not be underestimated. Using this ingenuity, cryptocurrencies provide an economic system that is untethered from a centralized banking ledger. The system’s primary genius comes from the large-scale communal recording and verification process of economic transactions (bitcoin mining). No trust is required in a central apparatus to verify trades. Even though the ledger system, which records who owns what, is decentralized and public, it requires zero faith that individual actors will not tamper with the ledger. The only way to alter this system outside of its intended structure (e.g., the only way to enshrine fake transactions in the communal ledger which benefit you) is to provide more processing power than a majority of the miners.

The “truth” of the blockchain is enshrined and policed in production. It is unlike any monetary system seen before it. In a certain sense, we can think of its significance as similar to the microwave. The microwave allows for something that has not been done before in all human history: to cook food from the inside-out using electromagnetic radiation. When one explains the microwave in this way, which is empirically correct, it makes this technological innovation seem far more significant than what it truly is. In reality, cooking has not been “revolutionized” through the microwave because it is the same mundane process as before, just slightly easier as a result of technological development.

When describing something like bitcoin — making important note of its decentralized verification structure, its inability to be controlled by governments, etc. — one may immediately imagine it is as revolutionary, altering the very fabric of society for the better. Surely this is what its creators had imagined it would do. This is especially clear given that the individual or team that developed bitcoin did so under a pseudonym. Fear of unleashing a technology into the world which would threaten the stability of governments and their economic policies is not something any intelligent programmer would take lightly. Some might have imagined, and some likely still do, that the development of the world’s first decentralized currency is revolutionary in the sense that it will destroy the top-down authoritarian structures of the capitalist market. Instead, we have come to find out that cryptocurrency is just like the microwave.

I make the argument that bitcoin, and other market innovations, cannot “disrupt” top-down capitalist economic structures for many reasons, firstly anthropological: It appears as if the common sense bourgeois position that markets are a product of human nature, and subsequently can and have existed in non-hierarchical societies, cannot be reasonably verified by historical evidence. To quote anthropologist David Graeber:

“In that common-sense view, the State and the Market tower above all else as diametrically opposed principles. Historical reality reveals, however, that they were born together and have always been intertwined.” -David Graeber, Debt: The First 5000 Years.

It turns out, historically speaking, that markets only occur alongside the invention of the state and did not exist before this pivotal movement (or moments) in human history.

Lewis Henry Morgan’s descriptions of the Six Nations of the Iroquois, among others, were widely published-and they made clear that the main economic institution among the Iroquois nations were longhouses where most goods were stockpiled and then allocated by women’s councils, and no one ever traded arrowheads for slabs of meat. Economists simply ignored this information.” Graeber, Debt: The First 5000 Years.

There is no mystical “state of nature” in which humans freely trade with each other through barter and crude currency systems as the primary means of resource distribution. In early hunter-gatherer societies, we can note that, as Graeber demonstrated, resources are allocated and distributed based upon the needs of the collective society. Markets, and economic transactions, as the primary mode of societal resource distribution emerge only after the violent process of dispossession and accumulation of social surplus which happens alongside the historical emergence of the state.

It is relatively easy to infer from this basic anthropological position that markets are predicated upon states. Of course, this is unless one argues that the state allows for markets to be created but may “wither away” and still allow for market relations in a decentralized system. It seems fitting that blockchain technology would be a beneficial resource to make this reality possible. It is too bad that it isn’t possible. The primary reason a market is not possible without a state, which is confirmed by the anthropological evidence, relates to the necessary monopoly on violence connected to private property. It turns out that market-based economic transactions contain the incentive to screw over the person (or entity) that one is trading with. This does not lend well to cooperation if there is no entity that oversees these transactions and ensures they do not escalate towards violence.

When Hobbes remarks that the “state of nature” is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” he would have been correct about this assessment assuming that humans only interacted with each other within this “state of nature” through economic transactions. The trading that does happen in these early societies (e.g., societies that Hobbes would argue are closest to the state of nature) are generally between strangers and play out similarly to how Hobbes described the state of nature. The social rituals around them often include either anger/violence or social mechanisms to undercut the inevitable anger and violence that may come from the realization that one has gotten the bad end of a deal. From Graeber’s example of the Nambikwara of Brazil:

“If an individual wants an object he extols it by saying how fine it is. If a man values an object and wants much in exchange for it, instead of saying that it is very valuable he says that it is no good, thus showing his desire to keep it. “This axe is no good, it is very old, it is very dull,” he will say, referring to his axe which the other wants. This argument is carried on in an angry tone of voice until a settlement is reached. When agreement has been reached each snatches the object out of the other’s hand. If a man has bartered a necklace, instead of taking it off and handing it over, the other person must take it off with a show of force. Disputes, often leading to fights, occur when one party is a little premature and snatches the object before the other has finished arguing.”

We can see that the only manifestations of a market system in early anarchistic societies (that is, societies without a state) is “carried out between people who might otherwise be enemies and hover[s] about an inch away from outright warfare — and… if one side later decide[s] they had been taken advantage of, it c[an] very easily lead to actual wars.”

Contrary to Hobbes’ view, this “state of nature” where there is a constant threat of others stealing one’s personal property because there is no government to mediate personal differences, is only noticed in the market transactions that are few and far between within early communal societies. The image of the barbarous chaos of a pre-state, pre-government society (or lack of society for Hobbes) in which my personal property may be arbitrarily taken by the strongest and most physically capable whenever they deem it desirable to them would logically lead to the development of the state to mediate our differences and protect the weak from the strong. Hobbes is correct that this would be an entirely irrational way to live. If it was “human nature” to organize ourselves as he described, then the development of the state would be logical. This is why societies that have existed without a state primarily distributed goods based upon the collective group’s needs and desires, not upon trade and barter.

While bitcoin’s decentralized autonomous ledger system may sneak some power away from centralized financial systems, blockchain could not hope to predicate an anarcho-capitalist society. The ledgers which keep track of economic transactions within a blockchain may appear to be rhizomatic (that is, they maybe be predicated on a “mass root” system of non-hierarchical connections that must all be severed for the organism to die). Yet, these connections are also ironically predicated upon a state to enforce their validity. Let’s imagine that in a cryptocurrency based anarcho-capitalist utopia, I buy a pair of shoes through bitcoin, and the seller steals them back after our economic transaction is verified. Without a state to intervene and enforce the property relations enshrined in the ledger, I am fresh out of luck.

In this example, blockchain technology’s decentralized nature actually makes the state’s job of enforcing property relations (which are recorded in the communal blockchain ledger) even more difficult. The state would have no capacity to meaningfully alter the ledger itself in this situation. In a certain left accelerationist sense, the potential domination of blockchain-based currencies is a good thing. It weakens the state’s capacity to oversee and monitor economic transactions and moves us further towards a market system that is truly “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

The primary process of recording which is essential to the capitalist society is the recording of capital itself. As Keynes correctly identified (and Daniel W. Smith excellently explicated), the capitalist social formation is fundamentally structured on the question of “codes, flows and stocks.” (1) Who owns what? (2) Who trades what to who? And (3) who verifies this? Are the three primary questions the capitalist society is contingent upon. If it is unable to continue to answer these, then it is destroyed. Blockchain based currencies answer these questions in an entirely unique way compared to traditional monetary systems. The inscription of capital is a communal process which cannot be disrupted by attacks on the central mechanisms of recording. The truth of the transaction is enshrined in production, it cannot be altered if the state or other important actors deem certain transactions as unfavourable.

One way of conceptualizing this phenomenon, following the Deleuzo-Guattarian concepts of “rhizomatic” and “arborescent” structures, is the ebb and flow between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within a politico-economic system dominated by capital. Capital critiques and breaks down pre-existing social formations for the sake of the further generation of capital — one can think of women gaining a modicum of rights as a result of their integration into the workforce as an example of this; the destruction of some element of pre-capitalist social formations for the sake of more available workers to generate capital. One can conceptualize the elements of blockchain currencies which operate entirely independently of the state apparatus, e.g., their public decentralized ledger systems, as being deterritorializations which then have an even increasingly more difficult time safely being reterritorialized. It is in this sense that Marx did not even understand how correct he was when he stated that “all that is solid melts into air.”

While this tendency within capitalism generates the capacity for lines of flight outside of the system, any deterritorialization done by capital itself cannot hope to lead towards lines of flight. These capitalist deterritorialization cannot allow for the possibility of a movement outside of capitalism. Within Schizoanalytic Cartographies, Guattari explicates how rhizomatic structures that attempt to form based purely on the deterritorial capacities of capital will necessarily reterritorialize into arborescent, top-down authoritarian structures.

“The history of capitalist subjectivity appears to me to be inseparable from a double tension, which pulls it in opposite directions: towards a deterritorialization expelling it from its ‘native lands’ — of the orders of childhood, filiation, life situation, professional guarantee, ethiconational identity…and towards an existential reterritorialization that is strictly imbricated with the functionality of the system as a whole.”

Any semblance of a rhizome produced for the sake of capital, which works to critique the pre-capitalist top-down arborescent structures, will necessarily be re-integrated into the system to help strengthen it, will necessarily be rendered arborescent. When one analyzes something like a cryptocurrency and notes its decentralized nature, one must importantly analyze this structure on a three dimensional, as opposed to two dimensional, plane, noting that while certain elements of this relationship appear rhizomatic they are in fact necessarily connected to an arborescent structure which comes from above.

(thank you to https://twitter.com/schizoidvisions for the drawing)

The communal, decentralized ledger system that bitcoin revolves around is also contingent on the centralized use of violence for the sake of the enforcement of that ledger system (private property) or it would mean nothing. The state follows the ledger system and the ledger system only works so long as the state protects it.

Capital constantly works to critique itself, to “revolutionize” against itself, and in many cases even does so faster than the left can critique it. This is not towards the end of capitalism, of course, but its further acceleration. One can note the business jargon of “disruption” as a by-product of this. The capitalist is constantly fighting against themself to destroy potentially obsolete markets and provide to consumers new value-networks that can accrue more profit, more surplus extraction, more value. As Nick Land writes:

“Capital revolutionizes harder, deeper, and faster than “the Revolution”. Its lack of attachment to itself exceeds anything the left has been able to consistently match. Capital’s scandalous immortality is derived solely from its inventiveness in ways to kill itself.”

We must not allow capital to kill itself. We must be the ones who kill capital. It must bleed to death under our knives. The left must understand the immanent tendency of capital towards self-criticism lest our critique of capital be a critique of a system that no longer exists except for in the writings of long-dead philosophers. One of the primary achievements of the left in the 20th century was the further entrenchment and spread of capital. In a certain sense, we have been much better allies to capital than capital has been to itself. If the further acceleration of capital may allow for the system to destabilize — if there may be a blockchain-based world economy where the management and inscription of capital is public, decentralized, and unregulated — then the left must pounce on this new world. We must do so instead of either (1) clinging to the old world, with the perceived certainties of state capitalist leftist projects or (2) simply critiquing the old world, which begins to disappear not because of the left’s might, but because of the might of capital itself.

-Liv Agar

Source: https://livagar.medium.com/cryptocurrency-and-the-end-of-capitalism-1-2-f11db6a4815b

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lirlovesfic · 6 years

Text

The Choice

A Doctor Who fanfic Summary: After GitF, the TARDIS brings the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey back to the estate to solve a problem involving the TARDIS herself. But when they see a familiar face, the face of someone who should not exist, they realize the problem is deeper than they thought and could endanger the Doctor’s very existence. Primary characters: Ninth Doctor, Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler. Genres: Romance, mystery, adventure, drama, character study, HN AU, fobbed!Nine, sick TARDIS. Pairings: Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose Rating: Adult

Warning: None for this chapter

a/n: I am currently working on editing this chapter-by-chapter, with the hopes of completing a chapter a day until I catch up with myself. As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m doing it to try to get back into the swing of writing and to build some momentum in order to finish this. Also, there have been some tiny things nagging at me for a while (grammar, punctuation, etc.) so I’ll be correcting as many of them as I can find as I go. The story will not change. In fact, most of the changes are going to be so minor that I doubt anyone (besides myself) will notice. But to keep me on target, I’ll be posting it all here as I go, with links to the other websites it’s on. I hope you enjoy it.

This chapter: on AO3, on TSP, on ffnet

Chapter Three—London, 7 July 2007

A holographic image of the younger Doctor appeared. He was lying on the floor, clearly unconscious. As the image flickered, something that looked like a helmet descended from the ceiling and fitted itself neatly onto the younger Doctor's head. There was a flash of light and the hologram vanished for a moment. When it returned, the trio could see the TARDIS door open. A portion of the grating that made up the floor lifted up, causing the Doctor to roll out the door. The door shut again and the image abruptly shut off. Rose and Mickey turned and stared at the Doctor they were with. His jaw had dropped in shock.

"Blimey," the Doctor said under his breath.

"What… what just happened?" Rose asked. "What was that thing?"

"Something I never thought I'd ever have to use," the Doctor said. "And as for what just happened, I'm not entirely sure. But I think I need to see the man who looks like the old me." He ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stand up. "The question is, how? How to get a good look at him without him seeing me?"

"But if it is him, you, it'll be before you've regenerated, yeah? So he won't know who you are," Rose said.

"I can't count on that," the Doctor told her. "I told you that there's an echo when I meet myself."

"But if that's the case, with you here, shouldn't he be feeling the echo now?" she asked.

"Assuming the person you saw is me," the Doctor said, "we both should be. But it's possible that I'm not feeling one because we're not close enough together." He frowned. "Under normal circumstances, and admittedly these are not normal circumstances, if we met face to face he'd be able to tell I'm a Time Lord, and since there aren't any other Time Lords, and since he wouldn't recognize me, he'd know I was a future version of him…"

"But you said you've met yourself before," Rose said.

"Yeah, I have. But in this case I'm interfering in my own timeline. This has to be handled delicately. If it's not handled carefully enough, the results could be catastrophic. And not just to me... Well, let's just say I don't want to risk it." His brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Mickey said whoever that was may have recognized you, but he didn't know who you were. That would mean he's met you before. If he's me and I've already met you, why wouldn't I know who you were?" He sighed loudly in frustration. "And why don't I remember any of this?"

"I dunno," she said, "but I do have an idea about seeing him. There's a couple of restaurants right across the street from the garage. Maybe we can wait in one of them until the shop closes and he leaves. We should get a good view of him without him seein' us."

"What time is it?" Mickey asked.

"A little after five, local time," the Doctor answered.

Mickey shook his head. "It's Saturday. The shop's probably closed by now." He pulled his mobile out of his pocket. After a brief conversation, he rang off and turned back to them. "He's already gone for the day. Did find out his full name though." He looked at the Doctor evenly. "John Smith. Isn't that the name you used when you were teachin' at Deffrey Vale?"

The Doctor and Rose exchanged glances, with Rose's clearly saying I told you so.

"We need more information about him," the Doctor said. "How long he's been here. Where he lives. Where he was before he got here."

"So you're no longer denyin' he's you?" Mickey asked.

The Doctor yanked on one ear and grimaced. "With the evidence we have so far, let's just say it's… possible he's me. But the jury's still out." Mickey rolled his eyes. "The question is," the Doctor continued, "if we can't talk to him directly, don't even know where he is, how are we going to get the answers we need?"

Rose and Mickey exchanged glances and smirked. "Well, there's one person on the Estate that not only knows everybody but everybody's business too," Mickey said.

The Doctor glanced from one to the other of them. "Who?" he asked. And then it hit him. He got a pained expression on his face. "Oh, no."

~oOo~

John unlocked the door to his flat and carried his dinner straight back into the small space that was his lounge. Not one for cooking, John had picked up a sandwich and crisps from the deli down the street and some beer from Tesco Express on his way home. It was either takeaway or beans on toast, and even the idea of beans on toast made him shudder in disgust.

He set the food down on the beat-up old coffee table and sat down on the threadbare sofa. Not only was the sofa worn, it was ugly. It was covered in a rough, plaid fabric in orange, yellow and black that hadn't been popular since the '70s. The flat had come furnished, which suited him since he hadn't owned anything except a change of clothes when he had arrived back on the Estate, but everything in the place was in bad shape and hadn't been particularly nice when new. The only exceptions were a very expensive new mattress and a state of the art computer system that he had purchased himself. To the outside world they would have seemed like luxuries, particularly in light of his meager salary, but he considered them necessities. The computer system was vital for his continuing search for clues to who he was. And the need for a decent mattress was self-evident. The old one was badly stained and emitted an odor whose source didn't bear thinking about, plus it had had a spring that caught him in the back no matter how he lay down on it.

He flipped on the ancient television before cracking open a beer and unwrapping his sandwich. There was nothing of interest on, nothing that interested him at any rate. He wasn't into sports, the news wasn't new but a rehash of what had happened the previous week, game shows were too easy and thus boring, and dramas? Too domestic. He watched a few minutes of an American science fiction program until he decided the science behind it was so ridiculous that it made the show unwatchable.

Finally he found a channel broadcasting a film he hadn't seen, a recent James Bond film starring an actor he didn't know. He took a swig of his beer and sat back, willing to suspend disbelief for a few minutes. But his mind wandered back to the garage and the girl he had seen. He had seen more than blonde hair. He had caught a glimpse of her face before she had left. He sat back and closed his eyes, trying to recapture the image.

Blonde hair. A wide mouth...

He was startled from his reverie by something jumping onto the sofa next to him. He opened his eyes again. A black cat was sitting next to him, calmly helping itself to his sandwich.

It was not his cat. He did not own a cat. He raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you come from?" he said, figuring it had wandered in from the Estate through the cat flap built into the exterior door. He vaguely recalled someone telling him that the strays would do that but he couldn't remember who, or when he had had that conversation.

The cat did not deign to answer, not with a meow or even a glance in his direction. Instead it continued to focus on trying to eat his dinner.

"Oi, that's mine," he protested. He ripped off a chunk of the sandwich—the portion that had been chewed on by the cat—and put it on the floor. The cat jumped down, pulled the meat and cheese out from between the bread slices, and began to nibble on them.

"You must be thirsty," he said. Shoving the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, he got up and went into the kitchen for a bowl of water. On the way back he retrieved his sketchpad and pencils from the bedroom.

"Now you can stay for a bit," he told the cat as it—no, she—began to drink. "But you can't move in. Don't know how long I'm stayin' here."

The cat ignored him and returned to eating the cheese. John watched for a minute and then turned to the sketchpad. He flipped through the pages, glancing at his drawings. Monsters, metal men, pepper pots fitted with eye stalks, plungers and whisks—a psychiatrist would have a field day with him. He flipped quickly through those pages, as he did the pictures of planets on fire. Perhaps not typical dream images, but all they were were dream images. They could have nothing to do with his previous life.

He turned the page and saw the sketch of the girl he had been working on that morning. Now he could see what was wrong with it. Her nose was slightly shorter and wider than he had drawn. And her ears… They were smaller, but there was more. Something missing.

Earrings. Big gold-colored hoops.

He made the corrections, just barely adjusting a line here, a shadow there, and then added the earrings. When he was finished, he sat back and stared at the picture.

It was her. The girl he had been dreaming about. But more than that, it was the girl he had seen at the garage. The girl's hair had been shorter, her makeup different, but it was her, he was sure of it.

The cat jumped back up on the sofa and rubbed against him, purring. He absently stroked her head as he puzzled over the drawing.

"Who are you?" he said. "And how can I find you again?"

~oOo~

"Now remember," Rose said, "don't tell Mum we've been here all day."

Both the Doctor and Mickey rolled their eyes. They were carrying a couple of pizzas: part dinner, part peace offering just in case she had heard they were back and hadn't stopped by the flat first.

"As if," Mickey said.

Rose unlocked the door. As they walked in the door, she was struck as always by how tiny the flat was. Despite having recently been repaired from damage it had received at Christmastime and received a fresh coat of paint, the narrow hall looked cramped and dark. Perhaps the flat seemed small because she was comparing it to the grandeur of the TARDIS, she supposed. Or perhaps she had just outgrown it, as she had outgrown estate life while traveling with the Doctor.

Deciding not to dwell on that thought, she called out to her mum.

"Mum, we're home. Are you here?"

Before the words were out of her mouth, Jackie ran out of the lounge and met them in the hall. "Rose!" she exclaimed and pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Why don't you ever call? Why bother even having a mobile when you don't use it?"

Rose knew that her mother really didn't expect an answer. "We brought dinner," she said when her mother let her go.

"Thank goodness," her mother said. "I've got nothing in. Certainly not enough for those two." Jackie cast a disparaging glance towards the lounge. The two women followed them in to find that in the short time she had been hugging Rose, the Doctor and Mickey had gone into the lounge, settled themselves on the white imitation-leather chairs, and begun to eat. Mickey had a slice of pizza in one hand and was using the remote to flip through the channels on the telly with the other.

"Don't get too comfortable," Jackie told them all. "Stuart is comin' over."

"Stuart? Who's Stuart?" Rose asked. "Whatever happened to Dennis?"

"And as far as that's concerned, whatever happened to Howard?" the Doctor added.

"Howard was ages ago, and as for Dennis…" Jackie made a rude noise. "Stuart works over at the Chinese takeaway," she told them.

Rose frowned thoughtfully. "Stuart, Stuart… Oh, I remember! Isn't he the cook over there?"

"Yeah," Jackie said.

"Oh! Is he the one who does the wonderful chips?" the Doctor asked.

"That's him," Jackie said. "Does a gorgeous curry as well."

"You know, you should tell him to put the chips in newspaper," the Doctor told her. "Nothing like chips served the traditional way in newspaper. They taste better than when they're wrapped in foil. The newspaper doesn't trap the moisture like foil does, and it absorbs some of the oil, leaving them crisp instead of soggy."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I think you just like the flavor of newspaper ink," she said.

"Depends on the ink used, Rose," he said. "Some are quite bitter."

"Trust you to know," she muttered.

Jackie retrieved some plates and napkins from the kitchen. She pointedly handed a plate and napkin each to the Doctor and Mickey, warning them not to make a mess. Mickey took both without turning from the television. There was another match on.

After the two women helped themselves to slices of pizza and sat down on the sofa, the Doctor turned to them.

"So, Jackie," he said between bites of extra cheese and pepperoni. "What's new around here?"

Rose's eyes got huge. What are you doing, she mouthed. She knew from long years of experience that asking her mother a leading question like that could set them up for a several hour gossip session despite her mum's new boyfriend coming over.

The Doctor ignored her and grinned at Jackie.

"Well," Jackie said conspiratorially. "Rose, your cousin Lavina is pregnant again. This will be her fourth. Mo got a new job, not sure doin' what though. Bev's sister's daughter got another tattoo. This one winds half up her arm. Looks like a snake." She shuddered. "And someone new just moved in across the way. A real grouch. But that's not all bad. He managed to get Rita and Chuck quiet for once. I thought the row they were having this morning would last into next week…"

As Jackie continued to talk, Rose watched the Doctor take another bite. The cheese stretched, forming a long string between the slice of pizza and his mouth. He wrapped it around his tongue three times before biting it off and pulling it into his mouth. She stared at him, disturbed by how disgusted she was yet at the same time how oddly arousing she found it. As if he knew what she was thinking, he smirked at her and gave her a wink.

"Git," she said under her breath.

An hour later, Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Mickey had switched to watching a movie at some point and was still staring at the screen. And her mother was still talking. The Doctor was pretending to be engrossed in the dramas taking place on the Estate, periodically making sympathetic noises. She didn't know how he could do it. Listening to her mum go on and on like that made her eyes cross.

"And Brian's son what's-his-name is marrying that girl he's been living with the past couple of years," Jackie said.

At that, Rose's ears perked up. "Susie? Rob's marrying Susie?"

"Yeah," her mother answered. "Wasn't she one of the ones that you used to hang out with?"

"Yeah, she was." Mickey answered for Rose without turning from the telly. "It was Rose, Susie, Shareen, Keisha, and Rita. They'd all go out clubbin', then come home absolutely pissed. Sometimes Rose'd stay out all night with 'em and say she'd stayed with Shareen or Keisha and they'd say they had stayed here."

As Jackie raised an eyebrow at her daughter, Rose glared at him. "And thank you so much for sharing that with my mother, Mick. Just wait until I tell Mum and the Doctor about the time you…"

At this, Mickey finally turned from the television. "No!" he said quickly. "Don't need to go into all that."

The Doctor leaned back against the back of the sofa. His eyebrow arched and a small, amused smile played around his lips.

"Anyway, if the two of you were friends, you'd probably be invited to the wedding, Rose. That is, if you were here," Jackie said pointedly.

"We might be able to come back for it," the Doctor said, and Rose looked at him in surprise. Shock was more like. Are you sure, she mouthed. He shrugged indifferently.

"Uh, yeah," she said, turning back to her mother. "We might be able to come back."

"Good," Jackie said vehemently. "People are always askin' about you, what you're doin', when you're comin' back, that sort of thing. I never know what to tell them."

"Tell them I'm traveling," Rose said.

"Traveling? People will only buy traveling for so long, and then they begin to wonder if you're in jail," Jackie replied.

"Or dead," Mickey said with a sharp glance at Jackie. He had never completely gotten over the fact that for a year people had thought he had murdered Rose when she had begun traveling with the Doctor. Rose's mother, who had been behind the rumor of Mickey murdering Rose, didn't have the grace to look shamefaced. She had apologized, and in her mind that was the end of it.

"So, Jackie, Rose and Mickey went past the auto repair shop today…" the Doctor said, changing the subject. He didn't need to say more. It was enough to get Jackie started again.

"Oh, yeah, they've fixed it all up," she said. "They've got a new mechanic, too. He's the one who ended the row between Rita and Chuck." They all looked at her blankly. "I told you, but as usual none of you were listening. He just moved in across the way a few months ago. Works at the shop and does odd jobs around the Estate. Had him in here myself to fix the tap in the kitchen since no one here was around to do it."

"He was here?" Rose asked incredulously. "In the flat? And you didn't mention it?"

"Why would I?" Jackie asked. "'S just a tap."

"Did he look like anyone you know?" Rose asked. "Seem familiar in any way?"

"Not really," she said. She thought for a moment. "Maybe a bit like that American bloke from the Tour de France. Lance something or other."

"Lance Armstrong?" the Doctor asked incredulously.

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, that's the one," she answered. "Not much, mind, but a bit."

"Why would Lance Armstrong be livin' on the Estate?" Mickey asked.

"Didn't say he was, did I?" Jackie said.

"Did he remind you of anyone else?" Rose asked.

"Well, he did look a little like first him," she said. "Just a little bit, though. He's got much longer hair and a scruffy beard half the time, and no leather jacket. Course it is July…"

"And you didn't think to call me?"

"Why would I?" Jackie asked again. "'S not him, after all. He changed. Doesn't look like that anymore. 'S not like he can change back." She paused as if a thought just occurred to her. "You can't change back, can you?"

"No, he can't," Rose answered.

"I don't know why you think I should have called. You know it's not him, Rose. He's sittin' right there next to you."

"Yes, of course I am," the Doctor said smoothly. "And where else would I be?"

Jackie frowned. "Why all the questions?" she asked suspiciously. "'S not like any of you to care one way or the other what happens around here."

They were saved from answering by a knock at the door. Jackie got up. "That'll be Stuart," she said. "I'd invite you to stay…" Her tone indicated that that was the last thing she wanted them to do.

"Nah, we'll be on our way," the Doctor said as they stood. Mickey picked up the pizza boxes. "Things to do, places to go and all that."

They met Stuart on the way out. He was a short Asian man who appeared to be in his mid-forties and smelled vaguely of Chinese takeaway and chips.

"Have you ever considered serving your chips in newspaper, Stuart?" the Doctor asked after they had been introduced. "It really brings out the flavor."

Stuart looked puzzled at the question. "Newspaper?" he asked.

Rose poked the Doctor in the side. When he turned to her she glared at him. "Ignore him," she said to Stuart. "That's what the rest of us do." She turned to give her mother a hug. "We'll be back soon, yeah?"

"Just don't let it be three months this time," Jackie replied.

"Oh, it won't," the Doctor said. "Probably will be tomorrow."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Tomorrow?" Rose asked as the door shut behind them.

"I doubt the TARDIS will let us take off yet," the Doctor told her. "Probably won't until we know more about what's going on." He looked across the courtyard. "Hmm. Should have asked Jackie which flat he's in." He glanced back at the door and then grimaced. "Nope. Not going back in there."

"I could ask around, see if anyone else knows what flat he's in," Mickey suggested.

The Doctor scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "No, I don't want him to find out people have been asking questions about him. Tomorrow is soon enough. With both TARDISes out of commission, it's not like either of us is going anywhere." His voice dwindled off, and he frowned. "I'm still not entirely sure what happened or why. I need to try and get more information from the TARDIS—see if I can clear up some of the interference. Only then can we figure out how to fix all this."

As the Doctor and Mickey began to make their way to the stairwell, Rose hung back, staring at the windows of the building across the courtyard. Lights were just beginning to come on in the windows, and she wondered which one was his.

He was over there somewhere. Her first Doctor. Her heart ached at the thought. Even though the Doctor was still with her, sometimes she missed his old self: beat up leather jacket, big ears and all. She wished she could see him again, just spend time with him, kind of like she had wanted to see her father again, but not. The feelings she had had for her Doctor were nothing like what she had had for her dad.

But look how seeing her father had turned out, with the Earth almost being sterilized by reapers. She couldn't risk the paradox.

But what she wouldn't give to see her first Doctor again.

"Rose, Rose!" The Doctor's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned to him. "We're headed back to the TARDIS. Are you coming, or are you staying here?"

"I'm coming," she said.

He nodded. As he headed down the stairs, she began to follow, but not without a backward glance at the other building again.

#the choice #revision #ficandchips #only minor changes here #I think #I actually did this one last night #most of the changes are minor anyway #occasional word choice #spelling #grammar #etc

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amandahree · 6 years

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this was the worst year of my life

(it feels uncharacteristic to broadcast my personal problems on social media, but i want to document 2017 before it ends.)

this year was deadass the worst year of my life and let me tell you why.

i lost many friendships. let me rephrase that - i chose to lose friendships. i decided i wasn’t going to associate myself with people who couldn’t reciprocate the same effort as me. i decided life is too short to settle for shitty friends, and i said goodbye to people who once meant the world to me.

i lived with an absolute psychopath roommate who constantly disrespected me and made me hate being at home. i was hiding in my room all the time when she was home, locking my bedroom door every time i left for work, and always afraid to see her face when i left my room.

most traumatic of all, i walked away from a ~3 year long relationship with someone i had given my absolute all to. someone i thought about 24/7 and wanted a future with. someone i constantly vouched for and believed in more than myself. but he was manipulative, emotionally abusive, and sadistic. i never knew how bad it was until i let go and was finally able to breathe again. i stopped having multiple breakdowns a day and having anxiety attacks so intense that only cigarettes or shots of whiskey could distract me from. i learned afterwards about gaslighting (when someone manipulates and brainwashes you until you’re convinced you’re crazy, not worthy of love, and will never amount to anything), and realized what happened to me. he had me like a little puppet - controlling the way i thought and felt about myself so i wouldn’t leave him. making me feel guilty for accomplishing things in school and at work. making me feel ashamed for having parents who provided me with everything and more, because his couldn’t. he cheated on me, lied left and right about where he was and what he was doing (drugs and other girls), and betrayed me for months (maybe even for years... who knows). i made it so easy for him too. i always believed he was telling me the truth, and then he’d get mad at me for even asking. the first time i caught him bragging to his friends about trying to get with other girls, he threatened to break up with me. and even though i wasn’t wrong, i still apologized. i was afraid. he made sure i had crippling low self esteem. he used to photoshop pictures of me before posting them on social media. he would add makeup to my eyes, make my thighs thinner, make my face slimmer, and make my butt bigger. and it worked because i was convinced i was absolutely worthless and just... ugly. i stopped wearing certain clothes in front of him (flannels, sweatpants, and hoodies) because he would insult me until i felt so, so small. he only paid attention to me when i was showing cleavage or wearing tight pants. i wasn’t allowed to wear heels because i was already taller than him, and i subconsciously developed a habit of slouching so that he could be “taller.” i always gave my best and got retaliated with something unexpected. like the time i surprised him with a $350 backpack he really wanted for christmas (which was way over my college student budget) and instead of thanking me, he yelled at me for selecting standard shipping and not overnight. or like the time i bought his second turntable for djing ($250, in addition to the $350 i already spent on him that christmas) because he was short on cash and he didn’t even say “thank you.” the only time we talked on the phone was when he needed my credit card information. he tried to cut me off from my friends. there was a time he literally snatched my phone from me so i couldn’t text them back. i remember one time i was having a horrible breakdown. but instead of trying to calm me down or talk me out of it, he just played games on his phone. for his 24th birthday, i custom made a scrapbook with pictures of us over the years. it took me maybe two weeks to finish and i was so excited about it. he never read it. the hardest part was i never understood why any of this was happening to me, or if i deserved it. there were times i didn’t even want to be alive anymore. i revisited a lot of old, self-destructive habits and he refused to acknowledge them, help me, or help me get help. he made me feel guilty for eating, to the point where i was counting every last calorie and punishing myself if i went over 1200. by the end of our relationship, i was so depressed i was eating one meal a day on my best days, and i lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks. i thought i didn’t deserve to be alive, and almost gave up.

this was the worst year of my life,

but this was also the best year of my life.

i moved out of college, started working full time a semester early, graduated, and got promoted - all within 8 months. i worked my ass off to achieve something i really wanted, and i got it, despite all the shit that was happening to me behind the scenes.

i made a new best friend. someone i can trust my everything with, and someone just as genuine and alike as me. someone who is able to help me be the best and strongest version of myself. someone who hates my ex more than i do and someone who refuses to let me get taken advantage of.

i felt so much love and support from my friends and family when i was recovering, to the point where i was completely overwhelmed with love. my mom was cooking me weeks worth of food because she knew i was too sad to eat, let alone cook for myself. my brother constantly reassured me i could make it through, and never let me give up.

i started lifting. like, really lifting. not like 20lb smith machine squat shit. i’m lifting more than i thought i’d ever be able to, and i’m finally building the body i’ve always wanted. i’m back to a healthy weight and my appetite is back. also i can already squat more than my ex boyfriend weighs.

i found the strength to walk away from a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship, and i’m tenfolds stronger than before.

i did something ballsy and for me, and dyed my hair pink.

i genuinely love my job, my coworkers, and my company. i’m regularly showered with so much free makeup and perfume to the point where i don’t even know what to do with it.

i’m moving out to a brand new apartment in a few days. i’m getting a new, fresh start and i no longer have to imprison myself in my own room.

most importantly, i survived.

that being said, a few life lessons i learned from this traumatic, hell of a year:

you are not defined by the opinions of others. your worth is not based off what someone thinks of you.

if someone (a boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, etc.) is toxic enough to bring out a “crazy” side in you, leave.

sometimes being the bigger person means choosing not to fight.

be the best version of yourself for YOU, no one else. you are the main character of your own story. own it.

some people are just not worth your time. and that’s okay.

your body realizes what’s going on before your mind does. trust your instincts and gut feelings, always.

if you are mistreated, it says way more about the person mistreating you, than you.

there is always, always a silver lining.

sometimes you have to go through the worst, to be at your best.

if you made it this far, i sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my 2017 sob story. i hope you gained something from it, and i hope you and i both have a kickass 2018.

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hoffnungsvcll · 6 years

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—Character Info Sheet

tagged by Stole this from my other blog. ♡

NAME OF YOUR CHARACTER: Petra Ral

ALIASES: Petra, The loyal soldier, Miss fierce, Nag etc.

ONE PICTURE YOU LIKE BEST OF YOUR CHARACTER’S FC I kinda didn’t really think about a FC just yet but I like these :

TWO HEADCANONS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR CHARACTER THAT YOU NEVER TOLD ANYONE

I have a lot of feels about this bae so there’s more than two but lemme start with this one : When she was younger, Petra used to have really long hair { approximately hip-length } & usually wore them tied together in a ponytail or braided. After the death of her mother, however, she kind of said goodybe to her old self & cut them super short. It was a sign of sacrafice & grief as a part of herself had died alongside her mother. When she was buried a week later, she placed her cut queue of hair inside the coffin & within the grasp of her mother’s folded hands, bestowing her a last goodybe & remembrance sempiternal.

As disciplined & professional as Petra seems to most, she had { & still has at odd times } the surprising inclination to exhibit a rather reckless behaviour, a willingness to throw herself head first into certain-death situations without thinking twice albeit her patient & obedient nature might says otherwise. This did not only endanger some of their exterior scouting missions but also the lives of her comrades at stake. After a lecture from humanity’s most skilled & strongest fighter himself for disobeying orders & disrupting the balance of their usual formation, she returned to her senses & adapted to her Captain’s wishes, still keeping that bit of imperturbability & fiery disposition she never could quite shake off entirely, though. Due to the many losses back then, she partially still blames herself for her comrades deaths, believing that her recklessness had caused their ferocious departure. She’s more careful now, prudent so, wishing none but the best to happen to her friends & family, which’s why she sort of adopted the rank of the ‘momma hen’ amidst the Survey Corps.

THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME

Baking all sorts of pastries, home-made & frosted cakes, cookies & other delicious treats. She loves to cook & broaden her skills at large, if she’s not busy making tea.

Not only is she skilled & experienced in terms of baking & cooking, Petra also has a knack for handiwork. Whenever the seam of a cape tears or a button falls off from a shirt, she’s there to help, fixing whatever can be fixed. She stitches socks & crochets scarves before the onset of winter. { hence the little scars & wounds scattered around her fingers & thumbs; she has a talent to prick herself at least twice a time. }

Exercising. Albeit she may doesn’t fully enjoy doing it, it’s a necessity & a daily routine. She’s also grown pretty accustomed to habitually cleaning the rooms, swiping the floors & tending to stable duties. It’s like a commando rooted in her system.

SEVEN PEOPLE THAT YOUR CHARACTER LOVES / LIKES

Levi Ackerman

Erwin Smith

Hanji Zoe

Rufus

Felicia Deer

Her father

The entirety of her squad

TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS

Not having the power & ability to keep everyone safe from harm, that she’s lost & outlived so many people by now, friends & comrades, each of them brave soldiers, heck - even her own mother. It’s a devastating thought & it weighs heavy on her heart still for the battles will not end anytime soon. But the mere believe that fighting instead of them to avenge their deaths is what keeps her going. If only she could be as strong as Levi Ackerman, though ... She hates the feeling of being a burden sometimes !

Soiling herself during one of her first outer expeditions - god will they EVER give it a rest & stop teasing her about it ?? It’s literally the worst & most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to her & to this day she still hopes that Levi didn’t get a whiff of it { which is highly improbable given he’d been the one to save her ass when she was incapable to fight herself & completely thunderstruck by the sight of her first titan encounter. }

TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS

ATYCHIPHOBIA { failure } ; The simple act of trying is the only way we are able to reach personal goals in our life. When we try new things there are two possible outcomes: success or failure. Atychiphobia is an irrational fear of failure that will eventually hold back an individual so strongly that they will refuse to do anything that they cannot assure their success on.

AUTOPHOBIA { being alone } ; An abnormal and persistent fear of loneliness, of being alone. A fear of solitude. Sufferers from autophobia may experience anxiety even though they realize that being alone does not threaten their well-being. They may worry about being ignored and unloved, or they may worry about intruders, strange noises or the possibility of developing a medical problem. Autophobia also has another sense, that of an irrational fear of oneself, intense self-fear that is groundless.

TAG TEN PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME

Tagging all of you wanna do this & haven’t yet !c:

#✤ || About : HC #✤ || IC; Meme #// Was thinking about changing my tags maybe - then again I'm too lazy for this shit *jk* //

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