#love me some tradespeople

[pfhwrittes]

Welding anon here, I technically didn’t complete the program bc I am missing a single credit, which is fine by me because I ended up switching up and going into agriculture instead, which I am much happier to be in and I just got my degree for it. I don’t regret taking that program because I enjoyed the work (best I can describe it? It was almost like piping a cake) but I was the only girl in the room, not usually a problem for me but the guys didn’t talk to me at all and it was soul crushingly isolating

I always pictured him as a welder bc ye he has massive beefy arms and him being an explosives expert, I could see him enjoying the sparks and the process of creating something durable and strong. Both require a good bit of math, (not to mention shooting math which I still struggle with too) Just seems like a dude who finds fulfillment in difficult, heavy precision work. All those scars on his arms too… yea he’d be a hot welder, all sweaty and bit dirty and smelling like steel. Would make you a welded flower bouquet and it would look immaculate

I did also dabble in wood working (not carpentry. If ur curious I was making bee hives bc I was a bee keeper for a time and my company was so small I had to learn how to do everything) price is so carpenter core. He would smell like freshly cut wood, just a bit smokey and strong. I can just picture saw dust absolutely filling his pockets and trailing it around everywhere by accident. Carpenters always have really calloused, rough, strong hands and that’s just so him. Obsessed with carpenter price ngl.

I’m kinda redneck as fuck and I have the obsessed with being outside flavour of autism. I do have buff arms too 💪 (sorry this is a long ask sorry)

welding anon (or maybe i should just call you buff 💪 anon because hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah) please do not ever apologise for long asks. i love long asks. i cherish long asks. i cherish you for sending me a long ask.

firstly, the guys on your course SUCK for making you feel isolated. i get it on some level as i've been the only non-cis person on-site before. i know i've been lucky as i am technically a plumbing nepo-baby so any other shit has been shut down hard by my mum but more often than not she's the only woman on-site. thankfully she's got something like 40 years experience working with the guys she works with so she knows everyone and their children (and all the gossip, tradies are incorrigible gossips and i love it so much).

secondly, fuck yeah to finding something you love doing! i'm incredibly proud of you for getting your degree! go you! and also you're an incredibly talented multi-skilled individual, be proud of yourself for all the skills you have (welding, woodworking, beekeeping!!!).

thirdly, it's official you've converted me into a welder!soap person. you're absolutely correct. he would love welding. sparks + maths + methodical + challenging = welder!soap. he'd be so cheesy about giving you a metal flower bouquet too. excuse me for a minute while i think about sweaty soap with big beefy arms. oooooh boy 😵‍💫

finally, you are entirely correct that carpenter!price would smell so good. ugh, the smell of cut wood is addictive and definitely one of my most favourite smells in the world (i am that person that lingers in the timber yard in a B&Q just to get a whiff of the cut pine). carpenter!price would love his sweetheart fussing over his callouses and rubbing hand cream into his hands before bed every night, you can't tell me he wouldn't. i think the fact that he smells so good definitely makes up for the fact that you'd be fishing pencils and sawdust out of his pockets every time you did laundry. plus you'd have the most beautiful kitchen cabinets that are the envy of all your friends just because he wanted to give the kitchen a "spruce up" (side note: never trust a tradie to do their own DIY, you WILL end up living in a half-finished construction site for over 2 years).

#pfh answers #tradie!141 #welding/buff anon i am so glad you came back with more thoughts! your thoughts are fantastic! #let me know if you want to claim being an anon if you come back again - i'd love to let you keep a nickname for my blog #jp #jm #damn the johns are really suited to being tradies huh? #love me some tradespeople #or anyone with cool skills

[auspicioustidings]

Fixer Upper

Summary: Request for some fluffy established relationship PricexReaderxSoap for @bunnyreaper (pls be advised I am working through my ask box and the next one is this throuple but horny :D)

Words: 1.3k

“It's a fixer upper love!”

It was the first thing John had said to you when you had emerged from the trees and seen the cottage that was now yours and he was not lying. The place was falling apart.

“Och come on bunny, going tae have tae see the vision!”

Ah, Johnny could always read your face and right now your scepticism must be written all over it. He used bunny when he wanted to wind you up a little. The first time you and the two of them had really sat down and spoken about your relationship, turned it into something formal, he had joked you were their barracks bunny. John had laughed but smacked him upside the head for that.

“Sure thing Sergeant John, let me just get my rose tinted glasses. Now where did I put those things?”

He stuck his tongue out at you. You had your own nickname ready to wind him up. Usually you'd differentiate by calling him Johnny but if he was misbehaving then you differentiated by rank. John always liked that though, even if he did tell you in private all the time how Johnny would definitely make Captain one day and take over the 141 so he could retire and just have fat babies with you.

“Come on love, Captain John will take you through it” John laughed, scooping you up easily into his arms with Johnny rolling his eyes.

“Traitor, bonnie wee bunny bats her eyelashes and it's all Captain John this and Captain John that.”

Still, John placated him by leaning over with you still in his arms and planting a kiss to the side of his head. God you loved when they were soft and tender with one another. Even before you were all together you had loved just watching how they took care of one another. It was a solid sort of affection, the kind that had become instinct to them over conscious effort.

They both fell into an easy rhythm around one another when you crossed the threshold (twice you crossed it because Johnny had watched John carry you like a bride over it and then stolen you to do the same before you were finally put down). John would point out something to be fixed and how to fix it, Johnny would wax poetic about what it would be like when done.

It took you two rooms before you couldn't help but see it, could not resist getting drawn into their warm excitement. You joined in even, arguing with Johnny over where the Christmas tree would go, going on tip toes to give John kisses when he agreed he would teach you how to tile properly so you could help with his vision for the kitchen.

You knew them and you knew they'd want to do it all themselves, but they were away so often and it was so important that when they got home they actually had downtime. Of course they disagreed, but they had come to learn that while on the field they took care of everyone, here in the peaceful warmth of home it was you who took care of them. So they grumbled and sat down with you to go over tradespeople who you could bring in to help. You only had to smack John once when he refused someone on the basis that they had an attractive sounding name and he wasn't about to let their bunny wind up in a porn plot. Honestly it was probably the best you could have hoped for.

–

The soft glow of the lights made your cottage seem like something out of a cosy dream. It had taken time and effort and love but here you were with the perfect home all ready for the holidays.

There was a soft festive tune playing as John danced with you, holding you close with your head tucked into him. Johnny had braved the snow to walk down to the village and post your cards for the rest of their team. Well partially, mostly he was probably going in to say hi to all the old dears so they could fuss over him as always. You and John always teased him for being their favourite, but it was sweet to watch.

“I love you” you sighed against him, no reason for the words really other than knowing it made him smile to hear them.

“I know, everybody loves me, it's the beard I think.”

You laughed and leaned back, giving him a light tap on the nose in chastisement.

“That'll be it John, if you ever shave I'm out of here.”

“I love you too, more than I could ever put into words.”

Sometimes you couldn't believe you were so content, but softly being kissed by one of the men you loved in the home you had made together made everything just feel right.

“I spoke with Kate.”

You tilted your head at him, encouraging him to continue. It was always a struggle to try and not worry whenever he said something like that. Were they getting shipped out again? Was something dangerous coming?

“This is my last Christmas in active duty love” he said, smiling fondly at the tears already forming in your eyes. “Not told Soap yet, but I've recommended him for Captain. Simon is pushing for it too, don't think he'd accept anyone else as his CO.”

You knew it was always what John had wanted, for Johnny to take over. He spoke with you about it sometimes, explained how it would be tricky moving him from Sergeant to Captain, but with the Lieutenant backing him it would work.

It always seemed such a far off thing and now here it was, less than a year away. You were definitely crying, so happy for him and for Johnny and for yourself.

“Let's do a winter wedding.”

“You- you're supposed to propose first!” you half laughed, half sobbed.

He chuckled at the sorry state you found yourself in and smothered your face in kisses as he apologised for going about it all wrong. You heard the door open and turned to see Johnny shaking off the dusting of snow that had settled on him. He took in the situation and grinned, coming barrelling over to crush both you and John in a hug even though he was cold and wet from outside.

“Cannae believe it, ye went and asked her to marry ye without me here didn't ye?”

“Don't worry Soap, you'll get your turn. Got something to ask you later as well.”

Something about the fact it was clear they had discussed marriage before made you sob even harder, ugly crying about how happy it all made you.

“Love you bunny, love you Captain.”

You got to watch a few months later when John finally told Johnny about the promotion, all confirmed with the higher ups. You got to cry all over again when John actually did get down on one knee in the summer, proposing properly. Johnny had proposed not 2 days later.

You did have a winter wedding right in your garden. They bound your hands together in a strip of tartan cloth as you declared that this was forever. Gaz got drunk and wound up giving Farah the raunchiest lap dance you had ever seen. Simon deadpanned that it was allergies anytime someone tried to tease him for crying during the ceremony.

John retired from active duty before Christmas as promised. As Johnny kissed you both goodbye and left to go lead his team to save the world once again he only laughed when you flustered horribly at his parting words.

“Mind and get started on those fat bairnies while I'm gone, cannae wait tae meet them.”

#mhairiwrites #cod #john soap mactavish x reader #john price x reader #soap x reader #price x reader #soap x price #soap x reader x price #fluff #truly the fluffiest of fluff it's going to give you tooth ache

[rennybu]

hi.... i'm just a poor boy . who does not know the loam lore. would you be willing to share.... a summary.... (so curious i am a loam enjoyer)

oh my gosh hi griff..! oh there is so much to tell... i will h ave no choice but to put this under a readmore. the shortest answer is that he is my character of 3+ years in @jawsandbones homebrew dnd campaign and he is like a son to me. but to start off with baby pictures:

LOAM was born 52 years ago in a city called TILDEN, which is blocked off overland by a CURSED* SWAMP that creeps closer every year.

*Misremembered and only Recently Re-Contextualized Major Historical event

His mom is a shy, worried, and loving woman named Bayla - she's a druid and sells medicinal mushrooms of all sorts. His dad is an unwaveringly positive (but incredibly serious) mason named Uttara who proudly works on all sorts of projects around the city, especially major infrastructure. Yay stoneworkers!

(Because fantasy lifespans are strange and somewhat silly to me I just imagine Firbolgs to be stuck in their mid-20s existential dread until they're like at least 150. The backstory part of this spans literally 51 of his 52 year s of life. he's so young)

He got equal enrichment from time spent in nature with his mom as from time spent in the city with his dad. His nickname in the Tilden Firbolg community To This Day is "Always With Questions" - a kind of affix to differentiate him from any other Loams. He may not know much but he really would like to find out, please!!!! He sees a lot of beauty in the natural world, but his idea of what's natural is skewed somewhat by the uh, Curse. He once fell through some algae into a deep body of water and had a very fun memento mori experience as a kiddo (beautiful golden sunbeam shining onto a silty skull)

He got the name Loam very young from his interest in both his parents' work, which lead to him learning about soil types and uses in gardening and construction aklfhglskg. Loam was important for both jobs so he (in guess-what-I-just-learned little kid fashion) told everyone who would listen about it. The association STUCK and he's Loam now :].

His birth name is actually Rahara! but that's secret knowledge only his bestest friends and Tzip and some scarycool important NPCs know.

He loves beasts and magic and plants so much. And on the flip side he also loves and is fascinated by architecture and engineering. He never got any like, higher academic schooling or whatever, but had many many different apprenticeship type training relationships from his parents, other tradespeople in the city, from the senior rangers etc etc.

Small break to plug @jawsandbones lore packets for the Quarter Cities (including Tilden), Scarabae, and the overall campaign setting!!!! I'm just gonna talk about stuff without adding too much context of my own because AAA WORD COUNT!!!

The hole in Loam's ear was brought about by a shit ass Tilden local trying to tear his earring off him, since he'd bought it from a foreign merchant from a city Tilden/the Quarter has historically warred with. Loam's always been open minded and deeply curious about other cities, due to how isolated the bog is. Any visiting merchants are sources of wonder!!!! Even though he only bought the one hoop earring from the Quietus merchants (Mirjam and Mihail, mother and son!), after the ice was broken he stayed by their stall the rest of the day and talked about all kinds of things, and befriended Mihail!

Loam trained as a ranger as soon as he was old enough to do so!!!! He saw it as the next logical step past what his parents would be able to show him and was incredibly eager to get hands-on experience in the wilds. He met his first ever boyfriend among his peers there!!! Bragi... he has had many lovers and situationships in Tilden since, BUT only recently feels comfortable trying monogamy again after meeting Tzipporah.

Bragi unfortunately died badly to a creature in a traumatic backstory incident that left young Loam super fucking bereft and hyper aware of how easy it is to die. (Big monster attack + group of trainee rangers accompanied by a few more senior rangers + chaos and bloodshed. Loam carried Bragi to safety and tried resuscitating him but he was already gone. The experience made him uncomfortable with the idea of being in a defined, monogamous intimate relationship for the next like. 19 years. He felt like he got ripped in half!)

After the ranger's guild recovers from THE CREATURE ATTACK, Loam meets his close friend, Reece, a fellow ranger and Kenku (she looks like a masked shrike)!!!

He gets his septum pierced by the same visiting merchants from Quietus a few years after Bragi's death. It's a very important moment for him, where it feels like he can finally start to let himself change and grow beyond that event. He also spends more and more time in the city, away from the more rural/overgrown districts, and chases a love for the arts and partying and people, where he meets Kallirhoe (human, not a even a classed bard but like. an indie musician. an eboy if high fantasy had eboys. a tattooed twinkish fellow. you know the type)! They are very good friends who also have sex. Many days spent waxing poetic about THE BIG WIDE WORLD and how they'll never get to see it. (Spoiler: He sees it)

Loam gets into tarot as a hobby, and makes his own deck in a very scribbly freehand style with ink and charcoal!!!! he's slowly replacing them with more Worldly artwork - the deck he left home with was very. Tildencore

Many good years of being a party girl who has to go work a construction job tomorrow and then go be a ranger at 6. A rich and storied life. AND THEN THE GAME TIMELINE STARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A path Through the bog has recently finished being built by Dagda, the Southern representative to the other Quarter Cities, making more trade possible overland, and making local tensions go even crazier. Also there are strange Awful Huge Scary Monsters appearing WORLDWIDE, so the Directions and the Three Kings of Scarabae and the remote island of Geest (ADRA'S HOME!) and the mysterious magical Widow's Wood are all like "STOP WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RN". Trials are held in the Western city of Dina to appoint FOUR TEAMS OF FOUR to help defend against the new threat. Loam is like. Well I've gotta fucking do that. I've got to try. If I'm not chosen, at least I've set foot outside. He has a fight with his mom about this, because she is terrified she will lose him, like she lost her mother in a previous conflict when Scarabae was occupying the Quarter, before Loam was born. He stands firm and his dad has his back, and ultimately he leaves with both their blessings, but his dismissal of his mom's feelings weighs heavy on him the longer he's away from home. (He has a big cry and reconciliation about this when he is next able to come home.)

I'm clapping and cheering and skipping joyfully because now he HAS MET HIS BESTEST, DEAREST, CLOSEST FRIENDS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD: ADRA ILSA AND TALEE!!!!!!! I have to be so careful now because we have no joke hundreds of pages of notes. I cannot read that shit on google docs mobile app. We are approaching session one hundred and fifty of this game. They love each other so fucking much. THEY ARE THE INFORMATION GATHERERS!!! A PARTY OF SLEUTHS!!!

He also has his meet-cute with Tzipporah at the trials, which in hindsight is hilarious, because of the whole, "Tzipporah was sent to the trials as a spy (by the very people responsible for the giant awful monster crisis) and immediately pegged Loam for an easy mark to get information from" thing. And he was 100% correct. But a lot has to happen before that gets revealed. They took a nice night walk and write each other big long letters. And Loam tells him soooooo much <3

At one point while exploring a wizard tower he attunes to a lightly cursed ring and forgets what his parents look like, like their likenesses are Gone from past and recent memory. Which is a big thorn of homesickness that he writes to them about. He has a big cry and stares at them both for a LONG time when he next sees them.

Also they save an orphaned Kenku from some bandits and now Loam has a little shoulder-sniper named Bubby. We have a son. A perfect little crow son who is really good at killing, with arrows. He hides things in Loam's hood regularly

Other major things include ummm umm Loam's TWO deaths, one during a dungeon-rescue type scenario in a room that was Flooding and full of Phantoms and also a charmed Druid (Feyan, good friends now) wildshaped into a big scary water snake. He was hurt bad and (comedically) levitated so he wouldn't DROWN but then got Phantom Speared right through the torso. Second one was because Tzip's evil half brother Vences was like, mad at him for being a good influence on Tzipporah and interfering with the spy duties. Chill touch so no healing + dagger in the ribs! Ow. Also the reveal that Tzip was a spy was happening like, simultaneously here so we were yowling and screaming. (Well. Talee and Co had their long time hunches about this. Loam and I had turned a beautiful blind eye to all suspicious activity)

ANYWAY HIS DEATH SCARS LOOK LIKE A COMET ABOVE HIS BELLY!!!! The spear scar made a patch of his fur turn white (front and back), and the dagger scar is its crude tail!

I am skipping over so many plot revelations i. This is just the Loam Cut. and it's not even all of it.

His buzzcut was for emotional superstitious reasons!!! He cut it after Death 2 and Tzipporah getting taken against his will back into Evil Gang. Loam's mom has a lock of his hair at home now. ALL THIS TO SAY TZIP IS OKAY, NO LONGER SPYING, WE RESCUED HIM AND RIPPED A MASK OFF HIM AND SAVED HIM FROM GETTING HIS MIND EXCAVATED ! SO LOAM IS GROWING HIS HAIR OUT AGAIN!

The deaths of his close friends and their allies have also been. insane for him to process. To return someone to life in this setting u need to like. entreat a Titan. plead on the deceased's behalf and offer something up for the chance to revive them. (NO player spells like revivify. house rule) So interacting with these entities he sees as like Both forces of the natural world AND of huge religious/cultural importance regionally. And to have their requests be HEARD? He loves magic he loves Titans. And the plot is unfolding in such a way that scares me so bad. He loves his titan (The Curious Spear) SOOOO MUCH he has like the foundational belief that it can see through his eyes. Even if not true it motivates him to always seek understanding of strange new things.

Oh my god I didn't even talk about his multiclass into druid. He's a druid also. Circle of the Stars!! As a navigational point. He loves them. He loves space. He loves geography and regional interpretations of constellations. He used to just do freehand observations but truly became dedicated to charting the skies of every place the party travels to, after Tzipporah gifted him a grid-lined journal <3 <3 <3 STARRY FORM!!!!!!

His awe and inspiration and hunger for knowledge is the well he draws magical power from. My Boy is thematically bound up in the soggiest parts of this earth and also the unknowably distant stars above and I'm normal about it (lie) (There is a new and scary Third Thing rising which is the space between. I <3 Void). I know i draw him beige and green but his like, character colour theme is. Dusk to me. Gloaming. When the world is lit like a dream <3

In summary. In conclusion. He and Adra and Ilsa and Talee (and the rest of the Four of Four) are trying to prevent Global Disaster of an existential scale never before seen and are being very brave about it.

Loam wants to understand everything about Everything. Because understanding is love. Unfortunately there are hostile resentful and vengeful forces making this hard to do. Most recently by saving a city we Unmade a magically sustained centuries-old library. And we haven't had time to like fully let that sink in. Because of the horrors of war and being Four of Four means responding to emergencies and protecting cities as best we can against a foe that was forgotten by history until like, 10 months ago. Less, even. I hope this is anything. I hope u are his friend now too because he is yours

good lord how could i forget. His gender is male in such a way that he does not give a shit about it. He's one of the girls. He's genderless. Like a knight. His sense of identity is built on Living Laughing and Loving.

his personal goals are 1. to uncurse the bog in such a way that the wrongs committed by Tilden historically are brought to light and righted, 2. to get super married to Tzipporah and build a house together, and 3. to somehow, eventually, through great teamwork and effort, cure(?) the dreadful lingering soul plague on the island of demeter. HUMBLE! OH and to make a finished star chart covering the entire planet. humble.

thank u for reading here are his current stats

#titan campaign #loam #aart #theres some secret goodies under the readmore btw #IM SOOOOOO SORRY FOR THE CHAOTIC FORMATTING AND HOW MUCH I JUMP AROUND #i will happily answer more questions. and i wont take months to respond i promi #GRIFF... THANK YOU SM

[fairmerthefarmer]

More character designs except this time they’re fantasy dwarves and whenever I draw fantasy dwarves they legally all need to have facial hair regardless of gender cause I think that’s cool.

Also these guys are all secretly Narnian and are also on the crew of the Dawn Treader cause I’m forever building out the crew in my mind, and it’s practicing doing my own designs. Here is some more of the crew.

The slightest amount of lore for them is down here if you care, along with general Narnia headcanons and waffling.

——————————————————————————

The dwarf on the far left is a river dwarf I’ve decided. I don’t know fully that is other than I think it’d be cool if there was a tribe of dwarves that were close to the water nymphs, and generally have great knowledge and skills that are an asset on a sailing crew.

The river dwarves are one of the reasons telmarines were scared of the water (along with the niads, however the bridge of beruna imprisoned the river god, who otherwise was also responsible for many folk tales told to young telmarine children. Their fear of water is ironic to me cause I believe there’s evidence of them coming from the Caribbean as pirates? I imagine the humans on caspians crew are like, either rediscovering their roots or the few who held on to that seafaring background. Mostly younger telmarines in the same generation as caspian, they questioned the leadership and were very happy when old narnia overthrew Miraz.)

the river dwarves are generally peaceful and most lived in hiding during telmars reign. They’re temperament is very stable and they do well under pressure. River dwarves are incredibly stealthy and only attack in necessity as self defense. In terms of stealth think like lotr hobbits, and this is a great contrast to most other dwarves in Narnia (strong strength and combat, low stealth) A lot of them abstained from fighting against telmar alltogether due to their peaceful values. They are disconnected from some other dwarf cultures which can cause some tension.

The two in the middle come from a tribe of dwarves that are blacksmiths, and also they’re siblings. The brother in particular is a toy maker by trade specifically, and loves kids. His wife (far right) has a background in carpentry. Him and his wife don’t have any but virtually adopt any child they see. The sister is always having a good time, and seafaring comes more naturally to her than smithywork ever did.

The carpentry/forest dwarves generally have a history of closeness with dryads similarly to how the river dwarves are with the water spirits. Some of that connection has been severed due to how deeply the dryads retreated and were removed when Caspian the Conqueror (not our caspian) and his descendants over-deforested. It takes time to restore that connection.

The two on the left may or may not have a situationship and the two on the right have been married for years.

Regardless of trade they’re all on the ship because they’re loyal as fuck to Caspian, the married couple kind of see themselves in a parental role to him but it’s debatable on how that actually plays out.

Also no one has a name cause I’m so bad at coming up with names.

————————

My thinking in general is that Narnian dwarves make up a lot of the trades, other races do contribute as well, (I’d imagine some marshwiggles work in stuff related to ships/seafaring but perhaps not travelling themselves) most fauns are more into the arts/spirituality, but some do take up trades (a couple of my designs from this post are tradespeople, one of them is a bard.)

I haven’t done many centaur designs, but my vague thoughts is that there are those who are more spiritual and practice prophecy, stargazing, advising, and those who are more into combat, and are protectors, or messengers.

—————

Gender and the ideas around sexuality I’d also imagine would be a lot more fluid and most Narnians are a lot more open than some of the more human civilizations. (Like it’s a country made of sentient trees, talking animals and mythical beings, and the human countries kind of canonically are like “what the heck is going on over there???” Or they’re afraid of them and try to colonize them, like the telmarines)

These are all half baked ideas but I’ve been fixated on Narnia since I was five and it’s lowkey the reason I spent so much time and passion into drawing and now have a career in graphic design and illustration, so. This is mostly all for me, so don’t mind how long this post has gotten. 🤠

#fairmerthefarmer art #Narnia #voyage of the dawn treader #crew of the dawn treader #narnia headcanons #narnian headcanons #character design #fantasy dwarf #fantasy character #oc art #oc #artists on tumblr #digital art #procreate #CoN #VDT #caspian x #Prince caspian #digital illustration #character art #dnd dwarf #c.s. lewis #long post #but only if you actually bother to read it all #my brain rot will always be part narnian #my art <3 #narnia oc #chronicles of narnia #narnia fanart #narnia art

[meeeeeeese]

Attention People of New Kaineng!

Many of you know of the kappa pests polluting our waterways, stealing our food and harassing our fair citizens. These kappa are well known to wield hammers in combat, appropriate for their brutish nature.

However.

Have you ever looked at their surprisingly well made hammers and wondered "huh, I wonder where they come from?" After all, kappa are little more than beasts, they can't be the ones making their armaments!

Well wonder no more, as after months of rigorous investigation I have come to an answer, one that will shock you to your very core.

The above image was taken by one of our journalists during a kappa raid on one of Xunlai Jade's maintenance crews. Note the expertly bound bamboo heft and solid metal head, kappa have no metallurgy to speak of, so it must be supplied by a third party. No doubt one that is plotting against Cantha even now, seeking to sow chaos in our city.

Of course at first I suspected the usual suspects. Speaker gangs trying to smash our jade tech, Brotherhood thugs distracting the guards, or even purists trying to undermine the empress. But as I pondered the question, our foreign affairs reporter gave me a crucial insight!

They had seen these weapon designs before.

Some months prior, she had been to Central Tyria to report on the festival held for the traveling traders known as the zephyrites. There, she had seen some familiar looking weapons on sale, an exclusive image of which I can reveal.

That's right.

It's an exact match.

Even worse, interviews with customers can confirm that these weapons are advertised as, and I quote here, '"genuine zephyrite-made weaponry". This can only mean one thing, beneath our noses these tradespeople have been supplying an enemy to the state of Cantha with the weapons to conduct their campaign of chaos!

Are they just in it for the money? Or do they have more sinister motives? While the answers to many of our questions remain unknown, one thing is certain: We should place far more scrutiny on these so called 'peace-loving' merchants.

For more updates tune into the Cantha Report at 5 as our journalists attempt to interview high ranking zephyrites on their illegal arms trades.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #moose shitposts #is it likely a coincidence? Almost definitely. #but it's fun to pretend it's on purpose anyway

[intosnarkness]

Some day when I leave this job I’m going to write stories about all the buckwild shit drunk tradespeople have said to me at receptions. From “I feel like your astrology sign is not tequila” to “I can’t believe I have to tell you not to vape asbestos” and “can we get matching tattoos? And vasectomies?”

Like I love these people so much and they are so strange.

[tall-waves-deep-sea]

Fern's introduction to: Nehalennia

Nehalennia is a Goddess associated with sea-trade, prosperity, the harvest, and the North Sea. She is also a psychopomp. She was revered in Zeeland in the Netherlands, near the Rhine in Germany, and in England. We are not sure if Nehalennia was Germanic, Celtic, or Roman. The name points towards Roman, but she was likely a local Goddess that was given a Romanized name.

We know Nehalennia due to altar stones that have been found near Colijnsplaat, Zeeland. Symbols often found on the stones are dogs (symbols of the underworld), baskets of apples, pears, and bread (harvest and prosperity), a ship's wheel or ship's bow, a shell shaped ceiling, and a distinct short cape that Nehalennia wears on all her stones. She is also often depicted in the same style as the Germanic Matronae, or Mothers, and in some stones from Trier in the same triad as the Matronae. For this reason she is also thought of as a Mothergoddess.

The stones were dedicated by seafaring tradespeople as payment for a safe passage, often to England. They sold fish sauce, salt, and wine. The first set of stones were discovered in 1645 when a hug storm eroded part of the coast. There were no museums or historical societies back then, so the stones were displayed in a church. Tucked into the back, they were underneath a leaky roof and covered in moss. A few years later, the church was struck by lightning and burned down, and the stones were lost. Luckily sketches and drawings of the stones were still preserved.

Then, on the 14th of March in 1970 a fisherman found a strange stone in his fishing nets. Instead of throwing it back, he called the historical society in Leyden, and started fishing for more stones. Together over the course of a few months they found over 150 votive stones and fragments, all dedicated to Nehalennia. This is when she emerged again from both the see and from obscurity, and why I celebrate Nehalennia Resurfacing on this date.

Fragments found of the temple itself indicate that there were probably fresh water wells, where the boats could get the drinking water they needed for their journey over the North Sea. A replica of the temple (smaller and without wells) is open to the public on Colijnsplaat.

As stated Nehalennia is a Goddess of trade over sea, of the harvest and prosperity, and she is a psychopomp, bringing the souls of the departed to the Otherworld.

Because of her realm of sea travel I associate with her: lighthouses, storms, the stars (navigation), shells, grey pearls and moonstone, sailing and boating, protection, selkies, merfolk, knotmagic, sea magic.

Because of her realm of harvest I associate with her: apples, baskets and cornucopias, wheat and grain, bread, nature, fields, growth, prosperity both physical and spiritual, bonfires, harvest festivals, fertility.

Because of her role as a psychopomp I associate with her: dogs, the cycle of death and life (see also, harvest), a safe voyage to a land over the sea (for example, Avalon), traveling through the realms, protection.

I see Nehalennia as the Wildmother, (a name I had for her before Critical Role). She is the Goddess of land and sea, of abundance and life. She is a warm and loving parent that protects, but does let you figure things out for yourself. She is a deep tie to my land and the people who have lived here before. Hail the Lady of the North Sea, Nehalennia Hail!

My devotional blogs: Nehalennia, Baduhenna, Cernunnos, Elen of the Ways, the rest of my personal pantheon. Find me on my main, my witchblog, my website, and my pinterest.

#Posting this updated version on Nehalennia Resurfacing #nehalennia #dutch pagan #germanic pagan #pagan #paganblr #paganism #goddess #dutch #germanic #roman #celtic #sea witch #sea goddess

[not-poignant]

PIA. WHAT. please tell us about being a professional tea taster!!!!

Ahahaha, there's honestly not much to tell!

I fell into it completely by accident. I didn't actually even used to like tea, but that was because my only exposure was like, the milky sugary shit my english side of the family used to give me, and turns out, I don't like milk or sugar in my tea! I would've liked it just fine if they'd given it to me without those things.

(No shade to people who like milky sugary tea, I believe that stuff is the bomb if you love it, especially with biscuits).

However, a friend's older brother was just starting to be the first place in Western Australia to import in very high quality green, white, oolong and pu-erh teas into the state, and would do so by touring through China first, etc. This was before green tea drinking was really a 'thing' here (late 90s, early 00s), so they were here before any of the 'boutique' tea shops etc.

I started getting involved in tea ceremonies through said friend, started tasting the teas, and eventually we all realised I had a pretty good palate for it, and so I engaged in further training to help them write out their labels / brands etc. and eventually became a tea taster. I specialise in green and oolong, and started to get into white, but I think I miss too much of the nuance to do much more except enjoy it, lol.

Unfortunately their company never went far, they were outcompeted due to being at the crest of the 'green tea drinking is a thing' and while I kept it up for a while, I decided I didn't want to go the tea sommelier route (pairing tea with food), and just kept it up as a general skill, doing tea reviews for a couple of websites.

When I developed anemia, I had to stop drinking tea for a long time, because tea is actually one of the worst things you can drink if you have iron deficiency or any kind of anemia (yes, really, ask your hematologist if you don't believe me).

I can probably have about one/two cups a day now, and I'm one of those elitist bitches who has the temperature kettle (certain teas are best brewed at specific lower temperatures), and only drinks loose leaf tea with no milk, honey, lemon or sugar in sight and sets all my brewings to strict temperatures. But that's just because that's the way I like it. I can't stand matcha, unless it's in a matcha tiramisu. And my personal taste means nothing, because it's about other people's personal tastes. The tea you like says nothing in particular about you, except that you like it. :)

I once had a moment when we had some tradespeople come over and I offered them coffee/tea, and when they said tea, I realised they wanted like... a teabag brewed tea with milk and sugar and on the day we had no milk (I'm lactose intolerant) and only had green teas and I felt so embarrassed, lmao, so now I always carry some teabag tea for guests.

This is now my favourite brand:

And this is what they all look like.

I go through them a lot more slowly than I used to! And I don't drink much black tea anymore sadly due to reflux, but I'll still make time for it.

I can talk a little too much about different provinces, aging techniques, and more, but not enough to do it as a job anymore. But I loved it when I did it and I still love sharing green tea with the friends who love it these days.

Lmao me like 'there's not much to tell' but still manages to turn it into like 100 paragraphds fasdlkjfsa

#asks and answers #personal #i don't make tea enough to be honest #valley green tea are a lovely company #and for the australians #T2 is bullshit lmao #if you like it that's cool but don't say it's fancy or high grade tea #because it's not lmao #it wasn't when it started and it's gotten worse with time #anyway yeah so my family are big tea drinkers #but i used to be like 'i HATE tea' all my life #and then one day i had an oolong on its own #properly brewed #and my entire life changed fdsalkfjsa

[taradactyls]

Trying to Tread Water: Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Elizabeth/Darcy Marriage of Convenience fic no one asked for

Chapter Twenty-Eight: It seems everyone Elizabeth or Mr Darcy has ever known are calling on 'Mrs Darcy' now she is in London. Colonel Fitzwilliam is eager to meet her, and the Earl is curious about his new niece, but Elizabeth is most curious to see how Mr Bingley acts. They haven't seen each other since the Netherfield ball, and she wants to know whether he even remembers Jane. His sisters, jealous and ingratiating in turns, must also be endured. But Mr Darcy is glad there is one thing he is not yet called upon to endure... the embarrassment of having such low connections as tradespeople paying a social call at his house has been delayed.

Read on Ao3 here

Some reviews of last chapter: "I found this story yesterday and had the loveliest time reading all 27 chapters! Thanks for your writing, I cannot wait for the next one." "As always your attention to detail astounds and your writing is beautiful. I often feel as if I'm truly reading an alternate version of the same book." "This has taken me six days to read... You are one of my favorite writers of ANYTHING. Your prose is to die for, I adore every moment of it. I NEED MORE. 💞💞" "This whole story is super delightful and I love that you’ve managed that tinge of Yearning(tm) (that I suspect will only strengthen as we continue) while keeping the characters very true to themselves and to the time period. " ""Awwww such a lovely chapter, funny and sweet and romantic all at once."" "I loved the way they bantered, lost to the world" "Their walk in the rain is so romantic and actually kind of hot! I love that Darcy instinctively pulls her closer so as to shield her from the chill and the rain" "Amazing story! Characters so well written and really enjoying the plot. Feel very lucky to have found this one; can’t wait for the next instalment!"

Story updates on Ao3 fortnightly, with Chapter Twenty-Nine coming out on the 19th April.

Story tags: Elizabeth/Darcy, Marriage of Convenience, Unrequited Love, Not Really Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, Pining, Pining Despite Being Married, Mr Darcy thinks his worst enemy is Wickham but maybe it's himself.

#I might take forever to reply to comments but oh wow do I appreciate all the kind words so much #you guys are the best #pride and prejudice #jane austen #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #elizabeth x darcy #darcy x elizabeth #mr darcy #Pride & Prejudice #fanfic #fanfiction #archive of our own #ao3 #trying to tread water #fic:t3w #writers on tumblr #writing #writers #authors of tumblr

[xoverworkedandunderpaidx]

Drop the Genghis Khan 10 hour monologue

Okay so a few years back I somehow got really into Mongolian history and I bought literally every book that has ever been written about it - spoiler, that's not a lot of books. About 20.

I don't know exactly what first drew me to Genghis Khan - maybe that no one has EVER conquered so much of the world so quickly, and it is very unlikely that anyone ever will again. Maybe it was that quote - "I am the punishment of God," he said to hypocritical religious leaders and corrupted kings. "If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you." Metal as fuck.

Genghis Khan was a feminist in his time - he outlawed the tradition of trading women and girls for livestock or land (and once challenged his superior to trial by combat for offering to pay for Genghis Khan's sister instead of observing the traditional Mongol custom of the groom to live with the bride's family for a number of years prior to marriage to prove his character), outlawed forced marriage so that women could refuse to marry any man for any reason, he outlawed the marriage of girls under 12 and the consummation of marriage under the age of 16 (this meant by law that the ger belonged to the wife and husbands/men had to invited in), he placed his daughters in positions of power and made them queens of his empire (by killing their husbands whoops), often saying that women made better leaders than men. There is a part of the Secret History of the Mongols that is missing, and this last is believed by some to be pertaining to Genghis' last will and testament re:his daughters. His four sons ended up running his empire into the ground because he never bothered to teach them to be leaders - he preferred his daughters for that. Some people think that he actually tried to leave the empire to the girls, and then the boys took care of that by removing it from history, removing their sisters from power, and starting a petty bitch fest amongst their families that ultimately destroyed the Mongol empire in arguably two generations (it's me. I argue. The empire was toast pretty much as soon as Genghis died because his successors didn't have the same roots. They had affluence and luxury and they liked that, they took the empire for their own gain and not to better the world for the less fortunate).

Genghis Khan was bisexual and you cannot change my mind. He had a wedding ceremony with his blood brother, Jamukha, who later went on to betray him and Genghis spent the rest of his life lamenting their lost love. They also shared a ger everywhere they went, so convince me otherwise.

Genghis accepted any children his wives had as his own children, even when they very obviously were not his kids. He also was chill with his wives taking lovers, though they couldn't take another husband.

He loved religion and was the original pioneer of religious freedom - seriously, no empire had done it before. He believed that ultimately everyone served the same higher being/s but in different ways, and that everyone had the right to choose what they believed and how they worshipped, so long as they didn't force their beliefs on anyone else. What he HATED were religious leaders that punished people for blasphemies and crimes that the religious leaders were themselves committing - hence the above quote. He hated hypocrisy. Whenever he sacked a city and found it's leaders wanting, he would punish them the same way they had punished their own people for the same crimes. Oh you cut off the hands of your citizens for stealing but you've been pilfering from the treasury? GUESS WHICH MOTHERFUCKER IS ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR HANDS. You're the local religious leader and you whip people for "perversions" but you're engaging in the same perversions? GET YOUR ASS INTO THE SQUARE, WE'RE HAVING A WHIPPIN'!

Mongols valued tradespeople and artists - if your entire value to a society was that you were noble, the Mongols didn't give a fuck about you aaaaannnnnndddd you were probably going to die. They weren't interested in ransoms or property. What made them so impossible to stop as they conquered was that they didn't make conquered cities their strongholds, they didn't barricade themselves in seige cities and wage slow wars - they just kept coming because they were a nomadic people used to living a life on the road, a life that most armies found unsustainable. It got to the point that political and religious leaders would just run for their lives as soon as the Mongol army hit their horizon because they knew they were royally screwed.

Mongols took in the people they conquered as their own - Genghis himself adopted a number of children, and many people in his inner circle were actually from armies and cities that he had conquered. And these people legit LOVED him. They would (and some did) die for him. I've always been so curious about what kind of person could inspire that type of love and loyalty from former enemies.

Genghis came from nothing, he didn't recruit his inner circle based on social stature or connection. He based it on bravery. Men and women, and in one instance a child that straight up took a up a knife against two bandits that tried to kidnap Ghenghis' young son. He had mad respect for people that would own their shit, people that were honest and selfless. Those were the people he recruited to help him rule his empire. As a Mongol, he believed that the most powerful currency in the world was knowledge. All records that were kept during his reign were brutally honest about him and his failures and shortcomings. "Warts and all" probably would have been one of his favourite sayings. The Secret History of the Mongols was written after his death but honoured this ideology (regarding his flaws, not so much regarding his genaealogy).

He was absolutely ruthless when it came to betrayal. If a conquered city rose up against him, he would burn it to the ground. But if you were presented as an individual before Genghis for a crime (such as theft) each judgement was based on your character and circumstances, and almost every first time offender for crimes such as theft were pardoned.

Anyway I think there's more to this but I could go one forever 😅

#genghis khan #love of my life #my idol #like obviously he killed a lot of people #but besides that

[acornered]

2024 WISHLIST

I know Resolutions are a controversial concept but I still want to spend some time reflecting on what my goals this year were, if I accomplished them to my satisfaction, and what I'd like the next year of my life to look like. So here we go:

Purchase second-hand and locally owned as much as possible How Well I Did: Very well! I've become friends with a lot of local vintage store owners, artists, and tradespeople, and I've been able to reduce the amount of frivolous consumption I engage in significantly. Repeat in 2024: Absolutely!!!

Continue to work on my relationship with my body How Well I Did: Uh. Ooof. Um. My body changed a lot this year and it's been really hard for me to make peace with that. Regular healthy meals and consistent exercise are both difficult habits for me because of the mental illnesses, and falling off of that particular wagon, combined with finally coming to terms with my ED, has made for a rocky road to body positivity. Repeat in 2024: I need to redouble my efforts here, and actually commit to forming healthy habits around food, and making time to do a little physical activity each day. And every time I look in the mirror, I will try to challenge the negative thoughts until I can hopefully accept the inherent worth and beauty of my flesh.

Continue to work on my mental health How Well I Did: Average, I think. There were bouts of depression, and periods of inconsistency with my medication, but I am getting better every day and I have built myself a really stellar support system to pick up the slack when I need it! Repeat in 2024: Always, every year, forever. I can't imagine going back.

Nurture and honor my relationships with others, and my own wellbeing in those relationships How Well I Did: Pretty well, with only 2 notable exceptions. To the people who have helped me grow, who have loved me enough to tell me when I am wrong, who have been patient with me when I've had to assert a boundary with them-- thank you. I may not always choose well, but when I do I end up with the most beautiful, loving relationships I could ask for. Repeat in 2024: There are two specific things that I need to face down next year (one pleasant but terrifying, and one awful but necessary), and I only hope that I can do so with strength and grace and that the pain will be worth the healing it brings.

Have positive romantic and sexual experiences How Well I Did: I had moderate success with this one. While I made a real effort to put myself out there, there were moments of true despair, especially after a couple of opportunities broke down from poor communication/bad timing. However, I did manage to figure out some important boundaries, and enforce them to varying degrees of success. I'm entering 2024 still single, which is not ideal, but with a much better sense of what I'm looking for and how to ask for it. Repeat in 2024: I'm still not great at making the first move, but I am mentally projecting shoot your shot vibes to every cute girl I know, and maybe this year I'll even get an opportunity to be courageous.

Read at least 1 book every month How Well I Did: I managed around 8/12, and didn't keep track of when I read what. But I am consuming books again which is in turn helping me rediscover my love of reading and writing. I think with more of a concentrated push, I can make this happen for real! Repeat in 2024: Yep, with better documentation this time!

Conclusion: 2023 was a mixed bag, and it really ended on a low note with multiple waves of interpersonal conflict, a bad bout of depression, and an unexpected death of someone I've known since childhood. I want to start the New Year with a clean slate, but it's difficult with so many things unresolved, and a funeral service to attend in the very first week of 2024. I am determined to start slow, and find that balance between necessary rest and gratuitous wallowing. I am grateful every day that my desire to move forward, to shape the life I want for myself, overpowers my desire to lay down and never move again. At least most of the time. I promise to continue to find beauty in quiet, unlikely places, to give the kind of love I wish to receive, and make my corner of the world the kind of soft place I'd be happy to inhabit. If you've read this far, I love you and I hope you stick around. Happy New Year (almost).

#personal #acornposting #new years resolution #recovery #ed mention #negative body image mention #depression mention

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

something about the intense way workplaces focus on selfcare and mindfulness has always rubbed me wrong

It's great that we finally, as a society, realise that there is an intense impact on the physical, mental, emotional, social and financial wellbeing of anyone in a workplace.

From the fast food / retail workers who are doing ten dozen tasks in the space of an hour for almost nothing and penalised if they don't take abuse with a smile...

To the ambulance workers who have to dodge abuse and fists in order to support patients who may not recognise their assistance, and sometimes see things no human should...

To the crime scene cleaners who return a house to habitable after the horrifica has happened, and the janitors all over the world who do the same in every place we've ever been..

To the garbage and tradespeople who are always looked down on despite the significant physical effort of their jobs, and the importance of their jobs...

To the business workers who hate sitting in a cubicle all day with endless deadlines, to the support agencies that have to spend time they would like to use helping people writing up reports to justify funding for the next six months... every six months...

To the kindy teachers and carers and teachers who are havig to start from step zero with kids who come in without any idea how to learn how to learn, and children who have such trauma from things they haven't spoken about yet that they destroy classrooms because of the feelings building up inside bodies too small for the rage or fear or etc

To the people who deal with the worst of humanity and/or their victims on a daily basis in roles where their job is to put in supports and try to guide them to a happy and stable life through a minefield, and those who break under the pressure, etc.

Every job out there has unique pressures, and then they have general pressures that can apply across the sector. This sudden push towards 'selfcare' and 'mindfulness' is so very... corporate.

It just feels very much like "Well, we gave you a poster with affirmations on it, you didn't repeatthem daily, so of course the mental breakdown you have in a year's time is on you..." if you feel me.

Whenever it's talked about, it's all about 'preventing burnout' and 'being productive' etc. Not 'hey human being that's in a role that's physically, emotionally, mentally and/or socially demanding... what's happening in your world tonight?

There are some companies that go so far overboard (been in at least one) that they eithre feel like a cult... or they feel like a cult and put so much pressure on you to Tell Them what you are going to do for self-care that night after work (so they can check i nthe next morning), that you resent the whole goddamn process.

Because it's not about the health of the workers, it's a tick in a box on some Progressive Checklist clipboard.

Don't know, the more I see the posters harasssing you even in the dunny... the more you seethe, I guess.

You know what would be self-care? Not being punitive to people by taking away their right to [bonuses, holidays, flexible work hours, etc] if they cannot meet impossible targets or the workloads are too big for any one person to manage.

If you keep filling the pool while someone's chained to the bottom, all the affirmations in the world won't help them swim, mates... you just end up with like, chlorinated corpse soup.

Another thing is like... self-care is very much an individual thing. A lot of the ones I see on posters are all after-work activities, high energy things (eg. go to the gym, take the pets for a walk, go to the park with your kids, have a lunch date, cook a lovely healthy dinner for friends!) all stuff outside of work hours... because you Can't Impact Work Hours.

Sometimes self-care is needing to plan your holidays so you get a break or you have a mental break. Sometimes its a mental health day because you were 'sick'. Sometimes self-care is shutting the computer at the end of the day and/or walking out dead as your shift ends because no one is allowed to claim overtime.

Sometimes it is having frozen meals or pre-chopped vegetables in the freezer because you're tired at the end of th day and it's a kindness to Future You.

Sometimes it's having some Longlife milk abnd similar items in the cupboard so you have a back-up for days when you're too tired or sick or just want to chill but you ran out of like, milk.

Sometimes self-care is having a shower at the end of the day when you get home, washing the day off, and doing whatever you want after that.

Sometimes self-care is singing terribly and enthusiastically in the car. Or dancing like a dork in the loungeroom. Or listening to amitheasshole youtube videos. Or playing video games.

Sometimes self-care can be forcing yourself to be inflexible around necessary appointments (from hair to dental or medical), no you CAN'T 'just move it'. Because you always will end up moving it.

Sometimes self-care is being tough with yourself. Go to bed at a normal hour. No we're drinking water from 5pm onwards (etc). Yes there is dopamine from playing video games but we're not going to be up at 3am pwning n00bs bc there's work tomorrow. Etc.

Sometimes self-care is doing your shopping during a lunchour, if you are lucky enough to be close to home, so that tired 5pm+ you doesn't have to. Sometimes it's cooking a shitload of something and freezing it so that you have 2-5 extra meals in the fridge, ready to go for lunches or dinner, etc.

Sometimes self-care is putting on a podcast and handling the mountain of plates in the sink, or washing the bathroom, or just vacuuming a small area of the place. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture every time... but it's about what matters to you, what will impact your life outside of work.

IT's the messy self-care stuff that workplaces don't care about, and they're the most important. And that's probably where the disconnect comes into play, for me... because self-care posters always talk about gardening and yoga and the gym and eating a salad and having time with friends...

And that's such a Stockphotos Cporporate Generic Idea of what self-care looks like, and why its important. Makes you feel like a Sim, being touted to the [Local Attraction] because your goopey cabonara caught fire and your emoticon is now Sad...

Don't know where this was going, I just... hate the damn posters, and the emphasis on a very specific kind of Self-Care, and how it very much puts the emphasis, the onus and the eventual blame, on the workers... if anything breaks down.

Yes, know the signs of burnout... but for 99% of people, yoga won't fix it. You need to stop pinning the idea on the individual worker, and look at the machine as a whole, at what point does the cog start shearing off the metal of another until it wears away? How do we fix that? One little pin at the base isn't going to fix it by meditating...

IT's about the wokplace culture, societal attitudes, about being financially stable and having support, about having connections outside of your workplace, etc.

So no, Don't "Hang in there baby!", someone get a ladder and help the cat before it falls. Don't wait until gravity takes its toll and then ask why it didn't try harder.

#i have always hate that poster #bc we've always had cats and the amount of times ive dived to save them from falling off stuf #f lmao

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Happy wbw! Since I just finished talking your ear off about it, tell me about some life path options people have in your world! What's college like? What do most people end up deciding to do? What are the incentives to do so?

Hi!! Happy WBW!! Sorry it took me so long to answer this one, I've been trying and failing to do some writing before answering these things and I have finally given up on that a;lskdjf

I haven't gone nearly as in-depth as you in terms of post-primary school options, simply because I've been following the perspective of someone who didn't have much choice in what they did!! It's mainly addressed as college vs. trade apprenticeship vs. military vs. physical labor.

College requires really good grades in the more prized disciplines in order to even think about admission (art, architecture, history, and business for the area I've got the most on), never mind cost, because I'm ~projecting~ the situation I and my friends are in.

Trade apprenticeship is something that's gotten a little more love - there's something kinda like career days for the equivalent of high school, where local guilds and individual masters will advertise their trades and look for hopeful apprentices. (Or, like in Nimbus' case, if students excel in areas that are less desired, tradespeople in those areas will often be in contact with teachers or be keeping an eye out in the frequented supply shops.)

The military is... similar in appeal to real life, though it's fallen very quickly out of favor in-world because of a prolonged, petty war that's taken a lot of lives. It's the most secure of the options, though, especially for those with particular skill in weaponry or magic, like Ember. But you're also guaranteed to land in active service on the battlefront, so it's a dreaded last resort.

Joining the labor workforce is the most accessible option, usually, and that's heavily dependent on the area - most people in the Godwoods would enter wood mining, there's always a need for more messengers, shopkeeps, cooks... and Ember, when we meet them, works in ship construction, since they live in a port city!

There's also a few specialized schools around the world. The University of Avatica is the prime place to learn Alchemy and Enchantment, and most places with significant human populations have at least a few courses on Runes. One of the universities in Impalfahr specializes in magical research, history, and anthropology, and a lot of students go into a mix of those. The Starsmith Guild in Glittergale has a trade school to learn about the forging of Starmetals, and there's a couple variants of Fantasy!MIT in the Goblin cities!

But yeah! Thank you for the ask :D

#a&a #wbw #ehlverse #talking with: space-cadead

[great-art-and-a-purple-tongue]

Is there some kind of job search site or something like LinkedIn but specifically for artistry and traditional crafts?

I hear so often from the crafting trades that they are having trouble finding new generation people to pass on the knowledge. But I also know so many young people who'd love to do this stuff for a living, but just don't even know it's available or where to find it.

I only recently heard about Renaissance Faire crafters (woodwork, leatherwork, smithing, etc.) needing apprentices through word-of-mouth and I immediately knew of someone who had told me that this was exactly the kind of thing they'd want to do; they just assumed they'd have to learn on their own and couldn't afford to take that financial risk. But an apprenticeship like that would help provide housing and healthcare and a 10+ year secure job.

So many young people are yearning to learn a hands-on trade, something other than the current soulless state of retail, fast-food, or office work, but we need to actually connect them with the tradespeople who need them.

[bokafix]

Introducing Bokafix – The App That Makes Booking Tradespeople Easy!

The Bokafix app helps you find Tradespeople in an instant without any worries! Learn more about the app and what it can do for you in today’s post.

We understand that finding and booking Tradespeople can be a hassle. In fact 28% of UK homeowners reported using Tradespeople they were uncertain about just because they couldn’t find anyone else. This can cause unnecessary stress to the homeowner which is never good!

Many homeowners struggle with finding a reliable Fixer. Looking at our graph, you can see that 26% of homeowners put off necessary repairs due to their mistrust of Tradespeople, and 12% decided to give up looking for a reliable Tradesman altogether and stopped making any repairs. 58% of UK homeowners say it's difficult to find a trustworthy Tradesperson to help with home repairs or improvements. An impressive 40% of respondents preferred to do the fixes themselves which can occasionally go well but most of the time can go horribly wrong (Keep an eye out for a feature post where we address this!). Moreover, finding a credible Fixer to assist with home repairs or improvements is more likely to be "very difficult" for women than it is for men. For these reasons we created the Bokafix app!

So here are some answers to the most common questions we get asked:

What is the Bokafix Customer app? 

Bokafix is streamlining and simplifying the process of booking Trade services. The app assists you in locating the best local Tradesperson for the job instantly, without spending hours looking for a reliable, available Tradesperson whilst also offering security. Customer reviews make it simple to determine whether a Fixer has experienced any previous problems, assisting the user in making a decision quickly and easily.

How can Bokafix help me? 

We can help you find a trustworthy Tradesman in an instant that will get the job done as fast as possible! Fixers confirm same-day jobs or advanced bookings in a matter of minutes. We provide upfront pricing information so that you can understand all costs before agreeing to pay for the job.

Is the app free of charge? 

Yes! The Bokafix customer app is available for download on IOS and Android devices. The only costs you pay are the Fixer fees for the work carried out, that’s it!

How does it work?

Sign up

The first step in your Bokafix journey is to download the app and sign up.

Choose a service

Once you are signed up, you will be asked to select a service. Do you need a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, or maybe a decorator? Now it’s time to choose!

Tell us about the job

We're not trying to be nosy, promise! We need as much information as we can get in order to provide you with the best service possible. Don't worry; we'll give you a list of potential fixes to help you out!

Choose a Fixer

It's now time to select a Fixer, just like that! We'll provide you with a list of Fixers in your local area so you can make your selection.

Waiting for the Fixer & Turn-by-turn navigation

Your chosen Fixer will come to you as soon as he accepts your job request or on the date and time agreed! Finding their way to your location through the app as well as giving you the option to view their location, time, and distance to you.

Paying the Fixer

You can pay directly in the app with a variety of payment methods including card, Apple pay and buy now pay later options.

Review system

After each fix, you’ll be asked to provide feedback on your experience and leave a rating out of 5 stars. This way you can review the quality of the work and let other customers know. 

We hope we've answered some of your questions and helped you learn more about Bokafix.

Do you have any additional questions about the app?

Check out our website, or send us an email ‒ we’d love to hear from you!

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[pidpsteve]

Blog 1 weeks 2

Greetings, world! I'm Steve, a long-time Vancouver resident who finds it challenging to stray far from the allure of the ocean and mountains. From an early age, I knew my calling lay in the world of mechanics. At 14, I began my journey by tinkering with bicycles, a passion that eventually led me overseas to work at 19. Living and riding in the picturesque landscapes of France was an incredible experience, but the call of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean brought me back home.

Upon my return, I charted a course to blend my love for mechanics with a commitment to staying rooted in Vancouver. Opting for a career on the water, I enrolled at BCIT to master the trade. For nearly two decades, I've been immersed in the world of marine mechanics. Recently, an exciting opportunity arose: sharing my accumulated knowledge as an instructor.

Teaching allows me to impart valuable insights to emerging tradespeople—nuggets of wisdom gained from years on the job. Working on vessels that navigate the open sea presents unique challenges and risks compared to land-based vehicles. A breakdown in the middle of the Pacific is not a simple roadside fix. Lives depend on meticulous repairs and inspections, a reality that underscores the importance of vigilance in the world of marine mechanics.

This commitment to diligence is a guiding principle that I strive to instill in my students. As vessels navigate the unpredictable sea, their safety and functionality hinge on the expertise and attention to detail of marine mechanics. I'm passionate about preparing the next generation of tradespeople for this responsibility, ensuring both the well-being of the machinery they work on and the lives it safeguards.

Some truths about my teaching

I can't watch someone perform a task incorrectly without stepping in and taking over.

Repeating the same thing over and over does not help the student learn the task. Yet I find myself doing this often.

I am frequently told something by a student that I did not know and most likely should know.