#we as a society have abandoned integrity | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

coochiequeens · 8 months

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Personally, I don't want to live in a world where little boys playing with dolls and little girls who don't like wearing pink are subjected to lifelong medical intervention because lunatics think these kids are in the wrong body. If that's the right side of history, then history can go f**k itself." - Graham Linehan

Stretched out on a hospital trolley after a surgeon had removed my cancer-riddled testicle, waiting for a doctor to give me the all-clear to go home, I lazily opened Twitter.

This was five years ago and, at this point, I had not quite nailed my colours to the gender-critical mast. I had defended women being smeared with the slur 'Terf' (for 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist') and was being monitored by trans activists as a result. This made me nervous, though I wasn't quite sure why.

I'd had an inkling of what I was up against when my wife Helen and I played a small part in repealing Ireland's draconian abortion laws. Working with Amnesty International, we appeared in a video in which Helen spoke of terminating a pregnancy because the foetus she was carrying had an abnormality which would have resulted in death moments after birth.

We tried to attend every protest and, at one event, I remember some strange person with a bullhorn bellowing out this nonsense: 'We want the state to pay for abortions!' [general cheering] '...and surgeries for trans people' [puzzled mumbling].

I felt uneasy. Sure, let's talk about trans rights, but first things first. We hadn't yet won the fight on abortion.

In retrospect, this was the first sign I had of the sleight of hand that would allow a sinister movement to attach itself to progressive causes and wrap itself in their stolen banners.

Then, when Ireland voted to overturn the abortion ban, Amnesty Ireland tweeted that this was a victory for 'pregnant people'. I was enraged.

My wife wasn't a 'pregnant person'. She was a woman, and a mother.

But these were only the first ripples of a gathering tsunami of madness. Online, people had started to go dangerously insane. It was such a slow process that I didn't notice it at first, but now, as I lay in hospital, I was collecting my thoughts on the subject.

I knew my positions were thought-through and sound, and I was sure that once people saw I was arguing in good faith, they'd see the problems with gender ideology and we could have a sensible, grown-up conversation about it.

I also told myself that, as co-writer of well-loved television sitcoms Father Ted and The IT Crowd, I had an audience out there who would listen to me. So I sent a few tweets carefully outlining my argument.

Meanwhile, I was in intense pain from the wound under my bandage and, when I was finally told I could go home, I couldn't stand up. A bed was found for me and I lay there, enjoying a bit of peace until the morphine wore off.

The visitors had gone and all was quiet. I decided to have a look at Twitter (now X).

My careful explanation of my position had certainly had an impact.

A trans activist and journalist called Parker Molloy, who identifies as a woman and is enraged if anyone disagrees, had sent me a number of increasingly frenzied direct messages.

After the third or fourth time telling Molloy I was in hospital, I ended the conversation. Meanwhile, another tweeter hopped into my replies to say, 'I wish the cancer had won'.

My ordeal had begun. Cast adrift, I was about to lose everything — my career, my marriage, my reputation.

A little bit after my brush with cancer, I brushed with something almost worse. A biological male, now going by the name Stephanie Hayden, was determined to wreck the life of anyone who flouted trans dogma.

A woman was arrested at home in front of her two young children and put in a prison cell for seven hours after she referred to Hayden on Twitter as a man.

When I made a public accusation about Hayden on X, Hayden didn't challenge it.

Instead, I was accused of breaking confidentiality by publicising Hayden's former male identities.

Hayden reported me to the police. The Guardian, whose editors seemed to have given up any pretence of being even-handed on this issue, published an article headlined 'Graham Linehan given police warning after complaint by transgender activist'.

It claimed I had been given a 'verbal harassment warning' by police acting on Hayden's complaint. This was untrue. I'd been phoned by a policeman who seemed confused when I told him that I'd blocked Hayden on Twitter months ago, so could hardly be accused of harassment.

The policeman then said something like 'stay away from her, awright?' and rang off.

For a national newspaper to headline this as a 'harassment warning' — a formal document that needs to be delivered in writing — was disgraceful, but typical of how many journalists liked to frame things that involved feminists and their allies.

After seven months of wrangling, the paper eventually removed the word 'harassment', which was too little, too late.

By then, the 'police warning' had morphed on social media into 'police caution' — which is issued where a crime has been committed and requires an admission of guilt, neither of which had happened. The false claim that I received a police caution for transphobia is constantly repeated to friends and colleagues to justify my cancellation. It was even presented to my publisher as a reason not to publish this book from which you are reading an extract. I found it grimly funny that the police and media were acting as reputation managers for a character like Hayden, but my wife Helen was terrified at being targeted in this way.

Hayden and Adrian Harrop, a Liverpool-based GP who was temporarily suspended from practising medicine as punishment for his aggression towards women on Twitter, trolled a Catholic journalist called Caroline Farrow, live-tweeting a visit to her home in a way that seemed designed to frighten and intimidate her.

She was about to travel to the U.S., but her visa was withdrawn. Harrop tweeted that he'd just visited the U.S. embassy in London: 'Consular staff very efficient at dealing with my important diplomatic business,' he wrote, with a wink emoji.

In a tweet, I called Harrop 'Doctor Do-Much-Harm'. The next morning, the police turned up at my door. I told them I wouldn't be changing my online behaviour one iota, and that Harrop bullied women online.

The policeman nodded, said something about free speech, and left. However, that visit wore heavily on my wife.

But the likes of Hayden and Harrop could not have had such success without accomplices in the police and the Press. It was surreal how swiftly they gained such power over society.

As for my career as a successful television scriptwriter, that proved to be over before the stitches from my cancer operation had healed.

Around this time, I received a letter from Sonia Friedman, one of the biggest theatre producers in London's West End, about me writing a new companion piece for the late Peter Shaffer's classic one-act farce Black Comedy.

I was apparently 'top of our dream list' to pen it.

Black Comedy is possibly the most ingenious farce ever written. I'd seen it years before with David Tennant in the lead and it left me giddy and envious. Now, going from lowly sitcom writer to being considered worthy of pairing with Shaffer had me floating.

Not for long, though. Only a few days later, Shaffer's estate decided on the late playwright's behalf that they 'didn't want to get involved' by 'taking one side or the other'.

More jobs began to fall away. A tour to Australia to teach comedy was cancelled because the company claimed it 'wouldn't be able to afford the security'. I discovered later this was a standard excuse given to those of us declared unclean by the new sacred class.

I'm also the person who worked with comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short for the shortest period of time. Five minutes, I think it was. A producer invited me to develop a comedy-drama TV series in which both would star. I had a flat-out offer and then, within minutes, an email from the same producer rescinding it, I suspect after a Twitter user in his office told him I was a bigot.

Even what I thought would be my pension was taken away from me. There were plans to make a musical of Father Ted, written and directed by me, which I was certain would be a huge hit, perhaps even make my fortune if I could get it right.

I hadn't reckoned how resolute the forces against me actually were, and how quiet my colleagues would be in the face of their onslaught. Sonia Friedman, the producer, told me I was 'on the wrong side of history' and advised me to 'stop talking'.

I suddenly found myself in a raging argument with this powerful woman who held my musical in her hands. But hearing one of these copy-and-pasted, thought-terminating clichés from the mouth of a colleague was more than I could bear.

The meeting ended with each of us trying not to catch the other's eye in case it kicked off again.

I thought at least that Jimmy Mulville, the head of Hat Trick Productions, was on my side.

As the original producer of Father Ted, the company had a big stake in this new venture. But now the Hat Trick people began to go the other way.

I had another meeting around the supposed problem of my defending women and girls, in which, as always, no one could locate the flaw in my analysis as I explained over and over again: 'Children are being hurt. Women are losing their sports, their language, their privacy.'

Finally, I referred to the violent, terroristic nature of trans rights activism. Casually, off-handedly, Jimmy said: 'Well, there's bad behaviour on both sides.'

'Both sides' is a poisonous smear. No one on my side of the argument insists that people should be shunned by polite society. No one on our side wears T-shirts with slogans such as 'Kill all Terfs' and 'Die Terf Scum'.

I was told by one acquaintance: 'Some of the things you've done have been questionable.' 'Give me an example,' I replied. Long pause. 'All right, well maybe not.'

The final act was a meeting in the Hat Trick offices in which Jimmy told me I was to remove my name from Father Ted The Musical or he would not make the show — my show, which I had been tending, rewriting and refining for the best part of half a decade.

Once again, I asked what I was being accused of.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, as if it was self- evident. Desperately, I tried to explain what was happening to women's rights, and to the young girls mutilating themselves because of — 'I DON'T CARE!' Jimmy shouted. I left.

Later, I heard from my agent that in return for declaring me an unperson, Hat Trick was suggesting an up-front payment of £200,000 as an advance on my royalties. Initially, I agreed to go along with it, because I needed the money. But then I changed my mind.

I saw an interview with the mother of one of the women competitors who found themselves up against the trans swimmer Lia Thomas.

Lia was still physically intact and all the girls worked out how many towels to take into the locker room to cover themselves up completely as they changed.

'I asked my daughter what she would do if Lia was changing in there,' said the mother. 'And she said resignedly, 'I'm not sure I'd have a choice.' I still can't believe I had to tell my adult-age daughter that you always have a choice about whether you undress in front of a man.'

What messages have these girls been receiving?

My heart was ripped apart. I closed the door for ever on making any kind of deal with Hat Trick. I was prepared to betray myself for £200,000, but I couldn't abandon my daughter.

BEFORE the gender hoopla, I only knew people in the media. Now I had been so effectively cancelled that virtually no one in the media would return my calls. But I began to count as friends social workers, police officers, solicitors, barristers, doctors, nurses and academics who sided with me or shared my experience.

One of the few people I still know in the creative arts is the choreographer Rosie Kay.

At a party at her home in Birmingham for her company of young dancers — some of whom went by 'preferred' pronouns — the conversation turned to her plan for an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's gender-bending Orlando.

The discussion turned heated as she explained that she strongly believed in the reality of sex because she and her son had both almost died while she was in labour.

During that ordeal, her womanhood was literally a matter of life and death for her.

Her husband would never know that experience, and that difference between them meant something.

To the little sparrows of the Church of Gender, this was all high heresy, and could not be tolerated. The dancers harangued Rosie to such an extent that she hid in her own bathroom, then they formally complained about her to the company chiefs.

'They cancelled Orlando and then were making efforts to re-educate me, to stop me from centring women's rights in my future work,' Rosie told me. 'I had to resign from the company I founded.'

Then there's the children's author Rachel Rooney, who wrote a picture book called My Body Is Me. Its message was that children should be happy with their body.

But trans rights activists dislike any mention of being happy with your body as it undermines their message that being trans is a thrilling and transformative lifestyle choice.

Tweets called the book terrorist propaganda and likened Rachel to a white supremacist.

The author's 'trade union', the Society of Authors, declined to offer support. So devastating was the experience that Rachel stopped writing books for children and has now taken on a part-time care job.

But what did Rachel do to deserve cancellation? She wrote a beautiful, kind, responsible book for children, and she got the same treatment I received: they tried to destroy her life. Trans activists mostly target women for disagreeing with them, but I'm not the only man to have suffered. Some 30 years after we'd first worked together, I crossed paths once more with the comic actor James Dreyfus (Constable Kevin in The Thin Blue Line).

I persuaded him to sign a letter asking Stonewall, the former lesbian and gay rights charity which has altered its remit and done more than any other institution in the UK to promote extreme gender ideology, to reconsider its stance.

James agreed without hesitation. The letter argued that Stonewall was 'seeking to prevent public debate of these issues by branding as transphobic anyone who questions [its] current trans policies'. It asked the charity to 'commit to fostering an atmosphere of respectful debate'.

Stonewall refused. Even asking the question was painted as a moral failing. Five years later, James is still being hounded by trans rights activists and he has had difficulty finding work.

In 2021, the company Big Finish released Masterful, a celebration of 50 years of Doctor Who's arch-enemy, The Master, who James had played on its audio productions.

The credits featured every living actor who had taken the iconic role… except James. When the history of these years is written, it's not only the extremist activists who will be recalled with revulsion, but also the spineless corporate figures who never made an attempt to resist them. Their inaction contributed to the ruin of James's livelihood.

A brilliant comic actor, a gay man, was abandoned by the very people who should have had his back, because the celebrity class is more interested in looking like they're doing the right thing than actually doing it.

Meanwhile, a chasm was opening up between me and my wife as she watched me lose jobs and opportunities.

Helen was looking for normality, and I was perpetually dismayed and angry. She asked me to cease operations, which she was perfectly within her rights to do to protect our family.

But I couldn't do it. I knew what everyone who's in this fight knows — the Gender Stasi never forgive.

I could never be confident of a having a job again until the entire gender ideology movement, which has caused so much misery, was burnt to ashes.

Even if I had been prepared to recant or keep my mouth shut, it wouldn't do any good because my heresy was out there and would never be forgiven.

I could never be confident of a having a job again until the entire gender ideology movement, which has caused so much misery, was burnt to ashes.

Even if I had been prepared to recant or keep my mouth shut, it wouldn't do any good because my heresy was out there and would never be forgiven.

I was fighting for women and children, sure, but also for my reputation and my ability to make a living.

With my marriage now over, I left the family home and moved into a modest flat. It had a nursing home for old people to one side and an overgrown, neglected graveyard behind it — which is a little too symbolic of my situation for comfort.

Adapted from Tough Crowd by Graham Linehan (Eye Books, £19.99) to be published October 12. © Graham Linehan 2023. To order a copy for £17.99 (offer valid to 15/10/2023; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

#Graham Linehan #TRAs attaching themselves to other causes #TRAs wanting free stuff #Only women can get pregnant #Father Ted #The IT Crowd #how many identities did Hayden have before transitioning?#The Guardian and poor journalism #A TRA got a women’s visa withdrawn and we are supposed to believe the man in a dress is oppressed?#Sonia Friedman is a TRA handmade #Jimmy Mulville is a coward #The Society of Authors abandoned Rachel Rooney #James Dreyfus may have portrayed a villian but he has more integrity than the producers of Big Finish

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reasonsforhope · 3 months

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"When Francois Beyers first pitched the concept of 3D ocean farming to the Welsh regulators, he had to sketch it on napkins.

Today the seafood farm is much more than a drawing, but if you walked along the Welsh coastal path near St David’s, all you’d see is a line of buoys. As Beyers puts it: “It’s what’s below that’s important.”

Thick tussles of lustrous seaweed suspend from the buoys, mussels cling to its furry connective ropes and dangling Chinese lantern-esque nets are filled with oysters and scallops.

“It’s like an underwater garden,” says Beyers, co-founder of the community-owned regenerative ocean farm, Câr-y-Môr. The 3-hectare site is part of a fledgling sector, one of 12 farms in the UK, which key players believe could boost ocean biodiversity, produce sustainable agricultural fertiliser and provide year-round employment in areas that have traditionally been dependent on tourism.

Created in 2020 by Beyers and six family members, including his father-in-law – an ex-shellfish farmer – the motivation is apparent in the name, which is Welsh for “for the love of the sea”. ...

Pictured: Drone shot of Câr-y-Môr, which is on the site of abandoned mussel farms. Image: Scott Chalmers

Ocean farming comes from the technical term ‘integrated multi-trophic aquaculture’, which means a mixture of different seaweed and shellfish species growing together to mutually benefit each other. But it’s not just a way of growing food with little human input, it also creates ocean habitat.

“You’re creating a breeding ground for marine animals,” explains Beyers who adds that the site has seen more gannets diving, porpoises and seals – to name a few – since before the farm was established.

Ocean farms like Câr-y-Môr, notes Ross Brown – environmental research fellow at the University of Exeter – have substantial conservation benefits.

“Setting up a seaweed farm creates an exclusion zone so fishermen can’t trawl it,” explains Brown, who has been conducting experiments on the impacts of seaweed and shellfish farms across the UK.

Brown believes a thriving ocean farming industry could provide solutions to the UK’s fish stock, which is in “a deeply troubling state” according to a report that found half of the key populations to be overfished. “It would create stepping stones where we have safe havens for fish and other organisms,” he adds.

But UK regulators have adopted a cautious approach, note Brown and Beyers, making it difficult for businesses like Câr-y-Môr to obtain licenses. “It’s been a tough old slog,” says Beyers, whose aim is to change the legislation to make it easier for others to start ocean farms.

Despite navigating uncharted territories, the business now has 14 full-time employees, and 300 community members, of which nearly 100 have invested in the community-benefit society. For member and funding manager Tracey Gilbert-Falconer, the model brings expertise but most importantly, buy-in from the tight-knit local community.

“You need to work with the community than forcing yourself in,” she observes.

And Câr-y-Môr is poised to double its workforce in 2024 thanks to a Defra grant of £1.1 million to promote and develop the Welsh seafood industry as part of the UK Seafood Fund Infrastructure Scheme. This will go towards building a processing hub, set to be operational in April, to produce agricultural fertiliser from seaweed.

Full of mineral nutrients and phosphorous from the ocean, seaweed use in farming is nothing new, as Gilbert-Falconer notes: “Farmers in Pembrokeshire talk about their grandad going down to the sea and throwing [seaweed] on their farms.”

But as the war in Ukraine has caused the price of chemical fertiliser to soar, and the sector tries to reduce its environmental impact – of which synthetic fertiliser contributes 5% of total UK emissions – farmers and government are increasingly looking to seaweed.

The new hub will have capacity to make 65,000 litres of sustainable fertiliser annually with the potential to cover 13,000 acres of farmland.

But to feed the processing hub, generate profit and reduce their dependency on grants, the co-op needs to increase the ocean farm size from three to 13 hectares. If they obtain licences, Beyers says they should break even in 18 months.

For now, Beyers reflects on a “humbling” three years but revels in the potential uses of seaweed, from construction material to clothing.

“I haven’t seen the limit yet,” he smiles."

-via Positive.News, February 19, 2024

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pyreo · 8 months

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was sweeping up some map completion for a gift of exploration and just got reminded of so many cool things I like about original gw2/worldbuilding

I love Orr and how weird and alien it is. The ambience of sitting there with everything damp, dripping, made of coral, literally a lost world that doesn't fit above water any more. I love how oily the sky is and that occasionally a huge shadow sweeps over you as something like Blightghast/other risen dragons go by overhead. I love that it looks like this

It's so otherworldly. I especially like the eerie birdcalls (I know it's just a real bird I'm not used to, but it's so unique and strange)

I like that the end of the Pact storyline doesn't feel... hopeful. At all. Orr is blighted and diseased, mottled with decay, with lost journals from people who were never going to survive. I like that the story culminates here, grandiose but mournful. You're trying again but this place you're in was already lost, with thousands of lives, and it doesn't feel like triumphant reclaiming. I like that none of the game through these >10 years has really framed oncoming war, and fighting to survive, with glory. I like that the fight through Orr doesn't really feel righteous. It's no clash against a tyrant or something with belief in good over 'evil'. It's just sad. Trying to get through and survive it.

I like the clearly LOTR-emulating Orr music, particularly how this one goes into a male chorus at the end-

youtube

I like how an entire map is called Malchor's Leap and that clues you in to it being named after something and then you can go find out and it's just even more depressing. But at the same time, it reiterates the history of Orr - that human gods lived there and it must have been full of incredible splendour and that's gone and you will never see it, you can only try to imagine based on the wrecks of cathedrals.

And speaking of the human gods, I just like how each race has their own take on religion and they all get something tailored to their outlook. Nobody disputes one religion over the other like in our world - each one is generally assumed to be true on some level, and in some cases, provably real, but each race gets something different from their history and belief system anyway. Humans used to live alongside their gods but have been abandoned and none of them know why (and we eventually do find out what happened). Norn can invoke a governing spirit from any creature alive and choose the one that they'll serve best, but these spirits can be killed and you can see what happens when they mourn them. Sylvari have a stone of commandments from their long-dead benefactor that has completely fucked up their society because they aren't sure if following the tenets is wise or brainwashing. Asura actually believe there is an equation that can solve the entire universe and everything is part of a grand scheme beyond knowing, which is something more like a philosophy than religion but deserves mentioning because it means the Intellectual Goblin Race weren't made into cut and dry atheists as a cliche. They believe in something and have personal interpretations about it. One of them even made a machine to make the Eternal Alchemy viewable that drove someone insane when they used it and I just like how things asura do tend to backfire.

And the Charr. I mean. They're the atheists and it's all because they were duped into technically following a human god for a while and they're never going to get over-- no, wait. They started getting over it and the Flame Legion integrated with regular society again after their leader was deposed, because things moved forward and changed, and I like that too.

I feel like I can talk and talk on and on about this fictional history because it... just.... works? It's all part of a tapestry of cause and effect and meaningful characterisations. And they deliberately set up the basis for their playable races and then made the story NPCs generally turn those expectations around - Caithe being a grief-ridden assassin, Rox being a superstitious oddball, Zojja being irrational, Canach starting out as a pompous asshole.

I like the Ceera is still around in HoT and if you took the personal story route where her husband died, she still hasn't forgiven you and never does.

I loved Zafirah (bring her back!) showing that badly rooted spirituality can be redirected into something healthy and healing without being negated.

I like how many NPCs show up as part of a story step and you can ask if you know them and they'll say oh, yeah I was in the Pact with that whole thing? Or 'I saw you from a medical tent in maguuma and didn't think I'd make it', constant callbacks and the sense that minor characters have a continuous existence independent of you.

I like how solemnly the game takes its wins. The initial campaign against Zhaitan makes sure to kill characters off and made bringing Destiny's Edge along to it feel like its own entire obstacle. Heart of Thorns smashes any confidence the Pact has after the base game and takes an intentional sacrifice to be won, and I still think about him. Going after a literal god in Path of Fire costs you your life. Going after Kralkatorrik, with Destiny's Edge's guilt weighing on you, costs you your own child. Saving the fate of the world by fulfilling the exact conditions for Aurene to ascend costs you your child again, being taken from you so that the whole world stops rocking on its axis, losing your baby as she turns into a deity. Icebrood Saga puts you in the shoes of a relatable, easygoing crew on the opposing side, then sits back and waits for you to kill them all to continue. When you fight the final dragon as the final boss in Dragon's End you don't want to kill her at all, and she begs you to leave and get away so she won't harm you while you try, in bitterness and desperation, to end her unfathomably long life.

And the entire short but brilliant arc with Joko made sure we don't really feel empowered or just about the choices we've made.

It's just. Been really fucking good.

#gw2 #long post

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blooberrytea · 1 month

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Connections Pt. 4

Pt: 1 2 3 4

~ Summary: Set in post-revolution Detroit, You've been assigned to the recently developed Android Crimes Division; and it's already off to a rough start.

Pairing: Connor x Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

That night might as well have been branded into your brain. The night of the revolution.

You were drunk on emotions and adrenaline. You and your favorite android had gotten into an argument about the deviants and whether you were on the right side of history. You’d followed Connor into Jericho, intent on stopping him from making that huge mistake you knew he was en route to. You picked out his ridiculous beanie and human disguise in the sea of androids, but you lost him as quickly as you’d found him. Then the ship exploded, and you didn’t know if he’d even made it out.

You’d somehow managed to find your way home through the chaos that was Detroit that night. Every liquor store was shut tight, and all you had was cheap beer. Safe to say, you weren’t in the mood for that. You’d crashed on the couch and barely managed to turn the news on before exhaustion overtook you.

It was around 3 in the morning when a hurried knock woke you. Groggy, you pushed yourself up and waddled your way to the door– Upon opening it, you found a certain brunette. He was now stripped of his human disguise and stood before you in his standard suit and tie.

Few words were spoken before his lips found yours, his hands landing on your waist and backing you into your home, his fingers sliding under your shirt. His synthetic breath hot against your skin as he kissed down your neck. Your hands found their way into his hair–

“Detective?”

Your face flushed as you met Connor’s eyes, “Sorry- What?”

“We’re here.” His eyes shifted out your window, and you followed his gaze.

After the revolution, Markus had petitioned to convert an abandoned apartment building into an all-android facility. Several months and several donations later, he opened Elysium. Elysium was the modern-day Jericho, a place where androids could feel safe. Many weren’t ready to enter society on their own quite yet. Not that it was an easy thing to do anyway. Detroit was still adjusting to integrating androids into its daily life.

You swallowed harshly as you got out of the car, trying to calm your heart rate before Connor asked any questions. The android came to stand beside you as you took in the building, his arm brushing against yours. You subtly took a step to the side, putting distance between you.

“What’re the odds he’s here?”

“I don’t know who else would give him a place for all those pigeons.” Connor hummed and pulled the entry door open, “Shall we?”

“I suppose we shall.”

The lobby was warm and homey. You had a gut feeling North was responsible for the decor. Her ability to make a room feel inviting was honestly impressive, considering how confrontational she was. You’d met her a handful of times while working with Markus. She seemed sweet, but she probably wouldn’t hesitate if you crossed her. Connor had told you vaguely about North’s experience with humans; you really couldn’t blame her for being distrustful.

Markus stood waiting for you at the front desk, his face lighting up as he caught sight of you and pulled you into a hug.

“Glad you could make it,” he said, a smile spreading across his face.

“I appreciate your willingness in this case, Markus. I know it isn’t easy,” you replied.

Markus gave a small nod. “It’s easier for me than others. They’re still uneasy. Rupert is on the roof. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you should wait here, Connor.”

Connor’s expression shifted into a frown, but he nodded nonetheless. “I understand.”

You placed a reassuring hand on Connor's shoulder. “We won’t be long.”

Markus led you to the elevator, and the two of you stood in silence as the machine ascended through the floors.

“I trust Connor,” Markus began.

“I know,” you interjected.

“The others aren’t so forgiving, especially those who came face to face with him.”

“Markus, I get it,” you assured him.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened to the roof, and you were suddenly bombarded with the sounds of cooing pigeons.

“Connor said he was friendly with birds, but I really didn’t expect this-”

Markus let out a soft laugh as the two of you stepped out, “You’ll get used to it.”

An android, who you could only assume to be Rupert, stood in a flurry of pigeons, tossing out handfuls of birdseed– His face obscured by a baseball cap.

“Rupert!” Markus called, effectively catching the others' attention.

As the two of you approached, you were finally able to make out his features. There was a faint discoloration around his nose, almost like a scar. You’d seen this android before, briefly in the evidence room.

After the revolution, Markus had asked for the androids in evidence to be turned over to him. You had assumed that they were given proper burials; you definitely didn’t expect him to repair the ones in better condition. The deviant leader's earlier request wasn’t just about Connor being an off-putting site.

“Hi, Rupert. I’m a detective at the DPD. I wanted to get your input on something,” you greeted.

Rupert looked to you from Markus, his eyes sweeping over your form before he turned to you.

“You’re Connor’s friend.”

You paused briefly, carefully choosing your words. "We work in proximity to one another, yes.”

“Is he with you?”

“No, no he isn’t.”

Rupert visibly relaxed at that, “What do you need to know?”

“I specialize in android crimes. Currently, I’m investigating what we believe to be a serial murderer,” you explained, pulling a file out of your bag, “The most recent victim had this symbol left on their arm.”

You extended the photo of the labyrinth to Rupert, watching his reaction closely.

Rupert’s features hardened as he examined the photo, “A labyrinth? Oh RA9, you don’t think I did this?”

You shook your head, “No, no, of course not. I just know you’re familiar with the symbol. I was hoping you could give me insight into possible connections.”

“In Greek mythology, The Labyrinth was a maze commissioned by King Minos and designed by the architect Daedalus. I’m unsure of how this connects to your case, Detective,” Rupert frowned, “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

You pursed your lips as you tucked the file back into your bag, “Thank you for your time, anyway.”

The elevator ride back down felt suffocating. The awkwardness between you and Markus stretched on endlessly. It wasn’t his fault. It felt like every string you followed in this case led to a dead end. You were stuck in a labyrinth of your own.

Connor was on his feet the moment you stepped into the lobby.

“Well, what’d he say?” he asked, urgency lacing his voice.

"Nothing," you replied curtly, brushing past him without a second glance. Connor furrowed his brows as he followed you out of the building.

“Detective-”

“Can you run that quote from the files on my computer? The one about beatings and iron bars.”

Connor paused, his LED flickering yellow as he searched.

“It’s a quote from a Greek mythology retelling. Spoken by–”

“Daedalus,” you finished for him, halting in your steps and meeting Connor’s gaze. “It seems our unsub has a recurring theme.”

#detroit become human #dbh #connor rk800 #rk900 #connor x reader #connor rk800 x reader #fanfic #dbh fanfic #x reader #fem reader #reader insert #bloo connections

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neonscandal · 4 months

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Do you think that when Gojo first heard that Itadori ate a cursed object he was instantly reminded of Geto? Do you think that somewhere in his heart he knew what was going to happen because nothing good came to the person, his Suguru, who ate curses. Do you think that's why Gojo was so insistent on helping out Itadori, because in some cruel way every time he looked at the teen he was reminded of Geto? Of Geto and how he didn't notice his best friend lover spiralling until it was too late already? Do you think--?

I love literally all of those observations because they imply, so heavily, that Gojo is always looking at the world through Suguru colored glasses. To an extent, I absolutely think that’s right.

But with that and before anything else, Gojo's understanding of the situation was observed and influenced through Megumi. Despondent, isolated Megumi.

Upon Gojo's overly casual interjection into the situation, I think his first impulse was curiosity with a sprinkle of ego. Like, is the kid saveable? But also, let's see how much stronger I am than Sukuna. We know Gojo loves the opportunity to go all out and it's so infrequent so why not take it out on the awakened King of Curses? But even his first notion was more geared toward whether Yuji could be a vessel.

Giving Megumi some autonomy over the situation was, I think, a bit of a test. Gojo isn't exactly a black and white judge of morality and Megumi is probably as endeared to Gojo as he is integral to Gojo's vision for the future of jujutsu. Less from a papa-Gojo standpoint (as much as we love to see it) and more strategically. I'm not one to overly imbue Gojo with the capacity for affection. Man is clearly plotting.

But, with a simple question, Megumi is prompted to outline what jujutsu law dictates while also refuting it due to his personal discretion.... It's a test of his character. As if Gojo wants to be sure the person under his tutelage will have the resolve to take on the current status quo as intended (like father like son ✨).

Now, seemingly acting at the behest of his young charge, he acts as Yuji's benefactor but we already know this isn't uncommon re: Yuta. As Yuji is integrated into society, we see how Gojo relates to him but I think he sees more of himself than Geto.

Please, just look at them.

His history with Geto remains a guiding force in why he does the things he does and why he seeks to protect the youth. But I question whether Gojo really had the emotional complexity to grasp the inequities of his strength and technique as compared to Geto's and how it subsequently weighed on his friend.

I do think he's able to exploit saving Yuji and pivot it into something to draw Megumi out of his shell. Perhaps to correct his own failure for the way he couldn't help Geto toward the end because he and Megumi have a similar disposition. It's why, in an almost completely abandoned school, he puts Yuji right next door to Megumi. It's the first step in curing the isolation of being The Strongest but also maybe the best chance they have of keeping each other sane.

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ludinusdaleth · 6 months

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a travesty ive barely posted meta for artagan here when anyone who knows me knows ive written universes about him. so, a bit to ponder on:

something interesting about artagan - and by extension many fae in cr in general - is how thoroughly he's defined by selfishness as the core value of a fae, when we are shown time & again even before artagan gets his redemption arc that that isnt true.

now, arti is selfish. hes the definition of lust, & sloth, & sheer debauchery. he'd rather sit back than help even his favorite little tiefling (at first - more on that later). he would rather abandon his followers to an island that would destroy their memory than attempt to lead them.

but.

he planned for his followers to land on rumblecusp because to him, a fae, losing memories was completely Insignificant - and he literally did some of their paperwork to help them along, and did the work to ensure travelercon left them with each other. he was benevolent enough to vm their first meeting, showing incredible patience despite their disregard for him. he saved vex from drowning. he chose to befriend jester after seeing her be hurt by lord sharpe's son. he comforted jester when he could, when he never needed to. this is all before The Travelercon Kick, before he agreed to help the m9 into the feywild & shift time for them for no price, before he helped jester battle trent/omentis and made sure his spells did not hurt innocent bystanders.

this isnt some garuntee that he, pre-jester, was any saint. but what sticks out to me is how much the trait of selfishness is vastly applied to him. not only does sehanine's angel refer to him as a selfish creature twice, but he refers to himself that way the episode before. it is as if he has endless history with being called that, as if he is the most vile creature by virtue of being an archfey, and he made peace with that, leaned into that until jester walked into his life.

which always leads, in my head, to thinking about the fae of this show in general. they are so vastly blanketed as dangerous. and some are. but the more you analyze it the more you see how it's less integral to their being, and more what they accept they are. if youre seen as a monster, and whimsy is inherent to you, you will play the role to see what happens (i see this in characters like ira immensely). we see the younger generation of fae raised away from these generalizations - fearne & morrighan - break the stereotype near entirely. sure, fearne picks pockets and loves her friends lowkey possessively - but weve seen time & again how thats playful, and gives way to so much selflessness she's falling apart at the seams, only just now telling the party her fears. and morrighan shows no possessiveness at all, being shy & near subservient as a waitress. they are living proof that a fae's worst traits are a matter of nurture.

watching artagan is watching some of his peak fae-court upbringing begin to break down by exposure to a different world. i always recall how both he & ira hiss at the feywild for its contradictions, its rules when it's a land built for free wills - which implies the fae are not let to be themselves, but have their culture shaped by courts so strict they wont even let fae leave to exandria. the worst ideas about them begin to shatter the more cr tells us how fae society has fallen into something like an oil slick into an ocean - literal imagery used by athion & yu. the fae's free existence has been polluted.

artagan was our first example of all of that. and how it's possible to become better.

#artagan #critical role #critical role meta #long post #fae #fearne calloway #morrighan ferus #yu suffiad #ira wendagoth #athion zathuda #campaign 2 #campaign 1 #campaign 3 #exandria unlimited #exandria unlimited: kymal #van speaks

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horizon-verizon · 3 days

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Is it just me or does TG's argument that Criston Cole is a victim of Rhaenyra seem like really demeaning? Like the fact that their argument hinges on the fact that Cole is played by a poc/is Dornish. Pretty much everything I've seen from them about that scene is how Rhaenyra, who is white, took advantage of a defenseless poc. It's just infantilizing him purely due to his race. I might be reading too much into it, after all every TG argument is them grasping at straws, but this one just really rubs me the wrong way.

@pessimisticpigeonsworld

"Infantilization":

over-simplifying explanations, using demeaning nicknames (e.g., "sweetheart" or "honey"), or suggesting that the infantilized person would not understand a topic without reason to treat a person as if they were a prepubescent child with no experience whatsoever in worldly matters treat (someone) as a child or in a way which denies their maturity in age or experience

Yes, it should be demeaning, but it is away of them applying victimhood where there was none in either show or book. Its more uwuing him bec he's a man than PoC, as he's not PoC (the Dornish are "spicy" "whites" in-universe, "olive" skin is a trait many Mediterranean Europeans have). Even if he was, it'd still be more bc he's a man then bc he's PoC. to them.

They make as if Criston was totally helpless when he is both Kingsguard and a man where the girl approaching him is a girl in a court that some think she should never be heir on account of her gender, and women/girls both already have to fear their entire reputation being ruined by mere well placed rumors (and have less chance of marriage, bc marriage was the way they most likely could stay economically secure for their futures). Criston could threaten Rhaenyra quite easily to make some gains on her. Or get into an affair with her, sleep with her while she's inebriated, and threaten her and she'd be the one blamed by both her father ad larger society! She'd be labeled the seductress largely, and Viserys would, like he did abt Daemon, that Rhaenyra's "desires" or "allowing" to have her virtue ruined even just by name and repute hurts herself & the monarchy. Viserys explicitly tells her the truth doesn't matter, only the image in epi 4. Really, the only good thing that we can draw from his image-loving self is how he decides to protect her and her kids…but even then a lot of it is also so he retains his chosen heir…and yet it's is true that he genuinely loves her and his grandkids [bk and show]. (What a mess)

So it's not really the same sort of infantilization people commit against grown women to make them seem weak and thus "need" a man to "guide" them, but closer to the sort of "infantilization" that is designed to give white women the "privilege" of being seen as the eternal victims who can do no wrong as well as masters of others' bodies (Cole can demand Rhaenyra to run off with him & abandon eveything bc she "owes" him; she can't request him to sleep with her when she teased him). And I mean that it mirrors this by the green stans' intent, not necessarily the nature of the infantilization that is not infantilization--green stans intend to make Cole seem helpless and cutely dumb in order to make Rhaenyra seem a predator and that become the lynchpin of her being bad for rulership. Bec she somehow reinforces all that classism, instead of Alicent/the greens reinforcing all that classist-sexism for personal, baselsss "revenge" and order-keeping.

It's the green stans doing something that I learned concerning peoples switching between ideas or phrases in bad faith to support another contradictory thing--something integral to bigoted talking points.

#asoiaf asks to me #criston cole #rhaenyra and criston #rhaenyra targaryen #criston cole's characterization #rhaenyra's characterization #hotd characterization #book vs tv comparisons #fandom critical #greens stans #green stan nonsense

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best-underrated-anime · 5 months

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Best Underrated Anime Group H Round 2: #H7 vs #H3

#H7: Isekai subversion, now with more women and good writing.

#H3: Two guys time-travel through photos. Depression ensues.

Details and poll under the cut!

#H7: The Executioner and Her Way of Life (Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road)

youtube

Summary:

Average student Mitsuki Mutou suddenly finds himself transported to another realm. Summoned by the king of this world for the remarkable power he is supposed to possess, Mitsuki is thrown out when it appears that he lacks a Special Concept. Moping about, he encounters a priestess named Menou who explains that Japanese people like him are known as Lost Ones, and such individuals never fail to have Special Concepts.

Menou elaborates that she is part of a church that helps abandoned Lost Ones integrate into society. She invites him to spend the night at her church, where the two can probe the nature of his ability. Eventually, they discover that Mitsuki's Special Concept is actually incredibly powerful and dangerous.

But is Menou's true goal to assist Lost Ones—or the opposite?

Propaganda 1:

An isekai that forgoes the usual tropes and exceedingly dull, whitebread protagonist in favor of a cast consisting more or less exclusively of varying flavors of deranged lesbians.

As a bonus, a certain scene halfway through the first episode made a lot of the worst parts of the anime community SO mad, and I feel like that’s worth something in and of itself.

Propaganda 2:

An isekai subversion that doesn’t feel like it’s subversive for the sake of being trendy! All of its unique parts have lore to explain them, and the world building of the series is super intriguing. The power mechanics are well-thought-out, and the fighting is unique and beautifully animated! Another strong part is the character relationships; I love the various dynamics between the main cast, and I love how none of them are reduced to mere tropes, as anime loves to do with its women. It’s also very funny, and the protagonist is one of my favorites <3333

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Suicide. Suicide is basically a deuteragonist’s goal, but it isn’t shown.

#H3: Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)

Summary:

Best friends, roommates, and business partners Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio, developing pictures and the like. But that’s not all they do. The Shiguang Photo Studio has a secret extra service—they can deliver messages you never got to send and find information you never got to learn, so long as you bring a photograph, or maybe several.

Their method? A clap of the hands, and Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the past and into the body of the photographer. Guided by Lu Guang, he has twelve hours to achieve his goal, whether that is finding a secret, saying goodbye, or winning a fight.

Assisted by their friend and landlady Qiao Ling, the duo navigates a gallery of corporate lies, interpersonal drama, old regrets, and crime. In the second season, threads that began in the first episode of season one continues, showcasing the same level of brilliant writing and even higher stakes for our beloved characters.

Propaganda:

“Past or future, just let them be” is a message that is repeated throughout the show. At first, you’d think it’s just a matter of course, but after enough times of hearing it, it becomes depressing.

How can Cheng Xiaoshi be indifferent when he can feel the emotions of the person he’s possessing? When their pain becomes his pain as well? And so what if the person before him is already dead? At this moment, their hands feel so warm and alive.

This is where Lu Guang comes in. While Cheng Xiaoshi is the empathic and reckless type, Lu Guang is the cold and rational type. They balance each other out, and when they have conflicts, they face it maturely. They also care for each other so so much that the moment the other is in danger, all their principles get thrown out the window just to ensure the other person’s safety.

In s1, we watch them take on their clients’ orders. Through this, the show’s beauty is revealed: Simplicity and Sincerity.

Simplicity, because for a time-travel show, you’d expect the tasks to involve the fate of the world or something, but no. All the people Cheng Xiaoshi have dived into have been your everyday person—an office woman who gets harassed at work, a restaurant owner who’s grown estranged from her best friend, a man who wants to gain the approval of his girlfriend’s family, etc. Even when the stakes go high in s2, the core of the conflicts still lie in the character’s personal problems—which may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but they are not any less important. And I think this is nice. It’s hard to relate to grand plots, but it’s easy to relate to the day-to-day struggles that humans face.

Then Sincerity, because every single character is treated with care. Even characters you’ll never see again past their arcs manage to be impactful and unforgettable. They’ll claw their way into your heart and just stay there. I’ve rewatched s1 three times, but I still cry every time it reaches the basketball arc 😭. Then in s2, even the antagonists will grab for their share of your tears.

And you begin to question—Should they really just let the past or future be? If changing the past could save someone, is it really that bad?

The answer revealed in the s2 finale was so shocking that #link click trended for the first time ever on Tumblr after the episode aired, which is a feat in itself, considering how small the fandom is.

It has great animation, too. I especially love the 360° shots in some key scenes in s2 for they really amped up the tension. The fight scenes are also well-choreographed.

And all the music are bangers! S1 opening makes you wanna learn finger tutting, while the s2 opening is a masterpiece that leaves you in awe. (The s2 second chorus is just the first chorus played in reverse, making it sound like time is being rewinded. Fucking genius!)

If you still don’t watch Link Click after reading this, then you’ll be missing out in one of the greatest animated shows of all time. Just do yourself a favor and watch it already.

Trigger Warnings:

S1: Flashing lights in the opening, attempted and implied sexual harassment, slight panic attack, death, kidnapping, drugging, suicide, blood. Complete list of TW’s for s1 can be found here (it may be spoilery)

S2: Fast-changing images in the opening, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, violence, blood, murder.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

#anime #donghua #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #group stage #group stage round 2 #tournament polls #group h #the executioner and her way of life #teahwol #shokei shoujo no virgin road #link click #shiguang dailiren #时光代理人 #shi guang dai li ren

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leogichidaa · 1 year

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Lovable Except for that Terrible Period: The Upbringing of Remus Lupin

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the Pottermore information on Remus, in particular the narrative around Greyback biting him and his childhood before Hogwarts.

I'm going to start with addressing the most absurd thing to me in the whole write up: "[Lyall] had parroted what was the common view of werewolves in his community".

Hmm. Did he though? Because if we look back at what was actually described a few paragraphs up:

It sure seems like Lyall's statements were so extreme and hateful that even his coworkers at the Bigotry Against Magical Creatures Department, whose job it was to round up werewolves and place them on a registry, were shocked and offended enough that they kicked him out of the room. His statements clearly fell pretty far outside the norm.

It's important to note that Lyall's bigotry was extreme even for the society he was in because I think it's critical to Remus' development and all the internalized bigotry and shame that Remus carries with him. Lyall did not, imo, go from declaring that all werewolves were soulless, evil, and deserving of death to being completely accepting of werewolves just because his son was bitten. I imagine that he did his best to be a loving parent to Remus, but that he projected his bigotry onto Remus in subtle, covert ways. This line describing his perspective on Remus really drives that home for me: "his son was what he had always been – loveable and clever – except for that terrible period at the full moon".

His son was his son, except when he was a monster. It's explicitly stated that during transformations, Lyall no longer sees his loveable and clever son, he sees a dangerous beast. And I think that absolutely impacts the way Remus sees himself. Remus has such a potent sense of hatred for that aspect of himself and he does everything he can to repress it, run from it, and make amends for it (except when he's with the marauders, who give him a taste of true unconditional acceptance and allow him to enjoy himself even when he is transformed). He cannot accept and integrate his condition into a whole, stable sense of self and I think that is in no small part because Lyall cannot accept and integrate it either.

(As a brief aside, I also think it's important to highlight the minimization of Lyall's actions in the text because I think the way Remus is positioned in the narrative is very telling. This could really be an entire other post, but I do think the way this Pottermore write up falls all over itself to try to make Lyall's bigotry seem minor and sympathetic is...revealing.)

The write up also states that Lyall lied to Remus for years about why Remus was attacked because he worried Remus would blame him. Reading that was a bit of an "aha!" moment for me. Because isn't this what Remus does in PoA? He withholds critical information about Sirius from Dumbledore because he feels so much internal shame and he worries that Dumbledore will think less of him if he tells the truth. Learned behavior.

Final thought:

"Remus was not allowed to play with other children" has me all the way fucked up. I am sure that such an extreme tactic seemed justified given the potential harm that could occur if Remus' condition was discovered, but it definitely impacted the way Remus functions in relationships, i.e. abysmally. He is paranoid that he will be found out and that this will mean that his friends will hate and abandon him because that's what his parents raised him to fear. A justified fear, perhaps, but a debilitating one all the same.

Also, while it maybe makes sense to keep him isolated from other children when he's five and the risk of him letting it slip is very real because he can't understand the potential consequences, his parents keep him isolated up until he is invited to Hogwarts and if Dumbledore hadn't fought above Hope and Lyall's protests to bring him to Hogwarts they might have kept him isolated...forever? It is not surprising that Remus struggles to form and maintain intimate connections when he was taught that even interacting with others was potentially dangerous.

#remus lupin #hp meta #lyall lupin

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frostfires-blog · 8 months

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Bleach Hanakotoba Analysis Part 2 ~ ED31: Saihate

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-> Rukia Kuchiki: Cherry Blossom

In the extended version of Bleach’s 31st ending theme song, Rukia Kuchiki is pictured with branches of the cherry blossom tree. The cherry blossom (Prunus serrulata) is also known as the Japanese cherry and is the unofficial national flower of Japan. Its Japanese name Sakura (桜) has been derived from the word “saku” which means “to bloom”. Its meanings in hanakotoba are “beauty of spirit”, grace, chastity, excellent beauty, gentleness, good education and the “transience of life”. In Japan, cherry blossoms are also a symbol of the “beauty of impermanence”—a Shinto concept better known as “mono no aware” (物の哀れ) as their falling petals are a reminder that although life is short, it is beautiful and should be savoured. The Japanese concept of “natsukashii” (懐かしい) likewise emphasizes the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms. This concept refers to the happy-yet-wistful nostalgia for times and things that we will never be able to go back to. We will never get to experience those moments again, just like the ephemeral cherry blossoms, which makes them even more significant. Cherry blossoms bloom from March to April which is the start of the new fiscal year in Japan. As a result of this cherry blossoms have also come to symbolise new beginnings and springtime. Given that feudal Japanese soldiers associated cherry blossoms with honour, discipline, and dignity—falling flowers were thought to be symbolic of a Samurai's death. In Western floriography, cherry blossoms herald the changing of the seasons and symbolise renewal and rebirth. They also symbolise the fleeting nature of life, tenderness, forgiveness, strength, beauty, love, confidence, peace, friendship and gratitude. Rukia Kuchiki presents herself as a cool, restrained and stern warrior with firm convictions, however occasionally she breaks out of her shell and is kind. She tends to keep her emotions to herself, unless she is irritated, and finds it difficult to confide in others. This ties in with the cherry blossom’s meanings of grace, discipline, chastity, honour and dignity. Throughout the series, Rukia is constantly improving herself and growing not only in strength but also in confidence. This complements the cherry blossom’s meanings of confidence, strength, new beginnings, springtime and the changing of the seasons. One of the cornerstones of Bleach's development is the connection between Ichigo and Rukia. Ichigo was able to protect his loved ones and become involved in the affairs of the soul society thanks to Rukia's initial transfer of her abilities to him. Since then, they have often come to each other's rescue and have developed a strong sense of gratitude, admiration, respect, and trust for one another. This ties into the cherry blossom’s meanings of strength, gratitude, friendship and love. Cherry Blossoms also tie into Rukia’s connection with her adopted brother, Byakuya and her sister, Hisana. Upon her death, as she looked at the first cherry blossoms of the season, Hisana asked Byakuya to find and protect Rukia as she regretted abandoning her years ago and felt unworthy of being her sister. This complements the cherry blossom’s meanings of forgiveness, love and the fleeting nature of life.

-> Uryū Ishida: Edelweiss

Edelweiss (Leontopodium nivale) is known as Ēderuwaisu (エーデルワイス) in Japanese. Its meanings in hanakotoba are are courage, power and precious memories. Its name translates from German to mean "noble white". Edelweiss is only found in white-blooming variants, unlike most other flowers. These reasons are the basis for the flower's symbolic connotations in Western floriography, which include innocence, purity, renewal and wishes for peace. The flower also represents integrity, excellence, elegance, noble courage, and boldness. Edelweiss flowers are well-adapted to high-altitude environments with frigid temperatures, harsh sunlight and low oxygen levels and have thus come to represent rugged beauty, strength, nobility, adventure and perseverance. The Edelweiss flower also represents intense devotion, sacrifice, care, and deep love. One of the most well-known stories about the edelweiss is about a young man who, in an act of bravery and love, risks his life to climb a mountain’s steep rocky face to gather edelweiss flowers for a woman. Uryū Ishida is typically reserved, independent, and solitary—however, he tries to act cool when among other people. He has a strong sense of justice and is incredibly intelligent and chivalrous. These attributes greatly complement the Edelweiss’ meanings of integrity, excellence, elegance, boldness and noble courage.

-> Renji Abarai: Sasanqua Camellia

The flower Renji is pictured with is the sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua) which is a species of camellia native to both China and Japan. It is a different species than the camellia pictured with Byakuya Kuchiki in this ending (Camellia Japonica). The Camellia Sasanqua and Camellia Japonica are primarily differentiated by the former’s earlier blooming season (early fall to early winter) as well as its smaller leaves and flowers. In addition to this, Camellia Japonica’s flowers fall whole, while Camellia Sasanqua's petals fall apart. The sasanqua camellia is known as the sazanka (山茶花) in Japan. Its meanings in hanakotoba are dedication and overcoming difficulties. In Japan, red sazanka represents humility and beauty, white sazanka represents charm and rejection and pink sazanka represents eternal love. In Western floriography, the sasanqua camellia represents desire and passion. It is said that the sasanqua's meanings of "overcoming difficulties" and "dedication" are derived from the fact that flowers bloom in early winter when the cold intensifies. Renji Abarai comes across as dynamic, eccentric, brash, and stubborn, yet he is also incredibly dedicated and determined, willing to fight and die for his convictions. This ties in with the sasanqua’s meanings of passion, dedication and overcoming difficulties.

-> Yasutora Sado: Canna Lily

The Canna lily (Canna) is known as kanna (カンナ) in Japan. Its meanings in hanakotoba are passion, cheerfulness, eternity and delusion. In Western floriography, the canna lily holds the meanings of beauty, protection, purification glory, power, hope, confidence and confiding in heaven. The flower also holds the negative connotations of paranoia and suspicion. The vigour and beautiful appearance of its flowers, which can withstand the midsummer sun, are thought to be where its meanings of passion and cheerfulness are derived from. Yasutora Sado is a quiet but incredibly brave, strong, and kind person who is also extremely loyal. These traits tie in with the canna lily’s meanings of passion, power, confidence and protection. Additionally, canna lilies originate from Latin America and tropical Asia and are exotic and vibrant with a rich cultural and symbolic history. This ties in with Sado’s half-Mexican heritage. In mythology, it is said that a demon who was envious of Buddha’s strong spiritual power threw a large boulder down on him from above. However, most of the rock shattered at Buddha’s feet without hitting him with only one fragment hitting his toe. Where the blood from his wound dripped onto the ground, a red canna lily blossomed, and the devil was swallowed by a rift of the earth due to its wrath. This legend is reminiscent of the scene where Sado was struck by a falling steel beam, which fractured but did not injure him as well as one of his fullbring powers, named “Left Arm of the Devil”.

-> Orihime Inoue: Glory-of-the-snow

Glory-of-the-snow (Scilla section Chionodoxa) is known as yukigeyuri (雪解百合) in Japan which translates to “snowmelt lily”. Its meanings in hanakotoba are purity, innocence, hope, modesty and compassion for friendships. It is also considered a sign of spring as it blooms when the snow melts. In Western floriography, it symbolizes glory, camaraderie and toughness. Although she comes out as naive and ditzy, Orihime Inoue is better described as being sensitive, caring, amiable, funny, and optimistic. This strongly complements the glory-of-the-snow’s meanings of purity, innocence, hope and compassion for friendships. Furthermore, the star-shaped, six-petaled flowers of the glory-of-the-snow closely resemble Orihime's flower hairpins that her late older brother had given her.

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[If you liked this post, check out part 1 (here) and part 3 (here)... Also, here's the link to my directory of other hanakotoba analysis posts (here)]

[P.S. Here is the continuation of my hanakotoba analysis on Bleach as promised... Thank you to @jushiro-ukitake & @elyonholic for reminding me about the flowers featured in the extended ending. Given that the flowers are black and white, it was difficult to identify them—so if I misidentified any of them, I apologize; I did my best. Also, I had to put the Gotei 13 squad flowers in a separate post because of Tumblr's image limit...]

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 7 months

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I just finished The Heart of the World, literally a day after receiving it. It's so good! I love the way that you reinterpreted the characters in the fic so that you can still see them in the characters of the book. I'm also intrigued by Death-who's-not-Lily.

I have a couple questions. First, how and why did you decide on Iff, Theyne, Wheyne, and Annde as the humans' names? Second, Lily doesn't really get along well with Snape, if I remember, so why does she get along with Ilyn now?

And finally, when is the next book coming out???

Oh my god, look at you go! Thank you, I'm very flattered and glad you enjoyed it.

And now, your questions.

The Names

So, a fun fact, I hate naming characters and things. It's generally not something I have that much interest in and am not that attached to. Sometimes, you get a really great name and you're never letting go of it for that character, and sometimes you could honestly call them "Boy with Stick" and be done with it.

I now needed a lot of names and I wanted readers at a glance to be able to know, generally, which character belonged to which group. Which meant I needed themes.

There's a hilarious anecdote to be told where @therealvinelle on editing, wanted to go all out and come up with real, non-existent, but believable names for characters where you can tell a whole lot about their society by naming them.

I, um, said "Uh, these people will have backwards common English names. And these people will have QWERTY keyboard smash names. And these ones... Fuck it, he'll be Questburger."

So as for the human nobility, Lily got her name first, as Iff, the idea being a stupid joke/pun that isn't funny on my end where "iff" in mathematics is short for "if and only if". What it gets at is that Lily, as we see her, is the product of a very particular chain of events, that we're in a very particular world, and that there's something to follow that "if and only if" that is integral but that we're currently missing.

But then I have to come up with names for everyone else. And so we got the House of Prepositions and Conjunctions. Very serious they are.

Theyn was next up, as the next central royal character, and his name has a similar "har har but not really because it's not that funny and kind of weird" theme to it where the idea is he's "then BLAH", you're always waiting on something to occur with Theyn, unwittingly passing over him for the more interesting context in the sentence. He's there to set up something else, and by himself feels incomplete/not that interesting. Poor poor Theyn, even the universe doesn't think he's interesting or important.

Annde was next as he's the next important character we meet from this background after Theyn. Similar joke with him, he's "And... And?" You're waiting for the rest of the sentence with him, you can't end a sentence on "and" nor can you start it on one. He's just there to fill the gaps, to not be that important, and oh look a spoiler.

Wheyn (the regent) was next and was in part because a) I needed a name b) he's a bit of an inevitability in the universe. When one has a shake-up in a monarchy that holds all the power/isn't a constitutional monarchy, there's always going to be backstabbing nonsense and power plays. Wheyn is an unimportant inevitability, one that shocks no one (except Theyn, poor Theyn) and the answer to "When blah happens expect rain".

Which leaves us with, I believe the last, Whye, Lily's father. Him it's a similar gag but three-fold. There's the "WHY?!?!?!?!" in that no one really understands why he gave up the throne, married a sun elf, and scandalized absolutely everybody. Then there's "why?" as Lily's reaction, she's ambivalent about her parents and not sure how she should feel about them, and shields herself from feelings of abandonment by telling herself she's indifferent. As a result, she tends to approach any information about her parents with a "why should I care?" and gets very uncomfortable when anyone brings either of them up (and there's also that every character so far has brought up Lily's mother much more than her father leading to that question of "why are we talking about him?") Then there's the fact that there's a question to be asked that implies he has some kind of an answer to it a "why?" drifting off out there somewhere in the backgrounds.

And that's all the human nobility from our fantasy universe so far. (Elizabeth is noticeably an Elizabeth and sticks out like a sore thumb.)

Lily and Ilyn

The short answer is that Snape and Ilyn are different people fundamentally. They're in similar roles, took similar actions for various reasons, but they're very different as people.

And that goes for a lot of the things in the book. Elements of the fic remained, and some elements of HP, but not as much as people probably suspect even with the things that are very clearly taken over (believe it or not, I would call Elizabeth and Hermione different).

As for the long answer, well, for other people read the book and I hope it's explained.

When Next Book?!

I'm flattered but I don't know yet. Have to write it then edit then cover art and all that jazz.

I'll let people know.

#the heart of the world #sisyphus book series #lily and the art of being sisyphus #meta #praise #luxaii

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mollysunder · 6 months

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How Viktor and Ekko are Stuck in the Wrong Genre for Zaun

I've been meaning to say this for a while but Viktor as the Machine Herald and Ekko as characters are out of place in Zaun. I don't necessarily mean their motivations don't fit Zaun, I mean the execution of their character concepts don't fit Zaun's genre.

What's that supposed to mean? It means that one of the key differences that sets Zaun and Piltover apart is that Zaun takes on the biopunk genre, while Piltover occupies the steampunk genre. While the two concepts have some room for interchangeability, steampunk relies purely on machinery while biopunk is very clearly defined by a focus on the advancement of biological, biochemical, genetic experimentation. It's the reason why the early roster of Zaun's champions are mutants, plus the guy who made them mutants. We can even see that Arcane's writers decided to integrate more champions better into the genre by officially turning Jinx into a Shimmer mutant, enhanced strength and all.

Champions like the Machine Herald fit awkwardly into Zaun because his character utilizes elements that better fit Piltover. The Machine Herald advocates that for humans to transition their flesh into machine augments as a means to erase human flaws caused by the dysfunction of biology. That's all well and good, Zaun can take in another mad scientist but the way he brings his ideology to Zaun is incompatible with the way Zaun operates.

Viktor asks the people of Zaun to change but they already change themselves (with augmentations) through chemtech! In Zaun, chemtech is their accessible alternative to hextech that anyone can use to not just power their machines, but their bodies as well. The process of change in Zaun is a dual experience for flesh and metal to become more similar in function together rather than abandon one mode for the other. Shimmer in Arcane is a new extension of what chemtech is capable for Zaun's biopunk horizons. Meanwhile Viktor's Glorious Evolution doesn't incorporate any of these key aspects of Zaun society, which more closely embodies the steampunk aesthetic and ideology of Piltover. It's no surprise the only other champions that experiment with transhumanism with pure machinery, Orianna and Camille, are both from Piltover.

With Ekko his motivations are once again very Zaun oriented, but the means by which he uses to help other is very out of place for Zaun. I'm specifically talking about his weapons. None of Ekko's weapons incorporate chemtech into them, in fact his signature power as a champion, time travel, is largely divorced from Zaun. Ekko's Z-Drive is powered by a shattered hex crystal which serves to power his other time based abilities. Even Ekko's melee weapon is a clock hand from Piltover, making his color scheme powered by hextech blue clash with Zaun's chemtech green. At least in Arcane they've given him chemtech in the form of his hoverboard.

It's just do odd that these two characters defined by their explicit desire to help Zaun are also given traits that alienate them from the region.

#arcane #viktor arcane #viktor lol #machine herald #the machine herald #ekko lol ekko arcane #league of legends #lol meta #arcane meta #I'm not asking for viktor or ekko to be turned into mutants btw #tho it does feel like that's what happening to viktor in arcane #zaun

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germiyahu · 15 days

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I don't find the whole "Chickens for KFC!" argument very convincing. Like, it's a pretty good barometer to indicate that the person you're talking to is on the right wing of politics lol. Like, pointing out that Hamas is homophobic will convince exactly zero Western antizionists.

Because they don't have to deal with Hamas' homophobic/transphobic violence. And I shouldn't even have to explain all the ways the average person will insulate themselves from facts or uncomfortable truths. Many insist this is just propaganda or will retort with "how do bombs save queer Palestinians?" or whatabout quite easily into instances of Israelis being homophobic, or Israel not being the world leader in queer rights. Throw out the babies with the bathwater! There is enough distance between the Western "activists" and these hypothetical victims of an anti-gay regime that it won't persuade them. They will not abandon a cause they believe to be righteous and necessary just because "Hamas aren't perfect uwu~" this has been well documented online from innumerable accounts.

It's also just pretty bratty and callous. Like yeah, use those queer Palestinians as nothing more than props against people who are just as removed from their oppression as you are, you're doing so great!

I think a better argument, is to argue against accusations of Pinkwashing. Focus on that. Because let's say the antizionists get their magic wish, and Israel is (forcefully) integrated into a Palestinian ethnostate from river to sea. What happens to the queer people living in former Israel? These people are not hypotheticals, they objectively exist and objectively do have more rights and freedoms than they would under Fatah and especially Hamas?

What happens to them? I see a lot of these people gleefully fantasize about a "substantial" portion of Zionists fleeing, but almost all of them concede that many Israelis would stay and even seem to want this (maybe just for appearances sake).

What is your plan then? This fits into a larger issue of "reincorporating" land given "back" to the "indigenous" population. Israel is (and in their minds will be "was" but whatever) a functioning society with unique laws and customs. What is the plan to respect those? Not just queer people, but women, Druze and other religious minorities, people of African descent. the list is pretty long. Actually for every xwashing they come up with, it's a credible question of how a landmaxxed Palestine would handle that issue?

Because I understand that to most of these people, appealing to Jewishness doesn't work, they believe wholeheartedly that Zionists are the new Nazis, they'll get what's coming to them. They do not care about history, they deny it outright. Antisemitism does not pull at their heartstrings. But what did gay people ever do to them? And this is pertinent because they are also queer people in the West advocating for a one state Palestine, even cheering on Hamas. Where is their solidarity with queer people around the world?

Like why punish gay (former) Israelis? Can you not at least agree that Hamas would not be a good governing body for the queer Israelis (Jewish and Arab) and the queer Palestinians who live in Israel as asylum seekers?

Or is ever facet of Israeli society going on the chopping block? Sorry but that's what you get for being a COLONIZER, hope you enjoyed not being persecuted for things that have nothing to do with being Arab, Jewish, Israeli, or Palestinian! Since we magically erased Israel we can magically deduce that there would be no resistance or sectarian violence coming from millions of people who are having everything about their way of life forcibly cast aside. Or maybe they'll only care after they get what they wish for and they can be the underdogs again. Zionist problem taken care of! Now let's immediately criticize the brand new Palestinian state! Who really knows, all I know is that their top priority is never voting for Democrats lol!

Whatever their ideas or plans, this is purely a fantasy. Not a single one of us can force Israel to fall, or force Hamas to stop being anti-queer fascists. All of this is firmly in the territory of fiction.

#idk it annoys me a little #israel #palestine #pinkwashing #like your only argument being 'you're a hypocrite' doesn't work when you're also lowkey being a hypocrite?

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kjmcotton · 9 months

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Hello I have a Chanyeol reidor you 😅

Okay so you know who the boys volunteer at an orphanage?? Okay so the request is this……..

Chanyeol haves been helping at the orphanage for a few years and he meet some who volunteer there too than they become friends and eventually start dating they both were close to a little boy they both meet when he was a baby and the boy haves always reject meeting people claiming he already have a family telling people who wants to adopt him that Chanyeol and reader are his parents. They both found out that the boy wants to be adopted by them so they agreed and they decide to surprise him. ( you can as the rest of exo if you like) You can reject this request if your don’t like it it’s fine :)

A good action can change your life | Pcy

Park Chanyeol x fem!reader

Dad!AU

Plot:Chanyeol loves volunteering at the Nam Children’s Home,but he doesn’t know that it will change his life

Warnings:none

Masterlist

Author’s notes:here we go with another Pcy story!! To make it easy I had to use the 3rd person narrator,I hope that it’s not a problem and that you will enjoy this story as much as I did♡

Tumblr works with reposts:if you enjoyed my story please repost and leave a feedback! Help me growing!♡

“As long as he’s happy,I’m happy too”

With his guitar on the shoulder and a bag full of candies,Chanyeol opened the door of the Kang Nam Children’s Home. As soon as the kids had spotted him they happily yelled his name and ran towards him.

“Chanyeol! Chanyeol!” they chanted,surrounding the boy. Someone even held onto his arms to be lifted up by their favourite volunteer.

The boy smiled as he put down his guitar, giving away the candies he had brought with him.

“Have you prepared the songs for today?” Bora,the most talkative and less shy out of all the kids,grabbed Chanyeol’s hoodie with a witty smile on her lips

“Of course I did! Are you ready for today’s concert?”

“Yay! Concert!” the kids chanted again,sitting around Chanyeol,who started singing and playing a few songs they had requested him during their latest day together.

That was what the sweet guy had been doing for the past years:bringing happiness in the lives of the kids whom,for a reason or another,had been pushed to the margins of the society by unqualified parents.

Chanyeol was a music teacher at the Kyodong Elementary School so he knew how to behave with kids,and loved them;that was why,during his free time,he would volunteer at the orphanage.

In return his beloved babies would make drawings and biscuits for him.

Chanyeol considered all of them his kids,but there was one child who was particularly loved by the brunette.

His name was Ha-Eun,which meant great summer in korean,he was the last one arriving at the orphanage at the age of one,after he had been abandoned by his mother. Growing up,Eun was quiet and shy:he wouldn’t talk to anyone,not the kids,nor the teacher,or the volunteers. He would stay on his own,playing with the same teddy bear he had arrived with. Mrs. Kim,the teacher,was extremely sad because she didn’t know how to integrate him in the community and one day she opened up with Chanyeol.

Since then,the boy tried everything to help the woman;until,by accident,he had found the right key:his guitar. Apparently,Eun loved singing,so,after every concert,Chanyeol would accompany him wit the instrument,letting the kid sing his favourite songs.

Eun started developing deep love and trust for Chanyeol,who lead him into playing with other kids. Now Eun was a happy three year old with a beautiful voice.

However,the guy wasn’t the only one the kid loved and trusted with his dear life. There was also another volunteer,Y/n,who had been able to collect his trust through music.

Just like Chanyeol,she was a musician,a violinist to be precise,so she would play her instrument to the kids. And just like with Chanyeol,Eun would ask her to play with him after every performance.

The most beautiful part of this? The two artists met each other and decided to play together.

She saw Chanyeol for the first time on an Wednesday evening,she had just finished her university classes when she decided to stop by and greet the kids. She didn’t expect him to be there,playing his guitar with a beautiful smile on his lips.

“You’re a great guitarist. I’m Y/n by the way,I volunteer here, just like you” she introduced herself to the boy after his short concert

“Thank you,I’m Chanyeol. Do you play any instrument?”

“I’ve been playing the violin since I was five. If you’d like you can watch me playing here next week”

“I’d love to” the boy smiled,shaking her hand

A few days later Y/n saw him there,watching her playing with shiny eyes. She couldn’t imagine it,but right in that moment she collected his heart.

The boy thought he was witnessing a rare event:an angel fallen from heaven to brighten up the life of those kids.

His eyes were fixed on her gentle features:lashes shut as her chin was resting on the violin,while her hand was caressing its chord through the arc. The melody spreading in the room was a lullaby to Chanyeol’s years,a work of kind art…as kind as Y/n’s soul.

Everyone clapped at the end of her performance and the brunette stood up to compliment the girl:

“You’re amazing,I’d like to play with you sometimes” he smiled,excited

“I’d love to” she replied

That was how they exchanged their phone numbers and started chatting. At the beginning all they talked about was the concert they were organising for the kids,but after that they simply talked,getting more and more intimate with each other.

They started meeting after work or classes,they would sip a cup of coffee together and play at Chanyeol’s studio. They even wrote a song for the kids,who obviously loved the performance.

Mrs. Kim was extremely happy:the orphans kept asking for Chanyeol and Y/n everyday,so their visits at the Nam Children’s Home increased,going from once a week to two or three.

They even held the “Out of town day”:once a month they would take from two to four kids out from the orphanage to spend some time together.

The first time they drove four children to the seaside,the second three to the pool and the third time four at the amusement park. During that trip Ha-Eun was there,same for Bora.

“I want cotton candy! I want cotton candy!” the little girl pointed at the small stand in front of her

“Okay,okay-Y/n smiled-anyone else wants it?”

“Me!” Minhyuk and Jieun exclaimed at the same time,so Y/n nodded and walked with them towards the nice woman who was selling the sweets.

“Don’t you want some cotton candy?” Chanyeol bent down to reach Ha-Eun’s eight,but the kid shook his head

“I don’t want it” he replied,while the brunette fixed his orange jacket with a gentle movement

“And what do you want then?”

“That” Eun pointed at a giant dinosaur hanging on a shooting stall

“Oh…well we can give it a try” Chanyeol smiled,holding Eun’s hand to walk towards the stand

“How do I get that dinosaur?” he asked to the man already preparing his air gun

“Seven lines of cans shot without missing one bullet”

The guy and the little kid exchanged a look,while Y/n reached them with her other little friends

“What’s up with you boys?”

“Gotta haunt dinosaurs” Chanyeol gave a look to the giant stuffed animal

“I don’t even know if that fits in the car to be honest” she blinked confused

“But I want it!! It’s so cool!!” Eun grabbed the sleeve of her jacket

“We’ll use the trunk I guess. As long as he’s happy,I’m happy too” he said,starting shooting

Y/n’s heart melted at those words. No one in that world loved Eun or any other kid like Chanyeol did. His family will be lucky,she thought.

“I wanna see him-Eun stretched out his arms asking Y/n to lift him up. She did so,holding Bora’s wrist with her free hand-Minhyuk please give a look to Jieun,you’re the oldest. I trust you” she smiled at the ten year old kid,who nodded

“Yes ma’am!” he exclaimed,staying with the four year old girl while Y/n was busy with Eun and Bora.

In the meantime Chanyeol’s eagle eye wasn’t missing a shot

“Yeol is amazing!!” Eun clapped,looking at the boy who was half into his mission.

A few minutes later the giant dinosaur was dragged here and there by Eun,whose lips were curved in a proud smile.

“You’ve got so many hidden talents. I wonder what’s next” Y/n said,making Chanyeol blush

“Who knows” he shook his shoulders,holding Eun’s dinosaur by the tail:when he had said that they would’ve needed the trunk to bring that stuffed animal home he wasn’t lying. It was taller than any of the kids.

“I wanna hang out with you again!!” the child jumped,hugging his new toy

“We will,don’t worry sweetheart” Y/n smiled.

Later on,a few kids left the orphanage. Minhyuk’s adoption process had reached its end,so he was sent out by Mrs. Kim. The same happened with Bora and a few more children:Kyungmi,Sanghun,Shin,Yoora and Dungyul. New kids arrived and just a few of the old ones remained,one of them was Ha-Eun.

Y/n had just said goodbye to one more adopted child when Mrs. Kim asked to talk to her in private

“What is it?” the girl demanded,interweaving her arm with one of the old lady while walking along the beautiful garden of the children house

“I didn’t want to tell you,but there’s nothing else I can do. The situation it’s getting serious”

The volunteer was now worried

“What is it?” she furrowed her eyebrows

“A few families wanted to adopt Ha-Eun,but he rejected all of them. I tried to convince him to leave,but he wouldn’t stop crying and screaming saying that he wants to stay here with you and Chanyeol. He claims you two are his parents,the only ones he wants”

At those words Y/n’s heart shattered:how could that be possible? It couldn’t. Ha-Eun was already five year old,so he had to find a family and live a beautiful life away from the orphanage.

“And…what am I supposed to do?” the girl demanded,holding back her tears

“I think you and Chanyeol should talk to Ha-Eun and convince him to leave. There’s a good family who wants to adopt him:the woman is a teacher at kindergarten. She can’t have children but she loves them,while her husband is a lawyer. They live in a beautiful house outside Seoul and they have a sweet dog. I’m sure Eun will live an happy life with them”

After the chat with the teacher Y/n promised her she would’ve fixed everything,but it wasn’t that simple to have such a talk to Chanyeol.

Y/n was so hurt that it took her days before confessing what was going on to the guy,whom,on the other hand,had something else to confess.

It had been years since he had fallen in love with Y/n so,one night,while walking her home after a day spent together,he decided to confess his feelings.

Once they arrived in front of her house,the boy took a deep breath:

“We need to talk” he said.

“What is it?” at the beginning Y/n was scared:last time she had heard those words she had found out that Eun didn’t want to leave the orphanage.

“It’s…hum…well…” the brunette mentally cursed himself. He wasn’t ten anymore,how could he be so embarrassed?

“With your own words” Y/n joked,smiling. Chanyeol melted in front of that sight. She was so dreamy,he must had been privileged to know her.

He gulped,stepping closer to Y/n;she could feel his warm breath caressing her skin in that cold night of November.

“So?” she asked again

Chanyeol didn’t reply,he simply cupped her face with an hand and kissed her. Her lips were soft. Shivers went along his body while the guitar slid down from his shoulder.

On the other hand,Y/n’s heart was beating so fast she thought it would leave her body. She had never realised how much she loved Chanyeol before that moment.

“I love you. I didn’t know how to tell you,so I preferred showing you” he whispered

Y/n couldn’t take off her eyes from him. Without even thinking twice she grabbed the cloth of his jacket and kissed him again.

What to Chanyeol seemed a mountain ended up to be a simple jump;however the worst was yet to come.

The two love birds didn’t even have the time to enjoy the flowers of love blossoming that they had to find a way to handle Eun’s situation.

They both tried to convince the kid,but he was unshakable:he would’ve never left with someone that wasn’t Chanyeol and Y/n,it didn’t matter if they promised they would’ve visited him often.

Chanyeol’s heart became heavy:he spent days thinking about Ha-Eun and the future he refused to live just because of him and his girlfriend. He had never been so sad in his entire life.

“I want him to be happy out from that children’s home” the brunette sighed,resting his head on Y/n’s lap

“Me too babe,but what can we do?”

“We should stop volunteering there. It will be hard but…”

Y/n interrupted her boyfriend

“Forget about it! We would hurt those poor children. They’ve already been through a lot”

“Then what should we do?” Chanyeol lifted his head up,sitting

“Maybe we should try to talk to Eun once again…”

The brunette started walking up and down Y/n’s bedroom,shooking his head. Then,suddenly,he stopped.

“I’ll adopt him” he suddenly said

“What?”

“You heard. I’ll adopt him. We can’t do it together because we’re not married,but I can do it on my own. Eun will see you anyway. I mean,I have a stable job and a house big enough for a kid to live with me. I think I can do it”

“I think you’re crazy” Y/n stood up,resting her hands on his shoulders

“I’m not. However,I need to talk to Mrs. Kim. I need to check if I’m allowed to do so. There are many rules”

“Babe slow down! Are you sure you’re ready to do such a thing? I mean it’s not like adopting a puppy,which would already be a great commitment”

“I am ready. Who would be ready if not me? Think about it Y/n:there’s nothing I don’t know about Ha-Eun. I’ve been taking care of him weekly since he could barely talk,and he’s five now. He’s healthy,and surely not a troublemaker. I can register him at Kyodong,where I work. He would be happy with me and would see you often as well. His dream would come true and he would live a happy life. We love him Y/n,so I don’t see why I shouldn’t adopt him”

“I just want you to be sure about it. If you are,then go ahead. I’d love to help you taking care of him” said so,she kissed Chanyeol’s forehead.

The next day the brunette talked with Mrs. Kim,who allowed him to start the adoption process. Then,finally,after a whole year,Ha-Eun was officially signed as Park Chanyeol’s adopted kid.

It’s useless to say that when he had found out about thesurprise,he was the happiest kind on heart.

His dad would spoil him with gifts and amazing food,showering the boy with an endlessly love. And when her boyfriend was busy,Y/n would take care of Eun. Everything was perfect,Chanyeol thought that only one thing was missing:marriage. He knew that it was another big step forward,but he was ready so…who would’ve stopped him?

Chanyeol asked Y/n to marry him on January and the celebrations were held on September of the year after. Eun had turned 6 by the time,and he had been fully welcomed in the families of both the newlyweds.

The ceremony was held at the beautiful Namsan Art Wedding Hall and Ha-Eun was the one who brought in the rings together with Y/n’s new little puppy:Spike.

By the end of the same evening Ha-Eun saw his dream turning into reality:he was officially Y/n’s and Chanyeol’s kid,and he was surrounded by people who cherished him like they would’ve cherished a treasure.

#park chanyeol #park chanyeol x reader #chanyeol x reader #chanyeol x you #chanyeol fic #chanyeol fanfic #exo x you #exo x reader #exo x y/n #exo fanfic #exo fluff #chanyeol fluff #kpop imagines #exo imagines #chanyeol imagine #kpop fanfic #dad au

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djuvlipen · 10 months

Text

Studies from 2016 show that at least 15% of Roma people have a disability, amounting to over 1.6 million people between the European Union, the Western Balkans and Turkey. The available data highlights a high prevalence of disabilities among Roma communities, also due to the health inequality gap and poorer health condition of the Roma population. However, the information on Roma with disabilities is very limited.

To gain a better understanding of the discrimination and social exclusion that Roma with disabilities face in Europe, we have conducted a research study based on the data collected by the EU Agency on Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the research from the European Roma Grassroots Organisation (ERGO) Network. The outcomes and analysis are published in a joint EDF-ERGO Network briefing on discrimination and social exclusion of Roma with disabilities.

The briefing highlights a comparatively high risk of intersectional and multiple discrimination for Roma with disabilities, with the disability marginalisation adding to the systemic racial discrimination and antigypsyism that keeps them at the margins of society. Discrimination affects their access to basic services such as inclusive education, healthcare and long-term care, their integration into the job market and, in turn, their overall socio-economic condition.

Findings

Available data clearly show that Roma with disabilities encounter more obstacles than the average to complete quality education, 81% of them dropping out of education early. Early school abandonment and inequalities in educational outcomes are partly encouraged by the bullying and harassment that young Roma people with disabilities endure in school settings and that, according to the FRA, affect 27% of them, as well as by a general trend to falsely diagnose Roma children with developmental and learning disabilities, leading them to be placed in segregated schools with reduced curricula.

As a result of the low average educational attainment, young Roma with disabilities encounter numerous issues entering the labour market. Within the age bracket 16-24, 63% of Roma with disabilities is neither in education, employment or training – with the percentage raising to 84% for the people of the same age with high support needs. The situation is further worsened by discrimination during job search and on the workplace: many respondents claimed to have felt discriminated against when looking for a job, largely because of being Roma.

The limited access to education, lower access to employment, and unequal access to social protection make so that Roma with disabilities stand an exponentially higher chance of living below the poverty line: 82% of persons with disabilities with moderate support needs, and 90% with high support needs, are at risk of poverty. The marginalisation of Roma with disabilities also reflects on their access to the housing market: inability to pay rent and anti-Roma discrimination when looking for housing are part of the reason why 55% of Roma with disabilities experience housing deprivation and 75% live in overcrowded housing.

The Roma experience an overall poorer state of health than the majority of the population, with a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses and a lower life expectancy. Deterring them from accessing healthcare and long-term care are not only the high cost of treatments and the lack of information, but also discriminatory attitudes informed by antigypsyism. The ethnic discrimination intensifies for those with some form of disability: 18% of Roma with disabilities with moderate support needs and 17% of Roma with disabilities with high support needs felt discriminated against in accessing healthcare, compared to 12% of Roma without disabilities. It is also important to note that the inaccessibility of healthcare system and healthcare services create another discriminatory barrier for Roma with disabilities.

Conclusions

While some of the issues highlighted in our briefing could be addressed by separate Roma and disability policies, the current legal framework adopted by the EU does not offer a comprehensive protection for people facing intersectional and multiple discrimination, e.g. on grounds of ethnic discrimination and disability. Because of this, Roma with disabilities are left with limited protection of their rights and limited legal remedies to respond to their marginalisation.

We therefore, together with ERGO Network, recommend the EU and Member States to adopt targeted actions, in particular:

Increase the visibility of Roma with disabilities and address policy gaps at the European and national levels

Adopt a comprehensive EU equality law to prohibit intersectional and multiple forms of discrimination

Collect equality disaggregated data on people living in institutions in the EU;

Invest in housing first initiatives and targeted outreach measures to improve access to healthcare and long-term care services for Roma with disabilities;

Involve Roma with disabilities and their representative organisations in designing, implementing and monitoring policies that affect them.

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