#11 may 21

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Look, I Am Coming Soon!

11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. — Revelation 22:11-21 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22; Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Deuteronomy 23:18; Job 34:11; Psalm 28:4; Proverbs 7:27; Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 14:12; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 55:1; Ezekiel 3:27; Ezekiel 47:1; Daniel 12:10; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:9

#Lord #grace #saints #second coming #Alpha and Omega #nothing may be added to Scripture #Revelation 22:11-21 #Book of Revelation #New Testament #NIV #New International Version Bible #Biblica Inc.

[mikeywayarchive]

House of Blues, Dallas // May 21st 2011 // ThunderKiss Photography

#mikey way #mcr #live #dd #2011 #may 2011 #5/21/11 #dallas #house of blues #photo #originals

[sagie-artzz]

I love RS. I love ORAS. I love Brendan. I love Wally. I love May I love everyone in Hoenn. *holds them gently* You will always be one of the best, be it original or remakes.

[Click for better quality]

#pokemon #pokemon ruby and sapphire #pokemon omega ruby and alpha sapphire #pokemon ruby #pokemon sapphire #pokemon omega ruby #pokemon alpha sapphire #rs 20 #oras 8 #pokemon trainer brendan #pokemon trainer may #rival wally #its still 11/21 in some places so this still counts #i love hoenn #sagie drawzz

[rabbitcruiser]

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened to the public on May 21, 2014.

#National September 11 Memorial & Museum #opened #21 May 2014 #travel #anniversary #US history #Reflecting Absence by Michael Arad and Peter Walker #architecture #cityscape #Ladder Company 3 #Last Column #11 September 2001 #Daniel Libeskind #David Childs #One World Trade Center #tourist attraction #landmark #skyscraper #reflection #impressive #moving #survivor's stairs

[redgoldsparks]

My very last comic for The Nib! End of an era! Transcription below the cut. instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

The first event I went to with GENDER QUEER was in NYC in 2019 at the Javits Center.

So many of the people who came to my signing were librarians, and so many of them said the same thing: "I know exactly who I want to give this to!" Maia: "Thank you for helping readers find my book!" While working on the book, I was genuinely unsure if anyone outside of my family and close friends would read it. But the early support of librarians and two American Library Association awards helped sell two print runs in first year.

Since then, GENDER QUEER been published in 8 languages, with more on the way: Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portugese and Dutch.

It has also been the most banned book in the United States for the past two years. The American Library Association has tracked an astronomical increase in book challenges over the past few years. Most of these challenges are to books with diverse characters and LGBTQ themes. These challenges are coming unevenly across the US, in a pattern that mirrors the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people. The Brooklyn Public Library offered free eCards to anyone in the US aged 13-21, in an effort to make banned books more available to young readers. A teacher in Norman, Oklahoma gave her students the QR code for the free eCard and lost her job. Summer Boismeir is now working for the Brooklyn Public Library. Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive, apps used to access digital library books, are now banned in Mississippi to anyone under 18. Some libraries won’t allow anyone under 18 to get any kind of library card without parental permission. When librarians in Jamestown, Michigan refused to remove GENDER QUEER and several other books, the citizens of the town voted down the library’s funding in the fall 2022 election. Without funding, the library is due to close in mid-2024. My first event since covid hit was the American Library Association conference in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Once again, the librarians in my signing line all had similar stories for me: “Your book was challenged in our district" "It was returned to the shelf!" "It was removed from the shelf..." "It was moved to the adult section."

Over and over I said: "Thank you. Thank you for working so hard to keep my book in your library. I’m sorry you had to defend it, but thank you for trying, even if it didn't work." We are at a crossroads of freedom of speech and censorship. The future of libraries, both publicly funded and in schools, are at stake. This is massively impacting the daily lives of librarians, teachers, students, booksellers, and authors around the country. In May 2023, I read an article from the Washington Post analyzing nearly 1000 of the book challenges from the 2021-2022 school year. I was literally on route to a festival to talk about book bans when I read a startling statistic. 60% of the 1000 book challenges were submitted by just 11 people. One man alone was responsible for 92 challenges. These 11 people seem to have made submitting copy-cat book challenges their full-time hobby and their opinions are having an outsized ripple effect across the nation. WE NEED TO MAKE THE VOICES SUPPORTING DIVERSE BOOKS AND OPPOSING BOOK BANS EVEN LOUDER. If you are able too, show up for your library and school board meetings when book challenges are debated. Send supportive comments and emails about the Pride book display and Drag Queen story hours. If you see a display you like– for Banned Book Week, AAPI Month, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Jewish holidays, Trans Day of Remembrance– compliment a librarian! Make sure they feel the love stronger than the hate <3

Maia Kobabe, 2023

The Nib

#maia kobabe #banned books #library funding #comics #book challenges

[rastronomicals]

11:42 PM EST December 19, 2023:

Henry Cow With Robert Wyatt - "We Did It Again" From the bootleg Live In London on May 21, 1975 (Recorded May 21, 1975)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

#Henry Cow With Robert Wyatt #Live In London on May 21 1975 #11 We Did It Again #bootleg

[500-moths-in-a-trenchcoat]

for the new year, i have decided to make a couple edits and additions to the almighty Calendar. happy 2024.

IT JUST HAPPENS

DAY 15 GIVE IT UP FOR DAY 15

Thursday the 20th

The Fifth of Wednesday

Second Week of May: Eurovision

Sometime in June: That One Halloween Post Starts Circulating

Sometime in July: Dancing Pumpkin Man Video/Gif

WEEKLY EVENTS (at least the ones i celebrate)

Every Monday: Garfield Hates Mondays

Every Tuesday: Tom Servo Tuesday

Every Wednesday: It Is Wednesday My Dudes

Every Thursday: Out of Touch Thursday

Every Friday: Flat Fuck Friday

Every Saturday: Sea Slug Saturday

Every Sunday: Energy Sword Sunday

YEARLY EVENTS

January 1: Copyright Expiration Day

January 8: Spiders Georg Day

January 16: Appreciate a Dragon Day

January 18: Bug Race

January 29: Threshold Day

All of February: Funguary

ALSO All of February: Femslash February

February 3: WOE, VANILLA EXTRACT BE UPON YE

February 13: Galentines Day

February 14: Aromantic/Asexual Day

March 9: Miku Day

March 10: Mario Day

March 14: Pi Day

March 15: Ides of March

March 23: Ever Given Got Stuck Today

April 1: Mishapocalypse

April 2: Dashcon Announcement Anniversary

April 3: Dannypocalypse

April 8: Rex Manning Day

ALSO April 8: MARGARET THATCHER IS DEAD

April 13: Neil Banging Out The Tunes

ALSO April 13: Homestuck Day

April 20: haha 420 blaze it

April 25: The Perfect Date

April 28: Ed Balls Day

April 30: It's Gonna Be May

All of May: Mermay

May 3: Beginning of Dracula Daily

May 4: May the 4th Be With You

May 5: Revenge of the Fifth

May 25: The Glorious 25th of May

All of June: Pride Month

ALSO All of June: IT'S HALLOWEEN TIME TO GET SPOOKY

June 5: Barricade Day

ALSO June 5: RONALD REAGAN IS DEAD

June 12: Another Homestuck Day

June 16: Let Papyrus Say Fuck

June 22: Summerween

All of July: Disability Pride Month

July 13-15: Dashcon Anniversary

July 20: Moon Landing

September 8: The Queen Is Dead and Sans Undertale Killed Her

September 11: Mole Interest Monday

September 19: Talk Like A Pirate Day

September 21: DO YOU REMEMBER-

All of October: SKELETON WAR

ALSO All of October: People Draw A Lot Month? (so many names)

October 3: Mean Girls Day

ALSO October 3: Fullmetal Alchemist Day

October 13: Treat Yo' Self

October 20: Unnecessary Feelings Day

October 31: HALLOWEEN

November 5: honestly what didn't happen that day

November 19: Goncharov

November 29: HENRY KISSINGER IS DEAD

All of December: Will the Gävle Goat Get Destroyed Again?

December 10: Please, It's Christmas

December 12: Hawaii Part 2

December 23: Christmas Adam

December 24: ALMOST CHRISTMAS MEANS IT WASN'T CHRISTMAS

ALSO December 24: Cabinet Man Day

December 27: Porn Ban Effective Today

#there's definitely more but i'm not versed enough in this #tumblr holidays #add more in the tags/comments please #look i'm trying my best here i've been on tumblr for just over a year at this point #tumblr #tumblr calendar #it's complete. now i may rest. #holidays

[rpsquad]

Iudicium per Ingis

8k words, 19 pages; I seriously started this story about a year ago and really meant to finish it in about half the time it took me (sorry Rain). It's been so fun to write these past weeks though. I missed my boys Aeno and Thim, and they insisted on being adorable the entire time. Very little angst to be found here, pretty much all new-friend fluff. (Credit to Robert Frost for poem)

Enjoy!

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was Aeno’s first day on the castle’s training grounds.

It was Aeno’s first day! He was going to be Uncle Seril’s squire, and get to train with the other squires even though he was only eleven years old, and eventually he would be able to become a knight and fight off all the evil people who tried to attack the kingdom!

Aneo tried his best to stand still and not squirm or stare at the other squires as they formed a line. It seemed like they were all so much older than him, Aeno was only as tall as the boy next to him’s shoulder. And he knew that they knew he was new, he saw them whispering and pointing at him yesterday when his father had brought him to the castle and helped him set up his new room. 

Everyone else straightened as a man entered the courtyard, and Aeno straightened up with them.

But… he didn’t see why they were all so worried. The man was wearing a uniform, true, but he also walked like he had a bad leg and his grin seemed rather playful.

“Good morning, Commander Riaus.” The other squires all chorused, and Aeno just barely stopped his jaw from dropping. This was Fabion Riaus, Lord Commander of the King’s Army? The same man who was supposedly capable of taking down an entire encampment of soldiers, and whom Aeno’s father had always nothing but praise for?

Commander Riaus’ grin widened, “Good morning, my little trainees. I hope we’re ready for another day. I know we’ve got a new face with us, but I have a special request from his father to not go easy on him, so don’t think he’ll be getting any of you out of proper training today.”

There was a quiet grumbling at that, but Riaus seemed unaffected. Aeno wondered if the others usually complained, or if it was because of him. He hoped it was the former, but he didn’t look around to see if anyone was glaring at him.

“Alright!” Riaus clapped his hands together, “We’re starting with laps, so get running.”

Aeno agreed with the grumbling at that. He hated running.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The laps weren’t great, but Aeno guessed they could have been worse. And practicing their form and footing after that was a little boring, just doing the same slow swings over and over again, but then, finally, they got to really practice.

“Okay, so,” Riaus addressed them, looking them all over, “There’s an uneven number of you now, which means each day someone new will get to spar with me instead.” Some of the others looked stricken at this, and Riaus laughed, “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you all. Now, I think… Yes, Proth, you’ll be with me. Pazavor with Nox and Nozaku with Ferrza, I don’t want to hear any complaining. And that leaves…” Riaus looked over their group again, and then smiled, “Ah, of course. Skyos, you’ll be with Ignes.”

Aeno jolted as his name was called, and he looked around. He didn’t recognize the name Skyos, but that really just meant that the family didn’t live in the region the Ignes family guarded, and wasn’t a really important house, like the Dragmires. 

A boy with light blue hair walked over to Aeno, and held out his hand, “My name is Naisthim Skyos. I’m your sparring partner today.” He seemed like he was a bit older than Aeno, at least by a couple years, and… And his eyes were changing color, Aeno realized. Stormy grey to an orange that clashed with his hair terribly.

“I’m Aeno Ignes.” He said as he shook the boy’s hand, “Nice to meet you, Naisthim. Have you been here long? Today is my first day, really, but you probably knew that.”

Naisthim blinked at him, and his eye color shifted again, to something much less bright, “I… became a squire when I was twelve, so it’s been about a year. Do you want to begin?”

Aeno nodded slowly. Naisthim was thirteen then, he realized. A whole two years older than Aeno, and suddenly he remembered that he had become a squire early, and that most boys didn’t begin until they were twelve or thirteen. Aeno tugged on one of his curls nervously as he and Naisthim got into position.

Naisthim was using a shield, in contrast to Aneo’s empty left hand. He could use his sword with two hands, he knew how, but he wasn’t as good at it. Plus, it was better for Aeno to continue learning to just have one sword for when he learned how to use his fire magic right, and then he could just burn through his opponents.

The two boys stared at each other for a moment, and then nodded. Aeno rushed forward quickly, just like his father had taught him, but then Naisthim raised his shield, and Aeno pulled back at the last second. He tried to spin around Naisthim and get him in the back instead, but the other boy was following Aeno’s movement, and the shield still blocked Aeno’s swing. Naisthim tried to swing back, but Aeno stepped back too quickly to be caught.

Fighting someone with a shield, Aeno was finding, was frustrating. Any time he would go to attack Naisthim, the other would just hide behind his shield. Aeno kind of wanted to just swing wildly at the shield, and maybe catch Naisthim off guard and get him to drop it, but even Aeno knew that probably wouldn’t work, and he would just tire himself out. Or give Naisthim an opening to attack.

Aeno watched Naisthim carefully, standing back as he tried to think of a way to win. It felt like Aeno’s father had told him this before, but he hadn’t really had to spar with anyone with a shield before, or not anyone so reliant on the shield. Maybe he was supposed to get the shield away from Naisthim, like disarming, but it seemed like it would be so much harder to do with a shield than with a sword. 

Naisthim stepped forward, and Aeno swung his sword at him, just to have something to do, and also to get Naisthim to back away. His attack went wide, barely glancing off of Naisthim’s shield, and the other boy stepped forward to attack, which Aeno stepped away from again. 

But, for just a second, Naisthim’s shield was away from his body, and Aeno had seen an opening. Maybe. But it seemed like exactly the kind of thing father would tell him to do, so Aeno could do it.

Aeno backed away carefully, trying to plan in his head what he would do. But it seemed like Naisthim was getting impatient, and was inching forward faster than he had been earlier. Aeno bit his lip, and stepped forward to meet the other boy. He swung upwards with his sword, feeling off balance, but then when Naisthim tried to swing back he could move out of the way with his sword still raised. And then, just as he got out of the way…

Go!

Aeno swung again, sure he would finally get the older boy, but Naisthim suddenly had his sword up in time to meet Aeno’s, and then Aeno’s sword slid away as Naisthim’s sword swung forward and stopped at Aeno’s neck.

Naisthim was breathing heavily, his face was flushed and his eyes had now turned a bright, sunny yellow. It looked… good. More alive than the boy with ice-blue hair that had walked up a few minutes ago. 

“Dang it.” Aeno still said, and then stepped back. Now that he wasn’t fighting, he could feel his heart beating heavily. “I was so close! I really thought I had you, and then suddenly you had your sword up, and then it was over! That shield was really annoying you know, I couldn’t get anything past you.”

Naisthim blinked at him, and then shrugged, “Uhm, sorry. I was taught to use a shield. You could too, you know?”

Aeno scrunched his nose up. Thim’s eyes had turned back to a darker color again, and Aeno couldn’t see what it was anymore. He kind of wished he could, just because it was neat to watch them change. He sighed, and sat down on the dusty ground, looking all the way up at Naisthim, “I’m gonna use magic, once I can. That’s why I only use one hand with my sword. My dad says I’ll probably be really good at it once I can control my fire better.”

“Oh.” Naisthim blinked at Aeno again, and then he looked at his shield, “I wish I could do that…”

There was a pause, as Aeno stared at Naisthim and Naisthim awkwardly sat down with Aeno, even though the shield was still strapped to his arm. And then Naisthim was looking back at Aeno, and seemed kind of surprised to see Aeno watching him.

“... What is your magic?” Aeno finally asked, when he got bored of staring, “Mine is fire. I would show you, but I don’t want to accidently set anything on fire. Or anyone.”

Naisthim looked down, losing their unofficial staring contest, “I’ve got em-path-y. It means I can feel other people’s emotions.”

Aeno’s eyes widened, and then he grinned so hard it kinda hurt, “That’s awesome! Does that mean you know what I’m thinking right now?”

Naisthim shook his head, “No. It’s emotions, not what you’re thinking. So, like…” He looked up again and squinted at Aeno, “You’re really happy? Or maybe excited. They’re kind of similar. And, uhm,” Naisthim looked around the courtyard, and then pointed at one of the other boys, “Ferrza is mad, and annoyed, which is kind of different, and kind of bored? But I have no idea why.”

“Woah…” Aeno breathed out, and then laughed, “That’s really, really cool. I bet that’s great whenever your friends or siblings are upset about anything. You’d just always know! Or, wait, have you ever tried to be a spy with it? I bet you always know when someone’s trying to surprise you with something.”

Naisthim looked back at Aeno and tilted his head, “Uhm, I don’t-”

“I’m glad you’re making friends, Ignes,” Aeno looked up and saw Riaus standing over them, “But right now is the time for training, not chatting. You two can talk in your free time. Back to sparring please.”

Aeno scrambled up and nodded, “Yes, sir.”

Behind him, he thought he heard Nasithim sigh.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was another week before Aeno had another actual conversation with Naisthim. A whole week, his first week in the castle, and so much happened.

The first thing, and the most important (even if it wasn’t the most exciting), was Uncle Seril telling Aeno about all the things he would have to do now that he was a squire. Most of it was boring chores like making sure his uncle’s armor got cleaned and passing messages for him, but Aeno would also get to take care of his uncle’s horse, which sounded fun! Aeno had always liked Stonehoof, and he was pretty sure the horse felt the same. And there was training, which was incredible. He’d gotten to spar with the Commander finally yesterday and it was ridiculously hard. The older squires were pretty tough too, but even with a bad leg Commander Riaus could beat them into the ground. Aeno doubted any of them would ever beat him.

And, of course, there were all the friends he’d been making!

Nyvith Proth was the oldest out of everyone, and he kind of reminded Aeno of Alima, his eldest sister. Both of them liked to read lots and lots, both of them were smart, and both of them were the oldest. Nyvith seemed to like stories and poetry more than history though, which was neat because Aeno felt the same way. At least, he did for the stories. He hadn’t really read much poetry yet.

Aeno was pretty sure Syllora Nozaku, who insisted everyone call her Lora, was the next eldest, but it could have been Durmand Pazavor too. Lora was the only girl in their group, which was something Durmand seemed to bring up a lot, and she was really strong. Those two fought a lot, and could be pretty mean to each other when they did. Nyvith said Durmand was just an asshole (and then he made Aeno promise to not repeat that word).

Axter Nox was the only other squire besides Naisthim who was close to Aeno’s age. Aeno had thought he would be kind of quiet, like Alima or Nyvith, since he always seemed to have a book. He even sat in trees while he read them! Sometimes Aeno would be outside, and when he looked up Axter would just be there! But he knew more about family histories than anyone Aeno had ever met, and he’d tell people all about it. It was interesting, in a way. Aeno thought Alima would like it.

Everyone else, Caltus Ferrza and Durmand, Aeno hadn’t really gotten to know much yet. They only ever seemed to talk to each other. Aeno was fairly sure they were friends, but it was hard to tell when they just glared at him every time he tried to talk to them. Or, once, when Durmand yelled at Aeno to leave them alone.

(Aeno was pretty sure Nyvith was right, they were both just mean.)

And then there was Naisthim, who… Aeno didn't want to assume anything, his father always said that was bad, but Aeno barely saw Naisthim at all except at training. The other boy practically disappeared all other times. Aeno was starting to think Naisthim didn't like anyone. Not that Aeno thought Naisthim hated everyone, he had been nice when they’d trained together. Aeno wanted to talk to him more after that, but Naisthim just didn’t seem to feel the same way about Aeno or anyone else.

So Aeno was surprised when Naisthim approached him.

Aeno had just sat down with a book, something he hadn’t read before but looked interesting, when he heard someone else sit down. Naisthim was sitting across from him, his eyes the same alarming shade of orange and staring right at Aeno.

“Um… hi?” Aeno said after a second of neither of them saying anything.

“Hello.” 

Aeno waited for Naisthim to say something, but the other boy just continued to stare at Aeno. Slowly, Aeno reached to open his book, ready to be lost in a world of knights and princesses, when –

“I, um.. I –” Naisthim spoke up again, making Aeno look back up at him. “I was thinking about the questions you were asking about empathy, and I know a book that explains it really well! If you want to know still of course… I’ll get it for you!”

Naisthim got up and hurried off into the maze of shelves. Aeno stared after him with growing confusion. He was kind of interested in the empathy thing Naisthim had been talking about, but reading a whole book about it sounded kind of boring. Especially when Aeno had other books he wanted to read more. 

By the time Naisthim came back, Aeno was partway through the first page of his book. He barely even noticed the book being slid onto the table or Naisthim’s mumbled “Here you go.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Uncle?”

Uncle Seril looked up from his meal with an eyebrow raised. When Aeno hesitated to continue, the older man set down his fork and looked at Aeno more fully. “Might as well spit it out before it rots your dreams tonight.”

“I talked to Naisthim today.” Aeno admitted slowly, and Uncle Seril nodded. “It was weird though. I was in the library when he came up and just… stared at me? Didn’t even say anything until I said ‘hello’. And then he was quiet again for, I don’t know, a minute? Then he said something about his magic, got me a book, and left. Like I said, weird.”

Aeno looked down at his plate, feeling like all the words he said had suddenly abandoned him.

“I didn’t even want the book…” He mumbled into his food.

Uncle Seril hummed and Aeno looked up to see his uncle considering him. “You’ve talked about his magic before, when you two first met, right?” You asked him questions about it?” Aeno nodded. “So could Naisthim have, perhaps, been trying to start a conversation with you? Perhaps even been trying to be friends with you?”

When his uncle put it like that it seemed rather obvious, except –

“But why the staring then?!” Aeno burst out, looking helplessly at Uncle Seril.

The man just shrugged and looked back down at his food. “The kid’s awkward. I don’t think he’s made a single friend since he got here.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If Aeno was going to be friends with Naisthim, or even just talk to him, he was going to need a plan. As his father said, ‘reconnaissance will show you the target’. Of course, that was supposed to be about fights and battles, not how to make friends, but the two weren’t too different, right? He just needed to find the target and aim true.

(Aeno, history has shown, was terrible at archery.)

This began Aeno’s campaign of asking everyone he could about Naisthim. He turned first to his fellow squires. Lora and Nyvith were both less than helpful. Lora just complimented Naisthim’s abilities in their training, and then Aeno’s, but didn’t really know anything about Naisthim outside of the training field. Nyvith understood better what Aeno was asking for, but didn’t hold any more answers. He just frowned and commented that Naisthim spent a lot of time in his room.

Durmand and Caltus were, of course, immediately out of the question. Aeno was sure that neither of them would be willing to answer his questions, and was fairly sure neither of them would know what he was looking for anyway. 

Axter, when Aeno asked about Naisthim, began listing the boy in question’s family history. Aeno listened for long enough to hear that Naisthim was an only child, and that his mother had died soon after his birth, but his attention drained quickly after that. 

Beyond his fellow squires though, Aeno wasn’t sure who to ask. He thought about trying to ask some of the castle servants, but they always seemed too busy for his admittedly trivial questions. Fellow nobility would find the questions even more trivial, probably not helped by Aeno’s young age. The knight Naisthim was squiring for would likely have some kind of answers, but Aeno didn’t know who that could be.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was at the end of training, three days after Naisthim tried to talk to Aeno, that he discovered the answer to one of his questions.

“Ignes, could you hold on for a moment?”

Aeno, ready to go and wash up before starting his chores for the day, looked back to see Commander Riaus waving him over. With one last glance at where the other boys were headed, Aeno sighed and made his way over. “Yes, Commander?”

Commander Riaus smiled kindly at Aeno, as he always seemed to as he called them all his ‘little trainees’ and made them run enough laps to make Aeno’s lungs feel like fire. “I wanted to check in with you, but first, could you help me put away the equipment? My knee isn’t exactly what it used to be.”

“Yes Commander.” Aeno nodded and dutifully began neatly stacking the practice swords and shields into their chests. Aeno’s father might have, at some point, told Aeno the story which earned the Commander his limp, but Aeno couldn’t remember what it had been. After all, Aeno’s father loved to tell stories.

Finally, all the equipment was in the proper chests, and Aeno looked to Commander Riaus. “Alright, now they need to be put on this cart,” he said, pointing at the cart in question, “so we can bring them into storage. I’ll help, you pick up that side.”

Aeno moved as directed, and soon all of the chests were loaded onto the cart and they walked them into the practice equipment storage room. He wondered if Commander Riaus usually had help, or if he did this alone most days. Aeno had never seen him ask for someone to stay behind before, but maybe he hadn’t noticed. He was pretty tired after training most days.

“Thank you very much, Ignes. Now,” Commander Riaus dusted his hands off and leaned against one of the bigger crates in the room, “I know it’s been only barely over a week since you got here, but how are you finding the castle? Any problems so far?”

“No, Commander, I like the castle very much. I’m excited to tell my family all the things that have happened so far.” Aeno answered, thinking of the letters he had begun writing last night. One to his parents, and one for each of his siblings except Cyra, who was far too young to read. 

Commander Riaus nodded. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. And what about the people? I trust everyone’s been welcoming?”

Aeno bit his lip, wondering if the Commander was trying to ask about Naisthim. He couldn’t say he felt welcomed by Naisthim exactly, but if Uncle was right and the other boy was trying to be friends than it wouldn’t be fair to say so to the Commander. Aeno shrugged, “I haven’t gotten a chance to talk with the others much yet, but everyone’s been nice. And it’s been nice to see Uncle Seril more often.”

“Good, good.” Commander Riaus nodded and scratched his close-shaven beard. His smile had continued to rest on his face during the conversation, and it didn’t fall now as much as it froze. Aeno could feel the entirety of the Commander’s attention fall on him and swallowed. “You know, Ignes, my squire is very close in age to you. If you’re looking for friends, you may want to start with him.”

The Commander had a squire? No one had mentioned that, but of course, Aeno hadn’t asked either. Usually squires had a family relation to their knights. No one Aeno had met so far looked like Commander Riaus, his naturally white hair and yellow eyes didn’t match anyone else, but sometimes family didn’t look the same. If the squire was around Aeno’s age though, that would have to mean –

“Do… you mean Naisthim?” Aeno asked. “I didn’t even know you had a squire, but if you do and he’s my age then it must be Naisthim because he’s the closest to me in age. Unless there’s another squire group I haven’t met?”

Commander Riaus snorted and his smile brightened again, like the corners of his mouth were laughing. “Yes, Ignes, Skyos is my squire. I’m his uncle by marriage.” He shrugged easily. “I’ve noticed that you two seem to get along well when I pair you for sparring, but Naisthim says you haven’t spoken outside of training. I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to, but I think the two of you would get along well.”

“Did he tell you about the library a few days ago? We kind of talked then, but it was a bit weird.” Aeno said, a feeling rising up in him and making his chest feel tight. Commander Riaus might have tried to say something, but Aeno kept talking. “It was mostly the way he stared at me a lot I think, but Uncle says he was probably trying to be friends which sounds nice so I’ve been asking around to figure out what to talk about because my father says you should know your target but no one knows anything so I still don’t have a plan but I want to be friends with him and I –”

A hand landed on Aeno’s shoulder, cutting off his rambling. Commander Riaus knelt down in front of Aeno to meet his eyes. “Ignes, take a breath. Naisthim told me about it, he doesn’t feel great about it either.” The Commander took a slow, obvious breath and Aeno matched him. “Better?”

Aeno nodded. “I’m sorry, Commander. You shouldn't have to –”

Commander Riaus held up a hand and shook his head. “No need for apologies, Ignes. I care about all the people in my care, yourself included.” Commander Riaus stood and brushed his pants off. “Now, I think you are putting far too much thought into this. What do you like to do for fun, Ignes?”

“Uhh…” Aeno looked down, trying to think. His favorite activity was sparring and had been since he had started his training with his father. But he was already sparring everyday, if he did any more he’d never have energy for anything else. Aeno liked to read too, but reading wasn’t really something he could do with Naisthim. Playing games was often fun, like the ones Aeno and his siblings played. But almost all of those required a talent in some kind of fire magic, which Naisthim did not have. Though, not all games used magic, and Aeno liked those too. 

“Well, I like playing games?” Aeno suggested.

Commander Riaus smiled and tilted his head to the side. “As do most of us, in one form or another. What do you play?”

Aeno bit his lip. “I don’t know many ball games that don’t need magic. But my father taught me to play chess and a few card games.”

“Well, then I believe you have your starting point then, don’t you?” Commander Riaus said, the corners of his mouth laughing again. “Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?”

Aeno shook his head. “No, I don’t think so Commander.”

“Then, you are free to go, Ignes.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was the next day, after Aeno had finished his chores (taking care of Stonehoof was proving not nearly as fun as he’d imagined), that Aeno approached Naisthim. He’d found the other boy in a corner of the library, out of sight unless you were looking for him. Luckily, Aeno had already endeared himself to the librarian, who pointed him in Naisthim’s direction with a smile.

“Hey, Naisthim?” Aeno asked, trying to keep his nerves out of his voice. He’d been practicing what to say since he talked to Commander Riaus yesterday, but all that practice seemed to have left him now.

Naisthim looked up from his book, and Aeno was close enough to see that the boy’s eyes were a light purple. It surprised him so much that he almost didn’t hear what Naisthim said. “.. what is it?”

Aeno tried to subtly take a breath in. “So, um. I was wondering if you know how to play chess? My father taught me to play, and it’s fun, but I don’t have anyone to play with now.”

“Oh.” Naisthim blinked, the colors turning darker, but he looked away before Aeno could tell what they were. “Um, not really, no. I started to learn a few years ago, but it didn’t work out.” 

Both boys fell silent, and Aeno could feel the nervous energy being drained out of him and replaced with something as heavy as his father’s full plate armor. It was just… Aeno didn’t know how to make this work. He’d never had to work to make friends before, but now he was in the castle where there was barely anyone his age and he missed having real, proper friends. Uncles and trainers and other kids five years older than you didn’t count. They weren’t the same. 

“Could, um… “ Aeno looked up and Naisthim was rapidly tapping his fingers on the book he’d been reading. “Could you teach me how to play?”

Aeno felt a smile grow on his face. “Yeah, I can do that. It seems kinda complicated at first, but it’s not actually that bad. Way less work than some of the card games I know.” He paused, trying to not sound too eager now. He was suddenly light enough to float off the ground, and had to stop himself from bouncing from one foot to the other. “Do you want to play now? I’ve got a board in my room.”

Naisthim nodded, a small smile settling on his face, and his eyes turned a color Aeno had only gotten a glimpse of before. Yellow, brighter and without the orange hue that Aeno’s own had. He thought it suited Naisthim.

“Sure, let’s go.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Aeno stirred his spoon through his bowl of soup. He hadn’t minded soup before coming to the castle, but it felt as though he’d been given soup for lunch everyday since he’d gotten here. There was only so much of it he could eat before he was bored of soup.

“Can I sit here?” Someone softly said behind him.

Aeno turned his head and saw Naisthim with a bowl of his own. He instantly smiled. “Yes, of course.” He paused as Naisthim took a seat, and then turned his pout on the other boy instead of the bowl of soup. “Do they really have to serve soup everyday? There are other things to eat for lunch, you know. I like soup, generally, but I want some variety.”

Naisthim looked at Aeno with a raised eyebrow. “If you really have such a problem with it, you could take it up with the kitchens. Have you met the head cook?”

Aeno shuddered. “I can still feel the bruises from that spoon.”

Naisthim’s laugh was quiet, but one of the realest Aeno had ever heard.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“I almost got you today in sparring. Get the commander to keep pairing us, I’m going to get you.”

“Pfft, why should I do that? I’m going to tell him to never pair us up again. That way my win streak can never be broken.”

“Wh – No, you can’t! Everyone else is too hard, you gotta give me a chance!”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“You should really stop bragging about your magic to everyone if you’re going to use it in fights.”

“Why? It’s not like I’ll be fighting anyone in the castle.”

“Well, take my Uncle for example. You’ve never seen him use his magic talent, right?”

“Nope. What is it? I’ve been trying to guess, but I don’t think I’ve gotten close yet.”

“That’s the point.”

“So, what, you’re not going to tell me? Oh come on Naisthim, please? What if I guess? Light? Wind? Telekinesis?”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Hey, Naisthim. Why are you always late to lunch anyway?’

“I help Uncle Riaus put the equipment away after practice. He can, technically, do it himself. But the stuff’s pretty heavy, and he’s got a bad knee.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. How did his knee get messed up?”

“He was fighting about twenty people at once and one of them smashed a warhammer against it.”

“What?! Seriously?!”

“Yep. He still won, but it was pretty close I guess.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“If you can control fire, does that mean it doesn’t burn you?”

“Kind of? It can, if I’m not paying attention, but it’s kind of hard to not be aware of all the flames in a room.”

“You can feel all the flames near you? Even candles?”

“Yeah. I don’t really think about it though, It’s just… I see them extra, you know.”

“I suppose that doesn’t sound so bad.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“You grew up on the coast, right?”

“Mm-hm. Why?”

“I was just wondering what it’s like. I’ve never seen the ocean before, I can’t even imagine it.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. I still think it’s strange to not be able to hear waves and smell salt. It was very windy too. We would have kite festivals in the summer.”

“That sounds awesome. I wish I could see that sometime.”

“You should come visit then. I’ll show you around.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“You know, I’d never seen so many trees until I got here. There aren’t really any forests where I grew up, too many rocks for that.”

“There aren’t any real forests here either. The ones back home are much bigger.”

“Really? Do the leaves really change colors?”

“Yeah, at the end of the harvests. Whole forest turns red, makes it kind of look like its on fire.”

“Wow.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“I think Caltus was trying to… well, I’m not sure what he was trying to do. Make me feel sad I guess?”

“Yeah, he does that. Him and Durmand both. You can tell my uncle or yours if they go too far, but I honestly find it easier to ignore them.”

“I know their both older than us, but Durmand doesn’t really seem smart enough to go ‘too far’.”

“Pfft, Aeno, don’t say that! He might hear you.”

“Good!”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Hey, Naisthim?” Aeno said. The conversation had lulled a while ago, leaving them eating their lunch in companionable silence. It had been a couple weeks since they began hanging out regularly, eating lunch together and playing games when they had free time. 

Naisthim looked up, having been focused on his food. “What?”

Aeno smiled. He’d figured out that Naisthim’s eye color was a hint to his mood, but he’d only started to learn which colors meant what. The first Aeno had learned was that yellow was for happiness, and it was the color he saw in his friend’s eyes most often. “Where’d you get your name? It’s kinda long, makes me surprised you don’t have a nickname by now.”

“Oh.” Naisthim tapped his spoon against his bowl. “I don’t really know where my name comes from. I never asked. And, I don’t really think my father is the nickname type.” 

They both became quiet again. Aeno was lost in his own head, trying to think of what nickname he would give Naisthim. Nais? Nai? Nothing was coming to mind. This seemed a lot easier in books.

“I don’t think I’d mind having a nickname. A lot of people get it wrong.”

Aeno hummed. “Hold on, I’m trying to think of one. Nais sounds weird.” Naisthim’s nose scrunched up when Aeno said that, so he assumed the other boy agreed. “What about… um. What about the end of your name instead? Thim?”

Naisthim tilted his head. “Thim? That’s alright.” He looked straight at Aeno, making direct eye contact. Aeno had noticed that Naisthim didn’t do that often. “How about you try it?”

“How was your day today, my good friend Thim?” Aeno asked, sure that he and Thim’s smiles matched at that moment.

“Just swell, Aeno.” Thim said, copying the silly voice Aeno had done. “Just swell indeed.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Hey, wake up.”

Aeno startled up when he felt a hand shake his shoulder. He saw Thim standing next to him, still in his night clothes. Aeno blinked, and then blinked again. What was Thim doing in his room at, he was pretty sure, the middle of the night.

“What are you doing here?” He repeated, out loud this time.

Thim’s eyes widened and he pressed a finger to his lips. “Quiet,” He whispered, “You’ll wake up Sir Ignes.”

“Uncle Seril sleeps like a fallen log.” Aeno hissed and twisted in his bed to sit up properly and face Thim. If he was going to be awake then he might as well be awake properly. “Again, why are you here?”

“Oh, um.” Thim scratched the back of his neck, his eyes flashing an interesting silver Aeno had never seen before. “I wanted to go to the kitchens. I thought you might want to come with me.”

 That caught Aeno’s attention. He leaned forward and extracted a hand from his blankets to hold it out in front of himself and light the smallest fire he could manage, just to see by. Thim gave the flame a worried look, but Aeno ignored him. “I thought the kitchens were off-limits, especially at night. Especially especially to us.”

Thim shrugged, his eyes sliding away. “They are, but it’s not actually that hard to get down there. There’s not nearly as many guards at night than during the day, and it’s not like they’re guarding the kitchen specifically. Just… think of it as stealth practice.”

Aeno considered it for a moment. It seemed like Thim knew how to sneak down and back without getting caught, as if he’d done this before. That was honestly a little surprising, Aeno would not have expected the squire of the Lord Commander to be relaxed about the rules. Of course, Aeno wasn’t complaining. He was more than happy to break some rules as long as he wasn’t caught.

“Alright.” Aeno put out the flame so he could get out of bed safely, then lit it again and looked to Thim. “Lead the way.”

They slowly made their way through and down into the lower levels of the castle. Aeno had been living here for over a month by now, but it still seemed like a maze to him. Thim took them into corridors and down stairs he’d had no idea even existed. That seemed to be the point though, as they saw almost one one else as they walked. 

A thought occurred to Aeno. “Can you sense where the guards are?”

“Can I…” Thim glanced back at Aeno with a confused frown, “Why would I be able to sense the guards?”

Aeno opened his mouth, already excited to share his logic, when Thim glanced back at him again. This time the other boy had a finger pressed to his lips, clearly a reminder to keep quiet. Aeno grinned, but made sure to keep his voice low. “Because of that. You knew I was going to speak too loud because you could feel it. You can feel me behind you without even looking.”

“Yes? I don’t see how this means I can sense where the guards are.”

“You can sense the guards too, right?” Aeno asked. “You can tell them apart from me, can tell how many are near us?”

Ahead of him, he saw Thim’s head bob with a nod. “Yeah.”

“And there’s some kind of location or direction to it, right?” Aeno had to admit, he wasn’t actually sure on this point. It was a guess on his part, just based on the way Thim looked around sometimes.

Thim stopped suddenly, and Aeno had to quickly throw his hand to the side to avoid catching his friend on fire. “Oh.” Thim turned around to properly face Aeno. “Oh, I get what you’re saying. Hm.” 

Aeno watched as Thim closed his eyes, looking more like he was listening for something. But most demons didn’t have the ability to feel for others’ emotions like Thim did, so it probably would look like he was just listening extra hard.

“Huh. Yeah, I can.” Thim reported, opening his eyes. “I never thought about it that way. That’s kind of useful.” He turned around again and made a beckoning motion over his shoulder. “C’mon, we should keep moving.”

Aeno continued to follow Thim, but now his mind was stuck. There was a puzzle in it, the way Thim never talked about his magic talent unless he thought he had to. Most kids their age that Aeno had met loved to talk magic and what they could do. Who wouldn’t? It was fire, or ice, or flight, or seeing into people’s heads. It was all so awesome. But he couldn’t just ask Thim why he didn’t talk about it, could he? That would probably be rude. Aeno tried his best to not be rude to anyone, but new friends especially. They still hadn’t even known each other for that long, Aeno didn’t want to make Thim upset already.

“Why don’t you use your talent more often?” Aeno asked instead.

One of Thim’s hands came up to rub the back of his neck. “It’s not like it’s ever off. Technically, I’m always using it.”

Aeno tried to squash any annoyance he felt at Thim’s reply. “Yeah, but you’re not actually using it then. It’s just sitting there. I can feel fires all the time, but that doesn’t mean I’m using my magic.”

Thim shrugged and his shoulders hunched in. The other boy was taller than Aeno, a natural side effect of him being a year and a half older than Aeno, and so he’d never looked small to Aeno. It looked like Thim was trying to be now, and Aeno wondered if he’d said something wrong. “It’s, um… it’s different with mine. It’s like being able to see twice, and you can’t shut the second pair of eyes.”

Aeno tried to imagine that. He looked down into the flame in his hand. He was much more aware of flames he created, but very rarely made more than one at a time. To be aware of and feeding as many as ten would likely be very unpleasant. Aeno grimaced. “Oh.”

“I used to get overwhelmed by it a lot.” Thim admitted quietly, making Aeno strain his ears just to hear his friend. As quietly as he could, Aeno darted forward so he was walking beside Thim. Thim glanced at him, and Aeno tried to give him a reassuring smile. “I just can’t seem to shut it off, and I don’t know anyone who can teach me to control it more. I inherited my magic from my mother, but she died a few hours after I was born. It still…”

Thim sucked in a breath, and his voice lowered to a murmur. “I still get overwhelmed sometimes. There’s just so many people in the castle..”

Without thinking, Aeno reached out with his free hand and grabbed Thim’s. He tried to project a feeling of sympathy. It must have worked at least a little, because Thim shot him a small smile. 

They walked like that, hand in hand, for a little while. Any sadness Thim had felt from the topic seemed to drain away, and now he seemed more relaxed than he’d started, if anything. Aeno had never really thought about it, but Thim still seemed shy and closed off even as they’d been growing closer. Part of that was his unwillingness to talk about his magic, which made sense now and Aeno promised himself he wouldn’t push further about it in the future, but there was also other stuff too. Thim hadn’t really told any stories about his family like Aeno did, and he rarely looked anyone in the eyes. Aeno hoped at least some of that would be changing.

“Hold on.” Thim whispered and pulled Aeno to the side, forcing them into a small alcove behind a suit of armor. “Put the flame out.”

Aeno closed his fist and the fire disappeared, just in time for a rather bored looking guard with a torch to turn a corner and walk past them. Aeno held his breath, and he could feel Thim tense beside him. But the guard must have been tired, or just not paying attention, because he didn’t even stop to look their way.

After the guard had turned another corner, both Aeno and Thim let out a sigh of relief. Aeno laughed. “I can’t believe he didn’t see us, we were right there.”

Thim shrugged. “I’m not complaining.” They carefully pulled themselves out of the alcove, and Thim peaked his head around the next corner. “C’mon, this is where the kitchens are.”

They rounded the corner, and mid-way down the hallway was a large wooden door. A rather obvious sign hung above the door announcing it as the kitchens. They approached the door, excited to have reached their goal, when Thim held up a hand to stop them both. Aeno looked at his friend in confusion.

“There’s someone in the kitchens.” He whispered, sounding confused. At Aeno’s obvious continued confusion, Thim continued. “I can sense someone ahead of us, where the kitchens are. I – I don’t think they’re a guard. The guards tend to be bored, this person is… Determined? Maybe frustrated? I’m not sure.”

Aeno crept forward and pressed an ear to the door. He could faintly hear someone moving around, clanging pots together like they were moving stuff around a lot. “Whoever it is, it sounds like they’re looking for something.”

Thim placed a hand against the door, standing next to Aeno. “This is strange.” He muttered, and Aeno wasn’t sure if Thim was talking to Aeno or himself. “Who looks for something in the pots and pans at midnight?” He paused as they both tried to puzzle it out, and then he stepped away from the door, grabbing Aeno to do the same.

“They just became happy.” Thim said, sounding unhappy about it. “I think they found what they were looking for.”

Aeno bit his lip and looked around the hallway. “Which means they’re leaving and coming out here.”

Thim nodded, a movement Aeno could still see in the dim light. He hadn’t lit a new flame, but they could still just barely see each other by the light of the few torches kept lit. And, if they could see each other, then whoever was behind the door would be able to as well.

“We have to run.” Aeno hissed and grabbed Thim’s wrist, pulling him away from the door. He searched the hallway for anywhere to hide, but there wasn’t really anywhere. No closets, no alcoves, no suits of armor. Just stone brick walls, torches, and… a couple benches.

They seemed to have both realized the only option at the same time, and each dived under a stone bench. The kind which everyone avoided sitting on unless they really had to, making Aeno wonder why they existed and some had been placed in this hallway. He was, of course, quite thankful that they had though.

The kitchens’ door opened, and Aeno could hear the footsteps of the person inside leaving. The person began walking in the opposite direction of where Aeno and Thim were hiding, leaving them both to sigh in the relief of not having their hiding spots too heavily scrutinized. Before the person turned the corner, Aeno peaked his head out and caught the outline of a male figure with a very large bronze pot floating behind him.

Aeno crawled out from under the bench and ran to the kitchens’ door with Thim on his heels. They slipped inside, shutting the door behind them, and Aeno turned to look at Thim. Thim was already looking at Aeno, a twitching grin on his face which devolved into giggles. Aeno quickly followed, forced to hold his stomach from the ache of their laughter.

“Heh, that was… ridiculous.” Aeno heaved, his breathing slowly evening out again. He looked up and Thim was still looking at Aeno, an odd look on his face. Aeno thought he might have seen a light, warm color that he didn’t remember seeing in his friend’s eyes before, but it must have just been the light because Thim was smiling again.

“Completely.” Thim agreed. “I never thought I’d be thanking Hylia for some benches.”

Aeno nodded and began walking further into the room. He hadn’t been in the kitchens properly before, and he was excited to see what they would be able to grab. “I feel like my father’s going to come give me a lecture on blasphemy.” He paused, and his eyes caught on a rack of pots and pans. “Hey, did you see that giant pot the man carried out of here? What do you think he’s using it for?”

“I didn’t get a good look, no.” It sounded like Thim was wandering in his own direction, footsteps getting further away. “How would he even carry this ‘giant pot’?”

“Well, it was floating.” Aeno said and turned around, though he still couldn’t see Thim. “He must have been using magic.”

The sound of Thim’s footsteps stopped. “... it was floating? He wasn’t touching it at all?”

Aeno nodded absently as he followed the sound of Thim’s voice. “I mean, I didn’t get a great look at him, but that’s what I saw.”

When Aeno found him, Thim was standing still and his eyes burned alarm-bells orange. “There’s only one person in the castle I can think of who has telekinesis, but I have no idea why he would be stealing a pot from the kitchens. It makes no sense.”

“Who is it?” Aeno asked, torn between concern and feeling like his friend was overreacting. They hadn’t wanted to be caught, but that was just to avoid the punishments that might come with it. Not any fear of the man himself.

Thim began rubbing the pads of his fingers together. “Lord Trayvon Diaditor. He’s the Master of War.”

“Oh.” Aeno blinked, wondering if he should feel relieved or worried. “That is strange.”

#seriously #i created this doc 9/21/22 #i am so sorry rain #happy birthday? #happy birthday rain #i love that this isnt even an au #this is just #canon #dumb best friends #hope you enjoyed #cambrie wrote this #loz rp #thim #aeno #rgb #prompt #i am posting at 11 there may be errors

[assumptionprime]

"I Just Don't Think That's Going To Happen"

Good news: I finally made a new comic!

Bad news: It's about something that sucks! If the good news here outweighs the bad, maybe support me on Patreon.

In the midst of talking about how much this sucks, I am extremely fortunate to even be able to move to somewhere safer. Please support those who can't, or who need a helping hand to go somewhere they can be themselves. (Give trans people money)

[Image description: Comic, sixteen panels. Panel 1: Robin speaking on her phone, clearly distressed, tears in her eyes: "I'm telling you that I'm scared. These people-- the kind of people you vote for-- want to take my health care, my rights away from me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave my home." The voice from the phone answers: "Well," Large dialogue text in a large white space between panels: "I just don't think that's going to happen." Panel 2: Robin, wide eyes still tearing up, stares in disbelief at her phone. Panel 3: A website heading "Home > News" above a headline that reads "Utah just banned gender-affirming healthcare for transgender kids. These 21 other states are considering similar bills in 2023." Panel 4: Another headline reads "Health care for transgender adults becomes new target in 2023 legislative session." sub heading continues: "Lawmakers prefiled many anti-trans bills ahead of state--" Panel 5: Robin looking at a tablet screen, concerned. Panel 6: Robin siting on a couch, watching TV. A speaker on the TV says: "After the anti-LGBTQ+ campaign prompted several protests and bomb threats made against the Boston facility, the group has now turned its gaze toward the Gender Health Program at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville." Panel 7: Several headlines: "New Tennessee bill banning 'male or female impersonators' in public could criminalize drag performers and trans people" "Missouri lawmakers ban transgender care for minors, restrict coverage for adults" "Tennessee has passed a ban on gender affirming health care for trans kids. The bill's exceptions may only exist on paper" They headlines are accompanied by a map showing the severity of anti-transgender legislation in different US states. Panel 8: Robin's spouse Jordan sitting on the couch, looking up from her laptop toward Robin. Robin is gripping her arm tightly, a look of distress and sadness on her face, tears welling in her eyes. Jordan says "That's it. We're leaving." Panel 9: Robin taping the top of a cardboard moving box, looking over her shoulder toward Jordan, who is saying something as she walks away holding another box. More boxes are stacked behind them. Panel 10: Robin sitting at a table with a large stack of paperwork and holding a pen. She is leaning back and groaning: "Eughhhhhh" Panel 11: Robin standing with three friends, embracing as one of them speaks "I'm glad we got to see you before you left. We'll miss you." Panel 12: Jordan and Robin standing by the open trunk of their car. Several bags and suitcases are loading into the back. Jordan is shoving things in tighter and grumbling "It WILL fit!" Robin, holding a vacuum compression bag of full of clothing that has yet to go in the trunk, looks unsure. Panel 13: Robin and Jordan standing in the empty house, lights off, with sunlight coming in from the windows in the back doors and lighting them from behind. Robin looks upset, Jordan has a comforting hand on her shoulder. Panel 14: Jordan and robin sitting in the very full car, their dog in the back seat. Jordan is driving, Robin in the passenger seat looking out the window. Panel 15: Robin, still in the passenger seat of the car, now propping her head up with her hand on her cheek. She is looking down, seeming morose. Large dialogue text in a large white space between panels: "I just don't think that's going to happen." Panel 16: closer shot on Robin. Her gaze has shifted outside the window, her expression is now bitter, with tears gathering in her eyes.]

#comic #art #trans #trans stuff #transgender

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

The Great Invitation

11 “He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart.

12 “And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.a

13 “I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.

14 “Blessed are thosea doing His commands,b so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

15 “But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who whore, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and all who love and do falsehood.a

16 “I, יהושע, have sent My messenger to witness to you these matters in the assemblies. I am the Root and the Offspring of Dawiḏ,a the Bright and Morning Star.”

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And he who hears, let him say, “Come!” And he who thirsts, come! And he who desires it, take the water of life without paying!

18 For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book,

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book.

20 He that bears witness of these matters says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Amĕn. Yes, come, Master יהושע!

21 The favour of our Master יהושע Messiah be with the set-apart ones. Amĕn. — Revelation 22:11-21 | The Scriptures (ISR 1998) The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 2:9; Genesis 3:22; Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Deuteronomy 23:18; Job 34:11; Psalm 28:4; Proverbs 7:27; Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 14:12; Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 55:1; Ezekiel 3:27; Ezekiel 47:1; Daniel 12:10; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:9

#Jesus is coming #nothing may be added to the book of Revelation #grace #Lord #saints #Revelation 22:11-21 #Book of Revelation #ISR 1998 #Holy Bible #The Scriptures 1998 #Institute for Scripture Research

[bonefall]

Herb Guide: Deaf Warriors and Hearing Disabilities

UPDATE 1: Added more harshness to the lipreading section based on initial feedback; minor rewording of some lines!

A reference for Warrior Cats fans creating characters with hearing loss, blending human advice with cat biology, written for an in-universe perspective on living with and managing such disabilities.

AKA Bonefall casts Spell of Stop Being Weird About Snowkit on all amoebas in 500 mile radius

[ID: A headshot of three cats, a brown tabby with a shredded ear (Strikestone), a solid white cat with blue eyes (Stonewing), and a gray cat with a mane (Dovewing).]

In the five Clans, hearing loss is both one of the most common sensory disabilities, and one of the most intense to adapt to. Through any mix of simple infections, birth abnormalities, or even just getting older, any given Clan can expect at least 1 in 4 of its cats to have some form of hearing loss.

Hearing loss is any impaired ability to hear, defined as not being able to hear noises under 20 decibels. Deafness is "profound" hearing loss, which means their hearing STARTS at a noise that is 81 decibels (ex: motorcycle, middle-distant clap of thunder) or louder. Most deaf people can still hear slightly, but sound is "muffled" and they can only hear VERY loud noises.

Hearing loss = Any impaired ability to hear. Normal hearing is 20 DB or lower.

Hard of Hearing (HOH) = Mild to severe hearing loss; starts between 21 DB and 95 DB.

Deaf = Profound hearing loss at 95 DB or higher; a clap of thunder is a quiet whisper.

MOST hearing loss will affect one ear more strongly than the other, and the cat will be HOH. The vast majority of cats with a hearing disability will still be able to understand their Clanmates, if they're just spoken to louder and more clearly. Cats who are born deaf (congenital deafness), however, tend to have profound hearing loss which affects their ability to understand speech.

Cats rely on their hearing and sense of smell much more strongly than they do on their eyesight. With hearing that's 4x more sensitive than a human's and can differentiate between 1/10th of a pitch, a Clan's healer would recognize hearing loss as a disability long before humans would even notice a problem.

Since hearing loss starts with the high-pitch noises that prey makes, like squeaks and chirps, hearing loss is a major reason for a senior warrior to begin to consider retirement. However, with proper support and accommodation, ANY warrior could adapt to this disability; Especially cats born deaf and younger HOH warriors with lots of time to re-learn.

This guide covers;

Common Causes

Traits and Challenges of Hearing Loss

Communication: Signs, lipreading, and more

Unique Challenges Clan-by-Clan

Sources are linked in a separate post, here, and linked again at the very bottom!

(note: this guide doesn't cover devices of any kind, but one of many reasons why cochlear implants are controversial is because an implant will destroy that remaining hearing. They aren't hearing aids; hearing aids amplify sound. Aids and implants are two different things)

Common Causes

There are DOZENS of ways to destroy the incredibly sensitive ears of a cat. ANY infection or injury can lead to permanent damage. That can include,

Injury gone sour, from battle, hunting, accidents, etc

Concussion, or a hard enough blow to the ear

Ear Mites, especially if the cat can't stop scratching it

Swimming in cold or dirty river water

Fungal or bacterial infections

Allergies, which can lead to sinus infections. Even an infection in the mouth or throat can spread to the ear!

There doesn't even need to be an infection. Around the ages of 7 - 11, a senior warrior may begin to gradually lose their hearing. Sometimes, through genetic factors or degenerative disease within the ear, an even younger warrior will lose it for "no reason."

It just happens, and it's incredibly common. They will usually begin to notice it when they stop being able to hear and hunt small rodents, because hearing loss will start with high-pitched noises.

Healers can do very little about this, besides attempting to clean any wax out of the ear canal with flax oil and a dab (such as moss, wool, or cloth). There are SO many ways for it to happen and so little in the way of treatments, that it's practically inevitable.

The majority of hearing loss is from infection or disease, but the most predictable way to see deafness in the Clans is in kits born white with blue eyes. In fact, ALL pure white cats are more prone to being born deaf!

Pure white without blue eyes: 17% to 22%

White with a single blue eye: 40% (and usually on the side of the blue eye)

White with two blue eyes: 65% to 85%

In an afflicted kit, the inner ear will rapidly degenerate. They typically lose most of their hearing by their 4th day, and will only be able to faintly hear extremely loud noises.

Of course, there's also various other birth defects that can result in deaf and HOH kits, even if they aren't white with blue eyes. The ear canal and hearing organs can just not form correctly! Any kit could be born with hearing loss, and they can have any type!

If the loss came from injury or severe infection, chronic pain in the inner ear is also common. Nothing can be done about this besides painkillers such as poppy seeds. This condition is rare in born-deaf cats.

Most cats with hearing loss will also permanently hear a repetitive, single-note sound. For most it's a faint, tinny "ring," but others can hear hissing, crackling, or humming in high or low pitch.

At first, this constant noise can be distracting or even debilitating, preventing them from focusing or sleeping, until... you just get used to it.

There is no way to turn the noise off. It can get worse or better, but it's forever. Sleeping and not being stressed out will help, but over time, they typically learn to tune it out. Being reminded of it is usually annoying, just like when someone reminds you about manual breathing.

(We call this condition tinnitus. It is up to you what you would like your cats to call it, the same way they refer to pneumonia as greencough. Tinnitus is a LOT broader than this little snippet, but this is not a guide about tinnitus, this is about hearing loss)

So to summarize that,

There's a billiondy-million ways to damage one's hearing.

Losing your hearing from age or disease usually results in being hard of hearing (HOH) as opposed to deaf, and is likely to affect one ear more than the other.

It starts with high-pitched noises like rodent squeaks.

Cats born white with blue eyes have a massive chance of being born deaf; their inner ear degenerates.

But, any kit could be born with any type of hearing loss, not just deafness.

Most cats with hearing loss will hear a distracting, repetitive noise. They just learn to tune it out.

Traits and Challenges of Hearing Loss

Hearing impaired cats are LOUD.

Even warriors who have mild hearing loss will often end up speaking much louder so they can hear themselves, or not notice the sounds they're making as they shift around in their nests, scuffle sand at the dirtplace, or trample through crunchy leaf litter.

If one of their ears is better than the other, they'll usually try to stand with their "good side" facing any speakers or other sources of noise. They might appear to be constantly standing at an angle, with their head turned towards the sound. It might be so second nature that they don't realize they're doing it.

Plus, a cat with hearing loss in only one ear will lose their hearing's "distance perception," the ability to pinpoint a sound's location. EXACTLY like how losing the sight in one eye causes the loss of "depth perception," they will have difficulty telling how far away a noise actually is.

Warriors who lose their hearing later in life typically have years of experience in knowing how prey behaves and what sorts of actions make noise; but cats born deaf have to be taught this.

Instead, born-deaf cats tend to associate "sound" with "vibration." Echoes, rumbles, and the sensation of their own humming or laughter can feel very pleasurable. Their whiskers are so sensitive that they can even feel drafts of air from someone speaking in front of them! Because of that, cats with impaired hearing do better with low, rumbling "sounds" rather than high-pitched ones; even when they can't hear either. They can feel lower pitched noises.

(NOTE: Decibels are the measurement of volume, and Hertz are the measurement of pitch. These are different things, NOT interchangeable. HIGH pitch and LOW volume are lost first.)

This is why hunting is so difficult when cats begin to lose their hearing. Their sense of smell and sight can be perfectly intact, but a lot of how a cat hunts is in listening for delicate little sounds and balancing them in both ears to figure out prey's exact location. So, when a cat is learning to hunt without their hearing, they have to rely on their other senses and keep their whiskers low, dusting the ground with their chops and front paws, in hopes of their quarry making a vibration they can feel.

IMPORTANT: Don't forget that cats have carpal whiskers! They are short whiskers on the front paws of a cat, used primarily for "grappling" with other cats and struggling prey. They are less sensitive than facial whiskers, but still very useful for a hearing impaired warrior.

"Dusting," keeping the face low, is still more effective than relying entirely on "Sweeping" movements with the paws.

The younger the cat is, the more time they will have to practice and master this. Cats born deaf, who have never relied on hearing before, are usually better hunters than older warriors learning completely new techniques.

But. Clan cats aren't the only danger in the forest.

A warrior who is deaf or hard-of-hearing will not hear danger approaching, and is easy to sneak up on. Even if they keep themselves completely quiet, an intelligent fox or an enemy warrior can launch an unexpected attack on their unsuspecting target. The wilderness is dangerous, and it's not feasible to keep one's whiskers pressed to the ground at all times, even if vibrations did carry far enough to detect such danger before it's too late.

So, it would be recommended for warriors with hearing loss to not wander too far without a hearing Clanmate capable of alerting them to sounds.

They also will have a VERY difficult time acting as part of a "battalion," in large-scale battles.

In fights with dozens of entangled warriors, while they're focused on fighting the cat in front of them, they will have a hard time hearing commands. Even if well-trained in visual cues like tail signs, deaf and HOH warriors might fail to respond to yowled orders like, "RETREAT" or "SECURE THE ENTRANCE."

Even if the warrior isn't fully deaf, battles are loud and chaotic! It's very likely that such orders would get lost in the clamor of hissing and screeching cats, if the cat has any difficulties with hearing at all.

In summary,

Cats with hearing disabilities are loud.

Hearing loss in one ear will cause the loss of distance perception, and they will often stand at an angle with their good ear facing the noise.

If they were born deaf, they have to learn what makes noise.

Highly tactile, they tend to rely on whisker-sense to "replace" their hearing.

Keeping their facial whiskers low to feel for vibration, "dusting," is a very useful technique.

"Sweeping" with the carpal whiskers is also useful, but less so than "dusting."

They are in increased danger from things sneaking up on them, and shouldn't go anywhere unsafe without a buddy.

Following battle commands in large-scale battles will be difficult or nearly impossible, making them bad "team players."

Communication: Signing, lipreading, and more

(psst! @twiigbranch has a free-to-use version of pawspeak if you credit them!)

Since the majority of these cats lost their ability to hear later in life, most warriors with hearing loss will speak "normally." By "normally," that means they will talk the same way they did their whole lives, just louder so they can hear themselves better.

Over many years, they may begin to stop enunciating their words, 'slurring' their sentences, and their pitch may be a little off. Even then, it's rare that a Clanmate would be able to "tell" they have hearing loss just from their cadence.

But, meanwhile, cats who are born deaf will have a very complicated journey with speech.

It's PIVOTAL for the kit's development that the family and the Clan takes an interest in trying to communicate with them. Deaf children often become isolated from communities that don't seem to care about them, the same way any other alienated child would. This can result in trauma, lack of self-confidence, and behavioral issues.

Even if your project doesn't have Pawspeak (or doesn't have it yet!), kittens WILL find ways to communicate with their family and Clan. Sign language can evolve organically from home signs, unique gestures that will rise for a deaf child to speak with their family. BUT, the sooner they're introduced to a true sign language, the better they will be able to communicate.

Sign languages can also die naturally, simply fading away if the next few generations don't keep them alive. It's possible for the Clans to have gone through a few, over the years!

(Note: Sign languages are full languages, not just "physical versions" of a spoken one. American Sign Language and British Sign Language are from totally different families, even further from each other than English and Russian!)

It is also possible for cats born fully deaf, who have never heard words, to learn how to speak verbally... but, this takes a LOT more time and effort than using a sign language.

Teaching a deaf warrior how to say words is not quick, or easy, and is a very physical process. It involves a lot of dedicated practice time back-and-forth, with the apprentice placing their paw on their mentor's throat to feel their voice, and being coached on how to mimic the exact inflections of every word. It can be very repetitive, and very boring.

Even with lots of training, speakers born deaf have a noticeable "accent." They pronounce consonants better than they do vowels (aeiou), and often lack tone and inflection. Each warrior is an individual, and using a speaking voice is a skill some will be better at using than others.

Lipreading is very difficult. Most warriors born deaf will never learn how to do this, or even want to, as it takes an immense amount of time, effort, and tutoring. It will be more common for cats with more moderate hearing loss, especially if they lost their hearing later in life.

These are REQUIRED for a proper lip reading;

Clear view of the face. If the speaker is too far away, moving around, covers their mouth, stands in a dark place, or has their back turned, their lips can't be read. There are many ways that the view of the face could be obstructed.

Slow, clear speaking. If they're talking too quickly and mumbling their words, it will be extremely difficult to catch all of what they said. A better lip reader will be able to read faster.

Mental awareness. A cat who is tired to exhaustion, unable to focus, or not expecting to be spoken to will not be able to process what's being said. Lipreading is an action that takes brainpower.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: A single speaker, not overlapping with others. Lip reading is nearly useless during clanwide arguments. If there's tons of cats talking over each other, shouting out and interrupting, responding to unseen lips in the crowd, or even if an important speaker is just at a bad angle for the deaf warrior's line of sight to catch, they will not be able to catch everything.

Lipreading is also an action that takes focus. If the cat is tired, unable to concentrate, or isn't expecting to have to read lips, they won't be able to process what words the mouth was forming. It works best one-on-one, in clear lighting, looking straight ahead at the speaker... and even then, the BEST lipreader might only catch 40% to 50% of the words said.

So, it's truly reading. Interpretation. It isn't straightforward like language is. From, "I see a herd of deer, all of them are bucks" they might only catch, "...a... deer... of them... bucks." They will have to guess the meaning based on context!

(Look into a mirror. Quickly chant "Red right wrong" three times. Do you see how similar your lips look to form those words when you're not trying to clearly enunciate them? That's what lipreaders deal with.)

So, while there are other options, a sign language is absolutely the best choice if possible in your setting. Especially for cats who were deaf from birth, sign language is the ideal solution.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS FOR WRITING A HEARING DISABILITY:

Please avoid them speaking with broken grammar, in third person, or with overly simplistic vocabulary, as if they are a toddler or a caveman. If a deaf cat is taught to speak, they will also learn grammar. BAD: "Examplefur go hunt. Me catch mouse good." OK: "I'm going hunting. I'm good at catching mice."

They will not suddenly "forget" how to speak if they lose their hearing, unless they have another condition such as brain injury.

Lip reading is inferior to signing.

They cannot perfectly catch every single word spoken in all conversations via lipreading, especially when the speaker isn't making an effort to include them, or it's during a disorganized group argument.

In ideal conditions, 30% to 40% of the words spoken will be picked up, and the reader will "fill in" the missing vocab with guesswork.

Teaching a deaf cat to speak verbally is a dedicated process, not something they easily "pick up."

Cats born deaf will almost never pick up lipreading, it is more common in milder forms of hearing loss.

Showing hearing clanmates making an effort to include hearing-impaired warriors, like doing translations or just making sure they understood everything, is massively appreciated.

A good culture around hearing loss is the best thing in the entire world for these cats. Support, respect, and acceptance are sincerely the most important factor in how well a hearing impaired warrior adapts with their disability.

So with that in mind, let's also explore the unique challenges in the terrains and culture of each Clan.

Unique Challenges Clan-by-Clan

Because of the nature of this disability, certain Clans are going to be more difficult for a hearing impaired warrior to function independently in, both in terms of environmental hazards and of culture.

Deaf and HOH warriors will not hear the sounds they're making if they step on noisy terrain or accidentally rustle nearby plants. Some enemies also rely more on stealth to attack their targets than others, and some territories will provide more places for prey and predators to hide. Water-related hazards will naturally cause there to be MORE disabled cats in some Clans more than others, which could mean that there will be less stigma and better community.

Environment means a lot to a cat with hearing loss!

RiverClan

Because this Clan is notorious for swimming in the river, they would have a massively higher rate of hearing loss (and scent loss) than other Clans; ESPECIALLY in late autumn and winter. This also means their healers would be MUCH more experienced with treating ear problems in general; but that's a subject for another guide!

(to answer a stray question before I eventually make that guide: RiverClan can make primitive earplugs out of beeswax to protect their hearing, but may need to trade with ThunderClan to acquire that.)

The important thing to note is that compared to other Clans, RiverClan has the highest rate of having HOH warriors. This means that there would be better support systems for hearing loss than in other Clans, and a cultural "bank" of techniques and knowledge to be shared.

They still have the same proportion of kittens born deaf compared to other Clans, but apprentices without hearing in RiverClan would have a bigger pool (heh!) of mentors who have experience with accommodating their disability.

Plus, you don't need to hear fish to catch them. While they'd still have issues hunting water voles and other wetland-loving rodents, fishers aren't at a significant disadvantage when it comes to providing food to the Clan.

Advantages--

High concentration of cats with similar disabilities provides community, and influences the broader culture to be more accommodating

Healers would have lots of experience with the injuries and illnesses that lead to hearing loss, leading to better treatment

Hearing is not necessary for catching fish, and thus has almost no bearing on how skilled a hunter would be.

Mentors would have better techniques for teaching deaf apprentices

Disadvantages--

Will not hear drowning cats. If you drop into that water you're on your own, bucko

Winter will be even harder than usual, when the river freezes over and fishing becomes more difficult.

Overall, RiverClan is THE best Clan for a deaf cat to be part of.

WindClan

With wide open spaces and lots of hills that offer a good vantage point, sight and vigilance is much more important for survival in a moorland than hearing. There's even an advantage to Pawspeak here; you can communicate from across the open moor without screaming out your location to all the prey!

On top of that, moorland has low-laying vegetation. It isn't a grassland, or filled with splashing water, or covered in crunchy leaf litter. There's not a lot of things TO accidentally make noise on, unless the warrior is trying to hide in a gorse or common heather bush, and WindClan is notorious for relying on speed over stealth anyway.

The one drawback to being a deaf moor-runner is that they will not hear baying hounds. Dogs are extremely common in moorland, either as sheep herders or as companions to human hunters shooting grouses. That said, the fact that hounds are the ONLY big predator they'll need to worry about immediately makes WindClan's moor safer than any woodland territory.

Badgers, boars, and foxes hate open spaces like moorland. It's just dogs that are a big concern, and hawks for smaller cats. There are very few "sneaky" predators in this area; most rely on speed.

So being a moor-runner is one of the best jobs that a warrior with hearing loss could have in the Clans... but the minute that they start to have problems listening to any orders, a tunneler should stop working underground immediately.

Deaf apprentices should be excused from their mandatory tunnel training, except to learn how to do evacuation drills.

There is no light underground. Even if they're capable of creating rushlights or are willing to sacrifice glowworms, that light will be dim at best, and could snuff out at any moment. Communication will become impossible with a deaf cat, and even moderate hearing loss will endanger any warrior who gets separated from their team.

If something as drastic as a cave-in or a flooding happens, they will be in extreme danger. They can't be properly warned unless they're pushed by a fellow digger, and they will not be able to notice anything that isn't rumbling. If they DO end up getting trapped under rubble, they will not hear a rescue party calling their name.

It's not just themselves they have to worry about, either. Not being able to warn or coordinate with their excavation team will put ALL of them in danger.

Advantages--

Moorland requires sharper eyes than ears to begin with.

Lack of ambush predators makes this territory particularly safe without hearing.

Quiet terrain makes sneaking less neccesary in the first place

Pawspeak is especially useful across wide distances

Disadvantages--

Hounds are still a massive danger; they could get very close before they're noticed, if they're upwind.

Will not receive a warning cry in case of any hawks or approaching predators.

Tunneling would be profoundly dangerous with a hearing disability; should be heavily discouraged.

Overall rating is that this is the second best Clan for a cat with hearing loss. RiverClan's sense of community still gives them the top seat imo, but if the attitudes of their Clanmates are good, WindClan's moor is an easy territory to adapt to.

ShadowClan

This one is going to depend on what version of ShadowClan the Erins feel like writing that day, or which one you've chosen for your own project. Do they live in a dry pine forest? Or a wetland?

If you're using the idea that ShadowClan lives in a dry pine forest, especially if your project exists in Britain where spruces, firs, and larches are non-native and thus the territory is a timber plantation, refer to the new growth section in ThunderClan below.

I do not abide by that idea, because Aengus the Prize Winning Hog did not emerge from a cranberry bog for me to disrespect him in this way <3 love ur local wetland <3

(quick note: a swamp is a wooded wetland, a marsh is an open wetland, a bog is acidic, and a fen is neutral/alkaline. Wetland is the general term here.)

Wetlands are rich with soggy ground, muck, and microbe-ridden stillwater. Though ShadowClan cats don't swim for fun, they would end up with more ear infections than most Clans through accidentally falling into the swamp. It's likely that they have the second-highest rate of hearing loss in the 5 Clans, but still significantly below RiverClan.

The lush, thick ferns and reeds provide lots of cover to the notoriously stealthy Clan, but to a warrior who can't hear, this terrain is loud and frustrating. The squish of mud under your paws and the rustle of undergrowth is very hard to adapt to if you can't hear it. ShadowClan's prey of birds, frogs, and water-rodents will respond to any accidental noises by fleeing, quickly, making hunting difficult.

Plus, ShadowClan doesn't rely on one, large, deep, stony body of water like RiverClan does, which seems to be sedimentary rock and open marsh all around. Predators are lurking everywhere in wooded swamps, and could sneak up on a warrior who can't hear them. Foxes, badgers, and boars are a danger in this territory.

All that said; ShadowClan still doesn't seem to rely on just rodents. They eat a lot of amphibians and reptiles, which are not hunted by sound. Most of the techniques they use to catch them can just be taught verbatim to a deaf apprentice, or continue to be used the same way by a warrior who has lost their hearing.

Advantages--

Concentration of warriors with hearing loss from falling into dirty water may provide community and support.

Has a good selection of prey that doesn't rely on listening to be hunted effectively.

Disadvantages--

Swamps, wooded wetlands, are dangerous and attract predators.

Lush foliage and soupy ground make moving quietly difficult for a deaf warrior; but not as difficult as leaf litter.

So, this Clan would be firmly middle-of-the-line in terms of its accessibility to a cat with hearing loss. It would depend a lot on how you plan to approach ShadowClan in your own project; such as if you plan to build out more campbound activities, see them as being social or antisocial with their Clanmates, and what kind of territory you choose for them to have.

SkyClan

As of the time of writing this guide in 2023, when the only decent description of SkyClan's new territory is from a single chapter of Squirrelflight's Hope, it's very difficult to figure out what sorts of terrain challenges a warrior with hearing loss would face at the lake.

Hopefully I can come back and update this later!

But it's most likely is that they have a diverse, varied territory, involving the climbing of steep hills and gorges. Even at the "gorge" territory, a lot of hunting would need to take place outside of the rocky parts of the ravine, in the sparse woodlands and countrysides nearby.

For hunting on sparse woodland, see the advice for ThunderClan. Most hunting in British countrysides is going to look very similar to WindClan's open fields, so refer up there for that.

Because of how close they are to humans, both in the Gorge and at the Lake, it's HIGHLY recommended that warriors with hearing loss avoid twolegplaces. ESPECIALLY towns. Between cars, crowds, and grabbing hands, these places are already dangerous (and sensory hell) for warriors with great hearing, but outright lethal for a hearing impaired cat who won't hear these things coming.

So while the majority of the Clan is jack-of-all-trades and regularly mixes up the particular terrain they hunt in, this is going to be harder for hearing impaired warriors. They have to invent brand new, unique techniques for ALL of these different environments, some of them more difficult than others. Because of that, it will naturally be easiest for a deaf warrior to "specialize" in a particular type of terrain.

This could result in some pretty intense feelings of alienation, as their hearing Clanmates regularly mix what sorts of places they tackle. Without even intending to, they could end up making the warrior feel very left out!

In terms of the culture though, SkyClan seems notoriously accommodating. Between the part-time-kittypet daylight warriors and the way they invented an entirely new mediator role for a cat who didn't enjoy hunting and fighting, it would likely be one of the BEST Clans in terms of supporting a hearing impaired warrior, even in spite of having a "standard" rate of hearing loss since their territory is not particularly wet.

So, it's very likely that they would WANT to fix the fact they've accidentally made their Clanmate excluded, and seek solutions that work for everyone. If any Clan besides RiverClan had a Pawspeak interpreter translating Leafstar's words, it would probably be these guys lmao

Advantages--

Varied terrain means there will be at least a few places that aren't too hard for them to adapt to

Sparse woods, open fields, and even gorges, the three most common terrain types, are at worst decent for a deaf cat to hunt in.

VERY accommodating culture, the absolute best outside of the Clans with a high hearing loss percentage.

Disadvantages--

Generalist training, where every warrior handles vastly different terrain types, will exponentially increase how much training a hearing-impaired warrior must learn.

Being unable to join with their Clanmates in hunting across the entire territory could feel isolating

Rating: Close to top tier, but variable. It's going to depend somewhat on the personality of the warrior. While SkyClan will likely make a big effort to include them, the reality of needing to learn several sets of parallel skills and the way they might feel like an "outsider" for specializing could cause extra distress. Especially for a warrior losing their hearing later in life.

ThunderClan

Because of their collaborative culture and hunting style, described as snobbish and bossy by other Clans, it's very likely that ThunderClan would struggle the most with a specific type of ableism. Since they value group cohesion, it follows they may force Assimilation onto a disabled warrior rather than Accommodation.

As mentioned earlier, Pawspeak is the best thing for the comfort of a deaf warrior... but it might not occur to this Clan to encourage the majority of the Clan to adapt to a minority of warriors.

But it gets worse. Forests are AWFUL terrain to hunt in if you can't hear. Imagine walking in a field with a bunch of invisible landmines, and if you step on one, it broadcasts your EXACT location.

It's difficult to tell if your mouse is running away because you crunched a leaf and made a sound... or because a bird in a tree SAW you and is now raising up an alarm cry. If you can't actually hear what the noise was that scared your lunch away, you might blame yourself for being clumsy as a fox barrels towards you!

When it comes to forests, there are significant differences between an old growth forest and a new growth forest. BOTH of them are going to be extremely difficult for a disabled warrior to adapt to, but old growth is harder.

OLD GROWTH

In both, ground litter is a challenge, but especially so in an old growth British forest. Natural forests there are primarily mixed oak, which drop twigs, leaves, and acorns all over the ground.

These areas are bountiful, productive, and brimming with life. Both in terms of prey and predators. The varied canopy of natural, mixed-age trees allows sunlight to filter through and create an "understorey," providing lots of food and cover to lots of different animals. Unfortunately, foliage is not a deaf warrior's friend.

As previously mentioned, a mix of areas for animals to hide in and a surrounding of rattling plant life is the worst possible combination for a cat who can't hear. Worse, hunting rodents depends massively on hearing them through the leaf litter, thanks to those high-pitched chirps and squeaks which are the first thing to vanish when a cat loses their hearing.

This would be so bad that it's likely ThunderClan "works" its youngest members much harder than its seniors, assigning apprentices and young warriors to significantly more hunting patrols. Since hearing loss is so common that it's practically inevitable, and the security of a Clan allows these wild cats to live to such old ages, it would be "common sense" to ThunderClan to structure things this way.

Old growth patches are practically food pantries for Clan cats, but hearing impaired warriors will have a HELLISH time trying to hunt in them.

NEW GROWTH

When a forest is new and all of the trees in a stand are about the same age, they create a uniform canopy. Like a continuous tent. This means they're so effective at blocking out sunlight that there's virtually no understorey.

No understorey means no food. Or very little food. But it also means no cover. And, usually, significantly less leaf litter. This is because in Britain, most of these types of forests are non-native conifers. Sitka spruce and douglas fir are the two biggest offenders-- and that's significant because nothing here has evolved to EAT the products of those trees.

In ThunderClan, Tallpines is an example of this, but this type of terrain could pop up anywhere that's seen massive destruction.

No understorey to feed prey, no products of the trees which native animals can eat, a silent floor covered in pine needles which offer no hiding places, almost chilling uniformity of the strange trees in evenly-spaced rows...

All of this to say that there's an irony here, that the hearing impaired warrior will be best at hunting in the most barren parts of the forest.

There's much less things to trip up on, or rustle. Prey can be plainly seen out in the open. Gray squirrels are the most significant prey that can utilize these areas, and they DO make a hearty meal for a Clan cat. Additionally, these areas are particularly silent because they're so barren, which might make them seem "creepy" to hearing warriors, but that wouldn't bother a deaf warrior one bit!

Advantages--

Cultural sentiment of "all for one; one for all" may lead to more dedication from the Clan as a whole in connecting to the hearing impaired cat

Which could be a blessing or a curse, depending on the individual warrior's feelings.

Ability to work efficiently in the most barren parts of the forest

Disadvantages--

Cultural emphasis on collaboration in group hunting likely leads to deaf cats being encouraged to adapt to the patrol rather than their own strengths.

May result in more emphasis on teaching lip reading and 'speech therapy,' rather than the adoption or implementation of Pawspeak.

Very difficult to stay quiet in a forest if you can't hear the crunch of leaf litter and twigs.

Lots of cover means random bullshit can spring out from any corner; abundance of ambush predators.

Cover also means there's a lot of places for prey to hide, and hearing can't be used to pinpoint the location.

Lots of rodent prey, which relies on hearing high-pitched noise to catch.

Rating: F MINUS, SEE ME AFTER CLASS. By FAR the worst Clan for a warrior with hearing loss to be part of, for both practical reasons, AND cultural reasons. Awful awful awful, absolutely abysmal, failing grade. Dark Souls for deaf cats

Though remember! This part of the guide is a suggestion. You do not need to include ableism in your own projects if you do not want to, and I hope with the information that you now have, you know how to better avoid it!

"Sources?"

Right this way~

#Deafness #Hearing Loss #Herb Guide #Clan Culture #warrior cats #deaf warriors #This is not BB but I feel like I should tag it just for the cover art #Since Stonewing and Dovewing don't have hearing loss in canon #BUT I SAY THEY DO #Better Bones AU...ish. kinda #Bonefall's Herb Guides

[rostyslavua]

Пентагон виділив додаткові $3 млрд на зброю для України

https://antiraid.com.ua/news/pentahon-vydilyv-dodatkovi-3-mlrd-na-zbroiu-dlia-ukrainy/ Міністерство оборони США виявило помилку в обліку вартості озброєння, яке Україна отримувала з американських складів, у результаті чого сума була завищена приблизно на 3 млрд дол. Про це агенції Reuters розповіли два джерела в Сенаті й оборонному секторі уряду США, пише “Європейська правда”. Помилка обліку, за даними інформагентства, стала наслідком того, що вартість зброї, яка […] Повідомлення Пентагон виділив додаткові $3 млрд на зброю для України з'явилися спочатку на ANTIRAID. via ANTIRAID https://antiraid.com.ua/home/ May 21, 2023 at 11:30AM

#May 21 #2023 at 11:30AM

[rabbitcruiser]

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened to the public on May 21, 2014.  

#National September 11 Memorial & Museum #180 Greenwich Street #USA #Michael Arad #Peter Walker #Davis Brody Bond #singing steel #travel #Ladder Company 3 #survior stairs #Lower Manhattan #New York City #openend #Reflecting Absence by Michael Arad and Peter Walker #One World Trade Center #David Childs #Daniel Libeskind #21 May 2014 #US history #anniversary #summer 2018 #original photography #landmark #tourist attraction #architecture #cityscape

[dopingconsomme]

震度5強の地震が発生した千葉県木更津市 今日明日はにわか雨 土曜から断続的に雨tenki.jp - Yahoo!ニュース

,震度5強の地震が発生した千葉県木更津市　今日・明日はにわか雨　土曜から断続的に雨（tenki.jp） - Yahoo!ニュース きょう11日4時16分頃、千葉県南部を震源とする地震が発生し、千葉県木更津市で震度5強を観測しました。木更津市ではきょう11日とあす12日はにわか雨に注意。13日(土)頃からは断続的に雨が降るでしょう。揺れの強かった地域では、落石や崖崩れなどの危険性が高まっていますので、十分注意してください。 きょう11日4時16...,https://b.hatena.ne.jp/dopingconsomme/20230511#bookmark-4736324954955506277 https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/79776bfe4ef970df706ea457a1beebfaf2b02c40

#zapier #地震 #千葉 #2023-05-11T00:21:50Z #May 11 #2023 at 09:31AM #news.yahoo.co.jp

[febuwhump]

FEBUWHUMP 2024 PROMPT LIST

this year's prompts were chosen through a suggestion poll (in which we recevied 2,281 prompts) and a subsequent vote, where over 1,000 people voted for their favourites. the top 29 make up the core prompts, and a mixture of the next most popular - and this blog's personal favourites - have become the alternates

i’m so excited to see what you all create with these prompts, and hope they’re inspiring enough to trigger a whole month’s worth of creativity for you! if you have any questions, please check out the blog's faq before sending an ask, or check out the previously asked questions on the blog!

please note: this year, notifying the blog of completionist status will happen through a google form that will be released closer to the end of febuwhump.

full write-up of prompts and rules under the cut:

FEBUWHUMP 2024 PROMPTS:

DAY 1: helpless

DAY 2: solitary confinement

DAY 3: "bite down on this"

DAY 4: obedience

DAY 5: rope burns

DAY 6: "you lied to me"

DAY 7: suffering in silence

DAY 8: "why won't it stop?"

DAY 9: bees

DAY 10: killing in self defence

DAY 11: time loop

DAY 12: semi-conscious

DAY 13: "you weren't supposed to get hurt"

DAY 14: blood-stained tiles

DAY 15: "who did this to you?"

DAY 16: came back wrong

DAY 17: hostage situation

DAY 18: too weak to move

DAY 19: "please don't"

DAY 20: truth serum

DAY 21: unresponsive

DAY 22: "you weren't meant to be there"

DAY 23: presumed dead

DAY 24: "i'm doing this because i care about you"

DAY 25: waterboarding

DAY 26: "help them"

DAY 27: left for dead

DAY 28: "no... not like this"

DAY 29: not allowed to die

ALTERNATE PROMPTS:

is there a specific day’s prompt you don’t want to fill? here are ten alternatives you can switch them out for!

ALT 1: human shield

ALT 2: "i love you"

ALT 3: found footage

ALT 4: human weapon

ALT 5: cpr

ALT 6: immortality

ALT 7: last words

ALT 8: killing game

ALT 9: lightning strike

ALT 10: last man standing

RULES:

SOFT RULES:

prompts should be answered in the form of whump

creators can produce whatever kind of media they want

you don’t have to complete all the prompts! you can create however much you want to

you can use the prompts after the event ends and can complete them in tandem with any other event

you can post on any platform you want, however this blog will only be sharing those posted on tumblr

if you want to be featured on the hall of fame then you have until the 3rd of March to inform this blog that you completed all the days

if you have questions consult the faq before asking

HARD RULES: (specifically for being featured on the blog)

when uploading febuwhump content to tumblr, please use the tags:

febuwhump (i’ll also be checking febuwhump2024)

the relevant day’s tag e.g. febuwhumpday1, febuwhumpday2…

nsfw (if relevant)

and any trigger warnings that may be important!

you can also tag the blog, @febuwhump

i cannot guarantee your work will be archived on the blog because I have no idea how many participants there will be. a random selection of works tagged in accordance to the rules above will be reblogged every day of february.

#febuwhump #febuwhump 2024 #febuwhump2024 #prompts #whump #whump prompts

[breelandwalker]

2024 Witches' Calendar

For all my witches out there, here's a handy list of the 2024 dates for the solstices, quarter days, full and new moons, and special events. I've listed my sources at the bottom.

Dates and times for all events are calculated for Eastern Standard Time, USA, Northern Hemisphere. Adjust for your location as needed and check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what special events will be visible in your area. Enjoy!

Solstices, Harvests, and Quarter Days

February 1-2 - Imbolc / Candlemas

March 19 - Spring Equinox / Ostara

April 30-May 1 - Beltane / May Day

June 20 - Summer Solstice / Midsummer / Litha

August 1 - Lughnasadh / Lammas / Summer Harvest

September 22 - Autumn Equinox / Mabon / Fall Harvest

October 31 - Samhain / Halloween / Final Harvest

December 21 - Winter Solstice / Yule

Full Moons

January 25 - Wolf Moon ♌

February 24 - Snow Moon ♍

March 25 - Worm Moon ♎

April 23 - Pink Moon ♏

May 23 - Flower Moon ♐

June 21 - Strawberry Moon ♑

July 21 - Thunder Moon (aka Buck Moon) ♑

August 19 - Sturgeon Moon* ♒

September 17 - Harvest Moon* ♓

October 17 - Hunter's Moon (aka Blood Moon)* ♈

November 15 - Frost Moon (or Beaver Moon)* ♉

December 15 - Cold Moon ♊

*- Supermoon

Fun Fact: The title of Harvest Moon is given to either the September or October full moon, whichever falls closest to the autumn equinox. Once again this year, that month will be September.

New Moons

January 11 ♑

February 9 ♒

March 10 ♓

April 8 ♈

May 7 ♉

June 6 ♊

July 5 ♋

August 4 ♌

September 2 ♍

October 2 ♎

November 1 ♏

December 1 ♐

December 30 (black moon) ♑

Special Celestial Events

January 3-4 - Quadrantids meteor shower peak

March 25 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

April 8 - Total solar eclipse

April 22-23 - Lyrids meteor shower peak

May 6-7 - Eta Aquarids meteor shower peak

August 11-13 - Perseids meteor shower peak

August 19 - Sturgeon Supermoon / Seasonal Blue Moon

September 17 - Harvest Supermoon / Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

October 2 - "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse

October 17 - Hunter's Supermoon

October 21-22 - Orionids meteor shower peak

November 15 - Frost Supermoon

November 16-17 - Leonids meteor shower peak

December 13-14 - Geminids meteor shower peak

December 30 - Black Moon

(Check the DarkSky Placefinder to see what will be visible in your area!)

Mercury Retrogrades (in case you need them)

April 1 - April 24

August 4 - August 27

November 25 - December 15

Happy Witching!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:

Bree's Lunar Calendar Series

Bree's Secular Celebrations Series

Moon Info - Full Moon Dates for 2024

Calendar-12 - 2024 Moon Phases

Full Moonology - 2024 Full Moon Calendar

AstroStyle - All the 2024 Full Moons

Your Zodiac Sign - Astrology Calendar 2024

Old Farmer's Almanac - Mercury Retrograde Dates 2023-2024

Lonely Planet - Best Star-gazing Events of 2024

Sea and Sky - Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2024

DarkSky International - Dark Sky Placefinder for Stargazing

Pagan Grimoire - Wheel of the Year: The 8 Festivals in the Wiccan Calendar (2024 Edition)

=

If you're enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊

EDIT: Mercury is stationed direct on Jan 1st, 2024. The source I used which stated it was in retrograde until the 18th had a typo.

EDIT: Fixed the zodiac signs for the full moons using a new source.

#witchcraft #witchblr #pagan #calendar #2024 #full moon #new moon #lunar magic #astrology #mercury retrograde #WOTY #holidays