#i am going to create an environment that is so toxic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bas-writes · 2 days

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a lot has happened lately, but so far i haven't made any official statement about my decisions and the path i want to take as a writer. it was a long road of trial and error & detailed examination of conscience in regard of my bad habits, gained experience, and goals and expectations. there are some massive changes that i need to address, followed by explanation of my decisions. i know i don't need to explain myself but i feel it's only fair to my loyal readers to share at least little insight into the context.

I. One Piece goes on indefinite vacation...

not going to lie, i was falling out of this fandom for years. it's started in 2021 when i fell victim to bullying and stalking, initiated by a widely-known (and still active, as far as i am aware of) x reader writer. it's the biggest reason for my slow withdrawal but not a sole one: pressing discourse around my comfort characters, toxic environment i fell into when looking for a relief from relentless bullying, forcing myself to write for topics and characters i didn't even like, readers overstepping my boundaries over and over again, falling into a trap of purity culture...oh, the list is long. way too long.

i still love one piece but i don't want to create for it en-masse anymore. right now it's just a wound that's far from healing, i need to treat it at my own pace. aside from an occasional poke at sapphic topics and my fav trio, i doubt it will appear in other way than commissions or gifts for friends. and some characters (kid, sanji, marco, katakuri, shanks & a few more) will never return.

II. ...but new fandoms arrive!

jujutsu kaisen is right now the main love of my life & will remain as the main fandom for long. but i found more series and characters i adore enough to feel that creative spark buzzing in my veins. soon you should see fics appearing for: demon slayer, chainsaw man, haikyuu and hell's paradise!

i'm keeping my head low rn when it comes to requests but i want to hold at least a kinktober open for them so you definitely will have an opportunity to see your faves from those series from me!

III. It's a gender neutral & afab Y/N sphere now!

it's something that was inevitably floating over me and my fics (and some of y'all definitely caught the whiff of it already), but i couldn't quite find courage to put a hard limit. we all know how it is in the y/n circles: way too many people expect from writers to cater to everyone, and treat it as a personal offense if you prefer to play in your own sandbox. as if writing y/ns was "activism", not a fandom activity like any other.

so, i won't force myself to write against myself anymore. i feel the most happy and comfortable when i make my y/ns gender neutral and when i'm giving them vaginas (and sometimes boobs) when i'm writing smut with them. i don't want to battle my weirdly-veiled dysphoria to force female reader out of myself. i don't want to stress myself while writing amab y/n, from the sheer biological fact of being unable to relate via lack of penis, to being sick and tired of the toxicity and misogyny that m!reader circles reek of.

so, gender neutral and afab it is. sometimes i will stray towards afab nonbinary or transmasc direction, if i feel like i need some good gender vibes coming from my fics.

it doesn't mean i will never write different y/ns. commissions, gifts for friends, exchanges, random ideas for a plot that requires a specific kind of y/n, sapphics feels, and such will appear here and there. i will also interact lots with f!reader fics, since it's what i see lots around & don't mind reading, if i feel more fem or if it's from a writer i like and trust.

incoming ino x reader (that i hope to publish tomorrow) will be the last non-sapphic f!reader that will appear for a long while. all requests i'm keeping in my drafts right now will be turned into completely gender neutral or from fem to more general afab reader (i don't have any requests for amab readers rn anyway). unless you really don't want to have f!reader taken out of your request - then please, let me know, i will delete it so you can head with it to a different writer.

IV. Never miss a fic again - sign for a tag list!

and now a little treat! if you don't want to miss a fic about the topic that might interest you, you may sign for a tag list by filling a simple form!

V. And what am I going to do now?

write, write, and write even more! i wanna write the in the heat of spring drabbles before the spring is gone, have three fully-fledged multichapter fics outlined and itching to be written and posted, and an interactive event with which we will welcome the summer 💦

in june i want to publish a few sapphic fics that i had in mind for a while now & later towards the second half of summer (think august-september) i'll smile at you again with a kinktober i really want to complete this year!

there might be a few smaller events on the way, depending on how busy i'll be. there's an idea for dilf enjoyers and for a chubby y/n, as well as many others that still didn't take a clear shape.

i also didn't forget about the kiss event and nonsexual acts of intimacy for the fluff enjoyers!

if you survived this wall of text (or just scrolled down here lol understandable) - thank you for your patience, understanding, and support. whether you're here with me since the very beginning or clicked the follow recently, i'm happy to have you here ❤ if you have any questions or just want to talk, my askbox is open for any kind of interaction! and if you want to support a poor writer who has way too many health-related spendings lately, you can buy me a ko-fi ❤

#bas speaks

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themerchantmoth · 5 months

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This meme is probably ancient by now but I just couldn’t resist😂

#hunter x hunter #ging freecss #meme #fanart #greed island #I am going to create an environment that is so toxic #digital art #artists on tumblr

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joemerl · 5 months

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#Thanksgiving #Cooking #Meme #Food #Humor #I Am Going to Create an Environment That is so Toxic #Oops this was supposed to go to my Thanksgiving blog. Eh. I'll just reblog it there.

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magerightsyeah · 8 months

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Anyways this is my Starfield oc, Jack Renfield the space scoundrel

#oc: Jack renfield #Starfield #Starfield oc #Starfield game #tmg #the mountain goats #he’s so dance music coded #I am going to create an environment that is so toxic #Sue Sylvester #glee #bgs #Bathesda game studies #bathesda #Starfield early access

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s1utforvampires · 10 months

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severus snape and sue sylvester are the same person except sue would’ve survived that snake bite

#sue sylvester #glee #severus snape #hp #tell me i’m wrong i dare u #hp shitpost #snape walking into a potions classroom: i am going to create an environment that is so toxic

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that-stingray-moved · 2 years

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this whole kdin situation actually makes me feel so sad. not only has rt always been bigoted, but they never want to change, and never want to own up to anything. something that also really rubs me the wrong way is that the employees who commented in the matter only talked about how like “it was a long time ago ive stopped saying those words 🥺” and literally nobody from rt is talking about the systematic worker abuse that was so rampant. how you couldnt go to HR or anyone about your discrimination because of your race or sexuality or gender or anything because they just dont care. how they criminally overworked all the employees, and refused to even pay them. i cant even imagine what other shit theyve been doing that we dont know of yet. i feel ashamed for going to their events, and paying for their merch and for first. we knew they were bad but like fuck it really is rotten to the core. (sorry for the dump hope youre doing well ❤️)

#yeah you basically summed up my feelings about it pretty well #it sucks and as much as it hurts to know that something so important to me in my teenage and young adulthood turned out to Suck #it pales in comparison to what the employees had to actually go through #since kdin said she accepted michaels apology i think he really has changed for the better #but i am so immensely disappointed in geoff #he still has a lot of personal shit to work through and i wont harp on him for that #but he needs to take responsibility for the toxic work environment he helped to create #i really looked up to him as proof that it CAN get better- especially as someone who has addiction that runs in the family #but seeing that he was one of the perpitrators of workplace harrassment and bigotry... it fucking hurts man #at the end of the day im glad kdin blew the whistle on this whole situation but it still sucks #also its okay to vent in my inbox i will vent in the tags in kind lol #anonymous #answered

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lesbienneanarchiste · 2 years

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My parents are going to be gone Tuesday thru Saturday, should I watch extremely scary movies the rest of the week and make myself sick or what

#i am going to create an environment that is so toxic and self destructive #disgruntled octopus

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lelianaslefthand · 3 months

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another ascended astarion/tav song has hit my brain: the one that got away by the civil wars

the kicker

...anyways

#once i come up with a tav that would support ascension its over for me i am going to create an environment that is so toxic #i have a few songs that live in my head for it and i know that anytime i listen to that playlist im gonna become evil #.txt

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zemathememequeen · 4 months

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The aro community right now

[ID: The "I am going to create an environment that is so toxic" meme, showing Sue Sylvester from Glee. The caption reads: "I am going to create an aro community that is so supportive." End ID]

#aromantic #aro #aro memes

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theambitiouswoman · 1 year

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Start learning how to replace habits that do not add value to your lives. They will never make you happy. They will distract you. They will waste your time. Any time you are not doing something for the betterment of you, that you catch yourself wanting to do things that don’t make you better make a conscious effort to stop and ask yourself how this helps you or if you value your time so little as to waste it. You need to choose to remind yourself and call yourself out. You guys are so keen on personal development. It’s not easy. Replacing habits is probably the easiest because we are not emotionally tied to it like let’s say toxic partners or environments. It really need to sinks in for you that your mind creates certain thoughts and feels safe in your current rhythm. Your mind wants to protect you and keep you comfortable because you have created a habit out of certain patterns. It doesn’t know if they’re good or bad. It just knows it’s a habit. To reprogram your mind to get used to feeling comfortable in new behaviors it first needs to feel uncomfortable. This will reflect on how a change of action makes you feel. Everything from unmotivated to all of a sudden tired or sad. So if you’re feeling those things, you need to realize that it’s your mind trying to protect you. Even if protecting you means letting you watch tv for 8 hours instead of going for a run for 20 mins. How crazy is that? Any time I felt that way I would tell myself “I am in control of my body and my feelings- not the other way around” and I would say it over and over until I got used to those new habits. And by the time I got used to them I was already feeling the positive effects of them.

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hellenhighwater · 11 months

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I had a look through your posts but I couldn't find anything... I was just wondering if you could share some advice on training cats, particularly in the realm of "not eating plants" and "not scratching things that aren't theirs" ? I'm getting a kitten next week and, while excited, I am also nervous as I've had some pretty destructive cats in the past...

Thank you in advance!

I can really only speak to what worked for me. I'm sure there will be more updates when the Interlopers come home--they currently are still at the shelter for a liiiiitle more observation.

When I brought Mal and Vice home, I babyproofed my bedroom. Nothing they could break, nothing they could damage--no surfaces they weren't allowed on, nothing they could hurt by clawing. And for the first few weeks, that is the ONLY room they were in. I don't know if stockholm syndrome is an option for cats, but they both have it now; we bonded. As they got settled and we built trust, I started bringing them out into other areas of the house, always under observation. When I (or a housemate) wasn't there to keep an eye on them, they just were put back in safe home base bedroom. The goal is to establish a positive relationship far enough that a no! won't send them hiding from you.

This is Vice in the living room for the first time.

The thing with cats is that they'll break a rule if they think you're not there to enforce it. So you have to be there, always, for long enough that the good behavior becomes a habit before they're left on their own. So as they moved into other areas of the house, the no! was always enforced when they started to do a naughty, and they learned to not even try because they'd get caught immediately. Eventually they had more and more run of the house, and were finally just left on their own. This means consistency and patience from you, and from everyone in your household. And that doesn't stop--you get in the base of this when they first come home, but you have to continue to consistently enforce forever. That's the deal. Their brains are itty bitty and full of mischief, and sometimes they're going to push boundaries because they can.

There's also some steps you should take to just cat-proof in general. Smooth river rocks in the top of any diggable pot; toxic plants relocated or removed, and furniture that might be particularly scratchable protected with throw blankets over the arms...you get the idea. Part of it is training, and part of it is creating an environment where they're not being tempted.

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thisismeracing · 1 year

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King of my heart | ms47 | part 02

Pairing: hamilton!reader (she/her) x mick schumacher

Warnings: curse words, twitter environment, mention of food, not proofread etc etc. Minors DNI!

summary: Y/n and Mick interactions are now being noticed by everyone and some people are ready to share all the details with the internet.

a/n: none of the pictures used are mine, they are all from Pinterest and other apps. everything else is made up by me and I do not give permission for it to be published on a different platform. I would appreciate it if those things could be taken into consideration 💛

part. 01 | series masterlist | part 03

theofficialyn

liked by mickschumacher, lewishamilton and others

theofficialyn We worked day and night to create the confiest and safest boots without losing its fashion sense. I am really proud to announce that we are launching one more colletion 🤎 I am still testing all the possibilities and designs to deliver only the best, but soon enought these babies and the rest of our collection will be at the stores ready to create good memories along with you guys 🤍 ynthebrand is really grateful for all the love! Check our website and account for more infos.

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sunshineyn OMG THESE ARE FANTASTIC, YN, YOU KEEP OUTDOING YOURSELF!!!!

lewishamilton I keep waiting for you to design man shoes, would most def wear them all the time

disneyf1mick I see a certain golden retriever pilot lurking around the likes 👄

user00 I just find really funny how she’s outed as Lewis sister and suddently theres a new collection being launched…

⤷ carloscars omg yall like to theorize everything, get a grip!

⤷ ynpoptart she’s been talking about this launch for months now, the date was already set, the Lewis incident have nothing to do with it. That’s why she did not want people to know he is her brother, because there are some shitty people like you that will try to dimish her hard work. Honestly, I feel sorry for your fan base, must be a toxic environment.

ynfantastic what about the heels she was wearing last pic? 😫

⤷ sunshine198 I think she’s launching it next, or maybe it was just a test?

⤷ theofficialyn they are on this collection, love! will launch it soon 🤍

⤷ ynfantastic OMG SHE ACTUALLY ANSWERED, HEY QUEEN ILYSM

user10 would never use them, they look kinda ugly and unsafe as well.

mickschumacher

liked by georgerussell63, mercedesamgf1 and others

mickschumacher Good that everyone got the “crossed arms” memo @mercedesamgf1

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schumachereign He looks waaaay too handsome ugh

⤷ f1racing2 toto, mick or the other guy?

⤷ schumachereign honestly, all of them lol

theofficialyn the energy is immaculate

⤷ ynnyc mother???? what are you doing here?

⤷ charlessainz2 god forbid but I already pictured her and mick dating, where are my fic writes at ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾

georgerussell63 you guys rock! 🖤

theofficialyn stories

theofficialyn

liked by zendaya, mercedesamgf1 and others

theofficialyn Going through a list of vegan places 💚😋

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mickschumacher 🐟🐟🐟

⤷ theofficialyn HAHAHAHA I HATE YOU!

⤷ f1fantastic your honor, they're in love.

⤷ potteryn they have their inside jokes already. It's their world, we’re just living in it

fan2 You look stunning 😭😭😭

lewishamilton The only reason I forgive you for not going with me is because you’re bringing it home as well 🤨

⤷ theofficialyn You’re the one who told me you did not wanna come!!!

⤷ abcdyn I wonder who she could be going with 😗

charles_leclerc I am counting on a bag of vegan donuts at my desk again this weekend to give me luck…just saying 🚶🏻

⤷ pierregasly he’s actually begging, yn

ynautumn how does it feel to be this pretty?

estebanocon 😍😍

⤷ charleslechair OMG WHAT IS THAT?? *nicki minaj voices*

⤷ norrisfav I thought Pierre was into this steal-your-girl thing not you, Esteban

ynandf1 the whole grid loves her and it shows

swiftieyln Im so happy seeing yn after she was outed as lewis sister, she looks less afraid to be herself, and she’s been feeding us sm I can only say thank you to the holy trinity

sainzsaint charles, pierre and esteban are here too, now y'all gonna say they're dating her as well?

⤷ estiebestie98 yes.

********************

make sure you like and reblog <3 feel free to talk to me as well, my inbox is always open!

wanna be tagged on my stories? click here

#I wanted to do a regular chapter but ive been so tired and busy lately #anyways here it goes #king of my heart ms47 #< tag to keep an eye on #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher social media au #f1 social media #f1 social media au #black!reader f1 #hamilton!reader #mick schumacher x reader #f1 imagines #ms47

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lillysilvermoon · 1 year

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What April will bring to you?

Pile 1

Hi pile 1! So I see that a lot of you are going through a difficult time in life. Some of you maybe are over thinkers and are feeling restricted by your own thoughts or a situation (for some I feel it's your environment that makes you feel this away). I think a lot of people here are going through end of cycles and has been really hard, especially because some of this ends are feeling like some kind of betrayal (I am so sorry Pile 1🥺) I feel like it is the end of friendship and relationship for a lot of you. BUT I have good news to y'all. This situation is because you are not seeing the BIG PICTURE, I know has been hard, believe me I know how it feels, but what I heard someone's guide say is "she is not realizing that SHE can figure it out! That's the lesson, it's all with her" and even tho not everyone reading this is a "her" I think this applies to a lot, really A LOT of you. Here me out: we can't control everything in life, endings can create space for new opportunities to emerge and hold on tight in this situation/relationship/thing will only cause you pain. April asks you go stabilize your energy, to try control less and go with the flow more. This month you bring you more balance and patience (for some it's what you will need to learn or work to be better at) and avoid extremes, maintain a sense of calm. I have a very good example: you know tiktok trend that "omg you wronged with me now I am the most BAD BICTH here me out are you seeing how bad I'm now?? Yeah now I hate you and don't care about anyone" it's what I'm talking about. Hate someone it's exhausting, and I'm NOT saying to have the toxic positive also, because this is a extreme too. Just.. focus on you in april okay? Focus on develope more patience, a calm mind and take care of yourself. April will be all about this, this "mind care" you know? And also to learn to go with the flow more, it's a big thing here.

April is about change, shapeshifting maybe, something is developing in y'alls lives. You know all this struggles and cycles? It's finalizing, and you know what the guide said about you can change the situation? This card here (it's from moonology oracle) says that YOU can still change the course of this outcome (you are in a toxic relationship and are thinking this is a sign that "ong I can change him/her blablabla" IT IS >NOT< but you can change the fact that you are in this relationship and put a end at it).

This card also talks about the need of more flexibility in situations.

I highly recommend to calm your mind because maybe will have some very emotional intense situations in this moment, maybe related to family issues (but don't worry, usually this card indicates the end of some challenge. It's also time to overcome your insecurities and stand up for yourself.

Signs: Roses, flowers, lake, oak trees (this was to specific lmao), landscape and horses (maybe you should check out Pile 2??) 4444, 6666, 222

Pile 2

Hi pile 2! Let's get into your reading, shall we?

So I think y'all have been working on something and its kind weighting on your shoulders. Maybe you are feeling overburdened, overloaded and/or having too much responsibilities and challenges, and because of this you feel like your life are lacking spontaneity... I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!!!!! I know has been hard, but you are almost there with whatever you are doing. April you brings to you lots and lots of good moments with family and friends, and for a very small group a lover (possible Soulmate connection) a feeling of true contentment you know? You will feel more confident and have the drive to overcome obstacles and moving forward in a very positive direction, I feel you will learn how to channel you inner power with very fierce dedication to bring your goals to fruition, and even tho will have work to do, will feel much more spontaneous and just happy in general, a sense of confidence in what you are doing. You will have more time to enjoy with friends and when is time to work again you'll be feeling happy and energized.

It's a moment to you stop and think abouts what you learned from your experiences rather than blindly forging ahead,you need to face your fears because they may be holding you back (you are also being called to listen to your feelings and allow your emotions to be free) it's important to you to have faith that whatever happens will be for the best. Some of you REALLY need time out for your own good and health, breathe, have time to relax because you just CAN'T be "on" all the damn time gosh, also if you feel you've hit an obstacle or failed in some way, now is the time to reflect about it and how you can do things differently next time (without judging yourself please, I feel I have to emphasize this a lot, don't be so hard on yourself you are just human)

Signs: books, wood/smelling of woods, barbie movies, color link, number 8 (I think it's a date, caterina, 222, 5555, 66, pisces, cancer

Pile 3

Hi Pile 3, welcome to your reading! I just saw 11:11 when I finished shuffling your cards and was like, literally just the time for to see it and then changed lmao. But let's get started! You may be in between 2 options or 2 paths and you don't know what to do, I think you have been daydreaming and procrastinating because of your indecisiveness and I have to be honest: you need to stop living in this wishful world. Pick and choose, but don't worry because your guides have your back, if you stop and really, REALLY be in silence (no music sir) and hear your intuition you will know which path to go, and be aware that I'm not saying will be easy, but your intuition will help a lot, I feel you may be a water sign because you got more cups, but you can just be very sentimental and make decisions based more on your heart and feelings (I got you🙌💗) and sometimes it's hard to decide where to go, what to do. I feel you need to put EVERYTHING aside, think what you wanna do? What would makes you happy? What you are good at? Those are good questions to begin with, maybe journaling would help too! I feel you maybe have to face you family disapproval depends on your choice and this is weight on you but honestly? It's your life and you have to do what YOU think it's better, because more you get older more you realize it's not worth be miserable just to make out parents/friends/etc happy. Really isn't. When you listen your intuition you will realize what you truly want, and will be easy to choose. April asks you this, and know that you shall succeed. If you are looking for a job or starting a business know that April may bring you a new start in this area, if you are unhappy it's the moment to look for something new and even tho you aren't thinking about work-related stuff it's a moment for a new plan or strategy, it's a moment to do long-term plans and think about where you want to be and who you want to be in the next 12 months, and take steps by this perspective (be realistic). And here this: you CAN be ambitious!!

You need to be more disciplined and realistic, it's also a good month to study or learn something new.

In general april brings you reflection to decide what you want, and once you have make your mind it's all yours, it's a very good month you just need to get off your head and make a choice.

For anyone facing a problem of any kind: it's reaching a solution and a fresh start in your private life is coming! It's also asked to you to take better care of yourself this month and nurture yourself more. And be aware of any insecurity you have, you need to work on them ie they will hold you back (maybe you can't make a decision because of this and as soon you take care of this you will be able to choose more calm!!) Its literally written in the book card that meditation may help with you with insecurities lmao I would give a try.

It's also a good month in family matters.

Oh, and one more thing: don't be to controlling and avoid people who are!

Signs: capricorn, cancer, water, earth, library, candles, green places, owl,55,1111, 22, 66

Pile 4

Hi Pile 4! April you be very rushing, you are progressing and gaining momentum. Lots of good moments and exciting times. If you are working on something you'll see results and you work and sleepless nights you be paying off (for some you may have some holiday romance 😏😏 there is any holidays coming? Here in my country it's just Easter - English is not my language and I actually had to go see how it's said because here it's called Pascoa lmao) you will be feeling more outgoing and full of energy (I am so happy for you Pile 4😭💗💗💗) and optimistic and independent. You will feel called to take charge of things and organize your life. Also, if you have problems to speak your truth, well, april it's looking at this problem and saying "bye bye🤭" because you will work on yourself and will stand up for you unafraid to speak up and be unapologetically you!

But I need y'all to pay attention because it's a general reading, and I see here that some of you might be turning down and refusing offering and after you can feel yearning and regret and then might start focusing on the negative. Don't do that! Sometimes, for a very big amount of reasons, we take decisions that we regret later (sometimes right after lol) but try to train your mind to think this away: it's experience. It's knowledge, take the lesson and live the rest behind with no regrets. If you need to take decisions this month don't be impulsive, contemplate and meditate over this and reevaluate what is best and important for you. Also focus on realizing what makes you feel bored or unhappy and make a change can help a lot.

And I have 2 options here: the first one is that you need to stan firm in whatever situation you are in (maybe you are recovering and things are kind hard) and the second one is that something is stuck, in this case you need to stop and think what is going wrong. Are you being stubborn and doing the same thing again just because worked in the past? If that's the case, it's time to try something new. Anything you are starting this month (business, relationships) may last longer. And you have a reminder to speak your truth (do you know that people who have womb can have problems if they don't speak? Thyroid problems too, This applies to a hell lot of stuff, feelings, traumas, anger. So please, speak. Put this out off you the better way you can) but remember the words you say have consequences and impact in the person who is hearing so be mindful. I also feel I should say this here: someone is interested in manifestation and use affirmations can help a lot, "your words are your wand, you create your own realitye every time you express yourself" (metaphysical Florence Scovel Shinn) so be mindful the away YOU talk to YOURSELF, say kind words to you even if you don't believe in them at first.

Signs: Gemini, fixed signs (taurus, leo, scorpio and aquarius), color red and orange, 444, 111, 333, 555, beach, oceans, trees and bicycles (?? Sometimes this readings are so specific that I just can't-)

Good april for all of you, I hope y'all be okay, happy and take care of yourselves (and drink you water please, also sleep well and eat right please. I worry about you all working too much) see you in my next reading.

Lots of love♡

- Lia

#pac tarot #tarotreader #tarot readers of tumblr #tarot reading #tarotcommunity #tarot free reading #free readings #free tarot #pac #pick a pile #pick a card #tarotblr #pisces #gemini #aquarius #astrology #oracle #tarot

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mortispoxi · 11 months

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After taking the time to really sit and process the roller coaster of information that was the recent People Make Games video about the drama surrounding Studio ZA/UM, I wanted to make this post to go over some of my thoughts that I had about the video. If you have not watched the video but are curious what people are saying about it or you have and you want to read someone else’s perspective, then I invite you to read through as I babble incoherently.

Overall, I thought it provided an interesting, in-depth look at the timeline of events leading up to Kurvitz, Rostov, and Hindpere’s dismissals while also giving us a proper inside scoop to the interpersonal relationships of both the former and current Studio ZA/UM employees. However, I do think the video has a couple of problems specifically with the way some of the information is presented on top of the fact that it loses focus partway through from the real issue which is the alleged fraud that took place by the investors to acquire the majority share within the company.

A big problem that I had with the video was the way in which Kurvitz behavior and final statement are disproportionately framed in the narrative. Now I am not about to go on a lengthy rant to dismiss everything Robert Kurvitz did to his friends during his time at the studio. In fact, the thing that I really liked about this video was how Chris Bratt, the writer and interviewer, holds no punches when it comes to the accusations of misconduct we heard from current Studio ZA/UM employees against him. Instead, I think it needs to be addressed that Bratt left out background context, whether intentionally or unintentionally I do not want to speculate, that could potentially explain what happened to everyone leading up to the expulsions to make Kurvitz appear far worse than how he might’ve been. I fully believe every word Argo Tuulik, Kaspar Tamsula, and Petteri Sulonen has said about working under Kurvitz and his inner circle so by piecing together all their statements to create a timeline of events the investors start to look far less innocent than how they portray themselves to be in the video.

It’s abundantly clear that Kurvitz was notoriously hard to work with. However, what’s also clear was the tremendous amount of stress everyone was under while also still being in the throes of burnout after working on the game nonstop for months. I think the investors (Kender, Haavel, and Kompus) purposefully set the team up for failure by creating impossible deadlines without informing the writers, approving Kurvitz and his inner circle to take time off while disallowing the others from taking theirs, and attempting to restructure the company in preparation to franchise Disco Elysium against Kurvitz wishes and thus he felt scared enough to push for his role to be de facto creative leader anywhere he could. What seems to be three full years of forcing everyone to crunch, miscommunicating when important deadlines were, setting impossible work standards to meet, and readying themselves to snatch more power within the company may have helped sow the seeds of animosity the writers began growing towards one another.

All of this is nothing new for those of us who have been keeping an eye on the drama from the start. We were told long in advance by the likes of Martin Luiga, who although left the project early on has been friends and worked alongside him for the better part of two decades, that Kurvitz possesses less than stellar leadership skills and that there was no merit in what the investors would end up accusing him of doing to warrant his dismissal. That confirmation was given long before the release of the PMG video and cements the idea in my mind that perhaps Kurvitz erratic behavior that was described by the current Studio ZA/UM employees was not the cause but rather a symptom of a much larger problem happening around him (i.e. a toxic work environment brought on by the investors using manipulation tactics to further stress and cause resentment amongst the collective). Yes, Kurvitz was at times uncooperative and dismissive towards his fellow employees, but this aspect of his character and the situation was played up to be a far greater problem in the PMG video than what the context suggests. I’m also inclined to believe this interpretation because Argo Tuulik, despite having legitimate, unresolved issues with his friend, does still regard Kurvitz very highly and even believes that he should still have artistic access to Elysium.

When you think about it from this perspective, it makes perfect sense as to why Kurvitz was acting erratically around his fellow coworkers who eventually lashed out at him. On top of Kurvitz’s subpar leadership skills, he clearly was rapidly losing control of the situation which caused a great amount of stress for everybody involved as he scrambled in every which way to hold onto his position within the studio. It does not surprise me when it’s admitted by Sulonen that Kurvitz was thinking of taking the source code to potentially start over with a newly founded company since the situation was rapidly deteriorating and everyone was getting more and more frustrated with him and his inner circle. The impossible working conditions they found themselves in was a pressure cooker for the animosity and resentment building within the disillusioned group. Clearly the investors made their workers run themselves ragged in order to divide everyone and make it easier for them to take advantage of Kurvitz’s now frequent outbursts to finally push him out of their way.

Everything that I’ve said above can easily be discerned from the context clues found in the interviews from the current and former ZA/UM members. Which if you think about it is an unfortunate statement because Bratt does not seem to register the complaints of mismanagement by the hands of the investors from either side and instead only points the spotlight at Kurvitz’s past transgressions. What I am describing is one of the major issues I have with the PMG video. The video talking about the ongoing legal battle to determine if corporate fraud took place seemed to disproportionately focus on the problems Kurvitz and his inner circle had with other team members and not issuing a public apology to his former colleagues. Now that doesn’t sound all too bad on paper, right? If Kurvitz apologized, it could help begin the healing process and make for a good closer for the video. Well, that’s where the problem comes into play because Kurvitz response to Bratt’s request for comment regarding what Tuulik, Tamsalu, and Sulonen said about his poor conduct should not come as a surprise to anyone who had been paying attention. In the video, Bratt hails the email Kurvitz sent back to him as arrogant and dismissive which he then uses to accuse him of not standing with his fellow workers in solidarity and not taking accountability for his actions. However, right at the start of his interview, Kurvitz informs Bratt that at the behest of his lawyers he does not want the full interview to be published as they are worried Studio ZA/UM might take something he said as an admission of guilt and use it against him in a court of law. Therefore, when asked to comment about what his former colleagues said about him, he fires back an email that basically says that he wants the focus to be on the thing that really matters, the lawsuits and the shady activities of the investors. Bratt, clearly not liking his response, decided to attack his statement even though had Kurvitz given PMG what they wanted he could potentially be incriminating himself. Whether he denies or fully understands that his actions hurt others, the way he responded is 100% justified and did not deserve the level of vitriol he got from both Bratt and the public. It seems like a double standard that Ilmar Kompus can deny answering a question by claiming he cannot comment due to the ongoing lawsuit during his interview but when Kurvitz does it for the exact same reasons he is attacked. Again, Kurvitz is fully responsible to rectify the hurt he caused others but legally he’s in the clear and Bratt seemed to purposely neglect that aspect of the ongoing narrative.

Now, I’m not about to pull a whole reddit conspiracy in my write up. I do believe Chris Bratt, who directed this video, went into this with the very best of intentions to tell the full story with an emphasis on the workers who were affected by the situation. However, the problems that I’ve listed above make me worry what will be the takeaway from someone who is only a casual observer of the ZA/UM situation. Personally, I have been following this from the beginning so I’ve had a lot of time to develop my own insight into things but that’s usually not the case for most people. What I’m concerned about is whether Bratt may have unintentionally furthered the investors narrative by pushing people’s focus away from themselves and onto Kurvitz who has largely had the support of fans and outside viewers up until this point. Studio ZA/UM as it stands is desperate for a leg up in the PR battle it’s had with Kurvitz since October 1st, 2022. They lost so much support once the announcement was made that Kurvitz and his inner circle had been terminated, and lost even more upon the release of collage mode, that it makes logical sense that they want more people to be on their side so when the time comes for the studio to announce another game their reviews and sales numbers won’t immediately be tanked by angry fans. So, the fact that this video seemingly only held its focus on the misgivings of Kurvitz closing statement and personality instead of what is actually being fought over, alleged corporate fraud and theft of IP, may have unwittingly handed the investors that distraction that they have been looking for. Since the release of this video, I’ve seen an unfortunate mix of people arguing over the ethics of the situation, those switching sides to now support the studio, and outright calling for Kurvitz to lose the right to access his life’s work. This is not the outcome me and many other like minded fans want to see from this mess. At the end of the day, Elysium is Robert Kurvitz’s life work, and he deserves a chance to legally regain those rights even if he is a prideful and arrogant person. His personality should not dictate whether he is allowed to prove in a court of law that the investors took something that isn’t theirs. Bratt’s well-meaning but deeply misguided efforts to report on the ZA/UM situation may have done more harm than good. I consider this to be the biggest flaw of the video and the reason why the contents ultimately did not sit right with me despite the accuracy and importance of the reporting.

Just as a quick reminder for those who aren’t entirely up to speed or want a refresher, the reason why Kurvitz and Studio ZA/UM are fighting over the IP rights in the first place started when Kurvitz was promised by the investors that if he signed over the rights to Elysium and his book he would eventually be able to buy back a portion of the shares to the company and upon release of the sequel buy back even more. At no point was anyone supposed to possess a majority percent of the shares in the company to remain equitable amongst all participants. So, Kurvitz signed this contract under the assumption that the investors would hold up their end of the bargain while in the short term he would get the funding needed to complete the rest of the game. Unfortunately, when Margus Linnamäe left his position within the company, Ilmar Kompus agreed to buy him out of his share allegedly using the money intended to produce the sequel thus acquiring the majority share which tipped the balance of power. Now, the IP rights are currently held by the company YESSIRNOSIR Ltd. which no one holds shares of but is still owned and controlled by sources within Studio ZA/UM. The lawsuit itself is Kurvitz claiming that the way Kompus bought into the majority share of the company was done illegally and should he be able to prove in a court of law that fraud took place it would immediately delegitimize and invalidate Kompus’s control which would then give Kurvitz and Rostov a chance to reclaim power along with all the subsidiaries of the company which includes YESSIRNOSIR Ltd.

From the way I saw it, it certainly felt like Bratt went out of his way to put blame on the deteriorating work environment and splintering of a two-decade old artist collective squarely on Robert Kurvitz shoulders. If I were to speculate, I think in his anger after not receiving the conclusion he had been hoping for from his interviewee, Bratt refused to acknowledge the very real fact that his hands are legally tied with the things that he can publicly talk about which had the unintentional consequence of villainizing Kurvitz. Bratt is still correct in his assessment that Kurvitz is arrogant and people were hurt by his actions but whether intentional or not misrepresenting how much Kurvitz and his inner circle was responsible for the strife while neglecting to even acknowledge the amount of meddling the investors were doing behind the scenes only detracts from his argument and puts into question who he’s really representing in his video.

#disco elysium #za/um #studio za/um #robert kurvitz #people make games #my thoughts #'kurvtiz was a shitty boss' and 'kurvtiz didn't deserve to have his shit stolen from him' are two statements that can coexist #i don't condone his actions but I do think they didn't just come out of a vacuum #cause if it was just his bad behavior that got him dismissed it doesn't explain why Rostov and Hindpere were fired along with him #it's just weird to me that pmg didn't think to question if the investors might've been the ones to kick off the chain of events #yes yes I know this is meandering but this is a ramble post so it was never gonna be concise in the first place #mp

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