#if oNE OF THOSE TWO ARE THE MAJORITY (not that i expect many votes at all. but still!!) IMMA BE (1) SHOOK AND (2) McFUCKING BAFFLED

[shwarmii]

i just heard one of my favorite youtubers say this meme out loud in a video and the pronounciation FLOORED ME so now i gotta know:

poll is just "which way do you say it"; tags is "which way is right", assuming your answer to "which way is right" is different to "which way do you say it". or i guess tags are also for uhhhhhh if your answer is complicated and if you wanna explain, if you have a diff way of pronouncing (pls tell meeeee), or whatever else you want, im not your parents, idk

#i just.. diDNT THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY TO PRONOUNCE IT??? #but i heard [redacted pronounciation] and i just went ''pÁŔƊÓŃ???'' so i tried to think of all possible ones? #forgive me if theres already been a poll on this; i didnt see it and thus didnt know #edit: fuck!!! i just realizied you could combine the last two like i couldve made ''be o bo'' and ''bo be o'' each an option #if oNE OF THOSE TWO ARE THE MAJORITY (not that i expect many votes at all. but still!!) IMMA BE (1) SHOOK AND (2) McFUCKING BAFFLED #edit: wow. i thought id be lucky to get 20 in a week with my follower count. okay. damn. youre sweet ♡ also ''Boo boo''s you are so valid #im sorry i did not think to add you as an option. you are so right

[reasonsforhope]

I can't take the state of the world anymore, every day things constantly get worse and there's literally nothing we can do. Every time things get better they're immediately undone by forces more powerful than us. I just want things to go back to the way they were before when it felt like there was hope, now it feels like humanity is doomed and will never, ever get better. I just want to die so I can finally know peace from this evil.

Hey. I'm really, really sorry you're having such a hard time. That sounds like an incredibly painful headspace to be in.

Please find someone you can talk to and who can help you - whether that's a peer counselor or a good friend or a trained mental health professional. Especially a trained mental health professional, if you can. You can find a really thorough list of crisis hotlines listed by country here.

Also, I realllllly recommend getting off any websites or social media that are contributing to you feeling like this, or at least block all the people/tags posting things that are making you feel like this. Negativity bias is real - the news/internet doesn't accurately reflect the world and neither does the way your brain perceives it

In the meantime, a few quick words/facts of comfort. I hope they can give you at least some reassurance or solace.

We literally have more reason to hope we can solve climate change than ever before x

Starting about six months ago, major international energy reports have come out for the first time showing that we have a visible, concrete path to staying under 1.5 degrees celsius x

Twenty, even ten years ago, scientists talked about whether we could possibly manage to limit global warming to 4 or 5 degrees Celsius. Now, those numbers aren't even on the map - we're talking 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius. We've cut expected warming in half in under a decade x

Renewable energy is growing so exponentially it's now "unstoppable" x

Two hundred years ago, in 1800, there wasn't a single "liberal democracy" - a democracy that gives all citizens the right to vote - on the planet. Just over one hundred years ago, in 1900, there were five of them. Today, roughly half the countries (aka roughly 100) on the planet fall into this category. International politics is so often two steps forward, one step back, but this is actually an astonishing pace of progress in the grand scheme of things x

For all of human history, until just over 200 years ago, roughly half of all children died. Across times, across cultures. Half of all children died by the age of 15. Half of them. Today, globally, that same child mortality rate is only 4%. We did that. We changed what was previously an eternal, inescapable, and horrific condition of human existence, and we are going to keep making that rate go down x

Two steps forward, one step back, is still moving forward. There are so, so, so many reasons that we are not already doomed. There are so many reasons to think the future is going to be bright

To anyone struggling with thoughts like this: please, please give yourself the chance to see it

#Anonymous #ask #me #I am so so not a trained mental health professional or qualified to help people with this stuff #please talk to people who are qualified to help with stuff like this instead! #climate change #climate anxiety #climate hope #child mortality #humanity #good news #hope #cw sui ideation #cw sui mention #depression #climate grief #climate crisis #climate news #hope posting

[werewolf-girlfriend]

ive been enabled so let me share some of my thoughts on how to get ur art noticed online

if u want Engagement on ur posts then i believe that its critical to make people care about ur art. the easiest way to do this is to appeal to something they already care about, like fandom, aesthetics/subculture, current events, having fun (people love humor!). a harder but perhaps more fulfilling route is to talk about ur own ocs and projects enough until people start caring about them too

theres an infinite amount of topics people care about out there so id suggest picking something u already care about urself and channel ur art energy there. trying to make art for the most popular things out there regardless own interests is an exercise in misery, id advise against it..! if im allowed to get superstitious for a moment, i do believe that even untrained eyes can tell whether a piece of art was fun to work on or a chore. and besides! if ur having fun then its easier to create more, and the more u create the more chances ull have at getting lucky and having a post seen :)

on a very related note, art is a way to communicate ideas so the quality of the idea being presented in a piece of art is paramount to how popular a post will be. what i mean by this is that technical skill isnt the primary determinant of a posts popularity. if all your posts are portraits of original characters then people will have a hard time connecting with your posts and theyll keep scrolling, even if those portraits are masterpieces! the major exception to this is probably other artists, who ive found usually have a greater appreciation for the technical side of art (we can only speculate as to why..!)

lemme finish by saying that making popular posts and being good at art are two entirely different skillsets, ive seen many incredibly skilled artists with jack shit for notes because they dont give people a reason to care about their stuff NOT TO MENTION its a huge game of luck whether a post will get seen. so dont go insane in pursuit of recognition!

(i dont want to make this post too long so ive included examples from my own art and their note counts with my analysis after the break)

hello and welcome to the extracurricular segment to this post :) i bring yall two pieces from my art blog @werewolf-artfriend:

here we have a portrait of my fursona that im still proud of and a sketch suggesting "what if sniffers (from minecraft) were the size of mountains?" (let it be noted that the sniffer sketch was posted right during the minecraft mob vote = peak interest in the subject of sniffers).

the portrait at the time of writing has a crisp 30 notes, whilst the sniffer sketch has over 2000 notes. from the same artist, on the same blog, posted only a few months apart. i believe this is a good example both of the power of a piece of art having an interesting idea at its core AND of a piece appealing to the interests of the masses

this is of course just two convenient example posts, but i have experienced fan art of popular topics getting thousands of notes a couple of times now, amidst my other furry shit that these days get around 200-300 notes in comparison

this may sound like a really long winded way of saying "fan art make the world go round" but i just want to point out the nuances that

1) it matters what u make fan art of: if a fandom is small or dormant (waiting on new canon content for example) then clearly less people will be excited about the fan art you make. dont expect 10k notes on ur post if the average recent post in the fandom gets around 200 etc etc

2) it doesnt have to be fan art! ive also had some of my bird art get thousands of notes because people simply like birds :) and this applies to ANY topic people care about! the world rly is your oyster on this one

anyway i think ive started rambling dhgdjhgd thanks if u read this far! i hope i got my point across! and if ur feeling down about ur art not being seen then just keep at it okay! keep creating and keep having fun! keep sharing ur ideas and perspectives with the world and ur audience will eventually find u! i love you!

#i dont know if this stuff is obvious but i was like :o when i started viewing things this way! i think it makes sense! #i honestly still have more thoughts on this subject + some more practical advice from my experience #but ive never written a long talk-y post before so uh maybe another day <3 #isa speaks

[meadowofdarts]

A Play of Vigorous Wisdom (PART ONE)

Here it is, everyone! The awaited reader insert of 3.6's event.

Before we get into it, I want to say- HOLY SHIT I didn't expect that it would blow up immediately on the first day- I was so surprised at the amount of notifications I had LOL

Now, regarding the post, I did say I would allow a platonic relationship or a love interest, but not that many people said which they preferred. But only a few said they mostly wanted a pairing and were able to give out what they wanted as a love interest.

And from the few, the majority vote was Scaramouche/Wanderer. So this is a Wanderer x Reader pairing.

For those who wanted a different love interest - I am so sorry if Wanderer wasn't the love interest you were hoping for. but, don't go, I have a surprise for those people who wanted a different love interest. Check it out at the end of the post!

Anyways, sorry that this is a long ass author note but- I want to thank everyone. Whether you liked, reblogged, commented on the post, or followed my account, I truly appreciate the amount of support I got from that single day. You don't know how happy I was- I legit teared up, I really wasn't expecting it 😭

I hope I won't disappoint you guys with this, so thank you, and enjoy!

//////

You were walking towards the Sanctuary of Surasthana with millions of thoughts running through your head. Most of them (Actually all of them) are about your lover, formerly Scaramouche and now known as Wanderer. You figured that you were called by Nahida regarding him.

Which reminded you that you haven't seen Wanderer for quite some time.

On your way, you noticed some Akademiya students setting up booths nearby. You see one of the stalls included a cute star toy that reminded you a lot of the theme of the Akademiya Darshan - Rtawahist. You figured these stands have something to do with the upcoming Akademiya Extravaganza.

Recently, you enrolled yourself in Akademiya's Darshan - Vahumana. Since you're still trying to explore many areas of Sumeru, you figured that this Darshan could help expand your knowledge of Sumeru's history and learn about other nations.

You've heard of this festival from many of your peers in Vahumana. They said it was a fun influence event held by the Akademiya. The two main parts of the event were the Wisdom Gala and the Interdarshan Championship.

You figured you could watch the Interdarshan Championship while playing the fun booths of the Wisdom Gala.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you opened the entrance of the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Seeing the whole open area still gives you the chills. You looked ahead to see the God of Wisdom along with your said lover you haven't seen for a while.

"Ah, there you are!" Nahida beamed, noticing you. The indigo-haired male beside her turned in your direction too.

"Hello, Nahida. I hope I wasn't late," You said, walking up.

"Not at all! He had just arrived too." Gesturing towards Wanderer, who was already glancing at you.

You smiled at him as a 'hi' while he looked down, closed his eyes, and acknowledged your greeting.

She placed her hands on her arms, changing her expression. "Now that the two of you are here, I came here to discuss something with you two."

"Are you both aware of the festival coming soon?" She had asked.

You nodded. "The Akademiya Extravaganza? Yes, I have. While walking, I saw some students already setting it up."

"So, what about it?" Wanderer asked, speaking up for the first time. "Do you want us to participate in it?"

"Actually, yes," Nahida answered. "But, there is something I both would like you to do."

...

The three of you were discussing the topic Nahida asked you to come for. It took a while, but you and Wanderer agreed to the job given to you.

...

"That is all. Any questions?" The tiny god asked both of you.

You thought of it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I understand. But, Kusanali, are you sure both of us can be representatives? Won't everyone think it will be unfair?"

"Don't worry, I don't want to be stuck with you either," Wanderer remarked as you shot him an annoyed look.

"Don't worry, I have already talked about this with the Sages and the Planning Committee, and they decided they will make an exception this year just for you two," answered Nahida.

"Hmm, alright." You nodded.

She then smiled. "Okay, you two can go now. I hope to see your progress in the festival soon."

The two of you walked out of the Sanctuary of Surasthana and strolled into the streets of Sumeru City.

"I didn't know you registered yourself in Vahumana. Is that why I haven't seen you in a while?" You asked as you two walked.

"Probably. And I didn't sign up in my own free will. It was Lesser Lord Kusanali that registered me in Vahumana." Wanderer said.

"You do know I am a member of Vahumana, right?"

"Of course, I know. You told me about your past works before."

"Then, how come I never heard of you? Usually, my friends would chat about new members added to the Darshan. Surely, I would've heard about you at least once."

He muttered. "It's probably because of the name I go by in the Darshan."

...

///FLASHBACK///

It was another tiring day at the Akademiya. You and your friends were seated at a table in the House of Daena, chatting and complaining about your classes and research.

"Hey, I saw a new guy coming into our class earlier. I think he is who I think he is." One of your friends shared.

You rolled your eyes playfully at them as you listened in while reading your book.

"Oh, yes. I've heard. So, you got Hat Guy in your class?" Your other friend asked. But what they said made you look at both with a confused expression.

"Huh? Who's Hat Guy?" You repeated making the two look at you.

"I don't know much, but I've heard from the other students that someone by the name 'Hat Guy' had made interesting inquires against a researcher regarding incidents of Inazuma." One of your friends answered.

Your other friend nodded. "Yeah. I've heard from my teacher that he has written such impressive essays. The professor gave me a glance at Hat Guy's work, and it was truly outstanding!"

"Hmm, he seems interesting." You trailed off. "But, really? What kind of name is Hat Guy?"

"Right? I was weirded out when I heard of his name." One of your friends agreed.

Your friend chimed in, "Oh, come on. It obviously can't be his real name. It's probably just an alias or something."

"But, why 'Hat Guy?' You wondered.

'Well, when I saw him earlier in my class, he did have a noticeable unique hat on him. Maybe it's that." Your friend shrugged.

...

//////

"Wait, your... 'Hat Guy'?" You confirmed as you watched him nod.

...

You were silent, processing the ridiculous yet amusing information you received about him.

He looked at you, seeing your blank face.

...

He then heard you let out a giggle. He sighed as he had expected this reaction.

Your little giggles turned into full-on laughter. (Luckily, the streets you guys were in are very crowded, so nobody focused their attention on you.)

He rolled his eyes as you continued laughing out loud.

"I-I CAN'T-! HAT GUY!" You wheeze out in the middle of your waves of laughter.

"Y-Y'know, if you told me *snickered*-you were signing up for Vahumana- I would've helped you pick a better name, and you chose Hat Guy." You trailed off, resuming laughing.

He groaned. "Oh, shut up, will you? It's not like I wanted to be named this way. It was Lesser Lord Kusanali's fault."

You laughed harder at that :D

...

Both of you were now in an empty alleyway to avoid attention. You two sat on crates as you sipped vigorously on a water bottle.

Your throat ached from laughing a lot, so Wanderer bought water for you.

"Are you better now?" He muttered as you wiped your mouth.

"Yeah, I think..." You giggled, still on about his name. "Sorry, it's just- It's so funny-"

Wanderer grunted. "You're not letting go of that name, are you?"

"Nope." You smiled.

"Alright then," He shrugged. "Then, let me help you get your mind off it for a while."

You raised your eyebrows, but before you knew it, you let out a surprised noise as his lips were now on yours.

It was a quick peck before he leaned away and kissed you again.

You cup his cheeks, pulling him away while laughing with a blush on your face. "Heh, what's this for?"

"Well, mainly to get your mind off a while. But, consider it a gift to you for not seeing you for a while." His words made your smile widen.

You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his shoulder. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." You feel him hugging back.

You two stayed like that for a moment before he softly grabbed your head and connected your lips again.

(author: LMAO- Is this OOC, am i doing his character right- wtf this isn't him?? reminding myself that he is now wanderer, not fatui scara. okay what am i doing, I'm so sorry everybody)

...

A few days have passed, and the Akademiya Extravaganza is now taking place. Many students from the darshans are looking around the booths and around Sumeru City.

You and Wanderer were holding hands, finding your way to the main venue of the Interdarshan Championship.

Finally, spotting it outside, you see many people already gathered around and saw behind the stage, which you assume are the other representatives.

Wanderer led you to where they stood but kept his close distance from them while wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

You didn't mind, as you don't know some of them. You could see in the corner of your eyes some of the representatives raising their eyebrows at the both of you.

You scanned through them and noticed a familiar forest watcher. You slightly waved at him, and he looked slightly surprised but waved back.

Just then, you hear a voice from the stage, which you assumed was the organizer, starting the event.

...

...

The Traveler and Paimon had just arrived at the venue, as they were here as guest commentators for the championship.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Akademiya Extravaganza!" The organizer, Kareena, welcomed.

"Now then, allow me to reveal the prizes for this iteration of the Interdarshan Championship--" She stated. "Fabulous monetary rewards, research funds, a limited-edition Genius Invokation TCG card… and the right to wear the Diadem of Knowledge. I believe that I need not elaborate as to how this is a symbol of great honor!"

The people muttered as they admired the Diadem of Knowledge.

"I believe that most of you have already seen the Diadem of Knowledge, or have heard tales about it."

"Twenty years ago, a researcher named Sachin bought it for a large sum of Mora before donating it to the Akademiya. The generous Championship prizes are also sourced from his sponsorship. Before we begin, allow me to express our gratitude to this researcher, who cannot be with us right now..."

...

The traveler spaced out for a moment, thinking something was wrong. But decide to listen to Kareena first.

"Alright, I'm sure we're all more than ready for the Championship to begin!" Kareena cheered.

"Now then, let's invite our six Darshan representatives to the stage! Our contestants are--"

"Representing Amurta, Tighnari!" Tighnari side-eyed the audience.

"Representing Spantamad, Cyno!" Cyno crossed his arms.

"Representing Rtawahist, Layla!" Layla shyly looked down.

"Representing Haravatat, Faruzan!" Faruzan slyly smiled.

"Representing Kshahrewar, Kaveh!" Kaveh showed a confident expression.

"And for Vahumana... Huh?" She looked behind. "Is Vahumana's representative not here yet?"

It was silent for a moment as Paimon whispered. "I wonder who's Vahumana's representative? It could be someone we know."

"Ooh, could it be (Name)?" Paimon silently hoped. "They are a member of Vahumana, right?" The traveler nodded.

Everyone was looking around for a sign of entrance until two new presences entered the stage.

"These introductions are pointless. Let's just get this over with."

Everyone turned to the pair that went upstage. You were standing next to Wanderer with neutral expressions.

"Eh? W-Wait a sec, why is he there with (Name)?" Paimon muttered in confusion as the traveler felt the same.

"Finally! Our final contestants are Vahumana's representatives: Hat Guy and (Name)!" He crossed his arms while you stood with one arm on your hips.

"Huh? Why are there two representatives for one Darshan?" One of the students muttered.

Another one answered them (Which the Traveler and Paimon's heard.) "Haven't you heard? The planning committee did announce that one of the Darshans would have two representatives."

"But isn't that like... I don't know, kind of unfair to the other representatives?"

"Well, I guess. But I heard that the committee decided hard on this and made an exception this year. The other representatives were aware of it too. But then again, they didn't say you aren't allowed to have a partner in this championship..."

"Hmm, that's true."

Paimon shrugs as she looks at the Traveler. Both traveling companions hear more about 'Hat Guy' and (Name)'s work in Vahumana. And they hear other people talk about the pair as representatives.

"It's so weird... Sure, I could get (Name), but him? He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would participate in competitions like this one."

"I'm quite puzzled, too..." The traveler muttered.

"Now that we have our contestants, the Championship will soon begin!" Kareena announced. "Who will triumph this time around? Hold on to your hats, because we're all in this ride together!"

"Huh, we really do know a lot of the contestants," Paimon said. "Ooh, right, we're guest commentators, aren't we? So figuring out everyone's reasons for participating is in our job description."

"Let's go ask them when we go say hi. Especially him… Paimon still thinks it's weird that he's here." Obviously referring to 'Hat Guy'

...

The guest commentators have talked with the representatives, catching up on them and asking about their reasons for participating. After chatting with Kaveh, Faruzan, and Layla, they only have two more people to go which are the Vahumana representatives.

You and Wanderer were chatting and observing the area around you until you noticed the two coming to you.

"Hi traveler, hi Paimon." You waved.

"Hi (Name)!" Paimon waved back until she turned to your lover. "Um, so... what... what, uh..."

"Just call me Hat Guy. That's the name I use in Vahumana." He said. You silently giggled.

"That sounds like a nickname, not a real name!" Paimon said.

"So I can't go by a simple, ordinary name?"

"Fine, suit yourself. Alright then, Hat Guy and (Name), why are you both taking part in the Interdarshan Championship? We're specially invited guest commentators, so play nice and answer our questions."

Wanderer smirks. "You could be matra for all I care. So what if we don't answer you? What then?"

"You...!" Paimon whined. "(Name)! Tell your boyfriend to behave properly and answer our question!"

You sweatdropped. "Well, I can't do anything about that. But I'll say this; we can't reveal our reasons for participating."

"You two aren't plotting something in secret, are you?" She questioned.

"Well, it's hard to say. Why don't you take a guess?" He teased back. You shook your head at him.

"Oh, Paimon's had it with you!" She exclaimed at him. "Fine, be that way! Then we won't ask why you're participating. Instead... Uh, why did you join Vahumana?"

Wanderer turned to them. "You two sure like to poke your noses where they don't belong. If I don't say anything, are you going to annoy me to death?"

He then signed and told his reason anyway, talking about how he refuted a researcher named Aqaba and made commentary on societal issues in Inazuma.

"But when Lesser Lord Kusanali heard about this, she went out of her way to get me registered in Vahumana... She used the name, Hat Guy."

"So it was Nahida's doing..." The traveler muttered.

You chimed in, laughing. "Honestly, I didn't even know he was in Vahumana until a few days ago. And he really had to surprise me with his name."

"Enough chit-chat. You're better off wasting your time with the other contestants." The indigo-haired male said, then smirked. "Someone's about to get very unlucky - wanna guess who?"

Both Traveler and Paimon had annoyed expressions. "How is anyone supposed to relax with you around!?"

Paimon muttered something to her partner, something about keeping a close eye, which amused you.

...

"I will now announce the rules of the first round of the competition. Please listen carefully!" Alhaitham announced, gaining everyone's attention.

"During the opening ceremony, Akademiya staff released several cages of butterflies, and many of them are now fluttering within Sumeru City. Amongst these butterflies, three of them will be special Swiftflies. They have a different appearance and also fly a little faster."

"Your objective is to find a Swiftfly and bring it to me. Three points will be awarded to the first participant to return, two to the second, and one point to the third. That is all for the first round. Should you require clarification on anything, please ask any of the other staff."

Every representative starts muttering to themselves, as you notice Spantamad's representative leaving already. You figured everyone was planning already.

"Well, we're definitely not doing this first round." You say as you walked up to Wanderer.

"Why? You want to go with them?" He asked.

"What? No!" You immediately shook your head. "I don't want to go around Sumeru to look for butterflies. Besides, I'm already terrible at catching crystal flies."

He deadpanned. "They are different. A butterfly isn't an elemental-life form like a crystal fly, idiot."

"I know that!" You huffed. "But, anyway, now what should we do?"

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment before making eye contact with the traveler. "...Hmph."

You looked behind him. "Huh? What is it?"

"It's nothing," Wanderer reassured. "But, I think I'll stay for a while to obverse the others. I'll meet you later."

"Oh, okay," You shrugged. "Well, I'm quite hungry, so I think I'll go to Puspa Cafe. I'll see you there?"

"Sure."

You smiled and kissed his cheek, making the corner of his lips turn upward. "Bye!"

...

The couple was sitting outside of Puspa Cafe, both enjoying their little date.

He stopped talking once he noticed someone coming. "What brings you two here?"

You turned to see the Traveler and Paimon again.

"Huh? Are you both here having coffee? Aren't you both supposed to be a participant?" Paimon asked.

"Well, heh, I got quite hungry." You sheepishly admitted.

"Is there really any need for us to take part while everyone's running around like it's some sort of carnival? Don't worry, we'll get involved once things actually get serious." Wanderer responded for us.

The two companions looked at each other, shrugging before ultimately leaving the two of you alone.

"Anyways, Hat Guy, I would like to ask you something." You said, teasing him with his new name.

He rolled his eyes. "Is that going to be your new name for me?"

"Would you prefer if I called you an umbrella?"

"...Tsk. What is it?"

You smiled. "Is it alright if we can go to the Wisdom Gala booths? I would like to play those cool games I saw!"

"Huh? I suppose." He replied. "But why? Just to remind you that you are already a Vahumana student."

"I know that, but I just want to see them!" You pouted.

He laughed. "Alright, alright. We'll go walk around and go to the nearest one."

...

You two were holding hands are you walked around Sumeru City. You guys have already been to one booth, which was Kshahrewar's, and you two decide to go to the other ones.

"Wow, I never thought I had such unique building skills." You beamed.

"Honestly, it was such a simple task. It's just a task of using your resources to help you gain the goal." He shrugged.

You chuckled. "Well, yeah, but it felt like I was building my own parkour."

You both hear rushing footsteps in your direction. You looked behind to see Layla with wide eyes.

She was staring at you while you awkwardly said. "Uhh, hello. Can I... help you with something?"

"Uh, (Name)?" Wanderer called out to you. "You have a butterfly on your head."

"Huh? I do?" You noticed the blue wings at the corner of your eyes. But the insect looked different than the normal ones. "Are these... one of the swift flies?"

You see Layla dropping her shoulders until you realize why she stared. "Hey, are you looking for this on my head? Go take it if you want."

She looked up very surprised as the Traveler and Paimon entered the scene.

...

Layla carefully took the Swiftfly off your head, still slightly confused as you reassured her with a smile.

"(Name)? You gave Layla the swift fly?" Paimon wondered.

You turned to them. "Huh? Yeah, why? Is that... not allowed?"

"Uh,- (Name) was it?" You turned as Layla called your name. "A-Are you sure you want to give me the swift fly? I mean, it went to you... after all."

"Oh well, I didn't participate in the first round, and I have no intention of stealing it from you. Besides, didn't you say you caught sight of it first? I think it's fair if you take it." You tell her.

"I..." Layla was at a loss for her words. "...Thank you."

"Wow, that's so nice of you, (Name)!" Paimon beamed.

"Really," You blushed. "It's no problem at all."

"Well, since you've caught the last swift fly, I assume the first round is over, then," Wanderer said.

"Oh, right!" Paimon turned to her companion. "Let's bring the swiftly back together with Layla!"

The trio waved you goodbye as you both continued on your way.

...

(author: i feel like the end was lazy- i'll make it up once part two comes out)-

BONUSES:

-Fighting For The Diadem (Cyno, Tighnari, Kaveh, Layla, Faruzan)

Thank you for reading! See you next time in part two!

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE

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[bfpnola]

We are Israel's largest human rights group [B’Tselem] – and we are calling this apartheid by Hagai El-Ad

One cannot live a single day in Israel-Palestine without the sense that this place is constantly being engineered to privilege one people, and one people only: the Jewish people. Yet half of those living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea are Palestinian. The chasm between these lived realities fills the air, bleeds, is everywhere on this land.

I am not simply referring to official statements spelling this out – and there are plenty, such as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion in 2019 that “Israel is not a state of all its citizens”, or the “nation state” basic law enshrining “the development of Jewish settlement as a national value”. What I am trying to get at is a deeper sense of people as desirable or undesirable, and an understanding about my country that I have been gradually exposed to since the day I was born in Haifa. Now, it is a realisation that can no longer be avoided.

Although there is demographic parity between the two peoples living here, life is managed so that only one half enjoy the vast majority of political power, land resources, rights, freedoms and protections. It is quite a feat to maintain such disfranchisement. Even more so, to successfully market it as a democracy (inside the “green line” – the 1949 armistice line), one to which a temporary occupation is attached. In fact, one government rules everyone and everything between the river and the sea, following the same organising principle everywhere under its control, working to advance and perpetuate the supremacy of one group of people – Jews – over another – Palestinians. This is apartheid.

There is not a single square inch in the territory Israel controls where a Palestinian and a Jew are equal. The only first-class people here are Jewish citizens such as myself, and we enjoy this status both inside the 1967 lines and beyond them, in the West Bank. Separated by the different personal statuses allotted to them, and by the many variations of inferiority Israel subjects them to, Palestinians living under Israel’s rule are united by all being unequal.

Unlike South African apartheid, the application of our version of it – apartheid 2.0, if you will – avoids certain kinds of ugliness. You won’t find “whites only” signs on benches. Here, “protecting the Jewish character” of a community – or of the state itself – is one of the thinly veiled euphemisms deployed to try to obscure the truth. Yet the essence is the same. That Israel’s definitions do not depend on skin colour make no material difference: it is the supremacist reality which is the heart of the matter – and which must be defeated.

Until the passage of the nation state law, the key lesson Israel seemed to have learned from how South Africa’s apartheid ended was to avoid too-explicit statements and laws. These can risk bringing about moral judgments – and eventually, heaven forbid, real consequences. Instead, the patient, quiet, and gradual accumulation of discriminatory practices tends to prevent repercussions from the international community, especially if one is willing to provide lip service to its norms and expectations.

This is how Jewish supremacy on both sides of the green line is accomplished and applied.

We demographically engineer the composition of the population by working to increase the number of Jews and limit the number of Palestinians. We allow for Jewish migration – with automatic citizenship – to anywhere Israel controls. For Palestinians, the opposite is true: they cannot acquire personal status anywhere Israel controls – even if their family is from here.

We engineer power through the allocation – or denial – of political rights. All Jewish citizens get to vote (and all Jews can become citizens), but less than a quarter of the Palestinians under Israel’s rule have citizenship and can thus vote. On 23 March, when Israelis go and vote for the fourth time in two years, it will not be a “celebration of democracy” – as elections are often referred to. Rather, it will be yet another day in which disfranchised Palestinians watch as their future is determined by others.

We engineer land control by expropriating huge swaths of Palestinian land, keeping it off-limits for their development – or using it to build Jewish towns, neighbourhoods, and settlements. Inside the green line, we have been doing this since the state was established in 1948. In East Jerusalem and the West Bank, we have been doing this since the occupation began in 1967. The result is that Palestinian communities – anywhere between the river and the sea – face a reality of demolitions, displacement, impoverishment and overcrowding, while the same land resources are allocated for new Jewish development.

And we engineer – or rather, restrict – Palestinians’ movement. The majority, who are neither citizens nor residents, depend on Israeli permits and checkpoints to travel in and between one area and another, as well as to travel internationally. For the two million in the Gaza Strip travel restrictions are the most severe – this is not just a Bantustan, as Israel has made it one of the largest open-air prisons on Earth.

Haifa, my birth city, was a binational reality of demographic parity until 1948. Of some 70,000 Palestinians living in Haifa before the Nakba, less than a 10th were left afterwards. Almost 73 years have passed since then, and now Israel-Palestine is a binational reality of demographic parity. I was born here. I want – I intend – to stay. But I want – I demand – to live in a very different future.

The past is one of traumas and injustices. In the present, yet more injustices are constantly reproduced. The future must be radically different – a rejection of supremacy, built on a commitment to justice and our shared humanity. Calling things by their proper name – apartheid – is not a moment of despair: rather, it is a moment of moral clarity, a step on a long walk inspired by hope. See the reality for what it is, name it without flinching – and help bring about the realisation of a just future.

#reaux speaks #resources #B’Tselem #israel #human rights #apartheid #south africa #palestine #the guardian #article #gaza #jewish #palestinian #anti zionism #zionism #free palestine

[hugheses]

full transcript below ↴

Scott Oake: We are pleased to have the captain of the Vancouver Canucks with us on After Hours tonight. Tough loss tonight, Quinn, but you remain the early season favorite for the Norris Trophy. And we'll get to that momentarily. But first, Dave, to tonight's game.

Dave Tomlinson: Yeah, just Quinn, you guys had your way of the Seattle Kraken in their first year. They've been kind of battling back a little bit in the game this evening. Seems they've gotten a little in the way of a lot of shots, a lot of passes, some bounces didn't go your way. How did it feel out on the ice?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I think that we probably just didn't play our best. I think that, you know, we got them in two or three games and I think expecting us to play a little bit better than that. But, you know, sometimes you're not going to have your best. And I don't think we did tonight and we just got to keep moving on. It's a long season.

Scott Oake: All right, Quinn, it seems you're finally getting the respect you deserve. You know that for a couple of years there was that rather unfair notion that as an undersized defenseman, you were good at getting your points, but you had some defensive deficiencies. I know you heard that. What went through your mind when you did?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah. Obviously I'm a competitive guy. I think my sophomore season, second year, COVID year was really tough on me. It was hard and, you know, playing McDavid ten times in games ten times, and we struggled as a team. And so I didn't have a great year there. But I think after that, my third year I was plus 15 and, you know, plus 15 last year. So I think that my game’s been coming along in the last couple of years and I think people are seeing now, but also with the coaching staff and the team we have right now and having Hronek, it's, you know, propelled my success.

Scott Oake: You were ninth in the Norris Trophy voting last year. Did that sting?

Quinn Hughes: Uhhh I mean, I thought I had a really solid year and, you know, obviously winning plays in account to it a little bit. And yeah, so that was last year and we'll just leave it at that.

Scott Oake: Okay. You are in the Norris Trophy conversation, also the Hart conversation, which takes us to the Canucks outstanding start to the season date.

Dave Tomlinson: Did you see at the start of the season maybe even go back to training camp what you guys would see your record at now? Because you certainly talked about having a strong start to your season and now it's just played right through.

Scott Oake: Well, first of all, did you see this possibility or these many possibilities? These are all the major awards that the Canucks are in contention for through one fifth of the season.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, start your question. I mean, it's all great and we've played some really good hockey up to this point. 18 games. I think it was our 18 tonight. And, but we got to keep pushing. I mean there's 60 something, you know, games often. No one's going to awards tonight, so you know, going in the season. The main thing for all those guys up on the board there was that we want to be a successful team and respected hockey club and franchise.

Quinn Hughes: So we feel we've done that to start the year. But again, it's a long year and yeah.

Dave Tomlinson: It seems like you have something to prove that the guys up on the board all have something to prove in different ways. And then it kind of all culminated in how you've started so. Well.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I don't want to say, you know, we're out to prove something. It's just and teach people lessons. It's really just that we're trying to be competitive guys and we want to do our job. One of the in the playoffs and it's not fun losing games. So I think that's what you're seeing.

Scott Oake: One of the things you wanted to do more of this season was shoot and you clearly have done that. So that takes us to the family home in Michigan and the shooting room. Explain this.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, it's just a fun spot for, you know, me and Jack can go mess around at night if we’re bored or you know, when Luke's there, too. And we use it quite a bit. The rollerblades, it's fun. And we open the garage door. So, you know, I've seen other guys with, you know, rooms like that. But for us, you know, hockey is what we love. And so we’ll snap the rollerblades on and go shoot some pucks. You see the golf cart there. I think we enjoy the golf a little bit more in the summer but shooting room’s good too.

Dave Tomlinson: You're going to need a golf simulator we’ll get to that. But, you know, people will look at this and say, okay, he's just working on his shot and his shots gotten better. But like, technically, are you like tweaking little things? You think, can they get a grip? It a little bit harder on the bottom of the shaft? You know, push it through like what are the small little technical differences in getting your shot as good as it's gotten so far?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I think I've changed a lot, to be honest. And I think I started working on it two summers ago, and it hasn't really kicked in until last summer. So this season and I really start to feel comfortable with, you know, some of the shots I'm taking here. And then of course, some of it's a shot mindset as well and trying to get more shots on that tonight. I felt like I could've had a couple more shots I passed up. But over the course of the year, I'm going to score more because I'm shooting more and I'm putting myself in a good spot.

Scott Oake: The Hughes brothers, you, Jack and Luke, both with New Jersey, are making your case to be the first family of hockey in the U.S.. Here is a nice picture of three wild and crazy guys. Is there a story behind this?

Quinn Hughes: Nothing you guys need to hear about.

Scott Oake: Okay.

Quinn Hughes: No, I mean, they’re my best buds and I spent a lot of time with them in the summer. I know Jack's first game back tonight I was happy to see him score. I don't know what the score ended up, but yeah, they're. They're both great players and a lot of fun, you know, in the summer with those guys. So we'll leave it at that.

Scott Oake: Yeah. Jack came back tonight. He was one and one and I think played 23 minutes.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah he's a special talent so it doesn't surprise me.

Scott Oake: All right. He led the league in scoring until he got hurt. Luke's having an impressive rookie season with New Jersey. The three of you often train together in the summertime and quite often led by. You're under the direction of your father, Jim, who played at Providence and was a former director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Scott Oake: Here is Jim on off season of training.

[Clip from Going Home with Quinn Hughes]

Dave Tomlinson: It's gotta be fun to have the competition. But what do you credit your brothers for the most?

Quinn Hughes: I think just first off, those skates are really fun. My dad does a really good job, you know, keeping it fun and listening to what the, you know, the guys want and he's the smartest hockey guy I know. So we have a lot of fun out there and it's great on a hockey basis. But also, just as, you know, hanging out in the summer, that's fun, too.

Quinn Hughes: So, yeah, it's a great skate. We enjoy it. And yeah.

Scott Oake: Here's a question from Ken Caruso. How often do you talk text with your brothers? Jack and Luke? Did they comment on your winner this week?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I mean, they're my two best buddies, so I talk to them every day for the most part, especially Jack. And Luke... try to leave alone a little bit. It's his rookie year and find his way. He's doing a great job. He's gonna be a special player. But yeah, everyday.

Scott Oake: All right. Numerology.. number six was the chosen number of most people in the Hughes household. You couldn't have it here because Brock Boeser had it, Jack couldn't have it in New Jersey because the captain, Andy Greene, had it. So you took 43 and then Jack took 86. Did he take it because he thinks he's twice as good as you?

Quinn Hughes:  No, no, no.

Dave Tomlinson: You’ve heard that before.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah. People always like to, you know, find something, but I think Jack just liked the number 86, that'll be a question for him. But, yeah.

Scott Oake: Well, did Luke take 43 then, with New Jersey as a tribute to you?

Quinn Hughes: Uh, no. I think Luke was just, you know, he's worn 43 for a couple of years. It might have started as that. But, you know, I think if you ask him now, he would say that it's more his number than mine.

Dave Tomlinson: And your 43 story, was it something handed to you at training camp? And you said, okay, this'll work.

Quinn Hughes: No, no, not really. I was just, you know, at the national team you can only pick between 30 and 60 and you’re a 15 year old kid there's not many options in between there. You don't want to go 50, 55 or whatever those numbers are and so on. 43 had a chance and then just stuck with it.

Scott Oake: There you go. Issue settled. VanEvolved says, Ask him how many times a day he's reminded by Jack and Luke that he was the lowest draft pick of the three. Jack, of course, went one, Luke number four, and you were number seven.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I mean, I haven't thought about that in a minute, but yeah, third in the house, you know, obviously those guys deserve to go where they went. And for me I'm, you know, I love Vancouver so seven you know got lucky there but yeah I don't think about it much you know I got drafted five or six years ago, so.

Scott Oake: Okay the captain ceremony here at the start of the season saw you get the C from Stan Smyl or Orland Kurtenbach, Henrik Sedin and Trevor Linden to become the 15th captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Being captain of a team is no small responsibility, especially for a Canadian franchise. Has it changed your hockey life?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, obviously a very special night and we got the win that night, which was pretty incredible. I mean, just look at the players in that picture. It's, you know, it was an incredible moment for me, had my parents in the stands as well. So, you know, we're 17 games in and we've been playing really good hockey, so that's been the most fun, fun aspect of that. 

But I've always said, you know, what's made me so good is I can continue to learn. And, you know, I think I don't have a lot of arrogance about myself. And I'm always learning and, you know, trying to be a sponge. So for me, that's the same thing with the captaincy. Continue to grow and learn from some of the other guys and then do what I need to do.

Scott Oake: And your predecessor, Bo Horvat, was here on Wednesday night.

Dave Tomlinson: You talk about learning from players before you, guys you've played with, guys that you know. What did you take from Bo's captaincy here and what are you making your own as captain of the Canucks?

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, I mean, just, you know, looking at Bo here, take it all in. He's a special guy. And you could see how emotional he got. He, you know, deeply cared about the people in the city and the fans here. And desperately he wanted to win and be successful. And, you know, it didn't happen, unfortunately, was a tough couple of years for all of us.

But you know, he's a great person, great player. I'm happy for him. He got that contract. And as far as me, you know, like you just said, just trying to grab bits and pieces from each other, you know, other guys. But in saying that, you know, I'm in this situation because I am who I am. And yeah, that's never going to change. So I'm going to be me. But also, you know, there's always things you can learn.

Scott Oake: Shergill2000 asks: Your mom just got inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. How proud are you of her achievements and what role did she play in making you the player you are? We should point out your mother, Ellen, was a star at the University of New Hampshire as a hockey player, and she helped the USA to a silver medal in the 1992 Worlds already in the University of New Hampshire Hall of Fame.

Scott Oake: Yeah, all right. So back to the question.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah, it was kinda sprung on us out of nowhere, I just woke up to a text from my dad saying that she was inducted, but, you know, really happy for her. She's, you know, back to your question, she's someone that, you know, got us to where we are. She kind of drove us up the mountain. And, you know, my dad, we talked to him a lot about hockey, but my mom was always there, driving us to the rink and, you know, pitching in as well with thoughts about the game. So she's, you know, obviously educated and she's, you know, been working with the U.S. national team, women's team the last couple of months. And I know she's enjoying that and they're lucky to have her. But um, you know, not as lucky as us.

Scott Oake: A question from Captain Ron, Which league is more intense? The GTHL or the NHL? I think your grandfather said to someone that the GTHL is pretty good.

Quinn Hughes: Yeah. To this day the GTHL is the hardest league I've ever played in. It's really intense, but um.. Yeah, I think it just it was like I said, it was really intense and you know, fortunate to grow up there because, you know, the hockey is so good, the level and talent so good and always pushing you. The other kids are pushing you.

And I played with Ryan McLeod, Mackenzie Entwhistle, they're both in the NHL and it's a pretty special thing, you know, when I play against those guys. But um… fortunate to grow up and live there and yeah, it's a great time.

Scott Oake: Here's something we found on YouTube or TikTok

[Keith Yandle golf prank video starts playing]

Scott Oake: You got a very nice swing.

Quinn Hughes: Haha. No, I don't.

Scott Oake: Okay, well, look at this.

Quinn Hughes: I've never actually watched the full video.

Scott Oake: Now you actually thought that you [...?] Did you not know there’s such a thing as a gag, an exploding golf ball?

Quinn Hughes: I could lie to you, but no I totally had no idea. And if you ever been to Vegas and uh, you know, some of the guys in league know what I'm talking about. But if you ever been in the Vegas media tour, it's a long couple days. And I think that was the last thing I had in the weekend. I think my brain was fried, but I can't blame it on that.

Scott Oake: And who set you up for that?

Quinn Hughes: I'm guessing Keith did, and I should have known better. I had dinner with him the night before, But yeah, it was a weird thing because it happens, the media tour in September and it didn't come out on Instagram until July. And I remember being, you know, just going off the ice from training in the summer. And I saw that and I couldn't believe it. I was like, these guys waited 11 months and didn't say anything about it. And then, you know, one of those one of those moments, you just kind of throw your phone away for two days.

Scott Oake: Nice of us to dig it up tonight.

Dave Tomlinson: Well, the best part is you're like, I got it. I got to keep this driver like, this is working for me.

#quinn hughes #transcript

[hughjidiot]

Thoughts on Season 2, Episode 1 of the Total Drama Island Reboot

So I still haven't seen season one of the reboot in full, only bits and pieces. (IDK what the hell is going on with the US release schedule.) But I've seen enough to get a feel for the plot and characters, and it seems really good. Now the second episode of season two has been leaked and I was able to watch it in full, so here are my thoughts. Spoilers below the cut, obviously.

So Priya is mentioned multiple times as being the season one winner, and to my knowledge Bowie's ending hasn't aired anywhere. Some are wondering if Bowie will even get an ending, but I think he will - alternate winners have been a thing in Total Drama since the beginning, and the finale of the season one was shot in a way that the winner can be interchangeable. So I'm pretty sure Bowie will get an ending where he canonically wins.

Not sure how long Priya, Milie and Bowie will stick around to be honest, since they already got a lot of screentime in season one. Pretty sure Bowie will stick around for a little bit to give us some Rajbow, but I'm not sure about Priya and Millie.

Speaking of Millie, she continues to be her socially awkward self. It's also a nice change of pace to see her genuinely trying at the challenge, even if she still isn't very good.

Caleb is an interesting one. He's obviously still bitter about being voted off first last time, and now he's determined to prove himself. Some have been predicting that he could evolve into a full on antagonist like Justin did in TDA, but I think it's still too early to tell one way or the other. If they go the antagonist route I at least hope he's better than Justin was, who was basically just Alejandro's buggy prototype.

Chase and Emma broke up offscreen, which I'm honestly glad for. I hope this doesn't lead to another "will they/won't they" that lasts for much of the season. In fact if I'm being honest I kind of hope Chase is an early boot and Emma finally moves on to someone who can actually treat her right. That'd be some good development on Emma's part.

Ripper... I'll be honest, he's one of my least favorite contestants of the new generation. He does fit his role of an obnoxious jerk, I'll give him that. But if I'm being honest I hope he's also an early boot because there are other characters far more deserving of screentime; particularly those that got eliminated instead of Ripper back in season one. Which leads me to...

Axel is one of the contestants I'm most excited to see in season two. She's the newest in the "abrasive tomboy" archetype after Eva and Jo. Eva never got any major character development and Jo always stayed a jerk with the occasional moment of kindness, so I was hoping Axel would be the one to break the trend and get some real character development. What we've seen so far with her saying she's trying to be nicer has me cautiously optimistic.

Speaking of character development, how about Nichelle? I and many others expected her to get training and become a stronger contestant, but I wasn't expecting to see evidence of that right off the bat in the first episode! She's another contestant I'll be watching closely.

Damien didn't do a whole lot, which kind of surprised me. Damien was at the top of my list for being a major character in season two, after he lost in season one right as he vowed to start taking the game seriously. But that can still happen; it's only episode one after all, and you can't frontload the first episode with every single plotline right away.

Seeing Julia and MK being on good terms and showing mutual respect was something I didn't see coming after how things went down between them in season one. But you know what, I'm here for an MK/Julia alliance arc. Also MK is my favorite character of the new generation and I look forward to seeing her schemes, especially after she talked about getting her hands on an intern uniform.

Wayne and Raj are wildcards to me, I honestly have no idea how long they'll last or what their specific plots will be. But like I said earlier with Bowie, I think at least he and Raj will stick around for at least a little while for Rajbow. It's genuinely one of the best written couples the show has given us.

Zee I don't picture getting very far. As much as I like Zee he already made it fairly far in season one, and not sure how much material they can get out of his whole "influencer" arc.

Last but not least, Lauren AKA Scary Girl. As a fan of her it hurt to see her voted off first, but I understand; there's other characters that are far more deserving of screentime, and Lauren is pretty one note. That being said, it's obvious we haven't seen the last of Lauren. I'm guessing she'll pull an Ezekiel and keep sneaking back onto to the show to disrupt things.

And that's everything. So far I'm really enjoying this new season and I'll be following it closely.

#hugh jidiot rambles #total drama island #tdi #total drama spoilers #total drama 2023 #td priya #td millie #td bowie #td julia #td mk #td wayne #td raj #td emma #td chase #td ripper #td zee #td axel #td nichelle #td scary girl #td damien #td caleb

[wildflowercryptid]

WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR GORDIE IN THE PKMN TRANS SWAG BRACKET!

hi, gordie was one of the characters i submitted to the bracket so i'm here to explain why you should support him in the @pkmntransswagbracket!

not only is he one of the few examples of fat rep in the bracket (and the pokémon franchise in general,) he's canonically one of the strongest trainers in galar — so much so that many believe that he has the potential to become the region's champion. (he even typically beats raihan when facing him in the champion cup rematches.) very swagful.

he's also has a massive fanbase in-universe and is super dedicated to making them happy by doing fan events and giving out autographs, showing how much their support means to him.

a major element of his character is his history with his mother, melony. despite being raised with the expectation of him becoming an ice-type trainer like his mother, he rejects this in favor of training rock types in the hopes of finding his own path to greatness outside of her influence. a heated battle between the two results in their relationship becoming strained and them rarely speaking to each other, which melony herself admits is due to her making assumptions as to what is right for gordie and forcing those assumptions onto him. this could be seen as an allegory for the trans experience and the struggles of dealing with well-meaning, yet nonunderstanding parents.

it's a very common headcanon amongst gordie lovers that he is trans.

have you seen how he dresses? would a cis guy mod their shirt so that it has a deep v-neck? no, my man has had top surgery and wants to show that off. as he should.

he does back flips before every battle he participates in, do you know freaking cool that it? only a trans man can be that cool, let's be real.

besides all the other examples i've given... he just has those trans masc vibes, ya know?

and those are the major reasons why i think you should support gordie in the bracket! honestly, i really love gordie and having him a comfort character has actually helped me in my own gender journey so i hope ya'll can appreciate his trans swag as much as i do. even if you don't vote for him, i hope that this post might encourage people to look into him more. he's a super underappreciated character and i'd love to see more people come to like him.

#pokemon #pkmntransswagbracket #pokemon gordie #gym leader gordie #quick disclaimer : by no means am i saying that melony is transphobic i just think her relationship w/ gordie could be an allegory #actually it's a lot funnier to think that she's totally accepting of gordie being trans but then she draws the line at training rock types #milfy is an ally to the trans community but she does want to convince you to kick her son's ass #mj.txt #ask to tag

[nodynasty4us]

From the December 21, 2023 item:

One in five in Gen Z and millennials (ages 18-41) say that dictatorship could be good in certain circumstances. ... A new Siena College poll shows that the war in the Middle East is having a real toll on Biden's popularity. Among young voters, Trump leads Biden 49% to 43%. ... The Biden campaign understands this and is trying to make it more concrete to younger voters by framing the issue as authoritarians trying to take away their rights, for example, the right to an abortion and the right to be safe from gun violence. ... One 23-year-old man in Wisconsin said: "I genuinely could not live with myself if I voted for someone who's made the decisions that Biden has." The reporter did not ask him what he expected a president Trump to do about the Middle East. ... These people are viewing the election as an up-or-down vote of approval for Biden and the Democrats, rather than a choice between two alternatives. Older voters better understand the concept of picking the lesser of two evils rather than voting as a way to make a statement. Biden really needs to frame the election as a choice between two candidates, not a vote to approve/disapprove how he is doing his job. ... In reality, of course, no president could have codified Roe v. Wade. Only Congress can do that and there wasn't even a majority among Democrats for that, let alone the entire Congress. But the young voter doesn't know that and he is going to punish Biden for it by voting for a third-party candidate. ... Not all young voters follow the news enough to know that Biden did try and another branch of government said: "Nope." Biden has canceled student debt for a limited number of people, but not nearly as many as he promised. Again, young voters, especially those who don't follow the news, don't distinguish between politicians who promise something, actually try to do it, and get swatted down by one of the other branches and politicians who never even try to make good on their promises.

#young people #democracy #joe biden #authoritarianism #2024

[oh-my-damn]

A RANT.

I have so many issues with the American justice system.

I grew up in a country where the justice system is very different than it is in America. And yet, the American justice system is the one I knew the most about when I first went to Law School two years ago.

That has since changed.

Now I know a ridiculously extensive amount about my own country's justice system, and yet, somehow, even more than I did before about the American justice system.

Because we use it in comparison more often than not.

But it's not in the way you'd expect.

Despite all the TV shows and movies showing how "impressive" and "exhilarating" it can be to stand in a courtroom pleading someones case, this is not the justice system we aspire to be like.

It is actually the one we aspire to not be like.

And that is not just because of the many, many cases of wrongful convictions that lie within the haunted halls of the american courtrooms.

It is also because the American constitution in and of itself is flawed because of the way it is changable in the way it is.

You see, the constitution in my country is not liable to change in the same way. It is open to change - but it takes a majority vote of the entire country to do so.

Here's another thing we don't do; we don't give out sentences with the purpose of punishing or scaring. We do them with rehabilitation in mind.

We also don't strip felons of basic human rights.

Like voting. Or being able to get a job after their sentence is paid off.

When I first went into law school, so much of my impression of justice had to be altered. Because we do absolutely nothing like they do in America.

We don't have a jury. We don't give out 100 years worth of sentences. We don't have the death penalty. We don't strip away rights. We don't base whether someone is convicted or not on a crime they may or may not have committed on how good the lawyer is.

It's all focused on justice for all parts. It's all focused on proof. It's all focused on rebuilding, rehabilitating, refocusing people and society.

Sometimes I wonder whether this could have helped the mirror America sees themselves in.

I know of so many likeminded people who live in America. I have so many friends living there right now, currently being punished because the system is consciously working against them.

Everything is working against them.

Every. Single. Thing.

The American system does not belong to the people.

It belongs to the billionaires. The white cis men. The religious. The capitalists. The republicans.

But the rest? Including those amazing American people I've met in my lifetime, who I love and adore?

They're being left in the dirt. They're expected to submit and accept that this is how it works. While still being expected to tell the rest of the world that their country is simply the best. Despite none of it being so.

I love my American friends. I pray for their safety.

I pray America finds its way, sooner rather than later.

I do this, despite not being a single ounce of religious.

Because I worry what will happen to the rest of the world if it doesn't.

#america #united states of america #government #big brother #constitution #law

[dolphin1812]

Riot and insurrection are defined by minority vs majority, with insurrection being a just movement by the majority to maintain its democratic power and rioting being a minority using violence against the people (the exception being colonialism because Hugo believed in “civilizing” missions, as illustrated by his remarks on Columbus). Through this link, they’re also defined by their tie to progress: insurrection is part of progress and is good, and rioting looks to the past and is therefore bad. 

Hugo’s comments on writing under tyranny are fascinating in the context of Napoleon III. Hugo was exiled, but he was still conscious of how censorship could affect his work in France. The dense prose mentioned, then, could be this novel! Its themes are concealed, to an extent, by its length and its digressions. Hugo outright tells us his opinions (like he’s doing now), but after reading so much, it can be difficult to keep track of without a very close reading (which is made difficult by length, too – even though the goal of these posts has been to close-read each chapter, there will always be chapters that I understand better and others that are incomprehensible. A censor needing to read this quickly would be very lost!). Hugo’s prose doesn’t seem concise at all, but perhaps he felt that it was appropriate for the breadth of what he covered, and that he felt he learned to better articulate himself with this consciousness.

(Or maybe Hugo wants a republic so he can digress freely. Maybe digressions are democracy)

Despotism being the same under a “genius” feels like a jab at Napoleon I, too, making it an even harsher critique of the less respected (by Hugo) Napoleon III! And it’s also a return to Louis Philippe, who – while a good person – still suffers from the flaw of being a king in a France that doesn’t want one.

And he has a point that suffrage is wonderful because it offers an alternative to both insurrection and rioting! If the people have a non-violent and legitimate way of expressing their opinions, then they become less necessary. Hugo’s dream of them disappearing is a lot – protest is seen as another right alongside suffrage – but it’s a nice ideal in that it imagines a democracy that functions perfectly and thus only needs the vote to decide well.

And unfortunately, Hugo’s right about the reluctance to distinguish between the two by those in power. We’re back to animal symbolism, but this time, it’s between an animal and a person. The “dog” expected to serve the person is beaten for disobedience, leaving no alternative but to transform into a ferocious lion capable of resisting. 

I love that Hugo basically says “June 1832 was insurrection, but there’s a good chance I’ll forget and say riot in the future; just know I don’t mean that politically.” It’s almost a form of self-awareness over how many words he uses to describe most things!

He’s making a claim to historical accuracy, too, and one grounded in the perspective of the protesters. The judicial records he mentions would have been from their trials and, therefore, from the point of view of a state threatened by them. Hugo’s fictionalized account continues to give a voice to those neglected by those narratives. 

#les mis letters #lm 4.10.2 #1832 digression

[canonically47]

i watched the entirety of total drama 2023 today, and here's how it went (spoilers below!) (no duh...):

got very, very, VERY emotionally attached to zee, laughed my ass off at most of his lines, absolutely adored every minute of him being on screen, and cringed when he announced he had joined both alliances, then got SUPER MAD at chris allowing the players to vote again. what bullshit

found bowie and raj's romance absolutely adorable, although cut a bit short, but they made up for it by bringing everyone back in the finale and having raj cheer for bowie so intensely! also, ADORED wayne and how supportive he was! he was absolutely adorable!!! and after being so into the many queer ships of the fandom, actually hearing the words 'gay' and 'bi' on total drama made me kind of tear up. that was adorable.

also, loved everyone, from wayne to chris and sharks being supportive of bowie and raj, but how much chris emphasized his hatred of emma and chase's relationship. i also hate them, by the way. emma was cool until folding all the way back for chase.

very mixed on ripper. on one side, he is annoying and one big fart joke, but on the other side, he seems like he could genuinely be sweet if he tried hard enough - or not at all! he didn't even want to help millie, but she still found him helpful when giving her advice on how to win priya over again!

weirdly enough, found no new ships except for rajbow. saw some people shipping priya and millie, as well as wayne and raj, but honestly - and this is VERY unusual for me to say - i think those two duos are way better off as platonic! of course, massive respect for those who ship them, they have some cute moments that i guess you could take for romantic if you wanted to, but they're not my style.

the whole goat thing was hilarious. the goats going >:O at bowie saying he has eaten and will eat goat again was just so good.

the pretty boys need to try to make it further, man. justice for caleb. a lot of eliminations were kind of unfair to me, actually, especially axel's, and for ripper i really felt like he could've gone another time. i've already mentioned zee. *sobs* zee............... he is the winner in my eyes. (is it obvious i have a favorite?) (i think it's bowie but zee is tying with him. zee <333)

i kind of disliked millie at the start but hearing her mini-speech about her own insecurities and thinking she's above everyone else...argh i kin her so hard stop she deserves the world.

chef? was actually interested?? in their safety??? up until the finale of course but i found that so weird

i screamed in shock and disappointment when bowie didn't win, but i kind of knew deep down inside they were bold enough to add an openly gay contestant, and although i was certain he would make it to the finale, i was expecting the win to go to priya because they wouldn't go much further than that. next season, though :')

i was very surprised with how major some of the roles were, and how insignificant others were! i feel like lauren, mk and nichelle were hyped up a lot, but i barely got attached to them, while i just saw one or two posts of priya and millie, and assumed they would not even make it to the final ten. i also thought some ships would have more interactions due to some fandom posts - nichelle and axel... the potential was THERE... but they barely got a WORD........

what i'm thinking for next season:

chase and emma break up all over again, but (HOPEFULLY.) this time it's for good, and emma and bowie get a chance to properly reunite and become friends again.

bowie and raj will also be an official couple, but because of that, i doubt chris would let them on the same team.

it would also be fun to see wayne on the same team as bowie, and not raj! bowie talks his ears off about how great raj is, and then wayne does the same (but platonically) and it's great. everyone hates them because all they hear about is raj, raj, raj.

caleb - please, please, god - makes it a bit further this time, and damien makes it to the final five! everyone is shocked, including him.

my ideal final five would be raj, wayne, bowie, zee, and damien, but i seriously doubt that would happen because they always keep things equal between the genders, so, for the sake of the next point, let's say it's raj, axel, zee, nichelle, and bowie.

my ideal elimination order would be:

mk ("we don't want you spying on us again, that's gross")

lauren (costs them the challenge because she got carried away being creepy)

caleb (the votes are rigged against him yet again, this time by julia! goddamn it julia)

ripper (his pride got in the way and cost them the challenge, but he managed to get a bit of redemption in the episodes he was in),

millie (too injured from a challenge to continue, urges priya to keep pushing forward)

julia (people get tired of her bullshit much quicker this time and vote her off before she can cause any more unwanted drama, but spoiler alert, bowie's still here, so you did nothing, guys)

chase (right after emma's major breakup with him! ouch.)

priya (takes it VERY. HARD.)

emma (the votes are rigged against her)

damien (he put up a good fight)

wayne ("WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYNEEEEEEEEEE" - raj)

nichelle (it is found out that she rigged the votes)

bowie ("BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE" - raj).

the final three are raj, axel, and zee. raj has an alliance with wayne, bowie, emma and zee - zee joined because he wanted to make up for the last failed alliances - and so, raj and zee team up to get axel out (because they literally couldn't otherwise).

side note, bowie still got voted out because nichelle helped by rigging the votes from afar for axel. what the fuck.

so, for the first time in total drama history, the final two are of the same gender! lots of angry letters for that one.

it seems that zee has the win for a while - against all odds! - but, to make up for his boyfriend losing completely last time, raj takes the win, and splits the money between himself, wayne, and bowie! there's a remaining dollar in there somewhere, and zee's mad happy to get it. (raj actually gives him more, but that's between you and me.)

and that's it! i'm obviously very biased because i have favorites, other opinions are welcome if you wanna discuss :D

here is a list of my ranking of the characters (for which this tierlist was used) to finish this post off strong:

#total drama #total drama 2023 #total drama island #tdi #td #td23 #td2023

[smolvenger]

Miss Narracott and The Captain, Part Three (Captain James Nicholls x fem! Reader Miniseries)

Summary: It is 1912-1914. You are Y/N Narracott, the older sister of Albert Narracott. You must do what you can so your family can keep their farm. And so your brother can keep his beloved horse. Under financial struggles, you never expect romance to come into your life...until you have a chance encounter with James Nicholls- a Captain with a knack for drawing. But the threat of war lingers in the air...

Link to Part One Link to Part Two

Fandom: War Horse

Chapter Word Count: 6K

Chapter Warnings: This is a light slow burn but nothing too intense. Fluffy moments, but some angst at the end. A brief bit of steamy stuff but no actual smut. Edwardian-era attitudes about sex, gender, and behavior. I lovingly rip off Little Women. Brief mentions of violence.

A03//My Ko-Fi//My Etsy Shop//Masterlist//Wattpad

A/N: Comments, Reblogs, DMs, and Asks about my work are always appreciated! Thank you!

Taglist: @evelyn-kingsley @jennyggggrrr @five-miles-over @fictive-sl0th @ladycamillewrites @villainousshakespeare @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @twhxhck @lokisgoodgirl @lovelysizzlingbluebird @raqnarokr @holymultiplefandomsbatman @michelleleewise @wolfsmom1 @cheekyscamp

Autumn 1912

With the army stationed close, the new arrivals of men in uniform caused a stir. Considering that many of them were young and single, you and the other ladies in town were thrilled. You and your friends couldn’t help but notice and ogle them. Especially the handsome ones. How good it felt to indulge in the good, harmless giggling over attractive men!

At the shop, you worked with three other women close to your age- Mary, Ida, and Alice. After months of working together, the four of you grew in comradery. Sometimes, there would be an hour with no customers and no tasks. Then when a soldier or two passed by outside, one would alert the others.

“Come quick!” was the cry from Mary today.

The four of you would flock to the windows just to watch them. Today there were two. They were enjoying a cigarette. Though you had to look closely to see if one was the tall, lean gentleman with auburn hair and blue eyes. Or the gentlemen with high cheekbones and a dark mustache. To see if one would be Nicholls or Stewart. So far, you had not seen them at a calmer hour outside the shop.

Those men, you realized, were neither Nicholls nor Stewart even. But they were still handsome. One gentleman had red hair and the other had blonde hair. They chatted and smiled among themselves, ignorant of their admirers. Laughing as if in a joke. The four of you peeked from the edges of the window. As to not be obvious, of course!

" Which one is better- the redheaded one? Or the blonde?" asked Ida.

All of you case your verbal votes, bursting into more laughter

“I’ve singled it down to five I’d be content to marry just from this window!” Alice commented.

Part of your stomach curled. But you chose to ignore it. It’s not like Nicholls belonged to you! But why were you getting such…thoughts about that? Besides, there were obviously plenty of uniformed fish in the sea. You kept reminding yourself that. Ida's voice brought you back to the present.

"I’ve yet to even meet one!” Ida complained.

Pride swelled in your chest. The words came out of you. As if to show a small accomplishment among your peers.

“I’ve met two!” you blurted.

“Oh, Y/N! Two?” Alice asked.

They turned to you with big, curious eyes.

“Yes- Major Stewart and Captain Nicholls are their names. They were even at tea a few months ago!”

“You’re so lucky!” Alice sighed.

“I know one named Mr. Smith! The most handsome fellow I’ve seen. He has these dark curls that fit him so well@ And he was telling me all about how he dances back home-we need to have them dance!” Mary announced.

A new idea hit you as the four of you returned to look out the window.

“When will there be a dance again? I bet the officers are always at dances!” you questioned.

It had been a little while since you’d been to a dance. Not that you didn't want to go to them. It was Albert who would complain about them, but you loved them. But now with this job and your farm duties, you realized…you missed it. All that work left you too distracted and tired. The parties would slip by without your noticing. You missed going to dances. The thrill of dressing up in your nicest frocks, seeing your friends, sipping on lemonade, and having the chance to dance with dashing fellows. It wasn’t like the upper-class balls, but it was still something! You missed something you enjoyed so much. Something replaced by responsibility. Oh, how You would brave the later hours and your tired feet from work to be at one again right now!

“Ask around! Usually in the town hall when the older folks host one. Or check the newspapers!” Ida reasoned.

Alice looked up at you and then clutched your hand.

“We miss you, Y/N! You need to come to dances again!” she insisted.

“I’ll try if I can!” you replied.

“But Y/N, if you need to stay home and rest, I don’t blame you!” Mary said.

There were footsteps and the four of you shot up, away from the window. Mrs. Snow approached with her hands on her hips.

“Ladies! Don’t be so silly about soldiers you don’t notice when a customer arrives!” she scolded.

All of you returned to shelving products and standing at the counter, waiting for someone to come in. Dressed in Uniform or otherwise.

At the end of the day, you said your goodbyes and walked out. You went through the sloping sidewalks of town. Then to the outskirts where it broke into hills and fields. The grass grew long, and the trees were orange like they had a fire on top of them. Some leaves broke off to fly past you as you went home. You shivered beneath your wool scarf and thick, dark coat.

But as you walked up the slope and opened the gate to home, there was a sight in the bottom field that now made you smile.

With the entire field plowed, the turnips burst from the ground. So many it was like another sea. The crops here were in full fruition with the harvest. And the rent was getting paid. Somehow, some way, all would be well.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Saturday afternoon, you saw there was a knock on the door. You opened it and contained a gasp to see Captain Nicholls. He was dressed in a Norfolk jacket and held his sketchbook beneath one arm.

“Good afternoon, Miss Narracott! Is your family home? If not, then I’ll leave,” he said, taking off his cap.

“Oh, we’re here! Good to see you, Captain! You can come in!” Mum replied as she turned around from washing the dishes from the sink.

He bowed his head as he took a step inside- he was so tall he could have knocked his head into the doorframe! He looked about the inside of the stone house. So snug and lived in with potted flowers, embroidery, and kitchenware. He never scoffed at anything but admired them as if they were paintings.

“I hope I am disturbing nothing crucial!” he said.

“Why, nothing! Would you like some tea?” your mother asked.

“I would but I confess…there’s something else I’m here for…I’d like to draw Joey, please.” He asked.

“Why- draw!?” Mum questioned. She tilted her head, her eyes going to the sketchbook.

“Captain Nicholls is an exceptional artist, mum! I’ve seen a few of them!” you insisted.

He blushed and looked down.

“They’re nothing special But I have my hobbies, as much as anyone else!” he said.

“Why then- of course! Be sure to talk to Albert and make sure it’s all good with him!” she said.

She gestured out to the field. Nicholls got a chair from the kitchen As he walked outside, he went to the field where Joey was kept. Today Albert was brushing him off when he turned. He jumped seeing the captain and you walking just behind. The Captain sat the chair on the grass.

“Why-hello there, sir!” Albert cried out.

“May I have your permission to draw your horse, please?” he asked.

“Why-yes! Yes, of course, sir!” Albert spoke, fumbling with the brush in his hand. He turned his brown head back and forth, trying to decide where to go.

“No! You don’t have to stop brushing him! I can even draw that if you’d like!” Nicholls said.

“Let me start you some tea. There’s a chill in the air today,” you offered.

“That would be lovely, Miss Narracott,” he thanked.

But after you delivered the cup and saucer, he was already at it. He set the sketchbook up high, and you heard the scratch of his pencil. He smiled and thanked you for the drink.

“Don’t you have one? You should have one too, Miss,” he said.

“I will in a second, glad you still got your tea, sir."

Your voice halted at a thought.

Goodness! You remembered all the way back you promised him a welcome basket and never gave him one!

Your thoughts racing, you ran out and gathered whatever you could- a few spare chicken eggs in the basket, several apples from the tree (hoping they didn’t already have worms in them!), a couple of spare turnips, carrots, and the spare crops you could that was seasonal. From the ice box, you even added on a bottle of milk from one of the cows-one of the smaller ones yet to be sold, of course.

Though when you returned with the basket, Harold the Goose was back to bother everyone. He waddled up to Nicholls as he sat.

“Don’t you dare, Harold! Leave him alone!” you scolded the gander.

Harold waddled up. He bit the material of Nicholl’s pants and shook his head as he held it in his beak. Thankfully the pants were large enough that Harold got the cloth but not the leg. But Nicholls only looked down and laughed.

“It’s quite alright! I don’t mind it. He’s a good fellow.” He replied.

"He’s anything but! He likes to try and bite everyone!” you contradicted.

“Well, he’s fine as he is!” he said, raising a hand to assure you.

Taking a step closer, you saw him use an eraser to correct a line and then redraw it.

“Captain… how is it you draw?” you questioned.

“Would you like to see?” he asked.

“Yes!”

He gestured for you to stand beside him. He used his pencil to point out the lines and shapes. There was the scwhep, schwep sound of Albert brushing Joey.

“I observe him. I see his shape…and I draw an outline. “That’s what I like to focus on…shape and shadows,” Nicholls explained.

There was a crisp breeze that flew by. A few of the orange leaves from the tree fell and skittered across, crunching as they danced across the grass. Then he paused. He got up and returned with an extra chair.

“Would you like to have that tea and watch?” he offered.

You nodded. He then returned with a chair and cup for you.

He kept drawing. It was fascinating to watch as the pencil scratched across. You sipped at your cup and saucer watching the lines become a horse on paper. The black lines form the shape of Joey. His snout. He then carefully made shapes of the eyes and colored them in. Then he made the eyes and got right the diamond shape on Joey’s snout. You enjoyed his handsome profile. His bright eyes shone as he watched Joey trot around and eat grass. Flicking his tail on occasion. The Captain smiled at the animal; a smile that remained as his eyes lowered to the sketchbook. You heard the soft inhalation from his nose and the rhythmic scratch of the pen.

As he went down to replace his pencil with a new one in his pocket, it struck you that not a word passed between you two. And who knew how much time had passed? You only saw him drawing away. He smiled as he kept looking up and down. Then he used his new pencil for the long neck. Though Joey trotted and shook his head. Albert went to one end of the field and did the owl whistle. Joey then broke into a short gallop to the other end of the field. Despite the movement, Nicholls got the long neck and body of the horse.

“This is the one part that looks hard- the body…” you commented.

You sipped the last of your tea and got his saucer too.

“That’s why I like to draw the body in front of a real horse,” Nicholls replied.

As he lengthened the lines, he compared it to the model who walked to eat a new patch of grass. Then he went down. Indeed, the outline became correct in its likeness.

“Hey Y/N! Come give him a carrot! He likes it when you’re the one who gives it!” Albert called out.

You then got a carrot from the kitchen. You walked out to the field and held it up.

“Here Joey…here, boy…” you said.

Joey trotted forward. He didn’t refuse or buck away. And you didn’t have to turn back this time. Joey accepted the carrot, crunching on it. You offered your hand and gently petted his long nose. He didn’t buck away. But leaned to it. He even took a step closer for you to pet him more. As you looked into the horse’s dark eyes, you saw gentleness.

“See! He likes you, Y/N!” Albert said.

Even Nicholls smiled from his sketchbook. You then returned to admire the progress of the drawing.

Soon enough, it was a fine outline. But you had realized that a lot of time had indeed passed. The sun was about to dip and the sky became pinker. You wondered if one of your parents would scold you for avoiding your chores.

“I know I’m dull company, I am sorry if I wasted your time,” Nicholls apologized.

“Oh, don’t be!” you shook your head.

“I’m afraid I’ve overstayed. And I’m sorry- I should have asked your mother to be outside with us at least,” he apologized.

“No- I don’t…don’t think she minds!” you replied.

Albert took Joey by the reigns and paused before he returned the horse to his stable.

“I thank you again for both- the tea and the basket!” Nicholls replied.

He looped the basket around one of his handsome arms. The jacket did show the outline of a bicep and you tried not to stare or imagine things. Albert returned Joey back in. Even Nicholls couldn’t resist coming inside the stable to briefly pet his model and thank him.

The three of you walked through the garden to get to the front door. There again was the brown rabbit eating your flowers.

“Ol’Peter’s back for his own dinner!” cried Albert, pointing.

Even you couldn’t help chuckling. But Nicholls squinted.

“Peter?” Nicholls questioned.

The three of you stopped in your tracks. The rabbit continued to hop around. He stilled, his nose twitching.

“The rabbits here- Y/N loves them, you see…she doesn’t mind them eating her flowers, no sir!” explained Albert.

Turning over, you shrugged.

“I’d rather have rabbits here than some less pleasant creature! Besides…I rather like the idea I take care of them. They’re such cute little things, I think…” you added on.

He nodded. The three of you were still and quiet. Admiring the animal. You began to tread quietly as Nicholls said his goodbyes to your parents.

There was another “honk!” that stirred the rabbit. It began to hop away from the garden to escape under the fence door.

As you led your guest to the gate, Harold waddled out, wings wide. He went to Nicholls. The goose began to nip at Nicholls's pants and shake them again. But the Captain only smiled and laughed at him.

“I’m so sorry he’s so rude!” you apologized.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Geese have no concept of manners at all, Miss Narracott,” Nicholls replied.

The goose had a last shake. Once his beak let go, Nicholls tipped his hat as a goodbye and walked away. Albert waved him away as he walked down into town as the sun dipped down to an orange sky.

Whenever the weather was still nice, Nicholls would stop by for tea and to draw away. It was always on his days off or after duty. He would admire Joey. Sketching him or working on previous drawings of the horse. After work and in between chores, you had to go to check. Thankfully, your parents did not think it shocking for you to sit with him. While you were technically unchaperoned without your mother, Albert was present. Your parents were walking about with their own work, and you were in public in the open daylight. He would never tread in the house if you were going to be the only person inside.

Nicholls was also a gentleman. His large hands were only on the pencil and drawing, never inching to even the edge of your sleeve.

Winter, 1912

December finally arrived. Your family had to rely more on the animals than the crops. And Mum kept fussing at Dad for wanting to waste money on pub trips. Especially with Christmas coming up. Not that gift-giving to each other was ever grand. You were just planning on knitting and sewing things for your family, nothing more. Perhaps the odd little trinket from a few of your friends about town and the community or packages from your distant family. Those were things to look forward to.

It was even starting to snow. It piled up and around the house. Joey wore a blanket and the chickens and geese and cows remained in their stables too. It made you miss the presence of a gentleman who would sit outside to draw. But you didn’t want him to catch a cold either if he did show up.

As everyone gathered for church, all of you bundled up. Albert’s nose looked like a tomato. It was a week before Christmas, and all was astir. The little stone church was decorated with greenery and trees. People gossiped over potential gift ideas over organ music. The snow fell outside in white drifts to that blinking, bright morning. But before the service began, both Stewart and Nicholls approached you.

“Why, Happy Christmas Narracotts!” Stewart greeted.

“Happy Christmas!” Dad replied.

“Why- where will the soldiers be having their dinners?” Mum asked curiously.

“We’re all traveling home until after New Year's. We’ll be back then but…Jim here has gifts for you. All of you!” Stewart announced.

You felt your eyes get big.

“Really? Christmas gifts for us?”

Nicholls stepped forward.

“It’s not much, but it’s something!” he said.

From his arms, he handed four small boxes to each of you.

“Major Stewart where are your gifts?” you asked.

“None, I’m afraid. I wish I had half the talent James has in his little finger. You’ll have to settle for cards,” Stewart replied.

“Cards will be fine,” you replied.

But you looked down at the small, green box done up in gold ribbon. Then you looked at the Captain.

“Thank you, Happy Christmas.”

“I hope you like it when you open it, Miss. Consider it as thanks to all of you,” Nicholls responded.

Christmas Day arrived with the clinging of the bells from town. When all of you opened Nicholl’s presents that morning, it struck all of you that he had given each of you a drawing.

“Oh! How thoughtful! What a fellow!” Mum cried in delight.

For Albert, there was a completed drawing of Joey eating a bowl of oats. For Mum, it was some of the potted flowers in bloom next to a teacup. For Dad, it was Harold the Goose nipping at someone's pant leg.

And as for your drawing, it was of the little rabbit next to one of your flowers. So sweet and lifelike, you could almost stroke its fur on the page. You kept it in your room. You put a nail on the wall so you could always look up and see it.

Spring 1913

The days got warmer despite the chilled mornings. Mr. Lyons, his son, and his posse were back to collect the rent as usual, on the 15th of every month. Mum fixed him a cup of tea as the landlord plopped onto the chair. Somehow, there managed to be enough paper bills of money that suited him, many of which came from your job.

Dad looked him in the eye as Lyons recounted the bills with his thumb. You and Albert just stood up to watch. Despite the intensity of the situation, you knew there was enough. There’d be no threats. There shouldn’t be.

“You’re doing better. But I hope no new horses have caught your eye!” Lyons said.

“Of course not, sir,” your father replied.

“Good. And you will keep this up, will you not?” he asked.

“Course sir,” your father responded.

Lyons then turned over and looked at you. He broke into a smile. You folded your hands before you, but you felt Albert watching, his eyes darting.

“And how are you, Miss Narracott?” Lyons asked, turning to you.

“I am well and good, thank you.”

“I hear you work with Mrs. Snow at the shop. A year already! They speak well of you there,” he conversed.

“Then I am only glad to do my job well and honestly, sir,” you replied.

“That is well, quite well indeed…” he chatted.

Lyons looked out the window. He got out, squinting his eyes.

“Is that a rabbit eating the flowers?” Lyons asked.

You turned your head out. Indeed, there was a rabbit out in the flower garden again.

“Yes,” you confirmed.

Lyons shook his head, his sneer matched that of his son.

“The little vermin...Try and shoot it- make it your supper!” he scoffed.

“They don’t usually eat the vegetables- we shoo them off if they get in there. Only the flowers! They’re harmless!” you insisted, turning towards him.

“That’s only encouraging them. For me, I don’t tolerate the beasts in my grounds!” Lyons replied.

You frowned as he tipped his hat.

“But Miss, I do hope you stay well. And that I see you and your family in church Sunday.”

“Thank you, goodbye,” you said coolly.

Lyons, David, and his posse got into the motorcar and drove off. Albert gave you a small look. You only went out to the garden to make sure the plants and flowers were watered. Staring at the rabbit as he hopped about his business. At least the fresh air, sunshine, flowers, and the sounds of wildlife could wash you of his words. You could only stare blankly at the plants-not watering, tending, or planting any. As Albert approached you, you turned to him.

"You don't need to say anythin', I saw him with you..." Albert comforted.

"He...he means it..." you whispered.

From the look on your face, Albert brought you into a hug.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Captain Nicholls was back soon enough to resume drawing. He wanted to try to get Joey into a gallop. Conveniently, Albert said Joey was finally now able to ride people.

“He rides now! Rides splendid! And so fast, sir! Especially with me!" Albert boasted.

“Then- why not a drawing of you on him as he gallops! Or maybe just you on him!” Nicholls suggested.

You heard their voices echo from outside. You had to scrub the floors during that hour. As you bent down, making sure each bit of the floor was clean, you couldn’t resist trying to poke your head to see. You heard the patter of Joey’s hooves and neighing outside. Once it was half done, you took a break to go outside to them. You finished one last spot and then dipped the sponge into the bucket.

As you went outside and approached Nicholls on his chair, you saw he was getting the outline of Joey’s body.

“Hello, Captain,” you said.

“Good afternoon, Miss,” he greeted.

“Could I see some of your other drawings, please?” you asked.

He turned his head and blinked at you.

“Please think nothing of it! I was only curious! And if you need to finish that one, then-”

“It’s alright! I'll show you! Give me a moment to find one…”

He flipped to the page before.

“Here- there’s Jaimie. The Major," he introduced.

You looked and saw the likeliness of Major Stewart on the page. You caught how Nicholls got the cheekbones and structure of Stewart’s angular face and the squinting, small eyes.

“It’s about perfect. Like he’s here!” you replied.

“I hoped so! Here- here’s one of my mother I made..." Nicholls continued.

He flipped to the page before that one. You saw a graceful woman’s face. She was a true English Rose no matter what some might say about her age. She had a high forehead and almond-shaped eyes. Her hair was done up into curls maintained by pins. She had a smile on her face. The smile that would offer you a cake if you were crying.

“She’s a beautiful lady…and she looks like she is a kind one, too,” you replied.

“She definitely is both! I wished every day to be more like her when I was young! Here’s one of a tree here in Devon. It burst into flowers this month. I saw it while on patrol. I had to try and get it drawn…” he continued.

He turned a page and there was a tree full of apple blossoms. They burst into blooms all over. The small delicacies of the petals connected to its center were exact. Yet Nicholls captured the leaves growing on the tree in between with decided pointiness. It was as if you could smell it if you tipped your nose to the paper.

“That one is beautiful too!” you cried.

“Plants and animals can be quite easier to get than humans. So, I used to start with those!” he responded.

The sound of a neigh brought you back to attention. Looking up, you saw Joey trotting about as Albert rode him. The horse then went out the open door of the gate to walk around. Albert touched the branches of trees from atop his horse. The leaves rustled above.

“I never had anyone ask about my little drawings...” Nicholls commented.

“But they’re lovely! You should share them more often,” you praised.

“Sometimes I fear if I speak too much about it, my colleagues shall think less of me.”

Your mother’s words echoed back to you. The conversation was almost a year ago.

“Should it…matter what they think? If you like drawing, you like drawing.”

“It’s unexpected. It is my job, Miss Narracott, to be a man of action and honor. Not an artist. I doubt I could survive on selling them alone,” he justified.

“I didn’t say you had to sell them. You can enjoy things, even if they’re things not every soldier does…”

“With my position, I lead groups of men. I do not wish the soldiers I look after to think less of me,” he explained.

“Does Stewart think less of you? He knows about your drawings…” you asked.

There was a slight cool breeze. The chickens clucked and a few wandered to explore the horse grounds. Harold even waddled up to look, though this time he was uninterested in nipping clothes.

“I only…feel like I must be a man for them and something like this...they could mock me...” Nicholls confessed.

“Don’t be ashamed of yourself, Captain. Don’t be ashamed of what makes you happy…” you comforted.

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Miss Narracott,” he answered.

He smiled at you, and you felt as if firecrackers lit up inside you. So giddy, so close to him. Your fingers inch away. Your fingers could brush but you dared not. It then struck you that you were staring at him, and embarrassment flooded you. What would it be like to touch that hand? As you looked at his profile, you wondered what it would be like to embrace, and look into his eyes when he kissed, or if his hands wandered. If they undid your buttons. If you lay down on the field-any field, any floor. If you felt him crawl over you. If you lifted your skirt and...

Your body felt hot and your tongue felt heavy in your mouth.

“I…I need to finish scrubbing the floors, excuse me,” you dismissed. Timidity and shame overwhelming you.

He tucked his head in as you walked straight back inside. Scrubbing with more ferocity than ever.

Summer 1913

“Tavistock fair tomorrow! I bet Joey’s going to win- he has to!” Albert announced at dinner.

“It would be nice if he won a prize,” you said.

“Prize or no prize, he’s still our Joey, that’s what,” Dad replied.

Taking a sip of water, all of you sat together in that dark kitchen. Finishing the last of your chicken, you and Mum began to pick up the dishes.

“Well, it does make a difference if there’s prize money!” Mum added, putting them in the sink.

After cleaning the plates, you walked upstairs. It was wise to pick an outfit for the fair. It was a large event and perhaps everyone and their mother would be there! You selected a light, white dress. Perfect for the summer heat while still looking as elegant as you could afford to. A straw hat with a pretty ribbon around it to give you shade.

Now what was missing was gloves. As you pulled out a drawer and looked through, you noticed something odd. You usually liked to wash all your gloves at once. Better to keep track of pairs.

But one of your gloves- cream-colored, nice for going out and about on a day you weren’t working- was missing. There was only one. But no pair next to it, like you liked to set it.

You knocked on Albert’s door. He opened it, still in his overalls and shirt with the smell of the day's work on him.

“Albert- you haven’t had any funny business with my gloves, have you?” you asked, putting an arm akimbo.

“Why no!”

“I still haven’t forgotten the time you took my doll outside without asking and dropped her in the mud!” you recalled.

“And I haven’t forgotten the times you pushed me off my sled in the snow!” he argued back.

Both of you laughed suddenly at his response. Breaking off and relaxing.

“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to sound cross. But…one of my gloves is missing. The cream one- did you take it?” you asked.

“No, I didn’t! I swear! And I wouldn’t know where it is!” he answered.

Taking a lit lantern for light, you then walked over to the laundry room. You looked over the baskets. Scouring through every item of clothing you could see. Your mum walked in.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Mum, have you been doing laundry? Did you wash my gloves?” you asked.

“No, I didn’t,” she said.

You looked and looked. Then you rechecked every spot. Sure enough, there were no gloves. And you didn’t find it in your room or the next morning either. You would just have to settle for another pair to wear. Maybe if you saved up a little of your wages, you could buy a new pair to replace them. Perhaps they were at Mrs. Snow’s shop, or they got lost outside.

All of you gathered in a cart and headed off, but Albert preferred to ride Joey. He smiled all the way through, though he kept his brushes and everything to make sure the horse looked as nice as he could.

The Tavistock, or Devon Goose Fair, was packed with people. Not caring that the September heat was still around them. There was loud music and the chatter of people. Fried food wafted under everyone’s noses. There were more goods and souvenirs than you could hope for. But you and your family hoped to sell some produce, of course, but also to win prizes for your animals. Especially the neighing, spirited star of your farm.

The Narracott station was set up and Joey was off to the horse show. You recognized many people around. You said hellos to Ida, Mary, and Alice as they went about. Of course, there were plenty of uniformed men out and about for all of you to giggle after and meet.

“Oh! I did meet Stewart! He sure is handsome! And so’s his friend!” Mary said.

“Stewart and Nicholls? Where are they?” you asked.

Mary pointed over there but then a sight froze you in your tracks.

Though once you got to the fair, you did see him. And this time there was another woman. A beautiful blonde woman who wore a lovely dress the color of a ruby that probably cost twice the one you had on. Her waist was as small as your neck. And wearing shoes and ribbons and jewelry that must cost the farm’s rent. And she was talking to him. And smiling. He was smiling too. You couldn’t make out the words, but she was speaking boldly. Her thick, dark eyelashes batted like a butterfly. She flirted as subtly as a train. Yes, this might not be encouraged for a lady to flirt. But she had money. She could do whatever she wanted because she had the protection of her family’s bank account. Nicholls smiled small and politely. He nodded and listened to her as she spoke, but he kept his attention on her.

A feeling hit your gut like none before. You didn’t want to watch it. You had to force yourself away. Before Nicholls could turn his head up to see you, you turned away and went right back to your family’s station without a word.

It made you hate yourself. Hate your own body that wasn’t hers, your hair that wasn’t hers, your skin and dress that wasn’t your skin and dress. That her family wasn’t your family. That her wealth wasn’t your wealth. You hated that you weren’t her.

Pure hatred hit you. It washed into you. It made you lose your taste for the food or the noises and music. You wanted to scream. You wanted to throw something until it shattered. You wanted her to be shoved off a cliff!

But why…why…it wasn’t like…like Captain Nicholls and you were….were…were a couple. No. It wasn’t like you were engaged or even lovers meeting in the dead of night. He was in no way yours. You shouldn’t feel entitled to him.

One guest who went up was Mr. Lyons with his son.

“Why- Ms. Narracott! Good to see you and your family. It’s not too busy here, I ask?”

“It’s not,” you replied.

Your family, from the shade of the tent, looked at each other. He turned to your mother.

“Mrs. Narracott, I’d like to take your daughter on a walk around the fairgrounds. Could you accompany us?” he asked.

A small look was shared between your parents.

“Why…uhm, yes. Yes, I can. Let David tag along too-it’d be a break from all this selling,” she replied, though you noted a tone of hesitancy in her voice.

You walked up to be by Lyons’ side as your mother kept her pace to be on your other side. David was behind, picking his teeth with a toothpick. As you walked, Lyons kept chatting. The man kept discussing his new car, his job, what suits he saw, what he thought of each bit of the fair, and other topics so boring it was everything in you to keep smiling and nodding your head. Any attempts at listening halted at a flash of red. You saw a glimpse of that blonde girl in red still talking with Captain Nicholls and Major Stewart was there too.

You were tempted to take off one of your hatpins and stab the girl in her porcelain face. You did not and only grip your skirt, swallowing. Your mind far from any attempts at conversation. It was mostly your mother and Lyons doing the talking.

Just say it…just admit the truth, Y/N…you like him. You’re infatuated with him, with James Nicholls. Who wouldn’t be? You thought.

You would not let your jealousy get the best of you. You would not let it turn you to do something cruel and harsh. Weren’t Cinderella’s stepsisters jealous of her? Because they were less beautiful and knew? You would not turn into cruelty…It only hurt to see the man you realized was your Prince with a Cinderella…and not you. Nicholls would only see you as the nice girl who lived on the farm with the horse he drew and nothing more.

Besides, there would be plenty of other soldiers, you thought. Stewart is a nice young gentleman too and not too unfortunate looking. She’ll pick one, not two of them and even if…there will be others, you tried to comfort yourself. And Lyons liked you.

And no doubt, it was Lyons himself who took your glove in the first place! There was concrete proof! Then at least, you would attain what many women dreamed of, including you- a well-off man taking interest in you. A future secured.

But it was only in the privacy of your bedroom that you found yourself crying into your pillow. Crying over Nicholls and the girl.

#war horse #war horse fanfiction #war horse fanfic #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fluff #tom hiddleston fanfiction #captain james nicholls #james nicholls #captain james nicholls x reader #captain james nicholls x fem! reader #captain james nicholls x you #captain james nicholls x y/n #carrie writes #tooth rotting fluff #fix it of sorts #captain james nicholls fanfiction #fix it fanfiction #meet cute #james nicholls x reader #james nicholls x fem! reader #james nicholls x y/n #james nicholls x you #angst #angst with a happy ending #fluff #light slow burn #slow burn #fanfics #fics

[velvet-cupcake-games]

Early FAQ Bits

I'll be making some posts from time to time that will eventually go into our launch FAQ on our in-development website (that I really do want to finish and polish, but development is taking precedence). This is one of them!

Q: My love interest got angry at me for a choice I made. Should I go back and change the choice to get a good ending?

A: No! We strongly want to encourage players to make whatever choices they want. Any choice that doesn't lead directly to a bad end is a role-playing choice that will take you closer to one of two possible good (romantic) endings. Conflict (and resolving it) can be an important part of relationship development, so we urge players to stick with their choice and see how it plays out. It may lead to character revelations that you won't find in the other, more conciliatory choice.

Some routes do allow the player to proceed to a friendship ending instead of carrying through with the romance, but those choices will be very obvious (like: "Turn him down permanently").

Q: How many chapters are in Made Marion?

A: Made Marion's two common routes, Sherwood and Nottingham, have two chapters each. Players choosing Meissa's route will only read the first Nottingham common chapter (Meissa's route may be a bit longer to compensate).

Once you pick a love interest, their routes are four chapters long. They're fairly long chapters. Chapter 4 is where you'll see the results of your role-playing choice throughout the route, and there will be major differences between the two possible Chapter 4s for each love interest.

Q: I've reached a major choice, but one of the options is greyed out* and I can't select it. What gives?

A: Around Chapter 3 (out of 4) of each route, players who have consistently picked one particular role-playing choice may commit themselves to that ending earlier than others. Players who manage to be balanced between the two at the very end will have one final choice that forces them to commit to one ending or the other. I expect that on most playthroughs, this final choice will already be selected for most players.

This allows us to have particular relationship development trends that build throughout each role-playing "route" (say, whether Marion approaches Robin with clever rapport or with blunt honesty) and make sense as you come to a relationship's climax.

If you come to a locked choice, it doesn't necessarily mean that all your choices will be locked out until the endings in Chapter 4. It just means that I decided that players who are committed to Marion's "clever" RP path really need to read the "clever" result of a particular choice. The final, major choice being locked in simply means that you've already committed to that path and will get the most emotional satisfaction from seeing the big choice related to it.

*This may change, I'm going to have my backers vote on whether or not they'd like to see the greyed out choices.

#made marion #made marion faq

[taibhsearachd]

So for those of you who were engaged in the Roman Senate LARP, which I am still embarrassingly invested in... here are my notes for my speeches as Mark Antony. Note that... that first speech? That was me opening the roleplay. That was me standing in front of my entire class, and becoming a character, and making it okay for other people to play characters. It was terrifying, and I literally think it changed me as a person. It was amazing.

Anyway. If this post gets... let’s say 500 notes, I’ll record my first speech as Mark Antony for y’all. It won’t quite capture my terror at addressing a bunch of Midwestern university students while fully roleplaying a character, but... I think I put enough of my shit into it that first time to convince everyone else to come in and roleplay with me. I loved this experience, and it made me a lot more confident as a person. But I am still gonna need to get those notes for you to hear me giving this speech. Unless I am bribed to so by other means. I am open to that, in the great tradition of Roman senatorial history.

And that was the first session. I had the floor for most of the time, because people were hesitant about the whole roleplaying thing, about their roles in general (note to self, if I ever become a history professor: I will give my students more detailed dossiers on their senators’ personalities, as a guideline). It was terrifying, and so much fun.

I found out after the fact that Cicero’s people literally bribed some people to vote against a public funeral for Caesar, which I obviously campaigned hard for... absolutely furious, but also... respect.

Session Two

As Caesar’s colleague (as Caesar’s boyfriend...) Anyway. Unlike the actual Mark Antony, I knew I had a limited number of sessions to resolve shit, so the time spent on trivial issues felt that much more painful. Oh god I was suffering. And so was Mark Antony, this military man meant for action, sitting here listening to people debate minor issues that honestly didn’t matter (even if they were politically important, they weren’t... actually important, so MA hated every second).

Session Three

This one was a bit more freeform, which is why my notes are the way they are.

Session Four

THE LAST SESSION OF THE SENATE. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED. THIS IS CRUCIAL. Everyone expected me to go back to Rome. I did not do that thing. They lost their shit. Hirtius’ player literally pulled down his mask halfway through the following speech and mouthed “WHAT DID YOU DO???”. It was so funny.

If you don’t remember how this all happened from the posts when it was happening, our professor, who was basically playing NPCs, let the semi-IC mingling that went on before classes go on for a little longer than normal before rapping his fist on his desk to get attention, and announcing that Fulvia, wife of Mark Antony, had requested to address the senate. They all, baffled, allowed this. And this is what my wife, who had previously just been a fellow history major who didn’t have another class before we went home, sitting up near our professor, delivered:

I attached this to the message I sent them, which they 1) printed out and 2) left behind after they finished their speech. I don’t think any of the players picked this up and read it after it was left behind. I know our professor picked this up and has kept it, I can only hope as a relic as a well-played roleplay maneuver.

And after that... I sat there and watched the Senate tear itself to pieces trying to deal with what I had done. It was amazing. It was fucking glorious. I feel what I did was in character, I feel it was justified, I feel I earned it. But oh god it was so funny, and at the end of our story... our class was demanding the professor tell us what happened, and he literally couldn’t, because we were in such an absurd state of crisis and disarray and literal war that... none of this is predictable, there are too many personalities and interests and egos in play. He literally told us to go write a novel about it and maybe we’d feel better. I might do that thing tbh.

#roman senate larp #history #in a sense #the light blue notes in the first session are me literally copying the format of shit in the roman senate #you can see I gave that up in later bits #but as I was preparing for an unknown and potentially hostile audience.... yeah the forms gave me a lot of comfort

[whatevergreen]

Lebanon is in crisis.

Voting (quell surprise) isn't likely to provide a solution.

Over 80% of the population is now in poverty, mainly thanks to a rapid succession of crises including covid19, the Beirut explosion, and shortages created by the Ukraine War.

"...Lebanese spend their days at the banks, waiting to see what meagre amounts they will be allowed to withdraw for the month. They install batteries and solar panels at great cost so their family can survive the humid summer months without electricity from the grid.

They hunt for medicine and fuel, and worry about securing the next meal for their kids.

It’s an economic meltdown and Sunday’s parliament elections are seen as a last chance to reverse course and punish the current crop of politicians who have driven the Mediterranean nation into the ground.

Instead, a widespread sense of apathy and pessimism prevails, with most observers agreeing the vote is unlikely to make much difference.

“Who should I vote for? Those who stole my money, plundered the country and exploded Beirut? Or those nobodies who cannot agree on anything?” said Samir Fahd, a schoolteacher whose once comfortable income of about $3,400 a month is now worth the equivalent of $200. ..."

"...Fahd, the schoolteacher, believes it is futile to expect change in a system based on sectarianism and large-scale patronage that he said is “administered by an entrenched mafia.”

“Elections don’t change anything, it’s all a joke and they are all coming back whether we like it or not,” said the 54-year-old. ..."

"...Lebanon’s demise has been staggering. In just two and a half years, the majority of the once middle-income population has been plunged into poverty, the national currency collapsed, and foreign reserves have run dry. The World Bank has described the crisis as among the world’s worst in over a century.

Tens of thousands have left the country, including nurses, professors, doctors and engineers. Last month, dozens of people drowned at sea after a boat carrying about 60 migrants capsized off the coast.

“Today the country stands as a ‘failing state’,” Olivier De Schutter, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said in a report published this week, after he visited Lebanon. He added that the country’s “political leadership is completely out of touch with reality.”

Many people say they are sick of the political class but don’t see an alternative. ..."

#lebanon #beirut #tripoli #crisis #ukraine #poverty #corruption