#asserting conjecture

[irlactualhuman]

I am a magic making phenom the likes of which the world has never seen.

[preciouslittle-bhaalbabe]

Astarion wants to enjoy sex. He wants to have loving intimacy with the player. The first time they had sex was indeed different for him despite his disassociation. He reflected on it and enjoyed it enough to want to do it again (he still disassociated, it wasn't exactly wonderful but I digress) . He didn't have to. As far as he was concerned the player was already seduced.

He wants to have sex without the feelings of disgust. He isn't repulsed by sex, he's repulsed by not having the choice. The reason all of the scenes have to be approved or agreed upon by the player is because this is a roleplay game and if a sex cutscene just started playing without any options I think people wouldn't like that. Please stop babyfying Astarion and acting as if he never actually wants to and is people pleasing/lying to the player/hiding what he actually wants or feels or is unable to decide for himself. That he is incapable of consent due to his trauma. If you feel that way why would you romance him at all? He makes it very clear when he doesn't want to. He asserts that boundary. And if you push it he breaks up with you. The "I could be persuaded" line in the graveyard is him being playful. If he actually has to be persuaded there would be a skill check like that other time.

In conclusion, Astarion wants intimacy with the player. And he wants it on his own terms. This is especially evident in his scenes because he's usually taking the lead in one way or another. If you don't choose to have sex with him after that one time that's perfectly fine, but that's because YOU are making the choice for your Tav, not Astarion.

*Edit, if the things I said don't apply to what you think or how you play the game, then this post wasn't for you. Please refrain from filling my comments with conjecture about unrelated things I never brought up*

*second edit* THIS IS NOT ABOUT ACE PEOPLE. If you hc Astarion as ace that's perfectly fine. My issue is when people insist he is incapable of choosing for himself that he wants to have sex due to his trauma. Or that every time he brings up wanting to, he's lying and people "fell for it". Moreover if that's what you think, fine. But don't harrass people who feel differently and say we're bad people because we don't agreee with your headcanon. This is a completely different conversation from talking about Astarion being ace. This entire post is calling out the behaviour of people making choices for him when that's the entire theme of his story. He wants the choice, let him make it. Believe him when he says what he wants. This is about Astarion's relationship with autonomy. Nothing more.

[sumplys]

nettles — w. graham

Held close all the time, knowing I’m half of you.

Will Graham is intoxicated by his remorse, but even more so by you.

warnings: x reader, fluff and traces of angst, mentions of cannibalism. [0.7k words]

notes: hannibal nbc fans please find my account 🙏 (p.s. i ride for the willoughby graham theory—we’re all sons and daughters of cain).

main masterlist

Willoughby Graham stood under the shower, letting the water flatten his auburn curls, his civility, his shame and the mask of lies he would continue to hide beneath.

The steam crawled over the granite, drawing a sheen of dew over the tiles, as his mind fought a fervent regret.

He knew somewhere that, ultimately, this wasn't his fault, yet he couldn't blame the lives lost—the blood spilled—on anything that wasn't simmering inside of him.

He still didn't know what form his guilt took on, or where it came from. He didn't know whether it was a virus, or a parasite of some kind—he had never felt such a suffocating weight.

The latch of the bathroom door grated against its warped frame, easing open with a gentle creak.

Will sighed, closer to exasperation than relief; he didn’t have the mental capacity to keep lying.

“Can I join you?” you asked, voice barely audible above the pattering echo of water.

He nodded—a silent echo of trust—as he leaned a palm against the shower door.

The knot of his brows and the clench of his jaw were unmistakable; he was drowning in his own condemnation.

“Are you okay?”

The ardor of his guilt throbbed as he watched you; eyes unknowing and innocent, cheeks stained fuchsia with the fever of the heat.

He nodded—tense, calculated—as the warmth of the mist enveloped the length of your skin.

His mind wandered—past the evocation of his therapist, away from his blood-stained palms—to find you.

You were too beautiful to waste.

He needed to be good. He needed to behave.

“Jack Crawford called me,” you pressed into him, shattering his pro-tem distraction.

Will froze—whether from the vehemence of your touch or the implication of your words, you didn’t know.

“Why?”

Your hands found the nape of his neck, fingers tangling in his brunette tresses, “He said it was a warning.”

Will was wrapped in his sin—drowning in it like a winter shawl, almost for his own comfort—wasn’t that enough?

He would never hurt you, that was for certain. Even as the flesh of another dissipated in his stomach, he knew he would never let the devil he called Hannibal Lecter get even near you.

Did Jack Crawford really have to incriminate him against the one thing that held him whole?

“What?” His tone was careful, treading between assertive and conjecture.

“He said you’re dangerous,” you pressed your lips against the pulse of his throat, “and that I should be careful. He said you’re spiralling, losing focus—gaining power.”

You said it like a joke, like a ridiculous pleasantry.

He tensed against his instincts, the words coiling in his chest.

You had no idea—not a clue about anything—but your words still tasted like conviction.

“What did you say?”

He tried to keep his tone light, even as his throat ached.

“I said I was completely under your power and happy to be there.”

His cerulean eyes found shock, sharp jaw unclenching in the solace you gave him.

“You’re serious,” he mused, the piercing sharpness of his “r’s” grating against his soft inflection.

“Yes,” you whispered, words trailing against the vapour over his shoulder. “Will, I love you.”

Will paused, tawny eyelashes fluttering as he fought the droplets of dew trailing down his face.

In a motion almost equally smooth and desperate, his calloused palm caught your sopping mess of hair, moulding your mouth against his.

It was most welcoming invitation of forgiveness; lips tracing his collarbone, fingers caressing his spine. Agony lost in a flurry of skin and heat, your touch redefining what it means to be innocent.

Passion bled between the slope of your bodies with no reluctance, his angst extinguished to radio static.

He breathed your name over and over against your ear, like a devout promise—maybe closer to a prayer.

He said it like a consolation; the reassurance his iniquity needed in order to fade.

It was tangled, messy; a fight of fervour and fire as his self-loathing dissipated into the passion of your lips.

He pulled back—a momentary lull in appetite—as he sunk an admiring gaze into the hunger of your eyes.

A comfortable silence hung there, broken only by the simmering of hot water, now adorned by a quiet understanding.

Firm fingertips circled the length of your jaw, as he leaned in again, this time with a nervous but ever-gentle hesitation.

You felt it—in the warmth of his mouth and by his clawing fingers—he loved you, too.

[starlit1daydream]

Mages & Seers: Experience and Comprehension

Those who know, everybody. I love Seers - so this should be one hell of an analysis.

The Mage:Seer class dichotomy embodies experience, comprehension and knowledge of their Aspect. Their Quest and their role in the session revolves wholly around their personal comprehension of their Aspect; and the ways in which that may shift or change their (or others!) viewpoint.

I can't definitively say they're one of the Classes that say something about their session, beyond perhaps the concept that a Mage or a Seer will obviously have a well of knowledge on their Aspect present.

Canonical Mage players are Sollux Captor (Mage of Doom) and Meulin Leijon (Mage of Heart).

Canonical Seer players are Rose Lalonde (Seer of Light), Terezi Pyrope (Seer of Mind) and Kankri Vantas (Seer of Blood).

Point A. The narrative function of the Mage.

Mages know about their Aspect. They are that simple to understand. A lot of people will argue that the Mage is one of the more nebulous classes in Homestuck; and I'd argue this is because there really isn't much in the way of complexity with them. They've got a fairly straightforward relationship with their Aspect; having experienced it wholly throughout their life prior to the session.

It's almost, to me, as if their Aspect haunts them in a sense. We see this with Sollux's recurring visions of Doom and misfortune; considering that the Mages & Seers are meant to fill a sort of 'prophet' archetype.

Sollux is consistently depicted as knowledgeable on coding (a manifestation of Doom in the form of rigid order and regulation) and holding a vast well of knowledge and foresight on the topic of suffering. It's important to hold the distinction that Doom does not deal directly with absolute death (Time does), and so Sollux's visions are of the imminently doomed and the suffering, not the already deceased.

Meulin is a little more difficult to pin down, but inference from stray lines of dialogue and particularly her complex moirallegiance with Horuss give me some substance to work with. Toxic positivity? Alluded 'darkness' in her without elaboration? Her disability being inflicted directly as a result of her partner & lover? I think what we're looking at here is depression.

If Meulin has experience with Heart in all facets - this implies to me that she has a share of experience with emotion in all facets. Good and bad. And what better manifestation of poor emotional control than that? I think it's a very conclusive theory.

It becomes clear to me that Mages aren't absolute in their assertions, and so therein comes my theory that their quest involves an expansion of perspective and reconsideration of their knowledge. It is to accept that they may not understand their Aspect as thoroughly as once thought and subsequently grow to accomodate a wider worldview. They're stagnant, having experienced so much that they feel they have no further room to learn.

Point B. The practical function of the Mage.

This is a more difficult one to understand since neither Mage in the comic God Tiers and they aren't seen fighting much over the course of the story. Even when Sollux takes to action, he applies his psiionics rather than utilising Doom in any way.

My theory is that the application of a Mage is to inform. Mages & Seers may very well hold the same occupation broadly speaking, to accomodate for the gaps in co-players' knowledge and bring about newfound understanding. Being active players, the Mages presumably advance this through their own means. This is some of the most active conjecture I'll be writing, since we do not ever see a God-Tiered Mage in canon.

Point C. The narrative function of the Seer!

In case it wasn't obvious, I am very excited to get this segment done; after all, who better to talk on the topic of Seers than... a Seer?

Seers have a little more depth to their function involving their relationship with both their Aspect and its diemetric opposite. Seers begin their sessions holding a poor or deficient comprehension of their Aspect; to the point where they seek their opposite. The notion of their base Aspect comes into play fairly soon - though they may superficially seek their opposite, it is their Aspect they seek in actuality.

They do hold a certain level of foresight, but rather than the Mage's inherent comprehension, Seers tend to rely upon external sources and stimuli to further their understanding; Rose with the Horrorterrors, Terezi with Scratch & Aranea, and we can only guess with Kankri.

They are capable of having visions, though - as Rose & The Signless can both attest to!

Rose seeks Void. She seeks to breach the unknowable, catalogues the Zoologically Dubious and finds comfort in oblivion and the pursuit of ignorance. She resolves to leave the game to Void rather than seek its Light; at first.

Terezi seeks Heart. Her final speech to Vriska talks of her emotional insecurity and pursuit of self-assurance. She wishes most prominently for security in herself and her identity; and yet this manifests in a flawed pursuit of binary, deficient Mind.

Kankri seeks Breath. Having been coddled and patronised all his life, freedom is his ultimate aim. His rebellious spirit and compulsive boot-licking seem to be a direct manifestation of his desire to think for himself and be free in his direction. Kankri's a particularly interesting one given that he fucked up his quest, canonically.

...The Signless didn't, however. The Signless pursued unity through freedom his whole life.

Rose resolves to pursue knowledge through the unknown.

Terezi seeks logic through emotion.

All of them grow, the further they pursue their Session's aims, to understand their base Aspect. It's a reversal of the Mage's quest; the stagnant Mage must embrace diversity wheras the directionless Seer embraces their certain path.

Point D. The practical function of the Seer.

Apologies, this is going to be mostly just about Rose.

Rose's role in her session post-ascension is to understand and inform her session-mates about the most fortuitous path. Her visions allow her to comprehend Light and sift through the endless possibilities and synthesis of her Aspect to find the most precise outcome. They grow to be an indispensible well of knowledge; always learning and finding out their Aspect's truth.

Terezi does the same, albeit without ascending; her greatest moment of heroism is the prelude to the Retcon, which she directly causes. Terezi applies all of her knowledge of consequence, cause & effect to undo the resultant consequences of the actions taken by her sessionmates. She uses her comprehension of Mind to her utmost ability; which is why I find it gut-wrenching that she still believes she was never enough.

Kankri... does jack shit other than be a whiny little bootlicker, but The Signless certainly applies his Aspect for the greater good. The fire of his rebellion and his pursuit of unity and free communication on Alternia ignite the spark of revolution for generations to come; his quest for Blood bringing utmost comprehension and sight of unity.

Overall, this is one Class where the narrative:practical lines tend to blur a little, owing to the general non-combatant status of the Classes in general. Rose shows they're capable of using their Aspect in combat just as all players are; but it seems clear to me that they function the best as advisors.

Next week, I'll be elucidating on the Witches & Heirs; which will be an interesting one since it'll require me to actually understand what a Witch does. That should be fun.

Take care, everybody. I know nothing.

[rainbowsky]

Good evening RBS, thanks for your always rational view of things. I had a question regarding increasing number of turles. It is true, the leaks about GGDD are getting more and more scarce. Infact there is just conjecture last few years, but, going by the BJYX supertopic, why is the number of turtles increasing? the content is getting more imaginative in dearth of actual events and the group is getting bolder day by day.. it was so awkward to see so many GGDD marriage pics at the races. what are your thoughts on why is this happening?

Hi skyflowersmountainssea, thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! 😊

This is in reference to a previous post.

I will start by challenging some of your assertions.

There's a lot more than 'conjecture' in recent years, but less that is fully verified. Just because something isn't verified doesn't mean it's entirely imaginary. These are things that never should be verified, for GG and DD's well-being. The fact is that GG and DD and their teams are being more careful than they used to be. This is something to be celebrated.

I don't get what you mean by 'content is getting more imaginative', but this is just isn't true. You're pretty new to the fandom, so not sure why you feel confident making an assertion like that. You've clearly not seen some of the crazy stories that have taken hold of the fandom over the years (some of which were later proved to be true!). 😅

By 'the group' I'm guessing you mean 'turtles', and I really challenge this assertion that they're 'getting bolder day by day', or that the posters of GG and DD are anything new or unusual. Again, not sure why you feel confident making assertions like that. In fact, turtles have always been quite bold, and the posters of GG and DD have been a fixture at events for years now. Not sure why you find it so 'awkward'. This type of framing of your question makes it seem like being a turtle is wrong, or even dangerous.

Frankly, everything you've said here reads like anti/solo rhetoric, and I know you've said before that you can't seem to stay out of solo spaces. This is what comes of it. Just stop, for your own good. Your head is getting filled with garbage. There's that old saying, "if you lie down with a dog, you're likely to wake up with fleas." As I've said many times, those who spend time around antis, eventually become antis.

As for the fandom growing, it's been growing steadily this entire time. There are a lot of reasons for that. Given that you're a new fan, why did you jump on the GGDD bandwagon? Likely for all the same reasons anyone else does.

Turtles discover GG and DD for the first time and get excited about them, or they see/hear about Yizhan and take an interest, or they hear a rumor that catches their imagination, or they convert from solos to turtles after seeing enough evidence to convince them, or they stumble upon GG's fans warring viciously with DD's fans and get curious about why, etc. etc. etc.

This has been going on for 7 years now. It's not at all unusual for the fandom to grow. GG and DD are still together, they're still doing projects, they're still exciting to follow. There's no mystery, here.

[ventique18]

~ Malleus and his self-expression in the Japanese language ~

Just a few random things that Malleus enthusiasts might find interesting...

As we're probably aware of by now, the English version is not exactly a 1-1 translation of the Japanese version. This is unavoidable, as a lot of culture nuances just can't be faithfully expressed without having to explain them in detail like this. One of those is Malleus' way of talking. He's often presented in English as talking as if he woke up straight from the Victorian era; and while that's also true in Japanese as he talks somewhat formally, there's something about his self-expression that wasn't carried over in the English version: in that he speaks in a masculine way.

In Japanese, there are typically three ways that a person can express themselves through speech: feminine, gender-neutral, and masculine. There's also varying degrees of these three depending on "bluntness" or "softness"-- and when you think mega blunt, you can imagine Leona's way of speaking that's actually accurate to how he physically acts. The thing is, Malleus also practically talks like that; just removing some pronouns and particles that would come off as rude.

Basically, he talks in an assertive, masculine way while actively avoiding mansplaining superiority to his conversation partners, which Leona and a few others tend to do.

Another interesting thing to point out is what some of you might have noticed in the audio: his preference of using "Boku" as a personal pronoun. Boku is one of the pronouns used by masculine people. While "Ore", which Leona uses, is more masculine, it's not Malleus' preference as it comes off as a lot more aggressive while Boku is more polite. This is why Ore is also frequently used by most men (people can swap pronouns depending on the situation!) when they're in casual situations; because it gives off a message that they do not appreciate being submissive among peers. If you've noticed, Ace, angry Deuce, and most of the third years use Ore as their pronoun.

The last mentioned point is important, because you might question why doesn't Malleus use Ore as his pronoun when he's literally higher ranking/more important than anyone else in the school? Because it's more formal than Ore, and this is just my personal conjecture, but it gives off a mighty message that he doesn't even need words or pronouns to assert how naturally dominant he is.

But if he likes being formal that much, why doesn't he just use the very formal pronoun "Watashi", like the headmage Crowley? Because, going back to the very first point, Boku suggests masculinity while Watashi does not. He also actually doesn't structure his sentence in an overly formal way like the headmage because doing so would omit the air of masculinity which he rather prefers.

So yeah, that's just an interesting topic I thought some would be curious about. The first time I heard him, I also didn't expect he'd express himself in an assertive way because of the beautiful elegance he always carries with him. Actually, this makes me appreciate Twst more; because it doesn't really conform to societal norms--that yes, a man can wear makeup and heels and it's not anyone's business how he decides to express himself.

Some other non-Malleus notes: this topic is incredibly nuanced and vast. There's no hard rule for this and it really depends on the individual to mix and match depending on how they want to express themselves. For example, Furina as the Hydro Archon is feminine but uses Boku as her pronoun as a message that she is not to be looked down on by men. This is interesting to me, as rather than associating pronouns to gender like in English, Japanese pronouns can carry other messages depending on the person's intent. That's why we prefer to call it masculinity or femininity, as it really is more of a self-expression rather than gender identity. There are actually other more self-expression patterns outside masculine-feminine-neutral!

[sophie-frm-mars]

I just had a long convo with someone about the UHC ceo being shot and how he felt it's wrong in the long time term to celebrate the shooting of Anyone in broad daylight. Claims vigilanteism is not the answer bc bad actors can justify violence against minorities and something about this argument feels off to me? Even if he agrees that billionaires/corporations are responsible for untold amounts of systemic violence

There's a bunch here I could get into about trying to determine the morality of past events but it might come across as quite up my own ass so I'll save it for now

Look, fascists don't need a justification to do violence to minorities and if they do the justification is in a guy they like being in power saying they should do it, not in anti-millionaire political violence.

If we're asking a practical question about what effects this will have politically, there are a few reasonable assertions we could make and some whacky conjecture

It would be reasonable to say that this will not have a chilling or marginalizing effect on political struggle against private healthcare, because if being shot dead in the street is the new most radical option facing healthcare CEOs, the previous most radical options are more moderate by comparison. They would rather cede ground to single payer healthcare than literally die

It's reasonable to assume that this will inspire more political violence against the rich, as political violence tends to beget political violence of the same kind. There have for example been a whole spate of self immolations in the wake of Aaron Bushnell's, which itself came after someone in Atlanta did it a few months prior.

I could conjecture that the ruling class might push for tighter gun control, as they have done in response to working class armed resistance in the past. I think it's an often repeated fact that gun control only really gained any ground in American politics after the black Panthers started arming themselves

But no, I don't think it's reasonable to say or even to conjecture that this creates a higher temperature for violence in general, and while I agree with the assertion that "vigilantism is not THE answer", it simply will put the fear of God into some of these murderous fucking scumbags in a way that we are already seeing is making them walk back some of their worst impulses, as with the reversal of a cap on surgical anesthesia

[justinspoliticalcorner]

S. Baum at Erin In The Morning:

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s anti-trans military ban, including “Executive Order 14183—Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” as well as a similar policy issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” wrote Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, in her opinion published today. “In the self-evident truth that ‘all people are created equal,’ all means all. Nothing more. And certainly nothing less.” The court affirmed the President’s ability to discern who can serve the military, but emphasized the high standards needed to do so. “Leaders have used concern for military readiness to deny marginalized persons the privilege of serving,” she wrote. “First minorities, then women in combat, then gays.” Today, trans people are the target — Trump’s executive order from January declared that being trans “conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle,” and that it “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” The order was accompanied by Hegseth’s anti-trans memo to the Pentagon on Feb. 7. To categorically ban trans people from the military, the government would have to show that trans inclusion has resulted in tangible, material harm.

The court ruled that this is not the case. Even more, Reyes says that neither Trump’s executive order nor Hegseth’s directive seemed to have received input from military rank and file. “Neither document contains any analysis nor cites any data,” Reyes writes. “They pronounce that transgender persons are not honorable, truthful, or disciplined—but Defense counsel concedes that these assertions are pure conjecture.” The plaintiffs, Reyes continues, have cumulatively provided over 130 years of military service. “They have served in roles ranging from Senior Military Science Instructor to Artillery Platoon Commander to Intelligence Analyst to Satellite Operator to Operations Research Analyst to Naval Flight Officer to Weapons Officer,” she writes. “They have deployed around the globe [...] One is presently deployed to an active combat zone. They have earned more than 80 commendations.” The ban was not only discriminatory, Reyes says, but also unscientific. “Who considered the information [...] is anyone’s guess. [Trump officials] do not know. Maybe no one, because one study is eight years old and the other two support Plaintiffs’ position [of opposing a trans military ban].” She characterizes the ban as “soaked in animus and dripping with pretext.”

Judge Ana C. Reyes rules in Talbott v. Trump that Donald Trump’s transphobia-laden ban on trans people serving in the military is “soaked in animus.”

See Also:

The Advocate: BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump's transgender military ban

[mindblowingscience]

In 1956, theoretical physicist David Pines predicted that electrons in a solid can do something strange. While they normally have a mass and an electric charge, Pines asserted that they can combine to form a composite particle that is massless, neutral, and does not interact with light. He called this particle a "demon." Since then, it has been speculated to play an important role in the behaviors of a wide variety of metals. Unfortunately, the same properties that make it interesting have allowed it to elude detection since its prediction. Now, a team of researchers led by Peter Abbamonte, a professor of physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have finally found Pines' demon 67 years after it was predicted. As the researchers report in the journal Nature, they used a nonstandard experimental technique that directly excites a material's electronic modes, allowing them to see the demon's signature in the metal strontium ruthenate. "Demons have been theoretically conjectured for a long time, but experimentalists never studied them," Abbamonte said. "In fact, we weren't even looking for it. But it turned out we were doing exactly the right thing, and we found it."

Continue Reading

[dragoneyes613]

When I was a child (and my daughter after me), every little girl in Hebrew school wanted to dress up as Queen Esther for the Purim holiday. What could be better than pretending to be the beautiful queen who manages to save the Jewish people in her realm from annihilation? It meant wearing rouge and lipstick, high-heeled shoes, and a crown that shone with sparkles.

Then a funny thing happened. As an adult I found myself, along with other Jewish women, suddenly uneasy with that schoolgirl idealization of Esther. She was, after all, a beauty queen. She had been chosen in a beauty contest from among all the maidens in the land of Persia to be consort to King Ahasuerus. All she seeme to have was good looks, and those alone, we had decided, were no longer enough to gain a woman admiration. To make matters worse, Esther was the quintessential "good Jewish girl," following the advice of her cousin and guardian Mordecai - not much of a model for women trying to assert themselves in a world long dominated by men.

A more exciting model was the king's first wife, Vashti, often ignored in the holiday fun and fantasy. As the Purim story goes, King Ahasuerus gave a seven-day feast for all the men in his capital city of Shushan. Vashti held a separate banquet for women, but on the seventh day, the king, heavy with wine, ordered her to appear at his party. He wanted to flaunt her beauty (some say in the raw) before his subjects. Vashti refused to show, and the incensed king had her deposed (some say beheaded).

Vashti became our ideal because she had pride and the gumption to stand up for herself, even before a king. Not only that, her act of defiance so threatened male authority that the king sent word of her punishment throughout his empire to teach all wives to respect their husbands. How could sweet, submissive Esther hold a candle to this strong-minded woman?

Well, she could, some of us have more recently decided. Over time, we've tempered our reactions. While we're pleased to have reclaimed Vashti as a feminist hero, we're ready to reinstate Esther as Purim hero - not because of her beauty but because of her braininess and courage.

The test of Esther's character began when Ahasuerus appointed Haman prime minister of Persia. Haman expected everyone to bow down to him, but as a Jew, Mordecai refused to do so. In retaliation, Haman convinced the weak-willed king to issue a decree of destruction against all the Jews in his realm. "there is a certain people...whose laws are different from those of any other people" (Esther 3:8), Haman had warned the king, in an anti-Jewish diatribe that has been repeated many times in history and in many lands, like Persia, in which Jews thought themselves safe.

Devastated by the king's decree, Mordecai looked to Esther to intercede for her people.

Esther risked her life to do so. On Mordecai's orders, she had never revealed her Jewish identity to the king, lest he reject her. She knew also that anybody who entered the king's presence without being summoned was subject to death. That she hesitated to approach him was understandable. That she was able to devise and implement the plan she did was remarkable.

"If I am to perish, I shall perish!" Esther said, as she went about her mission of salvation (Esther 4:16). She began by asking Mordecai to call a three-day fast for all the Jews of Shushan. The midrash related that the fast was scheduled for the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth of Nisan. Mordecai objected that it would coincide with the first day of Passover, to which Esther wisely responded, "Old man, if there is no Israel, why should there be a Passover?" The fast took place.

Now Esther set a trap for Haman that would have made Machiavelli proud. She invited the king and Haman to two banquets. Later sages conjectured that she hoped to arouse the king's jealousy by including the minister at the feast. She was also lulling Haman into complacency, making him to self-satisfied to suspect a thing. In this she followed the lead of Judith, who managed to cut off the head of Holofernes by cleverly gaining his confidence. Women may not have had much power in ancient times, but they knew how to use their wits to win the day.

Esther won a great victory with her plot. At the second feast, she denounced Haman to Ahasuerus as a schemer set on destroying her people. In what may be the most amusing scene in all of Scripture, we see the king, furious at Haman, step out of the room. Haman prostrates himself over Esther's couch, pleading with her for his life. The king returns and in a jealous rage (as Esther planned), believes Haman istrying to rape his wife. Within seconds, the king orders Haman hung on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordcai.

In memory of Esther's trial, the thirteenth of Adar, the day before Purim, was declared a fast day, Ta'anit Esther, the "Fast of Esther." It displaced an earlier holiday that celebrated Judah Maccabee's defeat of a Syrian general, Nicanor.

For her courage and cleverness, also, Esther had an entire book named for her, Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther Only one other biblical book bears a woman's name, the Book of Ruth, which tells of yet another decisive, directed woman - but that is a tale for a different holiday.

The Scroll of Esther is read in synagogue on Purim eve and again the next morning, and all - men, women, and children - are obligated to hear it. Children stamp their feet and twirl their graggers, noisemakers, whenever Haman's name is mentioned, and they dress in costumes, as original as their imaginations dictate. But mostly, every little girl still prefers to  be Queen Esther.

-Jewish Days: A Book of Jewish Life and Culture Around the Year, Francine Klagsburn, pages 103-104

[queenshelby]

An Illicit Affair

Part 44: Max's Interview

Pairing: Cillian Murphy (47) x Reader (24)

Warning: Age-Gap, Taboo Relationship, Infidelity

Soon after the article surfaced, there was also an interview with Max following his father's win, airing on national television. His interviewer asked him the awkward questions about his father and Max appeared keen to finally speak out about how hurt he had been when he found out about your relationship. 

"What are your thoughts about your father's new relationship, with your ex-girlfriend, out of all people?" he had asked after discussing Cillian's Oscar win.

Max had taken a deep breath before answering, his voice calm but filled with underlying anger. "Honestly, I am appalled, disheartened, and feel incredibly betrayed by my father's actions and by the actions of my ex as well," he said, his eyes cold and stern. "I mean, honestly, wouldn't you be disgusted knowing that your girlfriend has some sort of relationship with your father? Like a sexual one? It's f*** gross, isn't it?" Max continued his rant, seemingly gaining confidence as he went on. 

"Were you together for long before she got involved with your father?" the interviewer persisted, pressing Max for an answer.

"Well, I guess you could say that we have been pretty seriously involved with each other before she met my father, but I am wondering whether this was all an act. Maybe this was all her trying to somehow get to know him. To get to know someone famous, you know?" Max asked, with growing anger in his voice. "Honestly, it's sick and I don't want to be associated with this whole mess. I don't even know how to face my friends anymore."

"So you think she might be a gold digger so to speak?" the interviewer asked, leading Max further into his conjectures about you.

Max inhaled deeply and leaned back into the chair.

"Yeah, I would say she is and I was blindsided by her actions, you know. When I think about it now, there were signs that something was off between them, like really early into our relationship, after I introduced her to my parents. I just didn't want to see it, maybe it was her way to get herself a famous guy with money,"  Max added, feeling bile rise up his throat.

The interviewer, clearly eager to fan the flames of this scandal, leaned in and asked, "And what about your father, Max? You said that you were surprised when you found out." 

Max let out a bitter laugh. "What can I say? Of course I was surprised because this is not like him, you know. He is not really a ladies man but I think that, with her, he just hit a midlife crisis or something,"  Max replied, his voice sharp and bitter.

"So you think this won't last? Between them?" the interviewer  persisted, pressing Max further.

Max cast his gaze downward momentarily before lifting up his head, eyeing the interviewer soberly. "I don't think this whole relationship between them will last. She is like half his age and very immature," he asserted confidently with a shaky voice. "That is unless she pins a f*** kid on him or something," Max continued, necessarily necessarily parting his lips to maintain airflow while engineering such offensive comments.

When you and Cillian watched this interview at home, Max's words left you feeling like you had been punched in the gut, a wave of guilt and regret crashing over you as Max's harsh words played over and over in your mind. You knew that things were bound to get complicated once the world found out about your secret relationship with Cillian. However, you had never imagined that it would hurt Max this much.

Looking over to Cillian, who was sitting next to you,  your heart ached for the conflicted emotions in his eyes. It was clear that Max's words had cut him deeply, too. He was lost for words and turned pale , swallowing hard as his thoughts ran wild.

You reached out and took his hand, wrapping your fingers around his tightly, offering silent support as his emotions got the better of him.

"You know that this isn't true , right?" you whispered softly, watching as his eyes flickered over to meet yours. Your eyes were tearing up by this point and you  blinked fast in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

"I never did any of this on purpose. I didn't get involved with Max so I could meet you and I certainly didn't, oh my god...," you broke down  , tears spilling over your lashes and trailing down your cheeks, unable to mask the turmoil building inside of you. 

"Y/N, shh, it's alright. I know it's not true,"  Cillian whispered, pulling you towards him gently, cradling you in his arms. He rubbed circles on your back, trying to soothe you as your sobs wracked your body.

"I didn't want any of this to happen, Cillian. I didn't want to hurt Max or anyone else. I just...I fell in love with you and I couldn't help it," you said, sniffling between each word as you tried to regain control of your emotions.

Cillian sighed deeply, his own emotions swirling within him as he listened to you.

"I know, love. I fell in love with you, too." His voice was soothing as he smoothed a hand down your hair. 

"I would hate for people to think otherwise, Cillian and now, with the baby , it will only make things worse," you hiccuped, looking up at him, your eyes red and swollen, but still filled with love.

"Let people think what they want Y/N," Cillian paused, his voice emotional, but firm. "I don't care anymore. I have you in my life, we are going to have a family together, and nothing those tabloids can say about us can change that fact. I will love you both no matter what they say. Max will come around eventually, and when he does, things will be smooth sailing. I promise," he echoed comfortingly.

You nodded weakly, relieved that he was echoing your thoughts.

Cillian then shifted his weight to look into your eyes and you leaned up to kiss him, feeling a surge of love for him. 

"You know the pregnancy wasn't planned, right? I never planned for this to happen," you  murmured somberly, your heart heavy with guilt.

Cillian's expression softened, a weary sadness reflecting in his eyes.

"I know Y/N. I know," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he pulled you closer to him.

You both sat there for a long moment, wrapped up in each other's embrace, neither knowing what to say or how to make it right. 

"Your father is so going to kill me though when he finds out," Cillian said with a humorless chuckle as he leaned back to look at you. "We got to tell your parents you know, and Max as well unfortunately," Cillian took a deep breath, as if trying to steel himself for the inevitable confrontation. 

Cillian's closest family members already knew, Lucy knew too, and so did Cillian's assistant. 

But that was about it. There was a small circle of people who knew about the pregnancy, but the rest of the world was still in the dark.

Cillian was right about one thing, it was time to tell your parents, it was time to tell Max, even though you weren't looking forward to either of those conversations.

You couldn't help but wince at the thought, knowing that your parents, and Max, were going to react poorly to the news.

"Yeah," you murmured softly, swallowing hard as you let the magnitude of everything really sink in. You couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear and regret knowing that this could ruin everything.

"We will tell my parents next weekend, when we drive up to visit them. I know you didn't really want to come with me, but I think you should, considering the circumstances," you said, looking up at Cillian, whose eyes were filled with concern.

"Alright, I'll come but fuck, your father is going to be pissed," Cillian sighed heavily, leaning back against the sofa, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Tell me about it," you agreed, a strained smile playing on your lips before thinking about how to tell him and how to tell Max as well. 

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[fafnir19]

Wait, so what does Jafar do for one to become a full genie?

A few days after the encounter with Jafar that changed his life, Lex was curious about how Jafar could potentially have turned him into a genie for good. In a composed but serious manner, Declan explained him,

“The next horrifying thing that would likely have happened is that Jafar would have forcibly backed you into a corner of the sofa and used his physical dominance to assert power and control over you. The only move you could make in that vulnerable position is to spread your legs for him  - and you most definitely would have done it.

Your submissive gesture, displayed by the parting of your legs for him, is a clear indication of your submission to his control and influence. To guarantee that your fate was sealed, he would have shoot his magic essence also into your second orifice until it dripped down your thighs. The outcome of this act would differ depending on the specific role Jafar had intended for you as a genie:

If Jafar is turning you into a genie's servant, this act symbolizes your submission and willingness to obey his commands. By spreading your legs for Jafar, you are showing your compliance and readiness to serve him. Your role will involve carrying out tasks, performing duties, and catering to Jafar's needs and desires as a loyal and obedient servant. This transformation would involve a total loss of personal freedom and agency for you.

If Jafar intends to transform you into a classical wish-fulfilling genie, this physical act of surrendering to him can represent the granting of your powers and abilities. By spreading your legs, you may be symbolizing your openness to receiving and channeling magical energies. In the case of becoming a classical wish-fulfilling genie, your primary function will be to grant wishes to those who possess your magical lamp or token of power. You will be bound by the rules and limitations of wish-granting, such as the number of wishes allowed or the restrictions on the types of wishes that can be granted.

If Jafar seeks to turn you into an evil genie, the act of pushing you into a corner and forcing your surrender can signify your descent into darkness and malevolence. By spreading your legs for Jafar, you may be succumbing to his control and being corrupted by his influence. As a evil genie, your nature will be characterized by malevolence, malice, and a tendency to harm and manipulate others. You may be tasked with carrying out wicked deeds, spreading chaos and destruction, and serving Jafar's dark purposes through your malevolent abilities.

The specific outcome of your transformation as a genie will depend on Jafar's intentions, the nature of your relationship with him, and the roles and responsibilities assigned to you in your new form. However, this is all just conjecture, as you will never fully understand the evil plans that are brewing in Jafar's deranged head.”

[lia-life-lounge]

A Philosopher's Lexicon: Vocab that'll make you sound like an academic

Although curated by a philosophy major for philosophy, the following list of vocabulary is a great addition to any intellectual's written or spoken lexicon!

Verbs to Replace "Says" or "Thinks"

Asserts

Affirms

Argues

Contends

Expounds

Posits

Postulates

Delineates

Reiterates

Conjectures

Refutes

Disputes

Verbs to Replace "Shows" or "Explains"

Elucidates

Demonstrates

Validates

Substantiates

Corroborates

Vindicates

Exemplifies

Enumerates

(There's a bit of room for overlap between the "Says" or "Thinks" list and the "Shows" or "Explains" list).

Words to Describe Perspectives or Approaches

Holistic

Myopic

Dogmatic

Pragmatic

Empirical

Normative

Prescriptive

Descriptive

Reductionist

Relativistic

Utilitarian

Absolutist

Subjectivist

Objectivist

Positivist

Words to Describe Statements

Incontrovertible

Pertinent

Cogent

Nuanced

Dialectical

Syllogistic

Empirical

Normative

Didactic

Esoteric

Transitional Phrases

Moreover

Consequently

In contrast

Furthermore

As such

Henceforth

Therefore

In light of this

By the same token

To that end

Words for Critique, Analysis, or Inquiry

Scrutinizes

Deconstructs

Mitigates

Substantiates

Vindicates

Invoke

Inquiry

Interrogate

Delineate

Explicate

Reconcile

Synthesize

Undermine

Engage

Evoke

Scrutiny

Descriptive Words for Ideas or Concepts

Paradigm

Construct

Framework

Epistemology

Ontology

Teleology

Dialectic

Axiom

Maxim

Tenet

Doctrine

Dogma

Words for Nuanced Argumentation

Corollary

Inference

Premise

Deduction

Induction

Syllogism

Refutation

Rebuttal

Concession

Adjudication

Exposition

Elucidation

Conjecture

Remember, the key is not just to use these words, but to understand them fully so you can wield them effectively. Context is king; make sure the word or phrase fits seamlessly into your argument.

_________

Imagine trying to cram all those words into just a couple of paragraphs... not saying you should do it, but it might be a fun challenge, no?

If you're interested in more academic writing tips, feel free to explore the #AcademicWriting and #WritingTips tags on my blog. To distinguish between my original content and reblogs, you can filter the tags #LiaLifeLounge and #LiaReblogs, respectively.

Have fun writing! ✨

[ariadnew]

The Lowmax property has a long history. Locals can at least agree on that.

The details, however, are sketchy.

It's hard to discern exactly where the stories come from. To separate straight facts from the fanciful, from the embellished, from conjecture. Historians in the area do tend to concede that the most prevalent stories each possess a measure of veracity, though they do so with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Bootlegger Maximillian 'Low Max' O'Leary, for example, did indeed exist and was known to have passed through the area in the Prohibition Era. Whether he was the seasonal inhabitant of Pemberton as claimed or threw lavish, star-studded parties in his hill-top hideaway, however, is still the subject of debate (some assert he inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald; others have it the other way around.) Captain Nathaniel Stanley Maxton, too, exists in the historical record, but the story of his defection toward the end of the American Revolutionary War in favour of running away with an American girl (romantic? or stupid?) (hotly debated) remains entirely unsubstantiated. There is no proof he settled the wild valley plain several miles north-east of Heartbreak Lake and dubbed it 'Low Maxton'; no proof he adopted a new identity and lived quietly with his love on this beautiful, isolated land, farming to eek out a living. On the other hand, Ludlow and Maxwell, enterprising orchardists of the early to mid 20th century, unquestionably worked the property. Apples, predominantly, with a small venture into pears and plums. So it is on paper, at least. Off-paper sources suggest Ludlow & Maxwell had their fingers in other more lucrative (and significantly less legal) pies- and that's not to say they began dabbling in cherries. Reportedly absconding suddenly and hastily at the tail end of the thirties, the facts and theories concerning the duo's moral characters, the truth behind their abrupt departure, and their subsequent total absence from the historical record are yet another set of murky waters for local history buffs to debate- with fiendish pleasure, generally, over coffee and cake at their monthly meeting (the first Thursday of every month, in the upstairs room of the Pemberton Public Library; new members welcome!)

A handful of Pemberton inhabitants bemoan the property went to the notoriously-private Foskett family rather than a preservation foundation, or a benefactor who'd see it restored and open to the public, but in truth, there's little of historical merit to see anymore: precious few of the original- original original- structures remain. The pillar at the end of the drive, however, is one of them. The bronze plaque near the bottom is scuffed and weathered; the rampant growth of wild grasses and meadow flowers at foot sees to making sure it goes unnoticed by most. Nevertheless, it quietly continues to declare the age of the property. Lowmax: pre-dating the airplane, the American Civil War, the telephone, the telegraph, electric light. Age after age, two centuries and then some, keeping staunch watch over the horses and humans dwelling in the valley alongside the mountains and forests that stood long before it, and will stand long after it-

A looming reminder that the story playing out there now is just another chapter, waiting to be lost to history.

[yuurei20]

Glorious Masquerade Dialogue Comparison

Originally Rollo refers to Trein as “Mozus-sensei,” using Trein’s first name, but this was changed in the English-language adaptation to “Professor Trein” instead.

Both Sebek and Malleus had the word “humans” removed from their dialogue in two different places, changed to “people” for Sebek and dropped from Malleus’ dialogue entirely.

The English-language adaptation has a history of removing the word “egg” from the game.

Rather than dropping it completely (as in the main story) it was changed to “fledgling" here, much like Spectral Soiree. (More here: The EN Server's Missing Eggs)

While EN has technically localized the in-game currency "madol" into “thaumarks,” with the Port Fest event EN received an all-new form of currency that doesn’t exist in the original game: sorcents!

They returned in Glorious Masquerade (More here: Port Fest Dialogue Comparison)

Malleus never refers to the prefect as a friend, which may be significant, as the word seems to be of some importance at NRC.

If you were curious if Idia really did refer to Riddle as “Tiny Titan” in the original game, he did!

He also used his nickname for Riddle, which EN will sometimes translate as “Instructor” and sometimes as “Taskmaster,” but this time it was dropped.

Rollo’s Unique Magic

Pronunciation: Dark Fire Meaning: Smoldering Desire EN: Darkfire

(More here: Unique Magic (Signature Spell) Compilation: Pronunciation vs. Meaning vs. EN Adaptation)

Idia generally talks with a stutter in the original game, which was removed from the English-language adaptation of Glorious Masquerade.

I thought this might just be a language limitation, but his stutter has been accurately recreated on EN in other places.

This resulted in lines like “Blue handkerchiefs…ah, ah, th-th-the glass movies seem to be less simple than these…” becoming “Plain blue handkerchiefs? Um, no offense, but these look way more basic than those glass mobiles…” and “B-b-b-but then…” becoming “Okay, but, like…,” making the EN adaptation of Idia maybe sound more assertive than the original?

I have recently seen theories that English-language translation for the game might be separated into multiple teams, which seems logical.

It is possible that the localization team assigned to events like Glorious Masquerade is different from the team that did Idia’s vignettes, which would explain the inconsistency in his speech patterns.

It would also explain what happened to Deuce’s unique magic:

In the original game Azul recites the exact same spell Deuce did in Book 5 in order to summon Deuce's magic, but the spell used by EN- Deuce is not the same as the one used by EN-Azul.

The meaning is the same—there is no big difference between “It’s payback time” and “It’s time to pay up!”—it is just different phrasing, which makes sense if the translation team assigned to Book 5 of the main story is different from the team who did Glorious Masquerade.

If the teams are separated by vignettes / events / main story it would also explain why the egg references are getting removed from the main story while being translated into “fledgling” in Halloween events.

But this is all just conjecture based on the curious continuity :>

An interesting language hurdle arose at the end of the game when Malleus addressed the gathered visitors at the ball by the “omae” form of “you”.

The audience responds with discomfort and Jamil explains, “Ordinary students don’t address peers they are meeting for the first time as ‘omae-tachi’…”

(Being sensitive to social situations is a part of Jamil’s character, explained in more depth in his third birthday vignette).

Since the English language doesn’t have varying forms of “you,” this comment was removed.

Much like how the lyrics to the song “Piece of My World” were removed from Book 5, the lyrics to Malleus’ song “Wish Resound” were also removed from the English-adaptation of the game.

But whereas Book 5 is voiced Glorious Masquerade is not, so removing the text box entirely would have resulted in Malleus simply standing and staring in silence.

To compensate, EN has put “*singing*” in the text box.

While likely a licensing issue and therefore inevitable, it is kind of unfortunate as, during the song, there are repeated cuts back to Rollo’s reactions (Lyric translation can be very complex, this is just one possible interpretation of what the lyrics might sound like in English!)

And Malleus makes a point of commenting on the importance of the lyrics (that EN cannot see) that seem to be resonating with Rollo.

[soulful-simmer]

Lùcas had become accustomed to spending long evenings learning from Trystan within the druid camp. Connecting to the spiritual realm, Lùcas felt more empowered than he ever had in his life. Still, he couldn’t help but feel unfulfilled keeping this power hidden, only to be used in the confines of the forest. This plagued him all the more as he had an increasing sense that his brother, Orla, and the entire tribe were in some sort of danger. “Could I ask you something?” Lùcas inquired during one evening with Trystan.

“I can’t help but think that these powers could be of greater use beyond the forest,” Lùcas asserted— almost surprising himself with how forthcoming he had become in the past year. “We spend long hours cultivating these skills, but making no real use of them. Don’t you ever wonder how much could be advanced if we were to bring this knowledge to real problems? Can you imagine what a gift like mine could mean for war, for medicine, for…” Here, Lùcas’ voice drifted off, lost in his own imaginations.

Trystan cleared his throat, bringing Lùcas back to the present moment. “I will not hold your foolishness against you for it is the currency of youth,” Trystan stated in a stern tone. Lùcas’ hopeful expression diminished and he became sheepish once more. “The only thing the tribes have done for us is drive us out, only after failing to annihilate us completely." He continued with a mournful sigh, “The only place where we are truly safe is amongst our own.”

“I understand there has been hurt in the past, but I believe if we could only show how much we could help the tribes, surely they would—” Lùcas began to petition. The hand on Lùcas’ shoulders tightened in warning, and the young man refrained from any more pleas for consideration.

“That time has long passed, my boy,” Trystan stated solemnly, growing impatient with Lùcas’ naive conjectures. Lùcas turned to walk out of Trystan’s presence. “Anyone who aligns themselves with the interests of the tribes makes himself an enemy to the druids,” Trystan added after him, his tone darkening. “And I will make certain that no one who does so will ever step foot in these woods again.” 

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