#god help those that work in the food industry

[crypticvirago]

I had SO wanted to write something short and sweet, a few years or so post the ending of Wounding, for Christmas as a token of appreciation for everyone that read Wounding. But this holiday season at my job has been royally kicking my ass and the only thing I've been able to do is daydream about it

[zxcvbnmj0]

if you call yourself an anarchist/leftist/punk/anti police/anti government/anything of the sort consider at the very least reading this post to the end & reblogging. honest to god i was going to add a d#nation option but it will never reach us quick enough because of reasons you'll figure out if you do read. just know what's going on.

there is an ongoing rebellion in turkiye due to president erdogan canceling imamoglu's (his so far most successful left wing rival in the presidential race who is favored by young people due to his policies + being the most promising rival who could replace erdogan) university diploma, essentially forcibly removing his one true rival from the race since those without a diploma can't be elected as president. this is an act of dictatorship. there are no valid claims of illegitimacy about imamoglu's diploma. erdogan is known to have used tricks and bribery to stay in power throughout his presidency along with being involved with scandals and claims of his own diploma being illegitimate. he is a conservative, right wing, anti queer, fascist dictator. he violently opposes free speech by banning social media + communication apps like whatsapp, instagram, twitter, tiktok, discord & ordering his police to be outright violent to protestors.

(imamoglu got arrested as i was writing this post due to suspicions of "corruption". it's clear they're giving it their all to make sure he cannot be elected & the protests are sure to escalate from now on.)

groups of mainly high school and uni students between the ages of 17-25 are being pepper sprayed, attacked with tear gas, shot with plastic bullets, beaten, kicked, and arrested for practicing their Legal right to protest his dictatorship. protestors are being tracked & arrested at their homes at night hours after the protests. everyone between these ages are going to the protests as much as possible, to the point of abandoning school or work. they are being treated as terrorists and straight up physically attacked by the police. there are countless students with severe injuries. the police is not simply doing their job, they're attacking violently and enthusiastically. they're enjoying doing this.

antiacid medicine + milk to wash away the effects of pepper spray, industrial masks/gas masks, protective eyewear, food and water all cost a lot to distribute to such a huge group of people. even with these materials protestors face serious injuries like cornea damage, blindness, chemical burns on skin, poisoning, even death in the case of those with existing heart/breathing problems. pepper spray is a chemical weapon and it's being used on students using their right to protest. it can and has caused serious health risks. helping out financially is barely an option at this point because of the laws regarding receiving Anything from abroad but i'd like you to at least spread this and talk about it

some examples of how brutal the protests are & how badly people get injured 1 2 3 4 5 6 (<- what they're spraying on people is pepper spray and tear gas) 7 8 (7 is the police screaming at protestors who took shelter in an hotel lobby to come back out. 8 is an officer pulling another back by the neck and yelling "come back to your senses" because of disproportionate violence. an example of what i was talking about. this is not doing your job. this is cruelty)

some general sources on the situation -> 1 2 3 wikipedia page of erdogan's party that lists their harmful ideologies erdogan's anti queer views <- 2

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM SHREK 2 *  assorted dialogue from the 2004 film, adjust as necessary

quick! tell a lie!

i can't believe you're just gonna walk away from the best thing that ever happened to you.

say something crazy, like "i'm wearing ladies underwear!"

i most certainly am not!

it's a thong!

i don't feel any different. do i look any different?

you still look like an ass to me.

nobody said i have the right to remain silent!

you have the right to remain silent. what you lack is the capacity.

stop. i have misjudged you.

join the club. we got jackets.

look, she's not seeing any clients today.

we're from the union.

we represent the workers in all magical industries, both evil and benign.

are you feeling at all degraded or oppressed?

okay, we're going to have a look around.

think of the saddest thing that's ever happened to you.

oh man. where do i begin?

they all got drunk and started hitting me with sticks, yelling "piñata! piñata!"

i need you to cry!

all i got in my room was shampoo.

i hate mondays.

who on earth are they?

that's not little. that's a really big problem.

we came, we saw them, now let's go before they light the torches.

they're my parents!

good! now's our chance! let's go back inside and pretend we're not home.

quick, while they're not looking, we can make a run for it.

you can do this.

i don't want to die!

oh sweet sister mother of mercy! i'm melting! i'm melting!

i'm sorry, the position of annoying talking animal has already been taken.

oh look! a little cat!

look out! he's got a piece!

are we there yet?

oh god help me! please!

tell the truth. will i ever be able to play the violin again?

i drank the potion and well, now... i'm sexy.

oh pick me! i'll be your true love!

someday i will repay you, unless of course i can't find you, or if i forget.

fear me, if you dare.

i had hoped you would never see me like this.

i'm sorry to both of you.

i just wish i could be the man that you deserve.

go! your lady needs you!

today, i repay my debt.

who dares enter my room?

i hope i'm not interrupting anything.

you are told correct, but for this i charge a great deal of money.

for five minutes, could you not be yourself?

it wasn't my fault! he didn't get there in time!

are you kidding? he's gorgeous! his face looks like it was carved by angels?

i see london! i see france!

why don't we drop in for a spell?

oh mexican food! my favorite!

you have forced me to do something i really don't want to do.

my diet is ruined! i hope you're happy.

they just want to give us their blessing.

who said i want to be part of this family?

look out! here comes the new me!

first things first. we need to get you out of those clothes.

did i miss?

pardon me. would you mind letting me go?

quit messing around!

almost everybody who meets you wants to kill you.

whatever happens... i must not cry.

can i help you, your majesty?

tell us about where you live.

i guess that will be a fine place to raise the children.

oh, stop being such a drama king.

i don't care whose fault this was, just get this place cleaned up.

i'm not going.

he's completely lost his mind!

we can't be lost.

i wasn't the one who refused to stop for directions.

you're so tense.

do you think you could get up there?

i've made changes for you. think about that.

i guess i gave her the wrong tea.

sorry. i thought that question was directed at me.

uh... FYI. not my fault.

we just need to work out something smarter, that's all.

i need to have someone "taken care of."

[wooahoe]

ykw. i’m just gonna say it. i just saw a video where someone said ‘stop gatekeeping korea, especially when people have a genuine interest in it.’ those weren’t her exact words but i think u get the idea.

and you know what? i love that people love korean shit but i also don’t and it’s eating me alive.

i grew up in a pretty heavily ethnically diverse community in the late 2010s. but even then i wasn’t a stranger to kids pulling at the corners of their eyes and making fun of mine, or saying that my food looked disgusting and ‘smelled weird’. kpop was weird, my non-korean friends asked if i was chinese, nobody knew what a kdrama was and nobody wanted to be in a ten mile radius of someone remotely fobby (iykyk)

so to have an animated kids movie, made for people like me? not just a movie catered to the generalized asian population or even only having chinese representation?

i fell in love instantly. the disney princess movie that me and my friends always wanted as a kid was finally here, but even cooler and more badass than we could’ve ever imagined.

but kpop demon hunters has also shown me how far we’ve come from my early childhood.

because nowadays it’s weird. all of a sudden everyone is obsessed with miffy (no, she’s not asian but hell we love her and she’s ours now) and hello kitty and a number of other popular asian characters and i don’t even know how the fuck they found out about them. east asian food isn’t considered weird anymore but something to be sought after. you go to los angeles’ koreatown and there used to be absolutely zero non-koreans there. now? all of the restaurants that sold traditional foods and dishes are gone, replaced by the surge of 외국인s in search of tteokbokki and instant ramen and bbq. there aren’t any koreans in korean restaurants anymore.

which lowk pisses me off. i can’t find good places to eat anymore because all anyone wants is kbbq. traditional dishes are being lost to the appeal of tteokbokki, ramen (which isn’t even korean by the way!), bbq, fried chicken, corn dogs, everything that i never ate as a kid is all of a sudden everywhere, and all of the dishes i love aren’t sold anymore because those restaurants aren’t making any more money and have to close. WE DON’T EVEN EAT THAT SHIT THAT OFTEN GO FIND THE NON-AESTHETIC GOOD STUFF.

and now nearly everything about the korean culture, my culture, has been commodified; whether it’s the food, the clothing styles (both traditional and modern), the music, the media, the makeup, the people, to even the fucking language?

and yeah japan and china have this problem too…but it is definitely not as bad as korea.

look. if you’re into the korean stuff, i don’t blame you. that shit is amazing.

But.

please try not to contribute to the commodification of my culture. i am sick and tired of my livelihood being turned into a fucking “trend”.

in the wise words of kim namjoon: “People in the West just don't get it. Korea is a country that has been invaded, devastated, and torn in two. Just seventy years ago there was nothing. We are getting help from the IMF and the UN. But now, the whole world is looking at Korea. How is that possible how did that happen? Because people are working fucking hard to improve themselves. You are in France or in the UK, countries that have been colonizing others for centuries, and you come to me with, "oh God, you put so much pressure on yourselves, life in Korea is stressful!" Well, yes. That's how you get things done...”

korean culture, whether they live in another country or not, is very fast paced, no time for rest. we call it a 빨리빨리 culture. this is why the idols within the industry never get rest. the rest of the country doesn’t, why should they? like for example, yes, those carats who are always saying woozi is burnt out are right, he probably is. but do you seriously think he’s going to rest? he’s not, because he’s a fucking korean man and y’all don’t fucking realize it.

this is why we have one of the highest suicide rates in the world.

but you also have to realize that korea is losing itself to westernization. it’s not just the choreography or the english words mixed into the songs. korean is losing its fucking language to english loan words. hell, some of the words that i say AREN’T KOREAN. THEY’RE JAPANESE.

look. my point is that i don’t think namjoon is just talking about countries with a history of colonization. he’s talking about people who don’t understand korea because all they want to understand is the mirage of pretty boys and beautiful girls that shine under the global spotlight…not realizing that what they hide is far, far worse than diets and weight loss and company mistreatment.

i’m not asking you to step away from korean culture or media. I’m not asking you to stop being a fan of idols or actors, or to stop enjoying korean food.

all i am asking is that you be mindful. don’t just obsess over the saja boys (yes, yes, they’re hot but remember what they represent. remember why they’re called the saja boys) or your favorite idols, but please remember how hard it has taken us as a people to get here. please don’t acknowledge us just because we’re a fad, but understand where we come from. that means the korean kpop stans and the 교포s.

[isyouhererightnow]

Business x Pleasure| Devin Booker

Part 1

Trope: Devin Booker x Suns Social Media Manager! Reader

Genre: forbidden romance, playing hard to get etc.

warnings: mature language, nothing too crazy.

Summary : Y/N always had ambitions of working in the sports industry, whether it be as an athlete, a journalist, a behind the scenes role. There is just something about sports that’s always been appealing to her. So she often thanks her lucky stars that she grew up in the era of social media. She was able to hone her craft managing her high school basketball and soccer team’s social media and carried those skills over to college where she gathered work experience while also getting her communications and marketing degree.

When Y/N graduated college she applied everywhere even in corporate industries to develop her skills. Safe to say she was incredibly shocked to receive offers from 2 NBA Teams: the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets. What does her NBA career have in store for her ?

Y/N chose Phoenix, not because she particularly loved the Suns but she also wanted to experience a state completely different to her home state of San Francisco.

Upon arrival to Arizona, she took some time looking up all the cool cafes, food places, even some nightlife spots she can hit up. Then it was time to lock in, and see what she can bring to the team. Her first day was in 2 days so she had enough time to get accustomed to her new neighborhood and figure out where she can find all her essentials.

Y/N stumbled upon a farmers market when she got up the next day the smell of fresh citrus and different produce engulfed her, Y/N wasn’t paying much attention — just wandering admiring the aesthetics and all the stalls had to offer. She was taking pictures, trying samples and trying to enjoy her first full day in Phoenix.

Then came the collision.

Not a car crash, but it felt like one. Her body slammed into another, and her phone flew out of her hand, and she prayed that her screen would be okay.

"Whoa—my bad!" a voice said, Y/N still praying, finally looked up. Her brain took half a second to register it: tall, athletic build, hoodie pulled up, and shades that seemed a little over the top but the voice was familiar. Too familiar.

“Shit, I didn’t even see—wait, are you okay?” the man asked, crouching to grab her phone.

She took the phone, nodding. “Yeah, I’m—wait…” She stared. “You’re…”

He lifted his sunglasses slightly and gave a sheepish, dimpled smile. “Yeah. That guy.”

Devin Booker. Phoenix Suns.

What a coincidence.

“Oh my God,” Y/N muttered, immediately regretting it. “Sorry, I just… didn’t expect to body check an NBA player at the farmers market.”

He chuckled. “Honestly? I needed that. I was zoning out.”

They stood there awkwardly for a beat.

“I’m Y/N,” she said, sticking her hand out like a job interview was about to start.

“Devin.” He shook it. “But you knew that already.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Not necessarily, you just have an NBA look. But nice to meet you Devin”

He smiled again — more relaxed this time. “Well, Y/N, since we’ve already collided… do you wanna help me through the farmers market.This is my first time at one ”

“Sure,” she said, trying not to grin like a fool. “This is my first day in Phoenix. So it’s a first for the both of us.”

“Glad to be your first friend in Phoenix.” He grinned before turning to walk.

They moved side by side through the market as Y/N encouraged to try new foods he hasn’t seen before.

“So what brings you to Phoenix “ Devin asked “Vacation?”

She chuckled.

“Who comes to Arizona for vacation? I moved for a job “

“Who comes to Arizona to live?” He quipped back

“Us evidently “ she laughed while looking up at him.

He cracked a smile while looking down at her

“Touché”

They made their way to a bench in a secluded part of the market.

“What job got you to moved to Phoenix”

She pondered and if she should answer that question.

I mean what is the probability of her working closely with the players as a newbie on the team.

Might as well tell him and avoid the smears run it if it does happen.

“I got a job with the Phoenix Suns” I said nonchalantly continuing to eat the sample of mango sorbet we just got.

He laughed out loud like I said the funniest thing in the world.

I looked at him like he was crazy.

“If you keep laughing so loudly, your fans I gonna start noticing you. And I do not need to get caught up in a scandal”

He covered his mouth as he caught his breath.

“That was really funny. No but seriously what job did you come out here for “

“I’m serious” I said now laughing in his face.

“I got a job on the social media team. I knew I should’ve lied to your face when you asked” I said cracking a smile.

“Shit really, you got a job following me around “ he said smirking.

“No I got a job capturing the TEAM, and following the team activities “ Emphasis on team.

“Maybe it’s fate that made us bumped into each other on your first day here” he said sliding a lil closer to me on the bench.

“Yeah, what’s a better start than having Devin Booker as my best friend “ I said teasingly

“Friend?” He asked turning to me with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re right too soon. Acquaintances”

I nodded while leaning back.

He chuckled again

“What if I want us to get to know each other on a different level “

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” I asked turning to him

“I thought you didn’t know about me”

“That doesn’t answer my question Booker”

“No I don’t have a girlfriend right now “

“Hmmm… Right now. Interesting choice of words “

“Just saying, I see a girl in my bed in the near future”

“Of course you do. You can see a girl in your bed tonight if you wanted to”

He leaned in closer, using the arm I didn’t even know was behind me as an anchor.

“Can you see yourself in my bed tonight” he smirked looking me up and down.

“First of all, it’s very not safe for you to invite a random girl to your house” I said placing my hand on his chest to keep the distance.

“Second, I don’t think it would be wise of you to fuck your coworker.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You technically don’t start till Monday. And there is no rules against us dating. Trust me” he said taking my hand off his chest and pulling me in closer.

“Third.”

I said glancing from his eyes to his lips.

“I know I’m not your type. No offense but I evidently don’t look like Kendall Jenner nor all her random girls you’re accustomed hooking up with “

I said finally getting some distance.

“And you seem like a nice guy and I really would hate for us to not be friends because we hooked up and my feelings got hurt”

“So what you saying is, you do find me attractive”

“Do you hear the words coming out my mouth or am I just yapping”

He laughed again.

“No I hear you but I don’t think it’s fear for you to assume my type based off of a few TMZ pictures” he said hands up in surrender.

“If you can tell me you have dated someone with my body type or complexion before I’ll eat my words and maybe even consider your offer“

I smirked.

Because if I knew anything about Devin Booker, he has never dated a girl that didn’t look like they grew up in Calabasas and his track record with black girls literally non-existent.

Honestly I’m surprised he’s trying to fuck me right now.

“Okay maybe I haven’t, but if you’re not my type why do I want you to come over”

“Cause I’m gorgeous, and my body’s tea”

I said flipping my hair.

“But you have to remember, us working together is also a factor”

“And I told you we’re safe”

“I still don’t think you should be fucking people you’ve only known an hour tho”

“ I agree with this point actually, so how about I get your number and we schedule a date “ he said giving me a full smile

“I’ll give you my number and I’ll think about it” I said handing him my phone.

“I’ll hold you to your word “ he said exchanging numbers.

“Do you want me to drop you home at least? I don’t let pretty girls go home alone”

“Thanks but I don’t live too far from here do I can walk really” I said blushing just a little bit.

“No I insist” he said grabbing my bag.

“Besides what kind of “best friend “ would I be if I let you walk with this heavy bag”

I laughed at his emphasis on best friend.

“You’re so right” I giggled as I followed him out of the farmers market.

[taldigi]

it's totally not fair that japan (I've seen a couple of collab cafes in Korea too I guess) is the only place with any sense of whimsy when it comes to adults doing silly cute stuff. Like come on. Do you know how much I would pay to eat at the Kirby Cafe? It's the most fuckin' adorable thing I've ever seen AND people have said the food was really tasty too.

I'm no pro on JP culture- (as my interest in it really only extends to the food and a handful of media franchisees) and I'm sure others are more researched and even have lived experience-- but from what I understand, I think it's a swinging response to the absolutely toxic and deadly work culture + collectivist(?) culture. that stuff was able to create a unique environment for those sorts of things to flourish (example: pop idol worship is way more intense in asian countries vs celebrity worship here in the west). Like, here in the states where our individualism + hyper capitalism warping and molding western culture into a weapon to maximize profits via "the american dream" tends to skew american interests--- also TV regulations varying so wildly as well as the states unionizing our animation industry where japan did not (and underpaid/overworked workers = more anime) so animation didn't get to play as fundamental a part part in our collective development + was only really sponsored by established studios or toymakers.

Also WW2 didnt help. or religion. or sexism. the countries size disparities + traversability of settlements. how each country's realationship with expansionism and how land is handled. and I SWEAR it's all relevant to pop up cafes 'cause it influences how we act as a community and how we absorb and treat media and also the success and accessibility to media each generation had. I swear I could even link food quality laws in somehow and I don't even want to start thinking about the industrial revolution.

and shonen jump. god it all links back to shonen jump i swear to god-

it's a lot and GOD i hope im making sense. There's so many factors it's infuriating honestly i'm kinda getting a headache mapping it all out mentally. cause I feel like I could spend another few hours dissecting and researching.

tldr: I would be so fucking happy if I could go to themed pop up cafes and not have it be week long endevor

[mysteriawrites]

[ hsr matchup exchange w/ @frostfall-matches ]

[ afab, any pronouns ok | preference for a male match pls! ]

- personality: distant, introverted but not shy, generally respectful of others but not necessarily kind, somewhat apathetic (but a majority of the time mood baseline is content/relaxed), logical, calm under pressure, extremely independent, confident and self-secure (sometimes arrogant! i try to keep my god complex in check lol), can take criticism well, straightforward (blunt, sometimes tactless/insensitive both on purpose and on accident), pretty sassy/snarky, tends to laugh off the severity of a situation, not very ambitious, mildly competitive, a moderate risk-taker (gets a thrill from risky situations, but tries to avoid lethal ones).

broad sense of humor (often more on the playful/absurd side), really likes laughing but only opens up around friends, playful w/ friends, very teasing, mischievous, realist that leans optimistic, nosy and loves gossip/drama, a natural troublemaker/rulebreaker but also often unintentionally gets into trouble (wrong place/time), comfortable with confrontation, a bit combative with authority and those who irritate me but is generally easygoing, quick-witted, unsentimental, surprisingly low impulse control.

- personality types: INTJ ; 7w8 ; chaotic neutral.

- love languages: physical touch and gifts. touch reserved for close friends/partners only, but i can get pretty cuddly with them and will just drape myself over my partner if they let me. willing to make the first move/initiate affection in general.

- hobbies: video games (tactics, RPGs, visual novels), anime, drawing (paper and digital), painting (mostly watercolor), baking, cosplay, writing, reading (fantasy, suspense/thriller, psychological), caring for houseplants, home/decor DIY projects, hiking, jogging, thrill-seeking activities (adrenaline junkie).

- likes: cats, frogs, snakes, sweets, most fruits, cheese, lattes (a favorite of mine is chai), scented candles, piercings, tattoos, puns and lame dad jokes, cool weather, forests, traveling, new experiences, learning languages (currently knows/studied: english, french, korean, latin), medieval history, the occasional lazy day, bantering with others, encouraging my friends' bad/risky decisions (i will even do it with them), lovingly teasing/bullying friends, when people cook for me.

- dislikes: dogs, horses, bitter foods, grapefruit, potatoes, alcohol, strong scents, hot weather, spiders (other bugs are ok), long car rides, feeling restricted, conformity and blind obedience, having to be responsible for others or lead them, being vulnerable, when others are condescending towards me (makes my pride flare up), people-pleasing behavior, when others step in to help without me asking.

- misc.: quite clumsy, accident prone ; terrible sense of direction ; easily motion sick (very sad bc i love park rides but i can only handle 1-2 at a time) ; enjoys skin/hair care, loves changing up hair often ; used to do gymnastics ; a weird mix between a night owl and a morning person (but afternoons are rough) ; my hands and feet are always ice cold so i like subjecting my friends to them (sticking my hands under their shirt, holding their hands, or tucking my feet beneath their legs if we're sitting on a couch together) ; majors in international studies and french in uni w/ minors in psychology and medieval history ; currently working as a medical scribe ; studied abroad in korea for 5 months, LOVED it and honestly never got homesick ; prone to bad luck but tries to find the humor in most situations.

- appearance/style: 155 cm / 5’1” ; hourglass to pear shaped ; very pale (burns easily) ; baby-faced, button nose, single dimple on right cheek when smiling ; big green eyes, long eyelashes ; hair is naturally wavy and light ash brown almost always styled with bangs, currently has an undercut ; 5 piercings in one ear, 4 + an industrial in the other, and a navel piercing ; clothing style is more on the masculine side, color scheme is black/gray/muted green ; loves fishnets, flannels, graphic tees, leather jackets, combat boots ; socks are either black or very colorful/patterned ; enjoys sweatpants and hoodies when lounging at home.

Hello thx for exchanging with me! Hope you enjoy your story.

Your Honkai Star Rail Life:

Your Path…The Hunt

You have the passion and confidence typically found in followers the hunt. You know what you want and you go for it and don’t let anyone stand in your way. Another path that you may tread is the erudition which is fond of those who are calm and logical.

Your Element…Fire

Your mischievous, rebellious, and competitive personality makes the fire element feel like second nature. You coat your weapon in flames and overwhelm your enemies with your blazing power. Remember to use it wisely or you might get burned…

Your Weapon…Chain Whip Sword

No particular reason for this other than you just look badass wielding a flaming chain whip sword. Despite being a short range weapon no enemy will escape your reach when you catch them off guard when the sword elongates into flaming whip.

Your Faction…The Stelleron Hunters

Welcome to your misunderstood tight nit group of misfits. The universe may view you as enemies, but as long as you all have each other who cares what they think. You originally joined due to aligned goals, but overtime you all have become a little family. Kafka like a cool aunt to you with blade, silver wolf, and firefly(sam) as your older and young siblings. And then there was Elio. The man who took you in when you had nowhere else to go…he was like your father. You wouldn’t trade your found family for anything and would go to any lengths to protect them at all costs. Even if it ment challenging the script yourself despite knowing it’s impossible…

Your Story…

Smoke and ash is all you remember of that fateful day. One minute you were out having dinner with your family to celebrate coming of age and the next there’s ringing in your ears and metallic taste in your mouth. Vision blurry, but you can still make out the sight of your loved ones dead around you. Screams and cries of terror and despair echo all around you as other survivors realize similar fates. It took days maybe weeks for you to get rescued. You couldn’t tell how long it had been, but you knew for certain that it had been too long. Those who didn’t die from the initial explosion would later succumb to their injuries and perish. Authorities eventually came but the damage had been done. Homes lost, families and friends gone, a planet destroyed. All thanks to a shiny ball of light called…a stelleron. How could something that looked so ethereal be the cause of so much pain and suffering. You didn’t know, but you knew one thing for certain: it couldn’t happen to anyone else ever again. You swore you wouldn’t let it happen ever again. You would destroy every cancerous seed of disaster there was. And that was when you were approached by a strange man who claimed to be able to see the future…

Your Match:

Aventurine!!!

How you met:

You guys would have the sexiest forbidden love enemies to lovers trope romance oh my god.

You were on another mission for Elio, chasing after another stelleron. You were trying to stealth your way towards it having gotten past all the security, only for a blonde man with the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen to be standing there waiting for you.

"Well, well, well little hunter. I've been expecting you"

Aventurine had gotten intel that there was going to be an attempted break in at the capital, and he had bet his life that it would be a hit on the stelleron. However, he hadn't expected it to be an actual stelleron hunter.

He didn't think they would try something so risky. They were usually so calm, calculated, and elusive.

He tried to strike a deal with you but you weren’t one for collaborating with the enemy so you guys ended up fighting.

There was no clear winner as both sides took considerable damage, but you both decided to make a strategic retreat and the stelleron was left where it was only for the astral express to come and seal it later.

Several more incidents like this occurred where you would be sent on mission only for IPC to stick their nose in your building and you would encounter aventurine again and again and again.

You were now proper rivals, but while you were getting progressively more frustrated with your missions get repeatedly disrupted Aventurine seemed to be having fun.

The audacity of this man to flirt with you during a fight with those golden locks and mesmerizing multicolored eyes. You may have started to have a bit of a crush on him too but you’d rather die then admit it

On one mission you and Aventurine end up trapped together in a cave with no way out but to wait and hope for rescue (and hopefully not get arrested in the process)

During that time you guys get to know each other better and you come realize he actually isn’t that bad. In fact you actually start to feel sorry for him.

You couldn’t stand the way how he viewed himself as just someone else’s pawn, how he just used his life as another bargaining chip. Couldn’t he see that he was so much more than that.

After expressing with vigor how his value was more than just another tool to be used, one thing led to another and…well lets just say it’s a good thing that cave allowed yall to have some privacy ;)

From then on whenever you guys would cross paths, although to the public still saw you two as mortal enemies, you guys would turn each encounter into a romantic date.

You were deeply in love.

Although you had to continue to hide this fact from your respective factions. (Although let’s be real topaz, jade, dr ratio, and your fellow stellorn hunters figured it out forever ago because they are way too perceptive, smart, and nosy. But they wont tell anyone)

Maybe one day you two will have the freedom to pursue your love.

Your relationship:

It’s no surprise Aventurine would use his luck to spoil you. He’s mainly used his luck for survival this whole time so now he wants to use it for someone he loves.

He constantly buys you new jewelry for your piercings, some nice scented candles, your favorite foods, snacks and sweets.

Especially cause he doesn’t quite know how to cook. He’s always just eaten whatever to survive. But if you’re willing to learn with him he’d love to make so many home made dishes for you.

If you so much as look at something while you two are together boom it’s now yours.

He will also do luxury baths treatments and self care routines with you. He knows he has a pretty face and will damn well take care of it.

He would love to take you traveling all across the galaxy and show you places you’ve only read about while being your personal tour guide to places he’s been before.

You get the V.I.P treatment wherever you go even if you insist he not spend so much on you. In his eyes who/what better to spend his money on than you.

He can also be a busy man so whenever he’s not busy he will take every opportunity to spend a lazy day with you.

You have to teach him how to be cuddly though. It’s not that he doesn’t like it, he just hasn’t experienced that since he lost his only family. You have to remind him what that kind of affection feels like.

Since you both love to work out your brains with psychology and strategy, you guys are always having deep intellectual conversations.

You guys are also able to riff and bounce off of each other well with amazing banter and roasts but you know you still love each other at the end of the day.

Although you consider yourself bad luck Aventurine thinks the opposite and considers you his most precious lucky charm.

You are the one thing in his life he wouldn’t bet on for anything.

He could never risk losing you.

[khaire-traveler]

🗡️ Subtle Talos Worship 🪨

Collect rocks/crystals you like

Bask in the sunlight (Cretan)

Take a walk/hike on a sunny day (Cretan)

Light a bonfire; sit in front of it; focus on the warmth and life it provides

Collect bronze colored items; wear bronze colored jewelry

Assert your personal boundaries; make it clear when someone has done something that made you uncomfortable

Get a candle that reminds you of him (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of him in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of him

Make something with your hands; work hard on a project or item you're creating (Cretan)

Stand up for yourself and others; stand up for those you love

Assert your boundaries; make others aware when they upset you or make you uncomfy

Set boundaries for yourself; I'll only give this much support to that person, I won't stay on my phone for hours before bed, I won't engage with this media that always upsets me, etc.

Have a stuffed animal of a creature that you associate with protection, defense, strength, or the sun (sun = Cretan)

Have imagery of bronze robots/automatons, swords, shields, large rocks/boulders, the island of Krete (Crete), the sun (Cretan), Volcanoes (Cretan), or light (Cretan) around

Learn self-defense; carry weapons on you (pepper spray, pocket knife, etc.)

Learn how to properly use a weapon of your choice; sword, bow and arrow, short sword, spear, pocket knife, etc.

Listen to yourself, especially regarding situations/people that your gut tells you are unsafe; your GUT, not your ANXIETY

Get to know yourself better; know that you know yourself better than others

Disregard unconstructive criticism; work on not taking hate personally (easier said than done, I know)

Fall asleep/meditate to the sound of island ocean waves

Try to eat healthy; fruits, veggies, protein, etc.; take care of your physical body

Grow your own produce or herbs (Cretan)

Support local farms; buy their produce (Cretan)

Support farming/food (Cretan) or humanitarian organizations; support homeless shelters

Volunteer at a food bank, soup kitchen, or farm (Cretan)

Take regular breaks from screens; make sure to go outside for some fresh air (Cretan)

Make sure to wear sunscreen on sunny day (Cretan)

Go cloud-watching (Cretan)

Exercise; get movement throughout your day, even just stretching

Visit the beach or nearby body of water; stick your feet into the shallows; try to ground yourself there

Ground yourself regularly; check in with yourself and your body frequently

Own a sword - it'd be so cool if you did

Play a fighting-based video game; choose a supportive/defensive character

On a tough day, be gentle with yourself; eat/drink something comforting, take a shower, get cozy under a blanket, watch a comfort movie, etc.

Stick affirmational/encouraging notes in places you'll see them throughout the day

Make a list of your personal strengths and weaknesses; try to healthily reflect on ways you can better yourself

Drink fruit or vegetable juices (Cretan)

Paint or draw an island; purchase art of an island from an artist

Support local businesses

Get involved with local communities; support groups, gamer groups, neighborhoods, etc.

Leave good tips for those working in the service industry; delivery drivers, waiters, hospitality workers, etc.

Treat service workers with compassion and empathy; they've got it rough

Build a sand castle; give it some cool defenses

Support the less fortunate in your community

Volunteer at a homeless shelter; volunteer within your community

Donate supplies to homeless shelters; hygiene kits are always needed

-

This is my list of discreet ways to worship Talos. There are two versions of him most commonly worshipped - that of mainland Greece and that of the island of Krete itself. Both vary vastly; Krete saw him as a bronze automaton Sun god that fathered Hephaestus, while mainland Greece saw him as a giant bronze automaton assigned to protect Krete by Zeus. I gave suggestions for both versions. I hope y'all find this helpful, and take care! 💚

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[the-apple-of-her-eye-au]

The Sins and wtf they do in this au:

(Imma do this in order of when we meet them lol)

Mammon - so he was pretty easy to figure out. He's the same. Kind of. He hates pretty much everyone except his fellow "sins" and Lucille. He's a business titan. He loves money and he loves thinking of ways to make money. He even hires Lucille to design a theme park for him (helping her out because she's got *no work*

Belphegor - Bel is a doctor, she owns pretty much all of the hospitals and health clinics in the city. She's been helping Lucille with her pregnancy since the start. She is a lovely woman, caring, and doesn't let her beliefs get tainted.

Asmodeus - Ozzie has a few things under his belt. He owns a chain of clubs over the globe, he likes doing talent scout tours (cough cough it's how he meets Fizz cough cough) he and Lucille are the closest and he feels so guilty he hasn't been in the city to support her. Whilst Valentino is a titan in the porn industry, Ozzie is a GOD. He is all about consent and safe sex, which is why he gives Alice the whole surrogate big brother intimidation talk.

Satan - whilst he is dead in my Here Lie the Sinners fic, in this au he is very much alive. His whole thing is fitness, from gyms to marathons to deadlift championships. He can be insensitive at times but he does actually care about those closest to him. *He tries to suggest weight loss techniques to Lucille after Charlie is born - Alice threatens to eat him

Beezlebub - Party Animal Queen Bee is pretty much the same as she is in the Canon show. She's an influencer but also has a job, she likes hosting parties, helps the needy all the time. Hosts cook offs to help support the homeless or down on their luck. She sends monthly food packages to Lucille while she's pregnant to make sure she eats enough and takes in the nutrients.

Leviathan - went to school with Lucille and always had a major crush on her, is slightly insane about the fact Li just upped and left but doesn't make a move because he doesn't know how to deal with pregnant people despite the fact he has two children with his wife.

[8-bitpixelheart]

Some world building for my Apotheosis setting <3

Harlsia

-----------------------

Summary

------------------------

The frigid lands of Harlsia are known for their rich metal deposits and intensely friendly demeanor. One would imagine that the constant cold, only ever getting as warm as ‘brisk’ during the summer, would create a grumpy and isolated people. However, Harlsia keeps morale up with constant festivals and communal supplies. In most towns and villages, cooking is done communally by volunteers throughout the week. Most homes lack a kitchen for this reason, and instead have larger areas for entertaining guests.

Environment

------------------------

Most of Harlsia is a wide open tundra, with a bit of forest to the south and mountains to the west. There are few arms but plenty of lakes and rivers. There are a few snow dunes as you get closer to the mountains, but it’s mostly surprisingly flat with few hills or adjustments in the land. It is considered quite dangerous to enter the waters of Harlsia, as the climate renders them incredibly cold and death comes quick to those who go swimming.

Settlements

------------------------

To ask the capital city of Harlsia is to start an argument. Those to the west of the mountains believe that the capital is Miriva, a sprawling city with thick stone walls. The poorest of the city live in slums within Miriva’s walls, cramped together in the dimly lit space. However, there are some that believe that Archen is the capital city, as it houses the royal family. A few generations ago there was civil unrest, causing the royal family to build the stronghold city of Archen on the other side of the mountains. Archen is completely self sufficient, with farms, fishing, and more all safe within the city’s gigantic walls.

Other notable towns include Norida and Kaldis, two major mining towns. Norida is lucky enough to specialize in gemstones, pulling all manner of gemstones from the earth. As such there’s also a heavy military presence in Norida to protect it from bandits and other threats. Kaldis is a metal mine, pulling in rare metals that can’t be found anywhere else as well as more common necessities.

Politics

------------------------

Harlsia is ruled by a hereditary royal family, passing the crown to the eldest child. The current family ruling is the St. Grey family. A few generations ago, Harlsia was going through an economic downturn that was stirring unrest amongst the people that prompted the St. Greys to build their fortress city of Archen. However, the discovery of gems and metals in the ground smoothed the situation over. Now the royal family is fairly beloved, though they remain in Archen.

Economics

------------------------

Harlsia is very well off, with their exports of gems and metals. They don’t tend to export anything else, holding onto their fishing industry with iron claws. However, they do tend to import quite a lot of fresh produce and livestock. Surprisingly despite their wealth, they don’t often import things of luxury or art pieces.

Food

------------------------

A lot of food in Harlsia is dried, salted, or otherwise preserved. Fermented vegetable dishes are a popular and necessary way to consume needed veggies. Harlsia doesn’t eat a lot of fruits or import a lot of sweet things, so their desserts are often simple and on the bland side. Their savory dishes however are very seasoned, often on the spicy side to help combat the cold.

Legends

------------------------

A long time ago, people woke up without memories in the middle of the cold and snow. It was difficult, and there was little food, but they were determined. They banded together to create a little village. They worked hard and discovered the old gods, they who laid the groundwork for the system we use for the gods today. Though we have lost the site of that little village, we have not forgotten their values. Survival, community, strength.

There was once a great dragon by the name of Thousandfang that claimed much of Harlsia as his territory. Thousandfang was a cruel tyrant in his youth, but as he aged he came to discover the error of his ways. He made effort to apologize to the people of Harlsia, to make it up to them. And they came to forgive him and accept him as one of them. Thousandfang lived out his life as the guardian of Harlsia, eventually dying. He was buried outside of Miriva, and a monument was placed over his grave.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Shall we go for a slow buildup then? Let’s start with the first time they hold each other (re: starlet non au)

The first time they hold each other is catharsis. Solace.

It's shortly after Lexa'd reached out that night after winning over Clarke. They were still at a loss as to how exactly to handle all this. This thing between them that neither are willing to talk about or even acknowledge, but both know is there. Both feel it growing deeper, more real. They've gone from nearly a full year of silence to texting every single day. A random call once every few weeks, even if they don't have much to say. They're in each other's lives at that point and neither really have any desire to stop it.

It happens the first time they actually speak to each other in person since that night when they'd both let too many secrets slip out over too many bottles of wine. It's a dinner party "thing" Clarke hosts at her apartment, inviting Lexa but more importantly 10 other people along for a night of classy but kinda trashy finger foods and board games. Because it's absolutely not an excuse just to have Lexa in her space again, and the other guests are certainly not a buffer in case everything is as terrible as she's imagined.

What I'm saying is that it's casual, and it means nothing, which is exactly why Clarke spends 5 hours bouncing between cooking and deciding what to do with her hair, all while rearranging the furniture in her apartment until it looks perfect.

Lexa spends those same 5 hours just trying her best to not throw up.

But it does turn out to be a nice evening. So much so, neither really know what they had to be worried about. It wasn't hard being in each other's space again. If anything, it felt like breathing for the first time in over a year. As though looking over mid-laugh just to catch the other's eyes was the most natural thing in the world. Which makes it feel all too safe to choose to stay behind when the rest of the gang announces they want to go out. It only being 9:30 by the time all the food is gone and every game is left on Clarke's dining table in disarray makes the inclination valid. Because Lexa's got an early call the next morning that she absolutely cannot be hungover for, and Clarke just isn't in the mood to turn down 30 offers from strangers to do coke in the VIP section while having her ass grabbed on the dancefloor.

So they stay behind and talk. Never straying too far from safe subjects. Work, the weather, what they'd be doing if they weren't in the industry, a few innocent tales from childhood. It naturally leads from Clarke sharing about how she'd lost her father at the tender age of 17, to recounting some of her best memories with him. That's how they find themselves huddled together in front of an old record player, thumbing through all the classics, Clarke playing song after song and sharing her memories of each one as Lexa sips her wine and listens to every single one.

It's only when the first notes of a particular song whine to life that Lexa can't really seem to help herself. Because there's just something in the way Clarke's eyes come alive when she tells her how they used to dance to that one every morning before breakfast. It's the image of a tiny Clarke, still in her footie style pjs and sporting a wicked case of baby blonde bed-head, hugging her father's legs as she danced along on the tops of his feet.

She just can't resist.

And god help her, it felt good having Clarke be that close, accepting her hand when Lexa had restarted the song and asked her if she'd like to dance. It felt good, and more terrifying, it felt right. It felt right the way Clarke tucked into her body, one hand on her shoulder, the other cupped gently in her palm. It felt right to match the sway of her hips, to match her breathing and the race of her heartbeat, to laugh as they tripped over themselves and just righted themselves again.

It felt right to pull Clarke closer when those blue eyes suddenly turned glossy, her perfectly wonderful face scrunching up in an embarrassed huff of laughter through her sniffles of, "Sorry. I just miss him sometimes. Ignore me."

So there's really nothing for it. Nothing to do but nod that she understands that kind of pain. That sense of loss, and how it can hit you at the most random of times. So Lexa hugs her right there in her livingroom, records forgotten on the floor at their feet. She tucks Clarke's head into her shoulder and wraps her arms tight around her waist, accepts every last one of her tears and carries her grief as her own, hugging her and holding her as the final chorus fades out

Because Love grows where my Rosemary goes

And nobody knows like me...

Clarke asks her to stay and Lexa does, because there's no way she can leave her like this. So sad and vulnerable and visibly raw at the edges. She sets aside all of her rules and all of her fear and takes Clarke to the couch, guiding her to lay on top of her, just to rest. To let the calm of her breathing and the steady thump of her heart lull Clarke into a tear-soddened sleep. She holds her through the night, neither saying more than a few muffled words, Lexa humming the notes of the song until they're etched into the rhythm of her heartbeat. Until she knows not a day will pass when this song doesn't bring her right back to this moment, and this woman, and this feeling of holding everything she wants but cannot let herself have right there in her arms. But it's enough just to be close, to let herself slip into this once more, and Lexa knows there's really no coming back from this.

Still, when Clarke eventually wakes up, Lexa's long gone in the morning.

[techmomma]

Various things I have learned while working at this mitigation company:

different insurance providers are more or less willing to cover more things. some companies are real lenient and will give you a lot of leeway. some will absolutely not and will find every means possible to not pay. we tend to keep an unofficial list (at least among employees) of which ones we love to work with (aka which ones will approve and pay for the most and be easiest to deal with) and which ones we hate working with (they will usually reject the claim meaning NO mitigation work is done at all because you think most regular people can afford $20K mitigation out of pocket?). you can ask us which ones we like working with.

if the overhead sprinkler system is activated, then even if nothing burned, you will still need so much mitigation. modern sprinkler systems aren't just full of water, they have various fire-fighting chemicals in them that should not come into contact with people for extended periods. and definitely not food.

not every business is willing to pay for fire sprinkler mitigation. sometimes they just decide to paint over it! one of the local grocery stores decided to do that! remember what I said about exposing those chemicals to food?

mold can start growing from a water leak within like 48 hours. faster if it's a sewage leak. if you had a leak and you waited a week to call anyone, you need a mold inspection too.

we get screwed over by churches so, so much.

all houses must be tested for asbestos before any mitigation can begin. it used to be that we only really needed to test on houses built before about 1990, but as asbestos was used in building materials LONG after that, they've finally cracked down and now all houses needed to be tested. my coworkers aren't as happy about this as I am.

if the building was built before 1978 though then we have to test for asbestos AND lead! I think we should test them all for lead frankly but the law says 1978.

asbestos and lead usually have to be removed by special companies. we use subcontractors for that since we don't have the equipment ourselves.

subcontractors! your mitigation company usually can't do everything themselves, so they'll enlist the aid of another company. so for example, when we have to test for asbestos and lead, we use a subcontractor who has the equipment to analyze samples.

generally, if you can see damage, whatever is inside the wall is so, so much worse.

there is so so much mold in like every building

even with industrial cleaners and professional equipment, mold is so hard to actually get rid of permanently. if it's gotten into an organic material like wood or cloth, you can count that as pretty much permanently affected. they will almost always be unsalvageable.

this counts for say, the wood beams of your house. we can clean them down and spray mold killer and seal them, but it'll ever be a 100% guarantee, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN A WETTER CLIMATE. LIKE, IDK, WASHINGTON.

houses on the water are so full of mold

if you have a sudden Emergency, please make sure you decide if you're going to use a mitigation before you actually call us. especially for emergencies where there's water like actively flooding your house. please, for the love of god, don't call us and say "we have an emergency and need help cleaning this up" and then call a short while later saying "well, actually, can we be put on hold, we're not sure if we'll go with mitigation yet...". our technicians are almost always working on a job, we don't have anyone just sitting around the office we can send at any time. and sometimes those jobs can be like an hour away from our office

that means the tech has to pack up their equipment on the site (meaning making sure the site is secured especially if it's going to rain), get back to the office (remember the hour drive from before), get the right equipment for your emergency, and head out there. if they've been pulled from their previous job site they had to drive an hour for, we're not going to fucking send them back.

meaning if you cancel, that's like half of our day wasted and now that other job is going to be behind, too, because they're minus an extra five hours that could have been spent doing the work for that job

please. please don't do your own mitigation work. oh my god.at the very least because sometimes insurance companies get super super picky about that and might reject your claim for it.

if you can see water damage on the other side of a wall, it means the water has gone through the drywall. the longer it's wet and uncared for--I'm talking like, 2 days or more--the more likely things will need to be removed and/or demolished. certainly after 2 days the insulation will almost certainly need to be removed and new insulation installed. this will cost money.

the older the building, the more likely anything in that building will fail at any given time. sure maybe the piping lasted 100 years but that's because it took 100 years to eat away the piping until it finally gave out on the 101st year

meaning the older the building, the more likely it becomes that you'll experience pipe bursts, leaks, electrical mishaps, sewage leaks, etc. etc.

when it comes to water mitigation, there's two kinds: cleanwater and blackwater. cleanwater is what comes out of your tap. blackwater is poopy sewage. blackwater is, without fail, a gazillion times more expensive because it will, as a requirement, involve some form of demolition. it should. that's a health hazard man. you don't know what (else) is in poopy sewage water.

if you can't have the water turned off to do any mitigation, then you HAVE to get a specialist before we can do any restoration. if the pipe is still leaking, then mitigation work will kind of be for nothing.

if you're planning on filing any claims, do that FIRST before you call anybody. the insurance company will have a list of people to call and will tell you how to go about things so that your claim is solid. filing online is fine but it's usually a good idea to have an actual name and contact information for an adjuster (the person who'll be looking at the damage and seeing what needs to be done)

don't fret. sometimes even things I thought would be totally unsalvageable were salvageable! they have lots of tips and tricks, and the technicians and their managers are usually happy to talk about their trade with you

a lot of these technicians really do care, even if they're mostly in it for the work. so many of these guys would do this because this kind of work is pure enrichment for them, but they got families to take care of. it gets genuinely frustrating sometimes to know what work needs to be done and wanting to do so, but the insurance company won't pay out, so nothing can be done.

if your insurance company is giving you the reach-around and you think they're fucking you over, there's something called the insurance commissioner. they're who you can report insurance company fuckery to and the commissioner is usually pretty on top of it. I've seen customers be fucked over for months by their insurance company call the commissioner, and within a few hours the insurance company ~*~magically~*~ has a fire lit under their ass and just so so happy to help you out.

you get what you pay for. whether construction, mitigation, whatever. you pay for cheap mitigation work, you will get cheap results.

something you really don't want cheap results for: mitigation work

things landlords are absolutely fucking notorious for: wanting cheap mitigation work. don't listen to any stupid schpiel they give you about caring or whatever work they said they put in. sure they did pay $10k for restoration work--because it was a job worth about $20k, and they went with the rock-bottom contractor who put a half-assed half day's work in that will fall apart in a few years

fuck landlords and property managers. but you already knew that if you follow me.

Lastly, if you have time to spare and want to make a technician's day, ask them what their worst or most fun job was. they are so happy to tell you.

they have so. many. stories.

[fairiedance]

I've made a bunch of poppy designs, but the Faqqua iris is the more official national flower of Palestine, I figured I should do something with it too. You can find the above design here.

As usual ALL PROCEEDS are for my Palestinian best friend, to take care of his loved ones. He will donate any his family doesn't need to the Palestinian charities he works with. He's hoping to donate most of it if possible, he always gives everything he can to those in need, which is really impressive because he has never had much for himself in his life. He's always the first person to buy food for the homeless people outside the cafe, or send a paycheck home to help his relatives, or bring food and supplies to a labor action. I currently have his nice coat because he put it on me when I was cold and told me to keep it (I'm going to wash it and give it back anyway, haha). Outside of a few sentimental possessions most of his stuff ends up being given away sooner or later to someone he thinks needs it more.

He felt weird about accepting this charity at first, I had to convince him to hold onto the money from this fundraiser for his own loved ones (some of whom are definitely in a really precarious position) rather than give it all away to charities immediately. He's so generous, even to his own detriment sometimes. You guys, I'm feeling really emotional today, I love him so fucking much. God I hope things get better soon.

Anyway, this design is kinda small so mostly for stickers but available on some other things too. Here are some examples:

You can find my full shop here. To see a design on different products click on the display product and scroll down or go here to browse by design. Here's a small sample of some of my other work:

Also to my fellow grad students, our department is currently working on making an easier path for grads to bow out of research they have a moral objection to, in addition to putting together a statement on Palestine. If you have a lot of colleagues on your side and particularly if you're in a program like engineering, physics, astronomy or applied math (with a lot of military applications) you should try to see where your funding is coming from and support grads in divesting from ethically questionable research. I won't say too much about what we're doing because I don't want to risk doxing my friend, but here are some examples of statements from grads at the Goldman School of Public Policy and the UCSC Astronomy Department. We (STEM students in particular) are the next generation of minds behind the military-industrial complex; let's make participation in the war machine unpopular.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in my fundraiser so far!

[lampmanliveblogs]

These subtitles appearing out of nowhere only to fade back into the void always manages to startle me.

Let’s see, maduros are… plantains. More specifically, sweet fried plantains.

…what’s a plantain?

Okay, so plantains are bananas, but they’re bananas you cook rather than eat raw. They are a major food staple in parts of Africa, the Caribbean islands, Central America, and northern South America. And that’s about as far into the wikipedia article I could be bothered to read, but I get the gist of it.

Anyways, look, Stringbean’s got her own little nest in the corner. That’s adorable.

ALL OF THEM!?!???

So Luz is off to the University of Wild Magic and she has chosen to study everything, because Luz is nothing if not a true renaissance man. Among her majors are Ancient Glyphs and Combos. A mostly theoretical field nowadays, but I suppose there could be value in it to understand the fundamentals of magic. Though now that Philip is gone, wouldn’t that make Luz the Boiling Isles foremost expert on glyphs? I dunno, maybe some scholars studied the Philip’s notes from the echo mouse Musse.

Next on the list is Boiling Isles History. Personally, if you wanna learn about history but don’t have the time/money/energy to go to university, I’d recommend you pick up the Boiling Isles History box set available at the Bonesborough Supernatural History Museum. It’s written by Lilith Clawthorne and some of her colleagues and when I say it’s comprehensive, I mean it. When I say it’s a box set, I mean an actual box, with like… I think there were at least fifteen books? And those are thick volumes. So bring a friend to help you carry it, cause you’ll need it.That’s where I get a lot of my knowledge on the Demon Realm from. Some supplementary material include Flora D’Splora’s two most recent books, Hidden History: The Things the Emperor Did Not Want You to Know, and Hidden History volume II: The Things You Don’t Want to Know About Your Past.

As for Boiling Biology, Luz actually has a bit of a head start, because King used to teach her about demons back in season one. And he’s like a god in training, so aside from overestimating the size of the Snaggleback, he’s gotta be right.

…I’ve no idea what ”theumaturgy” means. Google brings up”thaumaturgy” which is ”the purported capability of a magician to work magic or other paranormal events or a saint to perform miracles.” If that’s what that’s supposed to mean, then again, Luz has got a pretty decent head start, seeing as she literally is a saint (or at least was for a few minutes while she had The Titan’s powers).

Abomination Engineering seems fairly straightforward, that’s what Alador does. Who knows, with Blight Industries going belly-up, maybe he took up teaching? I could see him pulling-off a absent minded professor archetype.

Curses 101 should be interesting, and that reminds me: do we ever see another example of a curse in the series aside from the Owlbeast curse? I can’t recall. But then again, the impression I got was always that the Owlbeast curse was unusual, so it’s entirely possible that curses are fairly common, but also fairly easy to deal with most of the time so long as you can get a healer to cure it.

Moving on, we’ve got Luz’ new look to look at. She’s got that snazzy jacket with a snake pattern, pants with what looks like symbols for different magical subjects (I spot bard magic, potion magic, and what might be beast keeping?). She’s got that necklace which… feels familiar, hold on… oh yeah, that’s Amity’s necklace.

Also, that’s definitely a tattoo on Luz’ arm, but I can’t make out what it is just yet. Let’s see… according to what I was able to dig up real quickly, a child under the age of 18 can get a tattoo in Connecticut with parental permission. So Luz is not necessarily 18 here. Because there’s also the possibility she got it in the Demon Realm which might have different (or no) laws.

THERE SHE IS MY SNAKE DAUGHTER!!! OH look at her she’s all grown up! She’s got long hair now and her ears are out, she’s got an earring and a nose ring. And I’m gonna go ahead and say that’s Masha’s influence. You can’t prove me wrong. That shirt is really cool too.

More importantly, she’s whispering to Owlbert, telling him to go get the others. A big surprise party for Luz, I presume.

Looking at the background, we find a photo of playing baseball, getting hugged by a teammate. I love seeing my precious daughter thriving.

There’s also a picture of Stringbean having eaten through an apple, which is kinda funny to me, because Stringbean is a serpent, and the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden is often depicted as an apple. I had a whole bit about that story in my post on snake symbolism and how it related to Luz.

(we’re just gonna pretend that owlbert’s wing is not there)

Ooh, they really fixed this place up something nice! It’s got a nice stone path, a bird bath, flowers, a rocking chair, a bunch of birds, bird houses, a light strand, one singular lit candle, and at least four garden gnomes.

It also has that Steven Universe-looking door. Seriously, I’m half expecting Steven and the Crystal Gems to come walking out of it. And really, Steven visiting Gravesfield? That would never happen! Certainly not in any fanfics I’ve written.

But nah, that’s gotta be the new portal door. It looks snazzy.

And they bought this place too. Makes me wonder where Camila got the funds for that… it’s almost like [DATA EXPUNGED; contained spoilers for yesterday’s lie, today’s truth, tomorrows promise]

Through the portal, the voice of The Collector greets us and credits begin to appear.

Undeterred by the credits in the sky, Willow is flying around, looks like she just came from a match or training for flyer derby. She’s got the Emerald Entrails logo, so I guess the team took off. Good for her. Oh, and she’s got new glasses, and a little plant headband thing.

[1863-project]

hi! i recently went to visit NYC with my friend (it was fun!! veeery crowded but fun) and she mentioned that 1) there are a lot of abandoned rail lines around NYC, some of which have been reopened and 2) there's apparently an event in grand central where they put a lot of the old trains out on display???

i didn't have time but i'd love to check both of those out if i ever visit again - i was wondering if you knew any more about them? + also if you have any other recommendations for what else to see around the city 👉👈 tysm!!!

Hey, I'm so glad you had a great time in my city! NYC is really a wonderful place, even though we're packed like sardines in here.

There are definitely a lot of rail lines that aren't currently in use in and around NYC, as well as some that are only used for freight. We used to be a pretty dense railroad hub (before cars fully took over). The proposed Interborough Express would run on the Bay Ridge Branch of the LIRR, which hasn't carried passengers since 1924 and has been exclusively used for freight since. If you go into neighborhoods that once contained shipping warehouses, like Industry City in Brooklyn, you can find railroad infrastructure if you know where to look still. A bit further afield, they're looking to hopefully someday return rail service to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's old Lackawanna Cutoff, which would allow New Jersey Transit trains to go non-stop between Hoboken, New Jersey and Scranton, Pennsylvania. And of course, we have a myriad of abandoned subway stations, which you can look for as you pass through on your way to other destinations! (City Hall is the one I recommend trying to see the most - just stay on the 6 Train until it loops around after its last stop and you'll pass through as it gets set up to go back uptown. Or you can become a member of the New York Transit Museum and go on a tour, like I did.)

Actually, visiting the aforementioned New York Transit Museum makes getting into an abandoned station easy as pie. You pay $10 to get in and you're in the old Court Street Station. If you like trains (or trolleys or busses!) on any level I highly recommend it.

RE: Grand Central, that was an old event done for National Train Day, and I don't know if they still do it but it would generally be in early May if they bring it back. I know they've been known to roll out the Hickory Creek for that - it's an observation car that used to be on the 20th Century Limited, the New York Central's flagship service between NYC and Chicago. The Hickory Creek is maintained by the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey and it tends to be in their yard in Boonton, NJ when it's not running on private charters.

For other recommendations - oh my God, if you haven't been to the American Museum of Natural History, you have to go. It's my favorite place in the entire world. I'll also recommend the Bronx Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society's headquarters, as they do a lot of work towards the conservation of endangered species and education. If you like baseball, Citi Field (where my useless Mets play) has significantly better food options than Yankee Stadium, and I'm not saying this out of bias - Yankees fans agree with me.

Avoid Times Square. It may be geared towards tourists, but everyone who actually lives here hates it because it's too crowded and you can't get where you're trying to go. If you really have to go to Raising Cane's or Junior's Cheesecake there are locations in Brooklyn that are so much less crowded.

If you have questions on anything specific I'm happy to help! I love sharing my city with other people!

[erebusvincent]

…The problem with populism and the whole 19th-century governmental framework is that it didn’t work. Between 1825 and 1901 we had 20 presidencies. We had a bunch of one-term presidents; voters kept throwing the incumbents out because they were not happy with the way government was performing. The last three decades of that century saw a string of brutalizing recessions and depressions that profoundly shook the country. The light-footprint government was unable to cope with the process of industrialization.

Many populists were ill equipped to even understand what was happening. In his classic book “The Age of Reform,” Richard Hofstadter writes, “Populist thought showed an unusually strong tendency to account for relatively impersonal events in highly personal terms.” In other words, they thought they could solve the disruptions of industrialization if only they could find the evil conspirators who were responsible for every ill. Their diagnoses were simple-minded, their rhetoric over the top; their proposals, Hofstadter noted, wandered “over the border between reality and impossibility.” Sound familiar?

Here’s how America recovered: Populist indignation finally got professionalized. In the 20th century, members of the progressive movement took the problems the populists were rightly angry about and built the institutions that were required to address them effectively — like the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve. Populists had trouble thinking institutionally; the progressives, who were well trained, morally upright, self-disciplined, disgusted by corruption, intellectually rigorous (and sometimes priggish and arrogant) did not have that problem.

There’s a reason the 20th century happened. The United States had to build a stronger central government and a leadership class if it was going to take responsibility — responsibility for the people who were marginalized and oppressed in our own country and, as the century wore on, responsibility to establish a peaceful and secure world order. Americans have a perpetual problem with authority, but for a time — from say 1901 to 1965 — Americans built authority structures that voters trusted.

Now we live amid another crisis of authority. Our system has not managed to keep up with the savage inequalities produced by the information age — especially between the college educated and the less educated. Populists are again indignant and on the march. But, as before, they have no compelling theory of change.

The colorful menagerie of people who make up the proposed Trump cabinet all have one thing in common: They are self-identified disrupters. They aim to burn the systems down. Disruption is fine in the private sector. If Musk wants to start a car company and it flops, then all that’s been lost is investor money and some jobs. But suppose you disrupt and dismantle the Defense Department or the judicial system or the schools? Where are citizens supposed to go?

The history of the world since at least the French Revolution is that rapid disruption makes governments cataclysmically worse. Trump, the anti-institutionalist, is creating an electoral monarchy, a system in which all power is personalized and held in his hands. That’s a recipe for distorted information flows, corruption, instability and administrative impotence. As we’ve seen over and over again down the centuries, there’s a big difference between people who operate in the spirit of disruption and those who operate in the spirit of reform.

If I were running the Democratic Party (God help them), I would tell the American people that Donald Trump is right about a lot of things. He’s accurately identified problems on issues like inflation, the border and the fallout from cultural condescension that members of the educated class have been too insular to anticipate. But when it comes to building structures to address those problems — well, the man is just hapless and incompetent.