#they also used rams to send messages

[definegodliness]

Had a dream last night

Best movie you'll never see

[hamadisthings]

HELP US STOP CHAT CONTROL!

If you live in the EU, you absolutely need to pay attention to what's to come. What is Chat Control, you may ask? In a (failed) attempt to combat child abuse online the EU made Chat Control, Chat Control will result in getting your private messages and emails to be scanned by artificial intelligence aka AI to search for CSAM pictures or discussion that might have grooming in there. And on top of having your private conversations handed to AI or the police to snoop in, like your family pictures, selfies, or more sensitive pics, like the medical kind, only meant to be seen by your doctors, or the "flirtatious" kind you send to your partner, you either have to ACCEPT to be scanned...or else you will be forbidden from sending pictures, videos, or even links, as said here.

Kids should absolutely be protected online, without question, but the things that Chat Control gets wrong is that this is a blatant violation of privacy, without even considering the fact that AI WILL create tons of false positives, this is not a theory, this is a fact. And for all the false positives that will be detected, all of them will be sent to the police, which will just flood their system with useless junk instead of efficiently putting resources to actual protect kids from predators.

It also does not help that politicians, police officers, soldiers etc will be exempt from Chat Control if it passes. If it's for the sake of protection, shouldn't everyone get the same treatment? Which further prove that Chat Control would NOT keep your data of private life safe. Plus, bad actors will simply stop using messenger apps as soon as they know they're being tracked, using more obscure means, meanwhile innocent people will be punished by using those services On top of this, the EU also plans on reintroducing Data retention called "EU Going Dark". Both Chat Control and EU Going Dark are clear violation of the GDPR, and even if they shouldn't stand a chance in court, its not going to prevent politicians from trying to ram these through as an excuse to mass surveil European citizens, using kids as a shield. Even teenagers sending pictures to each other won't be exempt, which entirely goes against the purpose of protecting kids by retaining their private photos instead. Furthermore, once messaging apps are forced to comply with Chat Control, the president of Signal, a secured messaging app with encryption, have confirmed that they will be forced to leave the EU if this is enforced against them.

If Chat Control also ends up targeting any websites with the option of private messages, you better expect Europe to be geo-blocked by any websites offering such function. I would also like to add that EU citizens were very vocal in the fight against KOSA, an equally bad internet bill from the US-- and it showed! Which is why we heavily need the help of our fellow US peers to fight against Chat Control too, so please, because we all know if it passes, the US government will take a look at this and conclude "Ooh, a way to force mass surveillance on citizens even more than before? don't mind if I do!" It's always a snowball effect.

KEEP IN MIND THE EUROPE COUNCIL WILL LIKELY VOTE ON CHAT CONTROL THIS 19 JUNE OF NEXT WEEK TO SEE IF IT WILL ENTER TRILOGIES OR NOT. Even if it does enter Trilogues, the fight will only be beginning. Absentees may not count as a no, so it is crucial that you contact your MEPs HERE, as well as HERE, and you can also show your support for Edri's campaign against Chat Control HERE.

You can read more on Chat Control here as well, and you can find useful information as to which arguments to use when politely contacting your MEP (calling is better than email) here, and beneath you will find graphics you can use to spread the word!

YOU CAN ALSO JOIN OUR DISCORD SERVER (linked here) TO HELP ORGANIZE AGAINST CHAT CONTROL NON EU PEOPLE ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN TOO!

https://discord.gg/FPDJYkUujM

PLEASE REBLOG ! NON EU PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO REBLOG AS WELL CONTACT YOUTUBERS, CONTENT CREATORS, ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT MAY HELP GET THE WORD OUT ! Let's fight for our Internet and actually keep kids safe online! Because Chat Control and EU Going Dark will only endanger kids.

PLEASE REBLOG! NON EU PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO REBLOG AS WELL CONTACT YOUTUBERS, CONTENT CREATORS, ANYONE YOU KNOW THAT MAY HELP GET THE WORD OUT !

Let's fight for our Internet and actually keep kids safe online! Because Chat Control and EU Going Dark will only endanger kids.

[thirstkanaphan]

Yeosang and Wooyoung's Recent Features & Subverting the Idol Persona

I have so many thoughts about Yeosang and Wooyoung's most recent editorial features for fashion magazine and how each of them sends a message about their growth over the years.

These two former BigHit trainees each dealt with image issues early in their careers: Yeosang's beauty dominated the external perception of him as an idol who was nothing more than a pretty face, while Wooyoung internally struggled with his physical appearance, recently exacerbated by his diagnosis of a skin condition that flares up in the heat.

In response to these pressures, Yeosang and Wooyoung took on different personas when they debuted as Ateez.

In Yeosang's case, he was "a Maltese who insists he's a Doberman." Yeosang's characterization as pure, innocent, and hapless was (and still is) reinforced by the members as part of their fan service. KQ also allegedly overruled Yeosang on his choice of a Doberman as a representative animal for their Aniteez characters and discouraged him from going to the gym, so as to preserve his slim physique.

Yeosang himself has said that he's not too bothered by the Maltese/Doberman bit; yet, at the same time, Yeosang shows his true self in his performance. He is the kind of dancer that takes up space; his movements are filled with unexpected swagger and ferocity. I noticed this during his MMA solo; again during his Sticky dance challenge, and most recently during the concert film. It was his attitude that entranced me, not (only) his visuals. Around this time, he began to bulk up, seemingly in control of his body's appearance for the first time in a while. He has solo music on the horizon and more schedules coming his way.

Whether or not you want to use the Doberman metaphor, the Esquire Korea feature feels like Yeosang reshaping his image.

Yeosang's poses draw attention to his bulging biceps, his large hands, veiny forearms, and exposed forehead. These attributes all signal traditional masculinity and almost aggressively sends the message: this is a man, not a "good boy."

My quote comes from the clip below of Yeosang, San, and Wooyoung on Jaejoong's variety show. It should be noted that Jaejoong is considered the platonic ideal of a center visual. Jaejoong was allegedly blacklisted from entertainment after his lawsuit with SM led to the national elimination of the so-called idol "slave contracts" with entertainment companies, yet SM continues to use him as the visual blueprint with selecting idols. Jaejoong's compliments to Yeosang therefore feelsalmost double-edged: Yeosang fits the Jaejoong type, but there are certain expectations and pressures that come with this role, and consequences for stepping out of line.

Yeosang's Esquire photoshoot therefore feels transgressive and affirming, given how much he's tried to show the fandom how we've continually underestimated him. See his quote in GQ:

I am intrigued by the sudden (or perhaps not-so-sudden) rebranding of Yeosang and I greatly anticipate his collaboration with Hongjoong for the next Ateez: Present installment. The Sangaissance is upon us!

If Yeosang's idol persona served to reinforce our opinion of him as pure and untainted by earthly desires, than Wooyoung's aimed for the opposite. Welcomed last to KQ on the strength of his dancing skills, and who shared the role of main dancer with Mingi and Yunho, I think Wooyoung found a way to stand out through his "sexy performer" concept.

While his loudmouth antics and aggressive aegyo were also his signature characteristics, Wooyoung used his sexy concept as a kind of shield and battering ram. For many years, Wooyoung spoke negatively about his own body and faced unkind comments from the fandom. There was so much scrutiny over his appearance that it makes sense that the sexy concept became his way of seizing control of his own narrative - and good for him. "Sexy Pefrormer" became how he identified himself and how his members referred to him (although you can imagine their tone).

These days, the nickname "sexy performer" is mostly used to affectionately tease Wooyoung. Wooyoung has himself admitted that he's matured beyond his adolescent understanding of "sexy"

I also notice the kpop industry trended away from "sexy" around the same time Wooyoung did, about two years ago. He's too savvy to be unaware.

These days, you'll find him in head-to-toe Chrome Hearts or styled more androgynously, especially with long hair.

And yet, like Yeosang, and perhaps due to watching Seonghwa and San dramatically transform their bodies and gain opportunities in the high fashion world, Wooyoung recently modified his physique and debuted an unprecedented amount of skin at the Couurages show:

Wooyoung's efforts at exercise were downplayed by the man himself, who was a combination of shy, dismissive, and smug in his messages to ATINY.

With his Courreges appearance going viral, Wooyoung's sexiness was once again part of his packaging as an idol, but with this recent feature + digital cover for ARENA Magazine, it's clear Wooyoung is not sticking to the same old rule book.

These photos of Wooyoung are sexy, yes, but they are also bold, weird, loud, unsettling, strange, erotic, camp, and even unflattering (meant as a compliment). His face forms exaggerated grimaces and pouts; his body bends and hunches; his clothes are either too small and tight or overly large and baggy on his form.

It's not at all what we were expecting from Wooyoung. Compare this photoshoot to cover model Hyunjin who is there to serve Blue Steel-"i'm a handsome idol" face (and it's a beautiful face, good for him!) and apparently also sell watches and jewelry.

They are doing very different things, not one better than the other, but I am delighted that Wooyoung took a real risk and embraced the vulnerability and liberation of not trying to look like a picture-perfect idol. According to Wooyoung, the results were due to him doing what felt natural and not studied:

Wooyoung was so impressive that the Editor-in-Chief made a comment on instagram about how they decided to give Wooyoung a digital cover, something that normally only happens with a brand collaboration (like Seonghwa with John Varvatos perfume).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arena Homme+ Korea (@arenakorea)

Yeosang and Wooyoung are not the only members who have altered their appearance to meet new visual concepts. Yet these two recent magazine features suggest that they are making a concerted effort to change/affect our perceptions of them as artists. By embracing different yet not necessarily oppositional modes of sexiness (one rooted in traditional masculinity; the other engaging with queer aesthetics) Yeosang and Wooyoung make clear they intend to move beyond the idol structures and strictures and challenge our perception of kpop visuals through the fearless, transformative, and radical embrace of their own. Bravo!!

I can't wait to see what they do next!

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Mollusca - Cephalopoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

The class Cephalopoda includes the orders Nautilida (Nautiluses), Vampyromorphida (Vampire Squid), Octopoda (Octopuses), Myopsida (Coastal Squids), Oegopsida (Neritic Squids), Bathyteuthida (Bathyteuthid Squids), Idiosepida (Pygmy Squids), Sepiolida (Bobtail Squids), Spirulida (Ram's Horn Squid), and Sepiida (Cuttlefish).

Cephalopods are exclusively marine animals characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the more primitive molluscan foot. They are split into two subclasses: the more primitive Nautiloids (represented today by the genera Nautilus and Allonautilus), and the Coleoids (everything else.) Nautiloids retain their external molluscan shell, while coleoids either have an internal shell or have lost it secondarily. Cephalopods are widely regarded as the most intelligent invertebrates and have well-developed senses, large brains, and a complex nervous system. Their brain is protected by a cartilaginous cranium. Nautiloids do not have good vision, and likely perceive their world more through a sense of smell. However, even though coleoid eyes lack a cornea and have an everted retina, they have very acute vision, akin to that of sharks. They can detect polarized light, but most cephalopods are color blind. Despite their color blindness, coleoids are known as masters of disguise, changing color, shape, and texture in milliseconds, and also using colors, patterns, and flashing to communicate with each other! They do this through nervous control of their chromatophores, as well as cells such as iridophores and leucophores reflecting light from the environment. Some squids can even send one message via color patterns to a squid on their right, while they send another message to a squid on their left, splitting their color pattern lengthwise down their body. They may do this by sensing light levels directly through their skin, rather than their eyes, utilizing photosensitive molecules called opsins. They may also be able to utilize chromatic aberration through their oddly shaped pupils.

Cephalopods exchange gases with seawater by forcing water through their internal gills. Water enters the mantle cavity on the outside of the gills, and the entrance of the mantle cavity closes. When the mantle contracts, water is forced through the gills, which lie between the mantle cavity and the funnel. The water's expulsion through the funnel can be used to power jet propulsion. Most cephalopods move via jet propulsion, though this is a very energy-consuming way of travel. Squids, due to their shape and stiff mantles, are able to travel long distances, while octopuses tend to travel slowly along the seafloor relying more on their arms to pull them from place to place. Aside from nautiloids and some octopuses, all known cephalopods have an ink sac, which can be used to expel a cloud of dark ink to confuse predators. The inksac is an extension of the hindgut, opening into the anus, from which the ink can be squirted into the path of the animal’s funnel, allowing the ink to eject further with jet propulsion. This ink is almost pure melanin, which is mixed with mucus upon expulsion, resulting in visual (and possibly chemosensory) impairment of the predator, like a smokescreen. Some cephalopods even release a cloud with greater mucus content so that the ink takes the shape of the cephalopod, while the real one jets away!

Cephalopods hunt via grabbing food with their arms or tentacles, drawing it in to their two-part beak. Most have a radula within their beak. They have a mixture of toxic digestive juices, some of which are supplied by symbiotic algae, which they eject from their salivary glands onto the captured prey. These juices separate the flesh of their prey from the bone or shell. The salivary gland has a small tooth at its end which can be poked into an organism to digest it from within. Cephalopods can be found in all of Earth’s oceans, at all depths, even found within oceanic trenches, though they are most diverse near the equator.

Cephalopods evolved in the Late Cambrian, with the more primitive nautiloids dominating the Ordovician seas, and the more modern coleoids arising in the Lower Devonian. Many groups of cephalopods have been lost to time and are famous for their fossils, including the Ammonoids and Belemnoids. The living Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is also known from Early Pleistocene fossils.

Propaganda under the cut:

The study of cephalopods is called teuthology.

Though superficially similar, ammonoids were more closely related to living coleoids than they were to the shelled nautiloids!

The smallest living cephalopod is the 10mm (0.3 in) long Thai Pygmy Squid (Idiosepius thailandicus).

The largest living cephalopod, and largest living invertebrate is the 700 kilogram (1,500 lb) Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni).

The Atlantic Brief Squid (Lolliguncula brevis) is the only cephalopod known to tolerate brackish water, venturing into the Chesapeake Bay.

Captive octopuses have been known to climb out of their tanks, maneuver across the floor, enter another aquarium to feed on captive crabs, and then return to their own aquarium before their keepers return.

Captive octopuses have also been known to recognize, respond positively to, and even play with their keepers.

The Firefly Squid (Watasenia scintillans) is one of the only cephalopods known to have color vision.

Some cephalopods are able to fly through the air for distances of up to 50 metres (160 ft)! They can achieve these ranges by jet-propulsion, squirting water from their funnel even while in the air. They then spread their fins and tentacles to form wings and actively control lift force with their body posture. The Japanese Flying Squid (Todarodes pacificus) has been observed spreading its tentacles in a flat fan shape and utilizing a mucus film between the individual tentacles. The Caribbean Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) has been observed spreading its tentacles out in a circle to guide its flight. This behavior is presumably for avoiding predators and/or for saving energy during migrations.

Humboldt Squid (Dosidicus gigas) are large, agile pack hunters, flashing red and white to communicate with each other and coordinate attacks on shoals of fish. They are particularly known for being aggressive towards humans, though this aggression may be well founded, as they are the most popular squids to be hunted for food, with around 10 million killed every year. In circumstances where these animals are not feeding or being hunted, they usually exhibit curious and intelligent behavior.

The Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) is the only living species in the order Vampyromorphida. Despite its name, it is closer related to octopuses. Living in the deep sea, they are small, 30 cm (1 ft) long, and range from jet black to pale red, have spiked arms connected by a webbing of skin, and have the largest proportional eyes in the animal kingdom at 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. It is the only cephalopod able to live its entire life cycle in the minimum zone, at oxygen saturations as low as 3%. They lack ink sacs, instead releasing a sticky cloud of bioluminescent mucus containing orbs of blue light from their arm tips. Despite their scary name, spooky appearance, and dazzling wizard spells, these animals mainly feed on detritus as it floats down to the depths.

The genus Hapalochlaena (Blue-ringed Octopuses) consists of four extremely venomous species of octopus that are found in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans, from Japan to Australia. Despite their small size (12 to 20 cm [5 to 8 in]) they carry enough neurotoxic venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes. The venom can result in nausea, respiratory arrest, heart failure, severe and sometimes total paralysis, blindness, and can lead to death within minutes if not treated. Death is usually from suffocation due to paralysis of the diaphragm. Despite this, blue-ringed octopuses are relatively docile and will only bite if actively harassed, instead choosing to flee or display their warning colors: bright yellow with blue flashing rings. Very few deaths have been recorded.

[the-mortuary-witch]

HERMES

WHO IS HE?

Hermes is a Greek god who is known as the messenger of the gods, the god of travelers, and the god of commerce. In Greek mythology, Hermes is a son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, and he is often depicted as a swift and clever god who is able to move quickly and silently. As the messenger of the gods, Hermes is responsible for transporting messages and news between the gods and mortals, and he is also known as the god of thieves and cunning. Hermes is often portrayed as a young and athletic figure, with curly hair and a mischievous or sly expression.

BASIC INFO:

Appearance: Hermes is often depicted as a graceful and athletic figure. He is typically portrayed as young and handsome, with curly hair and a mischievous or sly expression. He is often shown wearing a traveller's hat or cap and winged sandals, which enable him to move quickly and silently. He also often carries a caduceus, a staff entwined with two snakes, which is a symbol of his role as a messenger of the gods.

Personality: he is known for his quick wit, cleverness, and mischievous nature. He is often portrayed as a god of communication, travel, and commerce, and he is known for being able to move quickly and silently. Hermes is also known for his love of pranks and tricks, and he is often depicted as a god of thieves and cunning. Despite his playful side, Hermes is also considered to be a wise and understanding god, and he is often depicted as a god of wisdom and knowledge.

Symbols: caduceus, shepherds pipes, travellers hat, lyre, rooster, talaria, winged helmet, tortoise, and satchel or pouch Talaria, and petasos

God of: messenger of the Gods, heraldry, omens, poetry and fables, trade, travel, boundaries, thieves, education, psychopomp, wealth, luck, roadways, animal husbandry, sleep, language, and known as the divine trickster

Culture: Greek

Plants: palm tree, crocus flower, Greek strawberry trees, hydrangeas, chrysanthemum, almond tree, iris, and marjoram

Crystals: alexandrit, amethyst, smoky quartz, hematite, agate, orange quartz, amber, citrine, peridot, quartz, malachite, ruby, bloodstone, and orange topaz

Animals: hummingbirds, tortoise, hare, cattle, hawk, goat, fish, ram, snake, and rooster

Incense: frankincense, myrrh, saffron, and dragon’s blood

Practices: travel protection, luck and prosperity magick, setting boundaries, chaos magick, and insight

Colours: gold, red, silver, copper, yellow, orange, grey, light blue, and green

Number: 4

Zodiac: Gemini

Tarot: Judgment, The Magician, The Fool, The Hierophant, The Hermit, The Star, and Suit of Swords

Planet: Mercury

Days: Wednesday, April Fools Day, 4th of every month, Hermea, Noumenia, Pompaia, Heliogenna, Anthesteria (maybe), Asklepia (maybe), Olympeia (maybe), Bendideia (maybe), Panathenaia (maybe), Eleusinia (maybe), Zeus Epoptes (maybe), Genesios (maybe), and Theseia (maybe)

Parents: Zeus and Maia

Siblings: N/A

Partners: Aphrodite, Brimo, Daeira, Peitho, Persephone, Penelopeia, and Palaestra

Children: Evander, Pan, Hermaphroditus, Abderus or Abderos, Autolycus, Eudoros, Angelia, Myrtilus, Palaestra, Aethalides (Argonaut), Arabius, Bounos or Bunus, Cephalus, Cydon, Pharis, Polybus, Prylis, and Saon or Samon

MISC:

• Winged sandals: according to Greek mythology, Hermes had a pair of winged sandals that he used to fly around the world.

• Caduceus: the caduceus is a staff with two snakes wrapped around it, and it is a symbol of Hermes and his role as a messenger.

• Thieves and tricksters: Hermes was often associated with thieves and tricksters, reflecting his role as a god of cunning and wit.

• Commerce and trade: he was also associated with commerce and trade, and was often invoked for success in business or financial endeavors.

• Messages and communication: Hermes was the god of messages and communication, and he was often invoked for help in sending or receiving important information.

• Travel and transportation: as a messenger and a god of travel, Hermes was often associated with the sea, rivers, and roads, and was invoked for protection and safe passage.

• Poetry and arts: Hermes was also associated with the arts, particularly music and writing, and was said to have created the first lyre, which he gave to Apollo.

• Magic and witchcraft: he was often associated with magic and witchcraft, and was believed to possess some magical powers himself.

FACTS ABOUT HERMES:

• One of the more popular myths of Hermes is the myth of him stealing Apollo’s cattle as a baby. Hermes was freshly born, escaped his crib and stole his half-brother’s herd of cattle. In order to avoid getting caught, Hermes plays some devious and clever tricks, though the tricks he plays depends on the myth-teller. At some point on his journey with the cattle he finds a tortoise whose shell he turns into the very first lyre. Inevitably he gets caught by Apollo but the sun god is so charmed by the lyre that he allows Hermes to keep the cattle or at least forgives him.

• Not only this myth, but others depict him as a trickster who enjoys a good prank.

• Hermes was known to be the patron god of Arcadia as he was born in Mount Cyllene in Arcadia according to Homer.

• Hermes is also a psychopomp, a traveler between the realms of the living and dead who aides souls headed to the Underworld.

• He was notably charming, even as a baby, considered a darling of the gods where many of the deities in the pantheon would teach or entertain young Hermes.

• Hermes was said to have invented wrestling and racing.

• He is often depicted as both young and old, as a mediator between god and man, and as a dream bringer. It’s possible that this ties into his involvement as an initiator for young adulthood.

• The Hermea were festivals held in honor of Hermes.

• Hermes’ staff or wand, the caduceus (staff with two snakes wound around it), is often mistaken for the Rod of Asclepius (staff with one snake wound around it).

• Inventor of fire: Hermes is credited with inventing fire, which he used to cook the stolen cattle.

• Protector of flocks: Hermes is also known to protect shepherds and their flocks, ensuring their safety and fertility.

• He likes rock music because of its high energy, energy drinks (especially red bull and original monster), elephants, yellow things, bergamot, dogwood, and vanilla.

HOW TO INVOKE HERMES:

Create a dedicated space on your altar or in your home for Hermes, with objects associated with him, such as the caduceus, winged sandals, or a statue of the god. Make offerings to Hermes, such as incense, food, or small trinkets. Set aside time each day to connect with Hermes through meditation, prayer, or journaling, and ask for his guidance or assistance. Take up activities that are associated with Hermes, such as writing, traveling, or communicating.

PRAYER FOR HERMES:

Great and wise Hermes, messenger of the gods, I call upon you to be with me now. Guide me on my journey, and fill me with your wisdom and wit. Help me to communicate clearly and effectively, and to approach each new challenge with confidence and ease.

Hail Lord Hermes, swift as the wind, cunning as a fox, and wise as the stars.I open myself to your presence and await your guidance. So mote it be.

SIGNS THAT HERMES IS CALLING YOU:

• A strong desire to learn, especially in the areas of communication, travel, or creative expression.

• Increased synchronicities or occurrences of things that are related to Hermes, such as twinning (seeing identical numbers), winged sandals, the caduceus, or the symbol for Mercury.

• A feeling of being inspired or compelled to take action, particularly in a situation that requires quick thinking or communication.

• Recurrent dreams or visions involving Hermes or objects associated with him, such as winged sandals or the caduceus.

• Sudden onset of good luck or fortunate opportunities, especially in areas related to communication or travel.

• An increased sense of curiosity or playful energy, such as a desire to explore new places or learn new skills.

• A feeling of being guided or protected, as if a benevolent presence is watching over you.

• An increased sense of intuition or insight, as if Hermes is guiding your thinking or decision-making.

OFFERINGS:

• Rocks, specifically stacked rocks from the roadside.

• Koumara.

• Petasos (winged helmet).

• Talaria (winged sandals).

• Naturally shed feathers.

• Animal skins.

• Silver or golden objects.

• Food and drinks: white or red wine, olive oil, water, citrus fruit, honey, strawberries, milk, chocolate, wheat, lemons, almonds, cinnamon, coffee/energy drinks (especially red bull and original monster), candy, ramune, foreign foods, candies, or drinks, cheeses, shepherds pie, mutton, pork, beef, eggs, cookie dough ice-cream, blackberries, apricots, chamomile tea, beer, pineapple, bread, and milk mixed with honey.

• Statues/depictions of him.

• Herbs: cinnamon, feverfew, mint, dill, mustard, parsley, angelica, poppy seed, and coriander.

• Souvenirs/objects from trips.

• Incense: frankincense, myrrh, saffron, and dragon’s blood.

• Zodiac or astrology related items.

• Souvenirs from your trips.

• Coins and money (unique or foreign).

• Silver/yellow/orange/red candles.

• Stamps.

• Turtle shaped objects.

• Sunglasses.

• Depictions/imagery of cattle’s, turtles, rams, hawks, hares, rooster, guard dogs, and snakes.

• Dice.

• Maps.

• Flowers: crocus flower, hydrangeas, and chrysanthemum.

• Wands.

• Musical instruments.

• Rock or indie music.

• Foreign items.

DEVOTIONAL ACTS:

• Write poetry.

• Play pranks, I won’t advocate for harsh pranks, personally, but he is known as a trickster so do with that what you will.

• Travel, he is the patron god of travellers.

• Watch a funny show or movie.

• Watch travel videos.

• Play or watch sports, he is known as a god of athletics and during his festival days people would play sports.

• Pray to him.

• Go to the gym or otherwise exercise, he has been cited as the patron deity of gyms.

• Learn astrology.

• Learn about agriculture and animal husbandry.

• Practice public speaking.

• Write His stories, poems, or jokes.

• Donate to homeless shelters.

• Honour the dead.

• Honour his children and his companions.

• Build a cairn, DO NOT STACK ROCKS IN NATURE as it disrupts the natural environment! However, feel free to build one on your porch or in your house with rocks you may already have.

• Watch a comedy special.

• Write letters and send them.

• Learning how to make drinks (wine, alcoholic mixed drinks, juices, etc).

• Traveling.

• Celebrate Hermea, I was unable to find a set date-range for these festivals. Some suggested around the beginning of August, possibly due to his conflation with the Irish god Lugh’s holiday Lughnasadh; others suggested May 15 due to the Roman god Mercury’s holiday Mercuralia. That said, he was known to be worshipped during other holidays in Greek tradition alongside other deities.

• Write stories.

• Exploring areas.

• Working.

• Making a money bowl.

• If able, learn a new language, if unable to do that listen to music in a foreign language or watch a movie or show in a foreign language.

• Learn about the Underworld and His role as a psychopomp.

• The story of Him stealing Apollon’s cattle always makes me laugh, so if you’re feeling down maybe read about that or watch a video about it.

• Eat food from a foreign country or watch cooking videos with recipes from foreign countries.

• Make a bucket list of places you’d like to travel (doesn’t necessarily have to be other countries. It can be within your own country or in your own state, or maybe there’s places in your own town/city you haven’t checked out yet that you’d like to go see).

• Learn some geography.

• Listen to or make a devotional playlist for Him.

• Play some board games or card games or dice games

• Learning how to send letters and packages.

• Stand up comedy and memes.

• Roller skating.

[lambouillet]

LAST UPDATED ON: APRIL/30/2025

─⪼ Hi I'm FIORE !

they/them ☦ young adult ☦ artist, worldbuilder and maybe game concept artist : ^ )

🖍️ Art Gallery ─ ✏️ Doodles — 🪦Masterpost(wip)

LAMBS OF GOD ( Au/Pseudo fan game/World-building )

NEVER WONDER ( Slumbering titans and the land of dreams )

LOGLOG ( Dev log for the fan game part of Lambs of God, also on Bsky and on the Cotl Discord )

📭Asks are always welcomed! I like to take my time crafting a response though so I may not respond as quick as others. Ranges from a few days to a few months ..

I have a terrible terrible habit of rewriting my posts very often also so please don't mind if some things sound a little off ! Its a disease

⚠️ DISCLAIMERS/BYF: I have a spiritual, folk catholic, faith healer background as my mother was a practitioner and involved me in her beliefs, as a result what I make is going to be derivative of those experiences and the experiences of others in my community . I will appear a bit standoffish or cold as a result of this too, sorries 💔 I'll have to keep an arms length to most of you for my own sanity

TWS: Unfortunately I can't realistically tag all of my posts with trigger warnings everytime, but the ones that you'll have to look out for and that'll appear often (but aren't necessarily explicit) are: Gore, Religious imagery, Religious abuse, Decapitation, Child Death, Child abuse, Animal death, Suicide, Dead bodies, Body horror, SA, Pregnancy horror(implied), Self harm, Watching people sleep, and Nudity.

Do note some of these will be treated as regular jokes and jests characters would make to make fun of themselves and their own predicaments, but know that doesn't take away any of the severity, there's alot of cruelty that doesn't seem apparent on first viewing but it will always be there for you to find, view responsibly and stay safe!

Pr0sh1p/T3rfs DNI. And anyone neutral. I think you are all annoying

Extra FAQ under the read more ↓ Current PFP: Shepherd Karakal

FAQ:

Asks & dms

📫 ASKBOX

As mentioned above, all is welcomed, I'd however appreciate if you extend some of your courtesy to me and do not send me anything that's along the lines of being sexually charged. Suggestive jokes are fine, calling them attractive is alright! I am an adult but that doesn't warrant that I'll be over the moon with inappropriate asks. Rule of thumb is if you'd feel uncomfortable sending it to a stranger or a teenager, think twice before sending it in.

Don't send me personal discourse. If you have a problem with another user that I wouldn't know personally it should be dealt with privately. In no way am I ever going to be in a position where I can give you a resolute answer for this. Remember, I am just a random guy, on the web!

Related but slightly unrelated, I will block people freely, whether you've done the above or not, that's just how I like to curate what I see and I do it very often. It's not personal! Please don't take it as such.

Otherwise, everything else is free reign (unless I say so) go nuts, Insane even.

📨DMS

Anyone can dm! ask box rules still apply. Can't guarantee that I'll reply back if the conversation starts with just a "Hi" or "How are you" . I'd really only prefer you message me if there's something to tell or I've done something to elicit you to do so.

General

💬Do you like Narilamb?

No I want to drop hot boiling oil on Narinder ( half truth )

💬Where does your username come from?

Its Rambouillet with "Lamb" instead of Ram : ^ )

💬 what's your lamb's name/pronouns/gender/etc?

They / them nonbinary androgynous, because I like to keep them as ungendered as they are in the game thats just how I prefer them!

As for a name, they don't really have one! Nor do they deserve one, they don't deserve anything.

Endearingly though, I tend to use Lambie as a little nickname and I DO like the name Lambert, because it makes me giggle, but I will only use both for personal and organisation reasons, not because its their name . In universe they're "The Lamb" and nothing else, theres no name behind the title.

ART RELATED

🎁Can I make Fanart/Fanfics of your au/ocs?

Of course! Absolutely! You don't even need to ask! Only thing I'll ask of you though is for you to tag me in them so I can see them... These will always guarantee a smile on my face.

🎭can I use your art as a pfp/post it to Pinterest?

I'd rather you not use my art for anything unless you've had my permission or its art I made for you! Definitely don't post it around other places without my knowledge. I don't have any other active socials besides here and Bluesky under Lambouillet

🎨🖌️Program and brushes

I use Clip studio paint for most of my art, Aseprite every once in a while and Spine2d for my sprites!

I change what I use sporadically so I can't give you a proper answer on EVERY brush I use but here are my frequent ones:

Shockgrunge Marker and Pencil

Kasuy MK sploon

Tacodemuerte Mrsplotchy

Scribbly Dark

Jarijari

Bathylychnops Brushes

Intoxicate set

🚩 Where'd you get the borders from?

I made them! Part1 Part2

useful visualiser for anyones whos read this far ♥️ muah

One last thing:

I know I mentioned that I had specific experiences that are very specific to me and don't get me wrong it impacted my life to a level thats obviously more severe than normal, but also, I don't know everything, I am not the arbiter of the experience of every practitioner, cult or religious organisation. this is an experience that isn't one size fits all, it can vary and be influenced from culture to culture, folklore and upbringing. There are some things that I will just NOT know and it's not my place to say whats true and what's false. It would be better if you seeked out somebody who is to ask and do your own readings, but always be sure to approach with a level of sensitivity and tact. Don't try to treat these people as wells of information you can dry up, its ghoulish.

Extra tags directory for my convenience:

#🗃️ - Archive

#🖼️ - Favourites

#📖 - Comics

#relinquary

#prattles

#manuscripts

[dragon-susceptible]

Different Path Taken Chapter 22 P2

Work's been kicking my ass. Here have the second part of that chapter, unedited so far.

Corvus had expected to lay awake for a while after settling into the spare room at the Moon Nexus.  It shocked him that so many of these old elven buildings were still standing, even more so that there was an elf here, apparently living under all of their noses for centuries.  The dragon egg had hatched - it had shaken the elves more than he realized when they thought it was going to die.  The dragons’ royal line was incredibly important to them.

The bed was comfortable, though, and the elves’ open windows and floor plan brought him familiar fresh air, and he had fallen asleep quickly once settled.  Skor and Callisto had taken the other room in this building - apparently they were a couple.  He wasn’t really surprised given how they had behaved on the hike up here.

He woke the next day to sunlight on his face, having slept in more than he normally did.  He cursed himself internally, wondering what the elves could have gotten up to in the time he was gone - if the princes were still here - and quickly rolled out of the comfortable bed to go check on their situation.

Skor and Callisto were both seated at the little table in the front room, sharing a little bowl of berries.  Neither of them were fully armored anymore, as if they’d also just arisen.  The swordsman’s eyes narrowed when he saw Corvus, but Callisto just shrugged and tossed a bag at him. “Here, the rest of the moonberries we got on the trail.  There’s more bushes here at the Nexus so there’s no need to ration them.”

Corvus caught the back almost automatically, blinking at them in surprise. “Uh, thank you.” He said awkwardly. 

“It was a long night for everyone.” Callisto said, as if reading his mind and picking up on his anxiety. “We’ll be lettin’ everyone sleep until they wake up.  We could all use the rest before we push on t’ Xadia.”

Seemed the elves were no longer in a rush, with the dragon egg hatched and the magical bindings gone from their limbs.  That was a good thing - maybe he’d have time to get a message to General Amaya then. “Good.  I’m going to just . . . go outside.  I’m not much for the indoors.” 

Callisto waved him off, though Skor’s frown deepened, and Corvus followed through, stepping outside of the small house and opening the bag.  No sense in wasting food, the elf was right, so he ate the berries as he cautiously explored the open ground around this little arrangement of houses.  There were five of them all upon this winding trail near each other; the Guardian, Runaan, and the children were all in the largest building up at the top of the hill, with Andromeda and Ram taking the next one down, and he with the couple in the third house.  Ram and Andromeda were already outside as well, he saw as he looked around.

He needed to talk to the Guardian.  Surely she had a way to communicate with her people back in Xadia, and he could send a message to General Amaya.  This was an amazing environment to keep messenger birds.

“Good morning,” Andromeda greeted cheerfully as he made his way up the trail near them.  Ram was in the midst of doing some stretches that made Corvus’ back ache just looking at them, but he looked over his shoulder as well at the greeting.

“Good morning,” Corvus replied politely.  He didn’t quite know what to say after that, though he felt awkward just walking away since she was looking him in the eyes and clearly expected a conversation.

Ram snorted and rose smoothly back to his feet. “Good morning,” He drawled too. “And where were you off to, tracker?”

“I need to speak to the Guardian about getting a message back to the General - just to tell her the kids are safe,” Corvus said quickly, seeing the elves exchange a glance. 

A large shadow enveloped all of them for a moment and they all looked up, and Corvus breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Guardian land her phoenix nearby.  She approached them before he could leave the other elves, but it didn’t matter - he had nothing to hide.

“What a beautiful day,” The Guardian beamed as she approached them. “You’re all up earlier than I expected after that eventful night.  The children were all quite exhausted, I don’t imagine they’ll be up for some time.”

“Speaking of the children,” Corvus broke in, seeing his opportunity. “May I borrow a messenger bird?  I need to get a letter back to General Amaya, to tell her the princes are safe - and that they might not be, if I bring them back to Katolis.”

The Guardian tilted her head at him and then shrugged. “I’m afraid not.  I don’t keep messenger birds!  The only way I really have to send information back to Xadia are through magical means!  Somehow, I doubt a moth carrying an illusion of you speaking would be at all reassuring for your general.”

Corvus’ shoulders slumped. “No,” He admitted. “Probably not.”

“You will get your message back to Katolis once we are safely on the Xadian side of the border.”

The unexpected voice made the hair on the back of Corvus’ neck stand up even before Runaan and Rayla stepped around the phoenix - who had been blocking their view of the path - into view.  The older assassin gave him a piercing look. “You have not earned enough trust yet for that.”

“If I let you read it before I sent it-” He suggested.

“There could be a coded message that we haven’t the intelligence to read.  No.  You earn the right to send a message.  Otherwise, the general may get by on my word, not yours.  Her anxiety is not my concern - her nephews’ safety is.” Runaan said firmly.

The Guardian looked between them keenly. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what’s going on?” She asked finally. “From the beginning.  I’m aware of the dragon king’s demise, and I assumed the Queen would send assassins, but how is it that you all came to be here, with the egg of the Dragon Prince, traveling with humans?”

“It started with me,” Rayla confessed. “There was a guard in Katolis who saw us on our approach to the castle . . .”

Corvus fell quiet to listen to the assassins’ side of the story, joined after a bit by Callisto and Skor, getting details this time they had not deigned to share before.  When they got to the bit about how they needed to take care of the egg more than fulfill their original mission, or the consequences could be severe, he had to interject. “What do you mean, consequences?  It looked like the consequences for abandoning your mission would have been severe regardless, with those bindings.”

The elves exchanged glances and it was Ram who answered him. “We came at the behest of the Dragon Queen.  We didn’t have a choice in that.  Our people serve the dragons as . . . payment, for historical debts.  If it comes back to Xadia that a Moonshadow assassin has not only failed in our mission but that our actions resulted in the death of the dragon prince?  We will pay the price in blood from our families at home.  We serve as recompense for a war centuries ago, in exchange for ceasing the aggression on the forest.  If our service fails, so do the terms of the dragons’ nonviolence.”

“Moonshadow Forest is half the size it was before the Merciful Massacres.” Runaan rumbled, closing his eyes as if grieving something he wasn’t old enough to have seen. “It is . . . something we are all very aware of, in our service.  It is why we cannot tolerate true failure, and why we work in teams - if one of us falters, the rest can cover the gaps, and no one else has to know.”

Corvus frowned, as an ugly picture started to paint itself from the elves’ words. “What kind of historical debts?” He asked.

“Is that any of your business?” Ram challenged.

“If we are trusting them within a sacred place such as this, without a guard, then I hardly think it reasonable to distrust him with knowledge of our people’s history,” The Guardian pointed out, spreading her hands and shrugging when they looked at her. “The debts we pay, Corvus, are the result of a war waged about three hundred years ago, shortly after I left for the Nexus.  It’s also why I haven’t had an apprentice to train in those three centuries!  We lost so many.” She covered her mouth partially with a hand, her eyes going distant as she looked back on their past.

Runaan cleared his throat. “The story is rather involved, and while yes, the most recent war was waged around three centuries ago, the events that led to it date back to the Mage Wars.  Unless you wish to be told a very, very long story, suffice it to say, what remains of our people are the survivors of a war between a bloody cult, the Sunfire Kingdom, and the dragons, with us caught in the crossfire of it all.  Because the cult was comprised of Moonshadow elves, we pay the price for their crimes.”

“That’s unjust.” Corvus said bluntly. “No one should be paying the price for crimes they didn’t commit - especially not on such a large scale.  Even your children are being held responsible.” He gestured at Rayla.

The girl bared her fangs at him. “I’m not a child.”

Her father raised a single eyebrow at her and she quickly put her fangs away.  The older man folded his arms and sighed. “We do not concern ourselves with what is fair, tracker.  We do not decide what is justice.  We do our duty to protect what we can.  That is our honor code.”

Their willingness to kill the king, contrasted with their choice to protect the princes, was beginning to make more sense.  Their personal values had been thrown into a wall against their duty, and they were trapped between a rock and a hard place trying to make the best of it.  No wonder they had been terrified at the possibility of the egg’s death.

Corvus nodded his acceptance of the answer. “Thank you.  I think I’m beginning to understand a little better.”

“And how did you come to be with the travelers?” The Guardian inquired curiously. “You’ve not been mentioned in the story so far.”

And so they resumed telling the story, and Corvus told his part of it now that he was in it.  It rankled him that the elves had apparently known he was tracking them for nearly the entire time, but he hadn’t noticed any of the other four in the woods around the Banther Lodge when they watched the faceoff between Runaan and Amaya.  Still, he took comfort in the fact that there were six of them, and only one of him, and most of them had years more experience than he did in tracking and evading far more intelligent prey. 

The whole thing only reinforced his determination to see this through.  From the looks of things, his willingness to listen to them, and to ask about their motivations and understand them, seemed to make some sort of a difference for most of the elves, too.  As their story drew to a close, here on the mountaintop, Andromeda made her way over to give Rayla a hug.  

Corvus didn’t think anything of it, as at the time Runaan was mentioning their fears as the egg almost failed to hatch, but the other elves all seemed to react somewhat and it caught his attention.  Rayla hugged the older woman back and when Lujanne concluded she was caught up, she teased lightly, “So we’re both in a state this mornin’, huh?”

Andromeda laughed wryly and brushed her hands through Rayla’s loose hair with a glance at Runaan.  He didn’t move to stop her, just shrugged, and she clung a little harder. “Yes, though a bit different states.  Do you need anything?  I’ve got an extra heat pack and some soothing tea if you want it.”

Rayla started to shake her head but at the mention of tea she stopped. “Actually, the tea would be nice.  Runaan let me borrow his heat pack last night.”

What, exactly, were they on about?  Corvus glanced at the others to see if there were any clues, but all of the elves seemed to be on the same page.  No one seemed at all confused about this conversation.

“Andromeda’s heat kicked in early.” Ram said flatly when he looked over that way. “And Rayla’s monthly started too, from the smell of it.”

Rayla wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s fine.” 

“Sorry,” Skor said with a little grimace to Andromeda. “I was joking.”

Andromeda blinked at him for a second and then laughed. “I think it was last night that kicked it in, my friend, don’t worry.  I made a joke of it last night to Ram, too.  I’ll be fine.  It will help to have the kids around, I’ll be less concerned about making more of them if there’s little ones about.”

Corvus cleared his throat as quietly as he could, his face suddenly heating as he remembered suggesting she was in heat before, and what she might be doing to the children.  They all looked at him anyway and he couldn’t meet any of their eyes.  Wasn’t it their season already, though?  He had meant it.

He could practically hear Andromeda tilting her head. “Why did you think it was breeding season already when I caught you the first time?” She asked curiously. “It shouldn’t start for weeks.”

“I’ve . . . heard stories about elves’ heat cycles,” He admitted. “From the sailors down by the port cities.  They know more about elves than almost anyone inland.”

Callisto snorted into a hand. “Tidebound elves’ breeding season is in full swing,” They said mildly. “Moonshadow breeding season doesn’t start till summer, we’re still in the midst of spring.  Sunfire elves’ season is in the fall.  Skywing are in the winter, and the Earthblood don’t have a unifying season, they’re all too different.”

“I  . . . didn’t realize it would be different.” Corvus said. 

The elves chuckled, mostly, though Skor was rolling his eyes and Ram seemed distinctly unimpressed. “You have a lot to learn,” The latter said dryly.

Clearly.

[blubberquark]

How Not To Do A Podcast

Don't have a web site: You don't really need one is this day and age. People find your podcast on Spotify, or on Apple Podcasts, or on YouTube. If you put your episodes up on YouTube, don't need hosting or a domain or a home page!

Don't link to the RSS Feed: If you do have a web site, you can just not bother with a public RSS feed. People on Apple podcasts get your episodes from Apple. If you want to post the episodes to your Web site, just embed the mp3a in blog posts! Don't give the hoi polloi access to the RSS feed, or they might steal your content, or worse, drive up hosting costs by downloading all the mp3s at once!

Don't bother with show notes: Show notes limit your reach. They don't show up the same on YouTube and Spotify, and you can't embed images in a pinned comment. Even worse, show notes lead people away from your podcast or the app. Alternatively, treat show notes as required reading. If you must have them, this is the way to get the most out of your show notes. Refer to the show notes all the time, and tell our audience to just read or listen to the linked stuff. Don't bother excerpting or paraphrasing things from elsewhere on the Internet. People are on a PC, they can click on links! In the show notes, don't bother adding context either. When your listeners have listened to the episode, they will know what the links mean.

Talk about your editing process and audio setup: Did you just buy a new mic? Are you recording on your laptop microphone in a hotel room? Don't just apologise for the audio quality, tell your listeners that normally you would record on the same hardware that NPR uses for This American Life. Talk about how you bought a new Mac Studio Ultra with 128 GB of RAM for editing the pauses out, and that time you had to interrupt the interview because your guest opened the door to accept a package delivery.

Keep introductions to a minimum: Your listeners have listened to the previous 500 episodes in chronological order, so they know what your podcast is about and who is hosting it. Don't start your podcast episodes with the name of the podcast, or introductions where every host says "Hello, I am Alice" "And I am Bob. This is the Alice and Bob send cryptic messages podcast. Today we're going to discuss PGP." This stuff is lame. Just say "Hi, here we are again, how has your last week been?" or "We're back! Sooo..."

If you really have to introduce multiple speakers, just have one host name everybody. Instead of repeating what the podcast is and who is doing it every time, start the episode with frequently updated information like upcoming meet-ups, listener feedback about the episode before last, how to reach you on twitter, your new mastodon instance, and current Patreon goals.

Use .mp3, .aac, or .wma: As long as the bit rate is high enough, people won't notice. Your goal is to reach as many people as possible, so an old file format like WMA is the best. For audiophiles, also have a feed in FLAC format. In the past, 250MB episodes would have been annoying, but everybody listens on YouTube and Spotify anyway (they do the transcoding for you). If they don't, maybe the 250MB per hour will make them reconsider.

Episodes should least at least 80 minutes long: Sometimes time flies, sometimes you need a lot of time to get to the point. People love to listen to the Joe Rogan Experience, which is sometimes 3 hours long. If your guests have more to say, don't record a bonus episode, just ask yourself: What would Rogan do?

Chapter marks work against you: Chapter marks let listeners skip past the ads, but they also let them skip past the part where you announce the next listener meet-up, the new URL of the t-shirt store, and ways to contact you. It is of vital importance that in five years, people who listen to your podcast will be familiarised with the old twitter handle you used to have, the old coupon code for RAID: Shadow Legends that doesn't work any more, and the listener meet-up in downtown Mariupol.

Frequently upgrade your web site: Like I said, it's usually not worth having a web site. But if you do, you need to

keep it fresh.

To do this, you should frequently update the URL of your home page, the URLs of blog posts where users can listen to individual episodes in their browser, your commenting system, your domain name, and the character encoding of your transcripts.

Listeners love banter and personality: Don't read from a script, because that sounds lame and stilted. Don't even have an agenda or written notes. If you want to talk something out, do it live on air. If you talk to a co-host or a guest about the topic or the ground rules for the episode, then do that live on air, too. If you go off topic, or if you have to spend a minute googling something during an episode, if your dog barks, a host goes on a tangent or if there is a package delivery at the door, just say "we'll edit that part out" and then leave the whole thing in, or edit but leave in the bit where you say "we'll edit it out in post". That joke never gets old. Asking your co-hosts about the topic of today's episode gives your podcast personality, rich texture, and entertainment value. The key is to be your raw, unfiltered self. Anybody can read from a script, but only you can answer the door for an Amazon package.

Listeners love drama: If somebody sends you a mean tweet, don't ignore it and move on. Use it! Read out all the mean tweets on your podcast. Make them a regular feature. Ask your listeners whether they agree! They will shower you with sympathy and engagement. If you don't have enough twitter drama to go on, you can invite guests for drama: Get people from twitter onto your podcast. I know, it sounds like a threat when you have twitter beef with somebody and ask them onto your show where you can edit them and you have an audience that's on your side, but you're reasonable here. You can say "twitter is such a terrible format for this, let's hash it out somewhere more appropriate". In the best case, you win the twitter argument without actually having to record the episode. You can just say in your podcast they didn't want to debate you.

Don't record episode 0 or -1: Back in 2005, it was customary to record an "episode zero" as the first thing in your RSS feed. There was even a cool service (now defunct) that aggregated all every "episode zero" from feeds into a feed of upcoming podcasts. These days, you record a trailer for your podcast and that is inserted into feeds of other podcasts at Wondery, Tortoise Media, and Serial Productions. It's passé to have a 15 minute introduction to an upcoming podcast.

Similarly, it used to be customary to record one or more "negative" episodes where you just check out your recording equipment and get used to the process, figure out which segments and interview formats work. You're a professional though. You don't need to get used to hearing your own voice.

You can go the extra mile and scrub everything but the latest 5 episodes from the feed.

[xinyuehui]

Hello there! do you still have an older version of evolwallpaper? I was late to the party and I can't install it properly anymore T_T

Hi anon, unfortunately I no longer have the old .exe 😩 I checked weibo, other users in China are having problems with it as well, my conclusion to this is that it's a broken app full of bugs, probably got nothing to do with regions (ノへ￣、)

Babe because of your ask, I spent good 5 hours tonight trying to debug it, because I insist we all get the dynamic wallpapers!!!

Original guide // Deepspace PC guide

By the end of this tutorial, we should have a video like this applied to our computer wallpaper:

There's Nikki, MLQC, Deepspace and The Perceiver wallpapers.

New guide:

https://paperwall.papegames.com/

Same step as before, download this but don't install yet!

The following was actually hidden in their Q&A, you'll also need this for it to run, download the runtime version.

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework/net48

After you install the .NET Framework 4.8 go ahead and try to install the PAPERWALL .exe

→ If it works, great! We solved the problem!! 🎉 (You can skip to the section on the bottom on how to use the app)

→ If you get this error message, ugh congratulations, this is where I tried about 67 solutions for hours just so you don't have to

It's weird, because at this point, the thing have successfully installed on your local drive but it won't run.

Let's go back a step, if you open the .exe again, take note of where it's at on your computer. For me you can see that it's in the C drive, I presume it'll be the same for you.

Find the folder, open it

Open the app

→ If it works, great! We solved the problem!! 🎉 (You can skip to the section on the bottom on how to use the app)

→ If you get the same error message, read on:

If the images haven't loaded in the 1.0.1 version it will most likely going to crash when you try to do anything on it, so read on:

Let go back to the C drive

We are gonna move this somewhere else, if you have a hard drive, paste it to your hard drive, if you have another drive on your pc, you can move it to the other drive. BUT DO NOT MOVE IT TO YOUR DESKTOP!!!! Because we practice good computer hygiene 🙏

Once you've moved everything away, open it back up and try to install it again in your new file location

→ If it works, great! We solved the problem!! 🎉 (You can skip to the section on the bottom on how to use the app)

→ If you still get the same error message, I will send my portfolio to Paper Games to be a software developer in their office and write a new app

Once you get it running *fingers crossed* move the entire folder back to your C drive if you moved it to your hard drive, unless your hard drive is plugged in all the time.

If for whatever reason you get the "access to the path is denied" error message, try the right click and select the "Run as administrator" option.

For easy access:

Go onto your desktop, or wherever you want to access it from quickly and paste shortcut!! Remember it's the shortcut!!

───── ⑅ ♡ ⑅ ─────

How to use the app

The UI has changed a little since the original one, but it's easy to navigate.

Change the language to English, it should reboot the app

From here it's self explanatory

For good computer hygiene you might want to double check where the wallpapers are stored and change directory if needed.

If you're like me and have 2 monitors, this is what it'll look like with the wallpapers applied and the game opened, looks like I need a 3rd monitor for Shen Xinghui ⭐

(Desktop icons should show up, I just don't have icons on the desktop)

───── ⑅ ♡ ⑅ ─────

If you still have problems, check your PC specifications against the following that were recommended on the official site:

System: Windows10 or above

RAM: 1024MB or above

Processor: 1.66Hz Intel i5 or above

Graphics: HD Graphics 4000 or above

DirectX: 10

Secret third thing: you might be able to run it and have the lovely wallpapers but it suddenly goes glitchy or black screen... that's because of the faulty app, I've seen people mention it on weibo, it's not just you 😔

───── ⑅ ♡ ⑅ ─────

Feel free to drop me an ask with images if you still run into problems, hope this helps, until next time~ (✿◠‿◠)

Check out this tag for already answered questions #/wallpaper woes

[obsessivelullabies]

gaz with milf!reader.

hear me out. kyle, who’s in his early to mid twenties and you, in your mid forties. you probably met him somewhere simple, maybe a grocery store where he kindly offered you help with your groceries.

whatever way it happened, he charmed you into giving him your number when he learned you were divorced. despite how you teased him with “i’m old enough to be your mother.”, kyle wasn’t deterred in the slightest. you guessed he was useful.

kyle would message you at least once a day, ‘checking in’ on how you were doing. he’d also definitely send you photos of him shirtless, showcasing his muscly physique.

if you needed help with anything, kyle would be there. if you wanted to rant about what an asshole your ex was and how stressful life with children was, he’d listen. if you just wanted a drink and some laughs, he’d indulge you.

you two had a very flirty, forward relationship. you definitely made the first move. you texted him late one night, whining about how you’re so horny and how you haven’t had a man please you in sooo long. your kids were at their fathers, so you took the risk of inviting him over.

kyle practically sped to your house. he was there in fifteen minutes maximum. he would use your spare key and lock the door behind him. almost the moment he stepped in the door, you were having a steamy makeout, his hands eagerly exploring your waist and ass.

kyle carried you to bed, playfully tossing you down as he stripped himself off his clothes. he eyed the lacy lingerie you were wearing just for him, admiring your mom bod, your stretch marks and soft belly. all of it, he couldn’t get enough of it.

he’d strip you fast, gently thumbing your clit as he planted hungry kisses on your lips. “need me to fuck you good and hard?” he groaned through kisses, you whined in agreement.

kyle quickly positioned you on the edge of the bed, your legs spread as he stood before you. he’d ram his fat cock into your cunt, searching for the spot he knew would have you shivering and moaning his name. one hand was playing with your swollen clit, the other was playing with your tits.

once kyle found your sweet spot, he got cocky. “bet your shithead ex could never fuck you this good,” he taunted, your walls clenching around his cock, milking him eagerly. you moaned and shook underneath him, your legs thrown around his hips.

the only thing you could focus on was kyle’s dirty talk, how he pounded into your sweet cunt. “fucking love this cunt,” he rasped.

he wouldn’t stop til you’re cumming on his shaft, screaming his name and throwing your head back.

kyle was not letting you off that easy. he planned to remind you just how useful he could be.

this post is just for me honestly

masterlist! | requests are open. | reblogs and comments appreciated.

[inkykeiji]

yeah someone having the audacity to call reader but imagine reader having the damn audacity to tell touya-nii "dont answer it!!"

jeeeez anon do u have a death wish!? he’s gonna fuck you all the way into next year if you attempt to insist on such a thing! first of all, he’s growling in your ear, words so caustic his breath burns your skin, you’re in no position to be making demands of him. secondly, who the fuck do you think you are, trying to tell him what to do!? he’s the boss here, never forget that! 

such an order, entirely uncalled for and beyond disrespectful, makes his vision bleed crimson with fury. not only is he pissed off at you for trying to control him, but he’s also extremely upset over the fact that you don’t want him to answer it. it sends his entire mind into overdrive, even as he’s buried balls deep in you—why would you ever not want him to answer and tell whoever’s on the other line to fuck off? who is it? what are you hiding from him? are you embarrassed by him? endless threads of questions tangle into an incomprehensible ball in his mind, his ears ringing with terror and confusion, and oh, he's going to make sure whoever this fucker you don’t want him speaking to knows exactly what you’re doing, and exactly who’s doing it to you.

hips pausing for a moment and pressed flush to your ass, he uses one large palm to keep your face buried in the mattress, hand cupping the crown of your head, fingers splayed out and digging into the sides of your scalp, while his other hand answers the phone. but he doesn’t say anything, merely placing the device right next to your mouth, his motions so swift and smooth your fucked-out mind can barely comprehend what’s happening before he’s ramming into you again, rough and ruthless, quite literally pounding the most vulgar sounds from your chest. they pour from your mouth, thick and sticky with spit, slathered across your phone screen.

and don’t you dare try to snatch your phone up to end the call—he’s got lithe fingers curling around your wrists in an instant, shackling them together in one hand, squeezing them so tight your bones grind and your veins tingle, starved of blood, and pulling your arms taut behind your back, using them as leverage to pull you toward his plunging hips. he’s going to force you to moan and sob and mewl for whoever it is on the other line that you ‘didn’t want him to answer’, and then he’s going to have you return their call, unexpected and unassuming and entirely abruptly sometime in the near future, and force them to listen to you get fucked raw and dumb again. in fact, he might even call them back several times with the same little stunt, just to drive the message home and make sure you truly understand. and then, maybe you’ll think twice about trying to tell him what to do, and they’ll think twice about trying to call you (or answering your returning calls at all).

[inthekitschen]

To Auburn,

Happy birthday @cloudcountry!!! I hope you like this drabble of your favorite boy worrying about your birthday gift. I also included my self-insert for him to talk to about it.

Thank you @cherievivi for helping me write this by answering my questions, I hope I didn't come off as too stalker-y!

Word count: 0.6k

Note that will make more sense in context: the "ass" is supposed to be "assistance" cut off and I thought it was funny so I kept it in.

“You're overthinking this.” 

“No, I'm putting the proper amount of thought into this, thank you. Just because you're too ignorant—”

“At least I could figure out what to get her. Which one of us is ignorant?” 

Ritsu bristles as Kit takes a sip of her coffee, unperturbed. With Auburn's birthday coming up sooner and sooner, he was running out of time. Somehow Kit, who procrastinated assignments until well past the due date, was able to find something before him? “What’s your gift?” 

“A scrapbook of pictures of you while you're sneezing.”

He misses the uptick of the corner of her mouth behind her mug and straightens, his jaw dropping. “I did not consent to having my photos distributed—”

“Relax, Esquire. T’was merely in jest.” Kit puts on a posh voice and sets her mug down. “What have you thought of so far?” 

With a humph, Ritsu settles back into the booth. “A journal.” He admits begrudgingly. 

Kit nods. “She likes journaling, that's a thoughtful present. Why the hesitation?” 

“It’s not good enough.” He opens up his file and turns it around so she can see. “According to Auburn's behavioral model, she may already have a backup journal for when her current one is full. In that case, my gift is useless.” 

“Or she'll use yours after her current one is finished and she'll make the backup a backup-backup. Honestly, she'd probably just start using yours immediately and forget about both.” 

Ritsu purses his lips and flips his notes back around. “It’s not worth the risk.” He ignores Kit's groan of disapproval. “The model also shows a preference for hand-made gifts.”

“You want to make her something?” 

“Of course not, I couldn't obtain an R&R permit to take any craft classes within a reasonable timeframe.” He doesn't look at her, laser focused on his illegible scribblings with a curled index finger pressed against his lips. Kit discreetly takes a photo and sends it to Auburn, chuckling at the immediate caps-locked key smashes that follow. “I would appreciate it if you conducted yourself professionally during our meeting and put your phone away,” He grumbles.

“I'm asking Auburn what she wants from you.” Kit watches the stream of Auburn's replies stop as soon as Kit tells her what has Ritsu so focused. 

Ritsu sits ram-rod straight and sputters. “That defeats the entire purpose of—”

“She said she wants five hundred dollars cash.” 

He sighs. “I see. You're teasing me again.” 

“Yes I am.” Kit sets her phone back down and folds her arms over the table. “You're worrying too much. She'll love the journal. To make it more personal, write her a little dedication on the first page. Something that you think will make her feel special.” 

He nods slowly. “That's…adequate.” 

“If it’s from you, it'll be much more than adequate. Make sure it's legible, though.” Kit's brow furrows as she checks her phone again, seeing there are still no messages from Auburn. “I should go, actually. See you around, Esquire.” She should make sure Auburn didn't pass out from a picture of Ritsu again. 

“Alright. What do I owe you for the consultation?” 

Kit climbs out of the booth and quickly downs the rest of her coffee. “Friend consult, Ritsu. You don't owe me anything,” She reminds him. “But I won't deny you covering my coffee.” 

“Fine, fine.” He waves her off and Kit runs out of the diner. The bell above the door rings following her exit, and Ritsu flips to a new page in his file. 

For To Auburn,

Happy Birthday 

Thank you for your ass

You have become very dear to me. I'm glad to have you as a friend.

Ritsu looks down at the final word in his draft, his chest tightening. Friend. 

One day, someday soon, he'll be able to cross that out, too.

[resident-idiot-simp]

Here are the top extensions I use, I have a ton but here are the highlights. And I saw you already had uBlock Origin, so I wont repeat that. You'll see the general thread of these is that theyre mostly anti-tracking or similar ClearURLs, removes the tracking garbage at the end of a URL so companies like amazon cant track your activity as well Cookie AutoDelete, I love this one because after a tab is closed and youre done with it, the extension deletes any cookies that the site may have forced onto you. You can tell it to allow cookies from sites you trust on a whitelist. Any password manager, I have one that came with my VPN but any one will work, this is especially helpful if you have cookie autodelete, since deleteing the cookie will stop the site from keeping you logged in. Personally, this is a mild inconvenience that I take over the loss of privacy if I didnt delete them DeArrow, is a youtube extension that "unclickbaits" titles and sometimes thumbnails Decentraleyes, another antitracking that works in the background, hand in hand with uBlock Don't track me Google, like ClearURLs, but specifically for google links, this one also speeds up google results since its not bogged down with tracking you Google search engine with udm=14 preset, this one makes it so that google doesnt show that stupid AI box at the top of the results. As a side effect it also blocks the quick answers box that google used to have where it would scrape the first result or so, and it blocks features like the calculator result if you used google for like.... math for some reason. If you cant find the result with this one on, you can just click clear filters on the google page and it goes back to normal, but this makes google far more usable in my opinion. Indie Wiki Buddy, this one is great if youre a fic writer like me and hate fandom.com. It darkens fandom.com sites and adds a helpful link to the same page on an independent fan wiki, which many fandoms have because they also hate fandom.com. New Tab Suspender, any tabs that you havent been looking at for longer than 15 minutes will go into a sleep mode that frees up your RAM, I have ADHD and thus a ton of tabs, this is a life saver OneTab, like suspender, but entirely up to you to use. If I have 10 tabs open for fic research, then i know Im done writing for the day, I can click one button that scoops all my tabs on my research window onto OneTab, which will provide a single tab with all the URLs, and titles of the sites easily stored away. And then once im ready to write again, I can click one button and open all those tabs back up, ready to work again. I also have one with about 30 AO3 tabs. Its far lower impact than New Tab Suspender, but more for long term storage Privacy Badger, sends a do not track message to websites for you, if the site ignores that message, Privacy Badger will block the tracker itself SponsorBlock for YouTube, this one highlights and skips over sponsored sections of youtube videos, I cant go back TrackMeNot, this one works in the background sending fake google searches to hide what youre actually googling. It helps get rid of that "I was just looking at new glasses websites and now all the ads on every site I go to is about fucking glasses" phenomenon.

A long list I know, but these are the best of what I have, and it makes Firefox all the better in my opinion. Hope you enjoy the transition!

I'm going to add most of these thank you

[ronaldofandom]

To Be or Not to Be

How about some angst to cut through all the fluff coming from this writer?

Plot: After 5 months in Adilabad, Jenny gets a message from her best friend inviting her to Hyderabad. Ram refuses to let Bheem go. Bheem refuses to let Jenny go alone. Leading to a heavy angsty conversation. Followed by some Bheemjenny angst.

No warnings. Mostly angst & some mild fluff. This is the first RamBheem confrontation I have ever written & I thoroughly enjoyed it!

....................................................

Jenny read and re-read the words of the letter over and over again.

It was Carol’s writing. No doubt. She had also signed it with a code name that only the two of them knew. Of a secret society that they wanted to form in their childhood.

Her best friend, her oldest friend was trying to reach out to her. Jenny held the letter close to her chest, in a bout of nostalgia.

She hadn’t had any contact with her former world in over 5 months now. That part of her life felt like a distant, yet fond memory.

Jenny had started to accept that she might never be able to revisit that world again. It was her choice to pay that price for her love. To make her new world her only reality. The girl had worked tirelessly to make that happen.

Yet, on some long days and restless nights, a few memories creeped back. Engulfing her in a strange sadness. She fought that feeling with all her might, telling herself repeatedly that she had so much to be thankful for. But her twisted heart refused to comply. A piece of her was lost, left behind, never to return. And her wretched heart reminded her of that feeling frequently.

Therefore, when Bheem first showed her the letter, she instantly cried. Then read it a few times. Then cried some more. And then held it close to her heart.

Bheem just looked from a distance, understanding every emotion dancing on her face. He had immense admiration and appreciation for her sacrifice. For leaving everything behind. Just for love. He couldn’t do it. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn’t leave his home, his people behind to join her in a strange, new world.

She never told him how much she missed her former life. She didn’t need to. He could always tell when she stopped talking mid-sentence, changing the subject, not letting even a hint slip of her reminiscing. Just so he doesn’t feel guilty.

He always tried to make up in whatever ways he could. Like celebrating her festivals. Taking her on picnics. Trying to learn her language. Baking some of the goodies with her. Listening to her stories, her beliefs. Going down on one knee when he proposed to her. Giving her the love of not just a partner but of everyone else she had left behind too.

But those were small compensations. She had given more to their relationship than he ever could. That guilt & realisation never left him.

The two minutes she took to compose herself after reading the letter were another harsh reminder. The guilt came flooding back.

He sat her down on the cot, bent in front of her, holding on to her hands.

‘It is her, then?’

‘Yes, this is unmistakably Carol. But, how did she reach us?’

‘She left it addressed to me and you at a focal point of the revolution in Hyderabad. Our people keep visiting there, they brought it back today.’

Jenny nodded in understanding. It would have taken some effort and even risk on her friend’s part to try reaching her like this. Carol was the only one who knew that Jenny had left of her own will. With Bheem. She was the only one Jenny had left a message for.

‘So, what does the letter say?’

‘Her husband is posted in Hyderabad for a few months. They are staying away from the Cantonment area, close to the city. He is in Delhi for the next two weeks. She asked if….if I could come visit her. She also promised that she would send her staff on leave that day so no one would see us. She has also offered to come pick us up from anywhere in the city. Bheem?’

She squeezed his hands tightly, her eyes brimming with hope & enthusiasm.

‘You go to Hyderabad often. You have even taken me once. Can we…can we please go visit her? Just for a few hours?’

Bheem knew this was coming. And he froze. Unable to respond either way. But he didn’t want to burden her with his inner tribulations on the matter.

‘Can I take a little time to think about this, bangaram? Let’s discuss this in the evening?’

If she was disheartened, she didn’t show it.

‘Sure. Ofcourse. I understand.’

She said all the right things, without meeting his eyes. He kissed the top of her head and left the hut, leaving her alone with her restless thoughts.

Bheem went straight to Ram, who was just returning from training, with Sita in his tow.

They stopped in their tracks, sensing the urgency on Bheem’s face, and the curious way in which he was extending the letter towards them.

Ram read it first, with a poker face, then handed it to Sita.

While she read it, Ram paced around the area, deep in thought.

‘Tell me you are not going. Tell me, now.’

Bheem just hung his head, expecting this response.

‘Ram, maybe we should talk about it?’

Sita offered, looking at Bheem’s torn face, sensing his dilemma.

‘Talk? There is nothing to talk about. This could very well be a trap. He could have a whole unit waiting for him, to ambush him. This is too big a risk, Bheem. It make NO SENSE. You are NOT GOING.’

When Bheem’s face fell even more, Sita intervened.

‘Bheem, does Jenny trust this Carol person?’

Ram turned to Sita, about to express his displeasure at them even considering this any further. But she raised her palm towards him, shushing him for good. Ram started to pace again.

‘Wholeheartedly. She says this woman is her best friend. She says this woman is like her. How could this woman be bad then, Sita? How could she be evil?’

Bheem looked up then, after a long time. Pleading eyes, looking for someaffirmation from Sita.

Sita reached out and gently grasped his fidgeting hand.

‘I believe in Jenny’s judgement. Ofcourse I do. But have you guys considered that her friend may have been coerced to write this? Maybe someone found out Jenny came with you willingly. And this is a ploy to get to her? And…to you?’

Sita spoke with as much love as she could muster, while softly squeezing his hand.

Bheem had considered that possibility. He had considered every possibility since he sensed the situation.

‘She wrote a code word in the letter which only her and Jenny knew of. No one else knew about it. If she were coerced, and someone else dictated the letter to her, she would not have written that.’

Sita nodded in agreement. Ram nearly punched a nearby tree in frustration.

‘Oh look at you two trusting fools. You might believe this Carol’s intent, Sita, but I don’t. She may be a nice person or whatever. But what if she thinks she is trying to save Jenny from your clutches by doing this, huh Bheem? Maybe she thought it was a phase for Jenny and she would grow out of it soon. But that didn’t happen, did it? Jenny decided to stay. Maybe her friend is trying to give her an out? Trying to save her from a lifetime of distress that’s destined for her if she stays here with you? Maybe this is her way of protecting her. FROM YOU. WHAT ABOUT THAT???’

Ram stared at both of them intently, waiting for them to respond.

Sita couldn’t deny the logic in Ram’s words. They were cynical, yes. But he had more than enough reasons to be cynical in life.

Bheem met Ram’s eyes for the first time.

‘Well, that’s a risk I will have to take then.’

Ram stood toe to toe with Bheem, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him profusely.

‘WHY? Why do you HAVE TO do this? Why can’t we just forget about this letter and get on with our lives? Why take the risk at all? Why can’t Jenny make her peace with it? She made a choice, now she needs to stick with it.’

Bheem gawked at Ram, indignation written all over his face.

‘Are you serious? What do you mean she needs to stick with it? She is doing more than anyone could ask from her, expect from her. What else do you want her to do? She has given up everything. EVERYTHING. Just for me. Are you saying I should crush this tiny bit of hope she has gotten now? This brief window of meeting someone familiar, rekindling her memories - you are saying I should kill that chance too? Who knows when or if this will ever be possible again? How could I be such a monster to do this to her, Anna? HOW?’

Before Ram could burst into a rant, Sita grabbed his elbow, slightly shaking her head at him. Warning him to tread carefully.

Ram realised he wouldn’t win this battle. Bheem won’t stop Jenny from going. But that didn’t mean he would just let Bheem fall into a death trap.

‘Ok. Fine. It’s your call. But - let her go alone then. You don’t have to go with her. She can go with someone else from here who can drop her somewhere in the city and pick her up. YOU don’t have to put yourself at risk. Not for this, Bheem. Please, I am begging you.’

Sita closed her eyes and sighed inwardly, bracing herself for what was to come. She knew it was a moot point. The only two people Bheem would trust Jenny with, on such a long trip, were Ram & himself. And, Ram was not a viable alternative since he was a wanted man too.

Bheem said those exact words out loud to Ram.

Ram took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and considered all potential ways to address this situation. Sita’s hand was still firmly on his elbow, beseeching him to not lose his shit.

When Ram spoke next, his voice was calm. Eerily calm. Like a cold-blooded killer. Punctuating each word with pauses. Sending a shiver down Sita’s back.

‘If you go with her and they catch you, they will skin you alive. Gleefully. All right? They will leave your corpse hanging in the city centre, for days, making an example out of you. For anyone who dares to revolt against the mighty empire. Do you agree?’

‘If they catch me, yes. Remember, it took you to catch me last time.’

Bheem responded flatly, with equal calm. Sita just looked at the two men, wondering where this was going.

Ram chose to ignore the implied jibe and continued.

‘Fantastic. Now, if she goes alone and it’s a trap, what’s the worst that can happen? Think about it. No one will harm a hair on her head. She would be admonished, sure, but do you think anyone would dare to hurt a lady of her stature? Not a chance. At max, they will send her back to England. That’s fine. She will live. And so will you.’

Sita gasped in horror. She was sure Ram didn’t realise the enormity of what he had just said. She was even more sure it won’t go down well with Bheem. She didn’t even dare to look at Bheem at this point, just shutting her eyes again.

It took Bheem a few moments to believe what Ram had said. He was shaking from disbelief. Did his Anna not know his heart at all?

Then, he took a few steps back, getting enough distance from Ram, and glared straight into his eyes.

‘She will live. And so will I. But what kind of a life would that be for either of us? By that logic, Malli would have lived in that cage too with more amenities than here for sure. So, when she was taken against her wishes, caged against her wishes, I should have just left her there? I didn’t. So how could I let Jenny walk into this alone? How could I not be there for her, every step of the way? If they try to cage her, take her away, against her wishes, how could I not do everything in my power to keep her with me? If I was there for Malli, how is this any different?’

‘BECAUSE MALLI IS ONE OF US AND JENNY IS ONE OF THE….’

‘RAM!!!!!!!’

Sita’s voice cut through the mayhem.

Ram stopped in his tracks, the weight of his words hitting him like a truck.

Bheem didn’t flinch, but something changed in his eyes. Like something had died inside.

Sita rushed towards Bheem, grasping his shoulders, rubbing his arms. Trying to get him to look at her but Bheem stared straight at Ram.

‘Bheem. Bheem - he didn’t mean it like that. You know he didn’t.’

Bheem freed himself from her hold. Stepping further away from both of them. The physical distance a proxy to their emotional distance.

‘Let it be, Sita. I know what he meant. And you know what - Ram - you are right in a way. Jenny is not from here, no one here owes anything to her. No one, other than me. So I won’t put anyone else at risk for her. But no one, NO ONE, has the right to tell me to not put myself on the line for her. I will do that every day if I have to. I love her to death, and that is my burden to bear. No one will tell me that the burden is too high.’

Sita’s heart was breaking for Bheem. He was trying hard to hide his emotion but the lack of emotion from him itself was a big tell of how broken he was feeling inside.

Ram knew it was now or never. He could live with Bheem’s hate, if that meant Bheem would survive. What he couldn’t live with is knowing he didn’t do everything in his power to keep him safe, when he was about to walk into a fatal trap. Ram was convinced that’s what it was and was utterly distraught in failing to make Bheem see so.

Ram decided to double down, seeing that as the only remaining option.

‘So, you would pick her over us then? Over all of us? Is she the only one who loves you? Does our love for you amount to nothing? Your people, your friends, your tribe, your COUNTRY - you love her more than all of us? Is that it, Bheem? Answer me.’

Bheem couldn’t recognize the man in front of him anymore. The man who was mocking & berating his love.

He laughed a distant, bitter laugh.

‘It’s funny you say that. Because my people, my tribe, my country were safe when we had escaped. But still I went back to the jaws of death for YOU. For ONE person. All because of a stupid thing called love. Guess I was always stupid. Because doing things out of love is stupid in your books. Sadly, my love is like that. I can kill for it. I can die for it.’

The emotion in Sita’s eyes had spilled by now. She felt the pain of how these two were cutting each other, and themselves, with their words. She also felt the love behind the scathing declarations.

Ram stayed rooted to the spot, feeling like he may have gone too far but not knowing what to do about it. Despite the mayhem, he had half a mind to actually go & tell Jenny about his fears. If she had any inkling of the danger, she would put an end to all this. But Ram also knew that he would be crossing a line with Bheem which he may not be able to come back from.

Bheem retreated while still looking at Ram. Before walking away, he turned back one last time.

‘The woman who is not from here is the reason you are standing here right now. She put herself at risk to get those maps. But you knew that already. She begged & pleaded with me, while handing over the maps, to not go inside. That it would be too risky. That it could be the end of me. Very similar things to what you said today. But the difference is, she could also see why I just had to do it. Despite everything she had seen you do at the time, she could see why I would still go back for you. She understood. I expected the same from you, Ram. I didn’t think you would support me in doing this, which by the way is maybe not a trap at all. It could just be our paranoia. Your fears were still warranted. I didn’t expect you to agree, I expected you to understand. Like she did.’

With those parting words, and one final nod to Sita, he walked away. Without turning back. Leaving a stunned Ram and distraught Sita behind.

.....................................................

Part 2 will be BheemJenny in Hyderabad. Do let me know what you feel about the story so far and if a second part would interest you :)

@irisesforyoureyes @rambheem-is-real @thewinchestergirl1208 @eremin0109 @eenadu-varthalu @rorapostsbl @yehsahihai @budugu @maraudersbitchesassemble @justmeand-myinsight @rambheemisgoated @rosayounan @jrntrtitties @obsessedtoafault @rambheemlove @jjwolfesworld @alikokinav @iam-siriuslysher-lokid @dumdaradumdaradum @lovingperfectionwonderland

@chaanv @ssabriel @milla984 @kaagazkefool @boochhaan @mesimpleone @filesbeorganized @ladydarkey @veteran-fanperson @ronika-writes-stuff @beingmes-blog @yonderghostshistories @nisreenart @chaidrivenwhore @bheemaxrama @mizutaama @rosefulmadness @gifseafins @voidsteffy @maooyinysparkle @amalthea9 @vijayasena @stars-in-the-distance @astrafangs

@orangey-orange @ariel-seagull-wings @atlinmerrick @carminavulcana

[poundfooolish]

So I've been having a right miserable month of work, going into week 3 of daily 4.5 hour working calls with a tech vendor who is completely and utterly baffled as to what the fuck has gone wrong with our upgrade, which was supposed to go live a week ago but due to, again, the literally unbeforeseen fuckedness of the situation (They brought on a guy last week who was overjoyed and excited about getting to add two or three paragraphs to his blog about our problem, and I have watched his joy and his smile leave us in real time since) we haven't even had a functioning test environment to hand off to QA

And as a result my boss is. Very deeply unhappy with the situation, and has capped off the last two 4.5 hour meetings with a thirty minute speech about not only his disappointment, but his mounting conspiracy theories regarding the vendor using us as their personal test sandbox, and how we really need to stop wasting time and finish this job before the new year (lol. lmao. Sure.).

But yesterday he decided that we need to start the meeting even EARLIER. We've been starting our meetings at 9:30am (Preceded by a team meeting sans the vendor so the project manager and my boss can be sad at us), but now he wants to start the meeting at 8:30, so about exactly when I log into work.

And as he makes this decree and sentences us all to even earlier mornings, he realizes: He has accidentally scheduled us over the IT Holiday Party. But he can't. Bring himself to outright say 'never mind attend the party'. And admit he's fucked this.

So instead he starts trying to get us to bow out of this extremely early meeting we scheduled, constantly sending messages like 'are you coming to the party? please make every effort to come to the party. Are you sure you don't want to come to the party?' I'm pretty sure he also tried to coerce one of my coworkers into picking me up and driving me to the office because that's what he does when I tell him 'no'.

My boss. Knows. That coming into the office for me is a 2-3 hour fucking Event. I have to take a bus to take a train to take a trolly to take another bus and if I miss that last bus (which runs once every 3 hours) take an uber into the office. I do not come into the office on a dime I have to plan extensively for this shit. And I also usually end up not getting anything Done.

So today, three hours into the meeting, that my boss already knows I'm in because he also joined at 8:30am, he goes 'Oh.... Shawna did you decide not to come to the party??'

Ram, if I dropped everything and left that EXACT moment, I would arrive at the office when it fucking closed. Obviously I'm not coming to the fucking holiday party, FURTHERMORE, it is real fuckin brave of you to spend the last three weeks berating me for wasting time and borderline accusing me of not doing my job At All, only to try and twist my arm into leaving a meeting you arranged, for a fucking holiday party.

[c-53]

WARNING: LONG ASK INCOMING

For hobby electronics there’s two major kinds of processors: Microcomputers and Microcontrollers. Microcomputers are small full computer systems like the Raspberry Pi, they typically run a general-purpose OS (typically some flavor of Linux) and are useful for the kinds of projects that require basically a full computer to function, but not necessarily individual sensors. They’re a great place to start for people who don’t know a whole ton about programming or working with individual components because they typically can output a true GUI to a screen and have the capabilities of a regular desktop computer. They have a main processor, true RAM, and either large on-board storage space or a way to read a storage device, like an SD card.

Microcontrollers are less complicated (component wise) than microcomputers, but as a result are more difficult for total beginners to begin working with. They’re typically primarily a SoC (System on a Chip) processor without discrete RAM modules and a very small EEPROM (on-ship storage space) and need to have components wired and configured to them to be able to do much more than being a fancy calculator. They’re used for when you need something to carry out electronic functions or get sensor readings, but not necessarily a full operating system, so they’re best suited for small/integrated applications. Your helmet uses a microcontroller to control the LEDs you used in the Cunt Machine post.

I build high-power model rockets as a hobby and with my university team, so I work with both kinds of processor as part of designing payload systems. I typically prefer microcontrollers in these as most of what we do doesn’t need an actual OS to run, and they’re smaller/lighter than microcomputers. One of the advantages of a microcontroller is that it runs a Real-Time OS (RTOS) which forgoes all the user-friendliness of things like windows and linux to instead be the bare minimum backend necessary to run code uploaded into the processor. 

The main advantage of using a microcontroller is really that they’re typically a lot cheaper than microcomputers are and are plenty powerful for really embedded applications. They also make other parts of whatever system is being built cheaper/easier to integrate because they require less overhead to function - the raspberry pi needs a minimum of 5 volts of power to work, while a chip like an ESP32-PICO can run at 1.8V. 

The main way you make sensors/buttons/peripherals work with a microcontroller is via digital communication busses. There’s a few protocols, the most common being I2C, SPI, and UART. I’ll talk about I2C since that’s generally the most common. With I2C each component is assigned a 2-byte “address” that they’re identified by. When the controller sends a request signal on the I2C data bus, every sensor along the line will return their own signal, marked with their address so that they can be identified. It allows for a large number of devices to be put on the same lines and you can daisy-chain them through each other to the microcontroller.

I’ll be honest I really can’t think of a good way to say much more on the subject as like a starting message because I’ve been working with computers so long all the tech stuff for me is second nature, but if you have any questions ask away I can probably answer them or google them.

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