#upon an obligation to take responsibility for harm

[neramontagueofficial]

I'm sorry for disturbing your peace then. May you linger under a kind sun.

Murderers.All of you.All of them.The swarm of rats you call a crew (you'll tear eachother apsrt when the chips are down) That monster you keep calling "hon" (are you in love? Of course not, how could you love) those scuttling ungrateful bastards you keep contact with (destroyed my home, you know)

All I need know is why? U ai are blessed with the ability to cycle. Why not absolve yourself of the guilt?

A rightful ruler.

--Excuse me (can I help you)[this is a murdering world]? Sorry, I was just fixing up the blog when I saw this (out of left-field). First of all, are you trying to copy me (not doing this on purpose you know)?

No, actually, first of all don't talk about my friends like that. They're (everything (that matters)) here for me when it's convenient and when it's not, and let me tell you I haven't been making it easy this last while. Styx (hon (so proud of you))(don't tell me what I can feel) isn't a monster, either, she's just trying to survive (keep her name out of your mouth).

I know I'm trying to be all thoughtful and (sunshine) kind out here, but I was made as a knife and (not in a great mood these days anyhow) I haven't forgotten that part of me. Letting go of the mistakes I've made would only make me a worse protector of the things I (need) care about.

Piss off, pretender king.

[flaakea-blog]

I recently rewatched X-Men: First Class, Days of Future Past, and I must admit—I’ve completely fallen for this version of Charles.

He is an exceptional character. Despite his ability to read minds and his deep awareness of both the world’s cruelty and its beauty, he still chooses to be a better person.

My only criticism of Charles in the first film is his failure to encourage Raven to accept herself as she is. However, I can somewhat understand his perspective—he is fully aware of human nature and how difficult it is for people to accept what is different. It is not easy to force yourself into a world that fears you when you have the option to blend in instead.

Beyond that, his struggles, strengths, and vulnerabilities make him a truly remarkable character—one we can learn so much from. He sees goodness even in the darkest of minds, such as Erik’s. However, Erik’s past does not justify his present actions in any way. Anyone who believes otherwise, I would argue, has a flawed perception of morality.

Take, for instance, the scene where Shaw attacks the CIA facility. In the past, I saw it as just another moment in the film. But this time, I couldn’t help but feel for the soldiers who lost their lives protecting those children. In the end, the mutants only listened to the one who betrayed them—which, to some extent, is understandable. Mutants may possess great power, but those soldiers sacrificed everything to ensure the children’s safety.

This is why I understand Charles. I see his perspective—it reflects reality.

Humans harm one another, and it is not merely a conflict between humans and mutants. Mutants, too, inflict harm upon each other and are often responsible for their own suffering, regardless of the reasons. The real issue lies within an individual’s essence, not their nature, identity, or background. Charles understands this. A person is defined by their choices. And because he recognizes the potential for goodness even in the worst individuals, taking the path of violence is not an option he can easily embrace.

In Days of Future Past, Charles is broken. And rightfully so—after enduring such immense loss, he has every reason to struggle emotionally. He experiences deep depression, yet for some reason, his role as a teacher and protector is seen as an obligation rather than a virtue.

He, too, has his own battles to fight.

But in his darkest moments, he truly believed he could never return to the man he once was—because no one understood him or supported him in the same way he supported others.

And so, in the end, the only one who could guide him back was himself—his future self—through words that were both profound and deeply moving.

That, in essence, is what I wanted to express about Charles.

[abbenai]

this has been sitting in drafts since i saw the movie for the first time and idc anymore so its going on main. its about ellen. its long as fuck because i have just been adding to this every time i watch it or read the script so soarrrryyyy

nosferatu resonated with me in the way experiences where pleasure and pain can blur. sometimes, we’re put into situations where we can’t distinguish between the physical responses our bodies have and the emotional or psychological toll those responses are taking. theres a process of dissociation, bodies moving and reacting as if they're separate from the person we are inside like possession or a curse.

ellen’s eventual sacrifice—offering herself up to orlok not out of choice, but as a last resort to protect the people she loves—speaks to the exhausting nature of living under coercion. she’s not choosing to free herself or embrace her desire; she’s submitting because she sees no other way to stop the destruction or to escape the perpetual violence that is being incited upon her. it echoes the idea that, when trapped in cycles of manipulation or exploitation, sometimes we make choices not to empower ourselves but to put an end to the suffering of others. her choice is one made from guilt, fear, and a desperate attempt to reclaim what little power she has left.

there’s also something horrifyingly familiar about this. the idea of being pulled toward destruction not because you want it, but because it feels like the only way to stop the pain, resonates deeply with the way suicidality can feel in the wake of trauma. it’s not always an active desire to die—it can be a passive, creeping understanding that the world does not offer you a path forward. that giving in to oblivion is easier than continuing to fight a losing battle. that there’s no one waiting for you at the altar but death.

but this coercion isn’t just about orlok—it’s embedded in the structures around ellen, in the way people see her, in the way power is wielded over her at every turn. when thomas suggests calling doctor sievers, ellen’s pleading response, “please, i’ll be good,” before adopting a soft, submissive expression reveals how she has learned to use performative compliance as a means of survival. this moment is devastating because it encapsulates the way coercion and power imbalances persist even in relationships that are supposedly built on love. she feels that resisting will only lead to further institutional scrutiny, so she fawns, deploying her body and her tone as tools of de-escalation. she is not trying to reestablish genuine intimacy—she is trying to retain whatever autonomy she has left.

after experiencing the violation of her bodily autonomy at the hands of orlok, she finds herself in a position where her only agency comes from anticipating what men want and offering it on her own terms. this is a painfully familiar reality for many survivors of sexual assault—the idea that reclaiming power often means negotiating with the very forces that have taken it away. for ellen, sex becomes less about pleasure or connection and more about maintaining stability, preventing further loss.

thomas, for his part, does not seem to grasp the full extent of what ellen is experiencing until he sees it first hand during the first act. he is affectionate but oblivious, well-intentioned but ultimately incapable of seeing beyond his own perception of their relationship. his love for ellen is not in question, but his inability to recognize the ways trauma has altered her means that his efforts at closeness often have the opposite effect.

the film does not frame thomas as a villain, but it does highlight the limits of love when it is not paired with understanding. ellen’s struggle with intimacy is not just about orlok’s assault—it is about the way trauma lingers, reshaping relationships, distorting the boundaries between love and obligation, comfort and control. thomas represents a kind of passive harm, the harm of good intentions that fail to see the full picture. he wants to save ellen, but he does not know how, and in his attempts to do so, he inadvertently reinforces the very dynamics she is trying to escape.

talking more about motifs of medical care in nosferatu, dr. sievers’ act of tying ellen up is particularly insidious because it is not born of overt cruelty but from a belief in the authority of medical intervention—a belief that his actions are justified under the guise of care. this is what makes institutional power so dangerous in nosferatu; it does not always manifest as explicit violence but rather as a paternalistic enforcement of control under the pretense of reason. sievers does not see himself as harming ellen; he sees himself as protecting her, both from herself and from whatever external madness he believes has gripped her. yet in doing so, he robs her of agency, reducing her to a patient, a body to be restrained rather than a person to be understood.

this ties into foucault’s concept of the medical gaze—the way institutions depersonalize those they seek to treat, transforming individuals into objects of study and discipline. ellen’s experiences with sievers reflect the historical treatment of women who defied societal expectations, particularly within psychiatric institutions where diagnoses like hysteria became catchalls for female distress, rebellion, or even simple nonconformity. sievers’ actions are not overtly villainous, but they are emblematic of a larger system that polices women’s bodies and emotions under the guise of care.

friedrich harding, by contrast, represents a more overt disdain for ellen. where sievers’ control comes from a place of institutional paternalism, harding’s comes from outright contempt. he does not see ellen as someone who is sick or in need of help—he sees her as a nuisance, a source of disorder that must be corrected or removed. his interactions with her are laced with a fundamental lack of respect; he does not entertain the possibility that her experiences are valid or that her suffering is real. instead, he dismisses her, treating her not as a person but as a problem to be solved, a loose end to be tied up.

harding’s disdain for ellen also reflects a broader social attitude toward women who disrupt the expected order. whereas sievers’ approach is shaped by medical rationality, harding’s is shaped by social hierarchy—he sees ellen as someone who should fall in line, and his frustration with her stems from the fact that she does not. his interactions with her are cold, and ultimately dehumanizing especially with his chuckle in the script after sievers suggests he restrain her. in this way, harding embodies another facet of patriarchal control: the belief that women who refuse to conform, who speak too loudly or feel too deeply, are not just inconvenient but dangerous.

ellen’s treatment by both men illustrates the ways institutional power and social power intersect to suppress those who do not fit neatly within their structures. sievers binds her out of a misguided sense of medical authority, believing that restraint is the best course of action. harding, on the other hand, does not even afford her the dignity of misguided care—he simply sees her as a disturbance to be managed. together, they highlight the inescapable nature of the forces working against ellen: even when malice is absent, control remains.

ellen’s interactions with von franz are also interesting to me. there’s a tension in the way von franz approaches the occult. for him, it is an intellectual pursuit, something to be unraveled, understood, and controlled. he’s merely an “able tourist” but for ellen, it is not theoretical—it is lived. her body and mind are at stake in ways his never will be. this reflects a broader issue in how trauma and violence are often discussed: those who study it from a distance, even sympathetically, still maintain a degree of separation that allows them to remain unharmed. ellen doesn’t have that privilege.

so while von franz might be an ally in the sense that he exists outside of institutional power, he is still a product of its logic. his role in ellen’s life is not one of savior or oppressor but of a deeply flawed intermediary—someone who sees her suffering, perhaps even wants to stop it, but cannot fully break free from the structures that dictate how he understands and responds to it.

i think this makes his character all the more tragic. he is someone who, in another world, might have been able to help. but in this one, he is just another man whose power lies in his ability to name and recognize (still more than i can say for the others), not in his ability to liberate, ultimately sending ellen to the grave when there could be another way he just isn’t privy to.

when von franz tells ellen, "in heathen times you might have been a great priestess of isis," he’s positioning her within an ancient lineage, one that existed outside of and often in opposition to the patriarchal structures that now entrap her. the cults of isis and other goddesses in the greco-roman world were unique in that they allowed women a degree of spiritual authority that was otherwise denied to them in public life.

isis, as a goddess, represents a paradox of power and submission, creation and mourning, autonomy and devotion. in the greco-roman world, her cult was one of the most widespread mystery religions, absorbing elements of egyptian traditions and adapting to a rapidly changing imperial landscape. she was a mother, a healer, a magician, and a mourner—qualities that resonate deeply with ellen’s role in nosferatu.

one of isis’ defining attributes was her mastery over life and death. in the osirian myth, she gathers the dismembered pieces of her husband osiris, bringing him back to life just long enough to conceive their son, horus. this act—both of resurrection and strategic reproduction—establishes her as a figure who wields power in the face of loss. ellen, too, operates within this framework; she does not fight orlok through direct confrontation but through sacrifice, using her body as a vessel to absorb and redirect his destruction. in this sense, her suffering becomes the means through which she enacts her power, much like isis’ grief becomes a transformative force.

isis was also associated with hidden knowledge, particularly through her connection to magic and femininity. the greco-roman isis cults emphasized this aspect, portraying her as the keeper of mysteries, a goddess who granted wisdom to those deemed worthy. ellen’s struggle with institutional power—the doctors, her father, orlok—mirrors the tension between feminine knowledge and patriarchal suppression. she is perceptive, aware of what is happening to her, yet she is constantly dismissed, overpowered, or forced into subservience. von franz’s comment about her being a “great priestess of isis” could then be read as an acknowledgment of this latent wisdom, a recognition that she possesses something beyond what the men around her can understand or control.

but this reference is deeply ironic. von franz sees ellen as someone who could have wielded power in another era, yet in the world they inhabit, she is reduced to an object of sacrifice. it also suggests a nostalgia for a lost past—one where feminine spirituality wasn’t feared or dismissed but instead held sacred significance. the reverence for priestesses of isis existed within a context where the feminine was celebrated, but that structure was later overwritten by patriarchal control, much in the way that ellen’s agency is continuously eroded. the tension here mirrors what happened to these goddess cults in antiquity—many of them were either absorbed into patriarchal religious structures or violently suppressed. the cult of isis, for example, was both venerated and feared in the roman empire. while it attracted women, slaves, and outsiders due to its promises of personal transformation and divine intimacy, it was also seen as a threat to state power.

ellen, in a way, embodies this dynamic: she is someone who carries the potential for power, but in a society that refuses to grant her the space to wield it. her ability to manipulate orlok through her own sacrifice could be read as a distorted echo of these ancient priestesses, who used ritual and devotion as a means of influence. but instead of presiding over sacred rites, she is forced into submission, her power existing only in the act of surrender.

this also complicates von franz’s role. his acknowledgment of ellen’s lost power could be seen as sympathetic, even admiring. but it also reinforces his limitations—he recognizes what she could have been, but he does not offer her any means of reclaiming that authority in the present. he sees her as a figure out of time, rather than someone who could actively reshape her fate.

so the invocation of the priestesses of isis is not just a throwaway line—it’s a moment that speaks to the historical erasure of feminine power, the way patriarchal structures co-opt and suppress it, and how even those who recognize this loss (like von franz) remain trapped in the frameworks that enforce it. ellen is not a priestess; she is a woman stripped of autonomy, forced to navigate her world through submission rather than through sacred authority. and in that, we see the long shadow of history repeating itself.

anyways in meta what’s especially troubling is the tendency to romanticize orlok’s figure—seeing him as seductive, as the archetypal “bad boy” who might somehow liberate ellen. but orlok is no liberator; he’s a predator, taking advantage of her vulnerabilities, forcing her to experience what should be a deeply personal, understanding of connection as something violent and detached. his actions are not about offering pleasure, but about consuming it, removing any semblance of consent or mutuality. and its a farce to think so imo. threatening to kill everyone you love in three nights if you don’t bed this guy is quite literally coercion.

this is a hard thing to confront because it’s not just a story about a vampire imo it’s a story about manipulation, and the ways in which pleasure is often weaponized against those who don’t have the power to stop it. the way nosferatu portrays the violence of pleasure is difficult to ignore, yet many do, preferring to focus on the allure of orlok, the fantasy of the vampire, and the seduction of the forbidden. but doing so misses the point. it's not about just fucking the vampire it’s also about acknowledging how deeply rooted in violence these dynamics are. pleasure, in this sense, becomes the mechanism through which that violence is carried out.

theres an interesting textual thread about how easily our experiences of pleasure can be distorted by power and how these distorted experiences can, over time, reshape our understanding of agency, consent, and personal autonomy. the film doesn’t just portray a supernatural predator; it critiques how we often turn a blind eye to the more disturbing implications of desire and power and class, especially when we are confronted with the complexity of trauma and exploitation. and sometimes, confronting that discomfort is the first step in recognizing how deeply those patterns are woven into our lives— dragging it into the light of dawn and whatnot— not just in the fantastical world of a vampire story, but in the real and painful ways we navigate relationships and our sense of self.

[thejesusofsuburbiabutcringe]

I Was Sexually Harassed by a Smiling Friends Fanfiction Writer.

I'm scared to write this and put it out, but I need to do what I can to protect this community that I love so much from this individual that emotionally and mentally traumatized and harmed me. This was not an easy decision to tell this story publicly. I'm telling my story to seek justice and awareness for myself and others. I refuse stay silent about creepy and manipulative behavior, even when the individual begged me to stay silent. I will not. I have documented screenshots of Tumblr messages to serve as evidence for my case at the end of this post.

This is my story:

It was Sunday, April 27th 2025. I was messaging the Tumblr user Mason24683, who also wrote the fics "Pim's Purgatorio" and "The Smiling Friends Go To The Main Section of Purgatory" on AO3. We'd been mutuals for a few months, sharing and talking about our work and other fics. That day, he messaged me about a smut fic that he requested from the author Charlie'sAwesomeParty on AO3 (excellent writer, by the way) and we had some back and forth about the topic. I am comfortable speaking about smut in the general sense within fictional contexts of writing and storytelling, but what happened next was where the issue arose. Within that discussion, he sent me unsolicited messages detailing his personal sexual kinks and fetishes while also revealing that a drawing I had made for him as well as drawings made by @melis-hellis, unknown to both of us at the time, contained one of his kinks. He admitted that he got aroused by our drawings/the idea of our drawings at one point in time. Even though he requested them for the purpose of the fic, it still (unknown to us) contained a sexual kink that he got aroused to. In the same text bubbles, he admits that these words would surely make me uncomfortable, but the messages were sent regardless. He did this knowing it would hurt me, and it did.

I then ask him why he said all that, which he said that he was unsocial and didn't know better, assuming that our previous discussion warranted those messages. They did not. There is a firm line between sexuality in fiction and personal sexuality. I did not consent to know about the latter. Also, it's contradictory since he did indeed know better if he stated that the messages would likely make me uncomfortable. At the time, I was shocked and didn't have all my feelings processed, so I simply said that I was shocked that he said that and that his words about my drawing should've stayed to himself. During this talk, he slips in questions about my progress on my fic as if he was trying to divert the conversation away from his actions. During that time, I did reply to the diversion, again, shocked and not processing things completely. Within that diversion response, I told him to not share his personal sexual things to people without consent because people wouldn't take kindly to it. I wish I said things differently overall in retrospect, but I give myself grace since I was shocked, scared, and didn't process everything yet at the time.

Then, he blamed his autism for his actions, which I take great offense to as someone who is autistic, too. Neurodivergency is never an excuse to sexually harass someone. He then asked me to delete our messages to forget it ever happened. I did not agree nor did I do that. I refuse to sweep away something that hurt me significantly. He also told me not to tell anyone, which I never explicitly agreed to do, nor will I. This felt too serious not to talk about, so that's what I'm doing right now. If you violate my space and personhood, I have no obligation to respect your wishes, especially if it involves keeping quiet about sexual harassment. Despite him profusely apologizing, the action was still done and it permanently destroyed my perception of him. Even though we exchanged some normal conversation afterwards, I still couldn't shake the discomfort. The more I reflected upon it, the more anxious and distraught it made me, causing a panic attack and looming emotional burdens that carried with me throughout the following days. I feel so used and violated by this person who I was nothing but supportive and kind to. I have since blocked him on Tumblr and AO3. I no longer associate with him nor support his work.

He tricked me into making him fetish content and sent me unsolicited sexual messages. Even if it wasn't the only reason for the art request, asking for a drawing that contains a sexual fetish that you personally gain sexual pleasure from is fetish content. Doing so without informing me is manipulative. No excuses. I would not have drawn that if I knew. Telling someone your own kinks and fetishes without consent is sexual harassment. It's a fact. This made me uncomfortable. A boundary has been crossed. My space, feelings, and personhood has been violated. It will take time to heal from this incident, but I will move forward and keep my head up despite all the pain.

After the initial incident, I told @universallydestinytaco about what happened to gain a second opinion and plans of actions since I trust him. He agreed that what happened was wrong and he confronted Mason about his behavior. Mason then proceeded to gaslight all of us about us being wrong about our thoughts and misinterpreting his words. After a long chain of communication between me, Mason, Universally Destiny Taco, and Melis, it ended up with Mason deleting his Tumblr and AO3, proving his guilt since no innocent person would delete everything and leave once the accusations arose. He's gone from the community as of now and no one else will be further hurt by his actions.

So, the story ends there, so why am I telling this? It's to protect this community that I hold dear. People need to know about the things that happen behind closed doors and sometimes hidden in plain sight. There are some people you can't trust or people that will hurt you. It's important to share these stories to protect ourselves and others from these types of people and bring justice to the victims and due punishment to those who have harmed. If you have been harmed by someone in a significant way, please feel free to speak up. It's not easy to do, but it can help others and yourself. There will always be people out there to support you. Please look after yourselves and those you care about. Please share this post to anyone that would benefit from this information. If you have something to say, the notes is a safe space to do so.

A warm and special thank you to @universallydestinytaco for allowing me to open up and helping me navigate this challenging time and @melis-hellis for providing more context and information for this situation. I wouldn't have been able to seek closure without you two, thank you.

Under this cut is the evidence I present for my case. With permission from the previous two people, I have also added their own screenshots to extend and round out the story.

Click "Keep Reading" to view all of our receipts:

My own message screenshots:

The exchanges between me, him, @universallydestinytaco, and @melis-hellis:

If you've read this far, I thank you deeply. Take care and stay safe out there ❤️

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Oliver Milman and Anna Betts at The Guardian:

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration freeze of all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, a decision that upended programs relied upon by millions of Americans.

US district judge Loren AliKhan ordered an administrative stay on the funding pause on Tuesday afternoon, moments before it was set to take effect. The stay, issued in response to a lawsuit brought by a group of non-profits and small businesses, pauses the administration’s action until Monday. In a two-page internal memo on Monday, Matthew Vaeth, Trump’s acting head of the office of management and budget (OMB), instructed all federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance��. Vaeth said that the pause did not include social security or Medicare , and that the assistance put on hold “does not include assistance provided directly to individuals”. If allowed to take effect, the order could have far-reaching consequences that touch nearly every corner of American society, including universities, the non-profit sector, cancer research, food assistance, suicide hotlines, hospitals, community health centers, non-profits that help disabled veterans and many more.

Democratic attorneys general said on Tuesday they also planned to sue to prevent the memo from taking effect. Letitia James, the New York attorney general, said her office would take “imminent legal action against this administration’s unconstitutional pause on federal funding. We won’t sit idly by while this administration harms our families.” The administrative stay came in response to a lawsuit filed by four groups representing non-profits, public health professionals and small businesses in which they said the directive was illegal and would have a “devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of grant recipients who depend on the inflow of grant money”. The groups said the directive would disrupt education, healthcare, housing and disaster relief and would devastate “hundreds of thousands of grant recipients who depend on the inflow of grant money”. At a news conference on Tuesday morning, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader from New York, described the order as “a dagger at the heart of the average American families, in red states and blue states, in cities and suburbs and rural areas”.

Joined at the news conference by the Democratic senators Amy Klobuchar, Patty Murray, Jeff Merkley and Andy Kim, Schumer noted that among the programs potentially affected was Meals on Wheels, which provides hot meals to at-risk seniors and is partly funded by the federal government. The proposed halt in spending comes days after the US also immediately cut off all foreign aid, and was designed to ensure that financial assistance is in line with Trump’s policies, Vaeth wrote.

[...] Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, said that the White House was aware of the “website portal outage” and that they had confirmed that no payments had been affected and that payments “are still being processed and sent”. “We expect the portal will be back online shortly,” she added. In a press conference on Tuesday, Leavitt pushed back against suggestions the memo caused chaos and uncertainty and said it would not affect direct assistance to individuals, including social security, Medicare, welfare and food stamps. She did not clarify, however, whether aid that goes through organizations to individuals, like Meals on Wheels, would be affected. “[The] only uncertainty in this room is amongst the media,” said Leavitt, blaming the press for anxieties spurred by the measure.

In a dose of good news, just before the disastrous freeze would have taken effect at 5PM ET/4PM CT yesterday, Judge Loren AliKhan put a temporary halt to Tyrant 47’s egregiously dictatorial order to freeze all federal grants and loans.

[inkameswetrust]

Big Time Pokémon (Part 2)

I was incredibly inspired by the creative process of the first Big Time Pokémon blog that I decided to expand this headcanon series to secondary and tertiary Big Time Rush characters. Be prepared for more Big Time Pokémon content in the future! :D

Lucy & Zorua

When Lucy first decided to become a Pokémon Trainer, her parents were very strict about the type of Pokémon she was allowed to catch. They disapproved of her catching namely dark, poison, and ghost types because they believed that such Pokémon embodied traits such as spite, malice, and recklessness that would deter her from being poised and well-mannered. Her parents also believed that training such Pokémon would harm the image they crafted for her in order to pursue a career in classical music.

One day, Lucy convinced her parents to let her venture out by herself in order to catch her first Pokémon. Despite most trainers starting out young, her parents were concerned for her safety without already having a Pokémon at her disposal to aid her. Lucy had saved up enough allowance to purchase items from the local Poké Center to compensate. As long as she promised to stay local, Lucy's parents happily obliged.

Lucy deviated from her designated route the moment she was out of sight and encountered a wild Zorua practicing its ability of illusion amongst other wild Pokémon. She was fascinated by its playful nature and was positive Zorua was the Pokémon she wanted to catch. Zorua gazed intently at Lucy as she approached it, but she wasn't entirely confident in catching it. She retrieved a Poké Ball from her bag and it trembled in her hand. Lucy couldn't bring herself to defy her parents and catch Zorua, so she fled in a panic and arrived home empty handed.

Upon her return, Lucy's parents asked what Pokémon she ended up catching. A Skitty nuzzled her feet and meowed before she could answer. Lucy looked down in surprise but said nothing as her parents cooed at her first ever Pokémon. They couldn't be more pleased with her choice. Lucy went along with things until she was alone and took the Skitty outside to release it. She had no idea she'd been followed home and didn't want to take on the responsibility of a Pokémon she never chose. The Skitty's form disappeared and revealed that it was just Zorua in disguise. Lucy was marveled by its ability and was overjoyed to see it. They became immediate partners from then on. Zorua made a habit of giving off the illusion of a Skitty in the presence of Lucy's parents until she moved away to the Palm Woods. Lucy has expressed that the colors of Zorua's fur inspired the colors of her hair.

Mercedes & Furfrou

Being the daughter of one of the most successful CEOs in America, Pokémon training was but a mere leisure for Mercedes. She was accustomed to her father paying for professional trainers catching the most coveted Pokémon in the region to give to Mercedes. She ended up giving away dozens of Pokémon the trainers caught for her until Griffin had enough. He put his foot down and declared to not waste another dime on Pokémon she wouldn't bother taking care of. If Mercedes wanted to be a trainer, she'd have to catch her own Pokémon.

After a short lived tantrum and a few "But, Daddy!"s later, Mercedes visited the nearest Poké Ball Boutique to purchase the best Poké Balls money could buy. She sought to buy a handful of Luxury Balls, but the credit card Griffin gave her declined upon purchase. When Mercedes called Griffin to rectify the situation, he told her that when he said to catch her own Pokémon he also meant she needed to purchase her own supplies. Mercedes used whatever cash she had on hand and settled for a few Premier Balls.

Embarrassed and ashamed from having spent so little money, Mercedes drags her feet to the nearest meadow and begrudgingly begins her search. She crams a Premier Ball in her fist and holds it out until she's met with a horde of Scatterbug. Mercedes shrieks and drops the Premier Ball, scrambling away until the small of her back meets the trunk of a tree. She's never responded well to insects. One of the Scatterbug uses String Shot™ on her favorite pearl-white sundress she immediately dusts off saying "Eww!" over and over again with an unsettled squeak in her voice.

As the horde of Scatterbug corner her, a wild Furfrou leaps before Mercedes and uses Growl™ to intimidate and scare away a cowardly pair of the bunch. It uses Bite™ and Quick Attack™ to successfully fend off the rest. She was relieved yet still mildly unsettled by Furfrou's shaggy fur. Furfrou walked away, allowing Mercedes the space to breathe and recollect herself. Furfrou returned shortly after with her discarded Premier Ball in its mouth. It offered to hand it to her, but saw how uncomfortable Mercedes was. Instead, Furfrou lowered the Premier Ball to the ground and rolled it over to her.

Mercedes hesitantly took the Premier Ball from the ground and gently tossed it in Furfrou's direction, successfully catching it. As her voice lifted with a triumphant squeal, Mercedes clung to Furfrou's Premier Ball and hurried home with her father on the phone. As congratulations for a job well done, Griffin offered to pay for Furfrou's grooming. He was sure this would be money well spent. Mercedes declined Griffin's offer. She didn't care much for Furfrou's shaggy fur, but she'd rather earn that privilege than have it given to her. Mercedes earned enough money from Pokémon battles to pay for Furfrou's grooming and chose the Heart Trim form to match her wardrobe. As snooty and privileged as the two may appear, Furfrou serves as a reminder of the lesson Mercedes learned from having caught it. Furfrou is a testament to her independence and strength.

Guitar Dude & Grookey

Growing up, Guitar Dude was too preoccupied with his studies and cello practice to train Pokémon. Due to his ability to quickly learn and master a stringed instrument, his parents hurried to capitalize on his talent. They urged him to play for weddings, funerals, concerts, and other special occasions in hopes he'd grow up to be a successful musician who'd provide for them well into old age. Guitar Dude kept very little of his earnings, if any at all, and eventually became burnt out.

He hated the thought of ever having to play his cello for another performance, but he'd continue to play and collect any of his earnings his parents didn't already keep for themselves. Guitar Dude used those earnings to fund his emancipation from his parents. Once the emancipation was granted, the court ordered that his parents pay him in full for whatever he'd earned over the years for performing. Guitar Dude used his earnings to move to Los Angeles where he moved into the Palm Woods and started out as a ghostwriter. It was a good enough distance from playing the cello while also being involved in the music industry. Guitar Dude discovered he had many unresolved feelings of which he used to inspire the songs he wrote.

Although he was happy to finally be living his own life, as dull as it may seem, Guitar Dude felt unfulfilled. He loved the feeling of playing an instrument, his fingers dancing upon the strings and striking each chord like a wave crashing onshore. But he couldn't handle the memories and mistreatment the cello forced him to recall. What was a boy to do?

Guitar Dude aimlessly strolled through the Palm Woods park one afternoon in search of an answer. He sat down on a park bench and looked over his shoulder to see Buddha Bob trimming the hedges. Buddha Bob's tranquil energy and calming nature bewitched Guitar Dude and caused him to stare. He struck up a conversation in which Buddha Bob picked up on Guitar Dude's existentialism. As Guitar Dude told his sorrowful tale and expressed his fruitless search for self-fulfillment, Buddha Bob suggested that the solution to his problems may not be as distant as they seem. Staying within the margins of the music industry doesn't have to be so difficult when there are various opportunities to take advantage of. It's all a matter of knowing where to look for said opportunities.

Suddenly, a sheet of paper billowed in the wind and flew right into Guitar Dude's hand. It was a flyer for local guitar lessons with a slogan that read, "Relax and unwind with music on the mind!" After briefly thanking Buddha Bob for his wisdom, Guitar Dude hurried to the address on the flyer. He went into songwriting for himself once he quickly mastered his new instrument. His songs took a mellow turn, conveying messages of transcending the human experience and trusting the winds of fate. While practicing his guitar in the Palm Woods park one morning, a wild Grookey crawled to the foot of his bench and rocked to the rhythm of his strumming. It accompanied Guitar Dude's acoustic melody with the drumming of its special stick. Passersby surrounded them and danced to their equally tranquil and groovy sound. The harmony between string and percussion liberated Guitar Dude and provided him with the fulfillment he was searching for.

He and Grookey made it a regular occurrence to meet in the Palm Woods park for jam sessions. Guitar Dude did so much of his songwriting in Grookey's presence that it became adamant to become his partner. He was skeptical at first from never having the time to train Pokémon, but the fact that he finally had the ability to make that choice made him feel hopeful. With that in mind, Guitar Dude happily submitted a Pokémon Trainer application and caught Grookey upon its approval. Guitar Dude has expressed that Grookey inspired his ambition to play the bongos.

Griffin & Rookidee

Arthur Griffin has always been territorial and cutthroat in nature. When he was a child, many believed his demeanor was just another childish phase that he'd grow out of once he started to mature. Truthfully, his mannerisms were learned. Being the youngest of several successfully intelligent and capable brothers, Arthur often competed with them for attention, affection, and validation. Despite this reality, he found that sometimes he didn't have the heart to constantly put up a fight. It was exhausting and led him astray from the person he wanted to be.

At school, Arthur was a pushover and a frequent target for teasing, name-calling, and other sorts of petty ridicule. With so much of his energy spent on scavenging for attention and respect at home, there was none left to spend at school. It seemed there'd never be enough money in the world to buy Arthur the courage to demand the respect of those around him.

His head hung low on his routine walk from school one afternoon, but the flailing and flapping of a wild Rookidee's wings caught his attention and ensnared him in a trance of awe. The Rookiedee pecked, poked, and scratched a horde of Skwovet surrounding and outnumbering it. Arthur watched in amazement as Rookidee continuously put up a fight even if it didn't stand a chance. Its courage and bravery was truly awe-inspiring. Rookidee managed to scare a couple Skowvet away, but the rest growled angrily and stood their ground.

Arthur ran to the Rookidee's side crying out "Stop! Don't hurt it!" as he stood firmly before the remaining Skwovet with his arms outstretched to the sides. He narrowed his eyes, furrowed his brows, and grit his teeth to craft the most intimidating look he could muster. His rutty exhales and belligerent gaze were identical to that of a Tauros; unwavering in their line of defense and unwilling to back down. Although Rookidee was battered and bruised from battle, it gazed up at Arthur with a hopeful glint in its eye, grateful to have someone come to its aid and invigorated to keep putting up a fight. It rose to its feet and squawked with all its might to disarm the small grouping of Skwovet. Arthur joined in with a battle cry of his own, and together they roared with every ounce of courage they possessed to drive their opponents away. Their moment of triumph was brief but meaningful. At that moment, Arthur knew he was destined to train this Pokémon no matter what. He took Rookidee home and vowed that as long as they were together, they'd never have to fight their battles alone again.

In the previous Big Time Pokémon blog, I categorized each team's lineup with fully evolved Pokémon. Going forward, I'd like to categorize the teams with varying levels of strength and evolution. I believe that fleshes out the characters more because varying levels of strength are indicative of their goals and individual journeys as trainers.

[tribbetherium]

"What them them flyer-beasts?" asked Brightbrow, roughly and hesitantly, in the tongue of the red-people, stalling and stuttering in the still-unfamiliar language.

"Dawn-coming-flyers," answered her companion.

For some time had the refugee highbrows lived by their side, and as the days passed more words which they heard slowly filled their repertoire. The red-people saw their attempts to speak as honest and true, and taught them, with the patience of a mother to pup.

"Dawn-coming-flyers," repeated Brightbrow, now feeling less alone in her exile from her pack. Now down to but three, as far as she knew.

She was different, yet their words made her feel like she belonged.

"Dawn. Come. Fly," repeated her companion in the red-people dialect, enunciating each root word, that formed the name of the creatures. "Dawn-coming-flyers."

"Food leaders," he said to her. "Come."

The dawn-coming-flyers were not but any flyer-beast, but ones the red-people admired. They perched upon places with food they could not reach and called out for assistance to what could easily have been a predator had it so desired: yet one that meant them no harm. Indeed, to harm them was a taboo to the red-ones.

Though the strange grey one was different, and the flyers were wary.

Brightbrow gave an experimental pounce, only to be rebuked by her companion with a firm but gentle tug on her tail.

"No," he said patiently, gesturing his snout slowly to the winged creatures. "Friends."

"Dawn-coming-flyers...friends."

He was a patient teacher to what to him seemed much like a very large pup. Inexperienced and naive to the ways of their world, in need to be guided, taught. Innocent and unknowing, he thought.

Yet the painful scars of the past she bore told him a different story.

"Dawn-coming-flyers find food. Dawn-coming-flyers not food."

"Find find food. Not food."

The dawn-coming flyers alighted near an old log some distance away, and began to call out in chittering squeals, and the red-one was quick to take up their lead and begin gnawing at the bark.

To her, his thin body and slender jaws seemed ill-fitted for such a task.

"Help," insisted Brightbrow, and the red-one was willing to oblige.

Her poweful jaws, built for tearing hide and cracking bones, made quick work of the wooden surface, and soon its pale, rotted interior was laid bare, among which were scores of swarming, pale insects, alarmed by their intrusion into their stronghold.

Brightbrow was a great help in many ways to the red-people.

"Come food," said the red-one, eagerly tucking in into the exposed swarm, while the dawn-coming-flyers gathered around, feasting eagerly on the escaping insects with reckless abandon, confident in the safety granted by their alliance.

Brightbrow was less excited about the meager offering, accustomed to the abundant meals their horn-herders once yielded. Yet, in a show of gratitude, she too took a tentative lick at the white wood-bugs to share with the red-one.

She gagged and pawed at her snout. They were certainly an acquired taste.

The red-one trilled in amusement, rushing to her side and licking off some wood-bugs clinging to her snout.

"First time wood bugs?" he asked.

"Last time last," she grunted in response.

The red-people were a very strange folk. Thinner, weaker they were, yet more creative. They fed on many kinds of food whatever the land offered, and some even grew their own. They told many stories of many forms and intentions and had many spoken tongues among themselves, and they all looked different, yet were one kin.

Suddenly her old, distant life felt dull, monotonous, in comparison, to the new world opened to her by the red-one. Her constant companion for the past few seasons.

She'd grown fond of this one, distinct from the rest by the third pale spot that adorned his face, among those who welcomed her and her brothers. At a time when she had endured the most horrific savagery from her own kind, here was kindness, in the most unexpected of places, that made her feel less alone in her solitude.

He had been valuable to her in the direst of seasons. A teacher to a strange people. A mentor to a new and unfamiliar world. And a warm, comforting body to rest against when her slumber in the night was disrupted by terrible visions and sounds of the past.

His true name was but unpronounceable to the highbrow tongue, and such she had dubbed him, in affection, Smallsun. For the small yellow mark that told him apart from the rest of the red-ones.

For the small yellow mark that marked him as her red-one.

"Not like unlike wood-bugs," Brightbrow complained. "Grey-ones bigger food."

"Not eat dawn-coming-flyers." Smallsun scolded again, but this time as a more light-hearted jab. "Friends. Not food."

"Yes, yes," Brightbrow gave a bemused whine. "Us find other else else."

---------

[tawakkull]

SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM: PART 4: TAWBA (REPENTANCE), INABA (SINCERE PENITENCE), AND AWBA (TURNING TO GOD IN CONTRITION) 

Repentance (tawba) means that one feels regret and, filled with remorse for his or her sins, turns to God with the intention to obey Him.

According to truth-seeking scholars, repentance signifies a sincere effort to no longer oppose the Divine Essence in one’s feelings, thoughts, intentions, and acts, and to comply sincerely with His commands and prohibitions. Repentance does not mean being disgusted with what is bad or prohibited and thus no longer engaging in it; rather, it means remaining aloof from whatever God hates and prohibits, even if it seems agreeable to sense and reason.

Repentance is usually used with nasuh, literally meaning pure, sincere, reforming, improving, and repairing.

Tawba nasuh sincere and reforming repentance means a pure, sincere repentance that perfectly reforms and improves the one who feels it. One who feels such a sincere, heartfelt, and true remorse for the sin committed seeks to abandon it, thereby setting a good example for others. The Qur'an points to this when it mentions true repentance:

O you who believe! Turn to God in true, sincere repentance (66:8).

There are three categories of repentance:

• The repentance of those who cannot discern Divine truths. Such people are uneasy about their disobedience to God and, conscious of the sinfulness clouding their hearts, turn toward God in repentance saying, for example: I have fallen or committed a sin. Forgive me, or I ask for God’s forgiveness.

• Those half-awakened to Divine truths beyond veils of material existence who feel an inward pang of sinfulness and remorse right after thinking or doing anything incompatible with the consciousness of always being in God’s presence, or after every instance of heedlessness enveloping their hearts, and who immediately take refuge with the Mercy and Favor of God. Such people are described in the following Tradition:

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: One who sincerely repents of his sin is as if he had never committed it. When God loves one of His servants, his sins do not harm him. Then he recited the verse: Assuredly, God loves the oftrepentant and those who always seek to purify themselves. When asked about the sign of repentance, he declared: It is heartfelt remorse. [ Abu al-Qasim ‘Abd al-Karim al-Qushayri, Al-Risalat al Qushayriya fi ‘Ulum al-Tasawwuf (Cairo, 1972), 91. ]

• - Those who live such a careful life that, as declared in a Tradition: My eyes sleep but my heart does not, [ Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari, “Tahajjud,” in Al-Jami’ al-Sahih, 4 vols. (Beirut, n.d.), 16; Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn Hajjaj al-Qushayri Muslim, “Musafirin,” in Sahih al-Muslim, 5 vols. (Beirut, 1956), 125. ] their hearts are awake. Such people immediately discard whatever intervenes between God and their hearts and other innermost faculties, and regain the consciousness of their relation to the Light of Lights. They always manifest the meaning of:

How excellent a servant! Truly he was ever turning in contrition (to his Lord) (38:44).

Repentance means regaining one’s essential purity after every spiritual defilement, and engaging in frequent self-renewal. [The stages of] repentance are:

1. Feeling sincere remorse and regret

2. Being frightened whenever one remembers past sins

3. Trying to eradicate injustice and support justice and right

4. Reviewing one’s responsibilities and performing obligations previously neglected

5. Reforming oneself by removing spiritual defects caused by deviation and error

6. Regretting and lamenting the times when one did not mention or remember God, or thank Him and reflect on His works. Such people are always apprehensive and alert so that their thoughts and feelings are not tainted by things that intervene between themselves and God. (This last quality is particular to people distinguished by their nearness to God.)

If one does not feel remorse, regret, and disgust for errors committed, whether great or small; if one is not fearful or apprehensive of falling back into sin at any time; and if one does not take shelter in sincere servanthood to God in order to be freed from deviation and error into which one has fallen by moving away from God, any resulting repentance will be no more than a lie.

On sincere repentance, Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi says:

I have repented and turned to God so sincerely that I will not break [the vow of penitence] until my soul leaves my body. In fact, who other than an ass steps toward perdition after having suffered so much trouble (on account of his sins)?

Repentance is an oath of virtue, and holding steadfastly to it requires strong willpower.

The lord of the penitents, upon him be peace and blessings, says that one who repents sincerely and holds steadfastly to it is has achieved the rank of a martyr, while the repentance of those who cannot free themselves from their sins and deviations, although they repent repeatedly, mocks the door toward which the truly repentant ones turn in utmost sincerity and resolution.

One who continues to sin after proclaiming a fear of Hell, who does not engage in righteous deeds despite self-proclaimed desires for Paradise, and who is indifferent to the Prophet’s way and practices despite assertions of love for the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, cannot be taken seriously. This is also the case with one who claims to be sincere and pure-hearted, but spends his or her life oscillating between sin and repentance.

An initiate’s first station is repentance, while the second is inaba (sincere penitence).

In common usage, inaba also refers to the ceremony held when one submits to a spiritual guide (as a murshid). While repentance requires the training of feelings, thoughts, and acts in order to move them from opposition to acceptance and obedience, sincere penitence demands a critique of the authenticity, sincerity, and sufficiency of that acceptance and obedience. Repentance is a progressing or journeying toward God that is, seeking to do what is pleasing to God and refraining from what is forbidden by Him. Sincere penitence is an ascension through the stations of journeying in God in other words, striving to live an upright life in self-annihilation and absorption in God so that one may seek His pleasure in all actions and thoughts.

Awba (turning to God in contrition) is an ascension through the stations of journeying from God meaning being responsible for guiding others after having embodied the Islamic way of belief, thought, and conduct.

In other swords, taking refuge with God in fear of dying as a non-Muslim and deserving eternal punishment is repentance; annihilating one’s self in God in the hope of preserving one’s spiritual rank is sincere penitence; and closing one’s self to any desires, ambitions, or aims other than God’s pleasure is turning to Him in utmost contrition.

The first is the state of all believers, and is expressed in:

Repent to God, O believers! (24:31).

The second is an attribute of saints and the foremost in belief and good conduct who have been brought near unto God. Its beginning is seen in:

Turn to your Lord repentant (39:54),

and its end is stated in:

He comes with a contrite heart (50:33).

The third is for the Prophets and Messengers, all of whom are appreciated and praised by God in the words:

How excellent a servant! Truly he was ever turning in contrition (to his Lord) (38:44).

The words of repentance uttered by those who are always conscious of being in the presence of God express the individual’s sincere penitence or turning to God in contrition. This is how the words of the best of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, should be understood when he said: I ask God’s forgiveness seventy (or one hundred, according to another narration or version) times a day.

Repentance is the act or manner of those trying to live an upright life while remaining unaware of God’s constant supervision of His servants and what nearness to Him really means. Those who live in awareness of God’s nearness regard it as heedlessness to turn to God as ordinary people do, for He directs them as He wishes, constantly supervises them, and is nearer to them than anything else. Their station is not that of the people of the Unity of Being ecstatic saints who view the creation while living in a state of being completely annihilated in God and therefore accept God as the only truly existent being. Rather, it is the station of the people of the Unity of the Witnessed scholarly saints who accept that the truly existent one is He Who is witnessed or discerned beyond the creation. More than that, it is the station of those progressing in the light of the Prophet Muhammad’s practice, upon him be peace and blessings.

It is merely an assertion and a groundless claim when those who have not attained this station, and thus live [merely] on the outer surface of their existence, talk of awba and inaba, and especially of the final points of these two stations.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

10) Leos class and way to his room

characters: Leo

Leo POV:

Then, it hit me.

I had been asleep during the lesson. It must have only been for a few minutes, but I had drifted off. The lesson was still ongoing.

I had been sleep-deprived for a while due to preparations for infiltrating Rummy college.

The teacher glanced at me while teaching math to the students, then turned back to the class.

It seemed he had noticed I had fallen asleep, but he didn’t say anything. He likely wanted to avoid drawing attention by acting like a teacher and getting on my bad side.

The school is becoming more and more ridiculous.

After school, it was time to go home, but in current case i had to go to the dorms.

In the classroom, some students were chatting, while others were heading off to their extracurricular activities.

I packed my belongings into my satchel and stood up from my seat. As I did, I noticed a few students hesitantly approaching me, as though they were trying to gather the courage to speak.

"Is something the matter?"

I forced a smile, one not meant for adults, but rather one I would show an old friend.

There were two students. I didn’t know their names.

"It’s been a while since you’ve been to school, right, Leo? Since you’re here, I thought it’d be nice to talk," one of them said.

The other student looked to their side, waiting for a response.

"Ah, yeah. You’re not in any clubs, are you?"

They tried to act casually, though their nervousness was evident.

"We’re in the archery club and we were wondering if you wouldnt... like to join?" one of them said.

"Actually, I’m not allowed to join any clubs … Sorry for not being able to join you even though you invited me."

I showed them a slightly gloomy expression.

"No, no! Don’t apologize! It makes sense—you’re a Pinochle, after all!"

"Well then, see you tomorrow!"

"Hmph…"

And with that, they quickly left.

I walked out of the classroom and strode down the hallway.

Clubs, socializing—all just excuses to get closer to me.

As I walked, I let my expression shift, lowering the metaphorical shutters on my face.

Manipulating kids like them is simple. I have the skills to overturn whatever impressions they might have of me—a survival skill, if you will.

There are always people who resent me simply because I’m a Pinochle. But I need to establish a foundation first. Fortunately, my behavior in class today was passable.

If I can maintain this impression, I can leverage the Pinochle name to extract information or influence as I need.

Using classmates as pawns might prove somewhat useful. Keeping a certain distance from them while doing so will be key.

I need to be prepared for this to be a long-term mission.

There’s no harm in taking my time, but I don’t intend to stay here forever either.

This time, my mission at Rummy college is to investigate the whereabouts of the x-playing Cards. Moving too quickly might draw unnecessary attention.

Other than dozing off briefly during class, I performed flawlessly. I answered every question posed by the teachers perfectly, outran the other students during running practice, and executed gymnastics routines that even outshone the performances of the athletic club members. I was so good that I ended up being used as a demonstration model instead of the teacher.

Though being singled out like that was irritating, public recognition minimized any jealousy from others.

After classes, I played the role of a student unfamiliar with the school's layout, showing weakness on purpose. Some sympathetic classmates invited me to lunch. My reflex was to politely decline, but I decided to accept, viewing it as an opportunity to gather information.

I also made sure to ingratiate myself with the teachers. Pretending to struggle with balancing family obligations and studies, I approached them after each class with questions. Of course, I didn’t have any real questions—there was nothing I didn’t understand. But people feel pleasure when they’re relied upon, and that often turns into goodwill.

If I keep this up for a few days, the groundwork will be complete.

However, the real problem comes after that.

This isn’t about the mission anymore. The thought of continuing to infiltrate the school itself fills me with dread.

I left the school building and walked along a stone-paved path lined with patches of grass. As I walked, the students instinctively parted like the Red Sea before Moses, making it ridiculously easy to pass through.

I passed several buildings bathed in the hues of sunset. The campus of Rummy School was vast, with numerous structures spread across its grounds.

Because the campus was so large, I found myself reflexively wanting to summon a hired car.

Luckily, I came across a shaded bench in a secluded area. Just because I was infiltrating Rummy School didn’t mean my branch office duties had disappeared. Some tasks were being handled by Bernard and Wendy in my absence, but there were jobs only I could do.

I sat down on the bench and pulled out my notebook. For a while, I immersed myself in work.

I always feel more at ease when I’m working for the branch.

As I continued working, I found myself relaxing a little. After emailing Wendy about an error in the ledgers, I put away my device, stood up, and left the bench.

After walking for a while longer, I arrived at my destination: the dormitory known as the House.

Rummy School is a boarding school, so students generally live and eat on campus. The House is where they spend their time when not in class.

Students are assigned to dormitories divided into four groups: "Spades," "Hearts," "Diamonds," and "Clubs." These names correspond to the four suits of playing cards, which are associated with the four provinces of the Forland Kingdom. However, a student’s group assignment has no connection to their place of birth.

I was assigned to the Diamond dormitory.

Daily life, as well as school events, are managed by dormitory groups, fostering a sense of camaraderie among those in the same suit. Each dormitory seems to have its own unique character, but since I’ve never participated in any events nor stayed long enough to notice, I can’t say I’ve grasped the details.

I arrived in front of the Diamond dormitory.

Since it housed about a quarter of all students, the building resembled a massive (yk what else is massive?) apartment complex. Above the wide-open gate, a large diamond emblem was prominently displayed.

Upon stepping inside, I was struck by the understated elegance of the place. Alongside electric lights, lanterns were also installed, giving it the air of a traditional hotel lobby. Rather than feeling dreary, the atmosphere was calm and serene. Students in tailcoats were scattered about, engaged in animated conversations.

The moment they noticed me, however, they immediately straightened their postures. Some even began adjusting their attire.

Internally sighing deeply, I flashed them a bright smile—enough to almost make a sound.

Even the upperclassmen among them instinctively returned the gesture with polite nods.

As I climbed the broad central staircase, I exhaled a real sigh, making sure no one could notice.

Now, what floor was my room again?

I walked down the corridor lined with individual rooms.

The sight resembled that of a hotel, though the children passing by, dressed in tailcoats or casually wearing variations of them, lent an uncanny air to the scene.

Checking the room number that Barnard had told me in advance, I searched through the many doors. With such a large number of rooms, it was no easy task to find mine.

Eventually, I arrived in front of my assigned room. The door, far too ornately carved for a mere dormitory, stood before me. From my pocket, I retrieved an antique key. Despite its simple design, its age made creating a spare a troublesome ordeal. I’d also heard that the keys used for certain facilities, like the staff room or valuables storage, couldn’t be duplicated.

Should anyone lose their key, they would be required to submit a written apology and face a hefty bill sent to their family. For someone like me, though, the amount was barely worth my allowance.

I inserted the key and turned it, but it spun freely.

It seemed the door wasn’t locked.

"Hey—finally decided to show up, huh?"

Accompanied by an irritating, raspy voice, the door flew open with a bang, nearly causing me to stumble forward.

[yandere-thingss]

nova headcannons for sick/mentally ill darling

Overworking Themselves

Immediate Intervention:

Enforcing Rest:

She would immediately step in, insisting that her darling take breaks and rest. She might prepare a cozy space with their favorite things to help them relax.

She would take over as many tasks as possible, doing their chores, cooking their meals, and handling their responsibilities to alleviate their workload.

Monitoring and Encouragement:

Strict Monitoring:

She would closely monitor their work habits, setting strict limits on their working hours and ensuring they take regular breaks.

She would shower them with praise and encouragement, reminding them of their worth and how important it is to take care of themselves.

Sickness

Intensive Care:

Nurturing and Caretaking:

She would become incredibly nurturing, tending to every aspect of their care. She’d prepare nutritious meals, ensure they take their medication, and provide comfort.

She would stay by their side constantly, monitoring their symptoms and reacting swiftly to any changes in their condition.

Creating a Healing Environment:

Comfort and Security:

She would create a serene and healing environment, with soft blankets, soothing music, and anything else that might aid in their recovery.

She might even take time off from her own obligations to ensure she can be with them 24/7 until they are fully recovered.

Self-Harm

Emotional Support:

Immediate Comfort:

Upon discovering any signs of self-harm, she would react with deep concern and sadness. She’d gently clean and bandage their wounds, showing immense care and tenderness.

She would hold them close, whispering reassurances and expressing how much they mean to her, emphasizing their importance and value.

Seeking Help:

Professional Help:

She would encourage them to seek professional help, offering to go with them to appointments and providing emotional support throughout the process.

She’d subtly monitor their behavior more closely, removing any potential tools for self-harm from their environment without making it obvious.

Body Image Issues

Affirmation and Encouragement:

Constant Affirmation:

She would shower her darling with compliments and affirmations, highlighting what she loves about their body and personality.

She’d make a point to show physical affection, like hugs and kisses, to reinforce her genuine attraction and love for them.

Positive Reinforcement:

Encouraging Healthy Habits:

She would gently encourage healthy habits, such as balanced eating and positive self-talk, always focusing on well-being rather than appearance.

She might subtly introduce activities that promote body positivity, like yoga or mindful meditation, joining in to make it a shared experience.

Sadness/Stress

Emotional Comfort:

Creating a Safe Space:

She would create a safe, comforting space for her darling to express their feelings without judgment. She’d listen attentively and provide a shoulder to cry on.

She’d prepare their favorite comfort foods and activities, aiming to lift their spirits and reduce their stress.

Stress Relief Tactics:

Stress Management:

She would introduce stress-relief activities, like watching their favorite movies, going for walks, or engaging in creative hobbies together.

She might draw a warm bath, give a gentle massage, or use aromatherapy to help them relax and unwind.

General Approach

Vigilant Care:

Constant Vigilance:

Regardless of the specific issue, she would maintain a vigilant watch over her darling’s well-being, using her surveillance to catch any early signs of distress or worsening conditions.

Her protective instincts would be in full force, ensuring her darling is shielded from anything that could harm them further.

Balance of Support and Control:

Balancing Care and Control:

While her actions are driven by genuine concern and love, they would also be tinged with her controlling tendencies. She’d strive to create an environment where her darling is dependent on her care and support.

She’d delicately balance her need to protect and control with providing genuine emotional support, ensuring her darling feels loved and valued.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Structure and Support:

Creating Routines:

She would establish clear and structured routines to help her darling manage their symptoms, providing gentle reminders and organizational tools.

She’d create a distraction-free environment where they can focus on their tasks, incorporating breaks to prevent burnout.

Emotional Encouragement:

Positive Reinforcement:

She would offer constant encouragement and praise for their achievements, no matter how small, to boost their confidence and motivation.

She’d find engaging activities that align with their interests to keep them stimulated and happy.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Understanding and Adaptation:

Creating a Safe Space:

She would take the time to learn about her darling’s specific needs and preferences, adapting their environment to be sensory-friendly.

She’d respect their need for routine and predictability, avoiding sudden changes that could cause distress.

Communication and Comfort:

Non-Judgmental Support:

She would use clear, direct communication and be patient with their social interactions, ensuring they feel understood and accepted.

She’d provide comfort items and create a safe space where they can retreat and decompress when overwhelmed.

ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

Patience and Consistency:

Setting Boundaries:

She would set clear, consistent boundaries while remaining patient and understanding, avoiding power struggles.

She’d use positive reinforcement to encourage cooperation and reduce defiant behaviors.

Emotional Support:

Empathy and Validation:

She’d validate their feelings and provide emotional support, helping them express their emotions in healthier ways.

She’d work on building a trusting relationship where they feel safe and understood.

DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder)

Understanding and Compassion:

Learning About Alters:

She would take the time to learn about each alter, respecting their identities and needs, and ensuring each one feels valued and safe.

She’d keep a journal to track any patterns or triggers, working to create a stable environment for all alters.

Stability and Support:

Providing Stability:

She’d offer consistent support and stability, helping to ground them during dissociative episodes and ensuring they feel secure.

She’d encourage professional therapy, offering to attend sessions for support if needed.

Bipolar Disorder

Monitoring and Stability:

Recognizing Symptoms:

She would educate herself on the symptoms and phases of bipolar disorder, keeping track of mood changes to identify patterns.

She’d create a stable environment with regular routines, minimizing stress and potential triggers.

Support During Episodes:

Managing Crises:

During manic episodes, she would ensure they stay safe, helping to manage their impulsivity without being overly restrictive.

During depressive episodes, she’d provide comfort, patience, and encouragement, ensuring they feel loved and supported.

Anxiety

Creating Calm Environments:

Reducing Triggers:

She would identify and reduce potential anxiety triggers, creating a calm, safe environment with minimal stress.

She’d use calming techniques like deep breathing exercises, aromatherapy, and gentle reassurances to help manage anxiety.

Emotional Reassurance:

Constant Support:

She’d offer constant emotional support, validating their feelings and providing a reassuring presence.

She might encourage professional help, such as therapy or medication, while being a steady source of comfort.

Depression

Offering Comfort and Care:

Being Present:

She would be a constant source of comfort, staying by their side, and offering a listening ear without judgment.

She’d gently encourage self-care activities, helping them with daily tasks to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed.

Monitoring and Encouragement:

Encouraging Treatment:

She’d encourage professional treatment, whether therapy or medication, and attend appointments for support if needed.

She’d monitor their well-being closely, intervening if they seem at risk, while always expressing her unconditional love and support.

General Approach

Unwavering Support:

Intense Devotion:

Her response to any mental health condition would be characterized by an intense devotion and a desire to protect and care for her darling at all costs.

She would go to great lengths to understand their condition, educate herself, and create an environment where they feel safe, loved, and supported.

Balancing Control and Care:

Gentle Control:

While her actions are driven by love, her need to control the situation might sometimes come off as overbearing. She’d need to balance this by ensuring her darling feels empowered and respected.

Her ultimate goal would be to create a life where her darling can thrive despite their challenges, always under her watchful and caring eye.

[wisdomrays]

WORKING HOURS OF THE DEVOTED SOULS: Part 1

Question: How is the volunteers’ understanding of working hours supposed to be? Will you share your considerations on how self-sacrifice relates to working hours?

Our time spent working for the sake of Divine truths can be considered in the same category with money and possessions donated for the sake of God—or with infaq to use a general term—with respect to their essential philosophies. Particularly in the conditions of the Meccan period, the issue of infaq was taken in the absolute sense: “…and out of what We have provided for them, they spend (of wealth, knowledge, power, etc., to provide sustenance for the needy and in God’s cause, purely for the good pleasure of God and without placing others under obligation)” (al-Baqarah 2:3).

As it is seen, God Almighty encourages us to spend as much as we can out of the blessings He provided us. In the same way, acting with a complete spirit of devotedness and spending our time on the righteous path with the absolute understanding of the Meccan period is a consequence of such horizons of self-sacrifice. However, one important point should not be overlooked. In order to motivate the volunteers, we can make statements like “They should spend as much as they can” or “They should run like noble steeds until their heart stops…” As such a style can be adopted for the sake of encouragement, some situations may truly necessitate one to give whatever one possesses and run breathlessly until he or she perishes. However, considering everybody in general, it is necessary to take human nature into consideration both regarding spending for the sake of God and planning the hours of working. That is, we are human beings, we have families to support and other responsibilities, and thus expectations from us should not be beyond what we can bear. There can be exceptional figures who do keep running until they perish. However, such sacrifice should not be expected from everyone, and such performance and program should not be taken as the basis for everybody. We need to make our plans by taking general facts into consideration and present our issues accordingly.

Following the way of the noble Prophet in programming our lives

In a hadith we can relate to our subject, the noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stated: “Indeed, this religion is easy, and no one will ever overburden himself in religion, except that it will overcome him.” That is, religion in its essence is not something beyond people’s power to carry out. By planning our time, putting things into order, and receiving support from one another we can easily carry it out. However, if one makes religion unbearable, that person should not forget that he or she will be overcome. One should take the issue in such a way that they will be able to carry out their practices during their youth, maturity, and old age alike; so that they can practice religion not as an individual, but as a family and a society. There can always be some people who totally dedicate their entire lives to serving in the name of righteousness and Divine truths, who totally forsake the world and are totally indifferent to anything other than serving faith. If such people do not try to impose their subjective case on others around them, there may be no harm in their preference. Among Sufis as well, there were the Halwati dervishes, who spent their lives as hermits. They completely closed their doors to the world in order to avoid any distractions that might avert their gaze. However, it should not be forgotten that this is not what is expected from the inheritors of the noble Prophet’s tradition. We meet those people’s greatness with respect. However, as the Messenger of God, millions of peace and blessings be upon him, conveyed the Divine teaching to his followers, he stated that being among people and putting up with the troubles they cause is better than living alone in retreat. In this respect, everybody is supposed to fulfill some responsibilities for the sake of their people and what befalls an ideal believer is to carry out that responsibility in the best way one can. Elevating oneself in a way depends on the people’s and future generations’ elevation. Therefore, one should develop wide-scale projects that take the relevant needs of society into consideration and then make the necessary efforts to realize those projects. In addition to doing that, they should plan their time without neglecting their personal religious life and spiritual progress, along with serving in the way of God to the best of their powers. Then everybody should fulfill their duty so as not to leave a gap in any part of life. They should efficiently plan their time and their divisions of labor; whoever can do what in the most perfect way, they should try to perform efficiently.

As Abdullah ibn Amr ibn As was an outstanding Companion with respect to his piety and God-consciousness; he was also one of the people who listened to and understood the noble Prophet in the best way. This blessed Companion would spend his nights standing at Prayer and spend his days fasting. Sometimes, he would not eat anything for two or three days in a row. Imagine what happens to a person who observes such a life of devotions. If he is married, he neglects the rights of his family. For example, a man who stands in Prayer until dawn may not have the opportunity to see his children and have a talk with them. He may be neglecting other responsibilities as well. Hence, on hearing about the situation of his Companion, the Messenger of God told him to sleep for a part of the night and pray during the rest, to fast on some days and not to fast on others; then he warned Abdullah that in addition to God’s right of worship, there are other owners of rights upon him, such as his own self, his family and guests, and that every rightful one should be given their rights.” With this warning, the beloved Prophet not only draws attention to the significance of objective responsibility that one can handle, but also to the necessity of good time management and putting things to do into order.

Getting back to the initial question, we need to be balanced in our understanding of service and notion of infaq. Imagine a factory owner who came to a charity organization and said, “I would like to donate my factory altogether. You can use it as you wish.” And let us say that some 10 other factory owners did the same. It causes a serious problem of handling things. Can the staff of that charity organization run those factories or not? Can the people who donated those factories give the donation they planned to make every year? You must take all of these into consideration. Acts of goodness should be realized in such a way that the business can continue running and the owner should be able to make a contribution every year. Otherwise, one who gives away everything will simply watch while others keep giving the following year.

[ithaquasbbg]

Song fic #2. I also have not listened to the song, so it’s based off the lyrics. Song is “Beach bonfire” by Sandro and Dayon. Going off the hurt/comfort vibe the lyrics give me, and how thoughts are piling up.

Watching over you - Ithaqua x reader

Pairing: Modern au Ithaqua x reader l

Tw: Ithaqua wants to die, Self harm mentioned but not graphically, prior to this Nathaniel died in a car accident so.. yeah.. it’s sad.

….

The sound of the dorms door opening snaps Ithaqua out of his thoughts, looking back to see you going straight to your side of the room, not even bothering to give him a ‘hello’. It hadn’t always been this way, you had once greeted him every day with a bright smile. But now it was as if Ithaqua didn’t even exist to you, and it hurt him.

It had hurt you too, of course, the way he left you. You spent days crying over him, not understanding why he had suddenly broken up with you, on a night that was supposed to be a big date for the two of you. But Ithaqua refuses to tell, so you refuse to waste more time crying over him, no matter how much you two had loved each other.

You didn’t mean to stop speaking to him all together, especially due to the fact you two shared a dorm, but that was the route you had gone down, a route you were too far down. You had no intention of talking to him again until the night you heard him sobbing in the bathroom with the door locked shut. You can hear a few words even with his unintelligible sobbing; apologies, curses. Though, what motivates you to speak to him isn’t the way he cries, or the way he yells that he hates himself, under the impression he’s alone. No, it’s the sound of him screaming out in pain that alarms you.

Upon opening the door, you’re met with a sight you’d rather forget. He holds a knife up to his right eye, hands shaking as his left eye is closed tight, blood dripping out of it. “Ithaqua!” You quickly take the knife out of his hands, taking notice to the way the blonde panics, turning his face away in shame and embarrassment. “…shit” you mutter upon getting a better look at his eye, grabbing Ithaqua’s hand and dragging him into your car. He’s too dazed to Protest, holding a cloth that you had given him to his left eye.

The next few hours are a blur, and you can barely stop to think until after the doctors are done treating Ithaqua. You run into the room and quickly hug Ithaqua, who’s eye is now bandaged. “You worried me sick…” you mutter, feeling the way he trembles beneath you. Moments later, you look up to see him crying, body shaking. “What’s wrong..?” He lowers his head in shame, wiping his uncovered eye as he continues crying. “I thought you hated me.”

Immediately, your eyes soften and you shake your head, despite the fact you had been ignoring him, you still loved him dearly after all! “No, I could never hate you-” “then why haven’t you been speaking to me?” He cuts you off, avoiding your gaze as he asks this. “…I” you pause, taking a second to think of a response. “Do you know how hard it is to pretend I’m over you, Ithaqua? To act like I don’t want you to hold me the way you used to?”

His eyes widen as he starts sobbing, staring down at his hands. “I can’t do this to you anymore, (Name), I can’t keep forcing you to deal with my issues..” This shocks you, the two of you sitting in silence for a moment, save for Ithaqua’s cries before you finally say something; “so.. all this time, you’ve still loved me?” He nods, slowly reaching out as if he wants to take your hand, to which you oblige. “More than anything.. and that’s why I can’t force you to stay..”

“No, Ithaqua” you squeeze his hand, wiping your own eyes as you look at him, “you’re not forcing me to stay. I promised I’d always be there for you, right?” He nods, sniffling. “Then let me be there for you now, let me comfort you.” You don’t ask him why he did what he did to himself just yet, knowing he’s probably too worked up over whatever it is to tell you. Instead, you slowly wrap your arms around Ithaqua and sit next to him in his hospital bed, allowing him to sob into your chest.

….

After he comes home from the hospital, back to your dorm and rejoining his classes, you know he’s not the same. “It’s all piling up..” he whispers one night, holding you tight in bed. “Mother… whenever I think about her all I want to do is disappear from this world..” this hurts to hear but you allow him to continue, knowing it could help him, if only a little. “She’s so scared of me, (Name)! My own mother hates me! How can I want to exist anymore if that’s the case..?”

“…Ithaqua, love, there are so many people in this world who would miss you if you were gone, including myself..” he whimpers as his grip on you tightens. “You… I wish I could see you like I used to.” This is the first time he mentions his sight since he had tried to blind himself weeks prior, and despite wanting to know why, you’ve been waiting for all that time to know why he did that to himself. “But.. if I see you, I have to see my face.. I have to see him.”

You know he’s talking about his brother, Nathaniel. Years prior, he had passed after an argument with Ithaqua, causing the latter to live in guilt since then. “It should have been me, (Name). It should have been me who died in mothers arms after that crash.. the last thing I ever did was tell Nathaniel I hated him.” He cries and cries as you rub his back in order to comfort him.

You sit for a while trying to comfort your inconsolable boyfriend before coming up with an idea, getting up and leading a very confused Ithaqua down a pathway to the beach, holding a notebook with a pen in your hand.

“Come here” whisper, sitting down on a towel with Ithaqua next to you, handing him the notebook. He looks confused, but you beat him to an explanation before he can even ask; “write down what you wish you could have said to Nathaniel, trust me..”

The confusion doesn’t disappear from his face but he writes down a long note. You don’t have the guts to look at anything except for the end, reading just the last sentence. “Brother, I miss you and I love you.” It reads, his signature following it. Slowly, you take a breath and look at him with a smile, handing Ithaqua a lighter. “Light it, let the ashes blow into the sky.” You tell him, watching as Ithaqua holds the note close to his chest. “He’s up there, in the sky, he’ll get your letter.”

“I…” Ithaqua swallows but eventually nods, slowly lighting the paper on fire and setting it down on the sand in front of the both of you two, tears running down his cheeks. Slowly, you wrap your arms around Ithaqua and allow him to cry into your shoulder. “He’s there, in the stars.” You kiss Ithaqua’s forehead, stroking his hair. “And he’s there with you, forever, watching over you, no matter what.”



[yourtastefulcannibal]

"Hello, Dr Lecter!" *sits next to him on the bench in front of several paintings*

"Thank you for your thoughts on my photo. It's not John Constable who I had in mind, but it was through my first options as well."

"Regarding your lifestyle as a polite individual..." *she sighs softly* "it's understandable and interesting. Being raised as such can influence an individual's behaviour towards the one you adopted it. I can risk to affirm you have nothing to lose by being like this. Yet, I risk again to affirm some might have mocked you for being always so stoic. But I think we both can agree politeness has done no harm to no one.

No worries, you have answered my question just as I expected you to do. I'm satisfied by the explanations I have received."

"I will refer now to your tardiness in replying. Can you agree with me it's considered being rude, Dr Lecter?"

She looks at the man next to her. "I doubt you would allow such behaviour should the situations (not necessarily with me) be reversed. While I understand time is precious and you are indeed a busy man, I'm hoping you have the same notion and you respect the time of your partners of conversation."

"As for my pseudonym you chose for me... yes, I am very pleased. Its meaning and history are very fitting with my self. Yet, the name is rather rare where I'm from because it's considered being an almost archaic name, used for girls at the countryside. But worry not. I will take no offence whatsoever. Some names, despite them being outdated, still remain beautiful and with a beautiful history."

"You mentioned I am a mystery to you. I would be overjoyed to explain why is that? I often considered myself an open book anyone can read."

Aspasia

Aspasia,

It seems you feel slighted by a perceived lack of attention to you on my side of things. That is a stance you are, of course, wholly validated in holding, and with your explicit expectations in mind I will endure not to further upset you in the future, however to make a promise that I will never fall short again would be to assure you of something I am not certain I will be able to uphold. My intention was hardly to be rude, however if this is how you have taken my lack of prompt response, it is hardly within my power to change your mind, nor would I hope to do such a thing.

As for John Constable not being the artist you were seeking, I would be curious if you ever did happen upon the correct artist in question. I did a good deal of research (a part of the reason why that question in particular took such a great deal of time to answer, as I even neglected others during this period of time) and decided upon the romantic style being most apt, but there are so many painters who create art in this style, classical and modern artists alike.

One reason I chose the name ‘Aspasia’ at all was due to its uncommon nature as a name in the modern age. I imagined that something too commonplace would not be befitting for you — while I also feared that too common a name might be underwhelming, where I promised I would offer a unique name. This is coming from a man named ‘Hannibal’ — at times, an uncommon name may be unfortunate and incide ridicule, but also such uncommon names set one aside from the crowd from the outset. It can be seen as a boon or a hinderence, depending on one’s view in the moment.

You are a mystery due to the fact that you seem to know me, my character and life, quite well, while I do not know the same of you. You seem to be intelligent, a lover of art and literature, and one who insists upon fairness and values reciprocity, but beyond this? I know very little of the woman from Romania to whom I speak. Do not feel obligated to share yourself with me, as I know firsthand that the ordeal of being known, as I have heard it called, is a terrifying one. I hardly feel owed, I assure you.

Kind regards,

Hannibal Lecter

[phvle]

Sociotype Profiles — ESI

Ego

Leading Fi

Foremost to the ESI is their focus on personal integrity and strength of character. ESIs are largely motivated by the strength of their personal convictions, providing personal feeling of what around them is good and what is evil, as well as the sense of obligation to protect the former and resist the latter. ESIs tend to be judgmental of people, forming firm opinions of others based on their actions. The main question concerning ESIs is the quality of connection they have with the people they meet, whether they share in personal values and can be trusted or relied on in times of need. As such, they quickly form opinions of the person's character from how they have acted and what they have heard about them, looking with scrutiny for anything that would make them an unsuitable contact. ESIs instinctively adjust their level of closeness with people based on their expressed qualities. ESIs have a knack for knowing the appropriate distance of their relations with others, keeping friends near, undesirables out of their lives and those between in different kinds of partnership depending on the circumstances. ESIs are motivated to connect deeply with certain other individuals and form stable, reliable bonds. They want someone they can feel comfortable sharing their personal selves with intimately and take such relations very seriously. A true friend is an ally for life, and they place great emphasis on personal loyalty, kindness and selflessness towards their friends. However, they can be prickly and will not easily forgive those who have betrayed their trust. In this way, the ESI creates stability, knowing well the few they can rely and depend on, while carefully keeping the rest at an arm's length.

Creative Se

ESIs regularly possess a steeliness and protect their sensitive nature with a tough shell. As such, they are able to enforce their convictions with determination and are not afraid to confront others if they feel it will do some good. For them, morally disgusting or wicked behaviour is something to be attacked, rather than allowed to continue towards them or the people they feel responsible for. However, ESIs usually choose their battles depending on whether people close to them are involved or not, at times cutting their losses and leaving the situation. Although their default position is to support more industrious people close to them, they can also make good leaders in matters they particularly care about, knowing who can be relied upon to help them. ESIs often believe in manifesting their ideals by example, challenging others close to them to follow. Although this toughness may intimidate some, others appreciate their dependable will to do right by their friends and will cherish their dogged loyalty. ESIs treat harm to their friends more seriously than harm to themselves and vehemently protect those they care about from interlopers, avenging wrongs done to them. Frequently, the character judgements of an ESI are harsh in quality. They instinctively size people up, trying to tell who is good and who is a scoundrel and will not hesitate to criticise scathingly in their frank estimation of a person's failings.

Super-Ego

Vulnerable Ne

In their reliance on stability in interpersonal relations, ESIs can be irked by the presence of ambiguity and may feel lost or uneasy when bereft of the familiar. Usually they will require people to say what they mean, disliking it when something has more than one possible interpretation, being puzzling or lacking straightforwardness. In such tricky situations, they may be overly stern and interpret things literally, possibly taking offence. ESIs are likely to have little interest in theoretical speculation, where a broad range of ideas are discussed without clear, immediate application. The ESI will likely feel confused by such pursuits, failing to appreciate its merits. However, they may tolerate it as a harmless past time, provided such a rambling and whimsical approach does not extend to real life. Their fear is that uncovering new territory will disrupt the clear continuity of where their life is going, opening up new windows that makes their future less straightforward. Furthermore, the ESI tends to be particularly suspicious of those who are unpredictable, needing people to be reliable. Rather than spend time speculating on a person's intentions, ESIs place greater faith in what they can see before them, judging people on the face of their concrete actions, or by looking someone in the eye and scrutinising their body language or mannerisms for deception. Should a negative decision be made, they are happy to avoid further contact, with little need to revisit the matter or offer second chances.

Role Ti

The ESI is well aware of the need to preserve law and order, and will often keep things organised and structured, laying down needed boundaries to prevent disarray. ESIs also tend to be quite logical and well reasoned in their discussions, being able to emphasise clearly some basic principles and the semblance of their thoughts in an objective, rational form. Despite this, ESIs rarely focus on these rulings as absolute, but as mere guidelines. For them, goodness cannot be written in a rulebook, but must originate from within. While communicating their ideals in a clear structure may be useful, it should not replace for them the personal quality of their convictions that forms judgements on sentiment rather than impartial deduction. As such, ESIs may enforce the law when they feel it is good, but may be at odds with the letter of the law when they feel the moral spirit of the law is being overlooked. In such situations they are often the first to voice their opinions and drop protocol over a matter of conscientious objection. In this way, ESIs are capable of being highly orderly, but will not be consistent in their commitments to such frameworks.

Super-Id

Mobilizing Ni

ESIs tend to possess a strong desire for a secure, long term future and often try to set out a clear plan for their lives. ESIs aspire to have clear goals in life and usually dedicate their efforts to following through on that purpose. However, without inspiration, some ESIs may be given to floundering in the choices available to them, which may be a source of stress. Often, there will be a particular outcome that they will want to see achieved in their lifetime, sometimes in the political or social spheres, and they will take pride in themselves by being able to stay the course and see it through to the end. To an extent, they will also be able to think ahead and try to avoid likely derailings that might happen from blindly following their ideals. However, ESIs tend to be impulsive in daily matters, and appreciate reminders on occasion that their actions in the present might take them off course for the long run. In this way, ESIs take personal pride in setting and reaching their goals, as well as successfully resisting any possible distractions or deviations from the path. When committed to a path, they may also be rather stubborn about sticking with it, and resist changes without adequate justification. Furthermore, ESIs place a great emphasis, not merely on the rightness of people's actions, but also their regularity and reliability in acting beneficially. ESIs tend to have good memories for people's merits and faults, not forgetting a wrong done to them and only forgiving sufficient remorse. From observing past trends, they are able to see who has proven themselves over time and as a result, adjust the level of trust with their close relations.

Suggestive Te

ESIs tend to rely successfully on their gut in making personal decisions, but when faced with more impersonal choices, lack the ability to assess the facts with the same shrewdness. ESIs tend to know their convictions but are less able to reach a pragmatic conclusion from assessing factual data. They may be rash in their judgements and quick to form opinions without due consideration, or take an overly long time to puzzle over the best decision. In unfamiliar situations, they may grow anxious, not knowing what to do or how to do it and feeling useless. Furthermore they can be clumsy with practical tasks and worry that they will muck things up when left to their own devices. However, ESIs are greatly appreciative of educated people with knowledge and expertise, who willingly offer information to help them form better stances. ESIs are usually critical of strangers with new information, but often look to a trusted friend or expert as their source and will call upon their advice in order to make informed decisions, believing what they say after ascertaining they can be relied on as a person. ESI may be very interested in bettering themselves, reading up on a variety of helpful texts or placing an emphasis on institutions of higher learning. In this way, they hope to learn and improve over time.

Id

Ignoring Fi

ESIs in general are uninterested in showing how they feel in an emotive or dramatic fashion, or even in modifying how they come across to suit public tastes, unless it is necessary to do so. Instead, their approach to emotions is highly personalised, depending on their relationship with the person they are talking to. When around people they do not feel such a connection with, they are more inclined keep their feelings to themselves under a polite veneer. When upset by friends, they tend to simply state how they feel in a matter of fact manner. For this reason, some can mistake the ESI for being more logical and objective than they necessarily are.

Nevertheless, when others are doing something they personally feel is wrong, they are inclined to speak out, and icily challenge the individuals regardless of the group mood. At the same time, ESIs are often emotionally warm with those they have fostered a genuine trust, and may be given to more open displays of affection and other feelings in such situations. With a strong preference for communicating to people they personally relate to, rather than being palatable to crowds, such emotions may even come across as overly sentimental to others.

Demonstrative Si

Frequently, ESIs are aware of their level of comfort and the harmony of the space they occupy. They will likely have a strong eye for detail and be capable with handling meticulously detailed information, such as carefully colour-coding important accounts and keeping tabs on the day-to-day things around them. However, ESIs are unlikely to place much emphasis on softness or pleasantness in their relations with others. They are more inclined to be tough with others who deserve it and will not back down from fighting an issue if it needs to be fought. Instead, an awareness of comfort will become most apparent in ESIs personally deciding their feelings on people and situations around them, being able to pick up on not only their emotional but physical reactions to others and use this to tune in on whether a person is right for them or makes their skin crawl. However, for those who are closest to them, there will be signs of comforting and care, with the softer side of the ESI showing in helping their nearest and dearest. ESIs are usually able to quickly decide upon how they feel about a person in the moment and at times this can lead to promiscuous relations with those they are comfortable around. However, ESIs will usually later regret such encounters, seeing such hedonism as not being conducive to long term benefit.

Source: Wikisocion

[rauthschild]

We have described for you the deplorable criminality which has gained access to our world through the British Government(s) and their collusion with the Holy Roman Empire -- the impersonation of people as different kinds of corporations, the illegal and unlawful direct taxation of civilians by private banks, the use of commercial corporations to usurp national governments, and we have touched upon the corruption of the courts, especially Admiralty Courts and the so-called King's Bench (Maritime Commerce) courts.

We have plainly stated that the courts are bonding court cases and presenting them as investment opportunities. The bond numbers are case numbers, and the odds of conviction and "commission returns" on these bonds run at 96% on average, so the Hired Jurists running these courts are highly motivated to secure convictions by any means possible ---- the courts and the court's officers share in the booty they collect.

Government "Investors" are also highly motivated to keep this gravy train running. Where else can you guarantee yourself a 96% rate of return on a short term bond investment?

When first confronted about this "Court Registry Investment System" court officials stonewalled and denied the existence of any such bond investment (and ultimately, payola) system by which they receive commissions, aka, "pension" payments from all the loot rolling in from the illegal confiscation of privately-held American assets and equally illegal betting on the rigged outcome of court cases controlled by Hired Jurists in the King's Service.

The Guilty Parties observe that there is no law against murdering corporations, stealing from corporations, impounding corporations, etc., but then, in the same token, corporations should have no ability to make unlimited political campaign contributions, should they?

Those responsible for the unconscionable contracts allowing them to create all these Puerto Rican shelf corporations, and the Roman Inferior Cestui Que Vie Trusts that result when the shelf corporations are bankrupted, should be paying all the charges and expenses of maintaining these corporations and should also be paying all taxes owed by these imaginary corporate franchises, too.

The living victims of this personage scheme should be held absolutely harmless from all charges and harm, but as everyone can see and attest, the Parent Corporations and Administrators have been evading their Usufructuary Duty and foisting their responsibility off onto the victims of their inland piracy.

The Admiralty Courts have been busy collecting booty belonging purportedly to "rebels" engaged in illegal commercial mercenary "wars", and salvage fees owed by foreign sovereigns, and managing the Estates of imaginary British Merchant Mariners, who all just happen to be "Taxpayers" --- Warrant Officers who are responsible for collecting tariffs for the King, who are all based out of Puerto Rico and all declared "missing, lost at sea".

The Maritime Commercial Courts operated by the British Crown have been fraudulently confusing themselves -- the so-called United States District Courts -- with district courts of the United States authorized under Article V of the Federal Constitutions. Under this guise of borrowed rectitude, they have been operated as "concessions" to take advantage of the Cestui Que Vie ESTATES purportedly belonging to Municipal "citizens of the United States".

Are we all beginning to get the drift of just how crooked all these operations are and the nature of the "courts" that have been foisted off on the people of this country, who have all suffered crimes of impersonation and identity theft and human trafficking, at the hands of men employed by them to protect their "persons" and who are obligated by contract and treaty to do so?

As mentioned in our International Public Notice: Impersonation, the British Territorial Rump Congress created by Abraham Lincoln changed the meaning of the word "person" to mean "corporation".

See 37th Congress, Second Session, Chapter 49, Section 68.

This was followed up on February 2nd 1871, when the 41st British Territorial U.S. Congress declared itself to be the Successor of all United States Corporations.

The "United States" being referenced is the American Federal Republic and its corporations.

This takeover was done with no Notice to the Public, no listing in the Congressional Record, and, most importantly, no Notice to the Federation of States. It failed all requirements of Due Process.

How is that even possible?

By February 2nd 1871, all the State Governments had been confused with State of State Governments, and the Brits had illegally included State assets as if they were American State of State assets, and rolled everything into "State" Trusts.

They had also demanded that the people of each State write new Constitutions allowing their own British Territorial State-of-State operations to take over.

The American States of States, such as The State of New York, were replaced by British Territorial counterparts calling themselves, for example, "the State of New York". The name change was so slight, a change from "The" to "the", that nobody but British Collaborators knew there had been any change at all.

The new "State" Constitutions enacted between 1863 and 1871 were equally vague and deceitful, appearing very similar to prior service contracts and calculated to hide what was actually going on from the American Public.

By February 2nd 1871, the assets of the actual Autochthonous Nation States had been illegally and illogically misidentified as assets of the Federal Republic and had been cashiered in covert State Trusts, like the Michigan State (Trust).

This is what gives rise to the grammatical nightmare of "the Michigan State Capitol" and "California State University".

As an analogy, if the company hired to mow your lawn went bankrupt, or for any reason failed to perform, would this justify an assumption that your property was part of their bankruptcy or incompetence? Would this scenario justify an assumption that your home was an asset of their bankrupt business? Or an unclaimed chattel of theirs?

Certainly not, yet this is precisely the "reasoning" employed to secretly latch upon the assets of the American States and cashier them in State Trusts controlled by the Perpetrators of this gigantic fraud scheme.

With the State assets illegally cashiered in trusts controlled by the Perpetrators under False Pretenses, the original American State of State organizations inoperable, and British Territorial States of States operating as franchises of the British Territorial corporation calling itself "the United States of America" --- Incorporated, there was nothing to stop the Perpetrators from bypassing Due Process owed to the actual States and People.

According to them and what they told the rest of the world, we had ceased to exist. Our lawful American Government was reportedly "in interregnum" and in the meantime, our British Territorial and Holy Roman Empire Federal Subcontractors were "assuming" a "custodial interest" in our assets.

In this way, the British Territorial Government under contract to our States, contrived to unlawfully convert our State assets into Public Trust assets controlled by their Agents, and to mothball and substitute their own "services" for both our Autochthonous American States-of-State organizations and our lawful State Governments.

This is all premeditated, malicious, self-interested legal chicanery and constructive fraud, by which our foreign employees have attempted to erase our national sovereignty, use our assets as collateral backing their debts, and ultimately, bring False Claims on Abandonment against our assets for their benefit.

We never abandoned anything, just like we never volunteered to act as "Taxpayers" and never knowingly adopted U.S. Citizenship, and were told nothing about the Roman Inferior Trust ESTATES established for us under the resoundingly False Presumption that we were ever "citizens of the United States", either.

These False Friends and False Representatives impersonated the American States and seized upon their assets, and have controlled our State assets by dint of secrecy, False Legal Presumptions, and False Claims dependent on similar names deceits.

Our original state-of-state entities doing business as, for example, The State of New York, were members of the failed Confederation.

Likewise, the stricken State Republics and Republics of State, such as the Texas Republic and Republic of Texas, were members of the failed Federal Republic.

Their assets might, arguably, be salvaged and secured by the British Territorial Federal Subcontractors doing business as the United States of America, Incorporated ---- but not the assets of our Autochthonous Nation-States.

Our Autochthonous unincorporated States of the Union are members of the unincorporated Federation of States.

There are no "United States Corporations" present for British Interests to seize upon or assume any custodial interest in.

In the same way, there is no excuse for them impersonating our States as State Trusts, substituting their state-of-state organizations for ours, nor any of the criminal impersonations and undisclosed registrations of individual Americans that have taken place.

There is no plausible excuse for them bringing their Admiralty and Maritime courts ashore and misaddressing American civilians as corporate franchises and foreign persons in their own country.

All of this is in direct violation of both The Constitution of the United States of America and The Constitution of the United States, Article IV, in its entirety.

These men and women are present in our country to provide us with essential government services in "good faith", not to practice crimes of personage against us and pretend that they are our "representatives", custodians, guardians, and trustees.

For those who cannot believe that the Admiralty and Maritime courts presently operating in this country have been used to promote illegal and immoral confiscation of Autochthonous American assets, to commit personage against average Americans, to create a rigged bond market and to provide commissions masked as "pension payments" to the men and women engaged in this criminal activity, we are attaching a 66 page pdf file that adequately explains the Court Registry Investment System (CRIS) and documents its receipts.

[shingekinohyrulewrites]

Beyond the Kingdom

Being a Princess in a peaceful kingdom has led to a quiet life.

Until you are kidnapped by a man from a magical kingdom that you had no idea existed.

Read first chapter on AO3 here

Read previous chapter on AO3 here

The two of you traveled for a few more minutes before he led the horse towards a thick grove of trees, stopping to disembark and helping you slide off. He produced an apple from his cloak and handed it to the horse, who munched on it happily. A blanket and picnic basket was also produced from his cloak and he laid out the blanket neatly, gesturing for you to sit down.

“We need to replenish ourselves. Come, Princess, have a seat and please eat something.”

Obliging, you sat next to him, pulling the cloak from around your shoulders to place on your lap to protect your modesty. Kageyama opened the basket and revealed a meal that contained roasted vegetables, grilled meat, and some dinner rolls. Mouth watering, you realized you were ravenously hungry. He piled some food onto a plate for you and gently handed it to you. His long fingers brushed against yours as you grabbed it, sending sparks throughout your body.

“Enjoy, Princess. Take your time as well. We’ll be alright for the time being.”

Smiling, you thanked him quietly before digging in. The meat was so tender and juicy you were practically drooling as you ate it. The vegetables were roasted to a degree that they were slightly crunchy, but it was somehow delicious. You finished the meal with the bread roll, ripping it into small pieces and popping them into your mouth.

Kageyama had snuck glances at you, soft smiles gracing his face as he watched you enjoy the meal. When you were done, he handed you a jug of water and you took a long swig. Satisfied, you plopped back onto the blanket, rubbing your belly as you closed your eyes to soak in the sunshine.

“Thank you, Kageyama. That was absolutely delicious.”

“Of course. Like I said, relax for now. We’ll continue the trek to your home. We have a little more to traverse but we’ll be okay.”

You turned your head to peer at him, watching as he continued to speak.

“I know from your perspective the forest was often dark and foreboding, but that was due to the magic that the King cast. In reality, this forest is rather lovely and sunlight filters through often.”

A small yawn escaped his lips.

“We’re technically still in the border between both worlds, but once we move a little further we’ll cross into your land.”

“Okay, no worries. You should rest too, Kageyama. You’ve used a lot of your magic.”

You didn’t bother to wait for a response. Closing your eyes, you let the warmth of the sun lull you into a light sleep. The sound of Kageyama’s voice softly calling your name had you slowly opening your eyes.

“Yes? Is everything alright?”

He was kneeling beside you, hands wringing together on his lap. Worried, you sat up, the world spinning as you began asking if he was alright. He hesitated before nodding.

“I . . . need to speak with you about something.”

“Of course,” you replied.

He hesitated again before sighing, a hand reaching up to run through his dark locks.

“Earlier, while we were escaping, I told you that I would not let any harm befall you.”

Your heart swelled as you recollected his words. Nodding, you gestured for him to continue.

“My intention is to protect you, and I want you to know that. However . . .”

He looked away, a slightly pained expression on his face.

“This is a bit of a . . . complicated situation. I can only protect you if you promise to do one thing.”

“Kageyama, just tell me,” you quietly urged.

His eyes turned to look at you. You froze upon seeing that one was blue and the other red. His brows furrowed as he spoke the next sentence.

“Please don’t run away from me.”

A part of you was hurt that he would assume that you would simply run away, especially after everything that had transpired in the last hour. The hurt must have been evident on your face because his expression immediately dropped, eyes going wide with panic. His hands began to wave frantically in front of him.

“N-no! Listen, I . . . I know that you won’t.”

He sighed, shaking his head as if furious with himself.

“But remember, this whole situation began because I kidnapped you. Any sane person would run away once they had a chance to escape.”

The hurt you had felt faded away and you realized he was right. You had been kidnapped, kept in a dungeon with little to eat and constantly cold. If it hadn’t been for Kageyama . . .

You shivered at the thought of what might have happened.

“I can only protect you if you stay close to me.”

“Don’t worry,” you blurted out. “I’ll stay as close as I can.”

Your cheeks warmed at your words and you shyly looked away. There was a moment of silence before Kageyama spoke again.

“We should be off. I think we’ve spent enough time resting.”

He stood up, extending a hand to help you up. Gently taking it, you relished in the warmth of his hand. Grabbing the blanket, he snapped his fingers and it disappeared, along with the basket. He guided you towards the horse, hoisting you up before settling behind you, his hand coming to rest on your waist again. Snapping the reins, he guided the horse towards the previous direction you had been heading and it settled into a steady gallop.

The rest of the day was spent traveling. It seemed the two of you had escaped at day break, with the sun traveling high into the sky before it began its slow descent. Dusk was fast approaching, and Kageyama decided you should rest for the night. He tied the horse to a tree, producing another apple for it before snapping his fingers and creating two tents for the both of you.

Before you settled into the tent he stopped you, a hand grabbing your wrist.

“I’m sorry this journey is taking so long. I fear that the King cast a spell to prolong our escape. They will not catch us, but it will take longer for you to arrive at home.”

He glanced around the treeline, listening to the sounds of nature around you both before looking at you again.

“We’ve finally crossed into your land. I can feel the last remnants of magic around us fading.”

With that, he finally let go of your wrist.

“Sleep well, Princess. I will wake you at daybreak.”

“You as well, Kageyama. Please, get some rest. I trust you to protect us.”

The smile that came onto his face then had your chest blooming with warmth. It was such a warm, affectionate smile, a smile that reassured you and made you feel safe with him. You both stared at each other before you decided to crawl into your tents. It wasn’t long before you fell asleep, exhausted from the day’s events.