#Updated Revision of an ask received on the personal

[moniquill]

Here is a brief summary of what is happening in Wikipedia right now:

In the last few years (3-4 years) the WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America, which was originally created to improve the quality and coverage of native issues and native articles on wikipedia, has been hijacked by a small number of users with an extremist agenda. They have been working diligently over the last few years to change the definition of both what it means to be an Indigenous American and even what it means to be state and federally recognized.

The four or five key players (Mainly Editor Yuchitown, Bohemian Baltimore, ARoseWolf, (now retired editor CorbieVreccan, Netherzone and Oncamera) who are part of the “Native American Articles Improvement Project” started implementing these changes slowly, but they started pursuing their goals aggressively after November 2023, when state-recognized tribes retained their voting rights in NCAI. Essentially, after the movement to delegitimize state-recognized tribes failed officially, the key players doubled down on altering and controlling the flow of information about Native Americans through Wikipedia.

The talk page of Lily Gladstone’s article has a relevant discussion here. Initially, the leaders of the WikiProject removed any reference to her being a “Native American Actress” and instead had her as “Self-identifying as Blackfoot” and “Self-identifying as Nez Perce” because her blood quantum was too low to be enrolled in either tribe.

You can see some of the discussion here:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Lily_Gladstone

Eventually they relented and changed her category to being “Of Nez Perce Descent” but you can see in the discussion that they are referring to an article that these editors (Yuchitown, Bohemian Baltimore, and CorbieVreccan) themselves appeared to have mostly written and revised:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_identity_in_the_United_States

This statement is very much at odds with even the government’s description, as seen below;

The DOJ Office of Tribal Justice Office on their webpage “Frequently Asked Questions About Native American”, question “Who is an American Indian or Alaskan Native” states:

“As a general principle, an Indian is a person who is of some degree Indian blood and is recognized as an Indian by a Tribe and/or the United States. No single federal or tribal criterion establishes a person's identity as an Indian. Government agencies use differing criteria to determine eligibility for programs and services. Tribes also have varying eligibility criteria for membership.”

In addition, “List” pages have been created on Wikipedia for federally and state recognized tribes. The Wikipedia “List” page for state-recognized tribes is inaccurate in its interpretation of state recognition and not supported by expert reliable sources--(1) Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law 2012 edition, (2) NCSL.org current stand on state recognition (not the archived list from 2017 which NCSL no longer supports), (3) Koenig & Stein’s paper “Federalism and the State Recognition of Native American Tribes: a survey of state-recognized tribes and state recognition processes across the United States” (both 2008 & updated 2013 in book “ Recognition, sovereignty struggles, and indigenous rights in the United States: A sourcebook”)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State-recognized_tribes_in_the_United_States

State-recognized tribes who have received recognition through less formal but acceptable means have been moved from the Wikipedia list page on state-recognized tribes to the Wikipedia list page of unrecognized or self-identifying organizations.

The Wiki page "List of organizations that self-identify as Native American tribes", in particular, is being used to purposely defame legitimate Native American individuals who are members of the tribes/Native communities that are on this list. 

By the parameters set up on Wikipedia, only the colonizer’s governments can acknowledge who is Native American through either federal recognition or state recognition. If an individual is not a member of a federally or state-recognized tribe, then it is determined that they cannot be Native American and are, instead, considered “self-identifying” or only “a descendant of ...” (example Lily Gladstone). As a result, Native individuals are currently being tagged as “self-identifying” and their names are put on “list” pages that strongly imply they are “pretend” Indians.

These editors have indicated that they would like “self-identification” to be the default setting for any people who they deem do not fit within the parameters that they themselves created within Wikipedia.

Moreof, these editors are admin and senior editors within the Wikiproject Indigenous Peoples of North America, and are being called in specifically to weigh on Native Identity, and any project involving any Indigenous Group.

Any attempt to correct misinformation, add information, or change any of these articles is often met with being blocked, reported for various offenses, or reported for having a Conflict of Interest, whether or not that is actually applicable. They have use this strategically in many different pages for many different individuals and groups within the scope of their Wikiprojects.

While changing things in Wikipedia does not change the truth, it is a way to control how most people take in information, and thus they hope to manipulate the narrative to better suit their goals.

This is quick and messy but:

Here is a link to the google document with the other state recognized tribes (Including yours) that were edited by these editors. This is an incomplete list so far that only goes back to September 2023 but I am going to add to it. If you can add to your own part of this list, and send your complaints and information to the arbitrator committee (the email is below) with the involved editors, this will help our case.

The  more tribes who complain, and the more Wikipedia editors complain, the better our case will be. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YNDEjLTrrZ_mMIRCVxtvt69FwCYpJWKs71lBhWa5a9M/edit?usp=sharing

The place to make complaints on Wikipedia is oversight-en-wpwikipedia.org , and

arbcom-enwikimedia.org . It is most helpful to have an editing account on Wikipedia, because Yuchitown and the others will try to defend themselves using Wikipedia methodology and make anyone who confronts them look like the aggressor (see the other tribes who tried to fight back on Wikipedia I found).

The more people and tribes make complaints the more likely it is that this will work and we can rid ourselves of these monsters.

Some of the tribes I have spoken to are taking legal action against these editors. Any groups affected by their policies should also reach out to the news to make knowledge of this more widespread.

Thank you

- quoted with permission from an email sent by an associate of my tribe. Message me for their email address if you'd like to reach out to them.

[within-your-eyes-if]

September 1st Progress Update

Hello everyone!

First, I apologize that there was no progress update for August. I took a break after the last update, and then personal matters came up, which extended it.

I'm starting to find my rhythm again, life loves to toss us into loops. I have the codes implemented and working, a few scenes done, and more revisions underway — particularly focusing on the poly routes. I wanted to share some samples today, but I want to polish things a bit more first. I'll make a random post with those soon.

Patreon: It's still in the works, I promise, but I'll be honest: I got a bit of cold feet. I had things planned out and ready to go, but self-doubt crept in. I'm working through it, and I'll probably launch it once the first chapter's new systems are fully implemented so that Patrons can check it out.

Asks: There's a lot I'm trying to consider. I'm not quite sure how I want to proceed just yet, and I'm sorry for any uncertainty. Right now, I'm trying find a balance for everything again.

Save Issues: I've received reports of save issues on mobile. This seems browser-related and not something I can fix myself. I've tested Firefox and found no issues personally. Someone on itch.io shared that Kiwi Browser and Brave work as well. Opera GX doesn't work at all, and Google Chrome seems to be random.

Anyways, it's a bore of an update and I'm sorry for that. I look forward to sharing some samples for these new systems and seeing what you think! Thank you all for your patience and support. Have a lovely month!

[streaminn]

Note! Prices can change and vary depending on what is being commissioned! None of these are concrete

+10-15 usd per person

+5-10 usd depending on the background

Note: There can be additional charges due to paypal fees

And you can ask for more examples! Please Dm for more info and all that jazz :^)

Can Draw!

Fanart

oc’s/humanoids

pngtuber models

character sheets

horror, gore (not excessive)

Chibi

NSfW

Might Draw (We’ll need to talk about these requests)

full on furries (not so experienced)

excessive gore/horror (same excuse as above)

comics

honestly, if it isn’t in the Can Draw, let’s talk about it.

Will not:

hate art

anything political

if it crosses my boundaries

Terms and Service! (this is a long one)

The client may ask for progress updates every 2-4 days, if not longer, should the commissionee not be in contact.

The art may take longer than the estimated time the artist gives. Should that be an issue or concern, the client must tell the artist.

In commissioning the artist, the client acknowledges that the artist is a student and that this is not the artist’s full time job, and the client should not expect the artist to be able to treat it as such.

IMAGE RIGHTS

The client may not, in any way shape or form, use the art in a commission product for NFTs, no matter how much they offer to pay the artist. Should NFTs be made of the art without consent, the client gives full consent for the artist to take legal action against them.

The client may make minor edits to the completed commission (e.g. cropping, adding text/borders, changing brightness/contrast/hue/saturation…

The client may use/reupload the commission for personal/non-commercial use, but only if proper credit to the artist and a linkback to any of the artist’s social media is provided.

If the commission includes characters that do not belong the client, additional credit to the owner(s)/creator(s) of said characters must be provided when using/reuploading for personal/non-commercial use.

The client may not use the commission for any commercial use unless discussed with the artist beforehand.

^ Should the client use the art for commercial use, provided the artist’s consent, the artist will receive an agreed-upon percentage of the sales profits.

The client MUST credit the artist for any usage of the art on any platform.

The client MUST ask the artist if they want to use their art as a reference, and proceed to credit each time the reference is used. REVISION POLICIES Once the coloring stage begins, the only major revisions permitted are details that the artist may have missed and was specified by the client in the order while the commission was still in the sketching/lineart stage (e.g. a missing tattoo that’s essential to the character’s design).

If the client is unsatisfied with the commission, the artist is willing to discuss and make minor edits as stated prior (e.g. adjusting colors). However, the artist will not redraw the piece and expects full payment, as the client should have specified in the sketch stage changes they wanted to be made.

The client may not hire another artist to adjust the image without the commissionee’s consent.

The artist is willing to edit the image post commission for the commissioner, but may charge a small fee depending on what is being asked of them. Upon commissioning the artist, the client automatically agrees to the terms of service provided, as it is assumed they have read them.

-

…and that’s about it? Just don’t expect me to be obligated to draw something and we'll figure something out. Not to mention that depending on how much commissions i’m getting and how busy i am, the art will take atleast a few days to a week!

If you got references, provide them! It’ll help alot. You can also ask for progress updates, just don’t mind me accidentally not seeing the message bc this is tumblr and I don’t get notifs for some reason.

as of rn, im accepting payment through ko-fi and paypal

But ye! That’s about it, thanks for seeing this yall. If you want to see more examples, simply look at the tags below in my account!

[smallear]

commissions are currently open !!

additional info below the cut 

the time it takes for commissions to be completed varies as i am a full-time college student. it typically takes anywhere from four days to two weeks to complete a commission, but i will always check in and give updates if it may take longer due to outside circumstances.

terms of service & payment information:

payment must be upfront and in USD. i only accept paypal.

if you have not received a sketch within two weeks (14 days) you are eligible to ask for a full refund. refunds will not be given once the sketch is completed and agreed upon.

i do not draw nsfw or heavy gore.

commissioners are free to request up to two free revisions. after this, a fee will be charged. mistakes with a character’s markings or colors will not be counted as one of your free revisions.

art is for personal use only, and my watermark must remain on the piece. if it is reposted by you (the commissioner) or a person who has bought the design of your character, proper credit must be given. art must be taken down upon artist’s request.

if you are interested in commissioning me, please dm me on tumblr or discord.

in your message, please include:

the type of commission (full body, reference sheet, etc) 

reference(s) of the character 

descriptions of what you have in mind for their pose/expression

any additional details (background, accessories, etcetera)

if your commission is a custom design, please state what ideas and/or you have in mind for their appearance.

[rosetinteddrms]

[ you've received a message from ] : rose ･ * . ･ ✤︎

[ subject ] : life updates, exchange & free readings

click the button down below to open !

hey so i know it's been a minute since i've been active... and i know this isn't another pac, but ! anyone who wants a free or exchange reading on anything should read the rules down below and send smth in. :]

and for anyone wondering when i'll post another pac: it'll be sometime soon. i was working on the theme a little earlier. it's just that my pac's take me a minute because i just yap so much and i keep finding new energies in them. so i like, just have to write and revise them until i think it's everything that my guides were trying to tell me. ;-;

so if you don't get a spot in this, it's ok because i got smth for my dreamers cooking up soon. also, because a new semester is starting, i'll definitely be using this account as a way to stay sane, so expect more frequent updates :s

[ CLOSED ] the requirements for the free readings are:

if it's more then one person, (eg. you + someone, someone + someone, etc.) initials are preferred

if it's for only you, an emoji please

once you receive the reading, i would appreciate it if you gave feedback

if you are participating in this game, please have the label [ALYSSUM] at the top of the message

one [ALYSSUM] ask per person. if you send multiple questions/asks, i will not respond.

if you have a general question about me or for me or just any clarification, please have the label [PEONY] at the top of the message

anons are welcome

the first ten people to send an ask that adhere to the above rules will get a free reading that uses 3 cards :3

[ OPEN ] the requirements for the exchange readings are:

if it's more then one person, (eg. you + someone, someone + someone, etc.) initials are preferred

if it's only for you, an emoji please

you must have at least one previous tarot reading up on your blog (pacs, collective messages, etc.)

once you receive the reading, i would appreciate it if you gave feedback

if you are participating in this game, please have the label [ASTER] at the top of the dm and then introduce yourself ! (i'll do the same)

one [ASTER] dm per person. if you send multiple questions/asks, i will not respond.

if you have a general question about me or for me or just any clarification, please have the label [PEONY] at the top of the message

anons are not welcome

the first five dms that adhere to the above requirements will receive an exchange reading with 3 cards !

[animangasecretsanta]

Welcome to Animanga Secret Santa Exchange 2022!

Hello! We’re excited to be back to host a 3rd year of general Animanga Secret Santa! Sign ups are now open! If you’re unfamiliar with this event, read more here.

⍋｡❅*⋆ TO JOIN, COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS BY NOV 10:

Be any creator (graphic/gifs, manga colorist, fic writer, artist, editor, etc).

Open your ask box.

Enable anonymous messages.

Enable DM from people who aren’t following you.

Reblog this post to spread the word.

Read all the rules. (Returning participants, we revised again!)

Submit an application. Please submit via desktop because mobile app doesn't allow you to see what we ask for in the form.

⍋ ｡❅*⋆ HOW IT WORKS:

Once you have been assigned a name (Nov 11 - Nov 13), creation period begins (Nov 14 - Dec 23). Please take this time to get to know your assigned person by sending and answering anonymous asks at least once a week. The goal is to get to know your person better so you can make them the ideal gift during this creation period and maybe make a new friend!

⍋ ｡❅*⋆ GIFT & RECEIVE:

Post your gift and wait to receive yours between December 24th - December 26th,  give or take a day due to timezones. Be sure to mention @ your giftee and tag #animangasecretsanta in your post so we can reblog your gift!

⍋ ｡❅*⋆ EARN A CHALLENGE BADGE WITH ANIMANGACREATORS:

As a fun bonus this year, we're also partnering with @animangacreators to let AMC members who participate earn an exclusive challenge badge upon completion! Please see their blog for details on how to be a member. This extra bonus doesn't include fic writers (check AMC FAQ) Note: Being an AMC member is NOT a requirement to join our Secret Santa.

Our inbox is always open if you have any kind of questions, suggestions, etc! Please also follow or check out our blog for updates.

We are open to all creators, new and returning participants, so feel free to join us!

[b-courageous1010]

Day 2: Building Better Habits

I started the atomic habits 30-day challenge and I’m actually excited! I tried reading the book but I felt like there were a lot of filler stories and I just wanted the facts. The challenge includes a guided email course of 11 lessons. I will receive 1 lesson every 3 days, which is good as it gives me time to digest the material.

Lesson #1 Build Identity-based habits

The idea is that your identity emerges from your habits. The more you practice your habits the more you reinforce your identity. In order for your habits to stick you must change the mindset behind your behavior. James Clear suggests to focus on what you want to become rather than what you want to achieve. The goal is to start with small steps and celebrating small wins. The lesson suggests asking the question below:

"Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?" What would an organized person do? What would a healthy person eat?

So here are my desired characteristics:

Balanced

Healthy eater

Appreciative

Organized

Creative

Responsible with money

Here is my desired identity:

When I limit my media consumption, I embody the identity of someone who is focused and productive.

When I eat breakfast every day, I embody the identity of a healthy eater.

When I start my day by filling out my gratitude log, I embody the identity of someone who is appreciative.

By revising my personal notes every day, I embody the identity of someone who is organized.

By making a spending budget, I embody the identity of someone who is wise with money.

When I do a daily oracle pull I am embody the identity of someone who is grounded.

Over the next couple of days I’m going to read chapter 2 of atomic habits as it was suggested as further reading and start implementing small habits such as

Making my bed every morning

Start the day by journalling gratitude

Pull an Oracle card once a day

Balance my budget once a day (this should be quick if I’m consistent)

Only go on social media during lunch and after work

Update my personal OneNote regularly

I’m also doing a music challenge with my aunt and day 2 was name a song people would be surprised you like. I went with Faith Hill “This Kiss”. I love music and starting my day with the music challenge is already showing benefits 💜

[hyunnieshannie]

BOUNDLESS | HHJ

Series: Boundless

Pairing: Hyunjin x Female Reader

Part: 7 (revised)

Genre/Warnings: Fantasy AU || Non Idol Au || Kumiho Hyunjin || harsh words (swearing) || Dom!Hyunjin || degradation/name calling || mentions of anxiety || self esteem issues || Unprotected sex || Explicit sexual actions <biting, hair pulling> || oral (fem receiving)|| mentions of death <none of the main> || mentions of feelings of guilt, and loss|| (Anything else I have missed just let me know and will be added in, more warnings will be added with each chapter update)

AN: Oh... by the way... boundless is back <3

PREVIOUS SERIES MASTER LIST NEXT

A soft knock on the door sends you flying up in bed, looking around the dark room and realizing that it is now the middle of the night. You had spent the day hiding away in your room until you eventually fell asleep. You shift in the bed, standing up and stretching. Your muscles tense from the lack of movement. Slowly you make your way towards the door, opening it to see Hyunjin standing there like a lost puppy. 

Keep reading

“How are you feeling?” He whispers as he stares at the ground, 

“Tired mostly,” it was the truth, your body and mind were both depleted of any energy you had previously. To you, your tiredness came from over-thinking. Anxiety takes a whole lot out of anyone’s energy so it was only reasonable for you to be exhausted.

“Yeah,” He sighs, “I shouldn’t have let Jeongin go that far.” 

“Huh?” 

“He drained you pretty bad,” Hyunjin reaches into the pocket of his pants pulling out a small plant. “Here-” he extends his arm out, still looking to the ground as he hands it to you, “I made Felix grow it,” 

“What is it?” 

“Just an herb, it’ll help you feel better for tomorrow. It’s a long walk.” His voice is shaky, something was bothering him, something he felt he couldn’t tell you. 

“Want to come in?” You ask as you take the plant from his hands, looking at it wondering what you were supposed to do with it. Do I make tea? Do I just eat it? He nods softly before slowly walking in, keeping a safe distance from you. You walk closer to him, hoping that maybe he’d just look up at you so you could figure out what was wrong. Something. Anything. Just his expression would at least help give some sort of context but as you raise your hand to push his hair back from his face, he flinches. 

“Please don’t.” He looks away quickly, 

“Hyunjin…” you sigh, “What's wrong?” 

“Nothing.” It wasn’t nothing. 

“You won’t even look at me,” he doesn’t respond, “Hyunjin tell me what's wrong, please.” 

“It’s nothing y/n… please, I’m okay.” his voice still shakes as he fiddles with his hands, in an attempt to distract himself. 

“You’re- no. Don’t lie to me right now, that’s not fair. Last night, you opened up… what makes right now any different? Last night you-” 

“I’m sorry about last night,” he sighs, 

“You regret it.” you say, your heart dropping with an ear-ringing shatter that only reverberated in your own head. Your heart hurts at the thought that you did so poorly he’d regret his decision. You can’t figure out why your heart hurts so much. He’s a stranger, from a world that isn’t yours. He’s quite literally a fictional person, written beautifully, elegantly, softly; on the blank pages of a book. Who was I? To think, he’d have magically fallen for me just a day after meeting me. If Changbin couldn’t see you for you- as someone who’d interacted with him in classes for months- if any of your previous crushes couldn’t either… Then what would have ever made you think that this terrifyingly beautiful person could? Your voice trembles as you seek out your next words, “I’m sorry if I wasn’t good enough, I-” 

“No!” His gaze finally shoots up, looking at you with teary eyes. “No, it’s not that, Y/N, it has nothing to do with that- I promise you, I don’t regret anything.” he runs his hand through his silky blonde hair, grabbing a fistful of it as he tugs at it, “I just fucked up, I fucked up and I- I have to live with that now.” your tears sting as they begin to fall.

“You don’t regret it- but you fucked up?” Your body shakes, you can’t tell what you're feeling now but it hurts, god, it hurts so bad. “What the fuck does that mean, Hyunjin?” you huff, trying to slow your breathing as your body tenses in a panicked shock. “How could you not regret it but still think you fucked up?” A moment of silence.

“Don’t.” he says, “Please, Y/N, don’t cry… I can’t handle it,” his eyes water more. The memory of Changbin rushes back, how he held you, looking hurt while he tried to explain his little dare. 

“Just like Changbin,” you sigh, “I told you what happened. Then you fucking sleep with me and now here you are- telling me how you fucked up.” You laugh through tears, “Fuck I’m so fucking stupid,” you choke out. 

“Y/n..” Hyunjin looks like he wants to close the distance, to hold you. To tell you what he meant but he can’t find the words, he can’t even begin to explain what he had done. 

“What.” You hiss, white-hot anger replacing the pain in your chest. 

“I can’t watch you cry,” he steps forward, bringing his hand up to wipe your tears, but you step back. Creating even more distance between the two of you, “Y/n…” his hand drops as he grips at his shirt harshly, knuckles turning white. Coward. He thought to himself. He couldn’t help it. It was his mistake, it was his problem to deal with, one he’d live with until he died, one that would continue to be an issue- even after you had long gone back to your own world. One that would haunt him. Every. Single. Day. 

“Don’t touch me,” you shake more, everything about him conveying a deep sadness, “Was last night just your fucking Gumiho shit? You learned to control it and thought you’d test it out?” even through your words his expression doesn’t change, he merely stares at the ground taking deep breaths in. 

“No, it wasn’t.” 

“I can’t do this.” you sigh, “Just fucking say you made a mistake being with me and get out-” 

“THAT WASN’T THE MISTAKE.” He pleads, “I FUCKED UP TWICE ALREADY Y/N, TWO FUCKING TIMES, ANY MORE AND I’LL JUST HURT-” He stops and takes a deep breath, steadying himself. “I don’t know what to do Y/N… I’m scared of it, but it’s already been done. I’ve already done it and I can’t take it back, and it’s going to be with me my whole fucking life! You don’t understand- you don’t know how fucking bad this hurts- and I can’t even bring myself to explain it to you because I’m barely even fucking processing it myself!” He throws his hands up and stares at you, eyes brimming with tears, “So what do I do?” 

It hits you, “Is this about what happened with Jeongin earlier?” You watch him crumble, tears finally spilling from his dark eyes, face reddening as he fights the thoughts within himself, he nods. “Did you take-” 

“No,” Jeongin says as he appears at the door, “He gave.” Jeongin walks in and sits himself on the bed, looking between the two of you. “And now he needs to live with that.” His tone was serious. 

“Jeongin don’t,” Hyunjin whispers.

“No, you’re being upset and loud in the middle of the night so here I am to fucking calm you down before you run away- don’t act like you weren’t going to either.” Jeongin snaps, looking at Hyunjin, eyes narrowing as he continues, “Do you think you’d survive out there? How long do you think you’d last as a human in the woods? I give it about an hour before you’re taken in.” 

“I know my way-” Hyunjin tries to defend himself, only for Jeongin to cut him off again. 

“You knew your way. You chose to forget it.” Jeongin shakes his head, “You chose that path over what you are by nature,” 

“I don’t need another scolding right now, Jeongin, let me deal with this please.” You watch as the two boys argue amongst themselves. He forgot? Forgot what?

“Can someone just fucking explain what this is, for Gods sake.” you mutter as you wipe away your tears. 

“It’s only half done,” Jeongin sighs, “She’s still affected by the charm, so at least there's that.”  He ignores you completely as he calms Hyunjin, and though you think the words have no effect, Hyunjin seems to settle down a bit. “You need to choose whether to complete it or not, and you only have tonight. That’s all the time you have Jinnie,” Hyunjin nods, “and if you can’t, then theres no reason to continue the conversation,” Jeongin gets up, pausing at the door as he looks back at the two of you, “I’ll let you explain yourself, but either choice Jinnie, you have to live with, and it will hurt both ways.” he closes the door, and you’re left there with a sullen looking Hyunjin. 

“What did he mean Hyunji-” 

“The first time, I took from you.” He sighs, “Then last night,” his voice trembles and he paces around the room as he takes long, deep breaths in, “Last night I let you take from me.” 

“Tell me this isn’t some sort of virginity reference,” you awkwardly laugh.

“No. It’s not.” he looks back up at you softly before walking over to you. Standing so close you could feel the heat radiating off of his body. “I took a part of your soul Y/N, you took a part of mine.” Your eyes widen at his statement, because what the fuck? You’re not a magical creature that could do things like that?

“How could I have? I’m not like you-” 

“Because I offered it, because I willingly held it out for you to take without thinking. My mistake wasn’t choosing you, Y/N, my mistake was doing so knowing you would be gone soon.” 

“I- I need a better explanation Hyunjin-” 

“We take, to survive; but I have never taken a full soul- I’ve never taken anyone’s life.” he explains, “Only portions in order to stay alive.” 

“And that has to do with-”

“We don’t give. Not often,” he sighs as he brings his hand to cup your face, “We only give if we-” he goes quiet, “fuck.” he mutters, “The best way to put it is this,” he reaches down to your shoulder, lightly pulling at the material of your shirt, exposing the mark he had left on you the night before, “I gave a portion of myself to you, and it usually manifests in its own way, but I fucked up and went and did that- basically rushing it. Instead of letting it develop at its usual pace- and it will live on you forever. I don’t know how this cross world shit works but from what I do know, that mark on you will stay. That’s our way of pledging loyalty.” he says as he caresses the mark, “It could have developed slowly, it could have become such a beautiful thing.” he sighs, “But in the moment, I felt like I didn’t have time so I rushed it. I fucking rushed it.” 

“Explain that, please,” you say as you look at him, 

“I tied myself to you forcefully, rushed. Normally, it would develop slowly, falling in love is supposed to happen slowly,” he says dreamily. Falling in love… “So when I say I rushed it, I mean I overwhelmed myself with every feeling that should have come slowly.” 

“You can’t love me… you don’t know me” you stutter out as you attempt to wrap your brain around this fucked up explanation. 

“I do know a part of you. Here's the thing, Y/N, the mark doesn't appear if you’re not… compatible. If there were no chance of feelings ever developing it wouldn’t have come. I would have just lost a part of me- but it did. It fucking did. I saw it this morning and I- it all hit me at once, every little fucking feeling, every moment I could have given you, all because I fucking did something I didn’t fully understand.” 

“Okay, so, wait,” you push him away softly, “Let me get this right- you guys can give a part of yourself to people… to test compatibility?” he nods, “-and if it works somehow it- this mark- would develop slowly?” 

“Yes.” 

“And with the development, it gives you a better understanding of the person.” 

“In a way, yes, but there's more to it,” he mumbles.

“And you rushed it how?” 

“I don’t know, I just saw it and then Jeongin yelled at me, and I-” 

“Jeongin said it’s only half done? What does that mean- I mean- what would it take to complete… whatever this is?” 

“You would have to give up a part of yourself willingly, which is something I can’t ask of you, Y/N, but I’m stuck right now. The feeling of a half mark is the same as unrequited love… It hurts,” he laughs a little, “fuck it hurts! It’s like you have me, but I don’t have you, and it puts my senses in a fucking mess. Like earlier, when Jeongin grabbed you, my instinct was to rip his fucking arm off. The way you looked at him, the way you wanted him, the way I wanted to tear him apart, all because he was reading into your heart and I can’t fucking do that, I can’t read into you like he can.” 

“Twilight shit, fucking Jacob shit.” You mutter lightly, laughing under your breath.

“Twi-What? Jacob?” he shakes his head.

“First off, saying you can't read into me like he can is giving jealous boyfriend vibes,” you laugh.

“That’s a half mark problem.” He says, “It twists my brain. Everyones a threat until you give yourself to me, it's a possessiveness that takes over until I can have you.” You stare back at him. None of this makes sense, and his explanation just confuses you more. “Listen, you don’t have to do shit- like you said, we don’t know each other- I just thought you should know so you don’t freak out when that thing doesn’t go away.” He gestures at the mark, then turns to head for the door.

“And if I give myself to you? Then what…” you ask quietly, your mouth moved before you had fully processed the thought. Were you really so willing to give yourself to an absolute stranger? 

“You wouldn’t feel the effects of the charm, my brain would probably function normally again, and-” 

“Would I be able to fall in love again…” he flinches at the words, eyes dropping to the floor, 

“Yes. You’re human, so yes, if the feelings are stronger for someone other than me… then yeah. It doesn't break the bond, but consider it more of an open thing.” 

“What about you?” 

“I made my choice.” Either choice Jinnie, you have to live with, and it will hurt both ways. So that's what Jeongin meant. If you didn’t give yourself to Hyunjin he’d be left with a fogged mind, and if you did he’d be hurt when you left. His life was a curse. Constantly on the run, being hunted at every turn. The loss and injustice he’d faced… for being born without a gift, for the prejudice of humans making him out to be a dangerous creature. Cursed to either never love, or only love one person. You had a choice, you could fall in love again. Sure, a part of you would live within him, but you’d have feelings again. And if those ever grew stronger than what you felt for him you’d be able to love… be in a relationship. 

What do you feel for him? Your brain couldn’t understand why you’d be so willing to give in, why your heart hurt so badly when you thought he was telling you that his mistake was being with you. It wasn’t love. But maybe somewhere within some part of you started liking him? Maybe it was how easily you spoke to each other, maybe it’s the way you caught yourself staring when he’d smile, eyes tracing the way his nose would scrunch up and his eyes would close into two crescents. Maybe it was his shy smile, or how he looked while he poured out his heart to you just a few moments ago. Whatever small feelings you had for him, felt heightened as you pulled him into you, kissing him needily. He made his choice to love you, accident or not. The least you could do was let him have a clear mind. For whatever reason, you thought living in a state of constant pain and jealousy was worse than endless longing. None of this made sense- not his sporadic explanation, not the idea of him willingly giving himself to you just a day after meeting, none of it. You don’t understand his reasons for doing any of this, and it may never make sense to you, but, in this moment, as he kissed you softly, every nerve and synapse in your brain and body screamed for you to give yourself to him. 

The way he placed you softly on the bed, the way he kissed down your jaw so sweetly, making his way down as he tenderly removed the clothing you had on- pushing them aside and gently feeling your body with his hands. How he looked at you so lovingly, you couldn’t believe any of it at the time, but in just one look he had convinced you that, magically, he had fallen for you. Yes, the effect of what he had done had a massive part to play in his feelings, but he looked at you so genuinely, so softly. Your heart couldn't help but swell. Slowly, he continued, leaving a trail of kisses down your body; between your breasts as he cupped them in his hands, down your stomach causing you to tense at the feeling of his soft lips against your skin. Making his way back up to nuzzle into your neck, he whispered, “You don’t have to do this.”

You pulled him up, kissing him once more, as you fiddled with the string of his pants. Pushing them downward to release his already hardened cock. You palmed at it gently as you kissed him, small groans came from him as you positioned him between your legs. 

He entered slowly, there was no time for prep. You needed him, your body ached for him, a feeling you’d never had before. Moaning softly as he stretched you and bottomed out, he only gave you a moment before slowly thrusting in and out of you. It wasn’t like the last time, his dominating behavior was now soft and almost submissive. He didn’t use any degrading words, only muttering ‘you’re so perfect’ and ‘It’s like you were made for me, and I, you.’

He wasn’t fucking you, not in the slightest. He was giving his whole self to you, this was him showing you he meant it when he said he fell in love. He thrusts slowly and deeply into you, the softness of his kisses, and his light moans causing you to fall deeper into whatever you felt for him. You wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down, kissing at his neck as he whimpers into your ear. “I don’t know how this works,” you whisper, “But I’ll give myself to you.” his head shoots up and his movements stop. He looks down into your eyes before kissing you softly, 

“All I need is that,” he smiles before resuming his movements, this time a little faster, a little harsher. It’s how he reaches so deeply into you that sends you over the edge, how your walls clench around him that have him moaning your name as he releases inside you. 

Passionate. It was passionate.

Tags @chanlixiiee @channiesbub @jaebaebaegot7 @maeleelee @iadorethemskz @maenijw @hangin-out-with-the-street-rats @jinniespuppy @painstakingly-juno @lethallyprotected @mimi-sierra04 @amalieworldidk @jaebaebaegot7 @maeleelee @elizalabs3 @jisungsbff01 @seungminslittlepup

[motherserieszine]

Hello! In the interest of keeping everyone up-to-date with the production of the zine, here’s the latest newsletter update. As always, if you wish to subscribe to our newsletter, please email motherserieszine@gmail.com so we can put your email down!

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

We apologize for the delay in our communication! Between messaging manufacturers for quotes, managing 50 contributors and making sure we still answer our three social media, email and personal accounts, it's been a busy time for us. The mods and I hope this is a good update for everyone!

PRODUCTION UPDATES:

★ All merch and packaging material has been ordered and is on its way to our shipping and fulfillment mod, Yurei! Pictures of all merch items will be posted to our social media as they come in!

★In addition to the items in each bundle, all physical orders will include holographic stickers with our cover artist @Cosmosully's shaker charm design! This was budgeted out as a thank you for everyone's support and patience with our project.

★Because our order quantities for some items (books, stickers, and sheets) are close to a whole number (300), extras have been ordered in order to receive a bulk quantity discount. This means there MAY be a few leftover sales (10 or less stock of each item). This would be after fulfillment is complete.

★Aya, our head mod, is currently working on pressing the holographic magnets for all Early Bird, Half and Full Bundle orders by hand. It will be either these or the prints that we show first!

★The PDF of the zine is on its final revision and will be completed within a few days. After this, the printing of the zine books will begin. The final page count of the zine is 174 pages, which is significantly higher than what we marketed and estimated for the zine (which was 130+). Several of our contributors provided more artwork and writing for the project than what they came on to do initially, which was added to the book.

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

Many of you have reached out about shipping! As soon as we get all items, they will be shipped out accordingly. Our estimate for shipping completion is December, but some books may not arrive at your doorstep until January.

We know this is, again, not what our initial time frame was for the project. The mods and I are working as fast as we can, but we do all have lives outside of the zine. All of the mods are either in their final year of college, or are graduates with full-time jobs and shops to manage. We felt that rather than rush the book and merch out, we should focus on making sure they are works of art that both our contributors and fans of the series can look back on with fondness and take pride in having. You paid a lot to make this project happen, and therefore only the best work we can create should arrive at your doorstep! This is a passion project that we all want to see be successful, so we apologize for any inconvenience the change in schedule causes.

As always, feel free to reach out to us with any concerns or questions! Ask us anything. We want to be as transparent as possible, every question is a good question! And be sure to check out our contributor list if you haven't already, which can be found on our BigCartel and Carrd pages.

FAQ

Q: So wait, how does this work?

A: The only item we currently have in house are the magnets, as they are hand pressed, printed, and foiled by our head moderator. All other items are designed by our contributors and manufactured, then get shipped to our shipping moderator to be packaged into bundles.

Q: Oh gosh, I need to change my address now!

A: No worries, we will actually send an address confirmation email a week before we actually ship the items! Also, all physical orders come with USPS tracking; this way, there is no concern on where the package will go. This includes international orders!

Q: When will we receive the PDF?

A: PDFs will be emailed out in the same email as the address confirmation, or shortly after :)

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

That concludes this issue of MOTHER POWER! Stay tuned for our next issue, which is scheduled to be released later this month.

As always, fuzzy pickles!

[ofmistandmire]

Proposed revised Trial of Roots

It was rightfully pointed out to us that our original description of the Trial of Roots bore uncomfortable similarity to the indigenous practice of Vision Quests. As such, we've come up with a new concept for the Trial, and are seeking feedback before officially updating the lore docs to make sure our community feels the issue has been appropriately resolved. Thank you again to the anon who brought the issue to our attention, as well as to those of you who suggested ways we could alter the Trial. The proposed new description is included below the cut, and we would greatly appreciate any and all comments on the concept. As always, feel free to reply, DM, or send an ask on or off anon if you would like to share your thoughts.

The last step to becoming a fully graduated Kith member is the Trial of Roots, which is designed to test one's dedication to the Kith. Once a Sapling has learned all there is to know of their Trade, their mentor will recommend them for the Trial of Roots. At this point, preparations for a Sapling’s complete Token will begin in the days leading up to the Trial. On the Eve of the Trial, there is a celebratory send off from anyone who would like to attend, before the Sapling sets out at moonhigh. Each Path has a corresponding landmark, which is considered to heighten one's connection to the Deities that oversee them, and the Sapling must travel alone to this location.  They are not permitted to speak to any other cat once the Trial has begun.

Upon arriving at their Path’s designated landmark, the Sapling is to address their patron deity directly, and must swear a vow to uphold their Path and serve the Kith, thus setting their ‘roots’ as a full member of the Kith and their chosen Trade. After this promise has been spoken, the Sapling must remain at the Trial location until sunrise, at which point they may return to camp and break their vow of silence. If a Sapling’s Trial is interrupted, they cannot reach their Trial site, they return to camp before sunrise, or their vow of silence is broken prematurely, this is considered failing the Trial and is viewed as a highly negative omen.

Once they have returned to camp, the Sapling, their mentor, the Head of their Path, and the Voice will enter the Whispering Grove to locate the seedling that was planted prior to the Sapling’s birth. Here the Sapling is to declare their Minor Deity - many report having a ‘gut feeling’ that informs which deity they would like to forge this bond with, though the choice may also be made for other reasons that may be of personal significance, such as wishing to feel close to the patron deity of a lost loved one. The Sapling’s mentor, Path Head, and the Voice will then return to camp, where they will discuss what Calling the Sapling will receive in preparation for the ceremony. Meanwhile, the Sapling bestows their seedling with a blessing corresponding to their chosen Minor Deity, much as their parents did upon planting the seedling, thus officially concluding their Trial.

After the completion of the Trial of Roots, the Calling Ceremony will take place, at which one drops the title of Sapling and receives their finished Token and Calling officially, thus earning their full name and status as a member of the Kith.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michael Shermer

Published: Aug 19, 2023

In my previous Skeptic column, Deconstructing the Decalogue, I offered a personal view on how to think about the Ten Commandments from the perspective of 3,000 years of moral progress since they were first presented in two books of the Old Testament (Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21). Here I would like to reconstruct them from the perspective of a science- and reason-based moral system, a fuller version of which I developed in my 2015 book The Moral Arc, from which this material is partially excerpted.

Note: This is a purely intellectual exercise. I am not a preacher or teacher of moral values, nor do I hold myself up as some standard-bearer of morality. Since I do not believe in God, nor do I think that there are any rational reasons to believe that morals derive from any source outside of ourselves, I feel the necessity to offer an alternative to religious- and faith-based morality, both descriptively (where do morals come from if not God?) and prescriptively (how should we act if there is no God?), which I have done in 30 years of publishing Skeptic magazine and in a number of my books, including How We Believe (1999), The Science of Good and Evil (2004), and the aforementioned The Moral Arc. Here I am building on the work of secular philosophers and scholars from the ancient Greeks through the Enlightenment and into the modern era where a massive literature exists addressing these deep and important matters.

The problem with any religious moral code that is set in stone is just that—it is set in stone. Anything that can never be changed has within its DNA the seeds of its own extinction. A science-based morality has the virtue of having built into it a self-correcting mechanism that does not just allow redaction, correction, and improvement; it insists upon it. Science and reason can be employed to inform—and in some cases even determine—moral values.

Science thrives on change, on improvement, on updating and upgrading its methods and conclusions. So it should be for a science of morality. No one knows for sure what is right and wrong in all circumstances for all people everywhere, so the goal of a science-based morality should be to construct a set of provisional moral precepts that are true for most people in most circumstances most of the time—as assessed by empirical inquiry and rational analysis—but admit exceptions and revisions where appropriate. Indeed, as humanity’s concept of “who and what is human, and entitled to protection” has expanded over the centuries, so we have extended moral protection to categories once thought beneath our notice.

Here are some suggested commandments for our time. Feel free to add your own in the comments section below.

1. The Golden-Rule Principle: Behave toward others as you would desire that they behave toward you.

The golden rule is a derivative of the basic principle of exchange reciprocity and reciprocal altruism, and thus evolved in our Paleolithic ancestors as one of the primary moral sentiments. In this principle there are two moral agents: the moral doer and the moral receiver. A moral question arises when the moral doer is uncertain how the moral receiver will accept and respond to the action in question. In its essence this is what the golden rule is telling us to do. By asking yourself, “how would I feel if this were done unto me?” you are asking “how would others feel if I did it unto them?”

2. The Ask-First Principle: To find out whether an action is right or wrong, ask first.

The Golden Rule principle has a limitation to it: what if the moral receiver thinks differently from the moral doer? What if you would not mind having action X done unto you, but someone else would mind it? Smokers cannot ask themselves how they would feel if other people smoked in a restaurant where they were dining because they probably wouldn’t mind. It’s the nonsmokers who must be asked how they feel. That is, the moral doer should ask the moral receiver whether the behavior in question is moral or immoral. In other words, the Golden Rule is still about you. But morality is more than just about you, and the Ask-First Principle makes morality about others.

3. The Happiness Principle: It is a higher moral principle to always seek happiness with someone else’s happiness in mind, and never seek happiness when it leads to someone else’s unhappiness through force or fraud.

Humans have a host of moral and immoral passions, including being selfless and selfish, cooperative and competitive, nice and nasty. It is natural and normal to try to increase our own happiness by whatever means available, even if that means being selfish, competitive, and nasty. Fortunately, evolution created both sets of passions, such that by nature we also seek to increase our own happiness by being selfless, cooperative, and nice. Since we have within us both moral and immoral sentiments, and we have the capacity to think rationally and intuitively to override our baser instincts, and we have the freedom to choose to do so, at the core of morality is choosing to do the right thing by acting morally and applying the happiness principle. (The modifier “force or fraud” was added to clarify that there are many activities that do not involve morality, such as a sporting contest, in which the goal is not to seek happiness with your opponent’s happiness in mind, but simply to win, fairly of course.)

4. The Liberty Principle: It is a higher moral principle to always seek liberty with someone else’s liberty in mind, and never seek liberty when it leads to someone else’s loss of liberty through force or fraud.

The Liberty Principle is an extrapolation from the fundamental principle of all liberty as practiced in Western society: The freedom to think, believe, and act as we choose so long as our thoughts, beliefs, and actions do not infringe on the equal freedom of others. What makes the Liberty Principle a moral principle is that in addition to asking the moral receiver how he or she might respond to a moral action, and considering how that action might lead to your own and the moral receiver’s happiness or unhappiness, there is an even higher moral level toward which we can strive, and that is the freedom and autonomy of yourself and the moral receiver, or what we shall simply refer to here as liberty. Liberty is the freedom to pursue happiness and the autonomy to make decisions and act on them in order to achieve that happiness.

Only in the last couple of centuries have we witnessed the worldwide spread of liberty as a concept that applies to all peoples everywhere, regardless of their race, religion, rank or social and political status in the power hierarchy. Liberty has yet to achieve worldwide status, particularly among those states dominated by theocracies and autocracies that encourage intolerance, and dictate that only some people deserve liberty, but the overall trend since the Enlightenment has been to grant greater liberty, for more people, everywhere. Although there are setbacks still, and periodically violations of liberties disrupt the overall historical flow from less to more liberty for all, the general trajectory of increasing liberty for all continues, so every time you apply the liberty principle you have advanced humanity one small step forward.

5. The Fairness Principle: When contemplating a moral action imagine that you do not know if you will be the moral doer or receiver, and when in doubt err on the side of the other person.

This is based on the philosopher John Rawls’ concepts of the “veil of ignorance” and the “original position” in which moral actors are ignorant of their position in society when determining rules and laws that affect everyone, because of the self-serving bias in human decision making. Given a choice, most people who enact moral rules and legislative laws would do so based on their position in society (their gender, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, political party, etc.) in a way that would most benefit themselves and their kin and kind. Not knowing ahead of time how the moral precept or legal law will affect you pushes you to strive for greater fairness for all. A simpler version is in the example of cutting a cake fairly: if I cut the cake you choose which piece you want, and if you cut the cake then I choose which piece I want.

6. The Reason Principle: Try to find rational reasons for your moral actions that are not self-justifications or rationalizations by consulting others first.

Ever since the Enlightenment the study of morality has shifted from considering moral principles as based on God-given, Divinely-inspired, Holy book-derived, Authority-dictated precepts from the top down, to bottom-up individual-considered, reason-based, rationality-constructed, science-grounded propositions in which one is expected to have reasons for one’s moral actions, especially reasons that consider the other person affected by the moral act. This is an especially difficult moral commandment to carry out because of the all-too natural propensity to slip from rationality to rationalization, from justification to self-justification, from reason to emotion. As in the first commandment to “ask first,” whenever possible one should consult others about one’s reasons for a moral action in order to get constructive feedback and to pull oneself out of a moral bubble in which whatever you want to do happens to be the most moral thing to do.

7. The Responsibility and Forgiveness Principle: Take full responsibility for your own moral actions and be prepared to be genuinely sorry and make restitution for your own wrong doing to others; hold others fully accountable for their moral actions and be open to forgiving moral transgressors who are genuinely sorry and prepared to make restitution for their wrong doing.

This is another difficult commandment to uphold in both directions. First, there is the “moralization gap” between victims and perpetrators, in which victims almost always perceive themselves as innocent and thus any injustice committed against them must be the result of nothing more than evil on the part of the perpetrator; and in which perpetrators may perceive themselves to have been acting morally in righting a wrong, redressing an immoral act, or defending the honor of oneself or family and friends. The self-serving bias, the hindsight bias, and the confirmation bias practically ensure that we all feel we didn’t do anything wrong, and whatever we did was justified, and thus there is no need to apologize and ask for forgiveness.

As well, the sense of justice and revenge is a deeply evolved moral emotion that serves three primary purposes: (1) to right wrongs committed by transgressors, (2) as a deterrent to possible future bad behavior, (3) to serve as a social signal to others that should they commit a similar moral transgression the same fate of your moral indignation and revenge awaits them.

8. The Defend Others Principle: Stand up to evil people and moral transgressors, and defend the defenseless when they are victimized.

There are people in the world who will commit moral transgressions against us and our fellow group members. Either through the logic of violence and aggression in which perpetrators of evil always feel justified in their acts, or through such conditions as psychopathy, a non-negligible portion of a population will commit selfish or cruel acts. We must stand up against them.

9. The Expanding Moral Category Principle: Try to consider other people not of your gender, sexual orientation, class, family, tribe, race, religion, or nation as an honorary group member equal to you in moral standing.

We have a moral obligation not only to ourselves, our kin and kind, our family and friends, and our fellow in-group members; we also owe it to those people who are different from us in a variety of ways, who in the past have been discriminated against for no other reason than that they were different in some measurable way. Even though our first moral obligation is to take care of ourselves and our immediate family and friends, it is a higher moral value to consider the moral values of others, and in the long run it is better for yourself, your kin and kind, and your in-group to consider members of other groups to be honorary members of your own group, as long as they so honor you and your group (see #8 above).

10. The Biophilia Principle: Try to contribute to the survival and flourishing of other sentient beings, their ecosystems, and the biosphere as a whole.

Biophilia is the love of nature, of which we are a part. Expanding the moral sphere to include the environments that sustain sentient beings is the loftiest of moral commandments.

If by fiat I had to reduce these Ten Commandments to just one it would be this:

Try to expand the moral sphere and to push the arc of the moral universe just a bit further toward truth, justice, and freedom for more sentient beings in more places more of the time.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Rich Young Man

16 Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. 19 Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. — Matthew 19:16-30 | New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE) New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 18:14; Exodus 20:13-14; Leviticus 18:5; Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 5:16; Nehemiah 9:29; Job 42:2; Matthew 6:19-20; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 8:20; Matthew 13:22; Matthew 20:16; Matthew 25:46; Mark 10:17; Mark 10:20; Mark 10:22-23; Mark 10:25; Mark 10:29; Luke 5:11; Luke 18:24-25; Luke 13:30; John 16:20

[within-your-eyes-if]

Update 9/21

Hello everyone!

I've definitely had a period of complete dissatisfaction no matter what I wrote (including all the lovely asks I've received). It hurt my soul sometimes. It stressed me out a lot and weighed me down heavily. But I've been crawling out of the mindset (your loving words and support a huge help) and I finally feel more satisfied with what I have.

I made quite a few revisions, additions, and corrections. I expanded on a few things, especially the fights and the knightly order that Gabriel and Lee are a part of. I did away with some stuff or just redid it. I overlooked some details and have corrected them accordingly. I can't tell if it's a lot or feels like a lot because I've done it all gradually over the past two months. 

Other things to note:

Tongue piercings added.

MC is less opinionated regarding the baron (There was a reason, but I decided to go a different direction in this area. Regardless, it won't really matter until Ch3).

New option on the initial character customization page (Where you choose your pronouns. (This new option won't come into play until Ch3+, but I just want you to be aware of it).

No more being dragged around. You utilize the walking stick more. The changes were slight adjustments to the text, but it's worth mentioning, even if it feels small.

Skipping Ly's explicit scene now gives a non-descriptive overview. I feel like some parts within the explicit stuff added a bit of character-building. But I repeat: they are non-descriptive (for those who prefer it this way ♥).

Declining the job actually lets you say no.

No personality check at dinner. No personality checks ever.

There are a few other things I changed and added spread throughout both chapters, but I'd say they're relatively minor, or I want you to discover them for yourself.

Anyway, I think that's all. I still don't want to give a date for Ch3 because I'm trying to take my time and make sure I'm happy with it. I don't want a repeat of the turmoil I've put myself through, which is entirely my fault. Regardless, I can look at these two chapters and feel more content with them and now peaceably move on to finishing Part 1 of Chapter 3. A lot is going on in this chapter and my personal life, so I have 100% decided to break the chapter into two parts (I said before I wasn't sure).

Thank you for reading this and my story! Have an awesome day!

Demo Link

Word Count: 110,596 (Excluding Codex)

[streaminn]

Obligated commissions post, hello gang!

Here to commission me? well here are my prices and examples :) More examples of commissions can be seen in the tag #commission work !!

A more updated commission post with more artwork is here!

Busts: 15-25$ (sketches -> colored)

half body! 25-35$ (Sketches -> colored) *can be from hips to above

also if the lineart looks a lil different for the colored trans enid, its bc i didn't do that. I sketched it, a mutual lined it then I colored it!

Fullbody 35-45$ (sketches -> colored)

Note! Prices can change and vary depending on what is being commissioned! None of these are concrete

+10-15 usd per person

+5-10 usd depending on the background

There can be additional charges due to paypal fees

Can Draw!

Fanart

oc's/humanoids

pngtuber models

character sheets

horror, gore (not excessive)

Chibi

NSfW

Might Draw (We'll need to talk about these requests)

full on furries (not so experienced)

excessive gore/horror (same excuse as above)

comics

honestly, if it isn't in the Can Draw, let's talk about it.

Will not:

hate art

anything political

if it crosses my boundaries

Terms and Service! (this is a long one)

The client may ask for progress updates every 2-4 days, if not longer, should the commissionee not be in contact.

The art may take longer than the estimated time the artist gives. Should that be an issue or concern, the client must tell the artist.

In commissioning the artist, the client acknowledges that the artist is a student and that this is not the artist's full time job, and the client should not expect the artist to be able to treat it as such.

IMAGE RIGHTS

The client may not, in any way shape or form, use the art in a commission product for NFTs, no matter how much they offer to pay the artist. Should NFTs be made of the art without consent, the client gives full consent for the artist to take legal action against them.

The client may make minor edits to the completed commission (e.g. cropping, adding text/borders, changing brightness/contrast/hue/saturation...

The client may use/reupload the commission for personal/non-commercial use, but only if proper credit to the artist and a linkback to any of the artist's social media is provided.

If the commission includes characters that do not belong the client, additional credit to the owner(s)/creator(s) of said characters must be provided when using/reuploading for personal/non-commercial use.

The client may not use the commission for any commercial use unless discussed with the artist beforehand.

^ Should the client use the art for commercial use, provided the artist's consent, the artist will receive an agreed-upon percentage of the sales profits.

The client MUST credit the artist for any usage of the art on any platform.

The client MUST ask the artist if they want to use their art as a reference, and proceed to credit each time the reference is used. REVISION POLICIES Once the coloring stage begins, the only major revisions permitted are details that the artist may have missed and was specified by the client in the order while the commission was still in the sketching/lineart stage (e.g. a missing tattoo that's essential to the character's design).

If the client is unsatisfied with the commission, the artist is willing to discuss and make minor edits as stated prior (e.g. adjusting colors). However, the artist will not redraw the piece and expects full payment, as the client should have specified in the sketch stage changes they wanted to be made.

The client may not hire another artist to adjust the image without the commissionee's consent.

The artist is willing to edit the image post commission for the commissioner, but may charge a small fee depending on what is being asked of them. Upon commissioning the artist, the client automatically agrees to the terms of service provided, as it is assumed they have read them.

-

...and that's about it? Just don't expect me to be obligated to draw something. Depending on how much commissions i'm getting and how busy i am, the art will take atleast a few days to a week!

If you got references, provide them! It'll help alot. You can also ask for progress updates, just don't mind me accidentally not seeing the message bc this is tumblr and I don't get notifs for some reason.

as of rn, im accepting payment through ko-fi and paypal

But ye! That's about it, thanks for seeing this yall

[liquorisce]

it’s been so long since i’ve hung out here. i miss my anonymous friends, i hope u guys are well and thriving!

since this is still my writing blog, i figured i would write here about my writing and what i’m working on, and what i’m not working on.

i recently posted boy next door, which i am actually really in love with, and have completed 75% of, so for the first time ever i have SOME confidence in finishing it. i feel like it is the type of story that is so natural that there will never really be a perfect conclusion. But some meaningfully literary conclusion is plausible, lol, so i will attempt it. i am also really floored by the comments I’ve received. they’ve been really encouraging and kind, and some felt like I was being congratulated by a group of peers who have grown with me and seen changes in my writing style that i thought no one apart from me would ever notice or care about. in that way, fandom is kind of amazing because it feels like we are all in some sort of cohort together, and even in this vast space of chaos I have found some friends, and some kind souls who I can chat with in corridors, who peep in occasionally and see what I’m doing and encourage me positively in a personal manner. I am able to return this to others too. That’s pretty cool.

i had a tough situation with my health, or rather my inability to handle my health problems in an adult manner, but after many weeks of deleting social media apps and forceful grass-touching (extensive physiotherapy), i am trying to visit the online areas of my life again in moderate frequencies, because this is where I get to feel like a writer. I do not get to feel like a writer in my 40h a week IT consultancy job LOL. There are no artists for miles, unfortunately and it feels like I’m going insane sometimes, being around normies. (jk, maybe… not)

people have asked if i’m giving up on idily and i’m really not, the next chapter is just a tricky one, so it’s taking a while. We are now moving into a really plot-heavy part of the story, which is definitely new territory for me as far as my skills are concerned, so I’m doing a lot of writing ideas and staring at unmoving pages etc. It’s fine, I’m not despairing, as long as I’m still in love with the general story we’ll get somewhere. I will post chap 10 after I have written Chap 11 as well I’m thinking, so that I can be a bit more certain of how we’re moving with this story. Either way, expect rewrites and detail revisions bc I’m unreliable.

Darling - which is largely just a personal project that I envision in the shape of Ymir and Historia (and Rod Reiss) - will also resume. The way Darling gets updated is like so: it feels like a fever dream of craziness, all tinted red and then I get desperate and open my gdocs and blurt out some melodramatic shit. It’s an interesting process and maybe I can make it work bc the whole point is that the story is told through the form of “love letters” from an unreliable narrator. It’s fun, and kind of crazy, and I hope I can finish it this year.

as the life of a fic writer is constantly burdened by wips, i decided to try @/ betts’s method of triaging wips. (her writing advice is amazing, gospel). so realistically these are the three stories i will update this year (and hope foolishly to complete): Darling, IDILY & Boy Next Door. If I finish even one, I’m throwing a party fr. But I will try my best at all 3, regardless. Oh, and I’m participating in a KV Mini Bang (Trigun), so I will be posting an absolutely filthy one shot by the end of the year. But this means ALL other stories are either Rolled off to next year or abandoned. I will make another post about the specifics once I am done with the diagnosis part of the triage. But I feel kinda happy that I am limiting my scope to this for the year (it’s still a LOT, lol).

In terms of original writing: I have quite some ideas floating around… some have made it onto their own google docs, some are flowing via rewrites (bylb for example) and have made moderate progress, another is vaguely brewing in my mind in a way that makes me want to write a short story of it first and try to submit it somewhere first… or post it on ao3 lol, idk. but the idea is exciting: it is an indian sapphic love story which goes strong on the forbidden love themes (and infidelity). it’ll be the first time i’m writing something that is so close to my experience growing up, so i am curious to see how that turns out.

anyway, i’m going to try to do this more often, i.e, at least once more before the year ends :)

(if anyone is reading) see u next time!

[horanghaejamjam]

Emergency Commissions

Hi loves, I promise that Horanghae and my Hao vampire spinoff will be posted sometime within the next week! However due to outside circumstances I am really struggling financially and am offering emergency commissions to hopefully help pay off some of my bills!

If you are interested in custom writing please read the details below and consider commissioning me! You will get a custom fic written just for you!

If interested please message me here or email me sugakookiebiased@gmail.com to discuss what you are looking for! Also do not hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Pricing:

Drabbles (500-1k words): $5

5k words: $15

10k words: $20

15k words: $30

20k words: $40

Custom word counts are also available just message me and we can discuss what we want. 

Smut fics will add $3-$5 depending on how detailed you would like it.

All prices are in USD!

Accepted payment methods:

Paypal

Venmo

Cashapp

Details:

To see the groups I will write for please see this link here

I also write for soloists/kdramas/and kactors

I will write: 

Fics, drabbles, series, detailed stories

LGBTQ+ including poly/love triangles

Member x member ships, reader inserts, self inserts, ocs

All genres (must be 18+ for smut)

If you want a smut centered fic with certain kinks please message me to discuss what I am okay writing.

I will not write: 

Continuations of another writer's work

Ocs that are stolen

Smut with idols (or commissioners) that are minors

Idols that are deceased

Idols involved in major scandals  

Stories meant to attack anyone or a certain group irl

Slurs

Tragic Historical Events

Idols who are in relationships

Average TAT: 5 days - a week depending on how long the story is

Before I start on a commission I will ask for as much detail as possible for what you want to make sure I am able to write something you will enjoy. The more details you can provide the more accurate it will be to what you want. Especially if you would like a self insert or oc included in the story, the more detail you can provide the more accurate it will be to you. I am more than happy to do creative interpretation or create original stories if you like as well. Just be sure to specify what you would like when inquiring about a commission.

I will update you on the status of your commission periodically along with any questions or clarifications I may need. To protect my work you will not be allowed to view the full commission until it is fully paid and completed. However, I am happy to send samples of the work so you get an idea of the story. You will receive one sample when the commission starts and one after it is finished and before I send the full commission. Extras may be requested as needed. I am happy to revise as needed and will always communicate with the buyer during the commission.

Communication is essential during the commission process. I will constantly be reaching out with any questions or updates so I need to be able to get a hold of you. Feel free to message me at any time for an update or any questions. However please give me 24 hours to respond to any messages. 

If I do not hear from you after a week your commission will be put on hold until I can get ahold of you. 

You will receive all commissions in a pdf format! I may also post them on my Tumblr/Ao3 (you will be tagged if you wish) Please let me know ahead of time if you do not want your work posted!

As the buyer you are allowed to use your commissioned piece for any personal matters. You are allowed to repost it as long as you do not claim it as your work. You may translate the work as long as you do not claim it as your own. You may not edit and repost the work as your own, or resell it.