#but its not even a full degree offered by my university

[earth-to-ezra]

i feel like my brains ripping itself apart so imma put a lil rant in the tags so i can maybe possibly feel slightly better without people having to come across this accidentally! :)

[silverislander]

idk if it's genuine excitement or the energy drink i had earlier that's actually letting me focus and work but dude. i am CRUSHING this essay. this is Fun To Write. i think i'm actually doing a really good job here. wtf. i love my major man

[kleeklutch]

Holla at my THG peeps! I rise from obscurity to celebrate and ask a question.

Since joining the fandom, I have 1. gone back to college and finished my English degree, inspired by the opportunity to edit or beta read for some of you as well as write myself. 2. Worked as a daily substitute in my local public schools with the goal of eventually working full-time as an English teacher. And 3. Been finally hired as a FULL TIME ENGLISH TEACHER IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!

My request, you will not believe it BUT...

I NEED HUNGER GAMES BOOKS!!!! HAAAALLLLPPP

If you would like some proof the universe has orchestrated this perfect moment to help out....

1. The first day I worked as a substitute at my now assigned school was May 8. KATNISS'S BDAY FOLKS. I was not even halfway home before I was sent an email offering for me to interview for a full time position there (I had applications in at all the schools with openings, they were the only ones that gave me a shot.)

2. My job interview was on my BFF's birthday and I met my BFF through the THG fandom.

3. I was HIRED to teach English 10! All the Eng 10 teachers are coordinating lesson plans and shit. you. not. the FIRST NOVEL they want to read is

THE HUNGER GAAAAAMES

OH MY GOD!!!

Literally the universe could not be more explicit that I belong exactly where I am.

But when we looked for the class sets of Hunger Games we realized we only have Catching Fire. We've asked for copies from other schools with no response, yet (its still the chaotic beginning of the year).

Soooo if you're willing to contribute a book or two....Used is fine as long as not extremely marked up. That would be amazing!

DM me for address to send books.

I think we need around 130 to have enough for each classroom. 4 classes and between 22 and 27-ish students per class plus some extras.

It would be freaking amazing for it to be raining THG books in my school.

Think about it.

DM me.

I cannot wait to see what my students have to say about Hunger Games.

Whether you are able to help or not, reblog the heck outta this so we can get some traction.

Thanks so so so much guys!

[primojade]

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 | you were a simple insomniac college student who could see ghosts and dead souls after a certain incident in your past. just as you were already sick of the souls haunting you every night, you decided to establish the paranormal club in teyvat university together with your four best friends where you were tasked to help the ghosts fulfill their last wishes so you could finally find your most awaited sleep.

...though that was easier said than done. especially when your said friends mostly operates based logic...and already so full of your bullshit and shenanigans since childhood.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 | gn!reader, albedo, cyno, tighnari and scaramouche. But almost all of the genshin characters will appear, too!

𝐂𝐖 / 𝐓𝐖 | genshin social media au with a lot of written fics; college au with a dash of childhood friends au; cursing; possible graphic depiction of violence and death/murder (but not the characters); possible murder and ghost cases solving; reverse harem-esque(?); no proofread so expect grammar mistakes; inspired by the k-drama master's sun!

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 | supernatural, romantic comedy, friendship, mystery/thriller, a bit horror, found family.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 | on going

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓.

paranormal enthusiasts (profile below!)

teyvat university's student council.

teyvat university's news publication.

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈 : 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄.

scene 01 : we need a new member.

scene 02 : who is our new target, now?

scene 03 : the plan to make him ours.

scene 04 : the dumb, the dumber, the dumbest and the very dumbest.

scene 05 : the paranormal club.

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐈𝐈 : 𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓.

scene 06 : our first mission, commence!

scene 07 : ... --- ...

scene 08 : -

tba...

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁.

[NAME] : a college student who likes keeping their course a secret even to their friends just for the fun of it. After a certain incident in their childhood that allows them to see the souls of the dead, they become insomniac and paranoid—most of the time. With the help of their childhood best friends in solving and helping souls to fulfill their last wishes, will they finally felt at peace once more?

CYNO : a second year political science student, and one of your childhood best friend. He was probably the only one among your circle of friends that have shown a slightest bit of interest in the paranormal club. Perhaps its his way of allevating his past...guilt?

TIGHNARI : a second year botany student and the one of your childhood best friends along with Cyno. Although he always appears so exhausted and exasperated dealing with your bullshit, he will always be the first one who offers his help when you can't sleep. But why does he seem so adamant at keeping you away from the past?

ALBEDO : a second year majoring in chemistry with a minor in fine arts. Unlike Cyno and Tighnari who had been with you since you were in diapers, you met Albedo during your high school years. Quickly drawn to his calm and reliable persona, you've been friends since then, and was the person who you constantly ask for help in regards to academics. Though he seems to know a lot than he lets on...?

SCARAMOUCHE : A new friend added to your circle of friends and club—or rather, was forced to. He was a transfer student from another country, a second year student majoring in business management. Mysterious and rude to a degree, that didn't stop you from recruiting him into your club! But would it be really that easy in dealing with him? Especially when he was hiding a deep, dark secret?

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.

This is my first smau and I'm very excited to share this will you all!! ^^ since I've posted this on my birthday, consider this a gift from me and my thank you for the 500 followers we have ueueue. This, along with the Fallacies of Love series, will have sporadic update Aas usual though I swear to my love albedo that I will update this soon!

Also, if you wanted to be added to the taglist, feel free to dm or send me an ask! Thank you for reading and have a nice day!! (I will edit this later hahaha).

[rollercoasterwords]

hello! i was just thinking abt thtf (as one does) and i remembered your focus on colonization when dorcas talked abt her heritage and how in ur notes u mentioned that it was something to do with your major or something u were learning about? sorry if i got that wrong it’s been a while since i read it, but that just seems soooo interesting to me and i love the way u write it!! so i was just wondering what ur major is/was? if thats something you’d be willing to share <3 xxx

yeah sure! i studied international studies & history as an undergrad & that’s what my bachelor’s degree is in; my area focus was latin america which is where a lot of the postcolonial stuff was coming from—not sure what it’s like elsewhere but in the u.s. if ur studying like. asia, latin america, or africa in history/i.s. depts learning abt colonization is pretty unavoidable for obvious reasons. my impression is that there is perhaps less of a chance of encountering colonial/postcolonial perspectives if ur focusing on u.s. or european history, but it kinda depends on what ur studying…there’s definitely a bit of a split in more “traditional” veins of scholarship (wwii, medieval history, ancient greece & rome, western civ, etc) vs “area studies” where scholars have kinda fought to recognize the full scope & impact of colonization, which is then slowly incorporated more into “traditional” areas of study—like studying u.s. & european history should, realistically, entail at least some study of colonial histories, but universities tend to be pretty conservative lol & history & poli sci (of which i.s. is a subset) are particularly notorious for hanging onto their notions of traditionalism.

anyway. i’m now in grad school for gender studies broadly but most of the work i do currently is pretty historical & if i do go on to do a phd it’ll likely be in history—i ended up moving away from i.s. bc there was just too much about the field that i disliked & even tho history definitely comes w its own set of problems it ended up being a better fit for me. if ur interested in learning more abt colonialism, postcolonial studies, anti-imperialism, etc then there’s a broad variety of fields u could look into—history, anthropology, international studies, etc. it has less to do with the field & more to do w the specific scholars/professors in that field; i also would definitely not overlook departments like africana studies, gender studies, latin american studies, etc. many universities in the u.s. have these smaller “area studies” depts. that sometimes only offer minors & are made up solely of professors who are cross-listed w other depts, but they tend to be much more interdisciplinary & often have the kind of people doing work that focuses on the impact of colonization etc in their area of research. like the queer theory course i took as an undergrad introduced me to a lot more anti-imperialist writing than like my intro international studies class lmao

[fairycosmos]

how did you get that kind of job without a university marketing degree or whatever? i'm kinda struggling here :(((((

it was a (relatively) long process of trial and error and a lot of freelance work/not having a stable income but basically to break it down. a few yrs ago i went to careers advice and asked how to maximise my future prospects or whatever and the first thing they said was add ALLL of ur skills onto your resume even if youve never used them in a job role before. if you're proficient in (or capable of learning) excel, photoshop, adobe creative suite, wordpress, social media, copywriting, seo software....even if youve never used it in a professional capacity its rly good to kind of emphasize ur digital skill set as much as possible and start researching it as much as possible too. then i started a wordpress blog and would write copywriting articles on there (or in google docs) even though i had no one to send them to lol just to build a portfolio that i could send out to freelance content and copy writer agencies who were hiring. there's tons of tips and articles and pdfs online that can help you write great articles and help u learn content design. anyway i did this for a longgggg time and finally got some actual freelance work coming in. from this, i started interviewing for actual full time copywriting jobs, and was hired to intern at a digital agency at the end of 2021. did that for months then went back to freelance but was able to get more projects with my slowly growing experience. while doing freelance i was interviewing for a shit ton of full time copywriting and content management roles, most of which i got rejected from after like the 1st interview. finally i heard back from a team i had interviewed for and they had me give a presentation outlining my approach to copywriting/media managemenet and from that they've hired me and ive been really really lucky that they have. unfortunately that's what i think it was more than anything, like a stroke of luck that they saw smth in me and took me on despite me unconventional background. im rly rly grateful to them for it. i would also encourage you to look for literally any volunteer opportunities in admin, soc media, bookkeeping - it looks rly good on the resume and can sometimes expand into a job. also look up general cv tips cause there's a ton of cheatsheets out there that can help you get yours to the top of the pile or near the top. good luck and im really sorry you're struggling atm!! ive absolutely been there and it's honestly so discouraging, the amt of times i quit job hunting while doing freelance out of sheer despair was a lot. it's hard but there are ways to show what you have to offer in a really favourable light, and the more you interview/resume edit/write the better you will get. it's all one horrible big skill at least that's how it felt to me, and i still suck at it. just clawing my way up TBH. anyway sending you a lot of love ❤️ hope you catch the break u deserve soon. X

[kcenvs3000f24]

Unit 01 Blog

Hi everyone, welcome to my first blog post! My name is Khushi, and I am in my fourth year of Environmental Science at the University of Guelph.

My current relationship with nature is a blend of deep appreciation and profound connection. Allowing myself to spend time in nature has now become a source of calm and rejuvenation for me, especially during moments of stress. I would say my love for nature developed in my childhood, as I was always captivated by the beauty of the outdoors. I grew up with a close-knit family that was always engaged in outdoor activities, so we would take advantage of the hot summers, which were always filled with joyful gatherings. From beach trips to camping trips up North, spending time outdoors always excited me as I was growing up. The many camping trips sparked my admiration for nature as I witnessed its beauty and wonders up close. I remember one evening my cousins and I ventured onto the forest trails at our campsite for a night walk. As we moved through the stillness, I felt a sense of peace around us. This moment fostered a lasting bond with nature that continues to inspire and ground me in my everyday life. 

There was also a time in my childhood where I had the opportunity to go to India with my mom for a few months, and I thank her till this day for taking me. In those few months I was exposed to a whole new country which offered a different aspect to the beauty and diversity of nature. During our stay in India, we stayed at my grandpa’s house, and I was ecstatic to discover a guava tree flourishing in his front yard. As a little girl, the excitement I felt picking a ripe fruit from a tree and savouring it was an experience that filled me with joy. I think back to that moment when I saw that tree and it reminds me of how much nature has to offer. I also found myself immersed in the great outdoors daily, often returning to the house with mosquito bites, sun-kissed skin, and/or dirt on my clothes from all the dirt pies I would be making. Experiencing a different environment of nature in India as a child sparked a sense of wonder and excitement within me since I was given an opportunity to immerse myself in India’s beautiful environment. 

My love for the outdoors has guided me towards pursing a degree in environmental science. My time at university has deepened my understanding of the environment, nature, and living things in remarkable ways. Over the past three years, I have found myself admiring nature and noticing all the living components that are a part of it. I also have developed a love for exploring forest trails across parks in the GTA. The happiness I gain from fulling immersing myself in my surroundings on these trails makes me appreciate every detail that composes the nature that is around me. I cherish capturing the beauty of the natural world through photos whenever I do find myself in nature. Capturing these moments allows me to revisit what I had the opportunity to encounter, making me thankful for the incredible gifts that nature provides. 

I took this picture the other day in a trail in Mississauga. As I was walking through the trail with vibrant greenery, I spotted a fascinating sight. It was a spider crafting its web while dangling from a leaf on a beautiful tree. I stopped to watch and observe the spiders intricate process. The spider, with its legs moving in a precise motion, was spinning its thread that glistened in the sunlight. In this moment of watching natures artistry unfold gave me a reminder of the incredible patience and precision found in such environments.

[nicklloydnow]

“Millions of eyes, I knew, had gazed at this landscape, and for me it was like the first smile of the sky. It took me out of myself in the deepest sense of the word. It assured me that but for my love and the wondrous cry of these stones, there was no meaning in anything. The world is beautiful, and outside it there is no salvation. The great truth that it patiently taught me is that the mind is nothing, nor even the heart. And that the stone warmed by the sun or the cypress tree shooting up against the suddenly clear sky mark the limits of the only universe in which "being right" is meaningful: nature without men. And this world annihilates me. It carries me to the end. It denies me without anger. As that evening fell over Florence, I was moving toward a wisdom where everything had already been overcome, except that tears came into my eyes and a great sob of poetry welling up within me made me forget the world's truth.

It is on this moment of balance I must end: the strange moment when spirituality rejects ethics, when happiness springs from the absence of hope, when the mind finds its justification in the body. If it is true that every truth carries its bitterness within, it is also true that every denial contains a flourish of affirmations. And this song of hopeless love born in contemplation may also seem the most effective guide for action. As he emerges from the tomb, the risen Christ of Piero della Francesca has no human expression on his face—only a fierce and soulless grandeur that I cannot help taking for a resolve to live. For the wise man, like the idiot, expresses little. The reversion delights me.

But do I owe this lesson to Italy, or have I drawn It from my own heart? It was surely in Italy that I became aware of it. But this is because Italy, like other privileged places, offers me the spectacle of a beauty in which, nonetheless, men die. Here again truth must decay, and what is more exalting? Even if I long for it, what have I in common with a truth that is not destined to decay? It is not on my scale. And to love it would be pretense. People rarely understand that it is never through despair that a man gives up what constituted his life. Impulses and moments of despair lead toward other lives and merely indicate a quivering attachment to the lessons of the earth. But it can happen that when he reaches a certain degree of lucidity a man feels his heart is closed, and without protest or rebellion turns his back on what up to then he had taken for his life, that is to say, his restlessness. If Rimbaud dies in Abyssinia without having written a single line, it is not because he prefers adventure or has renounced literature. It is because "that's how things are," and because when we reach a certain stage of awareness we finally acknowledge something which each of us, according to our particular vocation, seeks not to understand. This clearly involves undertaking the survey of a certain desert. But this strange desert is accessible only to those who can live there in the full anguish of their thirst. Then, and only then, is it peopled with the living waters of happiness.

Within reach of my hand, in the Boboll gardens, hung enormous golden Chinese persimmons whose bursting skin oozed a thick syrup. Between this light hill and these juicy fruits, between the secret brotherhood linking me to the world and the hunger urging me to seize the orange-colored flesh above my hand, I could feel the tension that leads certain men from asceticism to sensual delights and from self-denial to the fullness of desire. I used to wonder, I still wonder at this bond that unites man with the world, this double image in which my heart can intervene and dictate its happiness up to the precise limit where the world can either fulfill or destroy it. Florence! One of the few places in Europe where I have understood that at the heart of my revolt consent is dormant. In its sky mingled with tears and sunlight, I learned to consent to the earth and be consumed in the dark flame of its celebrations. I felt. . .but what word can I use? What excess? How can one consecrate the harmony of love and revolt? The earth! In this great temple deserted by the gods, all my idols have feet of clay.” - Albert Camus, ‘Lyrical and Critical Essays’ (1967) [p. 103 - 105]

[hotforharrison]

Life has been kind of crazy in the worst possible way this month.

It feels like so much more than 3 weeks since the day I filed for divorce on July 1, which was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

I meant every word of my vows on that Thursday afternoon in September 2010 when my marriage began. I thought we were going to be each other's person for the rest of our lives, not for that to slip through my fingers because I was careless with his heart, and I can't put into words how deeply I regret it.

I never expected his embrace to hurt the way it does now, and the worst part of it is that he's the only one here to hug. He was the biggest source of my comfort for so many years, and even if he was here to hold me right now, it wouldn't be the same. What we had is completely gone.

It still kill me that I don't remember the last time we had sex, the last time we shared the bed we slept in together every night, and I woke up to him like I did so many times over the years.

He told me that we could have sex again on a friends with benefits basis, but I don't want to. It would destroy me.

Anyway, the power has been back on for a full week now after 8 days without in the godawful Texas summer heat, with only a few brief interruptions, mostly tonight when we had a thunderstorm.

We've spent the last week and a half, starting before the power even came back on, getting quotes from contractors for repairs for the extensive damages. The hurricane damages to the house I live in are in the tens of thousands of dollars.

(The house was downgraded from what was my home before my marriage ended because it feels like I'm surrounded by the devastating loss and ghosts of him and the love and life we shared for so long. It's agonizing just being here a lot of the time.)

We're not sure what the homeowners' insurance is going to cover for the repairs, which is terrifying, and we need to figure out how to work with FEMA if the insurance isn't helpful.

I'm also worried the HOA we're in will start giving us problems if we can't get the repairs done very quickly.

This month has been such shit in so many ways.

I desperately need my weekly counseling sessions, and my counselor cancelled this week. I've had only one of my weekly appointments this month due to cancellations and the hurricane, which is taking its toll on me.

In more positive and hopeful news, I had an appointment last Thursday with my job counselor at the state run employment program I was accepted into.

They'll pay fully for my schooling, textbooks, and supplies to get a degree or certificate from a local community college and offer job placement services after graduation.

I need a job I can do remotely, and I originally intended to pursue a year long certificate program in medical billing and coding. However, all of the local programs required on campus courses and capstones, which I cannot do.

I looked into every single fully online degree or certificate program that the local community colleges offered that aren't any longer than two years (my ex-husband agreed to let me stay here rent free for a few years while I get myself sorted) and settled on an Associate degree program in mobile/web application development.

I applied for the program today.

I wanted something with a decent level of job security, and I don't think phones are going anywhere. There's the possibility of freelance work on the side as well.

Considering and pursuing a career in technology is nothing new to me.

I went to a public university for an information technology program for 2 years after I graduated from high school, followed by a technical school for computer network operations for a year.

I never ended up working in the industry because it was saturated at my time of graduation, and they wanted me to have experience for an entry level position, which I found endlessly ironic.

I was told more than once by potential employers that I should have done an internship before I graduated to gain experience, which would have been fantastic to know while I was still in school and not with the days ticking down until I had to start repaying my student loans.

I desperately hope that I can transfer some of the roughly 20 year old credits over from the university I went to to cover the general education portion of the degree and maybe trim off a semester. (While technology absolutely has changed since the 2000s, some things haven't changed, like an introductory English or history course.)

[twilightcitadel]

Top 5 Best Medieval Strategy Games

Top 5 Best Medieval Strategy Games

Using our carefully curated selection of the top 5 greatest medieval strategy games, take a trip through time and immerse yourself in the epic realm of medieval conquest. For aficionados of the genre, these games provide unmatched depth and excitement, from leading powerful armies to creating expansive empires. Prepare to be astounded by the majesty and difficulty of these medieval masterworks, regardless of your level of experience as a tactician or your potential as a strategist.

Crusader Kings III

In Crusader Kings III, you yourself in the position of a medieval monarch and negotiate the perilous political, scheming, and combat situations. This expansive strategy game, created by Paradox Interactive, features a rich tapestry of dynastic intrigue against the backdrop of medieval Europe. You will make alliances, set up marriages, and plot your path to power as you lead the dynasty of your choice through the years, all the while fending off rival nobles and outside dangers.

I love playing strategy games and medieval history, and Crusader Kings III provided me with an immersive experience unlike anything else. I became engrossed in my dynasty's destiny, excitedly arranging connections and marriages to preserve my family's heritage. My interest was piqued for hours on end by the complex character interactions and dynamic events, and I felt a great feeling of success when my dynasty succeeded.

Both reviewers and gamers have praised Crusader Kings III extensively, praising its richness, intricacy, and compelling narrative. It is evident from the game's highly positive rating on sites like Steam that players admire the replayability and attention to detail in the title.

Platforms: Steam, Playstation Store

Stronghold Crusader II

In the real-time strategy game Stronghold Crusader II, you take leadership of forces fighting for supremacy in the Holy Land. Feel the heat of combat. This Firefly Studios-created follow-up to the renowned Stronghold Crusader offers additional units, better multiplayer features, and better graphics. It also expands upon the formula.

Stronghold Crusader II's difficult gameplay and evocative setting took me back to the Crusades. It was thrilling to lead legions of knights and siege engines against my enemies, and the added strategic element of building and fortifying my own castle made the experience even more engaging. Stronghold Crusader II captivated me, whether I was playing it alone or in online competition with pals.

Fans have praised Stronghold Crusader II's upgrades and expansions for fixing bugs and introducing new content, despite the game's initial mediocre reviews. It's evident that Stronghold Crusader II is still a highly regarded game in the series because there is a devoted player base that is still active today.

Platforms: Steam

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

The much awaited follow-up to the beloved Mount & Blade series, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, transports players to a world of swords and sieges. In this dynamic sandbox world full of chance and peril, you can carve out your own road to dominance in this medieval action-RPG, developed by TaleWorlds Entertainment.

I was impressed with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord because of its expansive universe and flexible gameplay. The game gave me a degree of freedom not often found in games of this kind, whether I was commanding my soldiers in combat or negotiating with other factions. I will never soon forget the excitement of starting from zero and watching my own business grow.

Fans have praised Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord for its vast world and intricate gameplay mechanics, even if it is still in early access. The game has received excellent reviews overall, despite some criticism of its development, and users are looking forward to more updates and enhancements.

Platforms: Steam, Playstation Store

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a remastered version of the well-loved RTS classic that allows you to relive the splendour of the Middle Ages. This definitive edition of Age of Empires II, created by Forgotten Empires and released by Xbox Game Studios, features amazing 4K graphics, improved audio, and an abundance of new content to bring the game's classic gameplay to contemporary audiences.

Being one of the first strategy games I ever played, Age of Empires II has a particular place in my heart. My expectations were far exceeded by the Definitive Edition, which added contemporary enhancements while keeping the allure and captivating gameplay of the original. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is still a mainstay in my game collection, whether I'm playing through old campaigns or taking on friends in multiplayer.

Both critics and players have lauded Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition for its accurate replication of the old game while adding contemporary features. It's evident that the Age of Empires fanbase is still as fervent as ever because of the game's extremely good rating on websites like Steam.

Platforms: Steam, Microsoft Store

Total War: Medieval II

In Creative Assembly's critically acclaimed strategy game, Total War: Medieval II, you can lead armies to victory and alter the course of history. In this expansive real-time strategy game set in the turbulent Middle Ages, players take control of well-known groups like France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire in their struggle for dominance over Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

I was enthralled by Total War: Medieval II because of its strategic depth and epic scale. The game provided an immersion level that was unsurpassed by other games in the genre, from controlling economies and cities to planning large-scale wars involving thousands of warriors. Every choice seemed significant and important, whether it was to fight faraway empires or form agreements with nearby nations.

Both critics and players have lauded Total War: Medieval II for its rich gameplay mechanics, historical realism, and engrossing atmosphere. The game remains a popular classic among strategy fans, with a committed modding community producing new content and experiences.

Platforms: Steam, App Store, Google Play

Forge Your Destiny

The age of conquest awaits you when you have these top 5 greatest medieval strategy games at your disposal. For every couch general and aspiring monarch, this has plenty to offer, whether of whether they are more drawn to the grandeur of dynasty politics or the excitement of epic battles. So prepare to carve out your own position in history by marshalling your forces and resources. You have the task of taking over the medieval world!

My Own Dark Fantasy Realm

Hi there, fellow fans of dark fantasy! Thanks to your unflinching support, our blog—which is packed with tales and inspirations of dark fantasy—is making waves on TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Even more thrilling is the fact that we're creating a captivating Trading Card Game to further engross you in Twilight Citadel's eerie mysteries. Explore the depths of the shadows with our website, where you can get eerie yet lovely phone wallpapers and posters. Furthermore, we've got you covered with free resources like desktop wallpapers and profile pictures to make sure your gadgets are brimming with eerie fantasy atmosphere. Come along with us on this surreal adventure, where fears come true and shadows dance. Are you prepared to welcome the gloom?

[mango-rosa]

MAY 2024 life update!!! hello again, tumblr

'this is a life,'

as mitski sang. truly, life has a way of coming to resemble a bagel. one minute you're in your senior year of high school figuring out what university to apply to, and in the next, over 4 years have passed, and all you have to show for it is a sense of futility coming to rest over everything like a big heavy suffocating blanket, rendering most of existence, at its core, (seemingly) void of meaning. (if ur wondering what a bagel has to do w it watch everything everywhere all at once)

but at the same time, life proves time and time again to be at its heart, full of meaning and love even if it's just a tiny black speck of it in a silly googley eye. (again, the movie)

this is a blog!

and i'm trying to make sense of this life as a twenty-something year old nearly done with her degree. the degree that was meant to be done in 3 years, but has since stretched to four, the degree that i had dreamt of attaining abroad before a pandemic grounded me to this island. a degree that i am, again, nearly done with. done as in i'm close to graduating, but mostly done as in im so over it !!

i am a student of what you'd call 'communication arts,' but truly our times have also made me a student and witness of genocide(s), poverty and corruption, police brutality and extrajudicial killings, oppression and exploitation; but also of apathy, greed, and complacency in the face of it all. you'd think it's just too much for a sensitive little 'gen z' to handle. and it almost is. and yet!

i embark on this journey still. of self discovery, yes, but also of observation. a search of this sense awe and wonder in everyday life. to embrace that little googly eye you need a recognition and awareness of the persisting beauty and humanity in our world.

this is not weakness, this is not naive optimism or an invite to look away or hide in ignorance, but it is a commitment to stand and see that even now there are little glimpses of creation. brief glints of what we could be and what the world has to offer. it is finding promise and hope in the sunsets that mark each day, in the tropical storms that boast of their power, in the gentle song of the maya bird... it is in the warm smile and reassuring touch, in the young generation that refuses to be bystanders of injustice.

this is a life. and we have to choose to live it still. i'm still figuring it out. some days i identify more with the bagel (can i have some cream cheese w that), but we have to hold on to our little joys. there is a strength that comes in embracing the googly eye lol. (also, read some mary oliver ur life will change)

ok .. so... feel free to join me as i try to once again make my cute little blog posts on this cute little blog !! hah ha

[sjwallin]

FWIW, I regularly teach 500 students a year, have a Masters degree, teach a load that prohibits me from even thinking of getting a second job while maintaining my independence as an artist, and I’m on the lowest payment rungs, making about $55,000 a year. 😡

“According to a CFA-commissioned independent financial analysis, Cal State’s operating cash flow surpluses (they’ve existed every year between 2015 and 2022) could cover the difference between the administration’s offer and the CFA proposals without dipping into reserves. Yet management prefers to invest in itself and the stock market rather than faculty and staff.”

“Once a promising statewide public university system designed to provide tuition-free education to California’s working class, the CSU has degenerated into a corporatized behemoth that mocks the democratic values upon which it was founded. Students drown in debt to pay never-ending fee increases, professors scrape by on salaries smaller than those of preschool teachers, while unaccountable administrators rake in six-figure salaries and fringe benefits like free cars and homes…For example, full-time lecturers who hold a PhD receive a monthly salary of $5,400, while the chancellor’s monthly salary consists of $66,250, along with an $8,000 monthly housing stipend and a $1,000 auto stipend…The salary disparities reflect a deeper issue: the abandonment of the principles upon which the CSU was based in favor of the neoliberal assault on all things public.”

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

What is the school giving you money for and how do we go about getting this money as well (if you don’t mind sharing?) I’m a poor college student as well, thank you

hi, thanks for the question, and i don’t mind sharing. in this current case, two public research universities have offered me financial packages to fund me for work toward a PhD: both institutions are offering me full funding of tuition and other school fees as well as employment as a researcher or a teaching assistant, but the total amounts are different. one of them (my current institution) also gave me a yearly scholarship four years ago to partially fund my work toward the bachelor’s degree i’m getting in a few months; this partial funding was based on my performance in high school. i was considered automatically when i applied back in 2019. i also received a smaller, one-time scholarship during my bachelor’s because i’m doing research as part of the honors program.

in terms of advice for getting money like this, i don’t know from where you’re speaking, so this is very USA-centric. also, it’s hard for me to sum it up, if anything because i never expected i’d get any of this. i will say that all the money i’ve gotten for my higher ed has come directly from the universities themselves without me specifically applying for it. honestly, i think if i tried harder to apply to scholarships offered (btw, check if your school has a page on its website about scholarships—some illustrious alumni of the school could have set up programs to issue scholarships to qualifying students) i might have gotten more.

in general, if i had to give advice as to how to get money for education in a situation where you know you don’t have the same head start as some of your peers? i think being able to express yourself well in writing is one of the most important things you can do. for example, was the science department in my high school as well funded as some of my peers’ were? no. but i was able to write about the little experience that i had, and turn it into something that made me stand out. something that i used a lot in applying for university was the way that having to teach myself the core tenets of my field through self-guided research and unsupervised experiments gave me a passion for the field i wanted to study, and resilience in the face of frustration. i genuinely think that being able to write well has been the single most important factor in all the financial aid i’ve received over the past 4 and next 5 years of higher education: i’m not a genius, i have never had perfect grades, and i am certainly not the smartest person in the room. but i know how to write well! i can communicate my ideas clearly! not even just academic writing, strictly, although that’s important and i think doing well in that has also gotten me far in terms of receiving funding. a lot of application-style writing (in the usa, especially) takes on a very narrative form. so being able to express yourself well in writing in different registers and for different audiences definitely makes someone stand out.

as saccharine as it sounds, over the past few years, i’ve just done what i love and am passionate about, and written about it a bit. and apparently, people have decided that that’s worth putting money toward. again, this was kind of hard to sum up, so i apologize if it’s not the most helpful; my asks and DMs are open if you have any other questions.

[red-bat-arse]

And to Fight Wars

Chapter 3 (partial)

(Chapter 2)

(Chapter 1)

Steve moved away from Hawkins pre-canon and was made into the business heir his father wanted. However, when he's brought back to Hawkins in mid 1986 it's clear that his father was involved in something shady; because that's when he meets Eleven, trapped in a rundown lab.

*I don't do tag lists*

This is the last chapter and the full length is on AO3, linked at the end.

*

Steve decided he liked Robin purely for the fact she had no qualms about calling him names.

She was a year younger than him and even though she'd been involved with the Party since the summer before, was also the one under the least scrutiny from anyone connected to the lab. As Steve drove them through town, Robin rambled on about how she stayed under the radar using her various jobs as an excuse to keep tabs on some of the bolder lab scientists who ventured into Hawkins, and since she knew a few languages she set herself up monitoring the phone tap they'd somehow managed to install connected to the building.

"Soi curiós, parlas Occitan? Ou votre spécialité est-elle uniquement de parler métropolitain?" he had to ask, and the bark of laughter he got in exchange was lovely to hear after such a tense few days.

"S'il faut," she said cheekily, making it his turn to laugh. "Non, c'est vrai je ne parle que le français de métropole, but my teacher did her university degree in Avignon so she picked up a lot of the meridional accent."

"My mother's side is from Marseille," Steve offered. "I spent summers with my cousins there, and then six months as an apprentice under my grandfather when I was eighteen. I only learnt because no one would speak to me in English after the first week -its impressive you've taken to it out here."

"Good old Indiana, great for polyglots," Robin looked out the window, her hands starting to wring around her bag strap as they got closer. "I've never done something this close to Brenner before."

"It'll be fine," Steve said calmly. "Your translation credentials check out, and given I don't actually speak Spanish, it makes sense I would hire someone in order to meet with Mr Hernandez more comfortably. Brenner sees me as strong-willed, but fickle and spoiled, he won't look twice at the people I'm sweeping up in my pace if he even leaves his office at all. Just take whatever notes you can and relax, I'll be doing most of the talking."

She sniffed, but nodded firmly, "You're good at pep talks. Here I thought you'd be just another rich dingus."

"I can be both," Steve said magnanimously.

*

Read the rest/conclusion on AO3 since it's too long.

[transcomputer]

HEY HI WALLY UM SORRY TO SCREAM INTO THE VOID OF YOUR INBOX BUT I WATCHED 8 EPS OF FIONNA AND CAKE AND I SAW THAT YOU DIDNT LIKE EP 9 AND 10 WHICH MAKES ME CONCERNED CUZ I REALLY LIKE THIS SO FAR EVEN IF IM A PRETTY CASUAL AT FAN. IDK WHAT I MEAN BY SENDING YOU THIS JUST THAT. MAYBE I WONT BE AS DISAPPOINTED IDK?? ok ill stop screaming now i hope youre having a good day/night :"3

HIII SU YAYY IM GLAD YOU LIKE FIONNA AND CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! o(^▽^)o despite my beef with the last 2 eps i really really do like f&c as a whole ... it feels like such a natural and intriguing progression for adventure time's story while also being creative enough to have its own identity. when i was watching it i was blown away with how much it exceeded my expectations!!! i wanna see where they take the 2 stories and im excited to see where the team decides take this universe (˘◡˘) ♪ ......

full disclosure im a #fake at fan i havent watched since iwas like 13 or something so take what i say with a grain of salt . but ig the main appeal of the first 8 eps for me is that i felt like it was set up as a subversion of what we knew about fionna and cake and, by extension, adventure time as a series. it takes a look at at's typical storytelling formula but from a more detached lens so it provides a new take on adventure time's storytelling by subverting it's key elements while offering a new perspective and tone (i was very pleased w how different f&c are from their at counterparts!) . simon's depression only seems to spiral with time despite everything "ending well" in the original series. fionna, who was initially excited to escape her boring life, becomes slowly disillusioned when she realizes she's out of her element amidst all the magic. both fionna and simon were stuck in a point where they can't progress in life (though in varying degree) because no matter what they do, there isn't really anywhere they belong. so their arcs are set up to have them live for themselves and carve an identity outside of wanting to escape their situations!! i found that very interesting!!

but then. episode 9 and 10 ...... gotta say i was pretty underwhelmed w these ones ha!

(extended thoughts beyond the cut bc its wayy too long and kind of a downer.. ^^ dont click if u havent finished yet!!):

i mean. eps 9-10 do a good enough job in wrapping up the story .... its just that the tone and way in which conflict was resolved felt kinda disconnected from the first half imo. fionna's struggles and what she needed was set up as a fairly complex problem and seemingly extended beyond her surface level desire to escape. but by the end shes like no wait im ok with my town actually i just needed to accept it :) which while yes that was the resolution the show was setting up, the way it's handled feels too. easy ig? idk her journey in the last two episodes feels wayy more cut-and-dry than i was hoping. it really feels like they wanted to delve into her struggles a little longer but weren't given enough time to do so, so they just kinda had to skip to The Part where she learns her lesson, but for me that kinda undermined the complexity of the conflict being set up and resolved things in a pretty generic way. also nitpick but her decision to not change her world mainly coming from gumlee going like "nooo we just got together!" was like disappointingly simple to me (._.)

which brings me to simon. ouuugh simon. i loooove fionna and cake's take on simon as a character a lot but im sorry betty and simon's resolution left me with more mixed feelings than it did closure. their story is bittersweet and doomed from the start so i dont have a problem with them not being meant to be but "simon was selfish too" being the major takeaway is so strange to me? throughout the show simon is shown to be incredibly selfless and self-sacrificial so having THAT be what we take away from his character feels so out of left field. and yes bc we dont see much about simon's personal life in the main series i dont doubt that he was prone to being selfish. it could be an interesting direction to take him in! but.... his selfishness towards betty is only brought up in episode 9 (we didnt see betty till episode 8 mind you) through an exposition dump via casper and nova (whose segments+designs were admittedly rlly cute) and directly called into question in the last episode, which was ALSO their last meeting. and it leaves such a sour taste to me ....... if youre basing a climax off a specific conflict....why wait UNTIL the climax itself to directly bring up said conflict with little to no buildup. i couldnt feel any closure bc i didnt think this was the conflict theyd choose to build their relationship on at all (then again i have bad foresight)

also "we could've made better choices" still confuses me bc literally WHAT..... if simon never put on the crown he wouldve died and never wouldve found marcy. if he escaped the crown's curse he wouldve projected his madness onto pb. idk. maybe i was reading too much into those isolated incidents. but also somehow i doubt that betty turning insane and ice king's existence were consequences of his selfishness 😭 mind you he literally tried to stop betty from saving him in at!!

additional nitpicks the tone kinda switched back and forth and it felt jarring. going from the somber tone of simon and betty resolution/final meeting and the lighthearted/vaguely humorous tone of fionna and friends trying to stop the bad guy kinda messed with my investment a lil bit...also jay permanently living in fionna's universe was so strange to me likerwyt2r!^%@%#& DONT YOU HAVE SIBLINGS?

anyways i sound really critical but its only bc im rlly invested and believe it could be better if its given enough time to explore its concept better!! and even if the last 2 eps werent for me as a whole there are a lot of things i love about it . the visuals (casper and nova, simon and betty's resolution, the scene of simon returning to ooo, the dandelion scene, the epilogue, GOLB) were sooo beautifully done and did such a good job giving the scenes weight like seriously props to the creative team. i also looove beth and shermy we've only seen very little of them but already their dynamic is so endearing. there's so much passion and creativity jampacked into this project i reaaally can't wait to see what else they have in store

[oddlysweet]

One Percent

            After washing out I had trouble sticking with school which was the prerequisite for living under my parents’ roof.  I began to finally understand the meaning of anxiety and manifested agoraphobic tendencies for a couple years (both during and well after becoming a stoner and taking break for years, so that argument is moot.) I still had no idea what to do with myself or any realistic life plans to strive towards.  All I knew for certain was that I needed out of the tyranny of my familial unit.  I decided I would subject myself to the shittiest jobs I could find, to give myself a taste of what the future had in store for me should I never jump through societies hoops for those two initials that stated I was deserving of a living wage.  Spoiler alert, even a master’s degree today only provides the security that a high school diploma got the boomers. 

After a few months of my applying for my first real job that wasn’t cutting lawns with my father, I landed in a law firm in the financial district, mostly through that “who you know” phenomenon where one of the partners was a family friend.  Before you judge, a 20-year-old getting their first job? Remember, I was pimped out to soccer, training year-round, hellbent on earning a scholarship to a prestigious university.  I had my personal statement written and the “A-G’s” memorized before stepping foot in high school; yet still only learned of the existence of community colleges when attending between the summer of sophomore and junior year if that paints you a picture of the expectations of my household.

I showed up to my job interview with sunglasses, failing to obscure completely, the black eye my father gave me the night before, nursing my broken index finger which still hasn’t healed a dozen years later & it’s untouched counterpart, highly sympathetic has warped to bring equilibrium to my twisted grip.)  Not that it matters, but this would mark the last time my brother and I would exchange blows and the first time my mother would abandon us, gone for a fortnight, leaving us to the mercy of an angry teenager in a middle-agers body.  I explained why I was unpresentable to the mother of my brother’s classmate in shame, but they all decided to hire me anyways.  I did my work competently and perhaps too quickly, shorting myself perhaps five hours a week, but I did come to understand two things; I would not be able to become a lawyer like I had been contemplating and that I hated working inside.  I felt guilty getting the minimum wage in San Francisco for a job that did not require my literal sweat. I was feeling the pressure to move out and joined my friend on his move across the bridge, prematurely, before I secured a full-time job that I could live on.

A few months after entering a situation on unequal footing, I finally got a job I was hoping to light a fire under my ass and provoke the desire to stick with school.  I got hired as a rent-a-cop for a car rental service near one of the busier airports in the country.  The company whose logo was on my jacket had just won the contract by severely underbidding its competitors and made the numbers work by cutting the pay of its ten workers at the site by 3 dollars an hour.  So desperate for work were these people that all but one of them chose to remain and take the absolute horseshit being offered as full-time pay. 

I would be taking home less than $50 a day after my 8-hour shift when factoring my 40miles round trip commute.  I was working for this company for three years at various sites and events, but the maintenance center’s lot would be my mainstay, where the first and last people in and out of the gate would be the three managers of the fleet.  Not once in my three years there, did I ever hear any of them refer to me by name.  I know my name can be intimidating to some, especially when read first, but once one gets over their xenophobic tendencies, it’s quite literally of the simplest, natural sounds a human could make, like a hopeful sigh.  I would have thousands of interactions with these miserable middle managers over the years and anytime they needed me, it would be a click on a radio, “Hey, we need…” “Thanks boss...” even during the empty exchanges of obligatory pleasantries, there was no attempt to humanize me.  All the mechanics, drivers and sub-contractors would befriend me, or call me “Paisano” at the very least, but the management regarded me exactly how the whole security industry regarded its employees: just another body for their contractual obligation, a unit of buffer from liability from litigation should anything go awry.

I would lose my favorite uncle in this time and move a hundred miles away to help take care of my ailing matriarch, further isolated from my life and friends, and develop an inevitable interest in graffiti and quite serendipitously, a family friend would take me under his wing and teach me how to grow weed.  Both would fit very nicely in the voids of my experience, and with the last person whose disappointment I could not bear to feel buried in the earth, nothing was stopping me from exploring these wonderfully rich microcosms of countercultures.  Occupy Wall St came along when I eventually moved back to theBay, and I was asked to work a post at a very large institution’s headquarters.  What happened on this day I will never forget and serves as an insight to what anyone one of us proles can expect, brushing shoulders with those society consider elite.

I was stationed at the back entrance in a deserted alley, dealing with absolutely no one, faintly hearing the march pass me by blocks away, what a stupid useless posting I thought, no action at all, as if I would dream of holding my ground if confused impotent protestors wanted to rush the capitol of capital in the west anyways—I’d just as likely throw the first brick.  At some point in the boring inane shift came my time to shine.  A blacked-out SUV pulled up into the alley, stopping in front of the doors I was “guarding.” The driver, a highly evolved form of my useless occupation, stepped out in his snazzy suit, and opened the door for an obviously VIP, almost bowing—with a reverence I would only consider displaying for my wife or daughter or mother—to the President of Wells Fargo, wafting with pretention in his suit that cost about the same as his brand-new gas-guzzling limo.  I offered him the usual courtesies and held the door open for him, before returning my gaze to the wall in front of me, assuming my living gargoyle duties. 

It might help the reader understand that the back entrance to this building had two sets of doors which is quite common in main entrances.  I heard a noise from behind me, that I’ve since regarded as the inaudible indignation of a Karen or a Trumper whose world shatters when they watch his latest interview.  I did what I always do when I hear some out-of-pocket shit and disassociate, glazing my eyes and letting my focus go to the peripheries, pretending I hallucinated that which has no place in reality. I could feel this piece of shit worth billions stew in his disbelief and maintained my position; I would not be made to suffer the humiliation he expected of all those below him—which let’s be honest, applied to every single person this waste of a man encountered in his life, down to his wife and children.  His driver who was watching us from his seat about to depart looked to me and I yelled over to him, “I think he needs you.”

The loyal dog got out of the vehicle to do his master’s bidding, walked past me, and exchanged a few hushed words with the most powerful man in the west and I heard what put a smile to my face: the squeak of the second set of doors opening for the man in the $70,000 suit.  I could barely contain my laughter but somehow managed to return to my stoic—some say stoned—look on my face as the driver shot me a dirty before peeling away.  I could not believe the impotence displayed by the man who made more money in one minute than I would ever make in my life, the audacity of this glorified skid mark most the sheep of today would pay for the privilege of tossing his salad, the completely ingrained expectations he had of his hardly fellow human beings to forsake dignity to accommodate the exponentially growing delusions of his own worth.

This whimpering echo of a turd leaving its asshole actually thought I was going to hold a door open for him, only to watch him take a half dozen strides, and trip over myself to run around him to hold open yet another set of doors—no doubt prostrating myself while I was at it.  The mass of gall on this man, where his balls should have been.  I couldn’t believe what was happening, I had to pinch myself.  Devil’s advocates can propose perhaps he had a germ phobia, but that is just as feeble an argument as Elon Musk hiding his inhumanity behind autism.  In Islam it is said to be sin to regard oneself as inferior to someone else and the same for the reverse.  I might joke around about sheep and NPC’s but I know fundamentally I’m no better than the next soul, and no one has any right to judge another.  Needless to say, after working at this bank on a handful of occasions including shareholder’s galas, I was never invited to work there again.  Good fucking riddance.

This wasn’t the first time I noticed this growing trend, but with the influx of uncultured techies gentrifying my home it was inevitable to notice the neo-classism that was on the rise.  The way people wanted to put even more distance between their experience and the common person, the aspirations of universal celebrity that came hand in hand with the social media apps developed miles away.  The Bay Area became a lab where all the idiots with laughable amounts of money would foist upon us all their hare-brained ideas and conniving plots to capitalize on the laziness of the human psyche. The behemoth of the Salesforce Tower that could be seen for dozens of miles in any direction was a beacon of what was to come in the coming decades; a city in the clouds where the elite would never have to set foot on the ground again.  So desperately these losers needed to build their castles in the sky that they have been spending billions to correct one notable Millennium Tower that has been sinking on its faulty foundation.

I personally can’t wait for “the Big One” to come and shake the untested black holes of personalities out of their bubbles of hubris and send them back home to whatever dismal existences that bore them.  There was something special to be experienced here, and it can hardly be expressed with mere words.  That which made this place the most accepting, diverse, culturally rich places in this severely scattershot melting pot of a nation has been all but squandered.  I don’t hate techies; I hate techie culture and what it’s done to my home.  The damage has been done, and there is no going back, just like giving the land back to the First Ones is nothing but an empty placation.  The Bay Area was the greatest place left in this shithole of hypocrisy and ignorance, and now it is just another metropolis dominated by Hollywood culture.  The number of conversations I have been made to overhear working in cafes and just on the street with vapid people who need to hear themselves regurgitate an opinion they were incapable of forming on their own would make your head spin. 

If you don’t see the once gainfully employed working multiple jobs, driving Ubers and slaving away to do what the avatar on the app believes is beneath them, then my friend, you have been asleep at the wheel.  If you can’t see the new brand of bigotry that is forming, which will prevail even if my halfway joking vision of world peace by way of mandating interracial promiscuity is made a reality and everyone is the same bland beige color, you had better hope you are one of the pretty ones.