#european options exchange

[evaglass]

Speculation about Mizu's parents pt. 1

I don't like usually posting much online, but I do enjoy this series very much, and I would like to discuss possible directions it could go

I think about this moment a lot

A decent amount, actually

Mizu has had to hide her entire life of being a mixed-race girl for her safety, but there's an implication that it's not just because of that reason alone

There's a big assumption that one of the four white men put the bounty on Mizu, and as terrible as they are, there's reasons they probably aren't the ones that placed the bounty on Mizu. I don't think the four white men really care about any bastards they could have produced; I will explain.

Yes, Fowler neglected his offsprings to the point of starvation, but I don't think he was actively hunting them down, and here are the reasons why:

Fowler doesn't really seem to care to put too much effort into caring if the children he profduced in Japan lived or not. It just seemed more like he didn't want to be bothered with any children he had fathered.

If Fowler really cared about having all his children dead, he wouldn't have let Heiji Shindo give Mizu the option to be a Lord in order to leave Fowler alone in exchange

He just really didn't seem too bothered to deal with the situation. He didn't understand why Mizu went through all the effort to killing him (probably because he's not responsible for the bounty).

Also, Violet is already very much dead. I assume Routley and Skeffington have been away from Japan for a few years now, so why would they still keep the bounty up? It feels like it would be a bit counterproductive.

So why is there a bounty specifically for Mizu?

Is it for the "selling the unwanted daughters of Japan" aspect that Fowler pointed towards Routley and Skeffington of being responsible for? Do they want to sell Mizu abroad for profit? No, I don't think that's the reason.

When Mizu asked the bounty hunters, "Which white devil do you work for?" They respond by saying she's the only white devil they see, and then call to kill her.

When Mizu asked who told them where she was, they responded with "the bounty is a sum few could resist."

This says a lot:

The bounty is for sure specifically for her (a mixed-raced girl with blue eyes)

They're looking to only kill Mizu, as if to erase her from existence

The bounty is a high bounty

And the bounty hunters are probably not being sent by any of the four white men

So, who is responsible for putting a bounty on Mizu's head? Well, I want to dive into Mizu's parentage for this because I don't think any of the four white men are Mizu's father. I don't think her father was white at all.

I think there might be subtle evidence to suggest the contrary; that Mizu's mother was European, while her father was Japanese.

I'll dive into this. Remember the play about the Ronin and the Bride in episode 5?

Remember how people pointed out how both the Ronin and Bride represent Mizu, which I agree with. However, I think they're also supposed to represent her parents, and the child is also supposed to represent Mizu.

Before I keep talking about the Ronin and the Bride, I want to talk about the show's influences. I promise this has a point.

Two of the biggest influences are Kill Bill and Yentl. I'm not gonna get into Yentl too much, I have never seen it. I'm just gonna loosely retell a synopsis I found; Yentl is about a woman who dresses as a male in order to study religious scripture forbidden to women to learn. You can see some of the connections there.

I want to focus on Kill Bill more. Specifically more in pt. 2 as tumblr is only letting me use ten pictures per post.

Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4/Part 5/Part 6

[everliving-everblaze]

KotLC Fandom Gift Exchange: Poll 2

The first poll has decided that the July exchange will focus on a specific AU! (If you're not sure what an exchange is, check out that first post.)

I've selected a variety of AUs that will allow a range of interpretations. I'd be happy for any of these to be the theme!

Character AU Options

These can take place in any setting (e.g. the human world, the Lost Cities, etc.) or time period, but some characters are changed from canon.

Human AU: Characters that aren't canonically human are now human. This encompasses a lot of things!

Species Swap AU: The characters are now a different species (EXCEPT human). They could be something that's not in the series at all, like mermaids or ghosts, or could become a different canon species, like ogres or gnomes.

Ruler AU: Characters that aren't canonically rulers are now rulers. This could be either Lost Cities rulers (councillors, monarchs, etc.) or human rulers (presidents, monarchs, etc.)

Criminal AU: Characters that were previously on the "good" side are now on the "bad" side. They could be in the Neverseen, be supervillains, be assassins, or anything else.

Setting AU Options

The characters can be the same or modified to fit the setting, but the story no longer takes place in the canon world.

Fairy Tale AU: The characters are now in a fairy tale. This could be an existing one or an original one.

Hollywood AU: The characters are now in Hollywood. They could be actors, reality TV stars, singers, dancers, influencers, or whatever else you'd like.

Domestic/Mundane AU: The characters are taken out of the action of the story to a more mundane setting. This could be family life, working a human job like retail, going on a road trip, or whatever else.

Science Fiction AU: It's now a science fiction story. Think gadgets and machines, aliens, cyberpunk, and the like.

Time Period AU Options

These are similar to setting AUs, but specifically involve time periods of the human world. You could still set them in the Lost Cities, but show how the Lost Cities are different during these times as well (especially considering that they were formerly more connected to the human world).

Medieval AU: The story takes place in the (typically European) Middle Ages.

Old Britain AU: The story takes place during the Regency or Victorian era of British history (think Jane Austen or Emily Brontë).

Feel free to advocate for the theme you want!

[ladamedusoif]

Hot Chocolate (Marcus Pike x gn!reader)

A Merry Fic-Mas - December 3

Part of A Merry Fic-Mas: A Holiday Fic Calendar - click for masterlist. FYI: I'm having so much trouble with taglists at the moment that I'm not going to use them for now - if you want to keep updated, turn on notifications for my posts.

Pairing: Marcus Pike x gn!reader

Rating: Mature

Word count: 1280 words

Warnings: Implied smut, some heavy making out, Marcus being an adorable foodie romantic art nerd, fluff city. No use of Y/N and no physical descriptions of Reader whatsoever. 

Summary: Snowed in and forced to stay over at your colleague’s Georgetown apartment, Marcus whips up a sweet treat to keep you warm.

“I don’t have much by way of dessert,” Marcus muses from the kitchen, where he’s peering into his fridge. 

You finish gathering the last of the takeout boxes from his dining table and begin cleaning them out at the sink. “You’ve given me a room for the night, Marcus, I don’t need dessert. Hey, where’s your recycling bin?” 

He gestures to a cupboard near the sink and leans back on the counter, thinking. “Actually, would you like some hot chocolate? I think I’ve got everything I need.”

Everything he needs?, you think, wondering what more you could possibly need for hot chocolate beyond some powdered mix and milk. Marshmallows, if you were feeling fancy.

“Sure, sounds good to me.” 

He grins in delight and starts rummaging in a cupboard, emerging with bars of dark chocolate and a jar of ground cinnamon, before delving into the fridge and retrieving milk and heavy cream. A heavy-bottomed saucepan is produced and positioned on the hob as Marcus mutters something about finding his grater.

This isn’t going to be cheap-ass powdered mix, is it.

Alright, full disclosure: if someone hooked you up to a polygraph machine and asked you if you had a teeny tiny harmless little workplace crush on Marcus Pike, you’d have to answer in the affirmative.

And who wouldn’t? He was kind and funny, and smart as hell, quietly undertaking a PhD in art history and cultural policy at Georgetown while continuing to work full-time. He was one of the few people in the team who actually kept up with the art world, regularly seeking you out after a new show opened at the National Gallery to exchange your thoughts on it over coffee in the canteen. 

The fact that he was also really cute didn’t hurt, either. 

When snow and ice blocked the routes out of DC back to your place in Alexandria, leaving you stranded, Marcus immediately suggested that you stay over at his place. See? Kind. 

“I’ll be fine, Marcus, really,” you’d protested, searching for hotel rooms in the city and recoiling when you saw the prices - and the lack of options. “Anyway, isn’t your place a one-bed?”

Marcus shrugged. “I’ve got a big couch, spare blankets and pillows, and I won’t stand by and see you hunkering down here for the night. C’mon. We’ll get takeout - I know a great little Korean place.”

He carefully grates the dark chocolate into a bowl while you whisk most of the cream. 

“Y’know, I really thought you were going to pull out a couple of sachets of Swiss Miss? I should have known better.”

Marcus chuckles to himself and checks the saucepan of milk. “Usually I’m a Swiss Miss kinda guy, I have to admit. But when you have guests, you do the Viennese hot chocolate. I like to make a fuss.”

You hold out the bowl of cream for him to inspect and he nods, eyes crinkling as he smiles at you. You put it down and fold your arms as you watch him work.

“Is it really Viennese, or is that just a name they use to make it sound all fancy?”

He laughs and looks at you in mock horror. “Of course it’s really Viennese! I even had it for the first time in Vienna.” Marcus takes the saucepan off the heat and adds the chocolate along with some sugar, a little cinnamon, and a dash of heavy cream. He begins to whisk the mixture carefully.

“It was one summer when I was a student - I had almost no money, but I did have one of those European Interrail tickets and I tried to see as much great art as I could. Took an overnight train to Vienna to see the Klimts at the Belvedere.” He pauses his whisking to assess the texture, then resumes.

“Like I said, I was down to my last few dollars - or Euros, or whatever the currency was at the time - but the one thing I was gonna do besides see the Klimts was go to a real Viennese café.”

The hot chocolate is frothy now, thick and glossy. Marcus nods in the direction of a cupboard and you open it, finding some mugs.

“So I’m guessing you got to a café.”

He turns off the stove and smiles at the memory. “Sure did. Café Central. It was like something out of a Stefan Zweig novel.” He takes a ladle out of a drawer and proceeds to fill the mugs with the steaming chocolate. “And I had a mug of something a bit like this - but much, much better - and a slice of apple strudel, and it was heaven.”

Marcus finishes off the chocolate by placing a large dollop of whipped cream in each mug, and hands one to you.

“This is…incredible. I don’t think I can ever go back to Swiss Miss.”

Marcus chuckles and sips his chocolate, sitting beside you on the couch. “I’m glad you like it. Perfect drink for a snowed-in night.”

You take another deep draught of the delicious, smooth drink and hum happily to yourself. “And I’m checking out flights to Vienna first chance I get.”

He looks at you intently. “Uh, you’ve… uh…”

You can see a giggle rising in his chest. He can’t suppress it, and he laughs out loud. 

“Why is the thought of me going to Vienna so funny to you?”

Marcus’s expression shifts to one of concern and he quickly shakes his head. “No, that sounds wonderful - you’ll love it - it’s just…” He reaches over and gently rubs the tip of your nose with his thumb, removing a large blob of whipped cream. “You had a little, uh, something.”

“Oh. Oh. I’m sorry.” You look down into your mug, a little embarrassed, but try to lighten the mood. “Feels like we’re in a scene from a cheesy holiday movie, y’know?”

He quirks his head. “How so?”

“Oh, you know. The whole ‘one character has whipped cream or something on their face and the other has to swipe it away and then…’”

You stop short, realising what you were about to say - and becoming very aware of just how close you are to him now.

Marcus’s voice is warm and low. “And then?”

Is he moving closer?

“And then… um. And then they usually, uh…”

He finishes your sentence by leaning in and kissing you, softly, gently at first. Your breath hitches as you feel the softness of his lips on yours. 

He breaks away for a second, staying close. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, it’s…it’s great.” 

He takes your mug and puts it on the coffee table before cradling your face in his big hands and leaning in to kiss you again: a little harder, now, his tongue seeking entry to your mouth as your hands reach for his body and you lean back on the couch. 

You moan and whine with pleasure as you feel Marcus’s hands caressing your body, taste the bittersweetness of the chocolate on his lips and tongue. As he moves his mouth to your neck, sucking and nibbling and licking his way along the sensitive skin, you begin to unbutton his shirt and reach for his belt buckle.

“Marcus?”

He looks up for an instant, hair tousled and eyes as deep and dark and shiny as perfect hot chocolate.

“You’re not sleeping on the couch tonight. You’re keeping me warm in bed.”

Divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

[wandixx]

I want to write a Christmas fluff one-shot with Danny introducing the YJ cartoon version of M'gann and Conner to some Christmas traditions because M'gann asked him nicely, and this boy is weak to pretty girls asking him nicely (or not) to do stuff. However, he would draw a line on Santa. Sorry, not sorry. I'm just not sure how he would do it, so help me decide.

Option two means that Santa is like this goat that gets burned.

Also, I kinda struggle as a Catholic-raised European because I have no idea what my traditions are also things he would introduce. Like, do you American atheists have Christmas Eve big dinner? If yes, then you probably don't have 'no meat' rule cause it's Catholic tradition and in historically more protestant countries it's not a thing but then what do you eat? When do you exchange presents? Do you wait for the first star to begin celebrations?

There are some of my traditions I can rule out, but still, I struggle.

So, my dear American or at least more knowledgeable reader, what's YOUR favourite Christmas tradition that Danny could introduce his alien friends to?

Write in the comments I beg you

Also, Merry Christmas if you celebrate it. All the best for you

[wingedjellyfishflight]

Viper for the King

CW: threats of non-con, possible death, ambiguous ending, torture briefly mentioned

You have been captured by the enemy with no chance of rescue. There will be no hail Mary operation to extract you and you are at the mercy of the enemy. König is the Colonel, in charge and the scariest person you have ever met.

He threatens to rape you to make you talk when no other form of torture works. His eyes light up at the prospect, thinking he may have found your weakness. You grin up at him with blood-coated teeth.

"Sounds like an interesting cultural exchange. Is that a European thing to brag about being so bad at sex that it's considered torture? Hmm.. anyway, go for it. This is getting boring anyway and I'm near outta fingernails as is."

"We will make you talk," he grinds out.

"Honey, I'll bet you can't even make me scream, let alone talk," you try to wink up at him through the blood and swelling on your face.

He admires your spunk and as much as he wants the information, he will be disappointed when you break as it means no more toying with you. No more carving his initials in your skin. No more spark in your eyes. Hell, you at least look him in the eye, none of his men dare to do that anymore. He has much more respect for you than anyone else he's ever met, he is surprised to realize.

"Do ya hide your face because you're so handsome it's a hazard or because it gives the men heart attacks in fear when they see it? Seems like it could be the latter, given the weak men you have working for you."

He stops the man to his left from striking you. He knows you're right about the quality of men. "I've seen your Ghost. Why does he hide his face? Afraid to be known?"

You chuckle back, spitting out a bit of blood to keep from choking on it. "Makes the girls swoon with his blinding smile. Gotta tuck it away or else he'd be mobbed."

"Ahh... pretty boy. Sounds just your style." He smirks as he goes over the roster of men in his head, thinking to exploit this possible weakness.

You look him up and down, eyes pausing to stare at his beefy arms and thighs. "Too skinny and small for my taste. I prefer... insertion specialists." You see his chest puff up and sigh dramatically. "Too bad the best ones are always the enemy. Though it feels almost as good to crush them under my boots. They never seem to expect it."

König knows you're flattering him on purpose. It's working. He just hasn't worked out why you would. You know he won't go easy, your body can already attest to that. Your voice goes quieter. "I've heard you're called a human battering ram. Wolf among men."

He whispers back, "does that make you the viper, spilling poison into my vein?"

You grin, "No. I'm the raven. Collecting shiny things to line my nest. Can't stand not having the best things to play with, no matter the cost."

He goes quiet, his eyes narrowed as he works out the double-meanings and weighs his options. I should shoot you for having the audacity to label me just another shiny thing, he thinks. But he still considers the offer.

You watch, letting him weigh the choice. Either he ends you now or he helps you escape. Staring him in the eyes, you cant your hips up slightly and lick your lip. If he takes the offer, you're eager to see if he can live up to the hype.

He chooses, unsheathing his firearm. He chooses you. He realizes there was no choice, really. A nebulous offer versus where he is now, feared, but bored. It is a hard choice to make. As he carries your limp body, he thinks about the initials he carved in your body. You will carry his brand to the grave along with his heart, because he will always be yours. He was right, you're a viper dripping poison in his veins and he couldn't get enough.

[historysideblog]

Online History Short-Courses offered by Universities Masterpost

Categories: Classical Studies, Egyptology, Medieval, Renaissance, The Americas, Asia, Other, Linguistics, Archaeology

How to get Coursera courses for free: There are several types of courses on Coursera, some will allow you to study the full course and only charge for the optional-certificate, for others you will need to audit it and you may have limited access (usually just to assignments), and thirdly some courses charge a monthly subscription in this case a 7 day free trial is available.

Classical Studies 🏛️🏺

At the Origins of the Mediterranean Civilization: Archeology of the City from the Levant to the West 3rd-1st millennium BC - Sapienza University of Rome

Greek and Roman Mythology - University of Pennsylvania

Health and Wellbeing in the Ancient World - Open University

Roman Architecture - Yale

Roman Art and Archeology - University of Arizona

Rome: A Virtual Tour of the Ancient City - University of Reading

The Ancient Greeks - Wesleyan University

The Changing Landscape of Ancient Rome. Archeology and History of Palatine Hill - Sapienza University of Rome

Uncovering Roman Britain in Old Museum Collections - University of Reading

Egyptology 𓂀⚱️

Egypt before and after pharaohs - Sapienza University of Rome

Introduction to Ancient Egypt and Its Civilization - University of Pennsylvania

Wonders of Ancient Egypt - University of Pennsylvania

Medieval 🗡️🏰

Age of Cathedrals - Yale

Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims - University of Colorado

Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe - University of Colorado

Enlightening the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Archaeology in Italy - University of Padova

Lancaster Castle and Northern English History: The View from the Stronghold - Lancaster University

Magic in the Middle Ages - University of Barcelona

Old Norse Mythology in the Sources - University of Colorado Bolder

Preserving Norwegian Stave Churches - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

The Book of Kells: Exploring an Irish Medieval Masterpiece - Trinity College Dublin

The Cosmopolitan Medival Arabic World - University of Leiden

Renaissance ⚜️🃏

Black Tudors: The Untold Story

European Empires: An Introduction, 1400–1522 - University of Newcastle

The Mediterranean, a Space of Exchange (from Renaissance to Enlightenment) - University of Barcelona

The Life and Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots - University of Glasgow

The Tudors - University of Roehampton London

The Americas 🪶🦙🛖

History of Slavery in the British Caribbean - University of Glasgow

Indigeneity as a Global Concept - University of Newcastle

Indigenous Canada - University of Alberta

Indigenous Religions & Ecology - Yale

Asia 🏯🛕

Contemporary India - University of Melbourne

Introduction to Korean Philosophy - Sung Kyun Kwan University

Japanese Culture Through Rare Books - University of Keio

Sino-Japanese Interactions Through Rare Books - University of Keio

The History and Culture of Chinese Silk - University for the Creative Arts

Travelling Books: History in Europe and Japan - University of Keio

Other

A Global History of Sex and Gender: Bodies and Power in the Modern World - University of Glasgow

A History of Royal Fashion - University of Glasgow

Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-78 - University of Reading

Biodiversity, Guardianship, and the Natural History of New Zealand: A Museum Perspective - Te Papa

Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism - University of Exeter

Great South Land: Introducing Australian History - University of Newcastle

Indigeneity as a Global Concept - University of Newcastle

New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective - Te Papa

Organising an Empire: The Assyrian Way - LMU Munich

Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction - University of Virginia

Russian History: from Lenin to Putin - University of California Santa Cruz

Linguistics 🗣️

Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics - University of Leiden - Coursera version

Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics - University of Leiden

Archeology 💀

Archeoastronomy - University of Milan

Archaeology and the Battle of Dunbar 1650 - Durham University

Archaeology: from Dig to Lab and Beyond - University of Reading

Archeology: Recovering the Humankind's Past and Saving the Universal Heritage - Sapienza University of Rome

Change of Era: The Origins of Christian Culture through the Lens of Archaeology - University of Padova

Endangered Archaeology: Using Remote Sensing to Protect Cultural Heritage - Universities of Durham, Leicester & Oxford

Enlightening the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Archaeology in Italy - University of Padova

Exploring Stone Age Archaeology: The Mysteries of Star Carr - University of York

Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology - Durham University

Roman Art and Archeology - University of Arizona

The Changing Landscape of Ancient Rome. Archeology and History of Palatine Hill - Sapienza University of Rome

[xmascritter]

Okay, important question because its a debate I've had with myself for a while. Fellow Pokemon fans,

PLEASE LIKE AND REBLOG IF YOU ANSWER SO WE CAN GET MORE DATA!!!

Propaganda under the cut

Provinces/states:

First 4 regions based off of Japanese provinces

Alola based off of Hawai'i, a US state

Regions big enough where different towns can exist, but seemingly small enough where kids can travel relatively quickly across the area

We never really see any people that could be considered world leaders besides the champions, who can range from adults who are very commited to pokemon battling to literal children

Countries:

Gens 6, 8, and 9 are all based off of whole european countries

Regions large enough where there can be large variations in environment and biome

There are so many giant legendaries that hail from specific regions and mythical pokemon hanging around but the other regions dont seem overall that concerned whats happening in the others (we dont really get mentions of previous box legendaries that often outside of their regions)

When doing the foreign exchanges in gen 9, you are sent to other regions instead of the other countries it would be in real life

The Orre region from pokemon colesseum is considered a region and has seemingly no ties to other regions

Both:

All of the above

Certain regions like johto and kanto seemingly have open boarders that imply either an EU esque alliance or statehood in a bigger country

Hawai'i is a state but was once itself a country meaning you could justify it under either circumstances

Neither

Unova from gen 5 was based off of and inspired by the concept of new york city

Parents seemingly arent concerned with letting their kids take a journey across regions even in the 90s, implying the region is small enough where they either trust their kids not to get lost or it wouldnt be hard to find them

Two towns connected by a very short road but claiming theyre separate? Thats some real suburbs in a greater metropolitan area shenanigans

Rhyme City from Detective pikachu is considered its own region outside of other regions

[greypetrel]

Pan dei Morti

Aka Deads' Bread. (Image source) (recipe I translated - My family moved to Milan but we're originally from Parma, I don't have a family recipe)

They're little soft biscuits that are typical of Milan and the area of Lombardy north of the city (Brianza). You ONLY find them in bakeries there and around All Saints' Day (Ognissanti), when the tradition in Catholic Italy wants that you should go and visit your dead ones in the cemetery, change the flowers, pay your respects. (It's mostly a thing that grannies do, nowadays, but it's a bank holiday and what's not to enjoy about a day home with a seasonal treat) The name comes not because the cakes are meant to be offered to the deads, but because All Saints' Day is from this tradition also called "Giorno dei Morti", Day of the Deads (not to be confounded with Dia de los Muertos in Mexico, they're different celebrations and shouldn't be mixed up!), and it's litterally "the bread you eat around that day".

They're delicious and tasty, and @brother-genitivi expressed interest for the recipe... (and listen, exchanging recipes with people all over the world is something really great about the internet)

Recipe under the cut! Note: I am European and don't do imperial measurements. Forgive me if I keep the metric, I don't trust my conversions since when I found out that British and American cups are different.

INGREDIENTS:

All purpose flour, 250g

Almond cookies (Amaretti), 100g

Caster sugar, 300g

Almonds, 120g (or the same quantity of almond flour)

Raisins, 120g

Dessert wine (sweet wine), 100ml. You can substitute it with apple juice or grape juice, same quantity.

Unflavoured, plain biscuits, 100g

Ladyfingers, 300g

Cocoa powder, 50g

Dried figs, 120g

6 egg whites

Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon

Nutmeg, a pinch (optional)

Baking powder, 10g

I have unfortunately no idea on how to substitute the egg whites in baking if you want to make it vegan, and I've never tried anything to have an educated guess over tutorials online, if anyone have an intel I'll edit the recipe with pleasure! (And I'd be glad to know myself) All the spices can be skipped if you don't like them, and if you like me don't like figs, use your favourite dried fruit, it goes without saying.

PROCEDURE:

Wash and soak your raisins, either in water or in the wine/juice of the recipe.

Grind together the biscuits, ladyfingers and almond cookies until you obtain a fine grind. Move it in a bowl.

Grind the almonds to a fine flour, then add it to the biscuits in the bowl. Do the same with the dried figs.

Add to the bowl the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg (optional).

Drain the raisins if you soaked them in water, and add them to the bowl. If you soaked them in the wine/juice, add that too.

Add the egg whites, and start mixing everything together by hand or with a wooden spoon until you obtain a compact batter. Move it to a flat surface, floured, and keep working it with your hand until the batter is firm and solid. Form a sausage of it and cut it in thick slices.

The slices should then be modelled and flattened so they're fairly thick (1cm of depth, the recipe says, but you do you) and shaped like longue tongues. They're not really small!

Put them on a baking tray, minding not to place them too close together: they'll rise a little in the baking.

Cook them in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/350°F for around 25 minutes (use a toothpick to check if they're cooked inside). When they're ready, powder them with powdered sugar and let them cool.

The recipe wants you to leave them alone for at least two days, so they'll get soft, but listen. No judgement here, eat them whenever you'd like, life is bitter as it is without restraining yourself not to eat cake for two days.

[badass-at-fandoming]

Zero idea about the fandom interest in said supplement, but I think it would be cool to have a supplement of different types of Anarch government!

I know v5 has these different coterie types already, but I'm thinking something bigger, like a guide on how to build a government for vampires. You could even have the same group of Anarchs try different government types, to see which one fits for their community. In his diary, Beckett writes down two different types of Anarch government: one in LA and one in Libertatia. What if we had even more options! There could even be more based on real life government, though they'd have to be scaled down for a smaller population. What do you think? How would you design your vampire government? 🎵 It's fun to get together with your friends and write a constitution. 🎵

Some examples under the cut

Copy + Paste Real Life Government - Could be a state, city, or federal government taken from the real world. World Citizen Comics created this very fun book on different constitutions of the world. It's called RE: Constitutions: Connecting Citizens With The Rules Of The Game

Athenian Democracy - Everyone votes all the time on everything. More explanation here.

The Monty Python - the autonomous collective described in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This scene here.

Autocracy - This can go a lot of ways. One vampire has all the power. They could be called emperor, king, Ruler Supreme, the Big Cheese, or anything else. I was thinking of Imperial Russia and how the Tsar had to do everything, from processing name-change forms to leading the army. You could bring in a religious element. Whoever proves to be Caine's specialist little snowflake gets to sit in the biggest, comfiest chair. There could be "divine trials" to prove that Caine himself kisses you on the forehead. You could have a Pharaoh, who heads the government and religion.

The Bonpensiero - This is a spin on the Camarilla model to fit LA's needs at the end of my friends' hella long chronicle. Each LA neighborhood had an elected Baron, and all Barons sat on a Council. The Council resolved disputes, monitored LA citizen health, and investigated threats to the Masquerade. When it became time to stomp something into dust, the "Prince" would do the stomping.

Feudalism - Quentin King III modeled his government after medieval European feudalism, which shockingly worked for a long while. In exchange for protection during attack, the ruler receives food/taxes/tribute from others. That can be the entire extent of it, or there can be other government bodies that form laws and settle disputes.

The Eternal Senate - Collat's version, Camilla's version, or the real life one!

The Oligarchy - a group of people are in charge of everything! Can come in different flavors. Maybe it's a elders, maybe it's corporate bigwigs [shudders]; maybe it's everyone who has proven Caine loves them.

The Matriarchy - Female Kindred rule a territory, both as a government and keepers of culture. However, they don't have absolute power, and there are various counter-balances and law-making bodies

Three Departments and Six Ministries - the admin structure of medieval China, NE China (Manchuria), Vietnam, and Korea. Comes with an emperor. Read more here!

Communism - Comes in so many flavors I'm just linking the wikipedia article here. The society centers around the common ownership of the means of production. For example, every Kindred would have a role in the acquiring and distribution of blood.

Socialist Republic - Kindred vote for representatives to...represent them...in a government body, which then votes on policies. Including socialism means a focus on government programs providing Kindred with their basic needs, like blood, a haven, art, etc

This is SO incredibly nerdy. I would love to hear other people's ideas~!

[faustiandevil]

Again not a translator by trade I just do what I can with the knowledge of the language only the Devil and Hungarians speak. I would love to get some notes, or help, because this one is full of misinformation in my humble opinion. So… uh… have the Youngkin book ready I guess…

Peter Lorre – the hero of horror movies is – Hungarian!

Talking with the famous actor’s father in Budapest

Slowly climbing our way up the snow covered street in Buda. We stop before a modest looking villa that stretches into a garden. Under the doorbell stands a small nametag:

LAJOS LÓRÁNT (Translator’s notes: Okay, so this article came out in 1947, after Hungary’s involvement in WWII… on the worst side possible and after the “liberation” by the Soviet army. Now it wasn’t uncommon for Jewish people to change their name to something more Hungarian for assimilation purposes. And during that time people who had a German sounding name could be deported back to Germany… even if they lived in Hungary for generations and had no political involvement in the war. The worse option was of course a brutal death. So that’s my guess as to why it says Lóránt instead of Löwenstein.)

Inside the warm room, among the heavy furniture we shake hands with a kind old man. With Lajos Lóránt, the father of Peter Lorre, the world famous actor, the big star of the so-called >>horror movies<<. We are talking about his son, who appeared in nearly almost every big European city, but his success reached its zenith in Hollywood. Old photos, yellowed articles emerge from the depths of the huge drawer. The past is mixed with the present here, the drawer shows us the ascending career path of a great actor.

– Peter was born in Rózsahegy (Translator’s note: If you are not Hungarian I guarantee you are pronouncing it wrong.), but he was still a child, when we moved to Vienna. He studied there, – the old man’s eyes start to shine – he graduated with honors from the Wiener Handelsakademien. For a short while he worked at a bank, but his dream, to become an actor, didn’t let him rest behind the boring desk of the foreign exchange department. With his young friends he organized an experimental stage, where they performed commedia dell arte plays. – they failed with it. He first performed in a serious play in Breslau, and from here his journey lead to Zürich. (Translator’s notes: If anyone could add more to these please do so. I don’t remember anything about either places.) Then he performed in Vienna with astounding success, then he went to Berlin. There he was spotted by Fritz Lang, who contracted him for the main role in >>M<<. The peculiar movie became a world hit, and with certainty established Péter’s career as an actor.

A faded newspaper, with yellowed edges comes out from the drawer now, the first Hollywood article, which was written of Peter Lorre.

>>…Peter Lorre – states the article – doesn’t hold onto the hundreds of critiques, he only put away one. That copy of the Times, where Chaplin has said that he has seen >>M<< three times and that he considers Peter Lorre the best European actor.<<

After the nazis seized power Peter Lorre has also immigrated, first to Paris, and then to London… The great actor was received with a warm welcome by the free people of the free countries. In London with one of his roles he won the English producer’s first prize, which is equivalent to an American Oscar. (Translator’s note: What?) Mr. Lóránt is now telling us about an episode in London:

- There was a group that got together in London, the immigrants, we went there together with Péter. (Translator’s notes: The story makes it sound as if papa Löwenstein was also there with him in London, but he wasn’t… as to my knowledge… anyway let’s continue…) One day a producer has joined us, he also came from Germany. He told us of an interesting and a typical incident. When the nazis took over the UFA studio, one day Goebbels visited the ateliers in Neubabelsberg. Everyone was there to see the >>tall<< visitor. Then Goebbles had asked: - Tell me, you had once a great actor… a sort of short little man… Why is he not here? - Minister, there’s a bit of a problem with him… - Problem?! What sort of problem?! I can smooth it over! - I’m afraid, Minister, that this problem cannot be fixed. - ??? - Minister, with Peter Lorre the problem is with his… religion! Goebbels straightened himself out, and his expression turned dark: - I no longer know this man! (Translator’s notes: Not a loss if you ask me. Burn in Hell nazi scum~)

Newer photos emerge, these are from America. Success, after success.

- Does your son write often? - Oh, of course. Always with such love and would love for me to move out to him. There’s a possibility it’ll happen around the summer. And he always writes in Hungarian, always, and he always states he is Hungarian. (Translator’s notes: Again what??? Man didn’t speak the language, but he could write??? That’s new info for me… but in a previous one we were also told by papa Löwenstein that he hates writing letters and would rather call home instead… I do feel validated tho, because yes Hungarians ride horses and women, man did not deny his roots. If anyone calls him a different nationality from here on I will be collecting kneecaps just saying.)

Our time is up, the photos and articles go back into the drawer. Mr. Lóránt puts away even the smallest paper piece with such great care, as if it were expensive porcelain.

Original article by György Gaál.

Text under images:

In the first movie, in the main role of Fritz Lang’s drama >>M<<

With his father, in 1930, at Siófok (Translator’s notes: Uhhh… in the previous one I translated this image was said to be taken in 1921 Budapest… Did papa Löwenstein remember it wrong, it has been 10 years and I’m unsure how old he was at this point… He could’ve just misremembered, or the journalist made an error. Either way I feel gaslighted. If anyone knows if he took any vacays near Lake Balaton lemme know.)

With his wife in Palm Springs. The white horse was a gift from Robert Taylor

[ocean-sailor]

Taylor Swift: several Covid clusters reported since her visit to Paris

"An exceptional show. From May 9 to 12, Taylor Swift provided four concerts as part of her European tour The Eras Tour, on the stage of La Paris Défense Arena. While the spectators present on site were delighted to see their idol in the flesh, others were somewhat disillusioned after the performance. And for good reason, on the following days, several hundred of them would have experienced symptoms related to Covid-19, as Le Parisien reported on Friday, May 17. Some have indeed carried out a test that turned out to be positive: "I caught Covid at the N3 (the 3rd of the four concerts)", "I got tested today and I have Covid (I was at the N3 and I've been sick since Monday)" or "Be careful it's Covid, I tested positive yesterday and a girlfriend too, we were at the Thursday concert (the N1)," we read, according to comments that the daily echoed.

Quickly, clusters were formed. "All the people I know and who went there too have fallen ill, whether it was Covid or not," says Camille, a 27-year-old teacher, to Le Parisien. If the two self-tests she performed were negative, Marine, another "Swiftie", wants to remain cautious: "We no longer heard too much about Covid but, in hindsight, we think it's logical since we were in a closed place, with 45,000 people per night... If a virus circulates, it goes very fast." And epidemiologist Antoine Flahault confirmed: "People shout, sing, are very close to each other, it's crowded... It's very conducive to super clusters."

On its official website, La Paris Défense Arena assures that "the room has been designed to manage air treatment, by guaranteeing spectators a welcome in optimal sanitary, safety and comfort conditions." It is also "equipped with 15 air treatment plants associated with seven extractors, making it possible to renew the atmosphere of the entire room in two hours."

Covid Risk Assessment:

Covid is not over and to be even remotely safe indoors, the air needs to be exchanged with fresh outdoor air/MERV13 filtered air 6+ times/hour, not once every 2 hours 🙄.

Currently 1 in 50 people have Covid. So in a venue that holds 40k people, you're sharing the air with 800 people that have Covid. And since it's an airborne virus, well... it's going to spread and there will be super clusters which will cause even more spread.

This can be mitigated by decreasing your risk of exposure. If you're going to a show, your best protection is to wear a well fitting respirator mask - an N-95, or an N-99/100 which is equivalent to an FFP2 or FFP3 in the EU. If you have the option, you can further decrease your risk by going to an outdoor show in the fresh air.

Also, ensure your Covid vaccination is within the last 6 months, ideally 3 months, as immunity starts to wane. It takes ~ 14 days from the injection date to mount a full immune response so plan accordingly. If you're going to be in a crowded area, it's better to have stronger protection. In many places, you can receive a booster 3 months after your last one, especially if you or a family member are more vulnerable.

Please protect yourself and everyone around you.

[bearimba]

I would love to get into language stuff for the ✨️bearimba pokeverse✨️ but the more I look into it the more I confuse myself?? Like. It feels like I've opened a huge can of worms here. Sure, I could be overthinking it, but if I didn't overthink things, then this blog literally wouldn't exist, so.

Quick warning for a long, probably quite boring, and highly speculative rant:

To start out with, I would love for each region to have its own language, more or less---regions that are geographically close are likely to have similar languages possibly due to a common ancestor (like how Spanish and Italian are both Romantic languages that came from Vulgar Latin), but otherwise, each language would be distinct. But then there's the matter of how exactly these languages evolved to be distinct from one another, or even more confoundingly, how these languages had a shared ancestor in the first place. Take Kalos and Paldea, for example: both are based off of Romantic-speaking countries. France and Spain, respectively. In the ✨️bearimba pokeverse ✨️, these regions are nowhere near each other, but somehow, they speak similar languages (assuming the pokeverse languages are like or the same as their real-life equivalents). How does that work exactly?? The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that at one point in time, people from one of these regions emigrated away to go live in the other region. but. if you think about it, the people that moved away would've had to leave long enough ago that the region would have time to develop from nothing into the state it is in modern times. Obviously that's going to take quite a long time---take the USA for example, which from the point of its conception as a collection of colonies (and I am specifically talking about America as it was founded by Europeans and not the collection of Native American cultures) has been around for over 200 years, and American English has changed drastically during that time. Yes, it hasn't quite evolved into a new language, but it is different enough to be distinguished from British English. Keep in mind that 200 years is (to my knowledge) a remarkably short time for a country to be considered developed, not to mention that England and its colonies had constant communication that kept the languages from deviating too far. My point is, two countries that are geographically separated for multiple centuries without regular consistant contact are likely to develop very different languages, but since Kalos and Paldea are based off of countries with similar languages, this doesn't really sit right with me. Theoretically, I could just place them closer together physically, but that would make travel between them much more feasible which would result in more cultural similarities than are present in the games, so then I'd probably have to do an overhaul of both regions' cultures, and I'd like to keep them as unique as possible. Do you see my problem here????

That's not even to mention my issue with multilinguisim. If every single region has their own language, then there has to be some sort of lingua franca so that everyone can actually communicate. However! Believe it or not, this comes with its own set of issues! The first of which being, how did this lingua franca come into existence? The most obvious answer is that it's a pidgin or creole language, but a language made of bits and pieces from 9+ other languages is going to get complicated real quick. The only other origin for a lingua franca I've come across so far is colonial languages. and, uh. that is just not an option I'm going to pick. so.

Besides the origin of this lingua franca, there's also the matter of how it spreads. Lingua francas are created and used to share information between linguistically separated parties, typically during business or academic exchanges. But not everyone is going to talk to people from other regions in that type of circumstance! Someone might specifically learn the lingua franca so that they can communicate while traveling to other regions, but that won't necessarily make it widely user, and this supposed to be a universal language. My solution: have it be taught in schools! It's like how English is taught in many Asian countries in order to enable participation in international circles. However, it's entirely possible that not every school will have the funding (how pokemon schools even get funding is its own separate thing that I have yet to even consider) to teach the lingua franca. There's other ways to learn, of course, like being taught by family/friends or even teaching yourself, but those methods aren't necessarily standardized. Then again, neither is getting taught at school---it's like learning textbook Spanish in class then traveling to Spain and realizing that you're woefully unprepared. Whatever method is used, it's best to start learning at an young age, as the earlier you start, the easier it is to pick up a new language. Again though, that's not going to be accessible to everyone, so it's entirely possible that some people will just be limited to one language unless they take it upon themselves to learn.

Long story short, linguistics is hard. At least to me. And everything I've mentioned is mostly about figuring things out on a practical level---there's still more cultural stuff to consider like code-switching, global/regional slang, and other things that I haven't even thought of. I'm not really linguistics enthusiast, nor am I especially ready and raring to do deep research at the moment, but looking into some of this stuff really has been quite interesting! Anyways, I don't really have a good way to end all this, so I guess if you actually read all this, congrats? And thank you? And that either way, I hope you have a good day? Yep.

[tieflingkisser]

Gaza resistance sources say fear is rising U.S. pier will be used for forced displacement of Palestinians

Critics warn the U.S.-constructed pier off Gaza's coast is being used for military purposes. Now a source in the Gaza resistance says there are indications it will be used to facilitate the forced displacement of Palestinians.

An intelligence source from within the resistance in Gaza, who spoke to Mondoweiss under conditions of anonymity, says there are mounting signs the U.S. pier could also be used to forcibly displace Palestinians. This would provide an alternative to the original Israeli plan of forcing Palestinians into the Sinai, which was rejected by Egypt early on in the war. “The floating pier project is an American solution to the displacement dilemma in Gaza,” the source said. “It goes beyond both the Israeli solution of displacing Gazans into Sinai…and the Egyptian suggestion of displacing [Gazans] into the Naqab [desert].” Instead, the source said, the U.S. pier would be used to facilitate the displacement of Gazans to Cyprus, and then eventually to Lebanon or Europe.

[...]

The anonymous resistance source told Mondoweiss that “according to our intelligence, the pier will be used to displace Palestinians to Cyprus through evacuation ships and then to Lebanon after undergoing a screening process.”  The source asserted that this plan has already been discussed with Lebanese authorities, and that “it was agreed with Najib Mikati, the Lebanese Prime Minister,  to receive $1 billion in aid to Lebanon to be paid through the European Union, with an additional $250 million to be paid to his own companies.” In exchange, Lebanon would receive “between 100,000 and 200,000 Gaza residents through the floating pier via Cyprus, which is expected to take place during the fall this year,” the source said. 

[...]

The next step in this process would then supposedly follow, in which a few hundred thousand Gazans would be transferred from Gaza to Cyprus. Notably, the U.S. is already using Cyprus to load humanitarian aid into cargo ships and transport it to the pier. “They are expected to leave for Cyprus in waves and to mix with other illegal immigrants from Syria, after which they will either be assisted in making the journey of illegal migration to Europe — which is opposed by the European Union — or they will be sent to Tripoli and replace the Syrian refugees there, in accordance with the wishes of the Lebanese government,” the source continued. “They would then be resettled in northern Lebanon or Lebanon’s Sunni areas, far away from areas of Hezbollah influence and control.” The source emphasized that such a scenario is not without precedent, as previous waves of Palestinian immigrants tied to Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, a rival of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, have been settled in Lebanon in the past. 

[...]

Regardless of whether such a plan comes to pass, different political factions in Gaza have expressed concern regarding the intentions behind the pier, while others have cautiously welcomed it despite reservations. Hamas welcomed the U.S. project and the efforts to aid Palestinians, but it also emphasized that the pier would not be a reliable alternative to aid through land-based crossings, which is more efficient. Many international organizations have also echoed these concerns, confirming that aid through land crossings remains the most reliable and efficient option. Hamas has also rejected the presence of any foreign military force as part of the pier’s operations.  Other Palestinian political parties such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have come out more strongly against the pier, raising alarms about its potential misuse for the forced displacement of Palestinians or protecting Israeli forces occupying Gaza. The PFLP warned Arabs, internationals, and Palestinians from working on the pier and asserted any troops deployed with the pier would be dealt with as an occupying force. 

[historicalfightingguide]

Video review by 'The Historical Fencing Channel' of a tournament bout by David Miller of Sellsword Arts

Various exchanges are used to discuss the concepts of strong and weak, indes, the bind generally, winding, thrusting(ort,schissen,absetzen,ansetzen etc.), and so on.

You may or may not also know about these older and recent KDF-related posts on this blog that may be useful as reading material alongside the video.

Here’s a masterpost of sorts of Meyer content on this blog, one of the later masters in the KDF tradition that covers all the mentioned aspects in the video.

For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the following links:

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Some advice on how to start studying the sources generally can be found in these older posts

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Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with your own club/gym/dojo/school culture and approach.Check out their curriculum too.

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Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by   Kajetan Sadowski   may be relevant as well.

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“How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills”  by Rob Gray  as well as this post that goes over the basics of his constraints lead, ecological approach.

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Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts (while about HEMA, a lot of it is applicable to other historical martial arts clubs dealing with research and recreation of old fighting systems).

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Trauma informed coaching and why it matters

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Look at the previous posts in relation to running and cardio to learn how that relates to historical fencing.

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Why having a systematic approach to training can be beneficial

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Why we may not want one attack 10 000 times, nor 10 000 attacks done once, but a third option.

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How consent and opting in function and why it matters.

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More on tactics in fencing

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Open vs closed skills

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The three primary factors to safety within historical fencing

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Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

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And if you train any weapon based form of historical fencing check out the ‘HEMA game archive’ where you can find a plethora of different drills, focused sparring and game options to use for effective, useful and fun training.

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Check out the cool hemabookshelf facsimile project.

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For more on how to use youtube content for learning historical fencing I suggest checking out these older posts on the concept of video study of sparring and tournament footage.

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Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

[shubham-pandey]

Why Indian students choose Russia for MBBS - Top Reasons

The competition to study MBBS in government medical colleges in India is fierce. Owing to the affordability and the quality of education, every aspirant dreams of making it to one of the government colleges. However, such competition is overwhelming for many students and they look for other options.

Russian universities emerge as a viable option for Indian students owing to their affordable tuition fees and world-class education. An MBBS from a Russian university is more cost-effective than an MBBS from a private college in India. 

Indian students choose Russia for MBBS to get affordable world-class education in a conducive academic environment.

Affordability

The high cost of medical education from the private universities in India compels students to explore options outside India. Russian universities emerge as an affordable option for Indian students willing to pursue MBBS.

Russian universities charge somewhere between USD 3500  and USD 7000 per year for MBBS. Besides, the cost of living in not much in Russia. The monthly expenses for students range USD 120 to USD 360 depending upon the lifestyle and the city. Some universities in Russia also have the facility of Indian mess which adds to the comfort of hostels and dorms.   

MBBS in Russia is affordable. Why?

Pursuing MBBS in Russia is affordable for the following reasons:

Higher education in Russia is highly subsidized which brings down the tuition fees and brings it within the range of Indian students. 

Russian universities are transparent in their admission process and pricing of their medical degree programs. It ensures that students do not have to pay overhead charges like capitation fees or donations.

The cost of living in Russia is not high which brings down the hostel and mess charges. Living in Russia for six years of medical program is thus not costly. 

Quality of Education

Medical education in Russia is built upon a strong tradition of medicine and healthcare in Russia. Russian universities boast of innovative pedagogy and latest curriculum. They prepare students to take on the challenges of healthcare industry with their high-standard of instruction.

Russian medical schools boast of a conducive research environment which attracts top faculty. Advanced simulation facilities, well-equipped classroom, and well-resourced libraries contribute to the quality of education in Russian universities.

Recognition from leading international and regional organizations plays a huge role in maintaining and improving the quality of education. It earns them global respect. Russian universities are recognized by the World Health Organization and find their place in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). National Medical Commission of India recognizes medical programs taught in Russian universities.

Russian medical education system balances theoretical and practical learning. It maintains the rigour of its programs by focusing on clinical partnerships, laboratory sessions, internships, and simulation exercises. 

Welcoming Environment

Russian universities are known for their inclusive culture. It is easy for medical students from India to adapt to the new environment. Universities in Russia offer language courses, and organize various events for adaptation and cultural exchange. 

Doing an MBBS from Russia offers many advantages. The cost is lower than most European countries and private colleges in India. The Russian universities offer state-of-the-art infrastructure besides world-class teaching and clinical training.

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Thank you for reading this article. We hope you found it insightful and engaging. For more exciting and informative content, be sure to follow us. Stay tuned for more valuable updates and knowledge!

[arcturusnebula]

thank you babe @tortoisebore for the tag ily 🫶🫶

currently reading: the bell jar by sylvia plath and the Iliad

favorite color: bright lovely yellow and a specific type of pink???? I don't know but but the match is great!!!

last song: high infidelity by taylor swift!!

last movie: I don't really remember but I think it was mario bros???? I didn't finish it tho

sweet/spicy/savory: SWEET ALL THE WAY!!!! can't spend a week without eating chocolate and it's probably an addiction???? Don't really know but it's one of my comfort foods

currently working on: finish my wip without adding anything else to it while deciding between writing a post apocalyptic au or not. I'm also imploding from not having decided my exchange country so far, I'm between denmark, australia and Ireland. Canada is also a viable option and Italy is a no no for now (I'm still scared of the percentage of sexual harassment in european countries so yeah)

the mutuals i want to get to know better (no pressure tags!!): ✨❤️🫶⭐💖🫶🫶

my darling loves @saintlupin, @hoodedcrxw, @crushofdoves and @moonheavens