#future vision 2020

[myriadeyed]

My IRL actual name I've only had for a few months. My IRL legal name I've only had since 2022. Names before that lasted from 2020 to 2022 and 2017 to 2020. Those are what my family, coworkers and school friends call(ed) me. I made this blog in 2020 and picked a name on a whim. I've literally been Swift for a longer amount of time than any name I've had before and for longer than either of my "IRL" names. I didn't expect it to stick so much, I didn't even expect to still have this blog four years later, I definitely didn't expect to gain very real close friends who call me Swift even despite knowing my full legal name. Maybe there is more to a name that what's written on your license or even what you'd want to put on it. No wonder I keep shying away from changing it or adding more. It would just be wrong. I'm Swift. That's what the people who actually know me call me so why would I ever be anything else

[sludgeguzzler]

man. i changed so much these past years

[pattern-recognition]

im rewatching eizouken now and I think i need a kanamori-kun in my life more than anything

[opencommunion]

The Stop Cop City movement has sought to prevent the expropriation of part of the Welaunee Forest for the development of an 85-acre police mega training center: a model town to prepare the state’s repressive arms for the urban warfare that will ensue when the contradictions of their exploitation and extraction become uncontainable, as they did in 2020 after the APD murdered Rayshard Brooks.  That murder, and all those that came before, were the lodestars of the Black-led movement during the George Floyd uprisings; their demands were no less than the dismantlement of the entire carceral system. Unable to effectively manage or quell the popular street movements, the Atlanta Police Foundation set out to consolidate and expand their capabilities for surveillance, repression, imprisonment, armed violence, and forced disappearance. One result is Cop City, which has been racked by militant sabotage, land occupation, arson, and popular mobilizations, in an attempt to end the construction and return Atlanta to its people.  As the Atlanta Police Foundation was unable to contain the 2020 Black rebellion, so too have they been unable to quell the resistance against Cop City. The press reports that the project is hemorrhaging money and is mired in delays and difficulties. For their part, the city, the state, and the federal government, have in turn employed every tool in their power to destroy the movement. Last week, the Georgia State Senate passed a bill to effectively criminalize bail funds in the state; RICO charges have been contorted to target networks of support and care that surround the fighters; and last January, APD assassinated the comrade Tortuguita in cold blood while they rested in their tent in the forest. It is clear that Stop Cop City represents one of the conjunctural spear tips for expanding the existing systems of counterinsurgency that span Africa, Asia, and the Arab world.  Today the system’s belly rests atop Gaza, whose rumblings shake the earth upon which we walk. Through its Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program, the APD has sent hundreds of police to train with the Zionist occupation forces. And in October 2023, after Tufan al-Aqsa, the Atlanta Police Department engaged in hostage training inside abandoned hotels, putatively intended to “defeat Hamas,” in an advancement of tactics for the targeting of Black people. With every such expansion, the ability of counterinsurgency doctrines to counteract people’s liberation struggles grows. The purpose of counterinsurgency is to marshal state and para-state power into political, social, economic, psychological, and military warfare to overwhelm both militants and the popular cradle—the people—who support them. Its aim is to render us hopeless; to isolate and dispossess us and to break our will to resist it by any and all means necessary. This will continue apace, unless we fight to end it. Stop Cop City remains undeterred: on Friday, an APD cop car was burnt overnight in response to the police operation on February 8; yesterday, two trucks and trailers loaded with lumber were burnt to the ground. An anonymous statement claiming credit for the former, stated: “We wish to dispel any notion that people will take this latest wave of repression lying down, or that arresting alleged arsonists will deter future arsons.”  As the U.S. government and Zionist entity set their sights on the Palestinian people sheltering in Rafah, as they continue their relentless genocide of our people in Khan Younis, Jabalia, Shuja’iyya, and Gaza City, the Stop Cop City movement has clearly articulated its solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. They have done so with consistency and discipline, and we have heard them. Our vision of freedom in this life and the next requires us to confront and challenge the entangled forces of oppression in Palestine and in Turtle Island, and to identify the sites of tension upon which these systems distill their forces. This week, as with the last three years, the forest defenders have presented us one such crucible.

(11 Feb 24)

National Lawyers Guild, Stop All Cop Cities: Lessons For a National Struggle (video, 1 hr 45 min)

[maxwellatoms]

Hello Mr. Atoms, I'm an animation student in college and fan of your work. I got this assignment in which I need to ask questions to a professional in the area. Could you pretty please answer them? It'd mean a lot to me.

1- Are you happy with your career? How it's going.

2- What are your opinions, expectations and hopes about the independent animation industry that's developing?

3- What do you think about the advent of artificial intelligence? Do you fear for the future of animators?

4- If money wasn't a problem, would you still do what you do?

5- Any animators you admire and would like to mention?

Okey dokey.

1- Are you happy with your career? How it's going.

Not really, in that there seems to be no career left.

The animation industry swelled its numbers greatly before 2020. Almost immediately after that, corporate greed synergized with a pandemic to reduce animated programs and the number of people working on them to almost zero. It takes almost a year from beginning to end to make a single episode of an animated show (by the modern standard). There was nothing being made in 2020 and four years later, we''re not in a much better spot. It's going to be a long drought for (especially) Kid's TV Animation.

Recently, many of my former co-workers have hit the financial wall and can't continue, moving away after (sometimes) 20 years in the industry. I begin to wonder if I'm very far behind.

A "bounce back" a year from now would need to start today. There are still some animated shows being made now, but those are almost universally "library" properties. That means it's an existing I.P. (Intellectual Properties like Garfield/Mario/Batman/Star Wars) so as an artist you're immediately in that box. Depending on the property and the studio, it can be an unpleasantly tight box. I grew used to holding and maintaining the vision for a show, but it's less fun when it's not my vision. It's even less fun when you can't inspire someone to follow your vision because they've been so ruthlessly abused.

I'm pretty sick of how big media corporations treat their employees. If I inherit one more burnt out crew due to mismanagement, I'm gonna lose it.

Over a decade ago I fought hard to get board artists story credit for the episodes they were actually writing, and felt like I'd won a big victory for everyone. The second my back was turned, it all reverted.

Mostly... what is the point now? My career is/was developing ideas, crafting those ideas into a workable show, then managing teams of thirty to seventy people to produce a couple of dozen episodes per year. Studios actively do not want new ideas right now, and are actively searching for ways to eliminate what artists from the process. I'm not sure what my job would be under this new system, but it feels like they decided to hang onto the anxiety-inducing deadlines while removing anything remotely pleasurable from the experience.

2- What are your opinions, expectations and hopes about the independent animation industry that's developing?

It's the only way to get anything done, currently.

The current state of the industry is not sustainable. I (along with a lot of other animators I know) are trying to decide what's next, and pretty much everyone agrees that "you just have to make something".

It is (in that very specific way) a great time to be a young animator. The system was never going to treat you well anyway. If you can get something like a Hazbin Hotel happening without studio help, you can currently write your own ticket. I'm super proud of Vivsie, because that's a LOT of stuff to handle. I never had to handle my own marketing or drum up money to make Billy & Mandy happen.

There are opportunities there, but it's definitely "Hard Mode". The best idea is probably to team up with a few other people you like and like to work with.

Hopes? I hope that the young animators take over and make something new on top of the bones of the old industry, rather than just allowing that industry to patch its rotting hide with their collected works.

3- What do you think about the advent of artificial intelligence? Do you fear for the future of animators?

I suspect true AI might just peace-out like ScarJo in "Her", but we're not there yet. What we have now isn't Artificial Intelligence at all (though I do believe it may be the underpinnings of the Artificial Suconscious of what may one day become an actual Artificial Intelligence.)

The LLMs and "Generative AI" are (so far) a big dumb waste. They consume tons of energy and aren't great for doing anything creative. If you've sat down with Chat GPT for a creative writing session, you've probably run into the "out of the box" limitations which prevent it from talking about sex or violence-- which happen to be a major component of most stories.

Still, the technology has come incredibly far in an incredibly short amount of time. I imagine we're going to hit the point where we're being hazed by artificially generated political ads way before Generative AI can produce a consistent and usable character turnaround, so that'll be the test. Whatever the legal fallout is from this stuff over the next few years will set the tone.

Still, studios have a vested interest in pleasing their shareholders. Generative AI potentially has the capability of not only replacing swaths of money-eating artists, but handing that control directly to the billionaire studio heads. Mark my words: We're headed straight for billionaire-generated content.

I don't think the public at large will want to watch Elon Musk's fever dreams, so there's that. So law and general distaste might stave it off for a while, but I think there's just too much impetus for studios to continue to try to please their investors. "AI Art" is here to stay.

Eventually that will lead to millions and millions of bots generating millions and millions of songs and paintings and movies all day every day. Most of it will be utter trash. Right now (so I'm told) viewers are already burnt out, and will generally only click on what they already know. On Netflix, where there are twenty things you've never heard of and one you have, you're more likely to pick the thing that gives you comfort and gives you a guarantee you're not wasting your time. With exponentially more A.I. trash, how would you even begin to filter it out?

You'd need absolute control of an already existing distribution system. We currently have a few of those, and all of the media companies are desperately trying to merge with them to insure their own survival.

To me, the post-Gen-AI landscape looks a lot like old-school Cable, but with endless I.P. and fewer masters.

4- If money wasn't a problem, would you still do what you do?

The real question is, maybe, "What am I even doing?" These days I try to do a lot of gardening. I'm trying to learn new art skills, because suddenly twenty five years of experience managing, drawing, and writing isn't worth much. I recently worked on Jellystone until Zaslav lost 2.5 billion in the wash and had to find justification for his new yacht. The show before that? Also culled midway through to save money. The days of multi-year gigs seem to be over, and if I'm going to scrape by doing freelance, maybe I can do that somewhere else.

I'll always make art. I can't seem to help it. Ideas aren't my problem-- it's executing those ideas without the help of a structured pre-existing system. I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to pull that off. My strengths are great, but were always supported by friends I worked with.

Can I start an indie cartoon with all of these cool friends? Sure, maybe. Most of those people have gone on to have other careers of their own and got used to being paid. Now nobody is getting paid and no one can pay anyone else. My immediate circle are all now middle-aged people with families and no jobs. Convincing them to give up a large chunk of their day for an idea that's not guaranteed to pay off is going to take some real effort.

I technically have fifteen years until I can claim my "retirement", assuming that still exists by then. That's a pretty big hole to fill with... I don't know what.

The difficult "What comes next" discussions at home are really just starting.

5- Any animators you admire and would like to mention?

There are a lot of cool animation people out there. I already mentioned I was proud of Vivsie. I was also reminded recently just how great C.H. Greenblatt and Mr. Warburton are. I know they're my friends. They're both just really upstanding, creative people who take good care of their crews.

The treatment of animation industry professionals by the studio system has been one of the most demoralizing and heartbreaking parts of this demoralizing and heartbreaking time.

---

So there ya go. If you want to look for someone whose attitude is a little more upbeat, I won't blame you a bit.

Wherever you are, I wish you the best of luck. For me, just climb up there and crush it. I would very much like to add you to #5 someday.

[robertreich]

The Case Against RFK Jr.

RFK Junior is not who you think he is.

It pains me to say it, but he is a dangerous nutcase.

He claims to want to heal America, but his vision for our future is tainted by his endorsements of hateful conspiracy theories – and the fact that he is being funded in large part by donors aligned with Donald Trump.

It’s time to lift the curtain on a campaign based on false, irresponsible, and self-contradictory claims.

RFK Junior repeatedly promoted a right-wing conspiracy theory that chemicals in the water are turning people gay or transgender.

He suggested COVID-19 was a bioweapon, mysteriously designed to spare Jewish people.

[RFK Jr.: “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”]

He’s spent years spreading anti-vaxx lies.

And in his 2021 book, RFK Junior alleged, with no plausible evidence, that Dr. Fauci performed genocidal experiments, sabotaged treatments for AIDS, and conspired with Bill Gates to suppress information about COVID-19.

These are not the words of someone who is serious about leading – let alone healing – this country.

As someone who once worked for his father, RFK, and admired his uncle, JFK, I’m disturbed to see RFK Junior speak this way.

RFK Senior would never have suggested that a deadly virus was targeted at certain races. And as president, JFK signed the Vaccination Assistance Act in order to, “achieve as quickly as possible the protection of the population, especially of all preschool children.”

If not for his illustrious name – and role as a potential spoiler – RFK Junior would be just another crackpot in the growing pool of fringe politicians.

It’s no coincidence that he shares top backers with the likes of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene — or that Trump allies Roger Stone and Steve Bannon encouraged him to run in the first place.

But the Kennedy brand is political gold, and it could pull away just enough sympathetic voters to tip the race toward Trump.

Democracy won by a whisker in 2020. Just 44,000 votes in Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin decided the outcome. If RFK Junior — or any third-party candidate — peels off just a fraction of the vote from Biden, while Trump’s base stays with him, they will deliver a victory to Trump.

If Junior had any respect for the principles his father fought and ultimately died for, he would withdraw his candidacy. Immediately.

[tomorrowusa]

Don't risk a rerun of the 2000 election.

In the first presidential election of the 21st century many deluded progressives voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.

Their foolishness gave us eight years of George W. Bush who plagued the country with two recessions (including the Great Recession) and two wars (one totally unnecessary and one which could have been avoided if he heeded an intelligence brief 5 weeks before 9/11).

Oh yeah, Dubya also appointed one conservative and one batshit crazy reactionary to the US Supreme Court. Roberts and Alito are still there.

Paul Waldman of the Washington Post offers some thoughts.

Why leftists should work their hearts out for Biden in 2024

Ask a Democrat with a long memory what the numbers 97,488 and 537 represent, and their face will twist into a grimace. The first is the number of votes Ralph Nader received in Florida in 2000 as the nominee of the Green Party; the second is the margin by which George W. Bush was eventually certified the winner of the state, handing him the White House. Now, with President Biden gearing up for reelection, talk of a spoiler candidate from the left is again in the air. That’s unfortunate, because here’s the truth: The past 2½ years under Biden have been a triumph for progressivism, even if it’s not in most people’s interest to admit it. This was not what most people expected from Biden, who ran as a relative moderate in the 2020 Democratic primary. His nomination was a victory for pragmatism with its eyes directed toward the center. But today, no one can honestly deny that Biden is the most progressive president since at least Lyndon B. Johnson. His judicial appointments are more diverse than those of any of his predecessors. He has directed more resources to combating climate change than any other president. Notwithstanding the opposition from the Supreme Court, his administration has moved aggressively to forgive and restructure student loans.

Three years ago the economy was in horrible shape because of Trump's mishandling of the pandemic. Now unemployment is steadily below 4%, job creation continues to exceed expectations, and wages are rising as unions gain strength. The post-pandemic, post-Afghan War inflation rate has receded to near normal levels; people in the 1970s would have sold their souls for a 3.2% (and dropping) inflation rate. And many of the effects of "Bidenomics" have yet to kick in.

And in a story that is criminally underappreciated, his administration’s policy reaction to the covid-induced recession of 2020 was revolutionary in precisely the ways any good leftist should favor. It embraced massive government intervention to stave off the worst economic impacts, including handing millions of families monthly checks (by expanding the child tax credit), giving all kids in public schools free meals, boosting unemployment insurance and extending health coverage to millions.

It worked. While inflation rose (as it did worldwide), the economy’s recovery has been blisteringly fast. It took more than six years for employment rates to return to what they were before the Great Recession hit in 2008, but we surpassed January 2020 jobs levels by the spring of 2022 — and have kept adding jobs ever since. To the idealistic leftist, that might feel like both old news and a partial victory at best. What about everything supporters of Bernie Sanders have found so thrilling about the Vermont senator’s vision of the future, from universal health care to free college? It’s true Biden was never going to deliver that, but to be honest, neither would Sanders had he been elected president. And that brings me to the heart of how people on the left ought to think about Biden and his reelection.

Biden has gotten things done. The US economy is doing better than those of almost every other advanced industrialized country.

Our rivals China and Russia are both worse off than they were three years ago. And NATO is not just united, it's growing.

Sadly, we still need to deal with a far right MAGA cult at home who would wreck the country just to get its own way.

Biden may be elderly and unexciting, but that is one of the reasons he won in 2020. Many people just wanted an end to the daily drama of Trump's capricious and incompetent rule by tweet. And a good portion of those people live in places that count greatly in elections – suburbs and exurbs.

Superhero films seem to be slipping in popularity. Hopefully that's a sign that voters are less likely to embrace self-appointed political messiahs to save them from themselves.

Good governance is a steady process – not a collection of magic tricks. Experienced and competent individuals who are not too far removed from the lives of the people they represent are the best people to have in government.

Paul Waldman concludes his column speaking from the heart as a liberal...

I’ve been in and around politics for many years, and even among liberals, I’ve almost always been one of the most liberal people in the room. Yet only since Biden’s election have I realized that I will probably never see a president as liberal as I’d like. It’s not an easy idea to make peace with. But it suggests a different way of thinking about elections — as one necessary step in a long, difficult process. The further you are to the left, the more important Biden’s reelection ought to be to you. It might require emotional (and policy) compromise, but for now, it’s also the most important tool you have to achieve progressive ends.

Exactly. Rightwingers take the long view. It took them 49 years but they eventually got Roe v. Wade overturned. To succeed, we need to look upon politics as an extended marathon rather as one short sprint.

Republicans may currently be bickering, but they will most likely unite behind whichever anti-abortion extremist they nominate.

It's necessary to get the word out now that the only way to defeat climate-denying, abortion-restricting, assault weapon-loving, race-baiting, homophobic Republicans is to vote Democratic.

[nychta-luxury]

A Strange God

Gen Z reader

soft au - reader is an adult -

Warning: Not proofread, dark jokes, mostly comedy rather then serious, swearing.

-------------------------------------------

You were sitting in you're room playing genshin, doing your usual things like commissions, Tea pot, exploration, farming.

Until something strange happened your device wasn't responding. I don't mean the screen froze oh no no. You can still move your mouse however the game itself is moving on its own

"Oh hell naw I didn't sign up for this demonic shit. " You say as you back away from the device. Your main is still moving and the worst part is, its not even part of any idle animation or something you have seen before. You don't care if it's a hacker or some possession shit, EITHER ONE IS BAD

Then it hits you, you starting to get light headed, vision becoming blurry, you start on panicking. What the hell was wrong with your body just when you were about to reach for a phone you black out.

You are now concouice though haven't opened your eyes yet, it feels... Very peaceful your not sure why.. The birds are singing, the smell of flowers in the air, the grass on the ground

"THE GRASS ON THE GROUND?!" You instantly opened your eyes.

"Why is this grass brighter than my future." You say as you look at the neon like grass "Did people kidnap me to touch grass like a normal human being?" Look as much as unbelievable that suggestion was, you have been told to randomly touch grass more than your salary combined.

"You know what fuck it, it's like-" You look at the sky "I'm going to pretend I know what the time is, however I can say it's too early to care." You lay back down, ah how peaceful. Too peaceful, but who cares you can pretend to be in some anime and lay down at the grass.

"AHHH IS THAT A FUCKING BUG" You instantly sat up from the ground, honestly what were you thinking

"GET THE HELL AWAY SATAN SPAWN."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay now that's over with. You look up at the sky "Okay universe we both know you will fuck me over one way or another. I know damn well that the bugs were only the beginning." You sigh, done with your anime protagonist moment and reach out to grab your phone.

"Where's my phone...?"

"NO NO NOO," you say panicking "WHERE IS MY LIFE PURPOSE?!" You scream "I AM STILL WAITING FOR TCF MANHWA TO UPDATE!!"

It's been 30 minutes and you are still upset you don't have your phone. YOU DON'T CARE IF SOMEONE KIDNAPPED YOU AS LONG AS THEY GAVE YOU A PHONE OR BE AN IPAD KID.

"Ugh, what's the purpose of life if it isn't to update that one story you never continued in 2020." You say dramatically, if anyone was watching they would think you just lost a loved one.

you felt a small tickle on your foot, and your -20 IQ brain thought that it might be a spider... but suddenly you had gained 1 IQ and decided to actually look at what it was instead of kicking your feet aimlessly.

Turns out it was was a squirrel, thank goodness you didn't kick it. Let's just say tiktok traumatized you with too much information about animals..

The squirrel was just cuddling up to you, your weren't really sure why. It was then you realize your surroundings. "Why the hell am I in some old ass ruin??" Now your confused, you look around the area to see where you are perhaps you might even recognize it who knows? You can see a huge structure, it kinda looks like a crossbow, your not quite sure how to describe it. It feels very familiar for some reason, you can see carving marks on it, it read "Seed of stories, brought by the wind, and cultivated by time." huh for an ancient structure it sure had modern English. Wait. That's not English. How are you even reading that??? there is only one explanation for this. "I am some fictional work that doesn't even make sense, like 90% of fantasy reincarnation stories even if the protagonist was transmigrated and not reincarnated, but they use it anyway to sound cool." You say with a serious face, "Lmao as if that was true" You feel something on your shoulder, you immediately turn to what it was just to find the same squirrel just climbed up to your shoulder and now just cuddling you. "You are so lucky my reflexes didn't kick in, I almost throw you off my shoulders yk." "Why am I even talking to a squirrel? gonna be Snow White 2.0 ig" suddenly you hear something drop, you turn behind you and see- IS THAT AMBER???? looks like she dropped her bow, why does she look so surprised? Is it your outfit maybe? Maybe even the hair?? Anyways you just walked over and picked up ambers bow for her "Yo, you uh dropped this" "YOUR GRACE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK IT UP FOR ME!!" "Wait tf you mean your grace." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welp Gen z reader popped up in my mind so here- I decided not to add to many gen z jokes just yet since it is a little short story, might make a part 2 if this post goes well-

[greycaelum]

Hey, how do you think younger/teen gojo would react to meeting his future family? Like, would he be over the moon, or like "what, i get married? Gross." If you think this idea could be fun to write, please do. I really love how you write and would really like to read this scenario if you were to write it.

Kaleidoscope Series—Clouds and Mochi Chapters: { Transcend }

—Gojo Satoru X Reader

𑁍 Synopsis:

Thinking about it now. Since he's in the future, maybe he should see what happened to you too. It's not like he's a stalker. It's more like a friend watching over a friend. That's right, that's it. Fuck who is he joking with? Are you married? Did you stop working for the jujutsu college? D-Did he get to tell you you're his crush?

𑁍 Genre: fluff, time-leap, mystery if you squint

𑁍 WC/CW/TW: (1.6k)—/teen Satoru, mom reader, Saika roasts her dad—/

𑁍 A/N: This is the second shot for this time-travel trope, I hope you like it~

It's not beyond the knowledge of anyone close to him to know he's got a long-running crush on the beautiful girl working as a window for the college. That every mission he's secretly hoping she's the one putting down the curtain so he could at least see a glimpse of her.

So it's not a surprise if he dives head straight to save her after hearing she fell into an unknown domain that distorts space and time.

The blinding sun seared through Satoru's vision. The noisy street followed by the crowd overwhelmed his hazy senses.

"What..?" Tall buildings he's never seen, and billboards he's never stated at bombarded him. But it was the very same Shinjuku he has known. What's with the 3d billboard with a huge cat in it? He doesn't remember that when he passed here yesterday.

The huge billboards. Changes in the scenery. And the shop he used to visit doesn't look the same.

It didn't take him much to understand what happened.

"Future huh? This is crazy." Rubbing the back of his head, Satoru sighed and started looking around. 

That curse must still be too young. The problem now is, how to get out of this time bubble. From the posters he passed on the establishments all of them have one in common, it's the year 2020.

Moreover, than that, he needs to find you first. Your curse energy is nowhere to be found.

"This is gonna be a one-long wild goose chase." He scratch the back of his head and lined up his choices on how to do this mission of finding you.

Thinking rationally he should go back to Jujutsu Tech and find Principal Yaga. Maybe the old man knows something about your location. So he walked and walked and walked. As much as he wants to take a train he cannot, he forgot his wallet in the car. Too distraught after hearing you were in danger.

Thinking about it now. Since he's in the future, maybe he should see what happened to you too.

It's not like he's a stalker. It's more like a friend watching over a friend. That's right, that's it. Fuck who is he joking with? Are you married? Did you stop working for the jujutsu college?

D-Did he get to tell you you're his crush?

"You look so tired."

A young girl with curly hair wearing a white shirt and brown apron pats Satoru's shoulders. She's holding a pot of flowers while looking at him curiously. 

"I have water and snacks inside, come in, you look like a guy who walked from Shinjuku to Tokyo."

Well, he is that man. We're talking about, walking that more or less 7-kilometer distance between Shinjuku to Tokyo. Surely he could've rode the subway but it's different to see how different 2020 Tokyo is.

Satoru's eyes landed on the plaque of the shop and the beautiful varieties of flowers displayed inside the place were seen through the clear window.

Fluer-de-Lis Bouquets

Satoru turn around, and the young lady only smiled. Go... A voice inside his mind whispered as he stare at the name of the shop. He finds himself entering the cozy establishment. Inside, the sunrays reflected in the window seem to glow and the place seems surreal and mystifying. Small butterflies hover over the flowers, the plants are alive... With vibrant petals and beautiful leaves that seem to greet you with their pleasant colors.

"You have beautiful eyes..." The young lady murmured as she set down a plate of souffle pancakes topped with whipped cream and milk tea. Satoru didn't waste time digging in. He is tired and starving after all.

"You haven't seen my eyes yet," Satoru replied touching the sunglasses hiding his eyes. A defensive stance over taking his curiosity. The lady smiled, shaking her head, sitting in front of Satoru to drink her chamomile tea.

"It's rare to see a soul like yours, you see. You don't even belong at this time. I can't help but speak my mind freely." She chuckles and puts a red rose on the table. "Being honest with her and yourself will prove more fruitful than sneaking behind her back. Youth really is rose-colored even for a boy like you, huh?" The woman chuckled. Her brown eyes seems to hold nothing and everything beyond.

Satoru frowned. He's met his fair share of eccentric people. But this one is different.

"What else do you know?"

The woman merely smiled and put a finger over her lips.

"She may or may not end up with you here. You may observe but never intervene for you do not belong here in this timeline. When the time is up, go back to where you came from, from then on the choice is yours."

The next thing he realizes is he's standing at a crossroads. The shop and the woman were nowhere in his sight. The rose in his hand is the only memento that it wasn't a dream.

"Excuse me!!!" A woman came passing through, bumping against his shoulder almost making Satoru stumble forward. "Sorry!!!"

Her faint cherry blossom scent quickly registered Satoru's senses. Did he cancel his Infinity? He doesn't remember...

A bright sparkle hit his eyes, and he could never be mistaken for the swirling cursed energy on the gem around the woman's finger. He could be blind but still recognize it. From the tips of her hair, her scent to the thin but impenetrable film of cursed energy encasing her body is no doubt brimming with his cursed energy. Even with no second glance, anyone who knows him would easily recognize her as his. 

"You!" Satoru called at the running girl but the crowd is too busy for him to get past through. "Hey! Wait!" Satoru squeezed through but to no avail, as he lost sight of her.

Fuck who was that? His head turned to all sides to see even a trace of her but it was gone. Not even a residual of the curse energy. Who was she to have that so much essence of his?

Could it be...?

HE GOT A SISTER?!

Did his parents get him a sibling or what?

... Satoru scratched his undercut. A fleeting thought passed through his mind.

A rose-colored scene, a woman in a white dress and a ring on his hand... Her sweet smile and his pounding heart.

"Nahh, that's not possible." He chuckled to himself. Getting married, huh? Fat chance. Is there any woman who can tolerate him? He doesn't have time for that.

...

But you have time for that. Who did you marry? Is your husband treating you well? You must look gorgeous when you matured more.

Perhaps you grew your hair longer. Or maybe your lips smile wider now making the tiny crinkle of your eyes. You would definitely look so breathtaking. After all these years was he able to finally tell you his little crush?

Did you turn him down? You look like the type that will turn him down and start avoiding him when he confesses.

So many questions are running into his mind until he ended up in some alley and the loud laughter of kids were loud.

He looks up to see a big house covered with tall trees by the fence. It's not possible to see the people outside but he can hear the kids laughing. Perhaps running around the frontyard.

"Ahhh! You kicked it too far!"

A soccer ball flew out the fence and hit Satoru's head.

An irk mark formed on his forehead. Kids! He probably lost his ability to cast Infinity because two Six Eyes users are not allowed to exist in the same time.

The sound of the gate and hurried footsteps came forward.

"I'm sorry for that Onii-san, can we have our ball back?"

Satoru turned around, ready to give the kids an earful. 

"HUH—!"

But the words got stuck in his throat the two fluff of white hair and one with blue eyes looking up to him. 

"Ah!" The title girl was about to say something but the older boy put a hand over her mouth.

"Can we have our ball back Onii-san?"

There are many kids out there with white hair and blue eyes, right? Although unusual it's not impossible to meet kids that look like him when he was also just a kid.

"Hey, who's your dad?"

The curiosity flew out of his mouth before he could suppress it.

"It's Papa!" The little girl who has the same hair and eyes as him chimed up but hid behind her brother's back, just peeking a little at Satoru.

"Kou? Sai? What's taking you so long?"

No one would understand how his throat constricted at the sound of that voice, or how his heart clenched so hard he could barely breathe when the kids ran toward the woman and hugged her hips. Or how disbelief, fear, and relief filled him at the same time when the eyes that met his were yours.

And there was that scent of his cursed energy clinging unto you like a second skin. You were that woman earlier. Is this what he thinks it is?

You look just as stunned as him.

His eyes landed on the kids who looked at him curiously.

"Mama, why does Papa look like a stick?" The little girl poked you and pointed at him.

You were still tongue-tied as you stare at him for a long time.

"W-Would you like some tea inside?" You stammered a bit and pointed to the big house. "I'm sure you would like some zunda cream kikufuku, no?"

"Yeah...?" Satoru was dying inside to ask you so many things. "But, hey..." Satoru summons all courage he has to ask you.

"Did I make you happy enough?"

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

Check out the Masterlist for more

All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned images(s) and songs(s) used, belongs to their respective owner(s)

General/Kaleidoscope Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @gummy-dummy @tender-rosiey @lexiene @nevermoresworld @loml-riri @pelicanpizza @emichou-chan

[canonkiller]

[image ids: a set of different colored bust illustrations of dragons, all referencing or inspired by the colors available in the dungeons and dragons ttrpg. in order, they are: red, bronze, copper, black, red, copper, sapphire, white, and brass. end id]

various busts from the past few years (2020-2022) of either my dragon characters or just generic ones. you can use these as visual reference for characters in ttrpgs with your friends, but please credit me (and if you create or commission art, please change the designs when doing so to make them your own!) ^w^

i’m hoping that soon my vision will recover enough to formally reopen smaller comms, but in the meantime i’ve been chipping away at organizing my ttrpg-related art files to share to subscribers on ko-fi (currently active) and patreon (will be active in the future) !

bonus time capsule art below the break!

from way back in 2013 - a decade ago now! - my first ever ttrpg art; a black dragon for a friend’s campaign. unfortunately, iirc, we only played one session before things fell apart, but such is life. maybe i’ll redraw this one sometime, for a 10-year comparison of being a nerd

[darkesttiimelines]

Throughout history, women have left an undeniable impact on society with their hard work, creativity, and dedication to progress. Unfortunately, their accomplishments have often gone unnoticed, been undervalued, or even stolen. Despite these challenges, brave women of today continue to push boundaries, break barriers, and pave the way for a more fair and equal world. It's our duty to keep going, so that future generations of women can inherit a kinder, more just, and supportive world. By following in the footsteps of the incredible women who came before us, we can create a world where every woman can flourish and succeed, and where their contributions are recognized and celebrated.

Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen.

Rani Lakshmibai was the Maharani consort of the princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853. She was one of the leading figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 became a symbol of resistance to the British rule in India for Indian nationalists. When the Maharaja died in 1853, the British East India Company under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie refused to recognize the claim of his adpoted heir and annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. She rode into battle with her infant son strapped to her back, and died in June 1858 after being mortally wounded during the British counterattack at Gwalior.

Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was instrumental in the discovery of the structure of DNA. Her contributions were largely overlooked by her male colleagues, James Watson and Francis Crick, who used her data without her permission or acknowledgement. This theft of her intellectual property and erasure of her contributions is a prime example of the systemic sexism that has historically plagued the scientific community.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who co-invented a frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology during World War II that was used to guide torpedoes. However, her contributions were largely ignored and dismissed by male engineers and the military at the time. It was only later in life that she received recognition for her scientific achievements.

Emma Weyant is an American competitive swimmer. She was the US national champion at the individual medley. She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 400m individual medley and won the silver medal in this event. Weyant finished second in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. She was beaten by William (Lia) Thomas, a fetishist, who when competing as a member of the Penn men's team, which was 2018-19, ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle. Weyant is the fastest swimmer in the 500-yard freestyle and had her position stolen by a man.

Maryna Viazovska is a Ukrainian mathematician who made a breakthrough in sphere packing, solving the centuries-old mathematical problem known as the densest packing of spheres in dimensions 8 and 24. She was awarded the Fields Medal in July 2022, making her the second woman (after Maryam Mirzakhani), the second person born in the Ukrainian SSR and the first with a degree from a Ukrainian university to ever receive it.

Hannie Schaft was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II who played a crucial role in the resistance movement against Nazi occupation. Schaft was a former university student who dropped out because she refused to sign a pledge of loyalty to Germany. Nazis arrested and killed her in 1945, just three weeks before the war ended in Europe. According to lore, Schaft’s last words were, “I’m a better shot,” after initially only being wounded by her executioner.

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mathematician and mental calculator who was known as the "Human Computer" for her exceptional ability to perform complex mathematical calculations in her head. Her extraordinary abilities earned her a place in the 1982 Guinness Book of Records. Her lesser known achievement is that in 1977 she wrote what is considered to be the first book in India on homosexuality titled “The World of Homosexuals.”  

J. K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. Known for her philanthropy, she was doxxed and harassed after coming out with support for women's and gay rights in 2020. Rowling secretly donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to save 100 female lawyers and their families facing murder in Afghanistan. In 2022, she funded a women's only rape shelter in Edinburgh.

[tarotwithavi]

You have been blessed

What blessings are coming into your life/headed your way? How will they make you feel?

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

How to choose a pile?

Close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask the angels to show you the right pile for you and open your eyes. The first pile that catches your attention is the right pile for you.

Masterlist

Paid services

I have been scammed recently and am now in urgent need of money. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 1

This might not be the blessing that you imagined, but this will be something that you actually need in your life. You will finally realize who is actually your friend and who is your foe. This is a blessing in disguise, so at first you may think, "Why is everything going downwards all of a sudden?" But after some time, you'll understand why it all happened.

If you have been having trouble finding a suitable career path for you, you no longer have to worry about this because I see that in the upcoming 2-3 months, you will be offered a job opportunity that will be the most suitable for you.

Some of you will get accepted into your dream college/university. Some of you may even get a full scholarship. If you have not applied to your dream college because of self-doubt, this is your chance to do so. You'll get a positive response.

One of your long-forgotten wishes is going to come true, and I got a vision of somebody dancing around in happiness, so this could be you.

Some of you will be receiving or giving someone a really precious gift. I see some gold jewellery.

July could be an important month for you.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 2

(some of you may resonate with pile 1)

Something that you have been working on for a really long time is going to come to fruition; you will finally get the rewards of your hard work. I feel like this is something that you started around 2020-2021.

Some of you will get to meet one of your online friends, or you could be invited to a celebration where some of your own friends will be present, and you will get to reunite with your old friends.

Achievement and success are the keywords for your next 4 months. Something that you have done at the beginning of this year will start giving you results now.

I see that some of you are manifesting your dream relationship, so you could meet your person within the next 3 to 4 weeks, and some could meet them within 3 to 4 months.

I do see that you guys have struggled a lot, and you guys have been through a lot of difficult situations, but I want you to know that the most difficult part is over, and things will start getting better from now on. You will no longer have to worry about your finances because I do see that you will be getting a lot of opportunities to make money.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 3

Somebody new is going to enter your life soon. This could be in the form of a pet or a baby because I do see that somebody could be giving birth soon, either you or somebody around you.

If you have been trying to conceive, you may get pregnant.

Some of you will get to travel to your dream place. This could be a place that you have always wanted to visit, and I feel like this could be a short trip. I am not seeing international travel, but this is a trip that will heal your soul.

I also see you having a lot of fun with your friends or family. Someone's birthday could be coming up, or you may get invited to someone's wedding. Either way, you will have a lot of fun, and you will meet really important people there or people that will have a significant role in your life in the future.

Some of you may have broken up recently, and you may be dealing with heartache right now, but I want you to know that this was also a reason, and you will meet somebody who will love you better and treat you better.

You are attracting a lot of good luck and good news. I also see some paperwork getting resolved or you getting results in your favor. You'll feel really blessed in the upcoming months that you may cry out tears of joy.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

[faithshouseofchaos]

hiii this is my first time requesting something so😭 i was wondering if you could do a lewis hamilton x singer reader face claim taylor swift! it can be a smau or just a story! hopefully it made since if not let me know🤍-🦔

Invisible string—Lewis Hamilton x singer!Reader— Face claim Taylor swift

Fate had a funny way of bringing people together the first time you met Lewis was in 2015 at the Brit awards ceremony. You both were in separate relationships but you had enjoyed getting to know him. You both had gone your separate ways at the end of the night not realizing that you both were on each other's minds.

2016 you both ran into each other again this time your friend wanted you to meet her newest boyfriend who had tickets to a basketball game. When you met up with your friend you were surprised to see Lewis.

You were happy for your friend. She was in a happy relationship and you weren’t going to ruin it for her. So you buried your feelings and once again you both went your separate ways.

2017 you both found yourselves in New York around the same time. Neither of your previous relationships were going well so you decided to meet for dinner one night. Despite both of you feeling like something was there it was still clear that neither of you wanted to step into a relationship so soon. So once more you both went your separate ways.

2018 you had no idea that Lewis had been thinking about you as well. When you both ended up at the same party you were both shocked to see each other. It was clear that there was a connection but you both still weren't looking for anything serious. You parted on good terms promising to keep in touch but without committing to anything.

2019 You felt like the universe was finally on your side when you randomly ran into Lewis outside of a coffee shop in New York. Neither of you had a partner at the time and the energy between you was undeniable so you thought maybe this time was a sign that things had changed. You both decided to go on a date to see where things would go.

2020 After that first date you could tell that there was something special between you. You kept dating for a couple of months without it ever feeling forced or rushed. You were both happy and everything felt right. But when the pandemic hit and everything felt like it was falling apart your lives began to take different courses.

2021 After a few months apart you started to feel like you were missing each other and decided to meet up for dinner. Despite the obstacles and long distance you had both felt like maybe this was the time to really give it a shot. You started seeing each other on a regular basis and everything felt perfect. It was like the timing was finally right.

2022 You both started planning for the future and began making decisions based on what was best for each other. You knew it was real when you bought a ticket to go see him race in Monaco. Seeing him in action, surrounded by the chaos and passion of a Grand Prix day, cemented your feelings that you were meant to be together.

2023 You had plans to move in together and had already started furniture shopping. It was finally happening, you were going to be together. And when you started talking about your future together, it only solidified how much you meant to each other. When you told him you wanted it to just be you and him, he smiled and said, I do too.

2024 Today things couldn't be better. You're finally living under one roof, working towards a shared vision, and planning your next steps. All those random, chance meetings over the years brought you here: together and in love.

2025 You got engaged! The years of missed opportunity and chance encounters ended the moment he dropped down to one knee. You couldn't believe that it was finally happening. You were going to be his wife. When you look back on your life the invisible string that pulled you to him wasn't random at all, it was fate.

Fate had a funny way of bringing you two together. It took a few tries, but now you're here, and it's hard to believe that anything else could have been so perfect. You're living the story of a lifetime with the person who makes you feel complete and whole.

In 2026, you got married. Lewis was by your side in his tuxedo with a smile that said everything to you. You walked down the aisle feeling more confident than you had ever felt before. It was like all the moments that led you to this point made sense and fit perfectly together. The invisible string that had guided you ended at the altar where it belonged.

Your_username

Your_username— Invisible string out now 🩵🫶🏻

Liked by Lewis_hamilton and others

Username_1– I just got called single in so many different ways

Username_2- I knew they’d eventually get together remember the 2015 Brit awards 🤭🤭

Username_3 — mother and father Collaborate when

[homunculus-argument]

Somewhere in 1992 exactly one guy got so fucking high that he got a series of vibrant but fleeting visions from the future. Like, a severe 10/10 rate high, with twitter discourse screenshots beyond his comprehension flickering before his eyes. And after he returns to earth, the visions fading from his mind like incoherent dreams that make no sense after one awakens, the only fragment that made enough coherent sense to him to remain tangible is shared with his friends:

"In the future, in like the 2020s, it's considered a compliment to tell a girl she has a fat ass." In unison, his friends agree that he's too fucking high and none of his thoughts make any sense. His vision is dismissed and forgotten.

He's still somewhere out there, now in his 50s, and bitter about seeing the future he foresaw right before his eyes, and he can't even call any of his old smoking buddies to go "I told you so" because none of them keep in contact anymore, and the only one whose number he still has insists that that night never happened.

[yurimother]

'I'm in Love with the Villainess' English Audiobook Debuts

On Thursday, November 16, Seven Seas Entertainment released its unabridged audiobook adaptation of the first volume of Inori's I'm in Love with the Villainess (Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou). The audiobook, released under Seven Sea's audio imprint, Siren, is narrated by Courtney Shaw (Liz and the Blue Bird).

Initially released in English in 2020, the first volume of I'm in Love with the Villainess follows office worker Ohashi Rei, who is reincarnated as Rae, the protagonist of her favorite otome game. However, Rae is not interested in the fantasy world's many eligible royal bachelors from the game and instead only has eyes for Claire François, the antagonist. Rae uses her knowledge of the game and its world to get close to her beloved villainess and swears that she will save her from her ultimate fate when the revolution comes.

The audiobook edition is 6 hours and 54 minutes long. It is produced by John Marshall Media.

This seminal Yuri series is notable for its explicit focus on and discussion of different LGBTQ+ identities, including queer marriages and families. The series, which began as a webnovel on Shosetsuka ni Naro, is a sleeper hit. It was initially licensed in Japan as a digital-only light novel series by GL Bunko but gained popularity, especially in international markets, leading to multiple rereleases, adaptations, and spinoffs.

YuriMother gave the first light novel volume a perfect 10/10 review, calling it "A stunningly profound, entertaining, and queer title that eclipses other isekai and Yuri series."

An anime adaptation of the series is currently airing on Tokyo MX and streaming internationally on Crunchyroll. It is produced by Platinum Vision and directed by Hideki Oba.

The I'm in Love with a Villainess Volume 1 audiobook is available on Audible, BookWalker Global, Spotify, Google Play, and other major audio platforms. The second volume will be released on December 7.

You can check out the audiobook of I'm in Love with the Villainess Volume 1 today: https://amzn.to/3R6oUig

YuriMother makes a small affiliate commission from sales to help fund future coverage.

[ahma-art]

I see nothing but the candle in the mirror,

No visions of the future, so lost and alone...

Redraw of this piece from late 2020. I spent way more time on this than I would care to admit. Also I don't know why it looks so orange on mobile???