#i have a history of getting the worst variations

[fairuzfan]

the reason i shared my great-grandmother's story on here a few months ago is not for sympathy or anything, its to illustrate to you just how deeply, deeply anti-Palestinian the idea of zionism is.

i remember my grandmother, the one who watched her mother die in her home, she called us with a plain tone of voice, and she said "she asked to be buried in [her village] but of course the the zionists wouldn't let that happen." the thing that will not leave my head was the way my grandmother said it, the way it just seemed so natural and so obvious to her. my grandmother is *not* a quiet woman, she yells everything she ever says, whether happy or sad but this she said softly. like she was resigned to this, she expected this.

this woman was exiled once from her village, then again from Palestine, then again and again and again and eventually forced to live in poverty in a refugee camp, she knows the 'israeli' state more intimately than anyone i know, she knows what it will and won't allow in its genocidal apparatus and to her it was obvious that they would not respect her mother's body or last wishes. she knew that.

and i always go back to it when i see discussions on here or on twitter or in academia, like you guys (the moderates, the apologists) have never ever spoken to a nakba survivor or a naksa survivor. you don't know just how deeply its affected our families.

so when we ask you to completely reject zionism, when we demand it from allies, we aren't saying this to be stubborn or nonsensical, we're saying it because we know where zionism will lead us. we've been through the "we just want peace" and the "we need to just talk it out" phases already, how can you not think we've been through those phases after 75 years. we've had our meet and greets and our appeals and now we're at literally the worst stage of genocide against our people and you're still insisting on "talking it out" or some variation of it.

the truth of the matter is that we don't have patience for zionism anymore because look where it got us. look where we're at. even soft zionists, you need to stamp those people out from pretending they've got good points, or that you need to build community with them or whatever. we are literally at the worst part of Palestinian history ever, we need to stop pretending there are grey zones to this. Zionist apologists and the like are creating ambiguity that literally gets our families killed under the guise of "complication". I'm sick and tired of watching these same discussions over and over again about how "Israel is a result of antisemitism" when it very much is not. I'm sick of seeing people who know NOTHING about colonization push their own agendas and provide cover for zionists to do whatever they want. Just stop talking about things you don't understand because I promise you, you're directly contributing to the violence you claim to abhor.

[scarareg]

From 0 to 10, which grades would you give to PJO ships?

Hi anon! This is such a fun question! Thanks for sending it! I tried to choose the most popular ships because there are so many variations of them, but if you are curious about a specific one that I didn't mention, feel free to ask!

Percabeth (Percy x Annabeth)

3/10 I give it a 3 only because in PJO they are cute but in HOO they are full of red flags and I hate what Rick did with them. I feel like their goals for the future do not align at all, and it is as if they together because that is what they are used to and not because they are in love. It seems like Percy is always trying to accommodate to what Annabeth wants and I think in the long run that would make him miserable, and those feeling will make worst a relationship that is already fragile.

In the future he is going to resent her so bad, because we already see that he doesn't feel comfortable joking/talking about some topics because Annabeth gets mad, now add him feeling like he has to follow everything she says or do just to be "the perfect boyfriend". It is a recipe for disaster

AnnieLuke (Annabeth x Luke)

1/10 this one is complicated. The thing is that I understand the appeal of a childhood besfrieds to lovers, I love those, BUT Luke never saw Annabeth as anything but a little sister. That + the fact that their relationship became toxic, it just make me uncomfortable. Sorry Annie, but this one is not the one, at least in my opinion (and in Luke's lmao)

Perluke (Percy x Luke)

4/10 I see you fans of friends to enemies to lovers or friends to lovers to enemies, I get it, but to me this one lacks that je ne sais quoi to make it appealing. But I can understand why some people like it. And I am part of the team "Percy had a crush on Luke yet he was the last to know"

Percico (Percy x Nico)

10/10 they are my OTP. I like how they complement each other. They have the history, the angst, the complexity. I like the dynamic of two characters who went through a lot, but deal with trauma in opposite ways.

They are ride or die for each other, but they keep that information a secret from each other, which makes their relationship really fun.

Most importantly Nico thinks Percy is cool AF and he adores him just the way he is. Percy is one of the few people who tried to get close to Nico and to understand him.

Their empathetic nature would make this relationship super sweet, tender and calm. For example, if one of them need to rest or are stressed out, they can go to the other and they will know if they need to talk or just want to nap.

Bonus points because their relationship with each other's parents would make their relationship even more interesting and fun!

Perachel (Percy x Rachel)

9/10 love this one! My second fave Percy ship! This is Percy's loss, to be honest. Their chemistry is super natural and they are always having fun! Rachel seems like a low-maintenance partner, so being with her must be pretty easy. She would not make drama if Percy can't be there with her for some time because he has to save the world or whatever. I think he can chill with her, and just like with Nico, Percy just being Percy is enough

Valgrace (Leo x Jason)

9/10 What I like about them is that both are insecure about themselves but always see the best in each other. Jason is Leo's hype man and Leo is always thinking about how impressive Jason is. Where Leo is chaotic, Jason is calm. Where Jason is anxious, Leo is chill. They just screams healthy couple

Jiper (Jason x Piper)

2/10 the problem here is how the relationship started. Both of them are really kind to each other, but their romance is based on a lie, which neither of them is to blame for, but it just feels wrong. To me, after knowing how their relationship started, Piper seems to like Jason enough to stay a couple, and Jason was too kind and just rolled with it, and that is not good reason to stay with someone in my opinion.

Liper (Leo x Piper)

9/10 shout out to @maygirlsposts to make me see the light with this one! Before, it never crossed my mind they could be a couple, but gosh! They are so cute together!

Piper and Leo genuinely have a connection, they share sense of humor, they have been through difficult stuff together and are empathetic towards the other's problems. They have a healthy balance between being chaotic when they are chilling, and having the ability to have honest conversations when necessary. They are overall wholesome AF!

Extra points for being the healthy version of Hephaestus x Aphrodite

Jasico (Jason x Nico)

10/10 this one is not my ship,only because I prefer them as besties, but I see the vision of their shippers; and I give them a 10 because they are probably the healthiest ship Nico has, to be honest.

Jason is always so patient with Nico, and sincere yet kind. Is great to see Nico feeling at ease with him. Jason has the stability Nico needs in a relationship.

Both bring the best of each other, and push the other to do and be the best they can be!

Jeyna (Jason x Reyna)

8/10 oh what could have been! The tragedy of the lost potential! They were too powerful together and Rick couldn't handle that.

They have history together and understand each other deeply. They are both strong mentally and physically, so they could be the standard of a demigod couple. They are both healthy people on their own, so their relationship would naturally be nice.

Their love story could have been so interesting, like: separated by war and the gods, reunited by fate!

To tell you a secret, I see them as Nico's unofficial parents/older siblings. Basically, they both adopted him separately, protect him, and genuinely care about him. They would have been one hell of parents lmao

Jercy (Jason x Percy)

6/10 this one is fun! Again it is not my ship, but I like their dynamic. They give "Two bros,chilling in the hot tub, five feet apart cause they’re not gay" energy

Frazel (Frank x Hazel)

9/10 this is the only canon ship I like! Frank is super sweet and Hazel is always so kind, both are just wholesome AF! Like two teddy bears! I like that they started out as friends and both were seen as the "weird kids", that makes me think their bond is just genuine!

Lazel (Leo x Hazel)

5/10 they are cute, I just prefer them as friends. And not gonna lie, the fact that Hazel's ex is Leo's grandpa makes them kinda weird to me as a couple.

As friends will give them a 8/10, they need more time to get closer, but they already are super fun!

Fraleo (Frank x Leo)

6/10 They are funny! Like wholesome-awkward meets wholesome-chaotic. They just make me laugh because of how cute they would be, completely adorable! Too pure for this world!

I like this, but personally I like my ships with more angst, so I prefer them as friends. But you guys, their shippers, you must be the cutest, most wholesome people out there!

Leo x Frank x Hazel

7/10 I see the vision, but as you can see, I like Leo being their bestie instead of in a romance. But I understand! What's better than a love triangle? An OT3!

Pipabeth (Piper x Annabeth)

8/10 I like them a lot! This is the ship I like for Annabeth. In general I think Annabeth seems more comfortable with women. It feels like Rick wrote her as a lesbian-who-doesn't-know-she-is-one, but did so whithout realizing. Her chemistry with Piper (and with Reyna) just comes naturally and she looks like she is having fun!

Piper's fun personality complements Annabeth's logical one. Piper is all feelings, Annabeth is all brains, love that!

Also, just imagine their mothers' reactions when they find out they are dating!

Pipercy (Piper x Percy)

5/10 this is fun! But it needs that something else to make it super appealing to me, you know. Both are crack heads so they would be hilarious and a menace together! I can see the appeal! For me, I just prefer them as besties, like "Prepare for trouble! And make it double!"

Solangelo (Nico x Will)

3/10 in canon, 10/10 in fanon

First of all, can we talk about how fucking ethereal their ship name is? The ship name gets an ∞/10!

Now, the ship. I will start saying that I LOVE ships that are opposites attracts, but sadly this ship is a bit like Percabeth, but better. Let me explain. The concept is there, but at the moment of writing their romance, Rick kinda sucks. Genuinely think fic writers do a better job writing them.

For starters I have a problem with Nico being outed by Cupid. And I do not like at all that he doesn't have time to process that trauma, neither his crush on Percy and the heartbreak that comes after his rejection. Will is shoehorned into the narrative because "Nico needs a boyfriend" and Will is the only character available. He was a glorified extra.

This takes me to that I feel Rick thinks a relationship will solve all of your problems. I firmly believe that Nico needed time alone to recover from all of his trauma, which is a lot. But Rick's solution for this kind of stuff is "get a partner!". (Leo and Piper also suffered of this)

Is like: "Did you live through World War II? Your mom died and you were immediately stuck in an hotel for maybe one or two months? When you finally got out, were you in another century? Your sister died one week later? Years passed and you lived on your own for a while and felt scared and isolated from everyone you knew? Did you fight another war? Went to Tartarus and came back and then get kidnapped? You almost died, again? Had to fight again? Don't worry, having a boyfriend will solve all your problems!"

And I HATE IT! This is not Will's fault, it's Rick's. So I feel bad for not loving Solangelo in canon, but I really think Nico needs time for himself, he will have time for boyfriends in the future after he gets in a better head space.

Conclusion Will and Nico deserve better writers.

Once again thanks Anon! Would love to know what you think about this!

[hood-ex]

Was dick Grayson is wrong for not being a brother to jason when he needed it most .I seen lots of post about how dick is abusive towards jason when he is robin and jason scared of him because of his bad temper and it reminded him too much of his father willis todd.Many jason fans believes Dick is the worst brother compared to jason who always potrayed as good and reliable brother .What is your thoughts on this

All of that information is false and part of the reason why this fandom holds hostility toward the fanon Jason stans.

Dick was never abusive toward Jason. Hell, he was hardly around Jason at all before Jason died. And he was never really around Jason because he was with the Titans during that time in New York. He did, however, give Jason his phone number and Robin costume. He told Jason to call him if he ever needed to talk. When Jason did a mission with the Titans, Dick offered to stick up for Jason against Bruce should Jason need Dick's support.

Robin Jason was never scared of Dick at any point. If anything, Robin Jason is sometimes the one who's depicted as a prickly asshole to Dick. Also, I don't like to use "bad temper" to describe Dick, and here's a post on why.

Referring to Jason as a good and reliable brother is downright laughable considering his history of trying to kill the batfam. I mean, sure, writers have been trying to go for the more family friendly angle for Jason lately, but you couldn't even count on him being a good brother to Dick when Dick had amnesia. Like when Dick was being mind-controlled, Jason literally said that if Dick crossed the line, he'd be happy to meet him there. Like idk maybe Jason's priority should be trying to help his brother and not threatening to possibly shoot/kill him. And now more recently, they've got another writer having Jason say some variation of, "Dick, I love you." Like... Jason doesn't even have reliable relationships or characterization asldkja. Whoever is writing him won't be consistent with previous versions of him.

I have a post on Dick and Jason's relationship that should clear things up. Although, take note that it's not up-to-date, and I'm actually missing a pivotal interaction with Dick and Jason in it (in which Jason dressed up as Nightwing and started murdering people). I'll have to include that someday.

[elvendorx]

The Remus and Sirius height discourse has become so loaded. Today I saw a post claiming that viewing Sirius as taller than Remus means that one supports jkr? (What?)

Canonically, Sirius is taller than Remus. That's just a fact. And I understand that some people don't care about canon, and that's cool!! But even if you don't give a flying fig about canon, that does not make the view that Remus is taller than Sirius any more valid than the reverse, and you can't go around telling other people that they are wrong, or worse, bad people for not agreeing with a version of the character that exists in your head?

Look I get that it would be annoying to have people inject an "ahem actually..." on posts that are clearly based on headcanons. I get that. But that is the natural consequence of taking the names/tags of characters from popular fandoms and using them for your own OCs, and the fact that these fans jump to "they must be horrible people!" as opposed to "they might be confused about my relationship with canon" is... something.

As someone who is neurodivergent, I find that the fandom that claims to love diversity has very little tolerance for people who don't understand the unwritten rules about when canon is and isn't allowed to be used as a reference point. (Somehow, we still hate Snape because canon, but all other canon is garbage?) Sorry for the rant, I'm just tired and confused.

don't be sorry at all, i think this kind of thing needs to be talked about because at its worst, this rhetoric is an attempt at emotional manipulation and censorship. nobody is ever going to 100% agree even with the exact same words on a page - this is the entire literary criticism field, most of the time variation in readings are a good thing but this isn't even a "reading", because it has no bearing on the characters, they just are or aren't a certain height, so it becomes a tool for personal agendas - "if you think sirius was tall, you're a fascist". even though those two facts are not connected, because sirius' height is never anything more than a physical description of him. and it's glaringly obvious that the people who fixate on this aren't interested in sirius as a character, just as a vehicle for their own fantasies/validation.

this is the problem that comes from people trying to put dynamics & personalities that they want to see onto characters who don't fit those moulds. the height thing doesn't actually matter, it doesn't change anything in the narrative, but it summarises the attitude towards canon which for me summarises critical reading & reading comprehension as a whole within hp fandom. i don't think canon is perfect and i don't think it's sacred but i don't understand why you would engage with something that you have to twist out of recognition in order to enjoy it.

part of the fun of fandom, for me, is finding the limits and boundaries while maintaining recognition. at the very least, even if you change everything else, character has to be consistent. you have to recognise who you're working with otherwise what are you doing here? other authors are writing and have written exactly what you want, so why do you need this character with a history and motivations and a distinctive personality to be the ideal version of you/the partner you want (because lbr, that's it!). i'm not saying that people can't use their imaginations and bend things, i do it, and people can do that by bending characters out of recognition if they want. i don't get any enjoyment out of that or see the point in it but i'm not going to try and stop people. it's the flagrant dismissal of logic and evidence that i think is a more dangerous stance when applied more widely.

it's ALWAYS the people who want remus to be taller and sirius to be tiny who have 10 million personal reasons why they need it to be that way around despite it being clear that sirius is specifically tall, and remus is of such average and nondescript height that it's never mentioned. it's nobody else's responsibility to validate anyone's projections onto a fictional character, and your personal reasons for wanting a character to behave in a way that they wouldn't isn't anybody's responsibility. i don't think these kind of people see the irony in how they're trying to force their view on everyone else even though there's direct contradiction to it, yet are claiming that people who go with that feature from the text are violent fanaticists or something.

when you question why it makes such a difference to the "big strong remus and baby boi sirius" people, it comes down to "it's cuter" or "it allows me to simplify m/m relationships into tough and cute and use physical attributes as symbols rather than thinking complexly about personality traits and dynamics." the height thing is basically one step away from top/bottom discourse and just because someone identifies as queer or relates to a character doesn't make it unproblematic. if you need to see a character who represents your specific circumstances, find one or make an original one, imo. it's not an entire fandom's job to validate individuals and it's manipulative to suggest that someone else seeing a character according to the way that character is explicitly described is an act of hatred or violence or something.

apologies if this turned into a rant of its own - i don't CARE that sirius is tall but the attitude towards minor, basic facts is wild to me. it makes no difference to me but idk why you would take being taller than snape away from sirius bc he clearly enjoys being able to tower over him. if i did want to argue that sirius' height makes a difference in the text, i'd say that sirius is tall because padfoot is also a large creature and there seems to be some kind of reflection of the human in animagus forms, whereas the whole werewolf thing is something inflicted externally rather than something that comes from within the person so remus' human height isn't reflected by his lycanthropy. but that's a whole other question i would have to research more.

[admirxation]

in that case... something nsfw with soldier boy? i was thinking him being a dom but then getting more sub as things go if it makes sense? 😏

Heya anon! Thank you so much for the request, I hope this lives up to your expectations. Love Soldier Boy sm so I’m glad I got to write for him !

Everyone that likes it, please like and reblog (it rlly helps) and if you're interested maybe read some more of my stuff? click here for masterlist.

Also, I have a Kofi, if anyone is willing to donate the link is here (you don't have to donate ik this economy is awful) <3

Dynamic Change | Soldier Boy one shot request

Pairing: Soldier boy x fem!reader (afab)

Summary: Soldier Boy is the answer to stop Homelander, Butcher's secret weapon, to get his revenge. While you're sceptical of this idea — sharing M.M’s concerns — you decide to just roll with the punches and see what happens. While waiting for Butcher and Hughie, you have to sit around and catch Soldier Boy up with the 21st century and try to keep him happy, convincing him to partner up and heal from his team's betrayal — but soldier boy notices something in you and wants to change the subject.

Word count: 2.8k

Warnings: NSFW 18+, so MINORS DNI. Female anatomy is used for the reader, and she/her pronouns and the reader is similar to Kimiko with enhanced strength because of compound v experiments. Detailed smut: dominance and submission (m starts dom and switches), pinning up against the wall, dirty talk, neck kissing, neck biting, thigh fucking, hair pulling, pushing to the bed with enhanced strength, f on top, p in v, cumming inside and begging.

As the evening sun cast a long shadow across the room, Soldier Boy sat in the bed and was dumbfounded at this strange and unique experience. He was a relic of the past; disorientated and confused, he found himself surrounded by an unfamiliar world of technology and societal changes. 

He was the key to Butcher’s new plan, the weapon to use against Homelander, but the one thing that was in his way was that Soldier Boy wasn’t complying with the “team up”. You, like M.M., were sceptical of all of this; could you really trust a supe to destroy another? Especially when looking at his history. But this feeling didn’t last long; you decided that this was the only option to get revenge that everyone was craving — to get Homelander to suffer finally. 

You were sitting on the sofa waiting for Butcher and Hughie to return; they told you they were running a few errands, which you knew meant ‘he’s your problem until we get back’. It wasn’t like you were in a vulnerable position, especially with the compound V that coursed through your veins and was the catalyst for your misery. It was something you and Kimiko could relate to; after learning her variation of sign language, you became closer and became each other’s comfort; you were similar to her in having enhanced strength, and this was another key component to the team — after Butcher was comfortable enough to accept you. After all, he couldn’t say no to extra manpower, especially when going against the worst villains. 

You looked to your side to look at Soldier Boy holding an empty bottle as he watched the television; he seemed to be in a sense of comfort but also tense with trying to understand the new world. Every joke that happened, every bit of news and culture change was swirling through his mind; you felt bad for him and wondered what it would be like to be in his shoes — frozen and betrayed. This sympathy lasted until his intolerance slowly emerged; you tried to ignore him and understand that he was literally from a different time. Your modern presumptions were unfair, but that was still a hard pill to swallow.

“What the fuck is that?” he questioned with an exclamatory tone. 

“What? The guy with his baby?”

You were watching the adverts, which showed a device a man could use to have his baby close to him, to help fathers. 

“That’s what being manly is now?” he took another sip of his new and fresh bottle, “Man, you lot went soft.”

You rolled your eyes, trying not to rock the boat too hard. You didn’t want to have to answer to Butcher if you ruined all his plans. You had powers but were still intimidated by Butcher; after getting into trouble with Vought, you didn’t want to face the future alone without your team.

“Just a man wanting to be with his baby… Probably helps the wife out as well,” you paused momentarily, “I know it’s a shock, but we don’t live in the detergent commercial anymore; things changed.”

Soldier Boy furrowed his brows, looking at you with a confused expression. 

“Personally, I think it’s sweet to see a man care that much about his child; it shows he doesn’t want to leave the mother and the child,” you felt the need to stand up for your beliefs around him. 

Soldier Boy started to look away from you and thought about your words; you could tell he was slowly seeing your point while thinking he couldn’t be caught wearing the contraption. He knew that being frozen didn’t damage his intelligence. 

“I know what you mean… I always wanted children.”

You were surprised; the Soldier Boy wanted children; he seemed like the player that would never properly settle down with anyone; you also felt a strange feeling with acknowledging that this was the beginning of Soldier Boy being vulnerable with you, wanting to break some barriers. 

“Really, Soldier Boy, wanting children… Don’t take offence, but I never thought about that.”

“I don’t take offence,” he paused momentarily, “Also, just call me Ben… I know you by Y/N, not your hero name.”

“I don’t have one.”

“What? But —”

“Forced to have it,” you took a deep breath, “I didn’t get the opportunity to choose; I was experimented on.”

“Wow,” he had to process what you said, “I’m sorry… That must have been hard.”

“It was, but at least I can protect myself now.”

Ben was already accustomed to your powers. He wasn’t impressed by them but was glad to see someone without a costume on, someone grounded; still, he had sympathy with knowing that his powers were on his terms while you were the guinea pig — at least a surviving one. 

“Guess that guy was right… I can’t find my team without the knowledge of today.”

“Yeah, Hughie was right,” you started to get up from the sofa, “Look, I don’t want to rock the boat, but —”

Ben cut you off: “Then don’t, already told that Hughie, Butcher and now I’m going to tell you… I’m not interested in helping anyone; I don’t care what you did for me… My old team used to be there for me and look where trusting them got me… Handed to the reds.” 

“That was the past, we will help you, and all you have to do is add one more person to the list… We practically made Countess a human sacrifice for you, Hughie and Butcher have found the rest and Black Noir is a part of the Seven. Now we can —”

“Y’know, sweetheart, you might think having a team is a good thing; you get the job done, then you can laugh when the working day is over… Look, I’m sure you’re a great person, but one day, your team won’t see that. I see the way Butcher talks about people like us,” he motioned with his hands to sign you both, “He’ll make you bait in a plan one day. Get rid of you as mine did… Betray me and made me think they loved me.” 

Ben was momentarily lost in thought, and you could tell he was thinking about Crimson Countess. When you met her, you were with Frenchy and Kimiko; you felt sympathy for her after watching her pathetic little tribute to Soldier Boy; after she spoke, you honestly thought there was a reason for what she and the team did; you had gathered the puzzle pieces a long time ago after investigations and using Annie for information. Yes, Ben was stubborn, but for a good reason; if you were in the same shoes and had the boys betrayed you and left you dead for decades, forgiveness wouldn’t be on your list. 

“They wouldn’t do that to me; we’ve gotten into too much trouble together… Think we’re thick as thieves at this point,” you let out a small laugh to lighten the mood, “I know it hurts… Especially with Countess, but you need to help us… We need you.” 

“It’s hard to forget,” he let out a deep sigh, “Y’know I wanted some rugrats of my own, with Countess, yeah ain’t that a bitch…wanted a couple of little boys and raise them up to be men, now? Now I got nothing.” 

This man had lost everything, was confused and experimented on, and you could relate to him in those ways; after being forced away from home under the name of curiosity and needing to match the American supes, you were just the surviving sample. But to lose love and know that they felt nothing for you is a different type of hurt, and you didn’t want to imagine that.

“I’m sorry, but if you do change your mind,” he shot a sharp look at you, “if you change your mind. You can live your life, be free from suffering and find a woman you can have fun with… You don’t need Countess.”

You tried to give him support until you saw a mischievous smirk that crept on his face, and he looked you up and down, taking a step towards you which you mirrored by moving behind; you clenched your fingers into a fist as you had an idea of what that smirk meant, thinking in your mind that you were probably overreacting and that nothing would happen. Your back hit the cold wall, Ben still moving in your direction, his face inches away from yours and his arm moving to pin you up against the wall; you moved your face away from him to tell him you were uncomfortable with this through your body language — but his behaviour continued. 

“Maybe I want to have some fun with you, honey,” he whispered, sending shivers down your spine. 

While standing there, you were conflicted; you had heard the stories and shared the same hatred for the supe’s with too much power, but Ben seemed different. Granted, you didn’t know everything about him and weren’t around when he was at the peak of power, but you were attracted to him. How he looked at you, feeling his hot breath trail along your neck as you made you feel helpless under his touch. 

“Do you think that is a good idea?” you met his eyes when you asked. 

“If you want me to stop… Just say,” he whispered into your ear again. 

You didn’t want him to stop, it was a strange situation to be in, but you wanted to see where this would go; after all, Butcher and Hughie wouldn’t be back for ages, and this could be used as some fun for you and to get Soldier Boy on the team. 

“Thought so,” Ben then started to kiss your neck. 

You gasped under his lips touch, feeling his smirk now and again when he heard you whimper and felt your hand place on his bicep, showing that you loved what he was doing and that you didn’t want him to stop. It felt wrong after hearing the stories about him, but you couldn’t help the attraction you felt towards him and the sympathy built up from your conversations. You wanted to just forget about the past and melt into the current situation, enjoying every sensation and feeling that made you tingle with pleasure. 

“I knew you were a dirty girl,” you moaned a little as he bit your neck, leading to a gasp every time he bit down harder and harder to the point a mark was left on your neck. 

His fingers then wandered, grazing over the deep v-neck collar on your dress, sliding his fingers down your breast as he continued to leave hickies and get harder when hearing your moans and whimpers. 

“For someone that was frozen, you’re really good at this,” you muttered with your eyes shut and feeling the sensations Ben gave you. 

“Shut up and enjoy what I’m giving you,” you got wet with his words. 

His wandering hand then made its way down to where your dress ended, lifting it up to reveal your panties already submerged in a wet spot; this sent another shiver with anticipation running through your mind — trying to figure out what Ben wanted to do to you first. He moved his lips away from you and started to unbuckle his belt, leading his pants to drop to the ground and reveal his lower half. You looked down and saw his length, getting even wetter at the sight of it. 

“Like what you see, doll?” you nodded. 

Ben smirked at your compliance, continuing to leave hickies on the other side of your neck and positioning his cock in between your thighs, moving his hips with a back-and-forth motion and feeling your wet, clothed pussy on his member. Running his fingers through your hair and grabbing fistfuls, pulling it and making you wince now and again.

“I love how you’re such a little slut for me right now.”

You couldn’t get any words out with the pleasure you felt at that moment, the dominance and power Ben had over you, but while you were enjoying it, you wanted the dynamic to flip a little bit — have a taste of that dominance he gave you. 

“How about we change some things… I’m sure you will like it,” you offered as you pushed him away from you, gently putting your hands on his biceps again, seeing him beg for you with his cock in between your soft thighs. 

“Hm, guess I’ll allow it… What do you have in mind, sweetheart?” 

He moved away from you, wondering what was happening in your dirty little mind, trying to figure you out — failing in the multiple attempts of analysing how you looked at him. You stepped towards him, placing your hands on his shoulders and pushing him to the bed, your strength showing with the way the bedframe hit the wall and leaving a large crumbly dent in the wall. 

“Feisty… I like it,” you could tell Ben wanted more, liking how you were in control now. 

You started to take your dress off, slowly unclasping your bra and revealing your naked body by stripping your underwear down your legs, slowly moving on top of him to straddle and rub your wet centre against his hard cock. 

“Mmph, that feels good,” Ben started to shudder with this new feeling, a sensation he knew he would want more of. 

“Do you want to feel me?” you asked him, grinding on him even more as you awaited his answer. 

“Please, sweetheart, please.”

“Beg for it then.” 

You loved every minute of this, seeing him vulnerable but excited by what you were doing, the dynamic flipping and making him switch behaviour. 

“Oh, come on, sweetheart, let me have it… I’m starved for you.”

“More, baby.”

“Let me fuck you, please; I’m desperate to know how you feel… Come on, baby,” he was squirming while he begged.

You decided to let him have it, let him have some sort of dignity left as you hooved over and positioned your centre to let his cock inside of your wet hole. 

“Oh fuck,” Ben moaned. 

Finally, feeling your walls surround his cock. You smirked when seeing his smile, him closing his eyes to appreciate the moment; you started to bounce up and down on his dick and moan every time you went down for another stroke, your moans being harmonious with Bens and leading to a pool of pleasurable sounds bounce off the walls; it felt so good, and you could feel Ben want more. He put his hands on your hips, you pushing them away to drive him crazy. 

“Ah, ah, ah, don’t go touching.”

“Oh fuck, you’re so good at this,” he moaned again. 

He had many experiences before he was frozen with Countess and other women, but this was different. You were taking control, flipping the dynamic and letting him feel the pleasure while he was under your touch; different but still enjoyable to Ben. You moved your hands to either side of Ben’s head, your breasts lying on Ben’s chest as you continued to bounce and feel the joy fucking him was giving you. He was biting his lip, trying his best not the cum too fast, but this was getting futile the quicker you kept feeling each stroke; wanting to feel him release inside of you — a feeling you hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Please let me cum; I’m dying over here… Please.”

You thought about it for a moment, giving a lick and nibble on Ben’s neck to leave him wriggling around in gratification. 

“Go ahead then,” smirking while talking. 

You continued to grind your hips up and down, only this time your hands were placed on Ben’s shoulders, shoving him down into the mattress; leaving bruise imprints on his skin. 

“Fuck,” Ben let out a loud and deep gasp. 

While feeling Ben’s warm release inside you, this was met with your mutual pleasure, trying to catch your breath as you processed everything that happened; your eyes still rolled to the back of your head as you felt every little bit of Ben’s cum warming inside of you, dripping out when you moved away and collapsed next to him. 

“That was amazing,” Ben said in between deep breaths, caressing your arm as he turned around to meet your face covered in a red dust of blush. 

“You can have more… If you join us.”

“How can I say no?” 

Authors note: I'm sorry this took so long, been busy with going out (having a fun time what can I say) as well as doing research for a current university project I'm working on. I hope this is good, if it isn't then... idk click off haha. If anyone has more requests please message me or submit (with user or as an anon idm). have a good day/evening <3

[gwennafran]

Pale Lights, Book 2 chapter 44 - Reference sheet

I went a bit wild playing with clothing. You might even say I rather overdid it and made two dresses for Angharad. Whops. Not sorry.

Clothing rant below

Fortuna got a hat. Just because. Still rocking her Renaissance wear.

Tristan got late baroque clothing in the style I suspect Asphodel to favour for the simple fact that EE in book one said they had cravats as a big part of their local fashion. And that actually leaves a pretty slim thirty-year long window of fashion, when Word of EE also is that most fashion inspirations are from before 1700. You can actually see how tiny Tristan is in this overcoat. Variation with torn up coat and head injuries. I feel like it’s a universal tule that Tristan is to have bruises on his face at most time. I refuse to flat out add it as part of his character design, though.

Angharad seems to really like outfits that makes her shoulders and upper arms larger. The first one is an amalgam of several Baroque decades as well as pure fantasy. And I’m still not sure it’s quite right. The second one is pretty solidly Renaissance. Angharad also amusingly seems to cover up her chest a lot when given the choice. While gladly taking in the view when other women shows off that part.

Song is rocking a Mind dynasty inspired Chinese hanfu and hairdo. For once she gets to look slightly less controlled than the braid. I generally go with Mind Dynasty for Tianxi inspiration. As the other option for about the same time period has one of the worst male hairstyles in history. Mandated. On everyone.

Maryam got to show off some layers. I originally put a partlet on top of the dark cream jacket, because I figured she’d prefer covering up the otherwise rather revealing deep cut showing off a lot of skin. EE then added a shawl in the next chapter, so maybe I should remove the partlet? On the other hand, I think Maryam really prefer covering up a lot. She’s probably already displeased with the practical three-quarter sleeves. Also, this week I learned blue was one of the few colours that really took to linen. Blue linen aprons were as a result very common among the working class.   The pistol is hilarious. Maryam, you’re not subtle. At all. Even if you left the axe.

[spnexploration]

Pack chapter 17

Pairing: Alpha!Dean Winchester x Omega!Reader, Alpha!Sam Winchester x Omega!Madison

Series summary: Omega!Reader is thrown into a world she's not expecting when her mate turns out to be a hunter, and she's not used to Alpha & Omega Pack dynamics.

Chapter summary: Dean calls a family meeting.

Chapter warnings: none

Word count: 2.1k

Series Masterlist | Supernatural writing masterlist

Part 16 <- -> Part 18

“-has to be me, obviously, but what about Mads?” I heard Sam saying as I walked down the corridor. I paused where I was, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

“It’s too dangerous, she’s not going,” Dean replied firmly. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d have wanted her there.”

“I don’t, I agree it’s too dangerous. But Y/N is terrified of me currently-”

“She’s not terrified of you.”

“She is, Dean, and that’s ok. I get it. And we've been trying to stay out of your guys’ way, plus Madison feels guilty for suggesting Y/N comes to our room when she was upset-”

“Christ, this has to be the first time in history that I'm not irrationally blaming myself for things outside my control, and everyone else is.” There was a brief pause and then a sound like a hand slapping a thigh and Dean said, “RIGHT, we’re having a family meeting. Get the girls.”

I scampered away from the door, not wanting them to find me listening. My mind was reeling from hearing them, and I felt guilty and embarrassed.

I was luckily around the next corner of the corridor by the time Sam found me, so I could look like I was just walking through. “Dean wants to have a family meeting, can you go to the lounge please?”

“Umm, ok,” I said, trying not to look guilty. I am nonchalant, I told myself. I am unaware what this is about. This is a normal turn of events. I tried to force myself to act like I believed it

Sam turned and left, probably looking for Madison. I headed to the lounge, trying to calm my racing heart and not give myself away.

---

“Alright,” Dean said once we were all seated in the lounge. He looked relaxed, elbows on knees as he leant forward. I sat next to him, not touching, with Sam and Madison in the arm chairs that he'd moved to be opposite. “I think we need to address the elephant in the room.”

I pulled my knees to my chest. I couldn't help but feel that I was the elephant in the room.

“I chose to hunt the Rugaru,” Dean continued. “The Rugaru shot me. I probably ignored some symptoms that my wound was getting worse. My shoulder got infected. The stupid clinic has crap rules. Now, has anyone heard me say the words 'Madison’, 'Sam’ or ‘Y/N’ yet?”

He looked around expectantly until we all muttered variations of “no”. Madison was chewing her nails and even Sam looked a little uncomfortable.

“Right. Y/N went into shock because my shoulder got infected. We were separated because of a dumb clinic’s rules. My scent was wrong because I'm the idiot who got shot. So, tell me, who are we blaming?”

“It's not your fault you got shot!” Madison exclaimed.

“Thank you, Madi. I think I probably screwed up some things and you know, in hindsight, maybe we shouldn't have gone on that hunt. But the whole way along, we were doing the best we could with the information we had. And yeah, shit happened.”

He paused and looked around at us all, then sighed, “I'm not seeing a whole lot of believing me.”

“Sorry, Alpha,” Madison mumbled.

“Ok, Madi, before you were marked, do you remember the time Sam piked early and we stayed up late watching horror movies and you got scared? I remember it was the first time I’d had a girl in my lap who I wasn’t trying to sleep wi-” he suddenly glanced at me and cut himself off. Madi giggled behind her hand. “Anyway, you were so drunk I had to carry you to Sam's bed, and Sam grumped all the next day about having none of the fun and all of the clean up.”

“I remember, it was the worst hangover I’d ever had.”

Dean smirked, “Right. So, you were pretty cuddly with me, did it affect your bond with Sam?”

“No...”

“Right. Because your hormones didn't think Sam was dead.”

I sucked in a sharp breath before I could stop myself. Dean ran his hand down his face. I got the feeling he regretted that choice of words.

He looked back at Madi and said earnestly, “Mads, you did the right thing. You comforted your Pack mate, you did exactly what she needed in that moment. If you'd left her alone her body still might have done the exact thing, only she’d have gone through far more pain and suffering. And who knows, maybe even been worse. None of this is your fault.”

Tears were falling down Madi’s face. Dean opened his arms out wide and she quickly crossed to him, climbing into his lap to hug him. He held her for a moment before she got up, wiping away her tears. “Thank you, Alpha,” she said, heading back to her chair.

Dean turned to me and reached out to cup my face. “I'm going to get to you too because this isn't your fault either, but you're most important so you're going last, ok? I'm going to talk to Sam first, but you hang in there, sweetheart.”

I nodded slightly and he dropped his hand.

He looked to Sam, “Sammy, I think you're trying to organise everything and everyone to cover how uncomfortable you are with this situation and what you perceive to be your role in it. But dude, you did a great job. You saved my life, you got the monster killed, you protected two Omegas, you saved me again, and you saved my Omega. I'm probably shit at making it clear how much I appreciate you and your efforts in this Pack. So, you know, thanks man.”

Sam grinned at him, “That's gotta be the nicest thing you've ever said to me. You concussed or something?”

“Dude, I ain't communicated this much in my fucking life. I am having a fucking apoplexy on the inside.” Sam and Madison both laughed. 

Dean turned to me, “Alright, sweetheart. I'll be honest, I don't even know to convince you that this isn't your fault. I feel like I've been trying for days. I was hoping seeing that the others are similarly beating themselves up for no reason might help, but now I dunno...” he trailed off.

“Ok,” he said, clearly trying again, “Did you control the release of your hormones?” He looked at me expectantly until I shook my head. “Did you know what was happening to you?” I shook my head again. “Did you mean for any of this to happen?” I shook my head forcefully. “Right, so how the hell could this be your fault? It's a weird quirk of evolution to cater for scenarios where the mate really does die, and I'm unlucky enough to have accidentally triggered it. I'll be honest, I've died a few times, so it's probably karma or something for that-”

“You've DIED?!”

“Uhhh,” he looked sheepish, “Yeah. Angels were messing with us at one point. Fuck,” he ran his hand down his face, “This isn't the point, I am fucking this up.”

“You're cute when you're flustered,” I said quietly, a small smile on my face. “And you swear a lot more.” I was feeling less guilty, knowing that everyone else had been beating themselves up too even though it wasn't their fault. And Dean had made some good points.

“Has my adorableness convinced you?”

I smirked, “A little.”

“Ok, well, Sam is heading out soon to help out on a hunt-” Dean said, but was cut off by an anxious Madi.

“What? Where? By himself?!”

“He's going to help Claire with a hunt she found,” Dean answered as Sam reached out and took Madison's hand.

“I'm going with him,” Madi declared.

“No, you're not. It's too dangerous.”

“WHAT?! You'll happily let a literal child participate but not a grown ass woman who happens to be an Omega?!”

“Sam is going so that he can protect Claire, because we haven't managed to convince Claire not to go, and I'm not having her out there alone. If you're there too he won't necessarily be able to protect both of you.”

“It's not because you're an Omega, Mads,” Sam said earnestly. “We know you're a good hunter.”

“Fine,” she huffed, crossing her arms.

“So, as I was saying, Sam is heading off. Are we,” he gestured at himself, Madi and I, “going to be ok? Are we all going to stop tiptoeing around each other and feeling guilty all the time?”

Madi was still sulking from Sam leaving, so it probably wasn't the best time to try to ask her. But she still replied, if a little sullenly, “Yes, Alpha.”

He looked expectantly at me. “Yes, Alpha,” I muttered.

“Alright, if that's the best I'm going to get them I guess I'll take it,” Dean jokingly grumbled.

Sam reached out to Madi and she let herself be pulled to him, then he lifted her onto his lap. They started to snuggle and I looked away, trying to give them privacy.  Dean stood up and held out his hand to me. I took it and he led me out of the room.

---

The afternoon went fine, although Madi kept somewhat to herself. Dean cajoled her to come watch TV in the evening, sitting me on his lap and her in the recliner next to us. Every so often he reached out and stroked her hair, or squeezed her hand, or rubbed his wrist on her neck.

I felt weird being on his lap for so long and tried to get off, but he stopped me. “Are you not enjoying sitting here, or are you feeling like you should get off?” he whispered into my ear.

“It must be uncomfortable for you,” I whispered back.

He sighed, “Omega, for once, be selfish. You need my scent to feel better. So stay where you are, you are fine. I like having you here.”

I huffed a little but stayed put. He wrapped his arm around my waist and nuzzled my neck until I relaxed back into him.

“Having to spend time with me isn't so bad, is it?” he murmured. I laughed.

We kept watching, until a little while later Madi stood up and declared she was going to bed. “Ok, if you want to go get ready we’ll be there in a minute to all get settled,” Dean answered, reaching to turn off the TV.

“Umm, Alpha,” Madi mumbled, looking suddenly very unsure of herself, “I didn't think I would be sleeping with you.”

Dean frowned, “Madi, you hate sleeping alone.”

 She glanced nervously at me, then looked down. “I can stay in my normal room.”

Dean tapped my side lightly, “Can you stand up for me, sweetheart?” I did so, and he stood up behind me, reaching out for Madison.

“Madi,” he said gently but firmly, hands on her shoulders, “we talked about this. It's not your fault, and you're not in the way. Now just come with us to bed already.” He dropped his hands, sounding a little exasperated.

“It's ok, Madi,” I said tentatively. “You looked after me when Dean was gone. We can do the same for you.”

Madi gave me a tight smile, “Ok. Thanks.” I reached out and squeezed her hand.

We headed down the corridor, Madi splitting off to get ready in her own room, then heading to ours. I felt awkward, now that we came to actually go to bed all together. I crossed my arms in front of myself and hung back. Madi, who was normally incredibly confident and directing play, seemed to also be hanging back.

Dean looked between the two of us and sighed. “Anyone would think you two were about to broker a peace deal with North Korea, not sleep in a bed you've both been in multiple times before,” he half-muttered, a smirk on his face.

He lay in the centre of the bed and beckoned me over to one side and Madi to the other. I climbed into bed and he manoeuvred me up on to his chest, tucking my head in to the crook of his neck where I could scent him. “There you go, sweetheart,” he murmured.

He got Madison to lay next to him on the other side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she lay against him. I reached out and touched her hand. She took my hand and held it, which felt nice.

“Everyone ok?” Dean asked.

“Yes, Alpha. Thank you,” Madi replied, sounding more like herself.

Dean gently poked me until I answered. “Yes, Dean. It's all good now.”

.

.

.

Taglist:

@mrsjenniferwinchester

@lyarr24

@waynes-multiverse

@leigh70

@malindacath

@ellie-andthemachine

@iprobablyshipit91

@123passwort

@muhahaha303

@globetrotter28

@deans-spinster-witch

@kazsrm67

@foxyjwls007

@iamsapphine

@saranghaey

@yarafae

@sassy-pelican

[lucaniisdellamorte]

ranting about the da fandom stuff from yesterday a little bit

The game isn't even going to be out for another month and already I'm so exhausted, like honestly exhausted by the fandom. Let me say that if you saw the news yesterday and are disappointed that's fine, if you canceled your preorder that's also fine (I don't think you should preorder AAA games anyway but its not money so)

However I do think there comes a point when it gets to be too much. I know I've seen people like "let us be disappointed, toxic positivity is bad, let us feel this" and yeah okay you're right about all of that but when you're sitting around in discords circlejerking with six other people about how this "means not a single dev on the team actually cares about the franchise" and how this is the "end of the series as a whole" and "how dare the devs make this decision its going to tank the game and prove the bigots right" I think its fair to tell you to go the fuck outside and touch grass.

As bad as toxic positivity is, there has to be an opposite side to that, the sitting and wallowing and steeping in dramatic over exaggerated negativity also can't be good for you! There's a huge difference between being disappointed and cancelling your preorder and then running around social media yelling, screaming, throwing up like this is the worst thing that's happened in the history of gaming. Especially since that tends to rile people up and then they go to harass the dev team which isn't warranted.

I don't know I don't want to invalidate anyone feeling disappointed but I'm so exhausted by people in general constantly jumping to the worst and most bad faith take they can think of and then reacting based off that take. Maybe its not that the devs don't care but more like there are three games worth of player choices they have to account for and that's a lot of choices and variations that might be getting too unwieldy to account for every single one at this point. Maybe they're saving some ideas for the next game, we don't and probably won't know until a much later date.

Maybe I should be used to the over reactions after being in fandoms in general for so long but man if this doesn't just leave me exhausted to my very core

[fanhackers]

Mark Heresy, American, b. 1965. Will to Power (detail), 1992, Ink on paper, 28 x 22 in, 2000.11.5, Gift of Peter Norton, Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University

Putting on an exhibition was the furthest thing from my mind when, through my PhD assistantship, I was placed at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art in the Fall of 2022. To say that I was anxious to talk authoritatively about fine art would be a dramatic understatement. Historically, my visits to art museums included confusion about what was (and wasn’t) considered “good,” and my daily experience with art centered around the fan pieces I saw posted on Tumblr and Instagram. I was, to put it bluntly, terrified.

During the same time period, I was struggling to find the focus of my dissertation. With Master's degrees in both English and Business Administration, and with a passion for fanfiction, I knew I wanted to talk about fan compensation. I had read plenty of scholarly books and articles that were passionate about promoting fandom as valid, positive, and useful, and plenty more that broke down the unpaid labor that fans engaged in for their fan objects, but I had never seen these two concepts addressed at the same time. Texts considering fan compensation tended to view fan labor in a negative light. At best, fanworks were viewed as a gift from a fan to the fan community at large, with fans knowing they would be repaid when other fans within the community gifted their own fanworks in return. (Nevermind that I myself have a fic on AO3 that is—as of writing this—the only fic belonging to its extremely rare-pairing). At worst, fanwork was viewed as unpaid labor, utilized—often unethically—to prop up the mass-media corporations who profited from it. I wanted to consider the ways in which fans were paid that weren't specifically monetarily based, and I wanted to address the topic from a position of honoring and respecting fanworks in all their forms. 

Even with this knowledge of what I wanted to discuss, I was struggling in my program. My experience in both of my Master’s programs had not prepared me for the fast pace at which new ideas and theories were disseminated in fan studies and through digital communities. Each time I thought I had found something new and exciting to add to the scholarship, I read a new paper—or more often watched a TikTok—which said my great idea in a better and smarter way than I had considered it. I felt discouraged and lost. I took a step back from my research, deciding to focus my time and energy on my assistantship instead. The museum was showing a portion of Marquette University’s collection of Tolkien manuscripts, and part of my duties included gathering three minute oral histories from fans for The J.R.R. Tolkien Fandom Oral History Collection. Inspired by this experience, I began to think about museums and archives, about what gets archived, about what gets displayed, and about who gets to make those decisions.

When the Haggerty Museum’s Curator for Academic Engagement approached me about an exhibition centering my own research, my first thought was to hang fan art on the walls. This, I was quickly told, was not an option for a plethora of reasons. Couldn’t I instead, it was suggested, use fine art pieces to discuss these types of fanworks? I first considered using pieces that could themselves be seen as fanworks—variations on mythology and biblical stories, new ways of considering historical moments and places, Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe… but this didn’t feel like enough. Everything is inspired by something. Is that enough to make it a fanwork?  

It was from these thoughts and musings that Affirmation/Transformation: Fandom Created was born. Fourteen fine art pieces were selected from the Haggerty’s permanent collection—each of which will be used to discuss something that fans create. I categorized fan creations broadly: alternative readings, collections, community and collaboration, emotional responses, histories, identity, meanings, new texts, parasocial relationships, play, political and social movements, rivalry and opposition, rules, and theories.. The 14 fine art  pieces will be hung in the gallery during the exhibition, but are also currently available to view online. In this ongoing project, fans are invited to create fanworks inspired by these 14 pieces, and the fanworks submitted will be displayed digitally alongside the fine art. Think of it like a Prompt Meme challenge, featuring fine art as your prompt!

My experience with fandom is as much about community as it is about the thing I’m a fan of, and this is why it was so important to me to avoid discussing fandom in a vacuum. An exhibition of just my voice explaining what fans created felt cold; it felt disconnected from and disrespectful to the very thing I was trying to celebrate. This is why my dissertation project is collaborative, featuring the voices and creations of fans everywhere. I also feel called to ensure that these fanworks are treated with the respect that they deserve. This doesn’t just apply to the ways in which I will write about them in my final dissertation text; moreso, it is vitally important to me to take advantage of the opportunity I have to archive fanworks in Marquette’s institutional repository. Archiving these fanworks not only preserves them for potential future academic research, but also marks them—and fanworks in general—as being worthy of a place within the academic archive.  Fan submissions for Affirmation/Transformation: Fandom Created are being accepted now, and will continue to be accepted through the close of the exhibition (December 22, 2024). In order to be on display in the gallery on opening night (August 23, 2024), fanworks must be submitted by August 1st. All types of fanworks are welcome, as long as they are submitted digitally. Sound will be available to be played in the gallery (fanworks will be displayed on tablets with headphones attached).  For more information, visit https://epublications.marquette.edu/fandom/Affirmationtransformation/, or email Kate Rose at AffirmationTransformationShow@gmail.com

[borom1r]

2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22 for lotr from the violence ask meme 😈

OK i have answered 2 already but lets do this thing fuck yea (thank uuuuuuuuuu!!!!!)

3) screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr

look its not really a "take" but the amount of people who just post variations of "I don't like Boromir, he's the worst" IN THE BOROMIR TAG is genuinely insane to me. like have ur (incorrect) opinion but keep it out of the tag worstie

7) what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

uhhhh no one thank the gods. ive always disliked Denethor Because of canon. but i will say stumbling across the file index of an old LotR fansite + clicking on files w/ no preview only to find graphics thirsting over Denethor did cause massive psychic damage lmao

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

idk 😭 i dont interact w/ the broader fandom really. i do find the way ppl reduce Pippin to Just a joke character in fanon insufferable tho

9) worst part of canon

BOOK!FARAMIR + HIS MIDDLEMEN SHTICK MY WORSTIE.

also ngl i do find the Aragorn/Arwen romance....... Weird. like I'm far from averse to "love at first sight" so long as it comes with the recognition that it's really more infatuation + true love takes work. and there's the fact Aragorn fell head over heels for an image of Lúthien, and Arwen's heart did not turn towards him until Galadriel dressed him up in elven finery. not to mention she was "not yet weary of her days" when Aragorn dies + has to die "whether I will or I nill" like she. wastes away? slowly alone in Lothlórien.

like idk [Aragorn kinnie voice] that's my sister, man but all that aside I do think.. Arwen deserved better? I like that the movies made her more active + I do wish she'd actually been there at Helm's Deep bc it would've been fun to see her and Éowyn bond but yeah. the vibes were off with that whole situation imho

12) the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

huh. does Théodred count? i feel like he's kind of a blank slate so fandom can just kinda run wild with him but i do genuinely enjoy writing him + find that there are solid implications for at least a friendship between him + Boromir (if not more). i mean, Boromir got a Rohirric shield from someone

14) that one thing you see in fics all the time

ok th implication here bein its sth that bothers me which thankfully i pretty much only read Aramir or Faramir/Éomer fics soooo theres not much??

i think the only things that RLLY get to me + they aren't THAT popular trope-wise (or ive been rlly good at avoiding them lmao) are fics that 1) make Boromir overly aggressive or 2) completely woobify Faramir

+ tbh the Faramir one bothers me more actually. that is a grown ass man and captain of the rangers of Ithilien.....................

18) it’s absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on…

HRM. again idk :3 <- blissfully not interacting w the broader fandom + only interacting w/ ppl w correct takes on Boromir + Rohan

(tentatively i need to start following more ppl i see some of yall in my notes + i shld follow. sorry im like a nervous dog u need to coax out from under the porch lol)

20) part of canon you found tedious or boring

side-eyeing my copies of the Histories. i need to finish those. eventually.............

22) your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

ignores?????? nothing i think (thankfully lmao) but i will say there is SO much detail in the films that it makes me INSANE. ik we literally just talked abt this in DMs lmao but i could sit n talk abt LotR costuming for fucking HOURS the films were SO stunning and the clothing alone reveals sooooooo much abt the characters i think its a super underrated vehicle for character analysis :3

[can-of-w0rmz]

No but rich people (especially rich Americans) are ACTUALLY fucking mental, and not even on big scale shit, but on really small everyday stuff too. Like it’s crazy, I fully saw a video that was one of those ones where it was like, “THIS is not a healthy amount of food”, and then it was a few varying portions, some of them were pretty small, some were really really normal and average, and then “THIS is healthy :)” and then it’s the most fucking MASSIVE bowl of food with the biggest portions you’ve ever seen in your life. Am I insane or is that crazy patronising???

Like ok yeah, I get people struggle with food, and if you’re purposefully eating teeny tiny portions even though you have more because of psychological reasons, of COURSE that’s unhealthy, but the amount of food these people eat in these kinds of videos is actually insane. It might just be because they’re American, bc American portions are massive, but there’s something absolutely mad to me in these posts that they go “oh so you know this perfectly average meal? This very affordable normal amount of food to eat for a meal? You should be eating this instead :)” and then show a medieval king ass feast. OR, “here’s what I eat in a day! (Realistic <3 bc social media isn’t real)” and then it’s a sandwich the size of her fucking arm.

It’s not even just food too, it’s overindulgence in everything, and it’s such a weird fucking thing, and imo it leads to this weird Americanised sense of entitlement sometimes??? Like there’ve been a few times as a kid where I’ve tried imitating these American ass trends, which are ALWAYS framed as “this is healthy” or “this is realistic”, and ofc every time I’d get my ma laughing in my face with some variation of “what do you think I am? Made of money?” or “are you some kind of princess now?”, and she was 100% right every time, and as I started getting older and having more of an actual concept of money, I ALWAYS thought “it’s crazy how Americans can afford this much shit.”

I REALLY fucking hate the Americanisation of everything tbh. You can’t escape it. Election season comes around, a thousand videos “we have to vote guys!” ???who the fuck is “we”. Also in shit like general culture too, ideas about culture and race which are only relevant for America. Not to say that racism only exists in America, but this “you can’t be racist towards white people/ahhhh oh no that’s cultural appropriation you can’t do that!!!!” stance on racism. I’ve lived in Ireland my entire life, not that it really matters bc being Irish is not really a “race”, it’s a nationality, but my ancestors were all celtic, I have a culture. And even tho personally I don’t think being Irish is a race (aka: I don’t think if you’re American and your great grandad was Irish, you’re Irish, and I also think a black guy or whoever else who’s lived here his whole life and fully understands Irish culture has just as much of a right to call himself Irish as someone like me with Celtic heritage), the English sure viewed us that way! “You can’t be racist towards white people”? In the 1800s they depicted us as rats and drunks and tried to starve us. But sure go whine about cultural appropriation and then go dye the rivers green this St. Patrick’s Day!

I just really hate the Americanisation of shit in general fr. And I don’t even hate some American stuff that much, southern gothic shit is cool, the old west is interesting asf, you’ve got some cool shit, but this weird rich elite corporate social media America shit is fucking everywhere, and it’s just infuriating at worst and kind of sad at best. Feels like everyone’s forgetting where they come from and why they act how they do to fall in line with some looming corporate capitalist American idea of “progress” that erases every shred of art and love and differing experience and history and culture and beauty. Americans will whine about colonisation, and that’s real, it’s true, it’s horrific, but they’re doing the exact same shit psychologically.

Anyway I hope trump wins the election not because I support any of his policies but because it think it’d be funny to watch. Also democracy is a lie constructed by the government to give the illusion of individual choice don’t bother voting it just encourages them. Communism is fucking stupid and idealist but so is the idea that individuals can have true choice under a democracy fuck the government and go love and make art thank you and goodnight

Also since we’re talking about our individual culture and how much I hate corpo Americans spreading their weird shit everywhere have some cool selkie art I found and a silly wee selkie ballad I like

[mariacallous]

It’s always a challenge to develop a recipe that doesn’t have a clear-cut history. Everyone has “their version,” and wouldn’t think of making it any other way. Seven-layer cake is such a recipe!

It’s unclear how the cake became a staple of North American Jewish bakeries; it seems to be one of those desserts that was always “just around,” a standard part of any Shabbat, shiva or Yom Kippur break fast. There are pareve (non-dairy) versions, and Passover variations made with almond flour, or sheets of matzah in place of sponge cake. But it does have strong ties to Hungarian dobos torte (named after the Hungarian baker credited with its creation) and Polish seven sisters cake (aka “ciasto stefanka,” referring to the cake’s seven layers). 

The cake’s shape and filling can vary. It can be round or rectangular, with fillings ranging from coffee buttercream to chocolate buttercream to a chocolate ganache.

And then there’s the question of how many layers the cake should have. One would assume seven, right? But in the case of the dobos torte, there are only six. The seventh layer is covered with caramel, cut into decorative shapes and used as a garnish for the top of the cake.

The recipe I’m sharing today is based on a very strong and fond memory of my Grandma Fay’s cake  — one of my very favorites that she used to make. If you search online Jewish bakeries for “Seven Layer Cake,” the results most closely resemble my grandma’s cake.

Sadly, I do not have her recipe, but I vividly recall a yellow sponge cake, layered with coffee buttercream and covered with chocolate ganache. It was most definitely a rectangular shape, and she sometimes gilded the lily with a garnish of slivered almonds.

Many recipes I researched required multiple baking pans to achieve all those layers. To make things more accessible for the home baker, I decided to bake a large single layer cake in a sheet pan (which most people have on hand), and then cut the cake into eight layers. You’ll have one left over, which is not the worst problem to have.

Is this cake a part of your family’s celebrations? What is your memory of it?

Notes:

We chose a half sheet pan for this recipe, because that is a standard-sized baking sheet that most people have in their kitchen. The dimensions can range in size from 11 – 13” wide to 17 – 18” long. As the cake cools it will shrink slightly, and once the edges are trimmed you will have 8 rectangular layers (4 across by 2 down). You only need 7 layers for this cake so you will have an extra layer for snacking.

Room temperature eggs are important for this cake because the eggs are providing all of the leavening — there is no baking powder or baking soda. Cold eggs will not whip up with as much volume, so take the eggs out and let them sit at room temperature until there is no more chill on them.

While you can use a hand mixer, it will typically not be as powerful as a stand mixer. If you are not getting the volume you hoped for in the cake, this could be the culprit. That said, if that is what you have available, just be sure that those eggs are at room temperature and you are cranking the speed up as high as it will go.

Once assembled, the cake will keep in the fridge for up to one week, and in the freezer for up to two months. 

[k-s-morgan]

Hi!

I love your WHGTB so much! I just finished it and it's awesome! You are awesome!!! :3

At the beginning of the fic, you said you decided to write WHGTB because all the "Harry raises Tom" type fics you like are unfinished.

What inspired your new fic?

How long will it last in general? I can't wait to read your new TomHarry!

Please, stay safe.

Hello! Thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed WHGTB and that you are excited about the new story!

When it comes to Tomarry, I always loved two tropes: Harry raising Tom & Harry and Tom studying at Hogwarts together. Since the latter is much more common and there are more completed stories with this plot, I was interested in exploring the Harry-raising-Tom scenario first. Now that I'm done with it, I can move on toward my other favorite idea!

What inspired me in general:

1) The grand and gloomy atmosphere of Hogwarts of Tom Riddle's time, where he is still a brilliant, intelligent wizard slowly building his empire. His canon school years always intrigued me because they are wrapped in mystery while being arguably the darkest and the most complex period in HP history. They unfolded during the time of two large wars, giving birth to the greatest and darkest wizard of all. The politics, the knowledge, the blood that must have accompanied this process - it's fascinating. For some reason, those years give me a feeling of dark romanticism, something I don't feel in Harry's Hogwarts days.

2) The idea of Tom, with his already-shaped vicious, elitist views, becoming infatuated with the worst possible person who threatens everything he has managed to build and who's destined to possibly kill him. Choosing Harry above his more powerful, more influential followers; being obsessed and protective of him even though they represent two opposite sides and killing Harry would be the smartest choice. I love the idea of enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-who-are-in-love-with-each-other :D

3) The thought of Tom's frustration and resentment over having to return to the orphanage year after year, being forcibly torn from the world where he feels like a king, thrown into the circumstances most of his fellow Slytherins cannot imagine - an aspect he has in common with Harry that will unite them further. The horror of the bombing of London Tom likely experienced at least partly, something that's never elaborated upon in the books but which I always felt strongly about. The way it could have fuelled Tom's hatred toward anything related to Muggles even more, building a contrast with how Harry might react in the same circumstances.

4) The endless manipulations and machinations Tom can come up with to get what he wants, countered by Harry's stubborn determination to oppose him. The power plays and the constantly shifting power dynamics, the equal dance of obsession - since Harry and Tom are of the same age, they'll be on a more equal ground, and their conflicts will reflect it. The increasing number of Tom's allies and worshippers put against Harry's contempt and criticism, which will frustrate Tom into losing his fake composure and make him succumb to his more natural temper.

5) The shaky foundation of the wizarding world of that time that canon Tom could have conquered if he made smarter choices. The society was terrified and uncertain, and I love imagining what Tom's large-scale confrontations with Harry could do to it.

In short, I'm inspired by the idea of Harry and Tom growing to be powerful young leaders who are in love and obsessed with each other, but who refuse to compromise their principles and are prepared to fight to achieve their goals. Who will duel each other in the afternoon, destroy their followers, and then lose themselves in each other in the evening. WHGTB Tom was a variation of a child Tom who was raised by Harry, which affected his views and values; this is the CoS Tom who already has one Horcrux, whose views are set in stone, and who doesn't plan on loving anyone. The idea of world dominion is rooted in his mind and Harry is the last thing he expects.

I love the moral ambiguity of this scenario. After all the development, Tom would rather kill any follower who disrespects or harms Harry as opposed to eliminating Harry himself, despite knowing he is the biggest threat to his rule. Harry, in turn, would rather risk people who trusted him than execute any plan that could result in Tom's destruction. What their obsession and possessiveness will push them to is fascinating to consider - there are so many potential arcs in this plot.

This is approximately how I imagine their relationship to have gone in canon if Harry ended up travelling to CoS Tom's time. That version of Tom would not be easily swayed - neither would Harry. They would clash violently, they would hate each other, but they would also be inevitably drawn together because of everything they have in common and everything they see in each other.

The expected count is 23 chapters for now, but it can change in both directions since the size of my updates is always unpredictable! My characters don't like listening to me :D

[nytehavyn-circle]

Aloysius Thompson

FC: Viggo Mortensen Sexuality: [Wait, this guy has a sexuality?] [Is 'cat lady' a sexuality?] Age: [REDACTED] [Alright, so why is this redacted? We're not allowed to know anyone's age now? How does that comprom-] [It's a spy thing. Shhhh.] Height: 5'11' Species: Human Occupation: Spy [Yeah, but he's really bad at it.]

In 19XX, Aloysius Thompson was born to parents, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. He wasn't a very bright child, showing a fascination with playing in the cat's litter box. [Well, that explains that...]

Despite all the love and education his parents gave to him, Aloysius still remained, well, dumb. Oh, he was a loving, good-hearted, and good-natured young man, he just wasn't very good at anything else.

But he became enraptured by his dad's life - that of a spy! From a young age, he thought, "Hey, I want to be a spy, too!" even if this was a particularly bad idea.

[Wait. Wait, wait. I just noticed something... This guy is ****** son?] [Well, yeah, it's how he got the job. But, hush, that'll be coming up son.]

After years of training with his father, Aloysius was still bad at spy stuff. His dad sent him to the best spy trainers, and it did no good. Aloysius was terrible.

But, the agency owed his father a huge favor, due to [REDACTED][CENSORED][REDACTED].

[*sound of record scratching*]

[WAIT, WHAT DID HIS DAD DO??] [I dunno. It was never discussed.] [Aw, man, this is bull*beep*! ...Why was I censored?] [New rules. All reports now have a "no-cursing" policy.] [Oh, That's a crock of *beep*!]

The Agency spent massive amounts of money on Aloysuis' training. Even going so far as to send him to [REDACTED] in [REDACTED]. In fact, [REDACTED][REDACTED].

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[Everything in this report is being redacted... *sigh*] [Yeah, that's the new spy policy now. Can't say too much.] [I highly doubt anyone is looking for this guy, honestly.]

He failed everything. Especially disguises class. He was terrible at disguises. Everyone looked a variation of the same - himself. His accents were terrible, as well, coming out sounding like some vaguely Americanized Racist Asian Stereotype from those old TV movies we all loved when we were kids, but realized, as we got older [REDACTED].

[We're doing this now. Really? *sips coffee*] [Another Agency Spy policy. No politics in reports.] [What if the report is political in nature? Because spy work is usually political in nature... *sips more coffee*] [Hmm. That's an interesting point.] [One giant black page, huh?]

But, regardless, Aloysius Thompson became a spy. Finally. To the annoyance of all involved. Except Aloysius. He was happy. So was his father. Kind of.

Now, [REDACTED] years later, Aloysius is one of the Agency's worst spies. Having only ever completed a mission by sheer luck, with help from the Agency, whatever guardian angels might exist, and squirrels.

[...Squirrels?] [We're not allowed to talk about it.]

But still, he presses on and so forth!

Unfortunately.

He now lived alone, in a modest home, with his 27 cats. Seriously, they sleep on his bed and he sleeps on the floor. Oh, well. Guess that's not so bad if you like cats.

I don't see why he can't share the bed, though? I mean, a bunch of kitty snuggles sounds better than a hard floor [REDACTED FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!!]

[Are we done yet?] [Are you in a hurry or are you bored?] [Oh, I'm fascinated by this guy's "history." >>SARCASM DETECTED<< ...Seriously, I need to get home. My [REDACTED][REDACTED]. ... ARE YOU FU*BEEP* KIDDING ME? *sounds of stuff being thrown* THEY'RE REDACTING US NOW?] [Well. Agency Spy Policy. Too much information.] [...I'm going home, lock up when you're finished. *door slams*]

[... ... ... ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??]

(This muse was created for shiggles. Right now, he's nothing more than comedic fodder for goofy threads. Maybe, in the future, I might expand his 'universe', so to speak, to give him more depth and more fleshing out. But for now, cannon fodder. Heh heh heh.)

[vermilionvector]

Speculation of the new armor

The history of armors in Elsword was wild. From simple crafting to incomprehensible RNG hell. Here is a brief history (at least from when I started playing):

Normal dungeon gear: Pretty much straightforward. Just a regular gear with higher stats.

Henir gear: This starts having some interesting unique effects. It can be upgraded via grinding Henir.

Secret dungeon gear: Similar to normal dungeon gear but with unique set effects.

Heroic gear: This was the first gear that had RNG components, having to roll 3 lines of IDs for the stats you want. It also came with a set effect of 3 variations.

Elrianode gear: Even more RNG hell with the Tears. The set effects also have 3 variations.

Amethystine Prophecy (AP) gear: The first set to have a Reforge system as an additional grind. The set effects have 6 variations. However, this is the first set since SD gear to not have any RNG involved in the set effects but rather on the Reforge system instead, which, in my opinion, is more acceptable. After it's changed to be bank-sharbale, the value of this gear for early game players increase significantly since it's a common gear that can be equipped on all characters. The reforge system may prove to be daunting at first due to reforge durability, but it's become more friendly after the material requirement nerf and many events and season pass also alleviated that.

Tenebrous (Tene) gear: A DIY set that you can mix and match the effects by yourself with more interesting effects that do not exist in earlier gears. The reforge system is inherited from AP. However, the Shadow Effect RNG is the worst out of all sets released. With so many combinations possible, it can be difficult to obtain the stats you want. Moreover, the armor is character-specific, meaning you cannot share it with different characters unless you purchase the conversion tickets from the item mall, which is very expensive.

Now the criticism:

AP: After many adjustment, this is the set that players seem to like the most due to how straightforward it is. Craft the armor of the set you want > Reforge it to R21 > Done. You can use it on any character in your account.

Tene: Though stronger, players hate it for how many of the stats are locked behind RNG hell. Firstly, you have to get the Shadow Effect you want. Secondly, you need to roll the max value on that stat. Thirdly, if you want another effect or want to reroll, you have to extract the desired option from another piece and roll it again. At initial release, the chance of extracting the desired effect was not 100% but 50%, so there was even more RNG involved. As a result of these factors, many players were unable to enhance their gear to an acceptable level and raised a concern during KOG's new armor release plan last year. KOG acknowledged it and postponed to this year instead while also reworking the planned armor to become Harconium Tuning Reactor, which is compatible with Tene.

Now the speculation:

Given that Harconium was supposed to be the new armor, it could be surmised that, based on the appearance of the item icon, the new armor will return to being common and bank-sharable.

Given how reforge system is in Tene, it might reappear in the new armor as well. And if KOG is being greedy, they could demolish the existing Chlorite market and release a new item as a replacement for Chlorite to be used for the new armor instead.

Harconium or a new substitute could also be used on the new set.

Since the release of the armor will come before the new raid, we can surmise that the armor acquisition can be done without having to raid. This could be done by gathering materials via gridning or daily/weekly quests and crafting like AP/Tene.

Since the armor is common and bank-sharable, the quest will have to be account-wide to prevent rapid acquisition of materials.

The DIY Shadow effects of Tene might return. There could be stronger effects or more lines to identify. Whether it will retain the RNG elements depends on KOG's mercy. (I hope this is the case because god I love the Tene Barrier so much like can you imagine 60% barrier?)

Now regarding Raid, which is required to enhance the armor. It could be in a form of Stages like Raid weapons or doing account-wide weekly quest to get materials. If we have to do Stages like VoS/SoA, it could be challenging if our armors weren't fully prepared.

There could also be items that can be exchanged to NPCs like marks we obtain from helping 0% people completing the raid which can help accelerate things.

[ruleofbirds]

𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚕𝚘𝚐_𝟶𝟸.𝟷

Moa's Ark & Zealandia

https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/moas-ark-1990/series

Moa's Ark (1990s TV series) opening animation. It was during the 90's that scientists formulated the "Zealandia" protocontinent theory and complexity of how species migrated over time, putting the last nail in the coffin of the idea that everyone got a free ride over on a piece of Australia. Going through Aotearoa's natural history doco archives has been a lot of fun.

Hello again! I took a bit of a break in posting long- form updates, but I think there's enough on my mind for a second batch of posts this week. After that there will again just be small updates on the Instagram until May - when I may have some sort of concept media for the sim to show off. For now I'll aim for a focused peek into a couple of aspects of it as usual.

This post is going to be all about the Moa, the species that got me hooked on this project. It's also going to be about species variation, and the tension between scientific accuracy and visual accessibility.

Moa skeletal reconstitutions at Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand.

A couple of interesting facts about the moa;

-We currently classify them as nine species. Here is a full catalog of every time someone thought they'd found a new one:

-Within many species, female moa can be more than twice the size of males (yes, this is one reason so many moa "species" were identified)

-Moa are unique in that they had no wings (not even the kiwi's tiny t-rex stubs) and, thank goodness because so many NZ species can be traced back to evolving from Australian fauna, their closest past relatives are South American tinamous rather than the emu.

-They also got a bad wrap for their past perception as tall, emu- like, big dumb grass grazers. Actually, while they're nowhere near as smart as multi-sense-foraging kiwi, they could identify and feast on a whole variety of twigs, herbs, leaves and berries - most of which were found in the more common forest than grassland.

This is why they have a bulky build and head-forward posture (until kinda recently, museum curators tended to give them that tall, emu/giraffe like posture, even adding extra vertebrae for show.)

Whanganui Regional Museum (This isn't close to the worst examples)

So; how do I even begin to approach the scope, as well as potential uncertainty, of data we have on the Moa?

Here's one way: Oversimplification!

Screenshots from Godot editor & runtime previews for compatibility (web) mode and forward+ (basically more shaders) renderer. The camera is RTS- style; getting the runtime shots was a bit finnicky.

I've started to build low-poly models in Blender for the fauna, which in the future I'd love to rig for animation and get super technical with appearance variation. For now I'll focus on the system for placing them in the right biome and basic pathing behaviour, and the Moa will be a North Island giant moa based vaguely off this model for an AR national park exhibit: https://moaparkotorohanga.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/a-collection-of-moa-feedback-from-trevor-worthy-and-lizzy-perrett/

While I'm not working directly on the simulator for the next while, I am building this 2D tool to represent the moa's species variation; it is *incredibly* helpful to have just set up a system where I can add and edit instances of a broader Moa "class", and I'm looking forward to giving each species its visual character (the main creative liberty I'll be taking is colour coding from grey to brown to communicate which of New Zealand's islands each species populated, as well as their preferred biome (there's 3 main ones: subalpine mountain, wet podocarp forest, dry forest/ lowland)

Moa "collection" project at time of writing.

If this exercise has highlighted anything though, it's just how difficult it is to reduce life's complexities to a single shape that represents a single numeric value. Those who read my last posts may remember that any given moa species' size may have varied over time and with temperature, (generally bigger during ice ages and smaller out of them) along altitude, (generally bigger and bulkier higher up) and just within species based on how they adapted to any given place. Not to mention the relatively massive lady moa.

And since we're only working with what's left of them all - the only intact gizzard samples proving that whole diet theory, and most of the remains we have to work with, are those found in Pyramid Valley in Canterbury (a swamp with surrounding mosaic of vegetation and forest) - who knows how to truly depict what life was like tens of thousands of years ago.

From the Moa book by Quinn Berentson

A very cursed JavaScript "spreadsheet".

So, very long-winded post. I hope you found something interesting within! Something that made you think about nature's craziness maybe. I meant to get across just how much there is to scientific communication, and I barely touched on how I aim to keep the overall narrative in focus (or basically be aware of it.)

I can't wait to work on this more collaboratively, with folks who really know their stuff about ecology and the cultural aspects of Aotearoa - I think the potential for collaboration and education is what's keeping me going with this project.

Until next time ! - here's some of my highlights from a trip to the Zealandia ecosanctuary.

Kia hora te marino

Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana

Hei huarahi mā tātou i te rangi nei

Aroha atu, aroha mai

Tātou i a tātou katoa

Hui e! Tāiki e!

May peace be widespread

May the sea be like greenstone

A pathway for us all this day

Let us show respect for each other

For one another

Bind us all together!