#outstanding order fulfillment

[nopanamaman]

How does the stalker business work?

Loredump. October 2023

A web of alliances, insiders, clients, and territorial disputes - this is what forms the stalker business, a domain that’s as illegal as it is profitable.

Today, we’ll delve into the basic origins and inner workings of this peculiar profession. Let’s find out how these glorified marauders operate!

How did the stalker business develop?

The stalker business emerged almost as soon as the Zone itself was born. But, much like every structure based around the Zone itself, it became more refined - and more corrupt - as years went on.

What started as individuals travelling the Zone completely on their own accord grew into a network of organised groups with their own informants, clientele and designated territories. Yet when it looked like major alliances had become fully solidified with a couple of large groups operating across vast stretches of the Zone, the development of the internet put a dent in the system.

Yura: Do I really need to know the territorial policies of 70s factions Sergei: YES Olya: No.

As many information-gathering and order-related operations moved online, doing business in smaller groups became a more viable option. Nowadays, the majority choose to operate in gangs of up to 30 people.

Since the business has grown more decentralised and, in a way, accessible, the competition within it has increased dramatically. Territories are less clearly defined and run-ins with members of rivalling gangs are commonplace. When it comes to the human factor, it’s more dangerous than it ever was.

How are the little groups organised?

Modern stalker groups are typically formed around somebody who has direct connections to potential clients or those able to nicely aggregate information about the Zone’s current state. So any group needs at least one product reseller and one strategic leader, which can sometimes be the same person.

The latter is true for Sergei's group, for instance.

He is responsible for processing orders, evaluating the delivered artefacts, reselling them, gathering up to date information about the Zone’s landscape and traffic, and helping the available stalkers plan their trips accordingly. It’s a heavy workload, so having just one person performing all of those tasks wouldn’t be manageable on a larger scale.

Obviously enough, smaller groups are more reliant on the quality of their individual members, even more so when they have a specific role to fill. If we use known members of Sergei’s group as examples, they fit pretty neatly into the following roles:

Radar (радар). Formerly fulfilled by Kolya – a stalker with an outstanding sense for anomalies. Irreplaceable for navigating the more treacherous parts of the Zone. Yura was going to inherit that role.

Doctor (доктор). Self-explanatory. While it’s recommended that all stalkers undergo some form of first aid training, it never hurts to have someone with a deeper knowledge of medicine on the team. This role was filled by Nikita.

Insider (свояк). As the name suggests, it’s a person that helps in various aspects of stalker work by providing client contacts, guard post information, info about other gangs’ operations, and so on depending on their position. Insiders don’t usually take part in actual trips or even work with specific stalker groups, but Olya is built different.

Ram (таран). The muscle of the group. You don’t need to be especially physically fit to navigate the Zone,but when things become dire, it absolutely helps. This was Sergei’s role when he still travelled the Zone.

These are arbitrary designations and many don’t fit into one particular role. That said, creating a balanced group of 3 is easier when there’s a fair understanding of each person’s strengths.

Yura: Oh, kinda like video game classes! Sanya: Yeah, I guess. Yura: So who would I be? Sanya: Support.

What does the typical work cycle look like?

An order is either placed on an online marketplace or is mailed directly to a trusted trader. The trader then passes the information to the strategist, who analyses the current Zone layout, as well as the latest available information about the placements of various artefacts and anomalies.

The strategist then determines the optimal routes to retrieving the ordered goods. Some use special software to aid in the process. The service price is then estimated based on the difficulty of retrieval and transportation. If the initial price suggested in the order is lower than this estimate, price negotiations will ensue.

Once the minimal price is agreed on, the actual planning starts. A group of three is gathered from the pool of available stalkers. They are all informed about the mission specifics and the route they need to travel - this is when the team can discuss and make adjustments to the plan.

Nikita: No, no, this route will be way too stressful for Olyechka. Perhaps, she should sit this one out? Olya: If we don't make this route shorter, Nikita won't come back, I'm afraid. Nikita: Well, aren't you a treat. Anyways, Serozha, my leg has been getting worse and I won't make this climb. Olya: Perhaps, you should sit this one out.

After the artefacts are delivered to the trader, their quality is evaluated. Stalkers tend to pick up whatever valuables they find on the way, which means extra cash for them and more work for the trader.

Once the evaluation is complete, stalkers are paid off and the products are resold at a significantly higher price. The artefacts that were specifically ordered are exchanged for the agreed upon amount of money and the extra stuff is peddled to other high-paying customers.

Since selling artefacts is a risky and complicated endeavour in itself, most stalkers are content with the paychecks they get from their trader.

Finally, when everything is done, stalkers may anonymously share information about their trip to the online community. But considering the competitive nature of the business, not everyone is willing to help out their fellow colleagues – or really, not everyone wants to talk about the things they’ve seen.

What is the online stalker community like?

As was already mentioned, the internet has majorly changed how stalkers went about receiving orders and information about the Zone. It has become an important channel for communication and securing deals.

Firstly, all of the relevant platforms are on the deep web. Secondly, all of them are invite-only.

The three major platforms are:

Doska (literally “the board” as in bulletin board)

A marketplace where orders are placed and taken up by anyone interested, as well as an auction platform for selling off artefacts. Widely used by groups and stalkers who have not yet gained established clients.

Krematorii (crematorium)

A closed forum. Discussions, rumours, shitposting.

10K Crematorium karma

14KKM (as in 14 thousand kilometers, the approximate area of the Zone)

A dynamically updated map of the Zone. User-managed, hence chaotic and unreliable.

Users can mark locations of witnessed anomalies and artefact positions, which others can confirm or downvote. A marking needs to be confirmed by at least 4 people before it is put down and is removed if at least 4 people downvote it. All markings can be commented on.

Most of the community tries to maintain it more or less accurately for the sake of their own future missions, but there are malefactors that will add false markers to it. Should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Of course, it bears mentioning that there are plenty of fake online communities on the surface web. Those are rife with people roleplaying as stalkers, scammers, kids, and just shitposters. No actual stalker uses those for business.

Rules regarding the Zone

Though the information side of things has changed a lot, the core methodology of travelling the Zone itself remained the same. Sets of universal rules became solidified over the years, which can be described as a mixture of operational protocols and esoteric beliefs.

What are the basic operational protocols?

Basic operational protocols outline best practices for dealing with simple anomalies, traversing the Zone, bypassing guard posts, and handling difficult situations (mercy kills, painless death, encountering other stalkers).

Some common recommendations include:

use projectiles (usually bolts with pieces of cloth attached for visibility) to check for gravitational anomalies;

operate in groups of three - two do the job, the third one watches on;

do not consume any food or drinks you find;

avoid unnatural shadows;

do not stay at the Hollow for over 20 minutes (your body will start to decay);

do not approach the Town (your body will permanently distort);

do not handle fizzy clay without rubber gloves (will leave you debilitated or addicted to the substance);

always send the draisine back;

don't photograph ghosts;

etc.

They are objective results of many years of trial and error. Going against them is likely to end in death or injury regardless of your personal qualities. In other words, there is little dispute over the validity of these rules. The same cannot be set for the second ruleset.

What are stalker beliefs?

The Zone favours the miserable. The desperate, the broken, the lonely. The Zone favours ones that are willing to give up their whole being to her, to completely entrust themselves to her whims. She rewards dejection.

These are common truths to some and hogwash to others. There is no solid proof for any of these claims - how can there be? However, there is no happy stalker, and there is no living stalker without a scar. To many, that's evidence enough.

On top of that, there are some group-specific philosophies. They include:

the Zone is a holy place that needs to be revered;

the Zone is an ulcer of the world that needs to be cleansed;

the Zone is the new stage of Earth’s evolution;

the Zone is divine punishment;

the Zone is a point of contact with a parallel universe;

and many others.

These philosophies dictate how people go about their activities in the Zone in a more ritualistic sense. It’s hard to devise whether or not those little rituals have any effect that isn’t purely psychological.

There is a good number of people that hold a purely cynical view of the Zone. But whether they admit it or not, everyone gradually develops a sense of fear and reverence for it. How they compartmentalise it is a different question.

Conclusion

I could write more about the topic, but as of now, I think this general outline should suffice. The stalker business is a multifaceted enterprise to say the least, so hopefully this article has shed the light on its most essential aspects.

Perhaps, there will one day be a more in-depth follow-up! Who knows. As we continue to unveil the enigmatic layers of the Zone, only time will reveal the full extent of its mysteries... And the engimatic layers of shitty Stalker forums, I guess.

[volpe-kitsune-red]

I love Lynx so much! Her calling her darling her pet does things to me

What about Lynx with a darling who talks about how they wish vampires were real and would love to be one? Lynx gets fed up and reveals herself to her darling and offers to turn them, leaving out the part where that would bind her darling to her and force them to follow her orders.

I feel like more than getting fed up, she would see it as an opportunity to make things easier for herself haha. This is going to be a bit shorter not because I don't like the request, but because I wanted to focus more on the main scene rather than the build-up!

Lynx Andromeda x reader

Her darling's greatest wish is to be a vampire, she'll show them how easy it is for dreams to become a reality...

It's almost midnight, and you find yourself standing inside an old abandoned church in the middle of the woods. It's unexpectedly clean, somehow there is a complete lack of graffiti, dirt, or overgrown plants plaguing the outstanding architecture. The only aspect that serves as a testimony of its neglect in the last decade is a giant hole in the ceiling, right on top of the altar. The moonlight shining into the space reflects itself on the marble and onto Lynx's eternally pale skin, wich you can easily admire as she's placed herself directly in front of you and perhaps, too closely so.

She had randomly decided to plan an entire day full of activities for you two, it's not unusual, but this time it felt different. If she wasn't your lifelong friend, you would have mistaken this for a date. She took you to all your favorite places, you had a nice lunch and dinner together, and she even bought you both elegant and matching outfits... which you were wearing right now since she insisted it was necessary before she brought you here.

"Love, I have something very important to tell you." She says as she takes both your hands into hers. "I...I am a vampire." This is obviously a joke, so you decide to play along. "Then what are you waiting for? Bite me so we can be vampires together haha. Don't play with me, you know how much I wish that were possible."

"Oh my dear, you might not understand it yet, but both our wishes will be eternally fulfilled in this magnificent night..." She pulls you towards her and you grip her shoulders to prevent yourself from falling. You can feel her unnatural cold breath tickle the skin of your neck. "...we won't have to wait any longer for our prayers to be answered." Before you can ask any question, sharp needle-like teeth are plunged into your flesh. You cry out in pain.

She tries to soothe you by affectionately petting the back of your head but it's practically useless. You slowly lose all your senses before plunging into a world of darkness. "Sleep well my precious pet. You're finally mine...forever mine. This is what you truly wanted in the end, right?."

[omega-helldivers]

🪖 OMEGA ORDERS 📋

Here’s your FORMER briefing, Helldivers.

[ START OF BRIEFING ]

TASK FORCE: OMEGA

DESIGNATION: SPECIAL OPERATIONS

DATE: 13TH OF MARCH, 2024

STATIONED: MERIDIA

OBJECTIVE: ACTIVATE TERMINID CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) [MISSION COMPLETE]

MESSAGE: Outstanding work, Helldivers. I just received confirmation that Fenrir III was successfully liberated, with a successful TCS activation finishing the job. We’re one step closer to completing our major orders, but that requires more hard work and dedication. Task Force Omega has been approved for relocation to the Meridia system, where we will hopefully do as we’ve just done on Fenrir III. Upon news of this mission being fulfilled, await further orders on our next relocation. Keep doing your part, Helldivers. LIBERTY, JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY.

[ END OF BRIEFING ]

[animeyanderelover]

Anonymous asked: Can I please request Sebastian and Claude falling for a darling who is Ciel's older sister?

Darling is 18+.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, stalking, jealousy, manipulation

Darling is Ciel's older sister

Sebastian Michaelis

🐈‍⬛Sebastian’s end goal is a simple and familiar one. Ciel is nothing more than his temporary master until he can devour his soul after the contract is fulfilled. It isn’t supposed to be more complicated yet when Ciel returns and his sister comes running to him with tears in her eyes, Sebastian is in a daze when he’s confronted with your soul. It’s absolutely enchanting and he can’t help but stare a bit before you notice the odd man behind your younger brother who introduces himself to you as the new butler. You have a sharp intuition and sense that something is strange about him, Sebastian admires that. It’s all confirmed when he repairs the burnt mansion in less than a day that you confront both of them about it, pointing out how this man can’t possibly be a human. Sebastian watches amused as Ciel tries to come up with an excuse, stuttering in front of his older sister and her penetrating gaze. Seems like even his master is helpless in front of his older sister. You see right through every lie of his, Sebastian essentially letting his master doing this all alone. It isn’t until you pull Ciel protectively behind you and glare at him that he ends up taking action.

🐈‍⬛You’re afraid of the demon but not even a creature of hell will separate you from your brother again. Ciel insists that it’s going to be fine since Sebastian will listen to him but you can’t help but be distraught when you hear of the condition for the demon to serve Ciel. You beg your brother to not go through with the plan, terrified to lose your only family left yet Ciel is determined to get his revenge. Sebastian himself reminds you that he can’t break off the contract anymore, it’s too late for that. You end up despising the demon because he’s going to take your brother away from you and Sebastian finds himself actually a bit bothered. You coldly ignore him or glare silently at him, although you’re wise enough to not lose your composure. Ciel doesn’t plan to change your mind either, he understands where your strong dislike comes from. Sebastian on the other hand quite enjoys your presence since your snarky yet collected and graceful. You’re such a enrapturing little thing with an outstanding soul. Since he is the butler of the house, you spend a lot of time around him too.

🐈‍⬛You often catch him staring at you longer than appropriate, notice how he surrounds you as much as he can and constantly asks you if there’s anything he can do for you. You deny him at any chance you can and as soon as the other servants start working, you always come running to them for help. The glint of disapproval in his red eyes never flies over your head. You and your brother are sharp and intelligent so both of you conclude at one point that the demon has a romantic interest in you. He grows the borderline of clingy, especially if he has been away on missions in which case he always seeks you out at first, his touches grow slightly more bold as he occasionally brushes you lightly and he always injects himself in an interaction between you and another noble who tries to woo you. When you attend to balls with your family, his gaze never leaves you and there's an unsettling feeling settling in when he sees you chatting or even dancing with someone else. He always uses such chances to ask you for a dance too as soon as he has separated you from your partner, an arm tightly wrapped around your waist when he swirls you around.

🐈‍⬛ Ciel orders him at one point to stop acting like this around you, scared for his sister. There's a short flash of something akin to mild anger in Sebastian's eyes before it quickly disappears and he accepts. The demon has his composure intact differently from his young lord who is now a bit freaked out since he doesn't want someone like Sebastian near his sister. He knows that the demon takes what he wants, you won't be an exception. Sebastian can afford to stay back simply because he knows he has basically won already. As soon as the contract is fulfilled, he is free to do whatever he wants. Ciel and you know that too and it makes you sick to your stomach when you catch the butler smirking victoriously at you yet you know that there's nothing you can do nor can Ciel. Ciel on the other hand might just regret for the first time seriously the contract he formed since he never wanted you to end up forcefully with Sebastian. As some last effort to save your brother you might approach the butler and ask him to let Ciel live and in return you'll go freely with him and will accept anything he will do to you.

Claude Faustus

🕷️ His master has a weird fascination with the head of the Phantomhive company, nothing Claude cares for much. Without a doubt he has a rivalry going on with the demon of the Phantomhive boy though, Sebastian and him share a strong dislike for each other. He's heard of Ciel's older sister, a woman as graceful as clever and witty. He's never met you before though and he doesn't really pay much attention to your existence. That isn't until a ball is held and nobles like Alois and Ciel are invited. His gaze immediately goes to Sebastian as he senses his distasteful presence and the other demon stares back in a provoking manner. Then his eyes wander to the young master and the woman standing next to you and that's when he suddenly senses your soul. He's caught off-guard now that his focus isn't on the other demon anymore, your soul is absolutely delightful. Alois most likely seeks out Ciel himself to fake some friendly interaction when in reality he just wants to make him angry and Claude tags willingly along, drawn in by you. His gaze never leaves you once and you notice too.

🕷️ Sebastian catches on quickly, to Claude's great dissatisfaction. The red-eyed demon suddenly surrounds you more and prevents Claude from getting any closer to you. Additionally Alois demands Claude's presence and Sebastian just flashes him a mocking grin when he has to tag along with his own young master. His gaze never leaves you though and he gladly ignores everything Alois tells him. Sadly he never gets his desired dance with you and instead Sebastian asks you for a dance specifically to rub the other demon in the wrong spot. If Alois actually manages to get a dance with you too, Claude will silently brood and is likely to express some sort of coldness towards his own master for the rest of the evening. He's unhappy when you have to leave, unwilling to let a rarity like you leave him, all the more because of Sebastian. He spends the rest of the night pitying such a waste, as of now unaware who you really are for him. It becomes evident for him the following days though as he gradually grows more and more irritated and your scent and image linger with him. You won't go away.

🕷️ This change and loss of control irritates Claude even more as he is confused to why his feelings are acting up to the point where glitches of his true form appear. Hannah watches him warily and grows more protective of Alois. At one point she approaches Claude who snaps at her as he tries to calm down. She has attended the ball as well, she has sensed Claude's interest in you too. And now she suggests to him that you might be his mate since it would explain his behavior. Separation from a mate gnaws away at a demon's sanity after all. Honestly, the term of mates has been sort of ridiculed by Claude so far, he denies Hannah's suggestion yet in his heart he can't fully deny her words. He leaves the same night and lurks around the Phantomhive mansion, well aware that he can't get any closer since Sebastian would sense him. He catches your aura faintly though and it manages to soothe his inner turmoil a bit. He stays hours until he realizes that he has to go back or else Alois will be furious. It leaves a slight stinging to leave but at least he has confirmed Hannah's words now. You are indeed his mate. What irony.

🕷️ He's bound to Alois and has a feeling that Sebastian knows what you mean to him so Claude is in a more tricky situation. He grows angry and irritated due to your lack of presence and tends to lash out on Alois. At the same time he tries to manipulate the boy into seeing the Phantomhive more often so can be near you. When he has to get something, he often makes detours so he can pass by the Phantomhive mansion in hopes of catching a glimpse of you. He even threatens Hannah at one point to help him since otherwise he will make Alois pay since he knows what the brat means to the female demon. Claude could try to charm you but that is too draining and would take too much time. Especially since you know what he is and dislike demons since one of them will take Ciel's soul away from you. Abduction is the only option he has left, it's at least the only one the demon can see within his possessive side and growing impatience. If push comes to pull, Claude will even end the contract with Alois since the boy has grown into an utter nuisance. He will have you and he will kill anyone who stands in his way.

[saintsenara]

12, 14, 16, and 22 for Snape asks please

I am most interested in your view of Lily as a character. To me, she never really seemed to live up to the hype I see? Like, I get the point that she's supposed to be Harry's mother and is supposed to be seen as the one who can't do any harm because of the sacrifice and all that. But I don't know whether JK purposely or intentionally put, like, the worst flashbacks to portray her as angelic(?). If I remember correctly, she wasn't even talked about as much as James by Remus or Sirius, they had to add things about her in the movies.

I can't ever see Lily as a good friend to Severus. To others, maybe, but I feel like it was different with Severus. More like a complicated one that was give-and-take, including Severus. Severus, an abused poor boy from Cokeworth, who knew about the wizarding world and Lily, a girl brought up in a happy family, who knew nothing about the wizarding world. Severus was able to get a friend while Lily gained knowledge of the wizarding world. But the one thing that cements this view of mine is the line where it says that Lily looks as if she was about to smile when Severus was being flipped over. Plus, I don't care if anyone says that she tried to defend him, but girl couldn't even use her wand or take points off as Prefect?? Girl was literally making a show, or whatever you want to call it.

Sorry about the rant, but I'm all for a good friend Lily in fics but when people say she was like that in canon? Maybe at times, but not when it mattered. I'd love to hear your opinion though.

thank you for the ask, @be-at-peace05!

[snape ask game here]

12. if you had to choose a golden trio era student to be snape's friend, who would it be and why?

while i don’t subscribe to the idea that he’s his godson, snape’s affection for draco malfoy does seem to be completely sincere. malfoy is also possessed of the sort of intellectual curiosity which snape obviously values (for example, how he figures out how to repair the vanishing cabinet - it’s genuinely impressive, and the fact that this is what he might be doing is certainly something which doesn’t occur to anyone in the order) and, while there’s no doubt that snape probably has as little interest in hearing him whine about everything as lucius does, i can see them having some genuinely fulfilling chats about potions. after all, malfoy gets an outstanding at owl, he must be good at the subject and he does seem to be interested in it.

14. what do you think is snape's favourite potion to prepare?

veritaserum. you just know he was chuckling to himself the whole time he was whipping that fake batch up for umbridge.

16. were you ever a snater? how and when did you become a snover?

i’m also extremely theatrical and fond of chemistry, so snape was always my boy.

i’m also capable of understanding the genre conventions which govern children’s literature and which require him to act as he does, so even when he was being a cock to various children we were chill.

22. do you think that lily was a good friend to snape?

well… this is the big one.

and the answer is no - but.

i always think it’s worth, before discussing lily, doing some quick acknowledgement of her narrative role in the story, which is a major contributing factor to why she feels a bit of a flop in person compared to the way she’s built up by other characters.

lily’s characterisation in canon is primarily hamstrung by two things. the first, as you note, is that her sacrificial role within the story requires a certain degree of perfection - not least because the harry potter series borrows heavily from the genre conventions of christian literature. lily is the analogy for the virgin mary - as we see when her purity of spirit succeeds in inflicting the first defeat on the satan-coded voldemort which will then be fulfilled by harry-as-the-resurrected-christ in the final stages of deathly hallows. obviously, a marian symbol is denied the complexity of other women - and that’s without even getting into the fact that the series has an extremely limited view of what ‘good’ motherhood is.

the second issue is that the text needs to keep lily’s centrality to the mystery hidden for as long as possible, not least because it needs to obscure snape’s true loyalties - and the role lily played in triggering them - until the very end of the seven-book series. this is the reason why sirius and lupin only speak about her once (after harry sees snape’s worst memory - and, even then, they’re mostly talking about james) and why harry’s self-conception is rooted entirely in his father - or in characters like sirius who are stand-ins for james - until half-blood prince, when the narrative begins to suggest that his mother is much more important than harry has previously given her credit for.

[the best way to illustrate this is to note that harry doesn’t give a shit in order of the phoenix that snape calls his mother a mudblood. his primary concern is that his father was a bully and that sirius aided and abetted him - when he thinks about lily, his concern is only that she doesn’t seem to like james, and his worry that his father forced her into a relationship. he doesn’t raise the fact that snape called lily a mudblood with sirius and lupin, and he doesn’t mention it to anyone else. but he cares - viscerally - about the slur at the end of half-blood prince, once the narrative is explicitly trying to convince the reader that snape is an unambiguous villain.]

these narrative necessities are a heavy burden for the canonical lily - and so i think she deserves some grace when it comes to how we analyse her behaviour in the snapshots of her as a real person we get in canon.

because of course she’s not perfect. why should she be? teenage girls are allowed to be less than flawless people - even towards their best friends.

[as an aside here, i think we have to be very careful - in our reading and our writing - not to replicate the contempt that jkr has for women who don’t fit her narrow view of ideal female behaviour. jkr loathes bitchy, girly, flighty, butch, rude, vapid, ugly women - just look at anything she’s ever said about pansy parkinson - and she tends to write her heroines - ginny and hermione chief among them - as that perfect not-like-other-girls storm of exactly pretty and clever and popular and brave enough to be worthy, but not so pretty as to be vain or clever as to be haughty or popular as to be slutty or brave as to be villainous. lily gets this treatment - and i think this drives the tendency of readers who dislike the way she behaves in canon to be hyper-critical of her characterisation. but the issue with this is that it’s also confining ‘good’ women to narrow boxes - while, all too often, allowing male characters a complexity their female counterparts are not permitted.]

which is to say: no, lily isn’t a good friend to snape. but he’s not a good friend to her either.

the issue that the two of them have is that they each relate to the other as though the other is the version of them that they’ve constructed in their head. they never take each other as they actually are.

it’s clear in canon that lily never moves beyond seeing snape as the child - devoted only to her - whose role was to teach her about the wonderful world of magic, and who acted primarily as a tool of her own self-actualisation. this is the reason why she can’t understand why snape is so concerned about fitting in at hogwarts - above all, why he wants to be friends with mulciber and avery - or why she never realises that he wants to be reassured of her affection for him versus the marauders, or why she doesn’t take what happens to him at the marauders’ hands seriously until she is made a part of it by james, or why she doesn’t understand snape’s relationship to his own social class and its role within slytherin. she simply doesn’t conceive of him as someone who exists for himself or who has a life of his own - he exists for her.

and snape thinks the same - he sees himself as the person who gave lily the wizarding world and, therefore, as the person who gets to dictate how she understands it. this is the reason why he can’t understand why she pushes back on his defence of mulciber’s use of dark magic (since he - in a very voldemort-ish move - clearly thinks that applying boundaries to what magic can and should be studied is gatekeeping), or why she doesn’t agree with him that the death eaters will help him, or why she’s upset when he’s rude to petunia, or why she leans into the performance of class expected from muggleborns (sucking up to slughorn, taking her pureblood husband’s name) in a time of increasing sectarian tension. she exists for him.

this assessment obviously makes them both sound incredibly cruel, but actually this is the way that childhood friendships often go. it’s very easy to see how the fact of being the only two magical children in cokeworth was validating for both snape and lily, and how this formed a tie between them which was very fierce but very brittle - which was never going to do anything other than shatter as they grew older, especially as they became aware of things like social structure, political affiliation, and sexual desire. it’s cruel of lily to laugh at snape’s poverty - absolutely - but it’s also the way that lots of teenagers who haven’t entirely grappled with their own relationship to society behave, and it’s also true that acting up in front of a boy you fancy is a time-honoured tradition which can also cause you to be quite cruel. lily isn’t nice by any means when snape is being attacked by james and sirius, but she doesn’t have to be. she just has to be human.

there are two final points which i think it’s worth being aware of:

the first is that snape evidently stands out as one of the few visibly working-class students in the castle [so much so that i have a meta in my drafts about whether or not hogwarts is a selective school] and the fact that he is obviously targeted for his poverty is cruel, and i understand why it makes many fans want to defend him - particularly given the fandom’s fondness for glorifying aristocracy and wealth.

but lily is also an other in wizarding society. i think it’s often not taken as seriously as it should be by snape fans just how terrified she must have been for her own safety, particularly from the later 1970s onwards, when all the evidence of canon is that voldemort is about to win. the wizarding world is set up to exclude her just as much as it is snape, and while we can and should be critical how her response to his poverty is unfair, we have to do the same for his outright refusal to acknowledge that she is subjected to discrimination on the basis of her blood status.

the second is that we don’t actually know if lily was a prefect - she was head girl, but james managed to become head boy without having been one. the person we do know was a prefect was remus lupin. if we’re criticising anyone for failing to intervene, it should be him.

[dreaminginpencil]

Jess omg are you ok? The etsy store shows as closed is everything alright?

Yes! I'm okay! You're sweet to ask. Etsy and I are having a little disagreement so they're forcing the shop to be closed at the moment. I'm still fulfilling outstanding orders and issues, so no fear there.

I'm looking into some possible alternate platforms though, as Etsy love to mess me around, so please, shoot any suggestions my way!

[commonobjects]

I ordered test prints from Printful, and they arrived yesterday. Man, did they exceeded my expectations! The packaging: professional and discrete. The paper: matte and thick. The colors: sharp and vibrant. Overall quality? Outstanding. My previous experience with print-on-demand services has been pretty much hit or miss. Zazzle’s print quality is great, while Society6 is inconsistent. For example, Society6 prints are good, but the posters are, well… not so. And Printful? They’re in a league of their own. So it’s resolved: I’m going to open a print shop with Printful as my printing and fulfillment service. I feel overwhelmed by how much I have yet to do, but at the same time, I know it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m totally looking forward to it.

[thebatmanfanbook]

Long time no see, Gotham! We apologize for the silence, but we wanted to get back to you all with some solid updates. Today is the day, the puzzles have arrived! They look better than we ever could have imagined.

Anyone who needs an address change should email thebatmanfanbook@gmail.com! The deadline for this will be 9/22, we will be sending out reminders as well! Additionally, leftovers are scheduled to be held in October and will have limited stock of everything!

We will be working hard to fulfill our outstanding orders throughout the rest of September. Any questions, feel free to email or dm us!

[tangledbea]

This sort of sprang into my mind just now so maybe it isn’t well thought out but what if Cassandra had gone with Edmund and Co. to the dark brotherhood instead of going on a nondescript journey of her own?

Cassandra never really expressed a desire or need to explore, she just wanted to fight and be recognized for her efforts. Somehow even with all the back-bending the show did to give Cass attention in S3 they still managed to give her an unfulfilling ending in my eyes. I think it would’ve been cool if she’d gone with the DK characters to help fix it after she had stolen the Moonstone and put TDB under mind control, especially since we never see her really interact with anyone from the Dark Kingdom past S2.

Cassandra could help fill the hole Quirin (had likely) left behind in manpower and could truly fulfill her dream of being a royal guard, even while outside of Corona. I feel like this would be a cute fic concept and wonder how many people have thought about a concept like this.

It's not a bad idea, but I, for one, am perfectly happy with her ending. Personally, I always felt like she went on a journey of not only finding out who she really is and what she really wants, but where she really belongs. Because Corona ain't it. She was completely unsatisfied with her life there, even at the best of times.

It would be nice if she made amends to the Dark Kingdom by helping them rebuild, but I don't personally feel like she felt like that was her place, either. After all, she's never trusted Adira and only ever faced Hector in unwarranted fights. She barely interacted with Edmund, but somehow subjecting herself to the possibility of him grilling her for information about Eugene and Rapunzel doesn't seem to me like it would be a good time for her. Cassandra is not a people person, and committing herself to hanging out with a group of people she has a shaky relationship at best with doesn't seem like an ideal "finding herself" thing.

I think part of Cassandra's problem is that she's spent her whole life trying to be what others expect her to be. She even told Eugene, "I don't have time for dreams," and even though that was a lie, it was something she believed about herself. So now that she's on her own, after everything she's experienced and done, she gets to learn who she really is, what she really wants. She kept talking about taking her destiny, but one of my complaints is that she never defines what that is. Maybe that's because she herself doesn't know.

We don't even know that she wants to be a guard anymore. That was her grand goal for her life in Corona, but she was very willing to be a warrior in Ingvaar. Cassandra wants recognition for her skills, talents, and knowledge, and she wants to not have to do what other people want her to do anymore. "Take orders," if you will. That doesn't seem like someone who would thrive in a Guard anywhere, unless she was at the top, and she certainly wouldn't be able to walk in, a stranger, at the top. She too opinionated and has seen and done too much to not look at the reason for every mission or order given. Even being a guard seems to stem from wanting to follow in her dad's footsteps and wanting a visible position that had potential for singular recognition for outstanding service. She wanted him to be proud of her and respect her, because he's her parent. And yes, weapons and combat are things that genuinely interest her, but one can be involved in those things without being a guard.

No, I'm perfectly happy with her traveling alone, finding herself, seeing what she likes to do and who she likes to be when she's not beholden to anyone.

[eternal-echoes]

“An outstanding form of international activity on the part of Christians is found in the joint efforts which, both as individuals and in groups, they contribute to institutes already established or to be established for the encouragement of cooperation among nations. There are also various Catholic associations on an international level which can contribute in many ways to the building up of a peaceful and fraternal community of nations. These should be strengthened by augmenting in them the number of well qualified collaborators, by increasing needed resources, and by advantageously fortifying the coordination of their energies. For today both effective action and the need for dialogue demand joint projects. Moreover, such associations contribute much to the development of a universal outlook—something certainly appropriate for Catholics. They also help to form an awareness of genuine universal solidarity and responsibility.

Finally, it is very much to be desired that Catholics, in order to fulfill their role properly in the international community, will seek to cooperate actively and in a positive manner both with their separated brothers who together with them profess the Gospel of charity and with all men thirsting for true peace.

The council, considering the immensity of the hardships which still afflict the greater part of mankind today, regards it as most opportune that an organism of the universal Church be set up in order that both the justice and love of Christ toward the poor might be developed everywhere. The role of such an organism would be to stimulate the Catholic community to promote progress in needy regions and international social justice.”

-Gaudium et Spes, PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD

[literaticat]

I would like to look for a new agent, however I have several unfinished projects under contract with my current agency (let’s say, a couple of books due in the next year or so).

Assuming I formally part ways, do these existing projects hurt my chances of getting a new agent?

Would it be better for me to wait until I have fulfilled those outstanding commitments before leaving & looking for a new agent?

OK - I don't want to say it will "hurt your chances" of getting a new agent, because that's not STRICTLY true -- BUT (I'm so sorry to sound like a broken record here!) -- it depends.

(Also -- you didn't ask this and I don't know, but just putting it out there -- it SOUNDS like your agent has done a lot for you? If you have an issue with them, maybe it would be worth talking it out FIRST and giving them the opportunity to fix it BEFORE breaking it off and finding a new agent? Obviously if there's some kind of egregious thing happening and you just have to get out of there, OK, ignore all other advice, just do it and figure out the new agent stuff after you've left -- but if this is just Normal Issues, maybe a conversation is in order!)

The thing about getting a new agent is, they will want to make sure you are free and clear of any possible entanglements with your previous representation, AND they will want to have something to SELL. If you are a very well-published author, maybe an agent will take you on regardless just because, hey, they are a fan, and they know it will be worth the wait. But ideally, we'd be able to go full-steam ahead on new projects!

So if you already have several publisher deadlines outstanding for the next year, and those books are not even done yet, it MIGHT be hard for a new agent to step in and start selling MORE projects. (Unless, perhaps, the new work you want to sell is VERY different?)

My reasoning being, the publishers you currently are working with are probably not ready to look at new work yet, since the work under contract hasn't been turned in -- and there may be options on those projects (which, depending on your current agency agreement, your current agent may well feel proprietary about!) -- or those projects might have contract clauses that preclude you from selling something else to another publisher that might interfere with the deadlines or publication dates of works in progress.

But maybe not! Basically, I'd take a good look at your current agency agreement AND the contracts you have already signed to see what the deal is and if there's anything that would hem you up from being able to sell more work straight away if you were to leave your current agency tomorrow.

Unless there is some pressing reason you HAVE to get a new agent right away, I personally would NOT query new agents until all of these things are true: A) You have broken up with your current agent, made sure they have no claim on any work besides the works that are already sold, and waited out any "cooling off period" if there is one in your agency agreement, so you are free and clear. AND B) you understand the nuances of your current deals - which ones have options, what the dates are for all of them, etc. AND C) You have something new and sparkly that can actually be sold without getting in the way of any of the things you already have going on.

So MAYBE all those things are true right now, and if that's the case, godspeed. But if not -- maybe wait.

[michaelsoft-binbows]

Avery is complete!

So, its been a while but I promised my next post would be more positive, and now I can fulfil that promise! Cypress has been busy working on a new design for Avery, and the clothing she picked is exactly what was in my head! I wanted to have this redesign, because for a long while I've been feeling like somethings not right, and when I did decide to come out as NB amongst my friends, I felt that a redesign was in order. I wanted to keep it somewhat gender neutral, to reflect that, and I think it absolutely achieves that!

Created by @cypr6ss The little details carried over from the original design like the yellow highlights and lightning design making their way onto the redesign in the form of the lightning pattern on the eye, the ears and outlines of the face, and the I guess "freckles", which I think look great. I just absolutely love how these turn out, the clothing colors were changed, after Avery's original artist, Styix, created some artwork before this was done, and I have to say the creativity between these two is outstanding! One of the things I love about this design in particular, is it goes for a slightly more dragon look compared to the original, without the hair and dog ears, going for pure derg. The post might not be 100% cohesive, I'm writing on 2 hours of sleep and a monster, but I really wanted to get this out there :p

To anyone who reads, however few, thanks for your time. stay safe <3

[schraubd]

"I Dressed Like a Crazy Pharoah for You Man!" (Azerbaijan Edition)

Azerbaijan is holding a Potemkin presidential election tomorrow. But what makes this one especially outstanding is that not only did the authoritarian incumbent put a bunch of fake "opposition" parties on the ballot, he's also having them release deliberately idiotic policy proposals so he looks better by comparison (h/t). The "opposition" candidates have brought some color to the election campaign by mooting a number of unlikely policy proposals: renaming the country the North Azerbaijan Republic, a nod to nationalist discourse that dreams of a greater Azerbaijan, including the ethnic Azerbaijani minority regions of Iran; formally claiming Armenia's Syunik Province as Azerbaijani; or sending Azerbaijani troops to support Russian forces in Syria. "They want to talk about all these stupid ideas in order to show that Aliyev is better [and] that these are the only alternatives," Open Azerbaijan's [Zohrab] Ismayil said.  Wasn't this a plotline on Community? The presidential "debate" was equally farcical: At a debate held before Azerbaijan's February 7 presidential election, the viewer could be forgiven for not being sure who was supporting the incumbent and who represented the opposition. "President Ilham Aliyev has kept his word and fulfilled every promise he has made," said one candidate, Fuad Aliyev (no relation to the president), at the January 15 public television debate. Another candidate, Zahid Oruc, argued that great Azerbaijani statesmen throughout history would all have voted for Aliyev. The president himself did not appear at the debate but sent an emissary, Tahir Budagov, to absorb some of the flattery. "Dear Mr. Tahir, do you know the strengths of the candidate you represent?" Razi Nurullayev, the head of the National Front Party, asked Budagov. "For years, our party has stated that we will liberate Karabakh and restore the integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, but your candidate has done it," Nurullayev said, referring to Azerbaijan's recapture of the ethnic Armenian-dominated region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. One almost has to respect the commitment to bootlicking. Almost.  via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/zuXplBM

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I'm genuinely heartbroken about how things turned out with Dollshe. There's been some shady stuff in the past, but he always delivered (as far as I know). He's one of the oldest BJD maker and his dolls have always been beautiful to me even through his change of style. I am grieving the loss of his art and contribution to this hobby. I do hope he'll turn around enough to actually fulfill the outstanding orders, but it's never gonna be the same. Most people will not trust him again. It's the end of an era.

~Anonymous

[ask-the-almighty-google]

Just Some SWTOR OCs…

DTEMA

Gameplay Movie:

Aliases: Tem, Barsen'thor, Sky Hunter

Date of Birth: 8 BTC / 2,661 BBY (18 at start of game)

Gender: Female

Species: Mirialan

Home Planet: Mirial

Affiliations: Republic, Jedi

Class: Jedi Consular

Discipline: Shadow

Role: Tank

Significant Other: None

Primary Companion: Qyzen Fess

Preferred Weapons: Double-bladed Lightsaber, green color crystal with black-green center

Outfit: (Tython Highlander Armor Set), Dtema wears rough-spun white linen with pale grey edging made of plant fibers. This is paired with simple matte tan leather gauntlets, belt, and gloves with metal fastenings.

Species Traits: Mirialans are an extremely agile and flexible near-human species with very heightened reflexes that make them extraordinarily fast. Their skin ranges from dark green to pale orange-yellow, and their eyes and hair colors fall along the typical human range with the addition of violet, yellow, orange, and red irises. A highly religious Force-zealous culture, their people mark major milestones with stylized tattoos.

Physical Characteristics: Dtema has vibrant green skin and nearly black dark green hair pulled into an elaborate bun and long braid that falls to the middle of her back, capped in gold thread. Her eyes are deep orange-red, and her tattoos frame her face along the cheekbones and cover also the center of her forehead and chin.

Personality Traits: Dtema manages to balance the expected decorum and reservedness of a Jedi Master with an impish and somewhat mischievous sense of humor. She Finds her duties as the Barsen'thor to be very fulfilling and is a patient, understanding teacher. These qualities make her an outstanding diplomat and, combined with her skills with a lightsaber, make her a deadly opponent both on and off of the battlefield. She inspires great loyalty in friends and courage in cowards.

Associated Music: “True Colors” - Glee Cast Version (https://youtu.be/qtkYB1nkiqE?si=LleUXqsbhnjfiF8K)

Trivia: Dtema is one of the youngest Jedi Masters to have a seat upon the High Council, and is the third Barsen'thor in the history of the Order. Her training was guided strongly by the Force.

Personal Background: Born into the Force-zealous culture of Mirial, Dtema showed great aptitude at a very young age and was taken to a Jedi Temple on-planet at the age of four. There, she trained and studied hard in the art of the saber, diplomacy, and mastering the Force. She became a senior Padawan by the age of fourteen and was apprenticed to an elder Knight. Her first Master was killed on a relief mission, and Dtema was assigned to Master Yuon Par on Tython at eighteen to complete her training. She was Knighted shortly after when it became apparent that the Force was working through her.

[kidddoz]

Lotftober, day 4 - Ralph

I’m Gonna Win

Superstar since birth, the golden boy has always been an outstanding view in the eyes of every adult. As if his mere existence was a lighthouse in a world full of violence, Ralph's existence was determined to fulfil expectations, to give hope, and to serve adults in a way of pure and constant greatness without failure.

And so on, Ralph was the ace, the star, the best, the top. The excellence of a child, always polite, well-groomed and educated but as well as active and clever, as ideal as a dummy for fulfilling their parent's childish wishes that destiny took from them.

Born in such bellicosity also gave him a compulsion, almost like a destiny telling him to repeat the violence in which he was born. The conflict would always be inside that tiny, gold-like smiling child.

The perfectly star-shaped dream popped in seconds after arriving on the island. Not only did he find himself without any order, but he encountered the fear of not being the one he was supposed to be. Under the scorching spot the sun provided for all those boys, he was no longer the best, and the strings around his wrists disappeared. So now he was just a pointless dummy waiting for orders that would never arrive.

From then on, the lack of indications on each passing day felt like torture. Some days were worse than others, but at least being the Leader made him feel in control. It made him feel like the main character of a gloomy and sadistic story. But at least he felt as unique as ever, even if that meant being part of a story, he would end up dead or completely nutty after.

Looking back, he could hear something crack once that awful ginger declared him war. He was the one who ought to be on the spot and not Jack. But how come that boy embraced chaos in a way that made himself more of a leader than Ralph? How come he felt so much freedom and such little loneliness? How dare he steal his shiny crown?

He stared severely at his unrecognizable reflection and admitted his parents would be very disappointed in things he could not control. Or could he? Maybe if he tried harder. If he were willing to fight for the crown, he would be the Chief that not everybody needed but the one that everyone deserved. If Jack went low, then Ralph would go even lower. He was ready to fight to whatever extent possible. Ralph would not fight for the acceptance of the hunters; Ralph would fight for that shiny thing hanging off the Chief's head. He would win what he deserved. After all, it was something he was always used to.

______________

Gifted kid burnout? yeh, Ralph's one of those

This started as a drabble for, maybe, a bigger thing in the future bc to be honest, I really like to explore the idea of Ralph fighting back and being an even more violent chief than Jack.