#that stealing from poorer people

[getvalentined]

This is going to sound unnecessarily mean, but I feel like I need to make something clear.

I am done trying to explain anything lore-related to people who seem to genuinely believe that An/ge/al is a 100% good person who never did anything wrong and was forced into anything he did that seemed to be wrong, because that opinion makes it excessively clear to me that they have absolutely no capacity for even the most basic of media literacy, and every time I try they prove it by insisting that contradictory meta is "more canon" than the actual canon from which that meta is supposed to derive.

Also!

Hope this helps!

[cryptvokeeper]

I can’t draw for shit but I am locking in the concept of a spidersona from an Atlantis-esque New York that is flooded due to climate change and rising sea levels that’s based on Desis and Diving bell spiders

[thedarksideofmymoonhasmatches]

Imagine being a rapist thief and calling someone getting back at you for robbing them and raping them hate speech. And then call herself a feminist.

[tinystepsforward]

What do you think the chances are that Mud Pit is gonna be ousted by the people who need Automattic to have good will in the eyes of the community to actually get anything out of this site and wattpad

I know it’s probably low but the fact that he’s acting like a poorer Elon Musk is making my skin crawl and making me hope that a second lawsuit hits the company

ok here's the thing. he is meant to be on sabbatical. automattic gives employees a three-month paid sabbatical every 5 years, so that they can have a break from the product they work on and come back rested and with a new perspective.

matt has never taken one before now. he spent the entire leadup to his sabbatical posting increasingly wild shit in public channels at the company (like the chess thing, or trying to get people to buy a friend's product, or the entire fracas with taking over the wordpress.org twitter account. wordpress.org is an independent non-profit that he is not the ceo of).

i mention this because people were hoping (including me) that he really would actually log off, have a chill time (or, idk, whatever kind of time CEOs who go off the grid bc they got flooded in at burning man like to have), and let the interim CEO get a chance to do a better job. that would help the board make a decision based on data.

he was very clearly spiraling before he even left, and then within the first few days of Company Sanctioned Log Off Time he's pulled multiple Classic Matt things on multiple parts of the company before showing up here. this whole thing is so deeply unfunny but it also is a bit of a tom and jerry or looney tunes bit, where i can only imagine HR or Legal is chasing him around the various accounts/platforms with a comically large inflatable baseball bat and he's just evading them.

he can't do that in person, but he still gets a lot of leeway generally. at the last division meetup (irl meeting for employees, flown from all over the world) he showed up twitchy and exhausted and hyped in a way that was very familiar to me from flatmates who used to steal and snort my adhd medication, then proceeded to drink so much over the course of an evening answering questions from his employees that he had to be firmly babysat off the stage and walked back into the lobby of the hotel to sober up.

i made eye contact with him that night, before he dropped his head back into his hands. two people relatively high up in the company were sitting with him, silently watching him as he struggled to sober up. it wasn't the first drunk shenanigan of his i witnessed at one of these, and this is purely opinion but i have to assume that his current behavior is the result of suddenly having time on his hands to have the world's longest bender and post through it.

back to your question: i do not know if what he's done is enough to get the board to remove him. i wish it didn't have to come to this to hope that they will. but we'll find out.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Prison-tech company bribed jails to ban in-person visits

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in BOSTON with Randall "XKCD" Munroe (Apr 11), then PROVIDENCE (Apr 12), and beyond!

Beware of geeks bearing gifts. When prison-tech companies started offering "free" tablets to America's vast army of prisoners, it set off alarm-bells for prison reform advocates – but not for the law-enforcement agencies that manage the great American carceral enterprise.

The pitch from these prison-tech companies was that they could cut the costs of locking people up while making jails and prisons safer. Hell, they'd even make life better for prisoners. And they'd do it for free!

These prison tablets would give every prisoner their own phone and their own video-conferencing terminal. They'd supply email, of course, and all the world's books, music, movies and games. Prisoners could maintain connections with the outside world, from family to continuing education. Sounds too good to be true, huh?

Here's the catch: all of these services are blisteringly expensive. Prisoners are accustomed to being gouged on phone calls – for years, prisons have done deals with private telcos that charge a fortune for prisoners' calls and split the take with prison administrators – but even by those standards, the calls you make on a tablet are still a ripoff.

Sure, there are some prisoners for whom money is no object – wealthy people who screwed up so bad they can't get bail and are stewing in a county lockup, along with the odd rich murderer or scammer serving a long bid. But most prisoners are poor. They start poor – the cops are more likely to arrest poor people than rich people, even for the same crime, and the poorer you are, the more likely you are to get convicted or be suckered into a plea bargain with a long sentence. State legislatures are easy to whip up into a froth about minimum sentences for shoplifters who steal $7 deodorant sticks, but they are wildly indifferent to the store owner's rampant wage-theft. Wage theft is by far the most costly form of property crime in America and it is almost entirely ignored:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/15/wage-theft-us-workers-employees

So America's prisons are heaving with its poorest citizens, and they're certainly not getting any richer while they're inside. While many prisoners hold jobs – prisoners produce $2b/year in goods and $9b/year in services – the average prison wage is $0.52/hour:

https://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2024/0324bowman.html

(In six states, prisoners get nothing; North Carolina law bans paying prisoners more than $1/day, the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly permits slavery – forced labor without pay – for prisoners.)

Likewise, prisoners' families are poor. They start poor – being poor is a strong correlate of being an American prisoner – and then one of their breadwinners is put behind bars, taking their income with them. The family savings go to paying a lawyer.

Prison-tech is a bet that these poor people, locked up and paid $1/day or less; or their families, deprived of an earner and in debt to a lawyer; will somehow come up with cash to pay $13 for a 20-minute phone call, $3 for an MP3, or double the Kindle price for an ebook.

How do you convince a prisoner earning $0.52/hour to spend $13 on a phone-call?

Well, for Securus and Viapath (AKA Global Tellink) – a pair of private equity backed prison monopolists who have swallowed nearly all their competitors – the answer was simple: they bribed prison officials to get rid of the prison phones.

Not just the phones, either: a pair of Michigan suits brought by the Civil Rights Corps accuse sheriffs and the state Department of Corrections of ending in-person visits in exchange for kickbacks from the money that prisoners' families would pay once the only way to reach their loved ones was over the "free" tablets:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/03/jails-banned-family-visits-to-make-more-money-on-video-calls-lawsuits-claim/

These two cases are just the tip of the iceberg; Civil Rights Corps says there are hundreds of jails and prisons where Securus and Viapath have struck similar corrupt bargains:

https://civilrightscorps.org/case/port-huron-michigan-right2hug/

And it's not just visits and calls. Prison-tech companies have convinced jails and prisons to eliminate mail and parcels. Letters to prisoners are scanned and delivered their tablets, at a price. Prisoners – and their loved ones – have to buy virtual "postage stamps" and pay one stamp per "page" of email. Scanned letters (say, hand-drawn birthday cards from your kids) cost several stamps:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/14/minnesota-nice/#shitty-technology-adoption-curve

Prisons and jails have also been convinced to eliminate their libraries and continuing education programs, and to get rid of TVs and recreational equipment. That way, prisoners will pay vastly inflated prices for streaming videos and DRM-locked music.

The icing on the cake? If the prison changes providers, all that data is wiped out – a prisoner serving decades of time will lose their music library, their kids' letters, the books they love. They can get some of that back – by working for $1/day – but the personal stuff? It's just gone.

Readers of my novels know all this. A prison-tech scam just like the one described in the Civil Rights Corps suits is at the center of my latest novel The Bezzle:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

Prison-tech has haunted me for years. At first, it was just the normal horror anyone with a shred of empathy would feel for prisoners and their families, captive customers for sadistic "businesses" that have figured out how to get the poorest, most desperate people in the country to make them billions. In the novel, I call prison-tech "a machine":

a million-­armed robot whose every limb was tipped with a needle that sank itself into a different place on prisoners and their families and drew out a few more cc’s of blood.

But over time, that furious empathy gave way to dread. Prisoners are at the bottom of the shitty technology adoption curve. They endure the technological torments that haven't yet been sanded down on their bodies, normalized enough to impose them on people with a little more privilege and agency. I'm a long way up the curve from prisoners, but while the shitty technology curve may grind slow, it grinds fine:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

The future isn't here, it's just not evenly distributed. Prisoners are the ultimate early adopters of the technology that the richest, most powerful, most sadistic people in the country's corporate board-rooms would like to force us all to use.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/02/captive-customers/#guillotine-watch

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

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Flying Logos https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Over_$1,000,000_dollars_in_USD_$100_bill_stacks.png

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

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KGBO https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suncorp_Bank_ATM.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

[devilfic]

Do you still make Batman x reader? If yes, could I request a "reader figures out Bruce Wayne is Batman"?

Thank you!

❝honeymoon❞

parts: next plot: 'til death do you part. pairing: battinson!bruce wayne x gn!reader. cw: arranged marriage, friends to enemies to (fake) lovers, implied history between reader and bruce. words: 760.

a/n: a little something quick that I thought of!

Recognizing that you had agreed to this, you had been prepared to accept anything. An affair, a drug addiction, secret ties to the mafia overlords like high society always suspected. That was your job as Bruce's spouse: contractually obligated to be okay with it and never let anyone find out about it. Whatever it was.

Even now, as your brain short circuits and the floor feels like you're about to sink right into it, you're looking for ways to be okay with this, and he's looking at you like he wants to kill you.

It's a fleeting look. One second there, the next vanished. Neither of you say anything but there is a world of things being felt, you're certain. One of you has to budge. "This... isn’t what I was expecting."

But Bruce doesn't laugh (and you'd never expect him to, not in your presence). He stands there, heaving slow breaths to calm himself down, the cowl still conspicuously trembling between both of his hands. He could've tossed it or let it go but it's almost like you've frozen him solid.

"Where did you get that?" Is all he demands, eyes trained on the key glimmering in your hand now. "The doormen have orders to-"

"To not let me in? I know. I had the key made myself. Your doormen are easy to persuade with the right amount of money."

Bruce's lip twitches and he scoffs. "I won't tell anyone," you assure him, about 75% convinced of it yourself, "It does me no good to have extra eyes on me, and I'm sure you've got contingency plans in place were I or anyone else to expose you. You were always very good about that. Plans."

"Of course you won't. Your mother wouldn't approve of the disruption in cash flow."

Your eyes narrow. "I am not interested in what my mother wants."

"Why not? She's a part of this marriage, too. Isn't she?"

"Can we talk about the suit?" Bruce stiffens when you bring back attention to the compromised position you'd found him in. "I have questions, and I suppose if you want me to be good at lying about your... hobby, you'll have to prep me."

"I think the less you know, the better. Personally."

"The 'my husband's just busy with work' spiel is getting old, and people are already starting to talk about us living apart. Now, when I agreed to marry you," you watch him flinch as you take a step forward, "I promised that I would be with you in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, 'til death do us part. Your business is my business. Your secret," within arm's length of his cowl, you wrench it from his grasp and he relents rather easily, "is my secret. I will take it with me to the grave so long as you keep up your end of the bargain."

Up close, you take in the black paint smeared over his eyes, a fitting backdrop for his stunning eyes so cool. The fire in the hearth flickers off of them, reflecting back at you as you stand but inches apart.

Just as you stole his cowl, Bruce steals your key. He holds it up in the palm of his glove, "You want to move in."

You hum, "It would help with appearances. And my mother would be pleased."

"I thought you weren't interested in what your mother wants."

"I'm not, but she's interested in you, and given tonight's revelation... I think you'd like someone keeping her nose out of your business."

You punctuate your point with a touch to his chest, palm laid flat over his heart and the several layers of iron-clad padding in front of it. His hair falls into his eyes as he looks down at it, then back at you. There's discomfort there but... something else. Resignation, you'd wager. Defeat. You almost sigh in relief when it dawns on you that you've—rather miraculously—won this battle going in completely blind.

Later, it will dawn on you (or plummet on you) just what you've witnessed tonight. Just what you've agreed to. Just who you've married.

Bruce peels your hand away, placing the key in your palm before releasing it like a burning stone. "There are guest rooms on the second floor." He pauses when you're not fast enough to school your expression, his mouth turning down into a scowl, "This changes nothing else." And he stalks away.

Nothing else. This changes nothing else, but if anyone were to ask, the honeymoon was going great.

[dutifullylazybread]

THIS IS MY OFFICIAL REQUEST FOR CAL REALIZING HE'S GOT A CRUSH ON YOU AND CONFESSING HIS FEELINGS HEADCANNONS. LIKE ALL PRE-RELATIONSHIP ACTIVITY. I need to feed the brain-rot

I'M WEAK AND I'M POSTING A DAY EARLY

I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS

(I did take some liberties with this list—this list assumes that Cal, Lia, and Rolan stay with the tiefling refugees and all necessary steps are taken to get the three of them safely from the Druid’s Grove to Baldur’s Gate).

I ended up breaking this into two parts—one that talks about how Cal's feelings develop leading into the relationship/confession, and the other part which is a bit more scenario-driven (and it ended up being pre-relationship stuff that led into the start of the relationship itself).

General Headcanons

Cal begins to think that he might like you as more than a friend around the time that he realizes that he always hopes to run into you while out and about. Not in a “Oh, we’re both in the same place at the same time” sort of way but more in a “I hope Tav is there. That'd be nice. Maybe I should invite them?”

He has absolutely hoped to stumble into friends before, but he wasn't too bothered if it didn't happen.

You, however? If you aren't at a gathering, he feels poorer for it.

And when you two spend time together (be this in a group setting or on your own), he’s always stealing glances your way… and he realizes he doesn’t really do that with anyone else.

When someone tells a joke that he finds funny, he looks at you to see if you’re laughing as well. Every time.

He takes every opportunity to be near you. 

Even if you’re just running errands or doing something boring, he is over the moon to be invited along—even if you assure him that he doesn’t have to. His company is always welcome, but you wouldn’t be upset if he chose to go do something more enjoyable. 

“It’s no bother. The work is easier when there are two people to do it.”

If he goes shopping and sees something that reminds him of you, he will get it for you.

If you offhandedly mention that you like a certain type of food, don’t be surprised if he makes it for you. 

And if you ask him what the occasion was, he’ll shrug and say, “No reason,” or possibly, “It sounded like you haven’t had  it in a while.”

Cal strikes me as a very physically affectionate person; so long as you’re okay with hugs, he will embrace you when the two of you meet up and when the two of you part.

Though he does enjoy spontaneous hugs too.

And he does like holding your hand. A lot. 

He is the type of person who will check in to see if you need a drink refill or more food. It’s one way that he likes to take care of you, but he initially doesn’t think much of it, because he would do that for his siblings too.

And while Cal is fairly good at coming to his own conclusions about how he feels, Lia and Rolan most certainly tease him about how he acts around you.

Initially though, he thinks he is just being a good friend. 

Until he hugs you one day, and the hug lasts a moment longer than normal. And he notices how you feel pressed against him.

He realizes that it feels really, really natural to hold you close.

And you smell really, really nice. 

He realizes that you have always smelled that way. He has definitely picked up on it before, but for whatever reason, this time it really sticks.

This isn't a scent kink so much as it's a “I am taking comfort in something that is so utterly familiar and perfectly you” moment.

And then he starts to notice other things.

He likes the sound of your laugh. A lot. 

He particularly likes when he can get you to laugh, because you will look at him, eyes bright and face flushed.

And then there is a moment where your eyes meet, and you hold his gaze, and everything clicks into place.

And if he hadn't already figured out that he has a crush on you, he absolutely does then.

Rolan and Lia point out that it seems like he is daydreaming A LOT lately. And while he might be dismissive of this at first, it doesn’t take long for him to put two and two together—he’s thinking of you a lot.

And he is also talking about you much more often. Sometimes he repeats the same stories about you because, honestly, everything reminds him of you.

Rolan and Lia will tell him that he is repeating himself, but he just looks so happy whenever he talks about you.

So they'll usually wait for a pause in his story to lovingly tease him.

While Cal has always enjoyed hugging you before, he is melting into your embrace now. He is constantly looking for excuses to be close to you, to brush his arm against yours.

If he gets too flustered, his laugh raises in pitch and he'll slosh the drink he's holding all over himself.

To make matters worse, you think he's cute when he gets so worked up, and that's enough to make him light headed.

He doesn't strike me as someone who worries over saying the right thing. He isn't agonizing over every sentence, but he makes an effort to be kind. And if he is kind and transparent with people, then everything will be fine and any misunderstandings can, hopefully, be smoothed over.

But around the point that he starts to notice all these things that he likes about you, he starts to really worry about what he says and what you might infer.

Part of me thinks that, if Cal gets really deep into his stress over his crush for you, he becomes a nervous, giggling mess of a person.

This is to the point where he cannot have a discussion with you, because he is so nervous about what he will say.

“This person is incredible. I adore them so much. Oh, Hells, they're looking at me. Oh, Hells, they're gorgeous. OH, HELLS, THEY'RE COMING OVER TO SAY HELLO.”

Cal is clumsy, but when he is flustered, he practically trips over himself.

Will drop anything and everything when you are in close proximity.

Spills drinks and food everywhere because he gets caught up watching you laugh at a joke.

Will have bruises on his thighs, knees, and calves from how often he runs into furniture around you/when he is thinking of you. 

If Cal gets to this point, Rolan and Lia might intervene. They won't speak for their brother, but they will encourage/beg/urge him to talk to you. 

Their persistence will depend on how much Cal is agonizing over things. If he's just quietly pining but is content to spend time with you and it doesn't appear that he is struggling, they'll tease him.

If it's to the point where he is overanalyzing everything he says, they're going to be a lot firmer on him communicating his feelings to you.

“I think I made Tav uncomfortable.”

“Cal, you completely froze up and wouldn't make eye contact with them. They probably think that they're making you uncomfortable. For all of our sakes, just talk to them.”

So, Cal gathers his courage and asks you to go on an outing with him—something the two of you would do regardless of if you were a couple.

He will be nervous. He will be dropping things and bumping into the edges of furniture.

But here's the kicker: if you are nervous, blushing, and generally flustered about being around him, then his nerves will settle a little. Because he has had to be the calm, steady one for his siblings. It's in his nature to be there for others when they are struggling.

So you're both nervous. And you're both stumbling over yourselves.

It becomes a question of which one of you manages to confess first, but for the sake of this list, we'll say Cal manages as you were working up the courage.

And when you reciprocate his feelings and tell him how much you adore him, he looks fit to pass out from how relieved he is.

Your first kiss is clumsy—he bumps your forehead with his and his teeth click against yours. 

But it's honestly perfect.

If you are the calmer of the two, Cal will definitely take comfort in that as well.

“This is Tav. I trust them. They are an incredible person. They have never made me feel like I can't confide in them.”

So he works up the courage and confesses. He wants more than friendship with you. He likes you a lot. He might even be in love with you. He wants to find out.

And he hugs you so, so tightly when you confess that you feel the same.

We're talking a hug so tight and so close that, regardless of how tall you are, your feet are dangling off of the ground as he holds you to him.

Your first kiss is clumsy regardless. But it's perfect, because all your nerves and anxieties melt away in that moment.

And it’s just the two of you. And a world of possibilities has opened up before you.

Scenario-driven Headcanons: Following Game Events - Basically if Cal was a Romanceable NPC - From Crush to The Beginnings of A Relationship

So, personally, I think that Cal likely wouldn’t be considering a relationship while he and his family are fleeing from Elturel to Baldur’s Gate. It’s not that he is opposed to one—he’s just in survival mode. Not only that, but he is also pulling double shifts as Rolan’s and Lia’s mediator. The more time the three of them are on the road, the more his siblings are prone to argue. That just comes with the stress of being exiled from your home and dealing with food shortages and exhaustion. Both siblings have strong personalities and opinions on what matters (Rolan wants to ensure the safety of the three of them; Lia wants to ensure the safety of everyone), so if both have the energy, they’re going to argue. 

In the druid’s grove, the stress is at an all time high. Any day now, they could be turned out by the druids—who would effectively seal the grove off with the Rite of Thorns. And from there, who is to say that the goblins won’t attack? They might be small, but they have the numbers, the weapons, and control of the road. 

And if the goblins won’t get them, what else will they have to contend with?

First impressions are fleeting when you walk into the grove—Cal can’t get a good gauge on your character then.

Though he wasn’t terribly keen on Rolan and Lia arguing in front of everyone, he did appreciate that you diffused the situation… for the moment. 

And at the party? The first time he and his siblings allow themselves to relax, to forget the road ahead for the night, he starts to notice little things about you.

But just because he isn’t considering a relationship doesn’t mean he isn’t developing feelings—he just might not be paying them as much heed as he may if the situation were different.

Things that he might not usually observe with people—the way the corners of your eyes lift up when you smile, for example.

He most certainly likes hearing you laugh. He would like to hear you laugh more.

And when Rolan casts prestidigitation and lights the night sky, Cal finds his attention pulled away from the magic show to you. Your eyes are bright and you are set aglow.

And he finds you enchanting.

When you first walked into the grove, you carried yourself like any scrappy adventurer might. 

But at the party? Out of your fighting gear and not toting around a weapon? You’re… softer. Perhaps not quite as guarded as you would be on the road, waiting for some enemy to barrel out of the brush and attack you.

And he likes that.

And he starts to gravitate to you.

Though he doesn't think much of it, he will check in and see if you need your wine topped off or if you need something to eat. He figures he's looking out for you, perhaps thanking you for helping him and his family.

And you rather like how pleasant Cal is. He’s a breath of fresh air. Beyond getting to chat with you, getting to know you a bit better, he doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives.

And you like talking to him. He seems to feel the same.

Rolan and Lia most definitely notice. And they will tease him relentlessly.

“You’re practically hanging off of every word they say, aren’t you? I don’t think you left their side for more than a few minutes tonight.”

And it's true. They're just stating the obvious. But they're teasing him. They seem to think he feels more than just friendly towards you.

He's torn between dismissing them out of pocket and considering what they have to say. Rolan and Lia may tease him, but they also have his best interests in mind. 

Because he really, really, likes when you look at him.

And when the two of you part ways for the evening, he does watch you walk away to join your companions.

He definitely lays awake that night replaying your interactions. He gets giddy over the ones that went well, and he cringes and curls in on himself over the moments where he was less than debonair.

While the tiefling refugees travel through the mountain pass, he daydreams about what it would be like if your traveling party and his didn't separate. What if you stayed with them?

How many more interactions could the two of you have had? 

He sees mountain flowers or a blue jay's feather, and he thinks about how, if you were traveling with them, he'd give those to you. He hopes that you would light up, but he would still get an idea of what you liked from your responses.

And then he thinks about how, at the end of the celebration, he said “until Baldur's Gate.” And he starts to think about how much he'd love to explore the city with you.

If you're from Baldur's Gate originally, maybe the two of you got to talking about some of your favorite places. You might have offered to show him around.

And you did suggest getting a pint or two at the Elfsong together. It's a nice enough place.

He makes a note to take you up on that offer.

The mountain pass is a long trek, but he doesn't really notice. His head is in the clouds.

Lia and Rolan tease him over how besotted he is, but it is nice to see him thinking about something other than survival.

And then they cross into the Shadow-Cursed Lands, and the cultists attack. Cal and Lia are separated from Rolan and taken to Moonrise.

Cal is mad at himself for indulging in those daydreams. Maybe he would have noticed the cultists sooner, had his mind been more present.

Every time he thinks about you in that dungeon, he does so with a twinge of shame. 

He doesn't go so far as to fantasize that you'll save him. The situation feels too hopeless. He and Lia mostly talk about Rolan and how they hope he didn't get hurt during the cultists’ ambush.

So when you walk down into the dungeon, traveling companions in tow, he's not sure if he believes his eyes.

Everything that happens next is a blur of activity. One moment, the cell Cal is in has a back wall. The next? It's gone and the path to freedom stretches out before him.

Between escaping the prison and getting onto the boat, he doesn't have the time to think.

When the Last Light Inn is in view, when you tell him Rolan is waiting for him and Lia, that is when everything snaps back into focus.

And when the Harpers check him for a tadpole and nothing happens, he breathes a sigh of relief.

Only for the tadpole to react to you when you approach.

And he panics.

You? You have one of those things in your skull? What does that mean for you? Does it hurt? Is it changing you?

You don't have all the answers either. And that makes matters worse.

He promises to do everything he can to find a cure… He isn't sure what he can do, but he has to do something.

And, once things have settled with Rolan and the inn quiets down for the night (or the closest semblance of night that there is in the Shadow-Cursed Lands) they talk.

Rolan promises to ask Lorroakan if Cal can read through the library in Ramazith's Tower. A wizard, of all people, should know something about ceremorphosis… right?

Should you talk to Cal before you leave for Moonrise again, he will urge you to fight against the tadpole—to not give in. He promises to help however he can, even if all he can manage is to patch your wounds.

And, so long as you are comfortable, he'll hug you. 

He doesn't want to let you go. For a moment, he doesn't think he can.

Because this amazing person, this individual who has saved his life twice and has reunited his family, well, they might die a gruesome death.

And that terrifies him.

But you survive the fight with Ketheric. And as you and your companions gather in Moonrise's throne room, Cal feels at ease. For the moment. 

And he is torn. He wishes that you would travel with them to the city, but he knows that a smaller group will move faster.

Should you speak with him after the battle, he will end your conversation the way he did at the celebration in Act 1.

“Until Baldur's Gate.”

And, should you be so inclined, you could leave him with a kiss on the cheek. He’ll smile bashfully.

“Well, I really hope that there will be more where that came from.”

When he and his siblings arrive in Rivington, they try to cross Wyrm’s Crossing together.

Only Rolan is allowed to pass through Wyrm’s Rock Fortress and into the lower city. He promises to send for them soon. They just need to hold tight and wait in the refugee camp.

But time passes and the communication from Rolan is sparse. So sparse that the two of them are beginning to panic. Rolan would never leave them in the lurch like this. Not unless something was truly wrong. They make plans. There must be other means of entering the city.

And, eventually, you and your companions arrive.

And you're alive. And he holds you close, feeling your heartbeat resonate in his chest.

But he's also frustrated. He hasn't managed to find anything that might cure your ceremorphosis. And now, he and Lia are asking you to look for Rolan. 

He asks you to be careful. He says he feels helpless because he can't cross into the city. 

And watching you head towards Wyrm’s Crossing has him gutted. You’ll likely end up walking into danger, but was he the one who sent you straight into it with his ask?

The days in the camp were miserable to begin with. No one is happy, and the people who live in Rivington are hostile to the refugees. Time drags on.

Cal now has three people to worry about—Rolan, Lia, and you.

Are you and Rolan alive? Did Rolan make it to his apprenticeship? Did you turn into a mind flayer?

And then, a few days later, Rolan sends a letter. 

He asks that Cal and Lia join him at Ramazith’s Tower. For good. They have a home now.

Cal and Lia pass by the Steel Watch and the Flaming Fist patrolling the crossing without incident.

And when they arrive at Ramazith's tower, they find their brother bruised and bloodied, but calm—relieved even.

And after the nerves of the road have settled, after they've cared for Rolan's injuries, and they are sitting in the tower’s study, Cal asks after you.

Rolan keeps the details vague, but he makes it perfectly clear that, were it not for you and your companions, the three of them wouldn't be sitting in that tower. No, if anything, Lorroakan wouldn't have lifted so much as a finger to help Cal and Lia pass into the city.

At this point, Rolan and Lia will gently tease Cal about his feelings for you.

“Well, they certainly know how to stick their nose into other people’s business, but they're tolerable enough. Invite them to dinner sometime.”

It isn't long before Cal is digging through the library, searching for books on Ceremorphosis.

Personally, I think he visits the Society of Brilliance per the suggestion of a shop patron.

And, when he gets there and the society sees how sincere Cal is, they introduce him to Omeluum.

These two hit it off, by the way.

Cal splits his work between reading through massive tomes and talking with Omeluum and Blurg.

He learns more about what it means to be a mind flayer. And he feels that, even if you were to transform, he’d want to be there to support you in whatever way he could.

And then, one day, as he is taking a break and cleaning the tower's study, you step through the portal.

He's speechless. He had realized back at Moonrise that his feelings for you extended beyond friendship, but to see you here? Now?

Rolan and Lia quietly excuse themselves while you two catch up.

You chat with him in the study, but eventually, Cal will ask for you to walk the balcony outside with him.

He is nervous. 

How does he begin to thank you for everything that you have done for him and his family? How does he begin to apologize for not finding a cure?

This interaction will end with Cal asking, “When all of this is said and done… Can I see you again? I'd… very much like to take you up on that pint. To celebrate.”

This interaction can end amicably or with a hug, but should you ask him, Cal will kiss you. He's careful, as if worried that one wrong move will ruin the moment. 

But, should you wish to continue the kiss, he lets himself melt into your embrace.

And, as he deepens the kiss, he'll hum softly, contentedly.

And, almost bashfully, he will mention that he'd love to show you his bedroom. He even offers for you to spend the night there. With him. Only if you want, of course.

The choice is yours.

He will say to you, either before you bid him farewell on the balcony (or as you are saying goodbye the following morning), “Please come back. Alive. I don't care if you've turned into a mind flayer or not. I just want you.”

But after Elturel's descent, where everyone prayed for the city to be returned to the material plane for life to then go back to normal (only for the Elturelian tieflings to promptly be exiled), he doesn't want to take a chance on things returning to normalcy after the Netherbrain is defeated.

So, before the final battle, the two of you get that pint at the Elfsong. And you talk for hours. 

It is entirely your call if the two of you end the evening by sharing a bed.

If you do, Cal holds you the entire night. He’s almost reluctant to let you go in the morning, because he is frightened that it might be the last time he sees you alive.

Should you and Cal share a kiss at any point in Act 3, he will appear in the grand hall before the final battle.

He jokes that Rolan has been practically obsessed with getting the Tower's cannon in working order. 

If you ask him for a good luck kiss, he will give you one. 

This kiss is urgent. Cal's eyes are squeezed shut as he presses his lips to yours. He is desperately trying to communicate all of his feelings to you in that one moment, and he knows his time is limited.

And then he pulls back with a shaky breath, resting his forehead against yours, his thumbs running down the line of your jaw.

“Come back, alright? I’ll be here, ready to patch you up. I… I love you."

[rainbowcarousels]

That post about how Angeal is willing to steal from people who are poorer than Genesis's family made me remember a theory I bombarded @birdblacksocialclub with ages ago, so I want to have a little ramble about it here.

Angeal says he would not steal from the trees belonging to Genesis's (foster) family because they're friends. it would be dishonourable to steal from your friend. But I have another theory about where this line of thinking came from other than Angeal's sense of honour.

One of the few things we know about Genesis's foster parents is that they were reporting back to Shinra, albeit they later chose to lie to them when they 'got attached' to him. Notably, Gillian (Angeal's mother) chose not to and refused to let Shinra anywhere near Angeal save for the existing surveilling that was being done in Banora. This makes total sense, she tried to leg it with him as a baby and was caught, so she clearly didn't want Shinra involved with Angeal in a big way and refuses to acknowledge anything about her life in the Jenova project.

Genesis and Angeal are childhood besties. It's likely they were in and out of each others pockets, but the economic difference between them had to mean that Genesis was more likely to want to give him things. Unfortunately, those things came via his foster parents and by extension, Shinra - the very company Angeal's mother is trying to get to leave him alone to live out his life relatively quietly.

My bet is that Gillian told tiny Angeal that he shouldn't take things from Genesis, that it isn't honourable, that it was considered charity and they had some pride and he internalised that as not taking things from his friend. From his perspective, the issue is that they're friends and it's a matter of respect and pride between them.

From Gillian's? It's trying to make sure

a) Angeal is not in Shinra's debt due to Genesis not understanding where his foster parents loyalties once lay and he's more likely to stop offering if Angeal is the one to shut it down than if she does

b) instilling the idea that Angeal shouldn't take things from people in power because it might land him in some trouble some day, especially if she's wary of someone of the suited variety showing up one day

and c) that said foster parents don't see enough of Angeal to ever include him in their observations because she knows they're not normal kids

(those blueprints for the copy tech were archived with Project G, they absolutely knew when they were kids that they had some abilities, just not enough as to be as sure a bet as Sephiroth was)

It might have been about honour for Angeal but I think it probably started as a way to try and keep him away from Shinra's scope. At least, until the war kicked off and he signed up anyway.

[basofy]

Hey like, ignorant USAmerican here. Im trying to understand the situation going on in Venezuela and since, well, you live there, I'd like to hear ur voice. The actions of Maduro seem really indefensible but I worry about the US governments involvement in the opposition. I can't exactly do anything but it seems like the Venezuelan people are stuck between a rock and a hard place. I pray for your safety and that your land doesn't become a vassal state for the USA.

hello, i appreciate you reaching out to me to know more. the issues we are going through now don't really have anything to do with the usa, or probably not at the extremely big scale that annoying people online are saying. the opposition candidates we are rooting for (María Corina and Edmundo) are simply trying to prove the legitimacy of the votes in which Edmundo ended up with 70% in favor in contrast to Maduro who got 30%, i think the number in favor of Edmundo has even been going higher now that they're registering more votes.

on the day of the elections, me and everyone i know were watching reports of how the elections were going in other states, we watched as all the votes were being counted and Edmundo was proclamed winner in every state. there are recordings of the government attempting to steal the boxes (some did get stolen) and mistreating and even killing civilians for it. María Corina stated that the priority right now is protecting the votes and that's all she's asked from the country as of now (aside from some peaceful concentrations in places where she's spoken). venezuelans of all areas, of all economic classes have been protesting agaisnt Maduro, which i think is really good to note because, we used to be extremely divided in between people who opposed chavismo and people who wanted it, but lately the number of people opposing it has been really high, to the point that symbols of chavismo like statues and posters have been getting ruined everywhere by the people. even people who used to depend on what the government gave them (because Maduro created a situation where many people of low resources had to either put their trust and love in Maduro waiting to get something good out of it (and not even that good) or starve) realized they didn't want to depend on him anymore. nobody wants to 'just survive' anymore. this has been going on for 25 years, my country and my people have been deeply hurt. people are tired. and Maduro's mandate didn't even start in a fair way either, he has been commiting fraud everytime, the difference being now that people are more united and also more tired than before.

as for what you might've heard regarding USA i think you might have been seeing the people who say that the opposition is a bunch of cia leaders led by the US who only want Venezuela's resources. look i'm not saying the USA doesn't suck or that our resources aren't very preyed on, but that isn't what is happening here. it's a problem inside our country, it's a problem of people wanting their vote to be respected, who have had to fight for it and oppose the regime and the police and the military and risk their life for it. people have been getting abused and even kidnapped and tortured for protesting.

i would like to mention that people with the ideology that the opposition is an us backed coup have been dehumanizing us venezuelans to no end and refuse to listen to us. they don't know the reality of venezuela as of now and don't want us to explain it to them and put every excuse possible for it. it's just a bunch of people who talk about politics like it's videogames. they talk like every person opposing Maduro is a privileged white person when most of the people fighting right now are from the poorer areas of the country, the people they are suppossedly 'defending'. they feel more betrayed than everybody else does.

if USA is only supporting us for our resources rn i'm honestly unaware and wouldn't be surprised but as i said that isn't the issue at hand rn, and chavismo and Maduro have been profiting off our resources all these years leaving the people with nothing so thats to keep in mind. the disaster you fear the usa might do has already been done by chavismo

i would also like to mention that the supposed numbers in favor of Maduro don't even match with the amount of people protesting. all the people protesting outside aren't in his favor, and he has been suppressing every demostration of opposition with police brutality.

as for María Corina i can't say i 100% trust her, for different reasons, but she seems more ready than past figures of the opposition have been and has managed to unite the country alongside Edmundo, the people have hope and are willing to give it their all and i don't want the rest of the world to ignore this.

we are indeed in between the sword and the wall here but it's because this is a chance that we really need, not because of the USA preying on us but because we just want to be free from chavismo and Maduro once and for all.

unfortunately it's hard to find good articles in english about this but i've found some trustworthy posts in instagram that very well summarize about what is going on, you might want to look at them

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A post shared by Al Jazeera English (@aljazeeraenglish)

[teecupangel]

The whole Desmond/Vega situation with Altair in EoAhas made me think of a time travel au where Altair keeps having romcom meet-cutes with people but literally all of them are Desmond in disguise

So Altair is going from having very few crushes in his lifetime to having multiple at once (unaware that they're all actually the same person) while Desmond is stuck wishing he had a computer to make a spreadsheet about which identity knows what about Altair so he doesn't let something slip that Altair told a different identity or info he got from the animus/bleeds

Oh my god.

This is so cute.

I think Altaïr would know it’s Desmond sooner or later, which would make Desmond’s spreadsheet quite a lost cause at that point but…

If it starts with Altaïr being a child, we can prolong the meet cute situations XD

So, in this one, it starts of with Altaïr as a child getting lost while he was joining his father in some kind of safe mission.

His first love was a child who saw him and helped him get back to the bureau, wearing clothes that were a bit too big for him.

The child’s hand was warm and he would squeeze Altaïr’s hand while he held it whenever he says “It’s going to be alright.”

And Altaïr didn’t understand why but he believed him.

Altaïr’s second love was a girl whose face he didn’t even see. Clad from head to toe in black robes with a niqab covering her face. All he could see was her eyes, clear light brown eyes that seemed to shimmer during the day.

This time, Altaïr wasn’t lost. He had just been taking a walk while waiting for his father to finish his mission. He saw her steal a piece of pomegranate from one of the stalls in the marketplace and tried to catch her.

Instead, he ended up sitting on the edge of one of the buildings as they shared the pomegranate, listening to her talk about how the merchant had been an ass who bullied other poorer merchants.

It was Adha who told him that what he felt wasn’t love but infatuation. Maybe even greed. He fell in love easily for people he will never see again. Altaïr hated her immediately, shouting at his father that he would never marry a girl like her. Adha scoffed and told her own father that she didn’t want to marry a boy who would fall in love so easily. Altaïr stormed off after his father tried to pretend he wasn’t taking Adha’s side. He bumped into him. His third love. Or the next target of his infatuation. No. That was Adha talking, not him.

He was a young boy, wearing a dark brown shemagh that covered half of his face. Altaïr’s eyes were enchanted by his eyes that reminded him of honey. The boy asked him if he was alright and Altaïr didn’t really want to talk about it. So… the boy gave him a piece of bread and told him to cheer up. His eyes wrinkled in a way that let Altaïr know he was smiling behind that shemagh.

And just like that, the boy was gone. Leaving Altaïr with a piece of bread that was still warm to the touch.

His fourth love was a street urchin who looked like a wet rodent. He had been out of Masyaf with the other recruits to observe the older Assassins perform their tasks in a busy city. The Assassin that had been assigned to him was a kind man with an easy smile. Abbas thought he was nice. Malik was as polite as ever.

And Altaïr was bored.

And it was because he wasn’t truly paying attention that he was swept by the crowd before the Assassin or the two other recruits with him could notice.

He was on his way to the bureau when he heard a crash. A child no older than he was had crashed onto a nearby stall that had been selling wine.

He quickly ran and shouted at Altaïr to run as well, just as the guards were catching up to him. Altaïr ran even though he shouldn’t have.

He wasn’t part of whatever was happening.

But his body moved on its own.

Once they were on the other side of the city, the child began to laugh. He didn’t ask why Altaïr agreed to run. He didn’t ask how Altaïr was able to keep up with him as they traversed the city, using their surrounding to gain the upper hand over the large armored men chasing after them.

“Here.” Altaïr caught whatever the child had thrown at him before he even realized what it was, “Take that as my apology for getting you mixed up in all these.”

Altaïr opened his hand.

It was a necklace of some kind with a small yellow gem.

“It matches your eyes.” The child said and Altaïr wished he would take off the fabric around his face so Altaïr could see his face.

Could see his smile.

“Take care on your way back, Altaïr.” The boy waved before he jumped off the window.

And Altaïr tried to remember when he had told him his name.

[snackara]

Asha (The Alondra of Rosas)

I have no idea how to start one of these so let’s just dive into the madness-

I took a very different take on Asha, to say the least. Instead of being a cheery peasant girl or a gracious princess, she’s a charismatic, cunning, and emotionally distant thief. so an accidental puss in boots ripoff-

My main goal with Asha in this rewrite is to give her more of a personality, as well as a character arc. She had a little personality in the movie, but ultimately just falls into that “quirky female protagonist” trope Disney has been doing lately. I drew a lot of Asha’s personality from characters like Meg, Raya, and especially Esmeralda. As far as a character arc, she doesn’t really have one in the film. The only change she really goes through is becoming a little sparkly and becoming the fairy godmother or whatever (which was such a stupid idea especially after they JUST defeated Magnifico but for another day). Not to spoil much here, but in this rewrite I decided her character arc will mainly revolve around opening up to people and vulnerability.

As a quick side note, her nickname means “The Lark of Rosas”. The citizens call her lark because of the way she glides across rooftops so gracefully, and for her singing voice.

As far as her design goes, I wanted her to closer resemble Brittney Lee’s concept art, shown below.

Her facial features and hairstyle just seem more fitting to her in this rewrite, and the warmer colored clothing would make her stand out against the other citizens of Rosas, who wear a lot of cooler colors.

(credit unknown)

As for her outfit, I went with the classic Spanish Musketeer look like the design above (minus the pistol). The art is pretty close to what I imagine, though I’d probably have her just wear a shirt and not the blue vest seen above.

Now, I know what you may be asking: What about Valentino? Well, he’s still here, but um…

…he changed quite a bit too. This is a genet, a catlike animal native to Spain, and a much more fitting companion to a thief than a goat. Think of him like Abu from Aladdin.

Now for the fun part: angst

Asha was born in Rosas to Thomás and Sakina. A few years after she was born, her mother died during the raids. Afterwords, her father guided her and many others to the Uncharted Forest, where they built the hamlet.

Like Asha, her father was a thief who stole supplies for the hamlet and gave money from the nobility to the poor of Rosas. He became well-liked by many, and stood as a symbol of hope for poorer citizens. He was basically the closest thing the hamlet had to a leader. Until one day he disappeared when Asha was just 14. (This will be somewhat important later in the story)

Asha felt she had to take her father’s place to keep hope alive in Rosas and began to steal from the nobles, sharing their riches with commoners as he had done. Around this time she was taken in by an older man named Sabino, who had been friends with her father.

Sabino never really approved of Asha’s thievery, but since she was the only one bringing supplies into the hamlet he didn’t say much. Asha eventually became very closed off to people, and had Sabino and Valentino as her only real companions. Although most people like her, she doesn’t really have friends in Rosas or even the hamlet. She’s too scared of failing their expectations of her, and avoids growing close to anyone besides Sabino.

This girl has a lot of expectations weighing on her, and they’re only about to get a lot heavier. But this time, she won’t have to carry them alone.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more.

[rjalker]

You cannot claim you want books to be more accessible to people and then get mad about the Internet Archive accepting book donations that people have fully bought and paid for and lending those donated books out to people completely for free with no hoops to jump through.

I don't know who needs to hear this but not everyone has access to public libraries.

Assuming you even have a library in your town, not everyone can physically get to them! The poorer and more disabled you are, the less likely you are to even own a car, let alone be able to drive it!

And in most US cities, walking from point A to B is either literally physically impossible or illegal, or so literally life-threateningly dangerous that you're better off not risking it!

And assuming you can get to the library -- guess what! There's no guarentee you can actually get a library card! Yes, despite how everyone always sings endless praises, libraries aren't perfect, and there are still very real obstacles between some of the most vulnerable people and being able to borrow from a library!

In many places, you can't get a library card unless you have a driver's liscence / state ID. And in some places, even that alone isn't enough -- you also have to provide proof that you live in the city!

Which means homeless people who've had their IDs literally stolen by the cops, who don't have a mailing address they can use as proof they live in the same city as the library can't get a library card unless they can somehow get to the DMV and miraculously have the money pay for a new ID. Which they can't do without other forms of ID. Which the cops probably also literally stole.

Even if you're not homeless, if someone steals your wallet, and you can't drive, you can't get a library card either now, because you have no ID, and no way to get a new one!

The Internet Archive's lending library is actually free and accessible to everyone who can connect to the internet, with no hoops to jump through. You just have to make an account and you can start reading.

Stop claiming you want people to be able to read books if you don't actually want the most vulnerable people to actually be able to read books. Which have already been paid for and helped the authors.

If you don't even understand the bare minimum basics of how the Internet Archive's lending library works, maybe don't go around proclaiming yourself the expert. And if you literally do not live in the USA, don't go around claiming our libraries are freely accessible to everyone when they're literally not!

The Internet Archive does not hurt authors. It does not hurt publishers. If you understand how it's perfectly fucking fine to buy a book and then lend it to your friends so they can all read it, you understand why the Internet Archive literally accepting fully paid for donations of books which they archive for all of humanity completely for free is also literally fine.

And if you pretend there's actually some evil difference between the two, you just need to admit you've swallowed the capitalist propaganda that publishing companies, who want to turn books into the next streaming service where you never actually own anything even when you buy it, and you're spreading blatant capitalist propaganda that actual authors hate.

It is literally a fact that if people can borrow a book from a library to read it for free, they are more likely to buy it and the rest of the series than they would if they never got the chance to read it without first forking over hard earned money that could be going towards groceries, for a book it might turn out they absolutely hate every second of.

You cannot claim to support libraries and support making books accessible to everyone and then shit on the Internet Archive. Unless you're also going to claim that lending books out to friends or Little Libraries are also immoral.

You people are really blatantly drinking the capitalist "turn everything into a subscription service possible so they never own anything and have to keep giving us money" koolaid and we can tell.

[meret118]

Last Thursday, he demanded that Republicans insert into must-pass budget legislation that’ll be considered in the next two or three weeks a provision that would demand that every state require absolute proof of citizenship to register to vote. Right now, this is largely confined to red states. “I would shut down the government in a heartbeat if they don’t get it and if they don’t get it in the bill,” Trump told Monica Crowley on her podcast.It’s already a felony in every state for noncitizens to cast a ballot. The simple reality is that there’s never been a noncitizen “voter fraud” problem in America—or any other advanced democracy—so there’s no need for a “solution.”

What Republicans know, however, is that the lower a person is on the economic ladder, the less likely they are to have kept or have easy access to the kinds of documentation of birth and citizenship necessary to meet the GOP’s anti–voter fraud registration requirements.

And the poorer a person is, the more likely they are to vote Democratic.

Republicans also know that millions of women are seriously pissed off about the Dobbs decision, particularly in the 20 Republican-controlled states with bans on abortion. This demand for proof of citizenship to prevent “voter fraud” is the main way the GOP is now expanding its suppression efforts to women. The National Organization for Women notes: “Voter ID laws have a disproportionately negative effect on women.… Roughly 90 percent of women who marry adopt their husband’s last name. That means that roughly 90 percent of married female voters have a different name on their ID than the one on their birth certificate. An estimated 34 percent of women could be turned away from the polls unless they have precisely the right documents.”

Many women won’t have them, won’t be able to track them down, or can’t afford to replace them, so millions will just shrug and go back to their lives, figuring that “just one less vote” won’t make that much difference.

Claiming widespread noncitizen “voter fraud” is the GOP’s primary go-to strategy to prevent people from voting or even registering to vote, and every day it seems they come up with new ways to exploit it. As Crystal Hill pointed out Wednesday at Democracy Docket, “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) sued one of the state’s most populous counties to block its plan to mail out over 200,000 voter registration forms to residents, claiming the move will ‘facilitate [voter] fraud.’”

[royalcolls-cccc-au-act]

MIND/APOLLO LORE !!

This is up until the current timeline of the story

.

.

.

> Apollo, that isn't his birth name but he didn't like the name he was given. He found it boring and way too common for someone such as himself, strong, smart, someone worth remembering. No one knowa what his actual name was besides his family and his best friend, June, and lord knows that they knew better than to tell other's that information.

> The boy grew up in a small town, one that had a lot of other poorer family's. So, the town wasn't as good as others. Not many people complained though, as they had enough to survive and live. It was worse of for those of bigger families, like Apollo's family. There were 5 kids all living under the same roof with both parents working to support it. The eldest of the siblings would work alongside their father as well as hunt for some decent animals and meat. The second eldest were to look after the younger ones, make sure they got to school and came back just fine.

> And this is how Apollo met June. In school.

> Long story short, they got on well. Inseperable. There was barley a time that they were seem away from eachother, and to others it was nothing dhort of a miracle as Apollo typically was snarky or just cold towards others, not liking to interact with people. But with June, he was happy. He was also chaotic, sure, but happy. When they were both late teens, around 16 (Apollo) and 17 (June), they went a few towns over to go check it out, and saw how it was a more well off town than theirs, as well as the fact that one or two people owned cars. Nice cars, big too. They exchanged a look and they both ended up stealing one of the cars. It took a bit, but they got it running. Bad news though, the sheriff noticed and as they drove off, the sheriff followed. The were eventually caught, but June lied and told the sheriff that Apollo didn't do a thing to help, and that June had done everything and dragged him along. They were both sent to jail, but for different times. Apollo got 6 months, while June got 4 years. Pretty unfair, but June didn't mind, he was just happy that he saved his friend the time in jail that he would've got.

> Apollo was forever grateful.

> 6 months later, Apollo was let out of jail, and he made his way home to his parents. Parents, who chewed his ear off for a good 2 hours straight about how stupid it was to go stealing a car. That wouldn't stop him though, as the next few months, Apollo continued these crimes and everything as he went on to successfully steal a car, and start robbing places, getting the money to dress nice and support himself. He also ended up moving out of his parents house. He didn't buy a house, didn't want to. He just spent time in his car, going from town to the jail June was held in, visiting his friend once a month.

> It got quite... lonely by himself. He didn't have June to hang about with, and god forbid he have any other friends. He didn't like that idea, but one day when he was collecting some fruit from the farmer, he decided to actually strike up a conversation.

**"Hey, what's this ranch for for? It doesn't look like you're usin' it for a whole lotta storage."**

> The farmer had laughed from where he was sat on a hay block, resting from the days work he had done.

*"It ain't used for storage, you're right. It's used as a stage, rehersal room. There's this... girl that uses it to practice. Darrel here helps 'er."*

> He gestured to the chicken that was pecking idley at the hay block that the farmer was sat on. He picked up the chicken and held him comfortably in his arms.

***"Tell me how she'd doin'. I might wanna meet lil' miss moviestar some day."***

> And then Apollo left. That was how the start of their friendship. Atlas knew that Apollo robbed others, but they had a mutual agreement that Atlas wouldn't snitch if he didn't steal from the farm and actually buy the crops and animal products.

> Moving to a while later, Apollo had been away from the farm for a while, as he was out of town, but that day he had to seek cover in the farm. He had been in one town over and saw a dog being mistreated, sand beinf kicked in its face and probably some other horrible things, so when the owners weren't looking, he hopped the fence and took the dog off its leash, taking it to the car and running off. The owners saw though, and chased him all the way to the farm. When Apollo got to the farm though, pulling up to a stop by the fence gate, there was a problem. A huge problem.

> The ranch was on fire.

> Now, Apollo was usually one to think quick on his feet, but in that moment he froze. He stares at the ranch and how it was up in flames and prayed that Atlas wasn't inside. Hoping to whatever god was out there that he didn't have to lose a friend, like how he lost June temporarily.

> After what felt like an eternity of just watching the flames burn the ranch, he ran inside the place, looking for any sign of Atlas. There was nothing but smoke and flames inside, evident by the fact it was like Apollo was coughing up his lungs. He spent what seemed to him as an eternity looking for Atlas, knowing that the man had nothing else to do besides be on his farm working all day, so he must be here, right? Well, he had to leave the ranch before finding out due to the smoke getting to him. He'd check though, every day after. For now he just has to get to a safe place where the fire didn't get him.

> It's a few weeks before he actually goes back to the farm, people were saying no one wa allowed near there, and they'd have to get their food other ways until the ranch was rebuilt. During the rebuilding time, Apollo visited, seeing the wooden frames and ladders, people working on the ranch. They were getting things done in a good time. And Atlas was there, outside the ranch with Darrel under his arm as he leant on a cane (Well that was new) watching the men working on his ranch.

> And life went on as normal from then on out.

> Until the day Apollo met someone new, of course.

> He drove up to the ranch like he did every week, but on a different day than he normally headed up there. He humed as he walked into the ranch, looking as Atlas seemed to be setting out some wooden planks on the floor.

**"Wha's all this for then?"**

> Apollo asks, confused as all hell.

*"A stage."*

> Is all the farmer had given in response as there were footsteps in the ranch. Apollo turns, then smiles.

**"So you're the famous lil' movie star Atlas has been talkin' 'bout?"**

[ramskay]

The story of the Winchesters' little sister.

Dean and Sam's childhood is killing me.

Mary Winchester, daughter of John Winchester.

On August 12, 1984, just a year after his mother's death, he brought her with him. He left a small bundle on the bed at another motel and just left. This unidentified object was making sounds that Sammy had once made. Now another child has fallen into the arms of a five-year-old child. She was sweet and small, just a baby. She had the same green eyes as Dean. He was just waiting for his father to come and explain everything. All night he wondered who she was, whose she was, where she came from, who her mother was. The child was crying for attention, but Dean wanted to, but couldn't. Sam was sleeping on the couch, how could he not hear that crying?

It's already five o'clock in the morning, and my father is still not here. Dean needs to get up because Sam is going to wake up soon and he needs to be fed. The bundle, somehow tensely silent, no longer cried. Sam obediently ate his cereal with milk, and Dean just watched. The tension felt too much.

— This is your sister and now, Dean, you have to take care. I'm going away for a week, do you understand? Mary and Sam are your responsibility, if something happens to them, you will be responsible.

Sister, but how, why? Mom died, how could she be born then. Why did he call her Mary? Just like Mom.

— I can't hear, do you understand me?

— Yeah, I get you.

Turning around, the father went to the small package and opened it. She was wearing nothing but a diaper, which was obviously full.

It was only now that Dean noticed the grocery bag his father had brought.

— Get out and bring me a diaper.

He's like a good boy, of course, he'll bring it.

And her father will change her diaper. He has a sister, he perfectly remembered how his brother asked his parents to play with him.

She is very small and defenseless, like Sammy, and he has to protect them, because he is older and stronger.

He promised himself that he would never leave them and would always protect them.

Four years later.

Dean is already an adult, he is nine years old, he has even already gone to school in the town where their father left them. Sam is five years old and he just loves reading books, which Dean considers too boring.

Mary is four years old and she remains just as small and defenseless. He is afraid of bed monsters or big dogs. While Dean is at school, which he clearly does not like, but what can be done to study. The younger ones are sitting at home, completely alone. It breaks his heart, but what if Mary drops something on herself or gets burned? Will Sam fall and hit himself or get stuck somewhere? This is clearly not something a child should think about as a child.

There's not much left until the end of the lesson, a little more and he'll look for home. To his sister, to his brother, who are looking forward to him. But before that, he needs to get money for food somewhere. The father is once again delayed for another week, and the money he left will not be enough. He was already trying to eat less so that Sam and Mary wouldn't be hungry.

So he started stealing a little, he just had to feed himself and the younger ones somehow. People probably won't get poorer from this. Of course, he didn't steal from old ladies, but he stole from the store. I came in after school, quietly took all sorts of bars, just to please them. Sometimes he took money. He knew it wasn't right, but they had to survive somehow.

***

Another cold night in

a motel was no longer surprising. There were only two beds in the room, Sam and Mary sleeping on one and Dean on the other. There was a heavy downpour outside the window, you could even hear thunderclaps. An even more childish voice attracted the children's attention.

— Dean, I'm scared.

Mary rubbed her sleepy eyes while trying not to cry from another lightning strike. He looked at his sister expectantly, not knowing how to help her. Sam was never afraid.

— And what do you want from me?

— Can I sleep with you?

Now she was looking at him with an expectant look. Dean weighed the decision, because as his father said, they are no longer small and should sleep separately. But she was scared, and he had to protect her.

— Okay, lie down.

Squealing happily, just like a kitten. Mary climbed into Dean's warm bed. Hugging him with her small arms, comfortably laying down on the pillow.

It was then that something clicked in his nine-year-old heart and he felt somehow strange, but at the same time fine. He couldn't explain what was happening to him, but he liked it. It was the first time he had a good night's sleep, the first time he had had a good night's sleep.

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/749008797703520256/maybe-this-isnt-something-most-anime-fans-from?source=share

Anon, you are not the only one but not interacting will make any fan experience difficult.

I can see where you are coming from with antis being broke fans, but the big ones are usually BNF from a wealthy background because the broke ones are, usually, too busy earning money than starting discourses.

I think, this is what some people call fanfluencer because their whole fan activity or "brand" is by being popular and influencing other fans who want to be like them.

Kinda like you.

But you dodged a bullet by not agreeing with Anti ideology.

I notice, broke fans who follow big antis tend to be more hostile compared to broke fans who are profiction or proshippers because they are more likely to be delusional.

I don't know how often I have seen someone tweet about stealing from "proshipper" JP-fanartists or stealing photos or spoilers of fan events from "proshipper" accounts. "They are proshippers, so it's fine to steal from them, I can't even go to Japan."

But, not everyone who steals content is broke, and not everyone who is broke an anti.

Maybe, try to be nicer to yourself. You're not alone. Isn't that the point of being in a fandom? To not feel lonely?

--

Feeling poorer than others can lead to resentment and resentment plays into a lot of specific flavors of shitty behavior, but that's as deep as the connection goes, yeah.